Chapter 82
—
The Dawn Guild’s conference room.
The section chief and assistant manager of Dawn’s management team leisurely sipped their coffee.
After a while, Hunter Kim, freshly washed and dressed, entered the conference room.
The three exchanged brief greetings, and Hunter Kim took a seat.
“Hunter Kim, thank you for your hard work today.”
“All the visitors left with smiles on their faces. You really went through a lot to accommodate them.”
“…No, I simply did my best in the role given to me.”
To the greetings of the office workers, Hunter Kim responded politely.
The section chief thought it was modesty and smiled as he spoke.
“How was it today? Do you think the visitors gained some interest in Dawn?”
“Hmm… I’m not sure.”
Hunter Kim thought for a moment and then shook his head again.
As it was not the response they expected, the section chief and assistant manager looked puzzled.
“Just judging by the slimes alone, you seemed to have done a fantastic job, Hunter Kim.”
“The students were clean, weren’t they? That means you put effort into it, didn’t you?”
“It’s quite the opposite.”
“Huh?”
The office workers wore expressions of confusion.
Hunter Kim let out a bitter smile as he spoke.
“What was the name of that part-time lecturer again?”
“Jung Si-hyun.”
“Ah, right. First of all, I apologize. I failed to persuade Si-hyun to join Dawn.”
“What? You failed?”
“She looked satisfied, though.”
The section chief and assistant manager still didn’t understand.
Hunter Kim added more explanation.
“She’s truly a hidden gem. Her situational awareness, her combat style perfectly fitting her role, and even her unpredictable dagger skills. Instead, I felt like I was the one drawn to Si-hyun.”
“She’s that exceptional?”
“Yes, she really is. Assistant manager, did you see the students’ expressions as they exited the gate?”
“Of course. Their eyes were shining brightly.”
“That wasn’t directed at Dawn but at Si-hyun. She’s dazzling.”
“……”
The office workers wore perplexed expressions.
Hunter Kim continued speaking calmly.
“The reason the visitors were clean today wasn’t because I looked out for them. There was already a shield in place. Si-hyun probably knew about the boss in advance.”
“G-Goodness…”
“She’s a part-time lecturer at the academy, right? I don’t know what subject she teaches, but if I were in charge, I’d reward the staff who discovered her. And I’d offer her an extraordinary deal.”
The section chief and assistant manager nodded unconsciously.
Who was Hunter Kim?
Not only was he an excellent hunter, but more importantly, he had an eye for recognizing a person’s true value.
That’s why he worked as a rookie training manager and was highly regarded within the Dawn Guild.
For him to suggest offering extraordinary treatment spoke volumes.
The section chief and assistant manager’s expressions turned serious.
“Section chief, who was the staff member who found her?”
Reflecting on Hunter Kim’s words, the assistant manager asked.
The section chief wore a strange expression as he answered.
“…Hunter Yeo Do-hyung.”
The conference room fell silent for a moment.
***
Meanwhile, with Si-hyun and the students.
After exiting the gate, they walked straight to the subway station nearby.
At that moment, Si-hyun looked at her smartphone and spoke.
“…Does anyone have some free time?”
“Me, me!”
“What’s going on?”
“Can we help with something?”
The students responded one by one.
Si-hyun blinked at their enthusiastic reactions.
Soon, she smiled softly and said,
“I want to go to a big mart and pick up some food and drinks for the weekend. I need some recommendations.”
“If it’s snacks, I’m confident!”
“Do you drink alcohol too?”
“…I’m pretty decent at cooking.”
The students each chimed in.
Suddenly, all eyes turned toward Jae-woo.
Eun-byul, looking curious, asked,
“Jae-woo, are you good at cooking?”
“Uh, well… I’m the one who cooks at home.”
“Oh…”
When the girls stared at him, Jae-woo awkwardly scratched his cheek.
Clearing his throat, he changed the focus of attention.
“Ahem, Professor, do you have any favourite dishes?”
“Hmm, I don’t really dislike anything, but I’ve been eating the same things on repeat, so I’m getting tired of it. I’ll buy some tasty stuff, so want to come with me to the mart?”
“Yes! I’ll go!”
“Me too!”
Eun-byul and Areum shouted enthusiastically.
The students had already finished their exams last week, and they planned to have fun for the weekend.
‘What kind of food does the professor like?’
‘So, she drinks alcohol?’
‘Cooking…’
Each driven by their curiosity, they accompanied Si-hyun to the mart.
Jae-woo pushed the cart while the girls clung to Si-hyun’s sides.
Si-hyun smiled awkwardly but listened attentively to the students’ chatter.
Each student had their own area of expertise.
Thanks to that, Si-hyun received a variety of recommendations.
“This one’s simple and tasty! I eat it often too!”
“Ah, I see.”
With Areum’s expertise in snacks and frozen foods, the cart quickly filled up.
Then, at the alcohol section.
“My dad and brother drink this sometimes, and I tried it with them. It’s pretty good!”
While browsing whiskey, Eun-byul pointed to a bottle beside Si-hyun.
Si-hyun, lost in thought, said,
“Your brother… Hunter Yeo Do-hyung?”
“Yes! That’s right.”
“Hmm…”
Si-hyun looked deep in thought.
Her expression turned serious.
Eun-byul, backing away slightly, nudged Jae-woo’s side with her elbow and whispered,
“Do you think the professor’s interested in my brother?”
“…Not sure.”
“You suddenly got cold, huh?”
“What are you talking about? I’m always like this.”
Jae-woo frowned, and Eun-byul giggled as she stepped back.
She approached the professor again, chattering away.
After some thought, Si-hyun placed the whiskey recommended by Eun-byul into the cart.
It was out of curiosity to see how refined that man’s taste could be.
Of course, Eun-byul had no idea about Si-hyun’s thoughts.
“What snacks would go well with this?”
“Oh, for that, you should try…”
The two continued shopping as they conversed happily.
When they finally left the mart,
The students were all holding hamburgers that Si-hyun had bought for them.
After exchanging friendly goodbyes, Si-hyun left.
The three students sat on a nearby bench, enjoying their burgers and sodas as they chatted.
“How should I put it… Professor Jung Si-hyun looks like a goddess, but the more I see her, the more human she feels.”
“R-right? I think so too.”
“Isn’t her hair and eye colour so unique? Her hair doesn’t look dyed, though.”
“Yeah, true… Where do you think she’s from?”
Even after Si-hyun left, the professor remained the main topic of their conversation.
***
Back at home, Si-hyun spent time with her younger sister.
She poured a glass of the whiskey she had bought earlier to try it out.
“Hmm, whiskey really is a bit strong.”
“Well, isn’t it supposed to be? Oh, but the scent is nice. Take a whiff, unni.”
“…Yeah, the aroma is good.”
“I’ll have mine on the rocks, with the ice melting a bit more.”
Si-hyun watched as her sister went to get ice.
Judging by her expression, she seemed satisfied.
‘…Well, I guess that guy’s taste wasn’t entirely hopeless.’
For someone she often called her nemesis, his taste in alcohol wasn’t bad at all.
The snacks Eun-byul recommended also paired well and were quite enjoyable.
They say teachers learn from their students.
It seemed like asking for recommendations was a good idea.
‘…Was that not the right context for that saying?’
Oh well. As long as it tastes good, that’s all that matters.
“Do you want ice in yours too, unni?”
“Yes. Thanks.”
Si-hyun leisurely sipped the drink as she spent time chatting with her sister.
Her graceful hand moved the glass elegantly, and her cheeks, slightly flushed from the alcohol, glowed beautifully.
***
The next day, Saturday afternoon.
After finishing a light meal, Si-hyun slumped lazily into the sofa.
She had taken care of all her busy schedules.
Now, she could spend her time freely, tackling the tasks she wanted to do at her own pace.
‘…Come to think of it, didn’t they say the academy festival is next week?’
Si-hyun pulled out her phone to check the schedule.
‘That’s right.’
Her memory hadn’t failed her.
The academy and universities operated differently but shared many similar systems.
So, their festivals were usually held around the same time.
It happened to coincide with her lecture day, so it might be nice to look around a bit before heading back.
Finishing her thoughts, Si-hyun set her phone back on the sofa’s armrest.
Just then, it buzzed.
Bzzzz— Bzzzz—
‘…Who could it be?’
Si-hyun picked up her phone again.
The caller ID showed it was Ji-a.
“Hello?”
-“Si-hyun-ah! I finally did it!”
From the other end of the line came Ji-a’s excited voice.
‘What did she accomplish?’
Si-hyun couldn’t help but feel excited too.
She slowly straightened herself up from where she had been slouched on the sofa.
-“On my Status Window! It says S-rank! I finally, finally did it!”
“Woooow! Congratulations, Ji-a!”
Si-hyun cried out in surprise.
It was incredible news.
Such overwhelmingly happy news!
-“I just achieved it! You were the first person I wanted to tell!”
“R-really…?”
Hearing that she was the first to know, Si-hyun felt shy and scratched her blushing cheek.
—
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