[ My Person (3) ]
After stopping by the hardware store to buy a latch, I headed to the Hunter Association to dispose of the contracts. The sales commission for contracts is 30%, and the sale proceeds are transferred to the registered account. F-rank contracts would be average, but the C and D-rank ones should bring in a decent amount.
Keeping it all for myself felt a bit uneasy, so I figured I’d just distribute it among the victims.
“Is it really okay to impose like this?”
Yu Myungwoo asked anxiously after getting out of the car at the guild. Honestly, it’s a relief that his SS-rank skill isn’t combat-related with a personality like his. Or maybe it’s because of this personality that he has an aptitude for production skills.
“You heard the call earlier. It’s fine for an outsider to stay at the dorm.”
Technically, it’s a rule allowing visits from relatives, friends, or lovers. External visitors are allowed to stay at the dorm with limits on the number of people and their range of activities, and only for up to a week per month. They also have to sign a document taking full responsibility in case any problems arise.
“I could just go home…”
“Why bother with the hassle of going back and forth? Just stay here until the training is over. It’ll only take a few days.”
Of course, even after the training ends, I’ll find some excuse to keep him around. I can’t let him out of my sight; it makes me too anxious. How do I squeeze him into the regular employee dorms?
“Han Yujin.”
As we were about to leave the parking lot, Kim Seonghan called out to me from behind. I turned to see him looking a bit awkward. What’s this about?
“I want to apologize first.”
“Excuse me?”
An apology out of nowhere. Did he do something to me without my knowledge? Was it for grabbing me by the scruff of my neck? Or broadcasting at the missing persons center? Standing guard at my door was on Yuhyun’s orders.
I tilted my head, unable to think of anything that warranted such a formal apology, and Kim Seonghan continued.
“I’ve misunderstood you all this time.”
“…Misunderstood?”
“Yes. To be honest, I thought you were just a useless obstacle in the guild leader’s path.”
…Well, he’s not wrong. The old me was quite the burden.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s understandable.”
I’ve only changed because of this cheat called regression; you definitely had a good eye.
At my words, he gave a small smile. Wow, it’s the first time I’ve seen this guy smile at me. He used to glare at me like he wanted to kill me all the time.
“I look forward to working with you from now on.”
“Oh, yes, likewise…”
“Even if you say it’s alright, a wrong is still a wrong. If there’s anything you want, just let me know.”
“Then buy me a drink sometime.”
Maybe I’ll use the opportunity to drop some keywords… Uh, should I? I was planning to focus on nurturing beasts, not humans. Still, getting to know him over drinks isn’t a bad idea.
“Understood. Feel free to contact me anytime.”
Kim Seonghan gave a light nod, looking noticeably relieved. I returned the gesture and turned back.
This is a bit strange. I don’t know why he’s suddenly acting like this, but it’s better than being treated like an eyesore.
“That guy really doesn’t have an eye for people, does he?”
As we left the parking lot, Yu Myungwoo said, sounding incredulous.
“How could he ever think you’re a useless obstacle?”
That’s because I really was one, ha ha.
“I’m just not as good as my brother.”
“That’s only because your rank didn’t match. If you were an S-rank too, you might’ve even been better. No, you definitely would’ve been much more successful.”
Where’s this confidence coming from? While it’s nice to have someone believe in me, I wish this guy would believe in me a bit less. Comparing me to an S-rank now, not just an A-rank?
“Please don’t say things like that in front of others, especially around here. This place is crawling with Yuhyun’s fans. Say something like that, and you might get pelted with rocks.”
That’s why I hated coming here after I really messed up. The way everyone looked at me like I was trash…
Yu Myungwoo hunched his shoulders and looked around nervously.
“Y-Yeah, but facts are facts.”
Facts, my foot.
“By the way, aren’t you going to take off those gloves? They must be uncomfortable.”
“It’s fine! I’m going to keep them on until the training is over.”
He answered with a bright smile. …He’s not planning to keep them on even while using the bathroom, right?
I led Yu Myungwoo to the security office in the lobby. While Yerim and I had the guild leader’s direct approval to bypass the usual process, regular visitors needed to go through a security check before entering the restricted areas beyond the 3rd floor.
“I’m here to arrange a visit to the high-rank hunters’ dorm.”
I said as I opened the door, and the woman at the desk gestured for us to come over.
“After the security check, you can submit the visit request at the dorm management office on the 15th floor. Who needs to be checked?”
“This person. He’s an awakener.”
“Please provide your name, phone number, and, if you’re a hunter, your license number.”
Yu Myungwoo gave his name and phone number. There was a brief sound of typing, and then another staff member came over with a bracelet that could be locked with a key.
“This is an inventory-sealing bracelet. If you force it off, you’ll be immediately expelled, and you’ll have to compensate for any costs. Please return it once your business is done.”
With the increase in awakeners, the biggest challenge has been dealing with inventories. Even an F-rank awakener could access this unsearchable space.
Fortunately, unless the items were from a dungeon, they couldn’t be stored inside, so it didn’t affect everyday life much. However, in high-security areas, inventories were sealed just in case. A few years later, when the number of awakeners skyrocketed, some buildings even had curses placed on them to seal inventories entirely.
That’s why the top-earning awakening class, even without entering dungeons, became curse hunters. They could do all sorts of things as long as the conditions were right. The problem was that those conditions were hard to meet, so their combat utility was low.
After finishing the security check and submitting the visit request at the dorm management office, we returned to room A-15. Is Yerim still getting her makeover?
“This is a dorm room?”
Yu Myungwoo’s eyes widened in amazement as he stepped inside.
“This place is amazing. It’s more like a luxury apartment than a dorm.”
“The service is great too. They provide up to 1 million won in household supplies each month, plus cleaning and laundry twice a week.”
“Wow, really?”
Yu Myungwoo looked at me with envious eyes. No, look at the apartment, not me. I don’t really deserve to be here, you know?
“This is why people are so obsessed with ranks. When you reach A-rank, guilds scoop you up and give you access to luxury facilities like this.”
“Even though you’re not an A-rank, you still managed to get in here. You really are something!”
“…No, that’s just thanks to connections.”
Oh man, someone please help him take off those rose-colored glasses. He’s acting like a teenager who’s met their idol.
Since I’d gone straight out to find Yu Myungwoo after arriving, I hadn’t explored the whole place yet. I figured I’d check it out and decide where we’d sleep, and it turned out there were four rooms. It really is just like an apartment. Two of them were bedrooms, so there was no need to spread a blanket on the sofa.
The kitchen was spacious and modern, filled with various kitchen appliances I couldn’t identify. That’s probably an oven, but what’s this?
“Oh, the fridge is stocked too.”
There were vegetables, fruits, other ingredients, and even orange juice and beer.
“What do you want to drink?”
I asked as I pulled out the orange juice. Yu Myungwoo, who was lingering at the kitchen entrance, shook his head.
“No, water is fine for me.”
“It’s free, so have some. Orange juice, okay?”
I took out two glasses and poured the juice. Now that I think about it, do I have to do the dishes? There’s probably a dishwasher somewhere, but I have no idea which one it is.
I handed the juice to Yu Myungwoo and went to the living room. As soon as I sank into the sofa, exhaustion washed over me.
I’m an unemployed bum who doesn’t even get a salary, and today’s a weekend, so why have I been so busy? But since everything’s more or less sorted now, I should take it easy until Monday.
‘Yerim’s contract is signed, so the guild will take good care of her. Once that guy gets his skill, everything will really be done.’
I don’t need a healer. I’m not doing it. I’m going to live a life of leisure, like a well-fed sloth.
Oh, right, I need to feed Peace. I’ll head up there later.
I zoned out, sipping juice and turning on the TV. Yu Myungwoo stood there, still holding his glass and looking unsure of what to do. Do I really have to tell him to sit down and drink?
“Come over here and sit.”
“O-Okay.”
He hurried over and took a seat in the empty spot. At least he listens well.
“You’ll need to pack some stuff if you’re going to stay for a few days. Are there any more thugs likely to come banging on your door?”
“Huh? Oh, no. I told them I awakened and was going to take training, so I’d pay them back by running dungeons… But they just sold the debt to those guys. They said you can’t make money with an F-rank support skill…”
So that’s why hunters suddenly got involved.
“Then take it easy today and go get your things tomorrow. If you’re worried, wear the gloves.”
I’m too lazy to go with him. Besides, without gear, he’s pretty fragile.
I put down the half-finished glass of juice and got up from my seat. Grabbing the latch I bought from the hardware store and the tools I borrowed from the management office, I headed to the door connected to Unit A-16 in the living room.
Of all places, why install the door here? If it suddenly swings open while I’m drinking beer and watching a horror movie at night, I’d have a heart attack. And knowing Yerim, she wouldn’t even bother knocking politely.
“Need some help?”
“No, I’m fine.”
I nailed the latch to the door with a drill, secured it, and then flopped back onto the sofa. After feeding Peace later, maybe I’ll have some beer. Does this place deliver food? I haven’t had chicken and beer in a while. I guess I could go down and pick it up myself.
“…Once the training is over, I probably won’t have a reason to come here, right?”
Yu Myungwoo spoke in a regretful tone as he fidgeted with his empty cup. Normally, that would be the case. Haeyeon Guild wouldn’t take in an F-rank with just one buff skill.
But I need to keep him around. What excuse should I use?
“You can always come to visit a friend. As a Hunter, it might be tough to get in here, though. Even I’m not a guild Hunter; I’m just regular staff.”
“Why’s that?”
Yu Myungwoo looked at me with a puzzled expression. Why? Because I’m an F-rank, that’s why. Of course, Seok Gimyeong was thinking of bringing me into the guild, but I’d fail the rank evaluation if we went through the official process.
“Haeyeon Guild doesn’t have many C-ranks. It’s mostly A and B-ranks. But regular staff get extra points if they have a Hunter license, so who knows? If you do well in training, they might offer you a position.”
In reality, that’s not going to happen. Seriously, how am I going to keep Myungwoo here? …Maybe I should make a deal with Seok Gimyeong. Five hours a week… No, three hours… Damn it.
“Are you good at housework?”
“What? Well, I’m good at making ramen.”
I’m good at making ramen too. Then again, cooking is something you get better at with practice, and he probably didn’t have the money to buy ingredients, so how could he be good at it?
“Well, I heard you can hire a housekeeper for the dormitory out of your own pocket. Of course, I’m not saying you should be a real housekeeper, but it takes a while for an F-rank to get settled even after finishing training, right? So I was thinking, why not stay here for a few months pretending to be a live-in housekeeper? I’ve got plenty of room, and living alone gets boring.”
Yu Myungwoo froze as if he’d been struck by something. Did he not like the idea of being called a housekeeper? But I can’t think of any other way to keep him in the employee dormitory…
“Yujin!”
“Huh? What’s-.”
“You’re really too kind and such a good friend!”
Myungwoo suddenly hugged me again. Damn it, why is this guy so strong… Ah, I gave him those gloves, didn’t I? Maybe I should take them back.
“Let go! I’m not that kind. I can’t even pay you a salary!”
“Don’t say that. Do you know how much rent in this area is? Seriously… I don’t even know what to say.”
Well, considering the size of this place and the location, he’d probably have to spend his whole salary on rent. But still, let go. Let me go-.
Bang!
“Mister!”
With a loud shout, the neatly attached latch was violently torn off and clattered to the floor.
…It’s okay. I expected this. I knew this would happen.
–TL Notes–
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/MattReading
Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt