CH 20

When Hara opened her eyes at the hospital, it was about a day after the dungeon raid was completed.

“Why aren’t you putting the child on an oxygen respirator?”

“No, Madam. As you’re aware, Patient Kang Hara’s breathing is perfectly fine for us to put her on an oxygen respirator…”

“How many people were ruined in dungeons!”

Perhaps she would have slept a few more hours if it wasn’t for her mother. Anyways, as soon as Hara woke up, her mother’s voice was unusually sharp and aggressive, which made her cry for some reason.

“M—mom…”

Hyunsook rushed towards Hara, who spoke sobbingly while lying down. 

“Goodness, this child! Are you alright?!”

The nurse that received her mother said, “Patient 1601, Kang Hara, has regained consciousness,” and the instant she heard the sounds calling for medical staff, Kang Hara began crying like a child. 

Her tears did not pause, even when the doctor came in to check her physical condition and diagnose her. Hyunsook even asked, “Why is this child crying so much?”

The doctor patted Hara’s shoulder and left the hospital room, saying that she seemed to have been too nervous while in the dungeon. Hyunsook felt sorry for Hara and was at a loss on what to do. She paced back and forth in the hospital room, wiped Hara’s cheek, and took care of her carefully.

But that only lasted for the first day.

In any case, after learning that Hara, who regained consciousness, was completely fine, Hyunsook began nagging.

“Mom watched all the CCTV footage! Just to save that person when you aren’t anything incredible, listen up!”

With those words, the opening shot to her nagging was fired, resulting in insults towards the doctor, curses at the government, swearing at the country, up till, “Tell me that you’re unable to do it!”

“Goodness, Mom. I can’t retire due to illness because I’m in perfectly good condition right now…”

“Does that make any sense! You don’t even know what kind of aftereffects will remain!”

There was a way for civil servants from the Hunter Agency to escape from the mandated 20 years of service. It was retirement due to illness, injury, or dungeon aftermath.

Unfortunately, however, all of Hara’s results were normal, including blood and urine tests. She didn’t even have any bone fractures, so it was impossible for her to retire due to illness. 

In the end, Hyunsook took out the business card of the Mapo branch office’s chief, who had come by while Hara was unconscious. 

“Child, let me give your chief a call.”

Hara clung onto Hyunsook with a shocked yell. Hyunsook finally put down her phone when Hara said, “Which thirty year old needs their mother to call and inquire about retirement on their behalf!” But urging her to ‘it was enough’ wasn’t the end of things. It remained the same even after a few days had passed.

When relatives and friends called Hyunsook, Hyunsook would be proud of Hara, but she would end up saying, “I should at least do a one-man protest for my child’s retirement, no?” Of course, it was slightly exaggerated.

But Hara couldn’t laugh when she knew sincerity was hidden within her words. 

“What kind of country doesn’t approve when the child wants to resign?”

Hyunsook, who went to the bathroom to wash the knife as soon as she peeled the apple, grumbled.

Shaaaa…… Her mother’s grumbling echoed in the bathroom, along with the sound of water pouring out of the faucet.

The apple was definitely delicious, but when Hara ate it while listening to Hyunsook’s complaints, she couldn’t tell if the apple was going into her nose or mouth. 

“Does this make sense to you? The military service only takes two years, child. I’d rather you just enter the army.”

The way she spoke made the two-year military service sound a hundred times better than Hara being a public servant. Hara sighed.

“Mom, Hada didn’t have to go to the army because of me. What kind of mother says that she’ll send her children to the army…”

If someone became a civil servant as a hunter, their siblings would be exempt from mandatory military service. As such, only Kang Hada, Hara’s younger brother, jumped for joy at Hara’s career as a civil servant.

“And these days, the mandatory military service has become 18 months……”

“That’s what I’m saying, gosh?”

Hyunsook sighed, sat down again and asked.

“Isn’t there any talk about compensation for damages from the broadcasting station?” 

“Hm, not yet. The insurance company also needs to discuss it before announcing their decision.”

The situation was rather complicated. The broadcasting station acknowledged the damage caused by unprofessional mana stone management and promised compensation to the victims that were drawn into the dungeon.

But in Hara’s case, things were slightly different. The insurance company insisted that it was difficult to compensate Hara, citing the fact that Hara was a civil servant from the Hunter Agency.

“The CCTV footage of that time remained, and I was fully able to avoid it, but I didn’t comply with the evacuation duties.” 

“Those madmen.”

“I think there will be an audit, but since the job is categorised under high risk anyways, they wouldn’t give a lot of compensation…”

“Goodness, how annoying. You’re made to do all sorts of dangerous things, but they don’t even give any compensation. Is this a country even? If you’re taking my taxes, get things done properly!”

Hara listened quietly to her mother’s grumbling.

It’s because no matter what, this wasn’t something Hara could resolve, and if she interrupted Hyunsook’s words hastily at this time, her complaining would double.

“Your boss, who was involved in this incident with you, avoided it, but you didn’t even think of avoiding it. In any case, that person came to me and apologised, but I grabbed the back of my head. That boss of yours!”

“…….”

“Meanwhile, I almost fainted while watching the footage of you being drawn into the rift. Mom told you to cut that ghoulish hair, didn’t I? I’m about to die from cleaning up after your hair everyday! The house is also fiendish! Do you know how much of a mess your room is? When I went in to get your underwear, I didn’t even know if I’m walking into a pigsty or a bedroom…”

If Hara could block her ears, she would have done so. In any case, Hyunsook’s nagging, which started from cursing the country, to Hara’s lifestyle and habits, ended a long time later. It was also because someone sent a message to Hyunsook.

“I don’t even know if he was dead or alive because he didn’t even contact me, but he texted after watching the news…”

Her mother, who’d been mumbling while tapping her cell phone, looked up at Hara abruptly.

“What is it?”

Hara asked back, but Hyunsook glanced around for no reason in particular. After checking whether the door was completely closed, as well as the bed and the bathroom, her mother sat in front of Hara once again and asked seriously.

“So, did nothing really happen to you?”

Hara knew this would happen. It’s no wonder why her mother left her beloved son at home and stayed beside her for a few days. Here we go again.

Hara sighed.

“What do you mean nothing happened…”

“Honestly, you.”

Her mother frowned, folded her arms, and asked again.

“Did you experience a second awakening or not?”

“Oh, Mom, I’ve already said that I didn’t…”

“You can tell Mom. Hyeri’s mom also made a fuss that if something like this happened and you managed to survive, it’s definitely because of a second awakening. Let me ask you in detail. I heard that that’s an extremely great thing to do. It makes money. Say something would you? Don’t keep hiding it from Mom.”

Hara almost shook her head with a shiver.

“Ah— I didn’t! I already said I didn’t! How many times is this now? I really didn’t!”

“Ah— if you said no, then you didn’t, so what are you yelling for?”

The truth was, ever since Hara regained consciousness, Hyunsook had been asking persistently. About whether she experienced a second awakening or not.

It was but a matter of course. Whether on the news or in the community, everyone couldn’t believe that an E-class Hunter rescued people from a B-class dungeon.

It was also mainly because all the hunters present happened to see the system message that the B-class dungeon’s raid had been completed.

However. 

“Kang Hara, listen up. First of all, don’t say a single word to anyone. Let’s delay informing the public about your increase in ranking.”

As soon as the Mapo branch chief heard the news that she had regained consciousness, she came to Hara’s hospital room before anyone else.

She requested for the hospital room to be vacated and met with Hara alone.

Hara stuttered out what had happened in the dungeon. Although it was unbelievable, she met a constellation. But it was misleading to say that she was an S-class. 

It was so unbelievable that she wondered if Chief Jung Yoojin would believe her, but instead of laughing or finding it ludicrous, Chief Jung said, “Is that so.” She spoke with a rather serious tone at that.

Hara asked inadvertently.

“W—What’s wrong?”

“Due to the nature of civil servants, if you’re gained an increase in rank, matters regarding the increased ranking will be submitted as a report. Media coverage will also be considerably extensive.”

Matters regarding the increased ranking. Hara’s jaw dropped slightly. Chief Jung sighed.

“I’ve heard a lot about how meeting a constellation would only result in extremely dog-like situations, but this is the first time I’ve seen such a case.”

“……”

“Listen carefully. If you become an S-class, a team will be organised for you. And you’ll be forced to work to death, but do you think you can go into the Sangam Dungeon with those stats and skills?”

The S-class dungeon that broke out in Sangam-dong was on an unprecedented scale. The raid hasn’t ended even now, so people would know with the words ‘Sangam Dungeon’.

Hara shook her head while thinking about the dungeon.

“No……”

“You know that you’ll have to do so when the government officials tell you to do it, right? If they find out that you have even one S-class skill, they’ll treat you like an S-class whether you’re half an S-class or not. Your personal information will be completely uncovered. But what if you made a mistake and a dungeon break accidentally occurs?”

Hara’s face turned pale.

“You’ll become a traitor to the citizens. If you don’t want to end up like that, just remain put for now. Do you understand?”

Those words were purely from experience. The Mapo branch chief, an A-class hunter, had a similar experience.

It was no exaggeration to say that the entire nation knew the faces of the only eight S-class hunters in Korea and less than 100 A-class hunters.

In the past, when a dungeon break occurred in Sinchon, Jung Yoojin just happened to be on maternity leave. When reports that she took parental leave immediately after maternity leave arised, she experienced so much criticism. 

That’s why Chief Jung Yoojin also kept her mouth shut and feigned ignorance at the Hunter Agency’s disciplinary committee.

Although some might ask, “Aren’t you worried about being criticised,” the conditions for Hara’s rise in ranking were too personal.

As long as you date a guy that everyone in Korea knows, you’ll become an S-class. It wasn’t a joke either. The conditions for her rise in ranking were rather unique, and it may or may not work out.

But her skills were S-class. She was a conditional S-class. It was difficult for her to play the role of S-class with such ambiguous abilities and the situation whereby she was being led by the nose.

“It might be better to be a traitor to the people. Have you thought about a situation where the entire nation is trying to matchmake you and Anchor Yoon?”

At that, Hara’s face turned white with fear. Even now, all kinds of people peered into Hara’s hospital room. From reporters to hospital patients.

Everyone would occasionally crane their neck in to peer from the doorway, so the Mapo branch office attached a bodyguard to her intentionally.

It was quite a burdensome situation for Hara. But for the entire nation to try matchmaking them?

“So, let’s delay informing the public until afterwards.”

Hara begged for that to be the case. As such, the announcement about Hara’s rise in ranking was on hold for the time being.

Furthermore, Yoon Seheon…… 

“Come to think of it, why isn’t that anchor or whatever making a visit?”

At Hyunsook’s words, Hara jolted out of her pondering, startled.

Hyunsook went back to the bathroom and was currently cleaning Hara’s tumbler. Along with the sound of the water were her rather loud complaints. 

“How can he not even thank you? You saved his life.”

“Mom, he’s also a patient……”

“Oh, if it were me, I would have come to your hospital room even if I’m in a patient’s garbs.”

“Oh, Mom!”

Everyone that was drawn into the dungeon that day were sent to the same hospital. Everyone else, other than Hara, were quickly discharged. This is because aside from Seheon’s back, there wasn’t any serious injury. 

Hyunsook cursed the anchor that hadn’t even looked for her daughter, the one that saved his life. 

“That Yoon Seheon or something, is a complete ingrate for an uninjured man……”

“I’m sorry.”

Hara closed her eyes tightly. When the words, ‘If it were me, I would have come to your hospital room even if I’m in a patient’s garbs,’ rang out, the hospital room’s door opened quietly and in went—

“It seems that I’m a little late.”

Yoon Seheon, with an awkward smile.

[The constellation, ‘Cupid’ loves this]