CH 21

“I should have paid you a visit earlier, but I was only discharged from the hospital yesterday. I’m sorry.”

“N, n—no. I’m sorry. Goodness…”

Hara shot her mother an embarrassed glance. Her mother welcomed Yoon Seheon joyfully, as if she had never acted like that before.

“Oh my, so you were hurt. That can also happen. What’s all this?”

“Oh, to express my gratitude……”

Dressed in a suit, Seheon was holding a bouquet of flowers that added a hint of exaggeration. Additionally, a fruit basket and coffee was held on the other hand.

Unlike the embarrassed Hara, Hyunsook brazenly accepted the fruit basket that Seheon brought immediately. 

“Oh, why did you bring all these? Come on in.”

“Thank you.”

Seheon bowed and entered the room. Hara looked at her mother timidly. Her mother looked at Hara, expressing, “Why, what, why,” with her eyes. 

No matter what, Seheon placed the bouquet he’d brought onto the hospital room’s bedside table. Hara hesitated momentarily before opening her mouth.

“Thank you. Are you feeling… better?”

“Oh, I’m fine. It’s all thanks to you that I managed to survive.”

“Oh, yes…….”

Hyunsook looked at Hara with narrowed eyes, walked over and slapped Hara on the back lightly.

“This young woman, straighten your back.”

It seemed like she was dissatisfied with how she kept hunching her back in front of Seheon. Then, she smiled and spouted praises for Seheon one after another.

“Goodness, I thought that you’re quite handsome when I saw you on TV, but you’re really handsome in person. What brings you here? You were just discharged from the hospital, so it seems like you’re doing much better.”

“Oh, yes, it’s thanks to your concern.”

“Our Hara is still stuck here because she needs to do some more tests. But it’s a relief that you were quickly discharged from the hospital.”

Hara’s jaw dropped slightly. Although she said that it’s a relief, the meaning behind her mother’s words was self-explanatory. She was criticising Seheon, ‘How wonderful it is that you can leave the hospital first. My child is still being hospitalised after saving your life!’ 

In the first place, Hyunsook would always criticise others in that indirect manner. It was a habit that Hyunsook developed while serving as a local bank teller, but normally people wouldn’t notice her meaning easily. This was because whenever she did that, Hyunsook’s manner of speech became elegant and friendly. 

However, Seheon raised his eyebrows upon hearing her words. Then, he bowed towards Hyunsook again.

“I’m able to stand here today all thanks to your daughter, but I’m deeply ashamed about not making a trip here earlier. Please accept my sincerest apologies. I was hospitalised in the same hospital, but I thought making a visit earlier would be a hindrance due to the reporters that kept snooping around.” 

Hyunsook laughed at his polite apology.

“Oh my, it’s not like I said that in order to get an apology.”

You said that because you wanted an apology, Mom… Although she thought that internally, Hara quickly pushed her mother.

“Mom, can I have the room for a moment?”

“Oh, I got it, I got it. Straighten your back!”

Hyunsook smacked Hara’s back once more and took her wallet.

“Even so, I was going to eat my mom’s meal and come back. Yoon Seheon-ssi, right? Have some of the apples over there. I’d just peel them and it’s very delicious. It’s a Gamhong apple…”

After Hyunsook mentioned the apples, she said, “Oh, don’t mind what I said earlier. Alright?’ and then disappeared.

Hara felt ashamed for no reason, so she rubbed her face and fixed her glasses.

“I’m sorry.”

“Ah, not at all.”

Seheon, who was standing, smiled happily.

“I came back alive thanks to you, but I didn’t even greet you up until now, so you deserve to be angry. I was too late in paying you a visit.”

“Ahh, yes….”

Seheon pulled out a coffee from the coffee carrier he’d brought along and held it out to her.

“I’ve bought some coffee. Would you like some?”

“Ah, yes…”

The carrier contained one hot and one iced coffee. Seheon had offered her the hot coffee.

When Hara’s gaze wandered, Seheon, who paused for a moment, smiled and took out the iced coffee instead.

“You can have the iced one.”

“Uhhh…Yes… Thank you.”

Hara, who’d actually wanted to drink the iced coffee, was startled and accepted it while bowing down. When she drank coffee through the straw immediately, it felt like she came back alive again. She’d forgotten, but she’d probably missed the coffee that she used to drink every morning.

“The coffee tastes great…”

“That’s a relief.”

The both of them became awkward for a moment. Hara belatedly offered him a seat on the sofa in the hospital room. After Seheon expressed his gratitude and sat on the sofa, silence descended in the room once again.

She didn’t know what to say. It was clear that he didn’t pay a visit just to express his gratitude.

Hara stole a glance at Seheon. She was originally trying to read his mood, but Hara became a little impressed internally without her realisation. Woah, this is awesome.

The legs of the man, who was seated on the slightly lower sofa, were incredibly long. It was a mess in the dungeon, so there wasn’t any time for her to think deeply about whether he looked dashing or not. But the man that came to look for her today looked really dashing.

A tall, handsome face, manly shoulders as well as neatly combed hair. Legs that were elegantly crossed, and hands that rested on the seat. 

His shoulders, hands, feet, legs and upper body. In any case, it was all rather long. On top of that, his face was so small that he wouldn’t lose to ordinary models. 

Was it because he’s someone doing broadcasts… Hara, who had been unconsciously admiring the man’s beauty, suddenly came to her senses. Gosh, this isn’t the time for this. 

“……Erm!”

“Excuse me!”

When they opened their mouths at the same time, they pushed words like, “You first,” and ‘Oh no, please go ahead,’ between each other for several rounds. In the end, Seheon opened his mouth first. 

“Although I’m thankful, there’s something that I have to ask you.”

“Oh, yes…”

“As soon as I was discharged from the hospital yesterday, I was investigated by the police and the Hunter Agency. As you’re probably aware.”

Normally, people that were drawn into dungeons were investigated. While it may be due to insurance, it was also to hear the circumstances of what happened. She roughly knew why he’d mentioned this. 

Seheon clasped his hands together and said.

“But before the Hunter Agency’s investigation occurred, there were two people that contacted me.” 

“Oh…”

Hara averted her eyes. Seheon shrugged his shoulders expressionlessly.

“One of which is the chief of the Mapo branch.”

“Oh, yes.”

She’d expected it. Chief Jung Yoojin couldn’t have blocked Hara’s mouth and left out shutting Seheon’s as well. 

Seheon opened his mouth.

“And the other person is the director of the Seoul Regional office.”

Hara blinked. Lee Eunjoo, director of the Seoul Regional office. She was someone that Hara had never met before.

But it was different for Seheon. 

“I have a personal connection, but it was surprising indeed.”

At the words ‘personal connection’, Hara’s jaw dropped a little without her realisation.

There were many reasons why Yoon Seheon became famous. While the incident with Hara sparked the beginning of his fame, there was also a series of events that followed afterwards. One of which was the case of the confrontation with a Director of the Hunter Agency. 

When you search ‘Yoon Seheon’ on the Internet, this incident would always appear. The director of the Seoul regional office was also closely involved in this. But to use those words to summarise that incident.

“Kang Hara-ssi?”

“Oh, yes.”

Hara, who became momentarily absent-minded, came to her senses belatedly and nodded. Seheon’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t waste his time.

“The chief of the Mapo branch office called me first. As I’m a local news reporter, I have a connection with the chief of the Mapo branch office. She’d repeatedly requested that I never talk about anything new that I’ve learned in the dungeon.”

“…….”

Something new he’d learned of. Hara remained silent.

As a local news reporter, it meant that he was a veteran in dungeon-related cases. Perhaps Chief Jung Yoojin had been implying about matters related to Hara.

“What… did the chief say?”

“What?”

“May I know how much she had explained…?”

At Hara’s words, Seheon raised his eyebrows and spoke resolutely.

“She didn’t say anything and just said that she’d explain later on.”

“Ah……”

At that, Hara let out a sigh of relief. That thing too.

[Constellation contract quest: Love and war]

[Goal: Date the designated user, ‘Yoon Seheon’]

She was rather anxious, as she was worried if Seheon knew about the quest that that bastard gave. The system messages, which had remained silent for a while, flashed like it was protesting.

[The constellation, ‘Cupid’ hates your thoughts]

Hara rubbed her face. That punk’s system message. The colour of the constellation’s messages were completely different from the system messages she usually received.

It was an eye-catching purple. Look at me! Look at me! The colour seemed to scream that, so even if she didn’t like it, she couldn’t help but look at it. 

‘Settle down, please. Let’s focus on the conversation first.’

[The constellation, ‘Cupid’ wonders if you’ve even used the Internet]

[The constellation, ‘Cupid’, protests, saying that dating isn’t like an assassination, and that it can only begin after you’re caught]

Hara ignored his persistent messages. Regardless, Seheon, who had no idea of Hara’s situation, also opened his mouth.

“As such, I didn’t mention much to the director of the Seoul regional office. But she guessed that there were things that I’d left out.”

“Oh, I see…”

“Should I say that it’s all thanks to you?”

Seheon continued after letting out a small sigh.

“The credit that should have gone to Kang Hara-ssi has been accredited to me.”

“……Ah.”

Hara opened her mouth. That could also have happened. As soon as the disciplinary committee was over, the Seoul regional office briefed the media, saying that the dungeon wasn’t raided, but disappeared naturally instead.

There was nothing they could do, as Chief Jung Yoojin didn’t open her mouth at the disciplinary committee. Although all the hunters present saw the system message stating that the dungeon raid was completed, Chief Jung kept insisting that she didn’t know the reason for that. 

While not everyone was convinced in the end, ordinary people that weren’t able to see the system’s messages were. As such, popularity naturally rose in Yoon Seheon’s favour.

It was obvious. That day, three girls who’d just become middle school students escaped from the dungeon. The other person was Kang Hara, an E-class civil servant. Hara was reportedly still in the intensive care unit.

Under the circumstances, to the general public, it would appear that Yoon Seheon saved the children. 

In fact, one of the children that were just rescued had pointed to Seheon, saying, “I was with that Mister,” so oddly enough, Seheon was the only one that received hero treatment.

Of course, the other rescued children said, “What about Unnie?” and “Unnie saved me!” afterwards, but Hara was only an E-class. As such……

“Bafflingly enough, all the benefits fell unto me.”

After he finished speaking, Seheon gestured to the fruit basket. Hara blinked.