Chapter 56 – An Overwhelming Presence

But Kang Jin-hyun did not care and said everything he wanted to say until the end.

“Hee-na, what is the reason you rejected my feelings and only accepted Hunter Woo Min-ah?”

To the end, his remarks were bizarre and peculiar.

…At any rate, to understand it roughly, the point was this.

It seemed to mean: why did she eat with Woo Min-ah without hesitation, when she had only flatly rejected him when he requested her to become his exclusive chef?

‘That’s because…’

Woo Min-ah, with whom she had a private friendship, and Kang Jin-hyun, with whom she had no such thing, were different.

It was not strange to eat meat once every few weeks with a close unnie like Woo Min-ah.

‘But Hunter Kang Jin-hyun and I are not close enough to meet separately after work.’

Hee-na also had her own standards.

Of course, they had gotten closer after eating lunch together and going through various events like saving her brother, but it was true that she still felt a sense of distance from Kang Jin-hyun.

It was not because he was a difficult person. Rather, the more she got to know him, the more Kang Jin-hyun had a gentle side to him, like a well-trained dog.

Only, if there was a problem… it was just that Hee-na found Kang Jin-hyun somewhat overwhelming?

Of course, that was separate from thinking of Kang Jin-hyun as a good person.

Unlike Woo Min-ah, who was cheerful and sociable, Kang Jin-hyun was too serious. Hee-na was not thick-skinned enough to treat such a Kang Jin-hyun casually.

Moreover, it was in a way natural that she felt more comfortable with Woo Min-ah, who was of the same gender, than with Kang Jin-hyun, who was of the opposite gender.

‘…But how do I convey this?’

If they possessed even a minimum level of social skills, there would not be many people who could say ‘I find you a bit overwhelming’ right to someone’s face.

While she was agonizing over how to say this, Woo Min-ah snapped.

“Hey, who would eat a meal with you when you push yourself on them so burdensomely like this? Do you not even know how to play hard to get?”

It was a very correct statement. Although the problem was that it sounded like some kind of relationship advice.

Before any more strange talk could come out, Hee-na hurriedly continued speaking.

“As you heard last time, I had some friendship with Unnie Min-ah since before entering the Blue Dragon Guild. I also feel grateful because she helped me in many ways when I was in a difficult situation.”

“……Yes.”

At Hee-na’s words, Kang Jin-hyun was silent for a long time, and then he let out a sigh.

“I do know. I am sorry, Hee-na. I knew that the two of you had a personal friendship, but when I actually heard the story, I had no time to think rationally. Perhaps I also wanted to become close to Hee-na like Hunter Woo Min-ah did.”

It was a confession that felt extremely sincere.

Of course, the exact meaning would be closer to ‘Perhaps I also wanted to become close enough to Hee-na to grill and eat meat together like Hunter Woo Min-ah did,’ rather than an extremely pure confession, though.

At least, that was what Hee-na thought.

“Wow… You are really serious about Hee-na’s cooking.”

No, Woo Min-ah thought so, too.

So she proposed cheerfully.

“Right. Since the topic came up anyway, let’s all go out and eat meat together. Hee-na, you also have to work with Hunter Kang now, so shouldn’t you get closer? We can just think of it as a celebratory dinner and have a drink.”

‘To think she would bring up the word company dinner so easily.’

In the end, Woo Min-ah was also nothing but a team leader.

She knew too little, far too little, about the minds of ordinary employees who considered company dinners to be an extension of work.

“……Would it be alright if I joined?”

But what could she do? It was close to impossible to reject Kang Jin-hyun, who was looking at Hee-na with sparkling, affectionate eyes.

* * *

Sizzle!

The sound of meat cooking on the grill rang out loudly.

At that mouth-watering sound, Hee-na, who was grilling the meat, Kang Jin-hyun, who was watching her, and Woo Min-ah all swallowed hard.

Following Woo Min-ah, the group was at a famous Hanwoo restaurant in the middle of Seoul. Perhaps because she had told the restaurant something in advance, they were even given a separate room so they could enjoy the meat in private.

Normally, in such a high-end restaurant, a skilled employee would grill the meat for them. However, for the group, there was someone with an even greater cooking skill than that. It was none other than Hee-na.

Thanks to that, they were able to chat quietly without being disturbed by anyone.

“Wow, look at the color. I think my salivary glands are going to burst.”

Woo Min-ah swallowed her saliva repeatedly and gripped her chopsticks. Her gaze was like that of a lioness with prey in front of her.

“I consider it an honor to be able to eat meat that has been directly touched by Hee-na’s hands.”

Kang Jin-hyun thanked Hee-na again and again in a very reverent manner. He probably would not have been surprised even if Hee-na turned water into wine right now.

As she activated the skill, a glossy sheen began to coat the meat. Since the beef already had marbling spread out like snowflakes, with the gloss added, it looked like a piece of art.

“Mr. Kang Jin-hyun, do you like your meat well-done, or do you prefer it cooked tender?”

Hee-na quickly flipped the meat and asked for Kang Jin-hyun’s preference.

Since the two of them had already eaten beef together a few times, she knew Woo Min-ah’s preference. She liked her meat slightly undercooked, with a bit of blood still remaining.

“I am ready to eat anything deliciously as long as it is made by Hee-na.”

Kang Jin-hyun gave another obvious answer. Woo Min-ah interjected and spoke on his behalf.

“He likes it well-done. He doesn’t really like undercooked meat because the raw meat smell feels too strong.”

Kang Jin-hyun snapped his head around and looked at Woo Min-ah.

“How does Hunter Woo Min-ah know that?”

“I know because your older brother told me. Team Leader Kang Mok-hyun. Did you know that Kang Mok-hyun worries about you being skin and bones all the time?”

At the expression ‘skin and bones,’ Hee-na stopped grilling the meat and glanced at Kang Jin-hyun.

Although he looked slender at first glance, he was fundamentally large and solid. Hee-na knew how much incredible superhuman strength came out of that body.

To describe such a Kang Jin-hyun as skin and bones. Then, Hee-na’s older brother Hee-won would surely not even amount to chicken bones.

“I wonder where in the world there is a skeleton with such a good body…”

Woo Min-ah also clicked her tongue, questioning the judgment of HR Team Leader Kang Mok-hyun.

Hee-na flipped the meat one by one as she listened to their conversation. Since it was beef, it cooked much faster than pork.

“Here, you can eat now.”

Finally, Hee-na placed a piece of well-cooked meat on each of their rice bowls. The dark brown beef, filled with juices, danced plumply on top of the grains of rice.

“……Wow. The quality of the meat today is no joke.”

“Admire it later, eat quickly before the meat burns.”

As soon as she said that, Kang Jin-hyun and Woo Min-ah began wielding their chopsticks frantically, with no telling who was first.

“This is crazy! It’s the best no matter when I eat it!”

“……This is the first time I have eaten such delicious meat.”

The two could not contain their admiration for the taste of the beef.

Hee-na was also busy grilling the meat, using the tongs to pop well-cooked pieces into her mouth one after another.

As always, the first piece was eaten without any seasoning. This was because this first bite allowed her to taste the meat’s natural flavor best.

‘Wow. It’s like eating a savory fruit.’

The juices burst out. The subtle grease coated her mouth, creating a fantastic harmony. Her dormant appetite awoke in an instant.

Hee-na moved as fast as a person with ten arms. This meant that she cleared the beef at a speed that rivaled the two Hunters, even while grilling the meat.

After the plain meat was salt. When she dipped the meat slightly in salt and put it in her mouth, the salty seasoning was beyond salty, stimulating her appetite with a sweet flavor.

Savoring another piece after dipping it directly into the savory oil sauce, this place was truly heaven, a paradise.

Before her eyes, Hanwoo with angel wings flew holily through the sky.

Around the time her mouth felt a bit greasy, she ate the sweet and sour seasoned green onion salad or pickled onions. The combination of savory meat and refreshing green onion salad was perfection itself.

Considering their track record so far, it was fortunate that they had ordered a mountain of meat in advance.

Otherwise, the server in charge of Hee-na’s room might have had their tail set on fire trying to carry the newly ordered meat.

“Ah. That was delicious!”

Around the time Hee-na put down her chopsticks, the other two people also came to their senses.

“Hey, let’s eat slowly now. Every time I eat with you, we end up only stuffing ourselves with meat at first.”

Woo Min-ah called the employee and ordered alcohol.

“To think the two of you have been eating something this delicious by yourselves all this time……”

Kang Jin-hyun looked at Hee-na with a genuinely aggrieved expression.

Woo Min-ah giggled as she filled Kang Jin-hyun’s soju glass.

“Are you jealous? I’m probably the first one to taste her cooking.”

“I have no choice but to admit it. I am envious. To think I would envy Hunter Woo Min-ah this much. It is something I have never even imagined.”

“What? You punk!”

The two bickered, looking strangely close. They were like a mischievous older sister and a blunt younger brother. Seeing Kang Jin-hyun’s humane side anew felt fresh.

“Then, since we have all gathered together, shall we make a toast?”

Hee-na stepped in between the two and proposed a toast. The soju sloshed inside the small glass she held in her hand. Since her mouth was greasy, it was the perfect timing to wash it down with something cool and refreshing.

“You’re on vacation until tomorrow, right? Then let’s drink until we die!”

Woo Min-ah laughed out loud and clinked her glass. Kang Jin-hyun also brought his glass to touch hers in silence.

However, as if he was more interested in the meat than the alcohol, he was unable to take his eyes off the meat sizzling on the grill.

As if they had made a promise, the three of them downed their drinks in one gulp. Perhaps because the side dishes were delicious, the soju tasted exceptionally sweet today.

Thud! A sound echoed in the room.

Hee-na and Woo Min-ah, who were eating sweet and sour dessert naengmyeon, turned their gazes toward the source of the sound.

“Jin-hyun?”

The Homemaker of the Dungeon