Chapter 64 – Her Own Office

“……If you keep these two points, you are free to act as you wish in other matters.”

Although it was already agreed upon, it was an amazing condition.

“Are there no documents for me to write or meetings to attend……?”

“None. There is a monthly team leader meeting at the end of every month, but attendance is optional.”

Kang Mok-hyun replied, glancing at his wristwatch.

“I have a meeting after this, so I will take my leave now. If you have any questions or need anything, you can speak to me, Team Leader Woo Min-ah, or Hunter Kang Jin-hyun.”

“Ah, yes.”

She could not hold onto a busy person any longer. Hee-na bowed her head and saw off HR Team Leader Kang Mok-hyun.

“Goodbye. Thank you for the detailed explanation.”

“Not at all. Please take good care of Hunter Kang Jin-hyun.”

He also bowed slightly and asked for his younger brother’s well-being in a dry tone.

After sending Kang Mok-hyun off, Hee-na looked around her private office and cooking space once more.

“Wow!”

To be able to use this space all by herself, no matter how much she thought about it, admiration burst out of her.

“Lee Hee-na, you’ve made it big.”

Hee-na took photos of the interior with clicking sounds and sent them to her older brother.

Because the Blue Dragon Guild’s Awakened Management Team was a department that would not be disclosed to the public, her older brother, who was family, was the only person she could brag to.

However, perhaps because Hee-won was working hard in the fields, he did not check the photos filled with Hee-na’s bragging.

“……Aww.”

Since there was no one to react, her excitement quickly cooled down. Hee-na plopped down on the sofa and opened the folder left behind by Kang Mok-hyun.

The first page contained a brief profile of Kang Jin-hyun. The contents were not much different from what was known to the media.

Behind it, the schedule for the current month was packed.

‘He seemed quite relaxed, but he is a busier person than I thought.’

Even to Hee-na, who was ignorant of guild matters, there seemed to be a lot. Since he was an S-class Hunter and effectively the face of the Blue Dragon Guild, his public activities were frequent.

‘Well, it makes sense. I also came across Jin-hyun a lot in articles and videos before joining the Blue Dragon Guild.’

Hee-na ran her finger down to check today’s schedule again.

“Let’s see……. Today, there is one interview in the morning and one in the afternoon.”

It was currently 11:00 AM. It was about time for the morning interview to end. Since the afternoon schedule was set for 3:00 PM, she had plenty of time.

[Hunter Kang Jin-hyun: Hee-na, the interview just ended.]

[Hunter Kang Jin-hyun: I plan to drop by the guild again and have a meal with you before I leave.]

Right on cue, Kang Jin-hyun contacted her asking what they should do about lunch.

“How did he know I was just thinking about that……. Speak of the devil.”

Hee-na chuckled and replied.

[I just entered the new office. It’s nice. I think you can have lunch here before you go.]

[Hunter Kang Jin-hyun: I will head there as quickly as possible. See you soon.]

[Take your time.]

It was a text message exchange that looked quite sweet.

However, Hee-na, who was one of the parties in the conversation, did not realize it. This was because she was filled with anticipation about trying out the new kitchen.

“I brought a lunch box, so I should take it out and heat it up.”

Of course, she could heat it in the microwave, but since she had gotten a proper kitchen, she thought she might as well start things up step by step.

Hee-na took out a pot, a frying pan, and dishes, scrubbing them clean. Then, she warmed up the lunch box side dishes she had brought.

The spicy gochujang stew was poured into an earthenware pot and boiled again, while the stir-fried garlic scapes and ham were tossed in a frying pan to add warmth.

After she even heated the pre-cooked rice piping hot in the microwave, someone knocked on the office door.

Knock, knock.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Kang Jin-hyun. May I come in?”

“Of course. Please come in.”

Hee-na hastily washed her hands and took off her apron and hairband. A window flashed, stating that the outfit buff was disappearing, before vanishing.

While she combed her disheveled hair with her fingers, Kang Jin-hyun strode toward Hee-na.

“Hello, Jin-hyun.”

“Hello.”

Along with his greeting, Kang Jin-hyun suddenly thrust out something large. As she looked at it in a daze, it turned out to be a brilliant bouquet of flowers.

“Please accept this.”

He thrust the bouquet toward Hee-na once more. Hee-na stuttered a little in embarrassment.

“Th-this is?”

“It is a bouquet of flowers.”

“I know that too……”

Even if she looked at it while doing a backflip, this was a bouquet of flowers. And a bouquet of blood-red roses at that.

Hee-na had not asked what this was called.

“Why flowers all of a sudden?”

It was because she did not know the reason for receiving a flower gift out of nowhere.

Of course, it would have been nice if she could have detected even the slightest hint of romance from the bouquet, but…

“I brought it to congratulate you, thank you, and apologize.”

Of course, Kang Jin-hyun was just as formidable.

Even as he offered such a bright red bouquet of roses, his expression did not change at all. He was very solemn and serious.

“The other day, I was very rude when I was drunk. I committed a great discourtesy to you, Hee-na.”

He apologized for showing Hee-na his strange drinking habit. His face was full of apology.

“No, it’s fine. You were very quiet even when you were drunk, Jin-hyun.”

Hee-na waved her hands. In the first place, it was also her fault for feeding a lot of alcohol to someone who could not drink.

Kang Jin-hyun seemed to have more to say about that matter, but for Hee-na, who had bought furniture after receiving a black card from the company thanks to it, it was all in the past.

“Let’s talk about that later, and sit down first. The lunch will get cold.”

Hee-na accepted the rose bouquet offered by Kang Jin-hyun and guided him to the dining table. Since she had just finished setting the table, they could eat right away.

“I didn’t know what would happen for lunch today, so I packed a lunch box. From now on, I will cook directly here. That will taste much better.”

When she pushed the warm side dishes forward and invited him to eat, Kang Jin-hyun picked up his spoon and chopsticks with a moved expression.

“Please try some. I just heated it up.”

“Thank you for the meal, Hee-na.”

Kang Jin-hyun did not refuse and began his meal.

She saw his eyes widen after he took a spoonful of warm rice and put some side dishes into his mouth. It was an expression that clearly shouted, ‘This is really delicious!’ to anyone who looked.

‘He is someone who makes cooking rewarding.’

Hee-na ate her rice, using Kang Jin-hyun’s expression as a side dish.

Seeing how well he ate the food she made, she felt full without even eating.

“……Thank you so much for the meal. It was a perfect flavor, with nothing lacking.”

After finishing the delicious meal, Kang Jin-hyun clung to Hee-na’s office like glue.

It was funny to see him licking his lips as if it were not enough, despite wearing the expression of a fully sated male lion.

Hee-na wondered why Kang Jin-hyun was not leaving.

‘Is he not leaving because I didn’t bring out fruit after the meal?’

By nature, Koreans were supposed to drink at least scorched-rice water after a meal, so was it because she had not prepared such things?

It was while she was worrying about this.

“Since I ate well, I will do the dishes.”

Kang Jin-hyun suddenly rose from his seat and headed toward the sink.

“Huh? You don’t have to do that!”

Kang Jin-hyun was incredibly clumsy in daily life. If he brewed coffee, he spilled half of it on the floor, and he was the type of person who would detonate a canned drink instead of opening it.

For such a person to do the dishes!

‘I don’t want to break my pretty dishes only a day after starting to use them!’

The future of the tableware in his hands was clear to see.

“This is my job, so I’ll do it!”

“It is fine. I can do it.”

She ran over quickly to try and stop Kang Jin-hyun, but it was already too late. With the quickness of an S-class Hunter, Kang Jin-hyun picked up the sponge and a plate.

‘Kyaah! No!’

Fearing to witness the tragic death of the plate, Hee-na tightly covered her eyes with both hands. However.

Clatter, clatter, swish.

Instead of the expected shattering sound, however, only the sound of the sponge gently brushing against the plate was heard.

At the unexpected situation, Hee-na peeked at Kang Jin-hyun doing the dishes through the gaps of her fingers.

“……Huh?”

Surprisingly, he was cleaning the plate while controlling his strength perfectly.

“It has been a long time since I last did the dishes. The last time was when I helped my parents before my awakening. It feels refreshing, as if I have returned to the old days.”

He even led the conversation calmly. It was a completely different appearance from the ‘troublemaker Hunter Kang Jin-hyun’ that Hee-na knew.

Hee-na stood next to him, blankly watching him wash the dishes, before speaking.

“Uh… You are doing it really well even though it’s been a long time.”

If it was before his awakening, it must have been over ten years ago, but his movements were natural without any awkwardness. It was quick and efficient.

Since there were not many dishes, the dishwashing finished in no time.

“I am finished.”

Kang Jin-hyun wiped away the moisture on the sink after finishing the dishes. Seeing him tightly wringing out the dishcloth, it showed that he had been raised very well.

At the unexpected sight, Hee-na had to ask herself if she was dreaming right now.

As if reading Hee-na’s expression, Kang Jin-hyun shook the water off his hands and smiled gently.

“You have an expression that says you find it unexpected that I didn’t cause an accident.”

“No, it’s not that… Well, um… Yes.”

Hee-na groaned as she tried to make an excuse, but in the end, she agreed.

“Shall we sit down first?”

Kang Jin-hyun pulled out a dining chair and invited her to sit. His attitude was extremely polite.

As soon as they sat facing each other, Kang Jin-hyun opened his mouth.

“You must already be well aware that I am receiving a lot of help from you in many ways, Hee-na.”

“Well… it’s not a particularly difficult task.”

“This is in a similar context. When I am nervous or accumulated fatigue, controlling my strength is not easy. But recently, thanks to you, Hee-na, I was able to get enough rest, and more delicate strength control became possible.”

The Homemaker of the Dungeon