Chapter 66 – Grocery Shopping

“What kind of ramen do you like? Spicy ramen? Seafood ramen? Bibim ramen?”

“I do not know. It has been so long since I last ate it… When I was young, that is, before my awakening, I enjoyed eating ramen. Regardless of the type.”

“You must have really liked ramen.”

“Yes. My father used to cook it for me as a snack behind my mother’s back.”

If it was a food with such memories, it was understandable that he liked it.

Hee-na purchased various types of ramen for Kang Jin-hyun. Spicy ramen, seafood ramen, jjajang ramen, bibim noodles, udon ramen, and so on… In an instant, the cart piled high.

Although she knew it was not good for health to buy this much, she could not stop.

Because Kang Jin-hyun’s eyes sparkled every time she put a bundle of ramen into the cart, it was difficult to ignore that expectation.

“I look forward to it. I hope it is the taste I remember.”

When he even said that much, how could she refuse him?

Hee-na and Kang Jin-hyun ended their grocery shopping with the ramen as the final item. Even though they only bought what was necessary, the volume was larger than expected. Of course, the numerous bags of ramen also played a part in the bulk.

‘It would have been a disaster if I had come alone.’

Kang Jin-hyun neatly organized the groceries at the packaging counter.

S-class was also good at packaging things. Inside the box, he stacked the heavy and hard items closely, step by step. The luggage that had seemed incredibly large was crammed into a single giant box.

“Shall we go?”

Without his expression changing in the slightest, Kang Jin-hyun lightly lifted that huge box. It looked as effortless as carrying an empty box.

Hee-na checked the time. Surprisingly, it took less than an hour to shop.

There was about an hour and forty minutes left until Kang Jin-hyun’s next schedule. The time was surprisingly plenty.

“What time did you say you have to leave to arrive on time for your next schedule?”

“It is enough to leave ten minutes before.”

At his reply, Hee-na suggested.

“Then would you like to eat ramen before you go? I will cook it for you.”

A bright expression instantly washed over Kang Jin-hyun’s silent face. It was a change in expression clear enough to be distinct even though he was covering it with a hat and mask.

“If you cook it for me, Hee-na, I can even eat three bags.”

* * *

Q. First of all, I want to express my gratitude to Hunter Kang Jin-hyun for responding to our interview. I know that you do not often respond to interviews for general monthly magazines like ours, so I am curious as to why you appeared.

A. The Hunter Association is working hard to reduce the sense of distance between ordinary people and Hunters. This interview is also a part of that effort.

… (omitted) …

Q. Do you usually travel alone for your schedule like this? It is said that our staff was very surprised when you appeared in the blink of an eye. (Laughs)

A. Usually, I travel by car accompanied by a manager. Today, I had something important to do right before the interview, so I moved alone.

Q. If it is not confidential, may I ask what that was? Many ordinary people are interested in the daily life of S-class Hunters.

A. I returned after spending a special time with an important person. (At this moment, Hunter Kang wore a faint smile. Fortunately, our photographer was able to capture that scene. It was a moment when his humane side was deeply felt.)

Q. If it is an important person… (the rest omitted)…

* * *

[Who is the protagonist of Kang Jin-hyun’s ’50 Roses Romance’?]

[Hunter Kang Jin-hyun, ‘Special Chemistry’ Captured?]

[‘The only love in a lifetime’, an S-class Hunter’s pure love that put romance novels to shame]

[Who is the protagonist of the smile sent by the cold, handsome Hunter?]

“Uaaagh!”

Hee-na screamed while looking at the internet article Woo Min-ah had sent her. Her hands trembled so much that she almost dropped her cell phone.

“This is you, right?”

Woo Min-ah clutched her stomach and laughed out loud. She did not forget to point at the red roses placed here and there in Hee-na’s kitchen.

“The romance of 50 roses is right here!”

“Unni!”

Hee-na banged her head on the table. It hurt. It was not a dream.

‘A scandal!’

It was a bolt out of the blue.

‘No, I knew a day like this would come eventually!’

Thinking of Kang Jin-hyun’s strange way of speaking, it might have been stranger that an article like this only broke out now.

Befitting an S-class Hunter known to everyone in South Korea, Kang Jin-hyun’s dating rumor hotly set ablaze all sorts of portal sites.

She did not know how embarrassing and provocative the reporters spun their headlines.

If she were not the party involved in this incident, there were also many ‘they-say’ rumors that Hee-na would have enjoyed searching for.

Speculations that the partner was definitely from the same Blue Dragon Guild, guesses that she seemed to be an ordinary person since the partner was not revealed, and uncertain testimonies that they had seen someone like Kang Jin-hyun walking with someone recently.

There was even nonsense saying that they had already held a secret wedding ceremony and a child existed between the two.

“When did you two have a baby? What are you planning to name the child? No, you have to throw the wedding bouquet to me, okay?”

Woo Min-ah teased Hee-na by mentioning all these articles and rumors.

“Unni! Stop teasing me! I’m really serious! By the way, my personal information won’t leak out, right? Before that, can’t the company issue a denial first?”

To think that she had become the protagonist of such nationwide attention made her mind go numb. Hee-na even lost her manners and grabbed Woo Min-ah’s shoulders, shaking them vigorously.

Woo Min-ah kept laughing as she allowed herself to be shaken by Hee-na’s strength.

“Kuhahaha!”

“Unniiii!”

“Did you get all lovey-dovey with Kang Jin-hyun and find your spirit?”

“You know that’s not it!”

It was when she was shouting loudly at the snickering Woo Min-ah.

Rrrrr…

The intercom phone placed on the office desk rang. It was the first call that rang since Hee-na had come here.

“Shoot!”

Hee-na glared at Woo Min-ah with all her might and ran to answer the phone.

“A… Awakened Status Management Team Leader, Lee Hee-na speaking.”

As a bonus, she almost stuttered because the title was not familiar to her tongue.

– Team Leader Lee Hee-na, it has been a long time. This is Guild Leader Kim Kyu-hee.

‘Gasp!’

Hee-na was surprised as if she would jump to the sky at the familiar voice coming through the receiver.

“G-G-Guild Leader? Hello?”

– You seem to be adapting well to the work. Thank you for your hard work.

“Ah, yes… Th-thank you.”

– Then, I will get to the point.

“Y-Yes, ma’am!”

– I would like to see you for a moment. To see if there are any issues with your work, if you need anything else… There are many things I want to hear.

“I understand.”

– If you don’t have a schedule, come up right away.

As if that were really the only business, the call hung up abruptly as soon as she answered.

Cold sweat poured down her back. The timing was somewhat unusual.

‘To think a call came right after the dating rumor popped up…’

Did the Guild Leader also know that the partner of the dating rumor was Hee-na?

‘Is she trying to scold me, thinking it’s an office romance?’

Her heart thudded. She was filled with the thought that she had to make an excuse somehow.

“Hee-na? What’s wrong? Your face is pale.”

She was so tense that Woo Min-ah stopped laughing and approached, worried about Hee-na’s complexion.

Hee-na replied miserably.

“Unni, I think I’m in big trouble. The Guild Leader wants to see me right now…”

Hee-na stood in front of the Guild Leader’s office, her legs trembling like a newborn fawn.

While reciting the words Woo Min-ah had told her in her head like a spell.

‘The Guild Leader is not as scary as I think. The Guild Leader likes honest people. If I am just honest, the Guild Leader will not get angry. The Guild Leader doesn’t care about things like this.’

While she was doing mind control by muttering, the door suddenly swung open.

“Eek!”

Hee-na ended up screaming while making a strange sound.

“Hee-na, are you alright? I opened the door because you weren’t coming in…”

Beyond the open door stood Kang Jin-hyun with a puzzled expression. Hee-na barely managed to tidy her expression and asked.

“Jin-hyun? What brings you here?”

“The Guild Leader called me.”

Ugh, Hee-na’s complexion turned even paler.

‘As expected, she called us to investigate the dating rumor.’

Her heart thundered, and at the same time, she felt a bit wronged.

All she did was put Kang Jin-hyun to sleep and feed him, so for such rumors to spread nationwide!

She felt like she was being scolded by her boss due to someone else’s mistake.

“Please come in.”

Hee-na entered the Guild Leader’s office with a somewhat sulky expression.

As soon as she reached the spacious room, she saw Guild Leader Kim Kyu-hee’s profile. She was sitting on a large sofa with her back straight.

She did not know if it was a relief, but… she did not look angry. On the contrary, her eyes sparkled as if she were interested in this situation.

“Hunter Kang Jin-hyun, Team Leader Lee Hee-na. Please sit.”

Guild Leader Kim Kyu-hee offered seats on the sofa across the low table.

Hee-na and Kang Jin-hyun sat side-by-side on the sofa.

‘Somehow… the mood is strange?’

Sitting in front of the Guild Leader, who wore an unidentifiable smile, she felt odd.

‘It’s like we came to ask for permission to marry… Ugh!’

Hee-na tore her hair out in her mind. Perhaps because she had just seen the scandal article, all sorts of thoughts came to her.

“Lee Hee-na? Is something wrong?”

Guild Leader Kim Kyu-hee asked while looking into Hee-na’s eyes. Hee-na tried to flatten her expression and shook her head.

“No. I’m just a bit nervous to see you, Guild Leader. Haha.”

“Hmm… You look it.”

She curled one corner of her lips to laugh lightly and got straight to the point.

“Both of you can probably guess why I called you here.”

“Yes…”

Hee-na glanced at Kang Jin-hyun sitting beside her. It was because she hoped that he, the culprit of the incident, would step forward first to explain.

However, it was Guild Leader Kim Kyu-hee’s side that dropped the bomb first.

The Homemaker of the Dungeon