Chapter 67 – The Dating Scandal

“As you know, Hunter Kang’s scandal broke out today. It seems the media hasn’t caught who the partner is, but in my view, it looks like that person is Team Leader Lee.”

Hee-na imagined herself clutching her heart with a groan as she was hit by the ball thrown by the Guild Leader. This was because she had thrown a fastball and hit the point right on target.

“For now, I’ve taken measures to take down the fussy articles, and we don’t plan to express an official position at the guild level. Because it will get buried once some time passes. Things like this tend to get noisier when an official statement comes out. Honestly speaking, other people’s dating stories are the most fun, aren’t they?”

Guild Leader Kim Kyu-hee chuckled low. That laugh was so meaningful that it made her mouth dry. Hee-na swallowed hard.

‘Then why did she call Jin-hyun-ssi and me? The situation has been settled.’

As soon as she had the doubt, Guild Leader Kim Kyu-hee spoke again.

“You might also be thinking, ‘The matter seems to have been handled roughly, so why did she call me?’ The reason I called you all is to understand the exact situation. Still, I am the Guild Leader here, so shouldn’t I know what I need to know? Especially if it’s a scandal involving the face of our guild.”

Hee-na excused herself and stepped forward first, unable to bear the embarrassment.

“Guild Leader, this is all a misunderstanding…!”

The Guild Leader raised her palm as if to tell her to calm down.

“Team Leader Lee, our Blue Dragon Guild does not forbid office romance. We have a very free corporate culture.”

It was a truly baffling misunderstanding. Hee-na denied it flatly.

“No, it really was just a coincidence. Hunter Kang Jin-hyun just spoke well of me because he liked my skill. I think that got a little distorted.”

“Do you really think so, Team Leader Lee?”

Guild Leader Kim Kyu-hee asked while peering into Hee-na’s eyes. Her gaze was sharp.

Every time she made eye contact with the Guild Leader, she felt as if her inner thoughts were being completely read.

Hee-na nodded her head so vigorously that her hair flew.

“Of course! What you suspect, Guild Leader, will absolutely never happen!”

“I don’t mind even if such a thing happens, though…”

The Guild Leader muttered softly and sat with her legs crossed. Hee-na waved her hands.

“It really is.”

Of course, Hee-na also had eyes, so she did think that Kang Jin-hyun was cool and handsome.

But connecting that to romantic feelings was a different matter.

Kang Jin-hyun was a person in too much of a different world to be viewed as a romantic partner. Did it feel like looking at some creature of a completely different species?

In other words, to Hee-na, Kang Jin-hyun was like a pie in the sky that only looked good.

“…Hmm. I see.”

Letting out a sigh as if disappointed, Guild Leader Kim Kyu-hee looked at Kang Jin-hyun this time.

“How about you, Hunter Kang?”

“What do you mean?”

“I am curious about your thoughts on this scandal.”

“Is there a need for me to say it directly with my own mouth?”

Did he need to say it himself?

It was an answer that sounded somewhat arrogant, given that Guild Leader Kim Kyu-hee could not possibly read people’s minds.

However, Guild Leader Kim Kyu-hee shrugged off Kang Jin-hyun’s habit of speaking as no big deal.

“Of course. Isn’t that why I called you here and asked because I want to hear it directly? What did you think when the scandal broke out this time, Hunter Kang?”

At this, Kang Jin-hyun fell deep into thought before opening his mouth.

“I thought that if things went wrong, Hee-na-ssi could have ended up in a very difficult situation.”

‘So he did know.’

Of course, Kang Jin-hyun was indeed the main culprit of all this fuss, but she was grateful that he thought that way anyway.

But it seemed to be an insufficient answer for Guild Leader Kim Kyu-hee. She pressed Kang Jin-hyun.

“Is there nothing else besides that?”

“Is there anything else I need to think about?”

“Hunter Kang’s eyes are saying much more, though.”

“I do not know what you are talking about.”

The two engaged in a staring contest of unknown meaning for a moment.

Perhaps because it was a war of nerves between powerful Hunters, Hee-na’s skin felt tingly.

‘Ugh. This feels weird.’

When Hee-na shivered, the two high-ranking Hunters stopped confronting each other. In an instant, the atmosphere loosened with a click.

“Tsk, tsk… What is the use of being so strong when he is this dense.”

Guild Leader Kim Kyu-hee clicked her tongue as if she found something regrettable. She seemed to mutter more to herself before shrugging her shoulders.

“Anyway, I have confirmed the difference in perspective between you two well. It is interesting.”

She did not know what was so interesting, but she was glad that the Guild Leader did not seem to be in a bad mood for now.

“Now that our business is finished, both of you may leave. I’m sorry for calling you out so suddenly when you are busy.”

Just as she had called Hee-na out suddenly, she dismissed them just as abruptly.

Since such a major incident had broken out, she had prepared herself to be held for at least thirty minutes, but it did not even take ten minutes, let alone thirty.

“Ah, then we will get going.”

Hee-na nodded her head and quietly stood up from her seat.

“See you next time.”

Kang Jin-hyun also bowed politely, then walked briskly to match his steps with Hee-na’s.

Guild Leader Kim Kyu-hee waved her hand at the backs of the departing two.

“Goodbye. The Guild Leader’s office is always open. Any worries are welcome, so do not think too hard about it.”

Hee-na thought that such a thing would absolutely never happen. Meanwhile, she bowed her waist once again in greeting and left the Guild Leader’s office.

“Phew.”

Only after getting far away from the Guild Leader’s office was Hee-na able to let out the breath she had been holding.

“Um… I do not feel good because it seems you went through an uncomfortable experience because of me.”

Kang Jin-hyun carefully opened his mouth while glancing to check her mood. It was a scene that would surprise anyone who saw it.

For the S-class Hunter Kang Jin-hyun of all people to look at someone’s mood and make a sorry expression!

Indeed, the power of the person who let him sleep over and cooked for him was great. Hee-na shook her head from side to side.

“No. It’s okay. It’s not like my name got out, and only Jin-hyun-ssi ended up in trouble.”

“Since you sighed, I thought you were angry with me…”

Kang Jin-hyun whimpered. It felt like if she sighed one more time, he would lay down at Hee-na’s feet showing his belly and whine.

“Why would I be angry? I did that because I was nervous meeting the boss, no, the Guild Leader.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. She is the boss. Of course I would be nervous.”

Anyway, she had gone up with all kinds of bad imaginations, so she was glad that she came back without being scolded. But that was that, and being nervous was being nervous.

Guild Leader Kim Kyu-hee had a peculiar aura. She also had a feeling that no matter what she hid in front of her, it would be futile.

Right on cue, Kang Jin-hyun nodded and opened his mouth.

“Indeed. Considering the Guild Leader’s ability, it makes sense that you would feel that way.”

“Huh? The Guild Leader’s ability?”

When she asked out of curiosity, Kang Jin-hyun whispered softly.

“Although it is an ability that is not widely known to the general public, the Guild Leader has a skill that can read people’s minds.”

“Excuse me?”

Hee-na jumped in place almost like a spring. Kang Jin-hyun grabbed Hee-na’s shoulders and patted them.

“Although I cannot know the exact depth of her ability, seeing that she can even read my inner thoughts, it can be considered a fairly powerful skill.”

“Gasp. Then reading the mind of someone like me, a D-class, no, C-class, must be easier than eating cold lettuce?”

In her excitement, Hee-na unconsciously copied Osaek-i’s habit of speaking.

Kang Jin-hyun pointed out the logical error.

“Lettuce is always cold, though…”

“Anyway, that’s not what is important! So that means the Guild Leader read all of my thoughts? Oh! What should I do!”

Going over the talk with the Guild Leader one by one, she had quite a few guilty feelings.

In particular, recalling the time she slapped Kang Jin-hyun’s cheek to wake him up bothered her the most.

‘No wonder! I thought she suddenly burst into laughter as soon as I had that thought!’

The Guild Leader was clearly reading what Hee-na was thinking.

‘Aaargh! I feel sorry to Jin-hyun-ssi, and embarrassed… Aaaack!’

Having one’s thoughts read felt significantly more shameful than expected. An indescribable emotion surged up.

Kang Jin-hyun asked Hee-na, who was clutching her hair.

“Did you think of something you shouldn’t have?”

“…I don’t know.”

Hee-na shut her mouth tight. She could never tell Kang Jin-hyun.

‘How could I say that I grabbed his collar and slapped his cheek?’

Of course, that was an unavoidable situation. She had woken him up in an emergency to save his life!

“Do not worry. Since the Guild Leader can only read the inside when making eye contact, you wouldn’t have had all of your inner thoughts read. Furthermore, the Guild Leader liked you quite a bit, Hee-na-ssi. She tends to keep the secrets of her people very well.”

Kang Jin-hyun comforted her with all his might, without even knowing what Hee-na felt guilty about.

Fortunately, his comfort was quite helpful.

“…Anyway, that’s why the meeting ended quickly. Since she can read our inner thoughts, there was no need to dig into things in a complicated way.”

“That is correct.”

“But as for the difference in perspective between the two of us, I don’t know what she was talking about. Do you have anything that comes to mind?”

At this, Kang Jin-hyun shook his head. Somehow, that appearance looked as if he was glossing over it.

“Well. I also do not particularly… have anything that comes to mind.”

“Hmm. Still, though. You have seen the Guild Leader for a long time, Jin-hyun-ssi.”

Hee-na interrogated Kang Jin-hyun quite sharply.

He strangely avoided eye contact with Hee-na and evaded her gaze as he continued.

“She, by nature, is someone who frequently says things that are hard to fathom. It is better to take it simply or just let it pass…”

“Ayy.”

When she grumbled slightly in disappointment, Kang Jin-hyun quickly added.

“Hee-na-ssi, would it be possible for me to get a bowl of ramen before I go?”

Since they talked while coming down, they were already in front of Hee-na’s office.

“Pardon?”

Even after arriving in front of Hee-na’s office, he lingered without leaving, so it seemed he indeed had an ulterior motive.

‘I feel like he suddenly changed the subject… Surely, it isn’t.’

The Homemaker of the Dungeon