Chapter 89 – Kang Jin-hyun’s Proposal

It was even an expansion that increased the area by over twenty pyeong. It was a tremendous effect for a mere fragment of a Piece of Space.

She liked it so much that she did not even notice the other miscellaneous item rewards popping up in succession. This was because it was perfect for three people, one snail, and one plant to live in.

“Do you not like the quest reward?”

As Kang Jin-hyun asked cautiously, Hee-na waved her hands.

“No. I hit the jackpot for the first time in a while.”

Truly, it was a jackpot.

* * *

Kang Jin-hyun left to conquer a dungeon.

Before he left, he asked her to seriously consider his proposal.

It was the conversation that had been interrupted by the completion of the Dungeon Stroll quest… specifically, the matter of him staying at Hee-na’s house.

Hee-na sat alone in the office, lost in thought.

‘What should I do?’

Actually, there was no need to keep Kang Jin-hyun, who was a complete stranger, in the house anymore. Moreover, since the two of them were neighbors, they could interact enough without having to live together.

“Of course, there is no reason to let him stay at my house any longer…”

But why was her heart wavering? Was it because Kang Jin-hyun was such a good housemate?

“Oh, I don’t know. I should think about it slowly while Jin-hyun is away. I’ll also discuss it with my brother.”

It was just when she was trying to shake off her complicated thoughts.

Bang, bang!

Right on cue, the office door vibrated with a thudding sound. The sound was closer to punching than knocking, but it was a knock nonetheless.

“Who… is it?”

As she replied cautiously, a boisterous voice resounded from beyond the door.

“It is me!”

It was an answer so overflowing with confidence that it seemed to pool heavily on the floor. To answer ‘It is me!’ all of a sudden without even revealing his name…

However, Hee-na felt she knew the owner of this voice.

“…Uncle Sang-hoon?”

When she peeked the door open, a large-framed middle-aged man suddenly stepped in.

“Yes, Hee-na. Have you been well?”

He laughed heartily and shook Hee-na’s hand.

“Hello. Have you been doing well?”

The middle-aged man’s name was Choi Sang-hoon, an S-class appraiser. For reference, there were only three S-class appraisers in the entire world.

And an appraiser referred to a non-combat awakened class that could identify the detailed uses and functions of dungeon items and the like.

Choi Sang-hoon sat down with a thud in the seat Hee-na offered and admired the surroundings.

“Wow. Since you’re a team leader, you got a nice place. It’s quite flashy.”

“Ah, yes. This is your first time here, right, Uncle?”

“Yes. I was a bit busy lately, so I couldn’t pay attention to the outside world.”

Her relationship with Choi Sang-hoon could be considered quite long, if indeed it was long.

Hee-na recalled their first meeting for a moment.

When she was in charge of cleaning the ordinary lounge, the person who made a fuss claiming that the bed she had cast ‘Comfortable Bed’ on could not be appraised was none other than the appraiser Choi Sang-hoon.

‘In the end, he fell fast asleep right there because of my skill…’

It was a rather intense first meeting.

Their second meeting took place right after Hee-na also took charge of the awakened lounge.

Although he was hot-tempered and eccentric, just as he had shown during their first meeting, he also had an easygoing personality and got along quite well with others.

‘Miss, I am sorry about back then. I was too excited.’

Choi Sang-hoon apologized to Hee-na while holding out his thick hand, and not long after, he laughed, ‘Bwahaha,’ and told her to just call him ‘Uncle Sang-hoon’ comfortably.

Getting on speaking terms like that in the heat of the moment became the start of their bond, and they built a close friendship.

Since he was a non-combat awakened person who never went out to conquer dungeons, he frequented the lounge almost every day, which made them especially close.

“But Uncle Sang-hoon, what brings you all the way here? Aren’t you supposed to be in your lab?”

Hee-na asked as she made and handed him a cup of mixed coffee, which Choi Sang-hoon liked.

Choi Sang-hoon rarely showed up anywhere other than his own lab and the lounge. She was curious as to why he had moved his heavy backside to visit Hee-na’s office.

“Ah. The thing is…”

Choi Sang-hoon drank the hot mixed coffee in one gulp, lowered his voice, and whispered. He looked like someone who had come to share some secret.

“…The thing is, I came to ask you for a favor.”

“A favor for me? Are you tired? Should I set up a bed in your lab?”

In Hee-na’s mind, that was the only kind of favor he could possibly ask of her. What could Choi Sang-hoon, one of the most capable people in the world, possibly want from her?

Besides, Choi Sang-hoon was not as sensitive as Kang Jin-hyun. He fell asleep the moment his head touched a pillow, and he had such a hearty appetite that he could practically chew and eat stones.

“Ahem, hum.”

Choi Sang-hoon scratched his head vigorously. He looked like someone trying to bring up an embarrassing topic.

“I came here today representing the other hunters of the Blue Dragon Guild. Good grief… To think I would end up taking charge of this kind of matter.”

“Yes. Please tell me.”

Hee-na sat up straight.

Since he had come representing the hunters of the Blue Dragon Guild of all people, it was bound to be no ordinary matter.

Of course, why he had contacted Hee-na directly instead of going through HR Team Leader Kang Mok-hyun was a mystery…

“Hee-na.”

Choi Sang-hoon slowly opened his mouth.

“Lately, ever since you left to become the Awakened State Management Team Leader, there has been no shortage of complaints among the regular hunters.”

“Complaints…”

Hee-na repeated Choi Sang-hoon’s words to herself.

‘Indeed. A mere C-class homemaker had suddenly been promoted to team leader and was living comfortably… So she might have seemed like an eyesore to others.’

Although everyone outwardly seemed to congratulate Hee-na’s promotion with one mind and heart, she thought that some people might have looked upon it with displeasure deep down.

It was expected, but hearing such talk indirectly made her feel uneasy.

Naturally, her complexion darkened, and seeing this, Choi Sang-hoon was startled and waved his hands.

“No, no! I did not mean it in a bad way! Of course it is something to celebrate that things went well for you and you left. What kind of bastard would look upon that with displeasure?”

“You do not have to put a positive spin on it for my sake. Didn’t you say that complaints are pouring out among the other hunters…?”

Choi Sang-hoon shouted so loudly that the office vibrated.

“No. It is not that kind of complaint you are thinking of. Absolutely not!”

“Then what is it?”

“…That hunter management thing. Could you do it for us too, not just for Kang Jin-hyun?”

“Pardon?”

“Even so, the other guys suggested it to Team Leader Kang Mok-hyun several times, but he did not listen to a damn thing, claiming your workload would increase. He probably did that because he was worried that the management of his younger brother would be neglected. Tsk… Besides, you know Team Leader Kang’s personality, right? It is no joke. The guys get completely chewed out and return… tsk. Since they could not even dare to come to you directly to bring it up after being subjected to that, I stepped forward instead.”

Choi Sang-hoon grumbled as he discussed HR Team Leader Kang Mok-hyun’s lack of manners.

A stream of curses followed, claiming that while Kang Jin-hyun at least had a cute side, Team Leader Kang was a guy who did not have even the letter ‘c’ of cuteness in him and was someone who discriminated against hunters based on their abilities.

“…Um, Uncle Sang-hoon?”

At Hee-na’s call, Choi Sang-hoon belatedly realized and snapped out of it.

“Ah, right. Let me continue. Anyway, the current complaint of the hunters is this. No matter how much of a nominal name the Awakened State Management Team is, it is unfair for its benefits to be concentrated solely on Kang Jin-hyun.”

Simply put, it meant that the other hunters also desperately wanted Hee-na’s touch.

At those words, Hee-na wore a slightly bewildered expression.

“I go down often and cast Comfortable Bed for them, though…”

Hee-na used to go down to the hunters’ lounge in between her relaxed schedule and cast Comfortable Bed.

Although it was partly to raise her skill proficiency, it was also because she wanted to do something for the hunters in the lounge, who she had grown fond of in the meantime.

‘Even so, to think they want something more, it is perplexing.’

She scrunched up her nose slightly, not knowing how much more the hunters expected her to do.

Then Choi Sang-hoon cleared his throat, ‘ahem,’ and implicitly revealed his true intentions.

“Of course, we do not expect the same level of care you give to Kang Jin-hyun. If you did, your body would not hold up. Instead, could you come down once in a while, make some gimbap, and give us things like peanuts? We do not ask for it often. About once a month is fine. I will pay for it separately, too.”

From the sound of it, the hunters seemed to have been missing Hee-na’s gimbap all this time.

In the midst of that, after eating the roasted peanuts touched by Hee-na’s hands, their craving for Hee-na’s cooking had exploded.

“There is no need to prepare a large quantity either. You can just make a moderate amount and have us line up.”

Hee-na laughed softly at the following words, which suggested that they would figure out the rest among themselves, whether they fought to snatch it or not.

This was because she knew well that although it sounded like a joke, it was actually the truth.

“I understand what you mean, Uncle Sang-hoon.”

“I ended up speaking at great length, but you can refuse if it’s too burdensome. There’s no need for you to go through trouble to do something you don’t have to do.”

Choi Sang-hoon belatedly showed some modesty. Hee-na smiled and shook her head.

“No. Hearing your story, Uncle, made me think that I was too indifferent to the other hunters.”

No matter how much the team was created solely for Kang Jin-hyun, Hee-na was still the leader of the ‘Awakened State Management Team.’

Judging by the name alone, she also had an obligation to manage the condition of all the awakened in the Blue Dragon Guild.

‘Well… I have plenty of time.’

Hee-na calmly recalled her schedule since becoming the Awakened State Management Team Leader.

It was so leisurely that it was almost boring. She only had to take care of Kang Jin-hyun’s meals and bedding.

Moreover, when Kang Jin-hyun was away to conquer a dungeon like this time, she had absolutely nothing to do. It was practically no different from a vacation.

“Okay. It just so happens that I had time to spare and was bored, so this works out well.”

The Homemaker of the Dungeon