CHAPTER 222: MIDNIGHT RENDEZVOUS (1)

SEON CHANG-HO— Big 4’s Jang Semi’s husband, the official successor to the Daesung Group, and the illegitimate younger brother of SC Group’s Chairman Seon Chul.

[And, just recently, I found out that Seon Chang-ho is Bitna’s uncle.]

Hamin wondered why someone like Seon Chang-ho suddenly visited his guild.

Unannounced, at that.

But since Hamin was free and it wasn’t like he could turn down a VIP, he invited Seon Chang-ho to his private office.

"This is a tea made from leaves that can only be found in dungeons," Hamin said while putting a hot cup of tea in front of Seon Chang-ho. "If you’re not comfortable drinking a tea you’re not familiar with, I can make you a normal one, sir."

"No, I’m fine with this," Seon Chang-ho said, smiling. "Thank you, Hamin-ssi."

"Sir, you shouldn’t let your guard down easily just because I’m a guildmaster," Hamin said, sitting across from the older gentleman. "Don’t eat or drink stuff with ingredients from the dungeon if you’re not familiar with them."

"I know you wouldn’t poison me, Hamin-ssi. Out of all the high-ranking Hunters in Korea, you’re one of the few who doesn’t care about politics."

"Is that so?"

"And I can tell that you care about my niece, so you wouldn’t harm me in any way."

Ah.

"Sir, are you here because of Bitna?"

"’Bitna?’"

"When I met your niece, she didn’t want to give me her name. So, I just called her Bitna."

"You gave her a pretty name."

Hamin just sipped his tea, and then he put the cup down on the table quietly. "Sir, if you have questions about your niece, why did you come to me instead of Chu Wonhee? She’s closer to you since she’s your sister-in-law, and she knows more about Bitna than I do."

"I already asked Hee-ya, and she told me that Bitna is trapped in a dungeon. Our Hee-ya also briefly mentioned that you knew my niece before she got trapped there," Seon Chang-ho said. "That’s why I’m here. Hamin-ssi, please tell me what happened when you met my niece."

Ah.

[I see.]

"It seems like you already ran a background check on me, sir."

"Not necessarily on you— but on the people who were in that incident before my niece disappeared because of a dungeon break."

Hamin clenched his hands tight. "If that’s the case, then I’m sure you already know what happened that day, sir."

Seon Chang-ho’s amicable façade slipped away.

Hamin was now looking at a man with enough power to crush the Fall Guild if he wanted to. Seon Chang-ho was angry, and he was no longer trying to hide it.

[Chu Wonhee is the only genuinely kind chaebol I’ve met so far.]

"That’s why I want answers, Hamin-ssi— why were you the one who got out of the dungeon instead of my niece?"

Hamin was surprised.

[How did he know that?]

"You must be wondering how I found out," Seon Chang-ho said, still unimpressed. "I wouldn’t have known what transpired back then if my sister-in-law hadn’t tell me that you were with my niece that day. I asked my people to investigate the incident again. But, this time, I asked them to track your whereabouts that day."

If that was the case, then...

[He already knows.]

"My people have stumbled upon a piece of confidential information withheld from the public," Seon Chang-ho said, getting angrier by the minute. "How come a Hunter was rescued first before a Civilian? Moreover, my niece was barely seventeen when it happened while you were already an adult back then."

[I knew it.]

Of course, Hamin knew that it was his fault Bitna got trapped in the dungeon for years. "Sir, first of all, I’m really sorry—"

He stopped when his phone rang.

It seemed like Seon Chang-ho was a bit startled because his ringtone sounded like an emergency alarm.

"It’s my ringtone for the VIPs in my contact list. I can’t miss their call, after all," Hamin explained while pulling out his phone from the inner pocket of his jacket. He was a bit surprised when he saw the name of the caller. "Chu Wonhee is calling. Can I pick this up?"

"Of course," Seon Chang-ho said, his face softening up. "Don’t make our Hee-ya wait."

[Chu Wonhee is really adored by her family.]

Hamin nodded politely towards Seon Chang-ho before he answered Chu Wonhee’s call. "What is it, Chu Wonhee?"

"Hamin-ssi, Bitna is scheduled to leave her dungeon tonight."

What?

***

"CHU WONHEE, you’re here."

Hmm?

Wonhee found herself in the "raw" version of the Sleeping Salon.

She could instinctively tell that the plain white room with only a table for two for furniture was the Sleeping Salon— the physical form of her skill.

[Anyways...]

There were hundreds— probably thousands— of Status Windows displayed on the walls. The Status Windows were written in different languages. She couldn’t read everything because the Status Windows kept changing as if someone was scrolling them.

"Chu Wonhee, welcome home."

’Home?’

"Tannie," Wonhee said, surprised to see Tannie in his human form. "Your tangerine head costume looks very cute."

"Thank you."

"You look and sound serious. May I know what’s going on?"

"I’m here to explain how we’ll send Gong Yool— no, Ong Yool to the other world."

"I see," Wonhee said, nodding. "Please tell me what to do."

"I’m sorry, but I need the other you."

"The other me? You mean..." Wonhee trailed off when Tannie suddenly touched her hand. "Are you summoning the older me?"

Tannie nodded. "I’ll wake her up later."

***

"WONHEE is asleep?"

That was Yejun’s first question as soon as he arrived at where Wonhee was.

Fortunately, she was still at the Winter Guild.

It was just surprising to find Wonhee sleeping on one of the beds in the Nap Room.

"W-Wony Noona said she suddenly felt sleepy after talking to Hunter Hamin-ssi, Hyung-nim," Ahyeon said, standing up when Yejun approached Wonhee’s bed. "Minsu Noona told me Wony Noona can rest in the Nap Room, so I brought her here."

"Yeah? Good job," Yejun said, patting Ahyeon’s back. "Do you know why Wonhee called Cyborg Hyung?"

"I-I heard Wony Noona ask Hunter Hamin-ssi to go with us to the Namsan Tower later."

"Why?"

"O-Oh," Ahyeon said when he probably realized that Yejun couldn’t follow the conversation. "Wony Noona’s friend, Bitna-ssi, called earlier. She said she’s coming out of the dungeon the same time Yool Hyung enters the dungeon."

Hmm.

Yejun touched his chin while thinking.

Wonhee’s ’Legendary Friend’ was connected to Hamin, right?

[Her friend probably needs Cyborg Hyung.]

Oh, well.

[I don’t care about other people’s relationships as long as it doesn’t affect me or Wonhee.]

Speaking of other people’s relationships...

[I can still feel Graham’s presence here.]

However...

"Is Gong Yool with Graham?"

"Yes, Hyung-nim. They’ve been talking since earlier..."

[I don’t think they’re just talking, but that’s none of my business.]

"I’ll stay here and watch Wonhee," Yejun said, patting Ahyeon’s back. "Go and practice the technique that I taught you last time."

Ahyeon’s face beamed, and then he bowed politely. "Thank you, Hyung-nim."

***

"YOU’RE UP, Wonhee-ya?"

Hmm?

Wonhee was surprised when Yejun’s handsome face greeted her as soon as she opened her eyes.

She was also surprised to find herself lying on an unfamiliar bed.

"You’re in my office’s Nap Room," Yejun, who was sitting on the chair next to the bed, explained. "As its name suggests, this room is used by the staff when they need to rest."

"Your HQ is amazing, Yejun-ah."

Yejun smiled proudly. "Thank you."

[How cute.]

Wonhee still felt a bit lethargic, but she forced herself to get up.

Of course, Yejun helped her right away.

The next thing she knew, she was already sitting on the bed while leaning against the soft pillow that Yejun put there.

And when she turned to the window.

"Oh," Wonhee said, a bit shocked. "It’s already nighttime? What time is it now?"

"It’s a little past 9PM."

It was around noon when she felt sleepy.

So, she was asleep for that long?

"Did the System summon you?" Yejun asked carefully. "I feel the System’s barrier protecting you while you were asleep."

Wonhee tilted her head to one side. "I remember meeting Tannie. He told me how to send Yool to the other world. But I feel like I’m forgetting something important."

Yejun clenched his jaw.

"I’ll probably remember it later, so don’t be upset on my behalf," Wonhee said, gently patting Yejun’s hand to calm him down. "How’s everything going on while I was asleep?"

"Everyone is already here: Semi Noona, Soobin Hyung, Graham, your friends," Yejun said, letting out a sigh. "Cyborg Hyung is also here. That’s all the people who know about what we’re going to do tonight."

"Then we need to have a meeting—"

"You need to have dinner first, Wonhee-ya."

"I’m not hungry."

Of course, her stomach rumbled as soon as she said that.

"Cyborg Hyung borrowed our guild’s kitchen earlier and cooked dinner for everyone," Yejun said, standing up. "Let me get—"

BOOM!

Wonhee was shocked when she heard a loud explosion, followed by a quake.

Before she knew it, she was already in Yejun’s arms while they were inside his barrier that was made of ice.

"Good evening, young ones."

Wonhee let out a soft gasp when she recognized the ’enemy.’ "Moonho-ssi..."

"Don’t panic, Chu Wonhee," Song Moonho said, smiling. "No one will get hurt as long as you hand over Gong Yool to me."

***

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