NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 82
Meeting room of the Dawn Guild.
The head of the Management Department and the assistant leisurely sipped coffee.
After a while, Kim Hunter, dressed neatly and freshly washed, entered the meeting room.
The three exchanged light greetings as Kim Hunter sat down.
“Thank you for your hard work today, Kim Hunter.”
“The trainees all left smiling. You must have gone through a lot to accommodate them.”
“…No, I just did my best in the role assigned to me.”
Kim Hunter responded with a polite attitude to the greetings from the office men.
The head smiled, thinking it was humility.
“How was it today? Did the trainees seem interested in Dawn?”
“Hmm…, well, I’m not sure.”
After a moment of thought, Kim Hunter shook his head again.
The unexpected response left the head and the assistant bewildered.
“Just looking at the slime, it seems like you performed wonderfully, Kim Hunter.”
“The students were clean, weren’t they? You must have taken care of them.”
“On the contrary.”
“Excuse me?”
The office men wore baffled expressions.
Kim Hunter said with a bitter smile.
“Uh, what was the name of the part-time lecturer again?”
“Jeong Si-hyun.”
“Aha. Anyway, I’m sorry. I didn’t achieve the goal of leading Si-hyun to Dawn.”
“Eh? You mean you failed?”
“But they certainly looked satisfied, didn’t they?”
The head and the assistant still didn’t understand.
Kim Hunter added a detailed explanation.
“She’s truly a hidden talent. Starting from her situational awareness, a perfect fighting style suited for her role. Plus, her dagger technique causes variables. It feels like I’ve fallen for Si-hyun.”
“Re-really?”
“Yes, really. Assistant, did you see the expressions of the students coming out of the gate?”
“Of course. They all had sparkling eyes.”
“That wasn’t directed at Dawn; it was aimed at Si-hyun. She’s dazzling.”
“…”
The office men looked bewildered.
Kim Hunter continued calmly.
“Today, the only clean ones were the trainees, not because I took care of them. A barrier must have been set up beforehand. Si-hyun probably already had some knowledge about the boss.”
“G-Gosh…”
“Did you say she’s a part-time lecturer at the academy? I’m not sure which subject she’s in charge of, but if it were me, I’d reward the staff who discovered her. I think she should be provided with exceptional treatment.”
The head and the assistant nodded unconsciously.
Who is Kim Hunter?
He’s a person with outstanding abilities as a Hunter, but above all, he has a keen eye for recognizing people’s true worth.
That’s why he worked as the training officer for new recruits, with an excellent reputation within the Dawn Guild.
For him to say that she should receive exceptional treatment was significant.
The expressions of the head and assistant became serious.
“Head, who was the person who discovered her?”
The assistant asked, pondering over Kim Hunter’s words.
The head answered with a strange expression.
“…Ye Do-hyeong Hunter.”
A moment of silence enveloped the meeting room.
* * *
Meanwhile, with Si-hyun and the students.
After coming out of the gate, they walked to a nearby subway station.
At that moment, Si-hyun, looking at her smartphone screen, asked.
“…Is there anyone with some time to spare?”
“Me, me!”
“What’s up?”
“Can I help with something?”
The students responded one by one.
Taken aback by their enthusiastic reactions, Si-hyun blinked for a moment.
Then, she squinted her eyes and said.
“I’m planning to go to a big supermarket to buy food and drinks for the weekend, and I’d like some recommendations.”
“I’m confident with snacks!”
“Do you drink too?”
“…I’m somewhat confident in cooking.”
The students chimed in with their thoughts.
In that instant, everyone’s gaze focused on Jae-woo.
Eun-byeol asked curiously, looking surprised.
“Jae-woo, are you good at cooking?”
“Uh, umm. Our home’s cooking is handled by my sister.”
“Oh…”
As the girls stared at him intently, Jae-woo awkwardly scratched his cheek.
Clearing his throat, he tried to shift the spotlight by asking.
“Cough, do you have a favorite dish, Professor?”
“Hmm, I don’t have any particular dislikes, but I’m getting tired of eating similar dishes, so I’ll buy something tasty. Want to go to the supermarket together?”
“Sure! I’ll go!”
“Me too!”
Eun-byeol and Ah-reum shouted enthusiastically, filling in for Jae-woo.
They had just finished their exams last week and were planning to have a blast from today up until the weekend.
‘What would the professor like?’
‘She drinks, huh?’
‘Cooking…’
Curiosity led them to join Si-hyun on her trip to the supermarket.
Jae-woo pushed the cart while female students fluttered around Si-hyun.
Although she wore an awkward smile, Si-hyun listened carefully to the students’ chatter.
The students all had different areas of interest.
Thanks to that, they could receive diverse recommendations.
“This, this is pretty good! I eat it often!”
“Aha.”
While Si-hyun filled the cart with snack recommendations from Ah-reum, who was well-versed in frozen foods.
And then, at the liquor section.
“This one! I tried it when my dad and brother were drinking, and it was good!”
Eun-byeol pointed at a bottle of whiskey while Si-hyun browsed the liquor.
Si-hyun pondered and said.
“If it’s your brother, is it Ye Do-hyeong Hunter?”
“Oh, yes! That’s right.”
“Hm…”
Si-hyun fell into deep thought, her expression much more serious.
Eun-byeol, who slipped behind her, poked Jae-woo in the side and said.
“Does the professor have a crush on our brother?”
“…I’m not sure.”
“Wow, you suddenly became all serious?”
“Whatever. I’m always like this.”
As Jae-woo frowned, Eun-byeol giggled and stepped back.
She approached the professor again and prattled on.
After much contemplation, Si-hyun added a bottle of whiskey, based on Eun-byeol’s recommendation, to the cart.
It was her intention to see just how refined his taste could be.
Of course, Eun-byeol had no idea about this thought.
“What kind of snacks would go well with this?”
“Oh, that’s the thing!”
The conversation flowed smoothly as they continued shopping together.
When they finally stepped outside the supermarket, all three students had burgers bought by Si-hyun in their hands.
They greeted each other familiarly as Si-hyun departed.
The three students sat on a nearby bench, enjoying their burgers and soda while chatting.
“How should I put it, Professor Jeong Si-hyun is like a goddess in looks, but the more you see her, the more humanity she has.”
“Right? I think so too.”
“Her hair and eye color are really unique, right? Looking at her hair, it doesn’t seem like she dyed it.”
“Yeah…? What country is she from, I wonder?”
Even after Si-hyun left, the students continued to chat about their professor.
* * *
Returning home, Si-hyun spent time with her younger sibling.
She poured some whiskey she bought today into a glass and started to taste it.
“Hmm, whiskey is indeed a bit strong.”
“Isn’t it supposed to be like this? Oh, but the aroma is nice. You should smell it too, sis.”
“…Yeah, it does smell good.”
“I want to drink it on the rocks with more ice in it.”
Si-hyun watched her sibling go to get ice.
From her expression, she looked satisfied.
‘…That kid does have some normal preferences.’
For a supposedly negative tongue, his taste in alcohol doesn’t seem bad.
The snacks Eun-byeol recommended also paired well and tasted good.
There’s a saying that teachers learn from their students.
She felt she made a good decision asking for recommendations.
‘…Wasn’t this what it meant to seize the moment?’
Whatever, as long as it tastes good, that’s all that matters.
“Do you want some ice too?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
Si-hyun leisurely savored her drink while chatting with her sibling.
The tips of her fingers holding the glass moved gracefully, and her cheeks, slightly flushed from the alcohol, glowed warmly.
* * *
The next day, Saturday lunch.
After finishing a light meal, Si-hyun lazily sank into the sofa.
She had managed to get through a busy schedule.
Now, she could divide her time between necessary tasks and things she wanted to do and relax.
‘…By the way, I think there’s an academy festival next week.’
Si-hyun picked up her phone to check the schedule.
‘Right, got it.’
Her memory didn’t fail her.
Although academies and universities operate differently, they share many systems.
Thus, the festivals are held at similar times.
Coincidentally, it coincides with a lecture day, so a casual visit might be nice.
After finishing her thoughts, Si-hyun placed her phone back on the sofa armrest.
At that moment, her phone vibrated.
Brrrrring— brrrrring—
‘…Who is it?’
Si-hyun picked up her smartphone again.
She checked the caller ID. It was Ji-a.
“Hello?”
– Si-hyun! I finally did it!
A very excited voice came through the phone.
‘What did you achieve?’
Si-hyun felt a surge of excitement.
She subtly lifted herself from the lazy position on the sofa.
– On the status screen! I got S-rank! Finally, finally, I did it!
“Wow! Congratulations, Ji-a!”
Si-hyun exclaimed in surprise.
It was such great news!
Incredibly great news!
– I just achieved it! I wanted to tell you first!
“R-Really…?”
She wanted to be the first to know…
Si-hyun scratched her flushed cheeks shyly.