Let's Grab a Meal

"Sung Jin-Woo! Now that the raid is over, how about we grab a meal together?" In the car, Yoo Jin-Ho asked carefully. "A meal? But there's no one else." He had dismissed the attack team immediately after the last raid was completed. Han Sung-Hee had said she had somewhere else to go, so it was just Jin-Woo and Yoo Jin-Ho in the car. Yoo Jin-Ho spoke, looking slightly embarrassed. "I've been receiving help from you continuously, hyung-nim. Today, I'd like to treat you to a meal." Why was it so hard just to suggest sharing a meal? Jin-Woo gave a slight chuckle. It wasn't just an offer to eat together; he wanted to pay for it. There was no reason to refuse. "Sure." When Jin-Woo agreed readily, Yoo Jin-Ho's face visibly brightened. "Hyung-nim! I know a good hotel restaurant, should we go there? Their steak is absolutely incredible." "Not that kind of place." If it was a formal gathering where they had to be present, maybe, but with Yoo Jin-Ho, he wanted to go somewhere comfortable and eat at ease. Just then, a suitable place caught his eye. Tap. The tip of Jin-Woo's finger tapped the car window. "How about that place?" "Ah, did you want to eat Korean beef?" "No, the place next to it." Yoo Jin-Ho squinted. A restaurant next to that... there was only one he could see. [Blossoming Pork Belly Day - Thinly Sliced Pork Belly Specialists] "Are you referring to the pork belly place, hyung-nim?" "You don't like pork belly?" At that, Yoo Jin-Ho grinned. "No, I like it too, hyung-nim." They parked in a nearby lot and entered the restaurant. The interior was bustling with busy part-timers and customers. It was 7 PM, and the restaurant was indeed packed. "Welcome!" A part-timer approached with a smile. "How many in your party?" "Two." "This way, please." The part-timer, responding to Yoo Jin-Ho, started to guide them to a secluded corner table. But. "Wait a minute." Yoo Jin-Ho, surveying the interior, pointed to an empty table by the window. "What about that one?" "Ah, that one is reserved for a group right now..." It was a table formed by pushing several together, all currently empty. Yoo Jin-Ho gazed at the spacious empty tables with a regretful look before shaking his head. In the end, the two sat at the very back of the restaurant, in a secluded spot. Yoo Jin-Ho hung his head low. "I'm sorry, hyung-nim." "What are you sorry about? I was the one who suggested coming here." "Even so, I should have taken you somewhere better." Jin-Woo chuckled and lightly slapped Yoo Jin-Ho on the shoulder. "Don't worry about that, just enjoy the food, you knucklehead." In fact, Jin-Woo was worried whether this cheap meat would suit the tastes of a young master like Yoo Jin-Ho. 'And even though I held back my words...' Jin-Woo looked around. People, and more people. Maybe because he spent most of his time in a quiet house, he didn't dislike this bustling atmosphere. "Here are three servings of pork belly and two bottles of soju." Soon, the ordered pork belly and soju arrived. Sizzle— the meat on the grill cooked appetizingly. Piece by piece, the meat started to diminish. Fortunately, it seemed to suit Yoo Jin-Ho's taste as well. "I go to pork belly places often with my friends, hyung-nim." "Really? College friends?" "Yes, hyung-nim. I get along better with ordinary college friends than with those who went to expensive private schools." Jin-Woo smiled and nodded. That sounded like something Yoo Jin-Ho would say. "Have a drink, hyung-nim." "You too." Glug, glug, glug. They filled each other's glasses, gave a slight toast, and downed them in one go. "Ahh." But while Yoo Jin-Ho savored the soju, Jin-Woo had to grimace. "Oh? Does it not suit your taste, hyung-nim?" "No, it's not that..." Jin-Woo stared at his empty glass with a hollow expression. He had been so busy and distracted lately that he had forgotten something. Ding. [Harmful substances detected.] [Starting treatment with the effect of 'Buff: Detoxification'.] [3, 2, 1... Detoxification complete.] 'Ah, right. I can't get drunk anymore, can I?' No matter how many glasses he drank, it was the same. Ding, ding, ding. As long as he had the 'Eternal Youth' buff that blocked all harmful effects, soju was just plain water that tasted a bit bitter. Jin-Woo cursed inwardly. 'Damn it.' Rather than drinking pointless bitter water, he'd rather have a soda. "Excuse me." The part-timer scurried over. "Two more servings of pork belly and a bottle of cider, please." "Okay." After the part-timer left, Yoo Jin-Ho tilted his head. "Hyung-nim, why aren't you ordering more to drink?" "I can't drink much." Jin-Woo answered without his expression changing, but Yoo Jin-Ho, true to form, noticed nothing at all. Then he grinned, his face flushed from the alcohol rising. 'So hyung-nim has such a human side too...' Yoo Jin-Ho looked at him with a new perspective, but Jin-Woo simply ignored it cleanly. 'It's not like it's the first or second time that kid has been weird.' What Jin-Woo was curious about with Yoo Jin-Ho was something else. "What are you planning to do from now on?" At the serious question, Yoo Jin-Ho straightened up like a job applicant facing an interviewer. "Once I pass a simple written exam at the Association, I'll get the Guild Master license right away, hyung-nim. I'm thinking of using that to make a deal with my father." Yoo Jin-Ho's eyes were filled with determination. He had invested a lot of money for this, and there was no turning back. 'Besides, there's the promise I made with hyung-nim.' The guild building he promised to give Jin-Woo. That was a promise that could only be kept if he took over the position of Guild Master from his father, the famous chairman. On the other hand, Jin-Woo looked relieved. 'A 30 billion won building would be nice to get.' That was just a bonus anyway. The real goal was to Level Up. While running around in C-rank Gates, he had become a much higher level than he expected. He had effectively achieved his goal. The result of leveling up? Kim Cheol, an A-rank Hunter who could have commanded an annual salary of several billion won, was knocked out cold by a single blow to the back of the head. 'At least I'll be able to get more money than that guy.' If you have skill, money will follow. There was no need to be anxious. That confidence showed on his face. While Jin-Woo reminisced about the past few days and smiled faintly, Yoo Jin-Ho asked. "What are your plans from now on, hyung-nim?" "Me?" Had he asked something he shouldn't have? Yoo Jin-Ho flinched for a moment but relaxed when he saw Jin-Woo's calm expression. "I won't be reachable for a while. I have somewhere I need to go." With that one sentence, Yoo Jin-Ho's face stiffened. Looking like an abandoned puppy, Yoo Jin-Ho emptied his glass in an instant. Thud. He set his glass on the table. After draining another glass, he finally managed to speak with difficulty. "Hyung-nim, if I'm being a bother, just say so. I won't bother you anymore from now on." 'This guy...' It seemed he had misunderstood in a strange way because Jin-Woo said he wouldn't be reachable. Scratching the side of his head, Jin-Woo asked before answering. "Jin-Ho." "Yes, hyung-nim." "What do you think of me?" "I..." Yoo Jin-Ho rolled his eyes, seemingly unable to find a proper answer, before lifting his head. "I have an older brother who's over ten years older than me, hyung-nim." He had heard about it. Yoo Jin-Seong, Yoo Myeong-Han's eldest son. "My brother doesn't like me, so the time we've spent alone together is probably less than the time I've spent with you, hyung-nim. Compared to that, you've saved my life, helped with my business..." Yoo Jin-Ho looked him straight in the eye and said. "To me, you're more of an older brother than my real brother." He was still a little scared of Jin-Woo. Still, the moments he had spent following Jin-Woo over the past few days were memories he would never forget for the rest of his life. His respect outweighed his fear. "If you think of me as your older brother..." Jin-Woo smiled and continued. "...then I'll think of you as my younger brother." "Hy... hyung-nim." Yoo Jin-Ho, his nose red, began to sniffle. That alone would have been fine, but he kept trying to cling to him. "Hyung-nim! May I give you a hug?" "Hey, hey! You're drunk, you fool!" "No, hyung-nim! I'm more clear-headed than ever right now, hyung-nim!" "Open your eyes properly when you talk!" "Whaaaah!" Whether he was overwhelmed with emotion or just a messy drunk, Jin-Woo patted the shoulder of Yoo Jin-Ho, who had slumped over the table and started crying. Soon, Yoo Jin-Ho quieted down as he fell asleep. "Sigh... this guy is really something." Jin-Woo leaned back in his chair and clicked his tongue. Yoo Jin-Ho was an annoying kid in many ways, but for some reason, he didn't really hate him. -And now for the next story. Jin-Woo's gaze suddenly turned that way. A news broadcast was playing on the TV in the restaurant. 'Is it already 9 o'clock?' While watching the screen without much thought, a familiar figure suddenly appeared. 'Huh?' Jin-Woo's eyes widened. The person leaving the guild building while being bombarded with questions from reporters was Baek Yoon-Ho. "We've heard there was a major accident during the new hunter training course. Is that true?" "Is it correct that all the high-rank hunters died, and only the low-rank hunters survived?" "Some are circulating a rumor that someone helped the survivors. What do you think about that?" Baek Yoon-Ho, trying to ignore the reporters, had no choice but to answer. "That part is already under investigation by the Association. It's true there was an accident, but there was no helper. Our Baek Guild hunters worked together to clear the high-rank dungeon and got out. During that process, many hunters died or were injured. That's all." A reporter asks. "Then why are you blocking interviews with the survivors?" "Those people barely made it back alive from the brink of death. Do we need to subject them to these exhausting questions? That's all the answer I have." Baek Yoon-Ho hurriedly gets into his car and leaves. Jin-Woo's eyes went wide. 'Isn't that story about me?' *** Not long ago, eastern United States. Inside a dungeon, a scream burst forth. "Aaaah-!" James collapsed to the ground. His legs gave out, and he crawled on the floor trying to escape before realizing he was cornered against a dead end wall. His face was filled with despair. "Jesus!" The Gate's rank was A-rank. To conquer an A-rank Gate, he had assembled an elite team fit for the task. But that team had been wiped out. No, to be precise, they had been knocked unconscious. 'I can't believe it!' Leaning against the wall, gasping for breath, James shook his head repeatedly. It was truly unbelievable. When they entered the dungeon, the attack team hadn't encountered a single magic beast. There were none at all. -A dungeon without magic beasts? -Does such a thing exist? -Then where did the mana measured outside the Gate come from? The hunters' opinions were divided. That was hard enough to believe, but the even more surprising thing happened in the boss room. When they entered the boss room, there was a magic beast. One magic beast that looked exactly like a human. But just that one. All the members of the attack team were knocked unconscious by the attacks of that single beast. This was too strong, even absurdly so. Only James had barely managed to escape the boss room. 'Could it be that the mana pouring out from this entire dungeon originated from that one magic beast?' They had measured the mana spilling out far beyond the Gate, and it was said to exceed A-rank? James shook his head again. 'It's impossible.' But. "Sigh... this is something." That magic beast walked out from the darkness. James, spotting the beast, screamed. "Ah, aaaaah!" "Phew, my ears hurt." The magic beast, no, the East Asian man with messy hair and beard, scratched the top of his head. "Ah... ah..." James was now groaning instead of screaming. The man standing before James put a hand on his hip. "Look, why did you attack me out of nowhere? I'm not a magic beast, I'm human." James heard a strange language he couldn't understand. His complexion grew pale. The East Asian man looked down at the frightened James with a troubled expression. He sighed heavily. "How am I supposed to communicate with these foreigners..." Anyway, he tried to communicate again. He squatted down to meet the foreigner's eye level and tried to make his voice sound as friendly as possible. "Hey, hey." A few English words came to mind. But with his limited knowledge, he couldn't even tell if this was grammatically correct. "Ahm Korean." So he enunciated each syllable as clearly as possible. "I want to go home."