EP.29
“Hmm… Who are you dating already…? Who? Why? How?”
Lee Sooah found it impossible to concentrate on her work.
It had only been three days since Baek Jihoon joined.
Never in her years of experience had it ever been like this.
No matter how ill she felt or how chaotic the world became, she had always focused on her responsibilities.
Yet here she was, after just three short days, seeming like an entirely different person.
“Ms. Sooah, what’s going on this week? We’re really late. Please send the materials quickly.”
“Ms. Lee Sooah, I don’t want to rush you, but there’s no choice. If we don’t receive it today, we can’t proceed.”
“The Hunter Management Department is in chaos right now. Please send the documents about the Medusa incident. I’m getting constant complaints.”
“Team A’s leader, I’m begging you. Our work has completely ground to a halt. I don’t think we can wait any longer, so I’m saying this.”
Her inbox was flooded with emails and messages.
However, to Sooah, they didn’t seem important at all.
She kept staring blankly into space, preoccupied only with thoughts of Baek Jihoon.
“Jihoon…”
“Who could he be dating…?”
“Why…?”
“Why didn’t he include me…?”
“Oh my. What are you talking about!”
Lost in thought, she was startled out of her reverie.
“Sooah. Please get a grip. You’re the leader of Team A. How can you sit here thinking about a man while your work piles up? Have you lost your mind?”
She slapped herself lightly to regain her focus.
It was unbearable for her to admit how she felt.
“Okay. Look. Here’s what I’m going to do.”
She kept insisting that this couldn’t continue.
If she kept worrying from afar, both Team A’s work and her personal life would spiral out of control.
“I’ll try to become friends with Baek Jihoon. Why? Because I’m curious about someone I don’t know. It’s just because I don’t know much about him that I’m so interested. Once I find out a bit more, it should all be fine.”
She patted herself on the back, reassuring herself.
If she didn’t take action, she felt like she would remain stagnant in the office, lost in her thoughts.
“Ah, it’s lunchtime now? Then I should have a light meal with Baek Jihoon~”
“I’m the leader of Team A. It’s only natural for me to take an interest in a new employee. That’s what a leader should do.”
“Right. Let’s hurry and have lunch.”
*
“Hey, Ms. Lee Sooah. What are you doing here?”
“Huh? Where’s Hunter Baek Jihoon?”
“As soon as lunchtime started, he went right out.”
“What?”
‘Wait. Did this guy really just wait for lunchtime? Why did he leave so quickly?’
She had come to find him right on time, but he was already gone.
Sooah’s expression hardened.
“Should I contact you? Are you trying to have lunch with Hunter Baek Jihoon?”
The hunter sitting next to Jihoon spoke up, already grabbing the phone with an understanding look.
“Oh… No, it’s fine. I wasn’t planning on having lunch. I was just writing up the report from the War Memorial dungeon. Baek Jihoon made most of the contributions back then. I had to talk to him about it. I had no choice. It’s obligatory. Please don’t misunderstand.”
Sooah’s face turned red as she kept emphasizing that she had no choice in her presence.
Then, she hurriedly left.
*
“Ugh. Where could Baek Jihoon have gone?”
Zipping around.
She was scouring every possible location a new employee might visit.
“Ah! Ms. Lee Sooah! What brings you here?”
“Hello, Ms. Lee Sooah.”
“Oh! It’s been a while since you visited our store!”
Sooah breezed through almost all the stores on the first floor of the guild building.
She opened doors and quickly scanned the people inside before moving on.
“Seriously, where are you hiding? Let’s eat together already.”
*Sigh.*
Sooah looked down at her smartphone.
And she contemplated deeply.
“Should I call… Nah. If I contact him, he’ll misunderstand even more. Okay, Sooah. This is just an extension of work. You’re looking for Jihoon for work purposes, right? Right? There’s no need to call. You just have to pretend to run into him casually. By coincidence.”
Sooah quickened her pace.
*
“Jihoon!!!”
Sooah was panting heavily.
As if she had just finished exercising.
*What? Is she working out during lunch?*
“Ha, Jihoon.”
She bit her lip, looking like she was genuinely upset.
*This has to be anger over me. She wants me to clear up those rumors. If Hyungseok knows, then those rumors have definitely reached Lee Sooah. Damn, this is awkward.*
Sooah was undoubtedly one of the hottest figures in the Blue Guild, no, in South Korea.
So, it would be disconcerting if rumors broke out about her dating a new employee.
It made sense why she’d look like that.
“Um… Ms. Lee Sooah. About that…”
“Ah, Baek Jihoon, you’re here too. Hoho. I was just passing by. Is it a coincidence that I can sit here?”
She spilled the words out in a rapid-fire manner before I could even respond. Then, she took a few deep breaths.
*What? Did she run here? Is she angry? What’s going on?*
The unexpected situation felt odd. It seemed she had come because of the rumors but was appearing irritated for some reason.
When she spoke, her voice suggested it was no big deal.
Suppressing her emotions, she said, “Yes, um, please sit.”
I hastily scrambled to tidy up my space. It felt like I got caught off guard while reading news about Chae Suhyeon.
“Are you okay? You seem a bit out of breath. Did you come from exercising?”
“Haah. Haah. No, I was just passing through the office, and I happened to see you, Baek Jihoon.”
She continued to breathe heavily. Although it looked like she had been running around busily, her words insisted that she merely noticed me while passing by.
“What were you doing?”
“Oh, I was just checking the news.”
Unconsciously, I subtly hid my smartphone behind me. I didn’t want to get caught looking at news about Chae Suhyeon.
Eventually, Lee Sooah seemed to calm down, and she casually ordered brunch.
Despite my refusal, she insisted strongly, saying, “This menu is really delicious. I want to treat you. It’s your first time here, right? Since I’m the team leader, I’ll treat you.”
“Ah, yes…”
*Well, I was hoping to gather my thoughts about Chae Suhyeon during lunch, but increasing team camaraderie isn’t such a bad thing either.*
Before joining Team A, I did worry a lot. Team A was considered one of the top-rated hunter groups in the nation. Plus, there was Lee Sooah.
She was renowned, having been second to none until Chae Suhyeon became the top S-Rank hunter.
I felt a bit worried about how I would manage among such talented individuals.
*Well, if I get closer to them and handle my work well, it should be fine.*
“Hmm~”
Sooah hummed a melody as she returned with the menu. People were taken aback upon seeing her bring the food.
“Wow? Is that Lee Sooah? Amazing.”
“Wow. Is she actually eating outside? This is the first time I’ve seen her while working in this area.”
“Right. I’ve only heard rumors about her working here, but she rarely comes outside.”
“Seriously. Incredible. I want to ask for an autograph.”
“Hey, do you really think that will work? She’s famous for having a tough exterior.”
I could faintly hear the buzz of conversation surrounding Sooah.
*Wait? Is it true that she rarely comes out?*
A strange realization struck me. It was a bit odd that she was even passing by here. I had purposely come a bit farther away from the guild building.
I wanted to organize my thoughts alone and couldn’t stand the way the department folks kept giggling about the rumors regarding me.
“I’m just trying to have a meal outside today…”
“Oh, why, Jihoon? We have so many questions for you!”
“Pfft. Jihoon, can’t you come eat with us? We know some great places around here. Just answer a few questions~”
“Ha. We can help you out.”
“Hahaha…”
After managing to shake off the team members, I headed to a location far enough that we wouldn’t run into anyone else. But why did I have to pass through here?
“Here it is! This is a really tasty burger, you know? Shaket Shaket Burger. I come here often.”
“Ah, so you were planning to come here?”
“Uh, yes, that’s right! I usually come here. What a coincidence to meet you, Hunter Baek Jihoon. Hohoho.”
*Sigh… This feels like a lie.*
Based on the reactions of the people inside the shop, it felt implausible…
But it wasn’t something I needed to argue about.
What worried me was the thought of being photographed while having a meal together, potentially fueling gossip.
That would only lead to more awkwardness.
Especially with Chae Suhyeon; she would definitely go crazy.
She was one of the 20 top S-Rank hunters who absolutely didn’t like Chae Suhyeon.
“Ah, oppa! Didn’t I tell you not to read that article? I can’t stand her! Look at her. She’s a fox woman.”
“Ugh, I really can’t stand her. I need to get to the top quickly and push her down.”
“She’s definitely going to be a piece of work. On broadcasts, she acts all pure and tough, but behind the scenes, she’s just filthy and disheveled. I know a woman like that all too well.”
She’s always been disparaging towards her, so it was pretty clear.
*Wait. Would it annoy her more if I was close to Hunter Lee Sooah instead? Would that be a more effective revenge?*
I couldn’t form a definitive judgment just yet.
“Jihoon, what are you doing? Eat already.”
Sooah smiled warmly at me, picked up a piece of French fries, and started eating.
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