EP.43
[ Hey, Senior. I heard you were suddenly dispatched to *Yoo Hana’s* Hunter Manager? ]
It was a message from Hyungseok.
[ Hey, what’s going on? Am I not supposed to be working with *Lee Sooah’s* Hunter team? I have no idea what’s happening here. ]
I had clearly joined the Blue Guild to engage in active Hunter work.
But suddenly, I found myself beside *Yoo Hana*.
[ Ha… This is a bit complicated. Our guild is not just focused on Hunter activities; we’re expanding like a large corporation. We have our hands in many sectors, not just entertainment but also politics, culture, and society… there are quite a few employees dispatched in those areas. ]
I had heard something along those lines before.
Apparently, as the profession of Hunter was becoming more established, it was evolving into a form of social power rather than just dungeon raids.
‘No, but still, to be suddenly dispatched like this? To an S-Rank celebrity?’
It was all so overwhelming.
Currently, I was in a situation where I had been sent out on an errand for a moment.
I felt a bit lost.
I had a rough understanding of what I was supposed to do, but it was still somewhat absurd.
‘Phew. I should just do my best for now.’
That was the reason I kept my mouth shut and stayed still.
[ Salary is double, and bonuses are triple. ]
‘Oh, well then, I have to do it. Of course. It would be foolish to miss out on this opportunity.’
And to be honest, just being close to *Yoo Hana* also played a significant role in my decision.
Naturally, I couldn’t help but be curious.
She’s the top celebrity in our country; how could I not be curious?
‘Phew. I need to get back quickly.’
With hurried steps.
“Ah. Why are you so late? Are you joking?”
*Yoo Hana* shot me a glare with a pouty expression.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I’ll be quicker next time.”
“Enough with the excuses. Just get me my coffee quickly.”
She snatched it from my hand aggressively.
“I believe your name is *Baek Jihoon*, right? You need to move a bit faster.”
It was just *Yoo Hana’s* manager speaking.
The hierarchy seemed to be *Yoo Hana > Manager > Dispatched Hunter from Blue Guild*.
“Ah, yes, yes.”
“Hana~ We need to head to the next schedule now. Let’s go quickly.”
“Ugh. I’m not feeling great. Can’t we postpone that a bit?”
“No, you said you would be ready this time after being delayed for two hours the last time.”
“Who? The PD? Which loser? Bring him here. Who is that jerk?”
She frowned.
“Uh, no, no. That’s not it… Okay, I’ll contact him. Ha…”
The manager seemed to shrink and went out to make a call.
Now it was just *Yoo Hana* and me alone.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes?”
“You need to make a good impression on me, understand? *Blue Guild*. If I get upset, it’s all over for you. You know what role you’re expected to play, right?”
“Y-yes.”
“What’s your rank?”
“E-Rank. Soon to be D…”
“Ha. Seriously.”
Upon hearing my rank, she looked utterly incredulous.
“Are you sending me an E-Rank? Are you kidding? *Blue Guild* has really gone downhill. Even sending an A-Rank would be a stretch, and yet you send an E-Rank? Have all the A-Ranks died? Why send E-Rank? Ugh, this is so annoying.”
Suddenly, she started ranting.
‘What? Why are you complaining to me about that? Did I come here by my own choice?’
I felt quite taken aback.
“I’m so disappointed in *Blue Guild*. If this continues, I’ll switch guilds. I’m tired of all these rookies being sent my way. It’s time for a change.”
The atmosphere turned dark in an instant.
Clearly, she was quite upset about my E-Rank.
She then pulled out her smartphone as if she were about to contact someone.
It seemed that she was going to lodge a complaint.
‘Ha. What’s with this sudden outburst?’
I felt compelled to do something to alleviate the situation.
“Um, *Yoo Hana*.”
“What?”
“I might be able to help improve your mood.”
“Are you a pervert?”
She seemed to have misunderstood my words.
Her mood appeared to worsen instead.
It was like fanning the flames of a burning house.
“Ugh, I’m going to request a new manager immediately. What’s up with E-Rank? Get me an A-Rank right now.”
I hastily opened my status window.
It was clear.
This was a similar situation.
*Lee Sooah* had faced something like this too.
‘Indeed, the red marks.’
*Yoo Hana* also had plenty of red marks plastered all over her.
I quickly dealt with all the marks.
“Ah, *Blue Guild*! I have something to say! Um… how should I put this?”
She slowly began to regain her composure.
“Hmm?”
Her expression was growing increasingly serene.
It seemed my previous actions had worked wonders.
‘Ha… do all S-Rank Hunters act like this?’
I had heard that many had some form of mental issues, but this seemed quite severe.
“Ah… no. I’ll contact you next time.”
She ended the call.
“Hmm? What’s going on? Huh?”
Suddenly, the manager returned after making his call.
“Ha.. Hana, I managed to push our schedule back by two hours… let’s just take a little break.”
“Brother, let’s go now. I think I can do this.”
“Really?”
The manager looked utterly bewildered.
‘Was it because of the red marks that the problem arose?’
*Yoo Hana* walked on decisively.
*
“Haah….”
*Lee Sooah* sat there with her mouth agape, blankly staring at her office.
EP.43
A completely sad expression.
“Um… *Lee Sooah* Hunter…?”
“Yes…”
“You need to approve this…”
“Yes…”
Her attitude was one of barely paying attention.
“I’ve been repeating this conversation for 30 minutes… Please, just approve it…”
“Yes…”
She looked completely absent, resting her chin on one hand as if waiting for something.
‘Ah… When will it be end of work hours…’
*
“Ha… *Lee Sooah* Hunter is really strange today. I don’t know why…”
“No, I told you. It’s because of *Baek Jihoon* Hunter!”
“What does *Baek Jihoon* Hunter have to do with this? You seem to have something on your mind.”
The *6th Class* was currently in a heated debate about this situation.
Approval for the dungeon raid scheduled for tomorrow was constantly being blocked.
“Ha… We need to get the approval soon to connect with the supplies and support teams.”
“Right? She seems completely off her game…”
They looked like they were in a panic.
*
“Um… *Lee Sooah* Hunter…”
“Yes…”
*Manager Cha*, unable to stand it any longer, decided to step in.
He thought maybe a drastic approach might work.
“Do you… like *Baek Jihoon* Hunter!!!!??? You’re thinking about *Baek Jihoon*, right? Right!!!!”
He shouted loudly, likely hoping to shock her into attentiveness.
Clearly, he wanted *Lee Sooah* to snap out of it.
“Yes?????”
Suddenly hit with an unexpected barrage of questions, *Lee Sooah* finally recovered.
“Ah… No!! What are you talking about!!!!”
She reacted intensely, almost as if she had just had her secret exposed.
Her response was as if she had received a sudden blow to the gut.
“No!!! *Manager Cha*! How could you think of me that way? We’ve been working hard together for the past five years, right?? Um… how can you say that… no! Absolutely not! What are you talking about!!!”
She was completely flustered, her face turning as red as a tomato.
“I’m not that kind of girl. *Baek Jihoon* is just my teammate. I’m not some amateur who would develop feelings for a teammate! That’s just ridiculous! Plus, we have a rule against office romances! I’m the one who instituted that rule! Do you really think I’d break it?”
She was blurting out her thoughts as if she were rambling.
“Ugh. *Manager Cha*, are you just that bored lately? Saying such absurd things. Ugh. Are you writing a report? Feeling bored, are you?”
She started to get annoyed instead.
“Then please, just approve it!!”
*Manager Cha*, observing her outburst, promptly shoved the paperwork towards her.
“Ha. Really~ I’m~ just~ hearing~ nonsense~~~”
Complaining while finally appearing to have regained her senses, *Lee Sooah* hastily signed the document presented by *Manager Cha*.
“*Manager Cha*, don’t you dare say anything about this to anyone else! Even if someone suspects it, just keep it to yourself!”
“Y-Yes, yes!”
*Manager Cha* left with an air of smug satisfaction, holding the document.
‘What’s this? She really does like him, doesn’t she?’
He appeared to be in a good mood, having finally obtained the approval along with some delightful insight into *Lee Sooah’s* feelings.
*
“Ugh… I’m busy.”
Today was truly hectic.
I had been chasing after *Yoo Hana* and her manager for the first time.
‘Wow… Celebrities are really~~~ busy.’
When I had seen news and articles about celebrities earning a lot of money, I had usually just scoffed.
‘How can they earn so much? Is it just about having a pretty face? Well, I guess it is…’
But being right there by their side, I now understood.
They were extremely busy.
Of course, there were breaks in between, but their schedules were packed back-to-back.
“Ugh… Mmm…”
After a grueling schedule, *Yoo Hana* approached me.
“Thank you for your hard work today.”
Her attitude had changed dramatically since earlier.
“Yes, yes.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow~”
She seemed to be in a much softer mood now.
‘Phew… It’s over. Time to head home!!’
*
‘Can I just go home now? Do I really have to go back to the guild building…’
Grumbling, I returned to the *Blue Guild* office.
While it was slightly annoying, I had no choice due to the procedures.
‘Ha… It’s 8 PM.’
It couldn’t be helped.
I had stayed late to accommodate the schedule of the celebrity.
‘It’s okay; I’ll get extra pay for overtime. Hehe.’
“*Jihoon*!”
I heard a familiar voice.
It was *Lee Sooah*.
‘What’s going on? Why hasn’t she left yet at this hour?’
I was a bit taken aback.
*
To be continued…
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