Chapter 39

Chapter 39

♩-.

♬♪-.

Inside the cafe.

Beautiful classical melodies flowed through the air.

The tranquil atmosphere and relaxed patrons created a peaceful, quiet weekend afternoon.

Hmm-.

[Dojae-gun~ Thank you for coming out~ It’s because I like you so much, Dojae-gun.]

“Haa…”

Dojae sighed.

Gulp-.

He moistened his parched mouth with an iced Americano.

He’d already drunk half the coffee, but the other person still hadn’t shown up.

‘Maybe I shouldn’t have agreed to meet.’

The sender of the text was the woman who had saved him from nearly getting pickpocketed the other day.

She had repeatedly asked me to meet her daughter just once, saying she wanted to introduce her to me, but I had always refused.

But the woman seemed unwilling to give up, begging me repeatedly.

Finally, she even called.

After about ten minutes of back-and-forth between her pleas and my refusals,

Impressed by the tenacity of Korean women, I ended up agreeing.

‘I wasn’t really thinking about it, but now that I’m actually going, I’m nervous.’

Even as he headed to the cafe, Dojae hadn’t given the blind date a second thought.

He’d dated a few times in the past, but it always ended badly.

His younger sibling always came before love, and work always took priority over dating.

Because of that, even the women who confessed their feelings to him never lasted more than a year.

‘I should just chat a bit and then part ways.’

Maybe that’s why, even now that his situation had improved, Dojae still had little interest in dating.

Soon, he’ll have to take care of his younger sibling and move to Tobon.

He planned to just keep the mood light enough that the aunt wouldn’t feel awkward, then leave.

But why were Dojae’s palms suddenly soaked in sweat?

Clickety-clack.

The cafe door opened, and steady footsteps approached the counter.

The time displayed on his smartphone screen was 4:10 PM.

‘Seeing they’re late for the appointment, I guess they don’t really have any interest either.’

Do-jae felt relieved, thinking the other person didn’t seem interested either.

If neither wanted it, the conversation would end quickly.

If he had time left, he thought about stopping by a figure shop for the first time in ages.

He’d just gotten a decent storage cabinet for his place, after all.

‘The recently released Metallic Hero series was pretty impressive. Maybe I’ll grab one of those…?’

Click-.

Do-jae’s eyes widened in shock.

The woman across from him also gasped, covering her mouth in surprise.

“Eunhee…?”

“…Do-jae?”

***

Do-jae sat down in a much more relaxed posture.

His tension had eased, and his voice was noticeably softer.

“I never imagined it would be you, Eun-hee.”

Do-jae and Jung Eun-hee, the deputy of the Hunter Association, met for the first time in a very long while.

After briefly talking at the Seoul Regional Hunter Office, Dojae joined the extermination force, so they had no reason to meet.

Plus, he’d been in Gaeseong the whole time, so there was no chance of bumping into each other by accident.

“I know. I never imagined Mr. Dojae would be sitting here either.”

Eun-hee replied with a bright smile.

Until just moments ago, before coming to the cafe, her expression had been utterly cold.

Already busy and exhausted, she had to attend this gathering on her first weekend off in ages—how could she possibly be in a good mood?

If it weren’t for her mother’s persistent nagging, she would have been sound asleep in bed.

But once she found out it was Do-jae, she felt grateful to her mother.

“You didn’t recognize me? Didn’t your mother tell you?”

“No, she said she’d show me… but I said I didn’t want to see you.”

Eun-hee wasn’t curious about who the other person was.

She’d planned to just have a quick cup of tea and leave anyway.

Dojai, on the other hand, wasn’t curious either, but he did receive the photo.

However, it was only a photo of someone’s back, so he couldn’t tell who it was. Plus, they said they’d send a photo showing the face later, but they either forgot or never sent it.

“What a coincidence. I never imagined the lady I helped was Eun-hee’s mother.”

“Mom received help from Dojae?”

“Yes, it was a while ago.”

Do-jae briefly explained the situation from that day.

The story of catching the pickpocket.

And how he had coffee with her mother.

And how he kept urging her to meet him again, mentioning he had a daughter.

After hearing the whole story, Eun-hee’s face flushed bright red.

“Mom, you’re so reckless…”

“It’s okay. But if I’d known you were Eun-hee’s mother, I would have made sure to walk you home safely.”

“I’ll thank her for that instead. And I’ll apologize on my mom’s behalf for bothering you, Dojae.”

“Haha, no need. Thanks to her, I got to see you like this.”

“Huh? Oh…”

Eun-hee took a sip of her coffee.

Then she changed the subject.

“More importantly, how have you been? I haven’t seen you much in the dungeons lately.”

“I enlisted in the Expeditionary Force. I’ve been stationed at the Kaesong Expeditionary Zone the whole time.”

“The Expeditionary Force?”

Eun-hee was slightly surprised.

Compared to hunters, the punitive force endured their share of hardships, yet the pay wasn’t exactly generous.

Knowing Dojae was always short on cash, Eunhee couldn’t help but find it a bit odd.

“Someone was looking for me. The problem is, I still don’t even know who that person is. Haha…”

“But if it’s Gaeseong… Congratulations. I saw it on the news. They successfully completed the expedition.”

“It’s not quite perfect yet. I think I’ll be in Gaeseong for a few more days.”

“Still, you’ve worked hard.”

After that, they chatted casually about each other’s recent lives.

Before they knew it, an hour had passed and their coffee was finished.

“How about we grab dinner? You haven’t eaten yet, right? It’s on me!”

Eun-hee suggested they have dinner together, even though it was a bit early.

She wanted to talk more, and thought having a drink with dinner would be nice.

“Sounds good. I had a late breakfast and was starting to feel a bit hungry. Let’s go.”

***

“Hey, hey, Jae-hyeon! Where are you two going?”

“Huh? Probably going to grab a bite. It’s almost dinner time anyway.”

“Hmm. They seem to be getting along well. Ha ha, ho ho, laughing and all.”

“Good for them. Should we stay a bit longer? The chairs are comfy and nice.”

Zing-.

Song Ji-yoon glared sharply at me.

Yook Hyeon-jae sighed and put down the book he was reading.

“Ugh, why, what.”

“Hey, let’s go.”

Song Ji-yoon jumps up and grabs Yook Hyeon-jae’s wrist.

Then she drags him out of the cafe.

“Where are we going?”

“Shh. Keep it down, you idiot.”

Song Ji-yoon crouched down as low as she could.

In the dark alley, she peeks out just her head.

“What is it?”

“What else? I’m worried we’ll get caught.”

“You’re not seriously going to chase after them?”

“Isn’t that obvious? I gotta make sure you’re doing it right even when you’re eating!”

After watching for a while, Song Ji-yoon steps out of the alley.

The two figures visible in the distance.

She began following them slowly, keeping her distance.

Had she walked for about ten minutes?

The two entered an old building.

“Gopchang hot pot on a first date? Whose idea was this anyway?”

The distinctive smell of intestines and the pungent aroma of chili powder wafted out of the building.

Yook Hyeon-jae rubbed his stomach slightly, his appetite apparently piqued.

“Wow… smells good.”

“…Hey. You hungry?”

“A little? It’s about time I was hungry.”

“Oh? I see. Got it.”

“Huh? What do you understand?”

Thump-thump-.

Song Ji-yoon walks briskly.

Where to?

To the gopchang jjigae restaurant.

“Hey!”

Startled, Yook Hyeon-jae tried to grab her, but it was already too late.

Clink.

“Welcome. How many people?”

“Two people.”

“I’ll show you to your seats. This way…”

“No, we’ll sit over there.”

As the server tried to guide them to a table, Song Ji-yoon pointed toward the back of the restaurant and said firmly.

“Ah, yes. Please sit wherever you’d like. What would you like to order?”

“One large hot pot, please.”

After the server left with their order, Song Ji-yoon and Yook Hyeon-jae moved stealthily, bending their waists completely.

The spot hidden by the deepest, largest pillar.

Only after sitting there did the two breathe a sigh of relief.

“Phew! We weren’t spotted.”

“You’re insane. Seriously, you’re the craziest person I know.”

“What? Bastard? You’re the one who’s a bitch!”

“Is that important right now?”

Soon after, the side dishes were laid out, and a large pot brimming with a fiery red tripe hot pot was brought out.

The stew, already boiled once, bubbled up nicely as soon as the gas flame was lit, ready to eat.

“Aren’t you eating?”

Yook Hyeon-jae placed a generous portion of tripe on top of Song Ji-yoon’s rice bowl as she stared blankly at one spot, clutching the pillar.

But she didn’t even glance at the intestines.

“Ah, I don’t know anymore. Whatever happens, happens. Hey, bring us a bottle of soju.”

Yook Hyeon-jae called out to a passing waiter and ordered soju.

Yook Hyeon-jae thought, since it was already done, he might as well relax and enjoy himself.

***

A quiet residential neighborhood.

Neat alleys without a single car, tall walls, and elegant pine trees visible beyond them.

The atmosphere alone made it clear this was an extremely affluent neighborhood.

And at its entrance, a handsome man and beautiful woman were stepping into the alley.

“Thanks for the ride.”

“Not at all. I lost track of time listening to you talk, Eun-hee.”

“Oh dear. Did I talk too much? I guess I was the only one chattering away.”

“Not at all! It was interesting.”

After finishing their meal, Dojae and Eunhee took a light stroll, and before they knew it, they had reached the vicinity of Eunhee’s house.

The small talk they hadn’t been able to have before brought them even closer together.

“Oh, right. Did you move in okay?”

The talk about houses they’d mentioned when they met at the Seoul Regional Hunter Bureau.

Focused on the Kaesong operation, Dojae had completely forgotten he’d invited her over.

“I’m sorry. The move went well, but I completely forgot. Actually, my younger sibling is getting discharged from the hospital in a few days. I was planning a small celebration party. Would you like to come then?”

“Really? Yes, I’ll come!”

Eun-hee answered without hesitation.

For a moment, she worried she’d spoken too carelessly and flinched.

Fortunately, it was dark, and Dojae was looking toward the alley, so Eunhee’s expression went unnoticed.

“Then I’ll contact you… But hahaha… I don’t have your number.”

“I have Dojae’s number.”

“Huh? How do you have my number?”

Eun-hee’s mind raced.

Various scenarios flashed through her mind, and she came up with the best response.

“I keep separate contacts for people who frequently join the raid parties.”

“I see. Understood. Please leave me your contact info.”

Eun-hee’s heart pounded rapidly.

She couldn’t even count how many times it had happened just today.

She composed her trembling heart and spoke.

“Yes. I’ll go on alone from here. Be careful going in.”

Eun-hee bowed her head lightly toward Do-jae before disappearing modestly around the corner.

Do-jae watched until her figure completely vanished.

He turned in the opposite direction and murmured quietly.

“Aren’t you coming out yet?”