Do Not Be Kind to Guests (2)

Even for a starving person, it was near impossible for a single individual to polish off enough food for six grown men.

“…….”

Looking at his lean frame, which didn’t have an ounce of excess fat, I wondered where all that food was even going.

I could only watch in pure admiration.

I had seen people eat this much on TV before.

Honestly, rather than working under Kim Se-hyun, he probably would have been better off as a mukbang creator.

If he could maintain a toned body while eating like that—and with a face that perfect—he’d have the public eating out of the palm of his hand.

Setting the empty omelet rice bowl aside, the guest reached for the jajangmyeon.

He mixed the noodles without hesitation and inhaled them rapidly; his suction power was just as impressive as it was at the start.

Despite having already cleared several bowls, his speed didn’t flag.

Watching him, I felt like I finally understood why people watched mukbangs.

Just seeing him eat made me feel full; it was the ultimate diet aid.

I was staring vacantly at the guest’s performance when he suddenly lifted his head, and our eyes met.

“…….”

His gaze seemed to ask, ‘What are you looking at?’

They say you shouldn’t even disturb a dog while it’s eating, so staring so intently was definitely a lapse in etiquette.

I scratched my cheek sheepishly.

“…I think you’d be really successful if you started a mukbang channel.”

“I hear that often.”

So, I wasn’t the only one who thought so.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I let out an awkward laugh.

“Haha.”

“But Yeon Ha-neul-ssi.”

“Yes, guest?”

“Are you… finished with that?”

What was he talking about?

Following the direction of his finger, I discovered my half-eaten jajangmyeon.

“…I got so caught up in watching you eat that I forgot.”

I picked up my chopsticks—which I didn’t even remember putting down—and the guest resumed his meal.

I followed suit and continued eating.

Perhaps because someone else was setting such a pace, I found myself eating faster too.

I was busily emptying my bowl when my eyes drifted toward the guest’s next move.

“…….”

Is it really okay to eat like that?

He had started on the sweet and sour pork while still working on the omelet rice, and before I knew it, the first plate of pork was empty.

He stacked the second plate on top of the first and kept right on going.

The sense of awe filling my heart was likely due to the sheer volume of food he was consuming.

Or perhaps it was that relentless, unchanging speed.

Just as I was lost in thought about whether this feeling was truly ‘reverence,’ the Deputy Team Leader’s voice snapped me back to reality.

“Ha-neul-ssi, I need you to check the status.”

“I’m on it!”

I wanted to watch a bit longer, but that wasn’t the priority right now.

I hurriedly stood up, returned to my seat, and checked the feed from the Traffic Control Center.

“What’s the CCTV status near Songha Station in Sector C-9?”

“Everything within 500 meters northwest of the station is frozen. In other directions, CCTVs within 200 to 300 meters are down.”

Once I relayed the information, the Deputy Team Leader returned to his seat and uploaded the data to the team network.

On any other day, he wouldn’t have used his earphones, but today was different.

“Yes, acknowledged. Alert me immediately if there’s any change. Ha-neul-ssi, report on the situation at Dream Villa in Sector F-3 as well.”

“CCTVs within a 150-meter radius of Dream Villa are offline. Nearby cameras show firefighters, police, and individuals presumed to be hunters.”

“It seems things are being resolved well over there.”

“It looks that way.”

When hunters, police, and firefighters are caught on camera together, it usually means the situation is either winding down or under control.

Since it was close to Sector G, where the Hunter Department is located, it seemed they were able to suppress it in time.

Feeling relieved, I asked the Deputy Team Leader:

“What about the Team Leader and Officer Kim?”

“They’re about five minutes away from the site.”

“…….”

Unlike Sector F in Gangnam, Sector C was in the northeast of Gangbuk, quite a distance from here.

I continued monitoring the CCTV, hoping the Team Leader, Officer Kim, and the other hunters would arrive on time, when I felt someone watching me.

“Ah.”

I had been so focused on the dungeon situation that I completely forgot the guest was still here.

Looking at his empty jajangmyeon bowl, I gestured with my palm up, encouraging him to eat more.

“…….”

Despite seeing my gesture, he didn’t look away.

I urged him once more, offering a soft, apologetic smile.

I felt a bit bad for leaving the table in the middle of the meal.

And, of course, I had really wanted to watch him finish.

Perhaps my lingering regret reached him, because after a moment’s hesitation, the guest resumed eating.

I turned my eyes back to the monitor.

While toggling between the situation in Sector C and Sector F, I overheard the Deputy Team Leader’s conversation with the Team Leader.

“Yes, Team Leader. …A slime dungeon? Yes, understood. Please contact us when you’re heading back after clearing it.”

“Ah.”

No wonder I couldn’t spot any monsters on the CCTV.

Slimes were known for never leaving the boundaries of a manifested dungeon.

Since they weren’t particularly harmful to humans compared to other monsters, it seemed the Sector C dungeon would be cleared without major casualties.

The Team Leader, an A-Rank hunter, would be able to settle things easily.

Realizing the dungeon would be cleared without any unnecessary waste of time, I felt immensely relieved.

I leaned back into my chair.

“Go ahead and finish your meal.”

“Yes, Deputy Team Leader.”

At his word, I stood up and walked back to the round table where the guest was eating.

“…Oh, you’re already finished?”

“Yes.”

Even though I had told him to go ahead, I didn’t expect the table to be so bare in such a short time.

As I sat down, trying to hide my bewilderment, the guest picked up a dish and slid it toward me.

I blinked in surprise.

“This is…?”

“Go on, eat.”

“…Oh, thank you.”

I thought he’d eaten everything, but it seemed he had set aside a portion for me.

The guest, having handed over a dish with a few pieces of sweet and sour pork and some pickled radish, gave me a wide grin.

He was supposed to be the one being treated, but right now, it felt like I was the one receiving hospitality.

“Hurry.”

He was now urging me to eat.

Looking at the gentle smile on his face, I finally picked up my chopsticks.

“…….”

Is this how the guest felt earlier?

With him staring at me so intently, I couldn’t tell if the food was going into my mouth or my nose.

My chopsticks kept slipping due to the unnecessary tension.

I considered asking him to look elsewhere, but I quickly discarded the thought.

Right—after I had just spent all that time gawking at him while he ate, it would be hypocritical to say I felt burdened now.

I forced down the remaining food and immediately stood up to clean the table.

Perhaps because of the sheer amount he had eaten, the guest stood up to help me clear the dishes.

I tried to stop him and pointed to the documents I had given him before the meal.

“You haven’t checked the cooperation documents yet, right? I’ll bring you a cup of coffee, so please check them while you refresh your palate.”

“Alright.”

Even though most of the food had disappeared into his stomach, letting him help with the cleanup would diminish the point of my hospitality.

After a brief pause at my request, he sat back down.

He picked up the documents from the chair next to him and began reviewing the contents.

I quickly finished cleaning and returned to the table with a cup of coffee.

“Have some coffee while you look.”

“Thank you, I’ll enjoy it.”

The guest, keeping his posture fixed on the documents, moved only his eyes toward the coffee and smiled warmly.

He shifted his chair back slightly and crossed his legs, a move that left me in awe.

Was it because his legs were so long? Even just crossing them made him look like a model.

Not only that, the way he rested the documents on his lap and held the paper cup was incredibly stylish.

If a stranger saw this, they would feel exactly the same way I did.

I stared blankly at him, then tried to calm my heart, which was threatening to overstep its bounds.

It was only natural for one’s heart to flutter at the sight of a handsome man, but falling head over heels just from looking was something only someone who knew nothing about romance would do.

Well… I really did know nothing about romance.

“…….”

My thoughts spiraled until they reached the topic of dating, causing my energy to sag.

I was sitting there with my shoulders slumped when the sound of a page turning drew my eyes up from the floor.

“You can process it just like this.”

How long had he been watching me?

The moment I looked up, our eyes met and he smiled.

My heart thudded again.

Ignoring the heat rising to my face, I stood up.

“Yes, then I will process the payment according to the details immediately.”

I returned to my desk, logged into the National Hunter Information Program, and immediately sent 3 billion won to Kim Se-hyun’s registered account.

Ding—!

“Hm?”

A phone notification rang out with perfect timing.

I looked up to see the guest checking his phone, which he must have pulled out while I was busy.

I looked at him expectantly.

“It’s been received correctly.”

“…….”

The answer came back the instant I sent the message. I looked back and forth between the phone and the guest, puzzled.

“Ah, this. Hunter Kim Se-hyun gave it to me so I could verify the receipt amount immediately. I’ll be returning it when I go back.”

“I see.”

No wonder the confirmation was so fast. I nodded understandingly.

“Well then, I’ll be going now.”

Having accomplished his goal, the guest stood up.

I wished he could stay a bit longer, but that was just a selfish hope.

Acting as if it were nothing, I stood up and moved toward the door to see him off.

“Safe travels, guest.”

“…You’re very kind, Yeon Ha-neul-ssi.”

It wasn’t really kindness, just a standard goodbye.

I started to wave it off but then looked up into his crinkling blue eyes.

“…….”

A smile far more brilliant than the one I’d seen inside the office bloomed on his face.

He was just smiling, yet his striking beauty seemed to radiate light.

I stared at him vacantly for a long moment before finally finding my voice.

“Oh, well… thank you.”

“I used to dislike civil servants because they were all so cranky, but thanks to you today, I think my perception might change a little.”

“You flatter me.”

I had never received such a compliment before, so my face felt like it was on fire.

My cheeks were burning so much that I pressed the backs of my hands against them.

“Have a good day, Yeon Ha-neul-ssi.”

“…Yes.”

“Today is good, but…”

The guest trailed off with a smirk.

His face was full of mischief, making me curious about what he was going to say next.

As I waited, my eyes widened at his following words.

“From tomorrow on, your days will be even better.”

It was the first time in my life I had ever received a greeting like that.

I blinked and replied:

“I hope your future days are full of good things too.”

“…….”

“Guest?”

Despite my call, he just stood there staring at me without reacting.

I mentally reviewed the situation to see if I had made a mistake, but nothing came to mind.

We exchanged silent glances until I suddenly widened my eyes at his hand, which had crept up near my face.

“Guest?”

The hand that looked like it might touch my cheek at any second was hurriedly withdrawn.

I watched as he vanished around the corner, his hand hidden behind his back.

“…….”

I didn’t understand the hand gesture, nor the reason why he suddenly bolted without a word.

After a somewhat hollow farewell, I returned to the office.

“Ha-neul-ssi, did something happen?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your face is so red.”

“…….”

Ah, so that was why.

Hearing the Deputy Team Leader’s words, I thought I understood the guest’s behavior.

His hand probably moved instinctively because my face was so incredibly red.

I let out an embarrassed laugh.

“You seem to be in quite a good mood, too.”

“Yes.”

The farewell had ended abruptly, but his parting words remained.

“…….”

Perhaps because it was a greeting I’d never heard before, I felt like something truly wonderful was about to happen, just as he said.

Returning to my seat with a fluttering heart, I focused back on the dungeon status reports.

The very next day, a single phone call to the Hunter Department would plunge me into an unthinkable situation.