This is the Kind of Person I Am (5)

“Whew.”

“…….”

As our eyes met, his breathing became even more ragged. I didn’t know why a man who seemed perfectly fine just a moment ago was suddenly gasping for air like this. I quietly let go of the finger I was holding and took a step back.

“Hyung.”

“Yes.”

“Can’t you call me just one more time?”

“…….”

“Call me ‘Se-hyun-ssi’ again.”

He asked once more, his eyes brimming with a heavy sense of anticipation. It was hard to ignore the clear, shimmering hope in those blue depths. I slowly opened my mouth.

“Se-hyun-ssi.”

“…….”

I called him as he asked, but his reaction was strangely lukewarm. As Kim Se-hyun—who I expected to chatter away—fell into a daze, my embarrassment only grew. My eyes darted around before I stole a quick glance at him.

“…Wow.”

He let out a tiny sound and began to scrutinize every detail of my face. Then, he started exhibiting strange behavior, repeatedly bending and straightening the index finger I had just held.

“Ha-neul-ssi.”

“Yes, Deputy Team Leader.”

“Could you come here for a moment? There’s something I’d like you to look at.”

“Certainly.”

I wondered what was going on, as the Deputy rarely called for me. When I went over to him, he stood up and gestured for me to take his chair. I hesitated for a second before sitting down.

“What exactly are you referring to?”

“This. How do I do this?”

“…You mean this?”

If he had asked about anything else, I might have been confused, but what the Deputy was pointing at was a computer program we used every single day. Specifically, a part that required simple data entry. Thinking he might be asking something more complex, I scanned the file, but I fell into a state of confusion when I realized he was asking about basic entry, not even a formula.

“…….”

But the confusion was brief. It was rude of me to even think that. There are all kinds of people in the world, and it wasn’t right to judge others based solely on my own standards. Since it was just a matter of calculating a total, I figured teaching him a simple formula would be a good way to help.

“Oh, how do you do that?”

“It looks like the chick is performing magic right now. Show us one more time. Let us master it this time.”

“Our youngest is so smart.”

“I guess you didn’t join the Hunter Department for nothing.”

“…….”

Before I knew it, the Team Leader, Officer Park, and Officer Kim had all gathered around. They kept pouring out compliments, and I didn’t know why it made me feel so shy. The slight quiver of my lips seemed to betray my inner embarrassment. I tried to act natural, then looked up at the sound of someone snorting.

“The weather is nice today.”

“…….”

I didn’t even notice when he moved over there. The Team Leader, who had been right behind me just a moment ago, was now standing in front of the Deputy’s desk. I blinked as I watched him let out a big stretch.

“Yes, the weather is indeed very nice,” the Deputy chimed in.

It was a scene I saw often, yet for some reason, it felt incredibly strange today. I looked back and forth between the two of them before finally turning my gaze to Officer Park.

“…….”

Our eyes met, and Officer Park gave me a quick wink. I wondered why he was doing that, but I assumed there must be a reason. After explaining the formula a few more times, I started to stand up.

“Oh, right. I’m curious about that too.”

The moment my seat left the chair, Officer Kim asked about a calculation method on the screen. I sat back down and taught them several formulas, including the one he asked about.

“Hmm, so that’s how you use it.”

“Yes, that’s how it’s done.”

“Our chick is so clever.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. You’ll find it easy to use once you get the hang of it.”

Teaching them how to use the formulas gave me an immense sense of pride. After all, my duties here usually consisted only of making coffee, organizing cooperation fee documents, opening the relay, and checking CCTVs. The fact that I could be of help to my teammates, who were always busy running around, made my nose tingle with a bit of emotion. Emboldened, I taught them a few more tricks before trying to stand up again. Or rather, I tried to.

“Officer Park?”

“I still don’t get it.”

“Ah.”

“I plan on ‘not getting it’ until that madman over there calms down.”

“…….”

So, that was it. This whole situation was a maneuver to evacuate me to this side because Kim Se-hyun’s emotions had become too intense and they were worried I might be overwhelmed. Checking the positions of the team members, I became certain that my theory was correct.

“Mmm.”

I didn’t know how to describe this feeling. While I wondered if Kim Se-hyun deserved to be treated like some sort of hazard just because he got a bit excited, I was deeply grateful for their concern. It made me proud to work in a place like this.

I fidgeted with my fingers, then nodded quickly at Officer Park’s words.

“If you’re grateful, explain it one more time.”

“Yes, I will.”

Even though it seemed like they already knew the material, I was willing to explain it a hundred more times for those who cared about me. In fact, since things had turned out this way, I felt like I should study more in case there really were formulas they didn’t know.

“Now that you’ve assessed the situation, why don’t you get going?”

The Team Leader, who had been quietly watching Kim Se-hyun, spoke to him. I couldn’t see his face, but his slightly boastful tone suggested he was in a very good mood.

“Hyung, can’t you call my name one more time?”

“Can you even hear me?”

“Just once is enough—no, actually, now that the floodgates are open, please call me that often from now on.”

“Do you think our youngest’s mouth is that cheap? To just toss your name around?”

“Hyung, as you know, my name is free of charge. You can call it as much as you want, so please call me every day. Calling me constantly would be even better.”

“Hey, well said. Kim Se-hyun, why don’t you hurry up and get to the Association?”

“Who said you could use someone’s name without permission? I’ll charge you every time you speak, so watch yourself, okay?”

“…….”

It was a scene I witnessed every time Kim Se-hyun visited, yet it always felt foreign and awkward. It was because of their bickering, which managed to feel both mature and incredibly childish at the same time. Moreover, it was due to Kim Se-hyun’s attitude, which was entirely different when he dealt with the team compared to when he dealt with me.

As the argument began to heat up, I considered stepping in to mediate, but I was relieved when Officer Kim made a suggestion.

“Let’s have an early lunch today. We didn’t actually fight in the dungeon, but I’m feeling quite hungry.”

I checked the time and was surprised to see how early it was. Perhaps it was because the dungeon had appeared so early and was cleared faster than ever before; it wasn’t even eleven o’clock yet. It was amazing how so much had happened in such a short window of time that it felt like it should already be afternoon. Speechless, I nodded as everyone agreed to the early meal.

“I haven’t even had breakfast yet, so let’s eat early.”

“It’s Galbi-tang for everyone today, right?”

“Is the youngest ordering?”

“Yes.”

Given the timing, the suggestion of lunch was likely an attempt to change the atmosphere. I immediately started checking the order quantities.

“Hyung.”

“Yes, Se-hyun-ssi.”

“Maybe it’s because I just cleared a dungeon, but I’m hungry.”

“…….”

Come to think of it, the person who worked the hardest was right here—the one rubbing his stomach and mentioning how exhausted he was. I was about to ask him if he wanted to join us when the Team Leader cut me off.

“Why don’t you go eat elsewhere? The Association has a great buffet set up.”

“A… buffet?”

I knew the Association was wealthy, but I didn’t realize they had organic food and mountains of meat. I quietly whispered “buffet” to myself with a hint of envy, but then Kim Se-hyun’s next words piqued my interest.

“Hyung, do you want to go to the Association and have the buffet with me? They have a lot of food there.”

“Our youngest is having Galbi-tang, so you go take care of your own meal. What if he gets indigestion eating surrounded by all those Hunters? Are you going to take responsibility?”

“If Hyung is uncomfortable, I’ll clear everyone else out.”

“…Thank you for the offer, but I’ll eat here.”

I was briefly tempted by the thought of a buffet, but buffets were everywhere, not just at the Association. Besides, if he made other people leave just so I wouldn’t get indigestion, that would make me feel even more uncomfortable.

When I declined his offer, he nodded as if he had expected it, but his next words left me aghast.

“Then I guess I’m having Galbi-tang too. Hmm, let’s go with a modest six bowls of Galbi-tang and ten extra bowls of rice.”

I knew he had a big appetite, but an order described as “modest” that included ten extra bowls of rice was anything but modest. I immediately abandoned the thought of treating Kim Se-hyun to a meal as a thank-you. Instead, I quickly placed the order before he could add anything else.

“Hyung, how much longer are you going to stay over there?”

“The explanation is over, so I should head back now.”

Since his breathing wasn’t ragged anymore, I felt it was safe to return to my seat. I looked up at the Deputy, and he gave me a nod. I stood up and returned to my desk.

“Ha-neul Hyung, I won’t bother you today, so go ahead and finish your work. I’ll do my own thing.”

“Okay.”

I had already finished today’s tasks, so there wasn’t anything specific left to do, but I couldn’t exactly say I had no work. I nodded and tried to play along, but as he continued to brag without end, I eventually succumbed to an awkward smile.

“I have quite a lot to do today. Being the world’s strongest hunter really is a burden; I’m just too popular.”

“I see.”

“But I have plenty of time to spend with you, Hyung. Well, I am the strongest hunter, after all.”

“…Haha.”

The statement was ironic—he had so much work and was so popular, yet he had all the time in the world to be here with me. Moreover, every time he used the phrase “strongest hunter,” I felt more embarrassed just listening to him.

Enduring the cringe, I opened a work program and waited for the food to arrive.