This isn’t how I wanted my name to get out (2)

“…The website is down?”

“You’re saying the bastard who sent that flower basket just took down the Seoul City website?”

It seemed I wasn’t the only one left speechless.
After a brief silence, the team members burst into rapid-fire chatter, and the more I listened, the more disoriented I felt.

If everything had ended with just a flower basket, we could’ve squeezed favors out of the people around us and wrapped it up as a simple incident.
But taking down the Seoul City website was on a completely different level.

“…….”

It was enough to make me wonder whether I’d ever crossed or offended someone with that kind of financial power or ability.
As I reflected on my past, I felt a weight settle on my shoulder and looked up.

“Ah, Team Leader.”

“That angel card—do you need it?”

“I don’t need it at all.”

“Then give it to me.”

“Yes.”

It was a card from someone whose identity I didn’t even know.
I immediately pulled it out from beneath the flower basket and handed it over.

“Deputy Team Leader, start with handwriting analysis.”

“Yes.”

“…….”

The Team Leader passed the card straight to the Deputy Team Leader.
As if wanting to minimize contact, he pinched it between two fingertips and dropped it onto the desk.

Normally, that might have bothered me.
But not today.

Watching him rub his fingers against his clothes, I suddenly felt the urge to do the same.
I ended up scrubbing the hand that had touched the card against my clothes until a dry cough made me look up.

“Start the handwriting comparison with people around the youngest. Gradually expand the scope.”

“Understood.”

“And the flower basket.”

After choosing his words, the Team Leader met my eyes.
The complicated emotions filling them felt like a reflection of my own.
When I nodded, he continued.

“We’ll investigate the flower basket as well. The scale is too big to say it’s aimed only at the youngest. This bastard is definitely targeting the Hunter Department.”

“Understood!”

“Regardless of who it is, they did target the youngest. Until we identify them, team members will accompany you during your commute.”

“I’m fine!”

Commuting together meant taking up the team’s time.
For people who ran field operations daily, rest time was precious above all else.
I was about to refuse again when the Deputy Team Leader spoke a beat faster than me.

“I live close to Ha-neul. Right next to her district.”

“Really? Then Deputy Team Leader, you’ll be having a hard time for a while.”

“Understood. Ha-neul, let’s commute together starting today.”

“Th-then… understood.”

Since the Deputy Team Leader also worked office duty, my guilt eased a little.
And knowing he lived nearby lightened my heart even more.

“Just bear with it for a bit.”

“Thank you.”

“Hehe.”

When I greeted him, the Deputy Team Leader smiled with his eyes crinkling.
That made me feel lighter still.

“Check where this was delivered from and track down the bastard who ordered it. And carefully inspect whether anything extra was installed in the basket.”

“Understood!”

“Officer Park, go to City Hall and dig deeper into the website issue. If you hear anything about people talking trash about the Hunter Department, remember it and report back. We’ll wipe them out in one sweep!”

“Yes!”

“What about me, Team Leader?”

One of the officers raised his hand.
I listened closely to their exchange.

“When you’re out on fieldwork, spread the word a bit. Say someone messed with the Hunter Department and I’m very angry. Tell them I won’t let it slide if I catch them.”

“Understood.”

“For a while, even if low-difficulty dungeons appear, request cooperation from the Association.”

“…We should leak things more aggressively to those guys.”

“That’s exactly what I mean.”

The Team Leader nodded in satisfaction at the officer’s words and returned to his seat.
I raised my hand like him.

“Team Leader.”

“Hm?”

“Do you have any specific orders for me?”

Even if we’d tentatively concluded that the Hunter Department was being provoked, the arrow was clearly aimed at me.
That meant there should be something for me to do as well.
I stared at him intently.

“Hmm.”

Suddenly, the Team Leader busied himself rearranging the papers on his desk, eyes darting around.
After waiting quietly for quite some time, I finally heard his answer.

“Well. For now, just make sure you commute safely with the Deputy Team Leader. I’ll let you know if there’s something else once we see how things develop.”

“…Yes.”

Compared to everyone else, my orders were nothing special.
I felt a little disappointed, but on second thought, focusing on keeping myself safe was probably right.
Besides, he said he’d give me something to do later.

As I nodded, I noticed several rose petals scattered across my desk, though I had no idea when they’d fallen there.

“…….”

Once the investigation started, the identity of the person who sent the flower basket would soon be revealed.
That would also clear up the misunderstanding about the website crash.

I picked up the petals and threw them away, then returned to my paperwork.

“…….”

“Wow. I really don’t even know what to say.”

That was exactly what I wanted to say.

After yesterday’s flower basket, today there was a ceremonial wreath occupying one side of the office.
I stared at it blankly, then read the message written on it—and my head began to throb.

You’re pretty today, but I hope you’re even prettier tomorrow.
To my angel, Yeon Ha-neul.

Yesterday, it had stopped at “angel.”
Today, it didn’t.

Seeing my full name boldly written next to it was more shocking than anything else.
I stayed frozen for a while until a hand patted my shoulder, and I forced a smile.

“It’s a bit of a mental attack, but we’ll find the culprit soon. Just hang in there.”

“Yeah. If it’s someone from the Hunter Department, you should be able to handle this much.”

The stress from yesterday and today was already overwhelming.
But holding onto it would only hurt me more.
At Officer Han’s words, I nodded.

“I’ll try.”

Trying was better than not trying at all.
As I nodded repeatedly, I watched the Team Leader pacing in front of the wreath with his arms crossed.

“What did the delivery guy say?”

The Team Leader pointed at the wreath with his thumb and met my gaze.
I answered immediately.

“They said it was ordered by phone. When we asked further, they said a virtual payment program was used.”

“Then can’t we trace that program?”

“That’s the thing… it was designed to hide the sender’s identity. Even with a warrant, access would be difficult. And—City Hall’s website crashed again today.”

Even though I already knew, hearing it again was dizzying.
News articles about the website outage were already starting to appear.
I couldn’t help worrying that this might spiral out of control.

I shook my leg unconsciously, trying to calm myself.

“What are they doing, not fixing it? This is a perfect chance to put those lazy public servants to work!”

“They say every time they restore it, it crashes again within five minutes.”

“…Ah.”

Hearing that the City Hall website was continuously down made my heart grow heavier.
They said it was an attack on the Hunter Department, but my name was right there in the middle of it all.
My fingers tangled and untangled on their own.
My shaking leg sped up.

Ring— Ring—

Why would the phone ring now of all times?

I already knew what it was about.
Probably the same reason as yesterday.

The Team Leader silently returned to his seat and picked up the receiver.
I swallowed dryly.

“Seoul Metropolitan Hunter Department. …What? Why is that our fault? Do you think we even have time for something like that? If you’re so frustrated, why don’t you go clear a dungeon yourself? How bad does your server management have to be for it to keep crashing like this!”

“Wow, our Team Leader’s really asserting dominance.”

“He should press them even harder.”

The Deputy Team Leader added to Officer Kim’s comment.
Our eyes met.

“…….”

He nodded silently, as if telling me to trust them.
I steadied my wavering heart and looked around at my teammates.

“This is your chance to strengthen your defenses! Who knows—something even bigger might come next? Anyway, enough with the ‘youngest’ nonsense! Just do your jobs! I’m hanging up!”

The Team Leader slammed the receiver down.
His shoulder jerked with the force.
The muscles already tense with anger looked even more enraged.

I’d just steadied myself after exchanging looks with the Deputy Team Leader, but seeing that made me even more nervous.
I kept watching the Team Leader carefully.

“Uh—”

Rrr— Rrr—

Huh?

Why was that phone ringing?

Today, everything seemed determined to announce its existence.
At the unexpected emergency call, I straightened up.

“Seoul Metropolitan Hunter Department!”

It had been just two months since I was assigned here, but even then, there had only been one instance where two or more dungeons appeared in a single week.
A simultaneous occurrence was rare—and another dungeon appearing just two days later felt unprecedented.

Officer Kim answered the phone in a grave tone and ended the call.
As he scanned the office, a chill ran down my spine.

“A C-rank dungeon, difficulty C, has appeared in Sector S-13! The exact location hasn’t been identified yet!”

“Officer Han and Officer Park will head out! Officer Kim, request immediate cooperation! I’ll send the message—Park, go now!”

“Yes!”

The two rushed out the moment the Team Leader finished speaking.
On any other day, the Team Leader would’ve jumped out the window himself—but today, he stayed behind, likely because of that.

I glanced at the flower basket stored in one corner of the office, then stood up.

Whether this warning would reach the person who sent it could wait.
There was something I needed to do right now.

I moved to the relay system and pressed the buttons in sequence.

“I’ll deliver the cooperation notice!”

“Alright.”

After finishing the handwritten request, Officer Kim left.
As I exchanged a glance and looked toward the exit, my eyes naturally drifted back to the wreath.

You’re pretty today, but I hope you’re even prettier tomorrow.
To my angel, Yeon Ha-neul.

“…….”

Now that I thought about it, that phrase felt strangely familiar.
Like I’d seen it somewhere before.

I alternated my gaze between the wreath and the relay controls.

“Hey, youngest.”

I flinched at the Team Leader’s call.

“Still not done?”

“Relay and network are open!”

“Check the field situation immediately!”

“Yes!”

His voice, no different from usual, felt strangely sharp.
Probably because I’d been distracted.

I returned to my seat and accessed the traffic information center.

“What’s the situation on-site?”

“Around 200 meters have been overtaken, centered on Uiam Hospital Intersection! In particular, CCTV is down up to 300 meters to the southwest!”

“Officer Han, how long until you reach the dungeon? Twenty minutes? Got it.”

After checking the timing, the Team Leader looked at the Deputy Team Leader.
They exchanged a nod, and the Deputy Team Leader moved to Officer Park’s desk and started working the computer.

A few seconds later, an emergency text came through.
I checked the CCTV again.

Without knowing the exact spawn point, monsters could emerge anywhere.
Determined not to miss a single thing, I scanned the area carefully—until something strange caught my eye.

“…….”

Among the evacuees fleeing below, one man was calmly walking toward the dungeon.
At first, I wondered if he was police or fire personnel—but they wouldn’t show up in a perfectly tailored suit.
And that leisurely gait made it even clearer he wasn’t either.

I zoomed in, puzzled, when I heard the door open.

“I’m back!”

Ah—Officer Kim.

I turned back to the monitor.

“How did it go?”

“It went too well, actually.”

“If it went well, then what’s the problem?”

“Well… about that.”

“Huh?”

Where did he go?

I’d only glanced away for a moment, but the man had completely vanished.
I frantically checked nearby cameras, but there was no sign of anyone in a suit.

I froze.

“Something wrong?”

The Team Leader asked, noticing my reaction.
I gathered my thoughts and explained what I’d just seen.

“…Was that CCTV facing the direction toward the dungeon?”

“Yes.”

“He was wearing a sharp suit, right?”

“…Yes.”

How did Officer Kim know that?

It was accurate enough to feel unsettling.
Before I could hide my surprise, he chuckled.

“Then you don’t need to worry.”

“Who on earth did the Association send?”

That was when it happened.

— Team Leader!

Officer Han’s voice echoed through the entire network.

Today really was full of surprises.

— The dungeon has just been cleared!

“…What?”

— Th-that is, the freeloader showed up!

“…The freeloader?”

Why was Kim Se-hyun’s name coming up here?

The Team Leader dragged out his words in shock.
I looked at Officer Kim, who had just returned from the Association.

“Heh.”

He rubbed under his nose with his index finger and smiled.
He looked more satisfied than I’d ever seen him.

I alternated my gaze between him and the monitor.

“Don’t tell me… the man I saw earlier was—”

“Yeah.”

“Ah.”

I’d never imagined it was Kim Se-hyun.
My heart pounded wildly, the sound ringing in my ears.
I stared at the CCTV screen where I’d seen him.

“But why would he bother going to a low-level dungeon?”

“I don’t know either. The Association’s freaking out, clinging to his pant leg!”

“…He wouldn’t move without a reason.”

“I think so too, Deputy Team Leader.”

I half-listened to their conversation, eyes still glued to the CCTV, when a thought suddenly crossed my mind and my hand clenched.

“…….”

If Kim Se-hyun had cleared the dungeon, that person would soon come here.

I looked at the wreath unconsciously—and realized that a certain phrase overlapped with the words written on it.

“Huh?”

Come to think of it, that message was oddly similar to something the guest had said.

“Did something occur to you?”

“Ah. I need to think about something for a moment.”

“If anything seems suspicious, say the word.”

“…Yes.”

Without certainty, it didn’t feel right to speak up yet.
It was something I could verify soon enough—there was no need to rush.

“…….”

I was grateful they treated me fondly as the youngest.
But I didn’t intend to stay someone who only received affection.

The thought that I might finally be able to help my team—even a little—lit a stronger resolve in me than ever before.