The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 8

007

It tastes like death.

After three consecutive ‘unlucky days,’ I’m stuck working a dawn shift today.

“Haaah…”

I stand before the dungeon entrance.

I can’t stop yawning, my mouth gaping wide over and over.

The time is 5:30 AM.

I think I slept for about… 2 hours.

Even for a team that’s constantly exploited, there’s a limit. I’m not a machine.

Even when I was a Hunter, the schedule wasn’t this brutal.

Well, as a Hunter, I used to rest for a week after each subjugation, so physically it was much easier.

“Ugh, if this is the case, they should just call us when it’s over. When is it even going to end?”

Han Sang-hyuk’s voice is full of annoyance.

Already lacking patience, he’s been twitching his limbs from the start.

“Who knows? It’s not like they ever consider our convenience. We just have to assume it’ll be late. What else can we do?”

“Tch, they don’t even think about the people waiting. They wouldn’t even apologize for being late.”

Han Sang-hyuk grumbles.

No wonder, as it’s already been an hour past the scheduled subjugation time.

It’s natural to be annoyed.

Of course, I feel the same, but I’m too exhausted to openly complain.

“Haaah…”

“You seem very tired.”

Moon So-yeon smiles as she sees me yawning.

“Well… you seem fine, So-yeon.”

“I’m just naturally energetic. This is nothing for me.”

“…I see.”

“Of course!”

A lie.

The dark circles under her eyes are deeper than a week ago. Her hands are trembling slightly.

She keeps touching her forehead, so she probably feels dizzy.

She’s trying hard to act like nothing is wrong… but at this point, it’s amazing she can even stand.

Well, she’s probably only in her early 20s at best.

The intensity of the work isn’t something you can endure with just physical strength.

“Still… take it easy.”

“Yes? Ah… yes. I will.”

An ambiguous answer comes back to my casual remark. And then, silence quickly follows.

Perhaps because everyone is exhausted, everyone is sparing their words.

“…They’re finally coming out.”

The operations team emerges from the dungeon after a long hour and a half.

“Ah, damn it…”

At the same time, my eyes narrow.

Kim Min-ju.

That woman appeared again.

Damn it, how could I be so unlucky?

“…”

While biting my lip and cursing inwardly, I meet her gaze again.

But this time, Kim Min-ju doesn’t avoid my gaze. Instead, she stares back at me as if asking what I’m glaring at, as if daring me to say something if I have a problem.

We exchange hostile glances for a while.

“Tch.”

Kim Min-ju clicks her tongue and turns away first.

Then, she rotates her right shoulder and quickly walks away.

‘…That bitch, I knew it.’

My gaze follows Kim Min-ju’s shoulder.

Should I say something?

…No.

Just thinking about what happened back then makes my blood boil.

Why should I care about her? She’ll take care of it herself.

Let’s just pass by quietly. I don’t want to get unlucky and get involved again.

I repeat that to myself and turn away as well.

***

Dimensional Management Association, Seoul Headquarters.

Hunter Support Team, Severe Injury Management Ward 302.

I knock a couple of times and open the door.

“…Hello.”

Kim Min-ju bows her head when she sees me.

Even though she’s injured, I’m quite displeased that she didn’t get up from the bed when a superior came…

Well, I, with my generous heart, should understand.

“Yeah. How’s your body?”

“I don’t know yet, it hasn’t been long since the surgery.”

“Your ligaments are torn?”

“Rather than torn… the rotator cuff has deteriorated because the inflammation was neglected for too long.”

Tsk, I click my tongue.

How could she neglect the inflammation until the muscles deteriorated? Especially someone who uses a sword.

“You should have strengthened your left-hand grip. Your shoulder is breaking because you’re just mindlessly swinging the sword with only your arm strength.”

Kim Min-ju lets out a hollow laugh.

“Then you should have told me in advance.”

“…What’s with your tone? I’m saying this because I’m worried. Because I’m worried.”

Unconsciously, my voice gets louder.

But Kim Min-ju doesn’t respond.

I stare at her, then let out a faint sigh and take out a few sheets of paper from my inside pocket.

“Anyway, it’s impossible to continue your Hunter life in that condition. The association agrees.”

“…What does that mean?”

“Just retire.”

Thud, a few documents fall onto Kim Min-ju’s lap.

She stares blankly at them with empty eyes.

“This isn’t right…”

She opens her mouth as if she can’t understand.

“This injury isn’t a big deal. It doesn’t interfere with my work! You know that too, Team Leader! I have a rank assessment in a few days…”

“What nonsense are you talking about? It’s already been decided, so just follow it quietly.”

“…”

“Tsk, you should have said something when you were in pain. Why did you endure it and make the illness worse?”

Kim Min-ju, who had been looking straight at me, lowers her head.

“Tell you…?”

A choked voice.

“Yeah, you idiot. You don’t think I would understand if you said you were in pain…?”

“I did. Of course, I told you. Multiple times! When I last told the support team that I was going to get a detailed examination, what did you say, Team Leader? You said that no one here isn’t in pain, and to just do my work!”

Kim Min-ju’s voice grows louder, and my brow furrows more and more.

“Who do you think I’ve been enduring it for! Who’s fault do you think I ended up like this, and now you’re telling me to quit because I’m useless?”

“Bullshit. Why is that my fault? Did I mess up your shoulder? You should take care of your own body. Why are you blaming others! Who’s the idiot who actually just does their work when they’re told to just do their work!”

Kim Min-ju seems speechless and falters.

“Anyway, I can do it. If I get a few days of rehabilitation…”

“Who’s going to do the work during those few days? What can you even do with a broken shoulder in the first place? You’re even a swordsman! If you want to stay in the association like a parasite, go join the cleaning team over there!”

“How can you say that…?”

“Hey, your words are getting shorter and shorter?”

Her attitude is going too far.

But Kim Min-ju seems determined to get on my nerves.

“Team Leader… have you ever thought of me as a colleague?”

“…What?”

“Sorry. That was a stupid question. Someone like me was obviously just a tool to be used and discarded.”

Kim Min-ju sneers.

In response, the anger I had been holding back finally explodes.

“Honestly, I never liked you from the start. Openly ignoring me, damn it. Did you think you could disrespect your superior because I was being nice?”

“That’s right. But at least I just disliked you, Team Leader. But you… you didn’t even see your subordinates as people.”

I narrow my eyes and glare at Kim Min-ju.

Then she nods.

“Yeah, you always had that look in your eyes, Team Leader. Even now… Moron, parasite, cleaning team. I don’t care what you say anymore. So please…”

Silence.

There’s no need for me to open my mouth anymore.

“I hope you’re born as a human in your next life. You son of a bitch.”

Slap—

***

Thinking about it again, I made a mistake.

I’m sorry, but with her shoulder at the time, she would have only been a hindrance even if she had joined the cleaning team, let alone the operations team.

‘But she said she told me back then…’

Going back to the memories of that time.

The first emotion that comes to mind is embarrassment.

Honestly, I don’t remember at all.

Maybe when I told her not to fake illness and just do her work, it was just something I blurted out.

No, it might be more accurate to say that I just didn’t care.

Tsk, she could have become a great Hunter if it weren’t for that injury. I never thought that injury would start from then.

‘Haa, damn it…’

I ruffle my hair irritably.

Then I turn around again.

“Hey.”

I call out to the back of that guy who’s already far away.

“…Yes?”

“Strengthen your left-hand grip.”

“…What?”

A reply comes as if asking what nonsense I’m talking about.

“You’re putting too much strain on your shoulder because you’re only putting strength in your right hand when you’re holding the sword. Your left hand needs to support it to reduce the burden on your body. More than anything, your strength will be greater if your balance is right.”

“…”

“Well… go get an examination at the support team. If you want to have a long Hunter life.”

“Ah, yes.”

A very dismissive expression.

Judging by that sullen look, she’s probably thinking, ‘What does a cleaner know?’

Well, she didn’t listen to me even when I was the team leader, so there’s no way she’d listen to a cleaner.

“Sigh, whatever. I guess the great Hunter will take care of it herself.”

Anyway, I said what I had to say, so this is the end.

I have no intention of getting involved again.

I pack my old protective suit and head to the dungeon.

***

Kim Min-ju, who had returned to the association, lowers her head and wears a serious expression.

She’s thinking about what had happened right after the subjugation.

The man who suddenly gave her advice…

She had encountered the dungeon cleaning team a few times before, but that man was a new face.

No, if you want to be exact, it was the second time.

Including the time he glared at her with a murderous look the first time they met.

A human who shows hostility to people for no reason. Absurd advice. And even speaking informally the first time they met.

If it were her usual self, she would have easily ignored the meddling of such a damn human.

She definitely would have.

‘Go get an examination at the support team.’

It seemed like he really knew something to just dismiss it.

In fact, she had been feeling uncomfortable in her shoulder lately. It felt like she wasn’t putting in as much strength either.

But she didn’t think there was anything wrong with the subjugation because there was no pain, so she left it alone…

“Hunter Kim Min-ju? Please come this way.”

“Ah, yes.”

Just in time, a nurse from the support team calls her name.

After completing a simple examination and waiting for the results, Kim Min-ju immediately gets up from her seat.

It’s almost two years since she had visited the support team’s medical center on her own.

It’s not because of that man.

She’s just getting an examination because it’s time.

It’s not like she came because she was worried about what that man said.

Even though she knew that no one would say anything, Kim Min-ju unnecessarily stood on her pride.

‘Eh… there probably won’t be any problems. It’s probably just a muscle cramp.’

Kim Min-ju doesn’t think much of it as she enters the examination room.

“I’m glad you got the examination quickly. There’s some inflammation in your right shoulder. It’s not serious… but it could have been a big problem if you had left it for a long time.”

“…Yes?”

The doctor’s unexpected answer.

“I’ll prescribe you some anti-inflammatory drugs for a few days… but the most important thing is posture correction. If you look now, your balance is generally uneven. You’ll continue to put strain on your shoulder like this.”

“P-Posture correction?”

“Yes. I think it would be good to strengthen your left-hand grip.”

Kim Min-ju’s eyebrows twitch.

“By the way, you shouldn’t have had any pain with this level of inflammation, how did you know and get an examination?”

“Just because it was time…”

“Yes? You still have 3 years until your regular checkup?”

“…Someone told me to get it.”

“What’s that? A shaman? Did you get your fortune told?”

“No, it’s not that.”

Kim Min-ju is sparing her words.

It’s because she doesn’t know how to explain it herself.

“If the pain starts, it’s actually too late. Well, you can get surgery, but it takes months just for rehabilitation. But honestly, this industry doesn’t wait for those months, right? More than anything, you won’t be as good as you used to be even if you get rehabilitation.”

“…I guess so.”

“Whatever it is, thank that person. Who would care about others like that in this world?”

The doctor says casually.

But Kim Min-ju couldn’t dismiss it.

Wasn’t what the doctor said exactly the same as what he had said, rather than just blurting out anything?

‘…Just what is that person?’

Kim Min-ju’s mind begins to get complicated.