The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 26

025

8:55 AM.

Association Seoul Headquarters, first floor, lobby.

Reporters swarmed in from early morning.

I peeked at the situation from the back office.

Yesterday at dawn, I found and destroyed all the CCTV cameras installed near the accident site.

Of course, I couldn’t recover the black boxes in that short amount of time, but… well, Kim Min-joo probably couldn’t either.

Ultimately, they can only rely on video evidence.

With the CCTV evidence blocked, the rookie task force alone can never find the culprit.

‘The cleaning team probably doesn’t even know what’s going on…’

Well, they’ll definitely throw a fit when they see the article and ask why I didn’t say anything.

I’ll just have to explain it to them later.

‘Then the remaining variables are…’

…none.

No matter how I think about it, I won.

This is the end.

There are no more obstacles.

As I clenched my fist and celebrated my victory, Director Seo Min-cheol approached.

“I won’t say much. Just say it was my mistake. I’m saying this for your sake. If you make excuses, public opinion will only get worse.”

“…I understand.”

Presumptuous advice.

Do you think this is the first time I’ve made a statement?

In my past life, every day was an accident.

“It’s time. It’s not much, but good luck.”

“Yes.”

I straightened my suit.

It was quite uncomfortable, maybe because it was the first time I’d worn it in a while.

I recited the statement I had memorized all night in my head once more, left the office, and walked towards the reporters.

At the same time, microphones were thrust forward and questions were asked in a disorderly manner. Amidst them, I calmly grabbed the microphone.

“Hello. I am Kim Jun-woo, a cleaner belonging to the Dungeon Cleaning Team.”

Dungeon Cleaning Team.

I emphasized that word on purpose.

“First of all, I would like to apologize to the students who were harmed by the accident that occurred yesterday.”

My head dropped heavily.

“It is undeniably my fault that I left the dungeon unattended without setting up the dungeon demarcation barricades.”

I immediately got to the point. Flashes went off accordingly.

I took a deep breath, braced myself, and opened my mouth.

“Therefore, the responsibility for this accident lies entirely with me, a member of the Dungeon Cleaning Team…”

“No, this accident is my responsibility.”

“……?”

At that moment, another voice cut in from behind me.

Who the hell is it…

I muttered and turned my head.

“I am Park Geun-tae, the leader of the Dungeon Cleaning Team.”

At the same time, my eyes widened.

“T, Team Leader Park? How did you even know about this…”

“Assistant Song Hye-yeon told me.”

Wha, what…?!

Why would that person…!

“Team Leader, it’s all been settled, so you should just go back…”

“Stay still, you rascal. The team leader is clearly here, why is a guy who hasn’t even been here for a month presumptuously taking responsibility? Do you know why a team leader is a team leader?!”

His expression and voice were sterner than usual.

“I’ve benefited a lot from you so far. Let the team leader save face this time.”

“No, this isn’t something to be happy about…”

“That’s enough, get out of here, you rascal.”

Park pushed me away and took the podium.

The reporters also began to stir at the unexpected guest.

He paused in front of them for a moment.

“…A team leader is, by definition, in a position of responsibility.”

Park finally opened his mouth calmly.

“As long as Kim Jun-woo is an employee of the Dungeon Cleaning Team, his mistakes are all my responsibility as the team leader. Isn’t that so?”

“Seriously, if you go that far, who’s without fault? Isn’t there a responsibility for seniors who fail to manage their juniors?”

Soon after, a man among the reporters raised his voice.

I had a feeling, and it was indeed Han Sang-hyuk.

Not only that.

“I’m Moon So-yeon from the Dungeon Cleaning Team. I’m Kim Jun-woo’s mentor. So I think I’m also responsible.”

Moon So-yeon raised her hand next to him and added in a firm voice.

The reporters buzzed, and I ran my hand through my hair with a pale face.

Damn it, where are they all coming from to interfere?

Why are they making a big deal out of something that could have been resolved on my own?

If the entire cleaning team comes out like this… we can’t avoid collective disciplinary action.

I raised my head to the sky.

‘Damn it… how did I manage to get here.’

I can hear the sound.

The sound of going back to the previous cleaning team.

“So… does that mean the entire Dungeon Cleaning Team is responsible for this accident?”

“No. That’s not true.”

I’m sorry, but I can’t let that happen.

“……?”

“How many times do I have to say it’s my responsibility?”

“Jun-woo!”

“You little punk, why is that your responsibility…”

“Everyone shut up.”

I glared.

Then I pointed at the reporter right in front of me and said.

“You, in the front. Write down exactly what I’m saying now. All responsibility for this accident lies with Kim Jun-woo, the cleaner, due to his mistake…”

“It’s not his responsibility.”

“Seriously, who the hell keeps…!”

In the end, a curse word came out.

Someone else’s voice cut in again. All eyes turned back at once.

“It wasn’t that the cleaning team made a mistake in setting up the barricades, but that someone deliberately removed them.”

“……Kim Min-joo?”

She walked into the lobby triumphantly.

Behind her was the entire Task Force 2 team.

‘Could it be… did they find the culprit?’

That can’t be. There couldn’t have been any CCTV to check…

“Excuse me, what department are you with and who are you? Are you from the same cleaning team?”

“I’m Kim Min-joo, the leader of Task Force 2.”

“Task Force?”

“The task force leader came?”

“Hey, hey! That’s the person! The one who became the youngest task force leader this time!”

The cameras and microphones that had been aimed at me changed targets and clung to Kim Min-joo.

“Please continue! Someone deliberately removed the barricades?!”

“Does that mean someone else was involved in this accident?”

“Who is it!”

The reporters rushed in.

In the midst of it, Kim Min-joo opened her mouth.

“The ones who removed the barricades that the Dungeon Cleaning Team had set up were… the victimized students themselves.”

“……!”

“……?”

Silence.

After a few seconds passed like that.

“……Excuse me?”

“Really…?”

“I, is that really true?”

Belated reactions poured out, and it quickly became noisy.

“……Wow.”

I also covered my mouth at the unexpected fact.

“D, do you have evidence? Do you have evidence?”

There’s no way she has it.

Not only CCTV, but it’s also impossible to check the car black boxes one by one overnight…

“Of course.”

“……?”

Kim Min-joo confidently held out her phone, and soon a video was played on the screen.

It wasn’t CCTV or a black box video, but…

“It’s a CCTV video from a store near the accident dungeon, obtained with the help of the support team.”

It was the parking lot camera video of the Korean restaurant where we had lunch that day.

‘Damn it, I didn’t even think about that…’

More than that, how did she get something like that?

“It’s a blurry video because it’s zoomed in… but if you look closely, you can see the entrance of the dungeon at the time of the accident. Check it out yourself.”

With everyone’s attention focused, what was reflected on the screen was.

“This…….”

“What. It’s the victimized students, right?”

“Here, here! They’re removing it themselves! Look here!”

“Wow, look at these guys. They lied from the beginning that it wasn’t there?”

Sighs echoed from here and there.

“I’ll say it again, the Dungeon Cleaning Team has no responsibility for this accident. They just did their job perfectly as usual, and there’s no doubt about that.”

Kim Min-joo opened her mouth once again in a firm voice.

The reporters immediately began to make urgent calls somewhere.

At the same time, I scratched my head nervously.

Oh well…….

I don’t know anymore, now.

***

[Unlock Condition Achieved]

“Really…….”

[Increased Public Interest in Dungeon Cleaning Team]

[Acquired Skill: Polymorph – Unlocked]

“I’m speechless.”

I felt once again that the world is incredibly unfair.

└ To be honest, I wasn’t that interested from the beginning lol What’s so wrong with not putting up barricades lol

└ But what does the cleaning team do?

└ I don’t know lol They’re probably the ones who clean the dungeons.

└ I don’t know about that, but who’s the girl on the cleaning team? She’s so pretty?

└ Moon So-yeon? Seriously, why is she cleaning with that face?

└ If I join the cleaning team, can I see Moon So-yeon in person?

└ When will the cleaning team’s job posting be uploaded? I’m putting in my resume right away.

└ I just donated to the cleaning team. It’s my small token of affection for So-yeon.

└ You’re so cheesy lol

Damn it…….

I exposed my face to the media once, and now they’re paying this much attention to the cleaning team, which they didn’t even know existed?

It’s crazy.

The world is really going crazy.

‘Well, at least she doesn’t seem to know…’

That’s a relief.

After all, she has an old-fashioned phone that doesn’t even have internet.

It’s a hundred times better for Moon So-yeon’s personality if she doesn’t know about this.

I continued to scan the comments with an indifferent expression.

After that, it’s all about Moon So-yeon’s appearance.

Well, there were some mentions of Kim Min-joo, but… in terms of frequency, it’s about 7:3?

“I stayed up all night that day, so that’s why.”

Task Force 2 office.

Kim Min-joo, who was peeking at the phone screen next to me, complained.

“Who said anything?”

“I’m afraid you’ll misunderstand.”

“What’s there to misunderstand?”

“……Be quiet.”

…Is she crazy?

“Still, it’s a relief.”

“What part of it?”

“This statement. Everyone’s saying it was fun. They thought it was a comedy show.”

“……That’s a relief?”

My eyebrows twitched.

Then Kim Min-joo shrugged as if to say, what else could it be?

Well… she wasn’t entirely wrong.

With this statement, the cleaning team was a hot topic on the internet.

Of course, it wasn’t just because of their appearance.

└ Honestly, those middle schoolers should be punished severely;; How many people almost lost their jobs because of those guys.

└ That’s right. But why did that cleaner say it was his responsibility even though he didn’t do anything wrong?

└ He probably tried to end it on his own because he was afraid things would get bigger.

└ But honestly, isn’t that a bit much? Usually, when something like this happens, they try to pass the buck by doing all sorts of things.

└ ㅇㄱㄹㅇ [Abbreviation for “agree”]. What team comes forward to take responsibility for each other;; I acknowledge their true camaraderie.

└ Even the task force leader came forward to defend them. They seem to be an important position in the association? Or maybe that cleaner is a big shot in the association lol

└ lololol Cleaner big shot theory lololol

└ Still, cleaning is a bit;;

└ A heartless conglomerate VS a cleaning team full of camaraderie.

└ I’d rather be a doctor.

└ Those who say they’d rather be a doctor are probably unemployed lol If what was shown on TV is real, I’m seriously thinking of joining the cleaning team.

“What’s so funny?”

“…Huh?”

“No… I saw you smiling. Show me too.”

Kim Min-joo tried to get closer, but I just turned off my phone.

“It’s nothing. It’s nothing.”

“…….”

Kim Min-joo’s lips pouted.

And at that moment, the office door burst open.

“You guys are really too much. Is it that hard to let me meet him once? Why don’t you ever come to the end?”

Someone stormed into the office.

It was a woman with short hair.

A sharp yet haughty face. Somehow familiar…

“D, Deputy Director?”

“I really helped you all night back then, and this is how you treat me? You know how awkward it is for a support team employee to walk around the task force office.”

“A, I’m s, sorry. I was a little busy catching up on the backlog since then.”

“……If you apologize so sincerely, I have nothing to say.”

Kim Min-joo’s friend?

No, that can’t be.

Then the woman turned to me.

“Anyway… nice to meet you. I’m Lee Ah-young, Deputy Director of the Hunter Management Office in the Support Team.”

“Ah, yes. Nice to meet you…”

………Huh?

W, who did you say you were?