The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 347

346. After Story 3

Near Seocho Station, a blue-grade dungeon.

It had been a long time since I was assigned to a cleanup operation.

Currently, the cleanup team has grown significantly with more teams and personnel compared to when WDSO [World Disaster Safety Organization] was first established a year ago.

While there have been many changes in treatment, welfare, and cleaning equipment, Cleanup Team 3, strangely enough, insisted on sticking to the old methods and personnel.

‘No……’

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t Cleanup Team 3 anymore.

The Central Cleanup Special Education Team.
A team that manages all cleanup teams in Seoul, conducts new recruit training, and researches cleanup operations.

In reality, it was a place that performed completely different tasks from ordinary cleanup teams.

‘Well… the core personnel of the Cleanup Planning Department are all here……’

It wouldn’t make sense for Director Park Geun-tae, Moon So-yeon, and Section Chief Han Sang-hyuk to be on the same team doing general cleanup work.

I was briefly struck by the novelty of the cleanup team’s current state, having grown so much.

“Um, Jun-woo.”

Moon So-yeon, who was wiping the dungeon passage, cautiously approached and spoke to me.

“How did you meet Ah-young unni [older sister or close female friend]?”

“……?”

A completely random question at a completely random time.

I scratched my head.

“Well, there wasn’t really a special reason. Ah-young… no, Ah-young-ssi [formal title, like Ms.] confessed first.”

“Ah, Ah-young unni did?!”

“Is it that surprising?”

I felt even more embarrassed by Moon So-yeon’s reaction.

“No… it’s just that both Ah-young unni and Jun-woo-ssi seemed so far removed from dating. It didn’t seem like you were interested.”

“Well… at the time, I didn’t have the time to think about things like that because of various issues.”

“Now that you two are suddenly dating, it feels… really amazing.”

I nodded slightly.

Because I understood what she meant to some extent.

In fact, when I think about it, after the regression, I had never thought about that kind of thing even once.

‘Back then, I was only thinking about going back……’

Only after I had sorted out my thoughts did other things start to come into view.

“Ah, anyway, congratulations, though it’s late! If you ever get married, be sure to send me an invitation!”

“……”

I hesitated to answer for a moment at her rather sudden words.

And then.

“…I understand.”

I forced a smile and nodded.

Of course, it was more of a polite agreement than a proper answer.

‘Marriage, huh……’

That was also something I had never thought about, both before and after the regression.

I had more than enough problems to solve before that.

Unfortunately, that problem was still there, and that would be the same for Lee Ah-young as well.

As I was thinking about that, the words of the man I had met by chance suddenly came to mind.

‘Choi Jang-seok, was it……’

Why are people so interested in other people’s marriages?

Still, I couldn’t help but smile slightly because I didn’t dislike it.

“Hey, you two! Stop chatting and come help out a bit?!”

At that moment, Han Sang-hyuk, who was far ahead, shouted at us.

Director Park Geun-tae stopped Han Sang-hyuk instead.

“Hahaha! It’s been a while since we’ve worked together, so we should take it easy. Still, our Secretary-General is still useful!”

“……Haha. I can’t forget it.”

As I awkwardly smiled, Director Park Geun-tae snapped his fingers and said,

“Ah, come to think of it, did I introduce you? Ga-ram, come here!”

A young man ran up to him instantly at his call.

He looked at me and bowed stiffly.

“This is a new recruit who just joined. His name is Oh Ga-ram, and he’s still learning in our team, so Secretary-General, please help him out.”

“I understand.”

With Director Park Geun-tae’s introduction, I approached him and offered a handshake.

“I’m temporary, but please take care of me for the time being.”

“…Y-yes, please take care of me!”

He shook my hand with both hands, seemingly very nervous.

“Um, um……”

And then, he carefully opened his mouth towards me.

“Um, but why is the Secretary-General in the cleanup team……”

“…….”

“…….”

Everyone on the team had a dumbfounded expression at that question.

Now that I think about it, no one had ever wondered why I was in the cleanup team.

Rather, they were disappointed that I wasn’t in the cleanup team.

I also didn’t think much of it.

‘Well……’

Come to think of it, it must be a situation that a new recruit would find hard to understand.

“I have some things to look into in the cleanup team… that’s all. It’s not like I’m here to monitor you, so you don’t have to worry too much. Just think of me as a senior member of the cleanup team and feel free to ask me anything you don’t know.”

“C-cleanup…?”

Oh Ga-ram’s pure and innocent question made the team members burst into laughter.

Director Park Geun-tae nudged my shoulder and said,

“Jun-woo was the ace of the cleanup team back in the day, you know.”

“Y-yes?! The Secretary-General?”

“What are you so surprised about? Didn’t you watch the news? He was originally from the cleanup crew.”

Han Sang-hyuk chimed in, but Oh Ga-ram still had a dumbfounded expression.

“I thought that was just a joke……”

“I don’t know about others, but Jun-woo-ssi was the real deal.”

“I know, right! Kekeke [onomatopoeia for laughter].”

Han Sang-hyuk agreed with Moon So-yeon’s words.

Perhaps because the old stories had come up, Director Park Geun-tae seemed to be filled with fond memories.

“Keu, when I think about it, I still wonder how we worked back then. If it weren’t for Jun-woo, we would still be the same as back then.”

“That’s true, but it was a bit much for you to give him a nickname. What was it… the possessed broom…?”

“……”

Shit.

“Still, Kim Jun-woo’s personality has mellowed out a lot. He was a complete maniac back then.”

“M-maniac…?”

Oh Ga-ram seemed greatly shocked by Han Sang-hyuk’s informal way of speaking.

Everyone started to add more to the story, as if they found the new recruit’s reaction quite cute.

“He was terrifying just a year ago. Ga-ram also knows, right? The war in New York, Jun-woo was on the front lines.”

“He was definitely scary back then. He went around the world as part of the cleanup team, causing chaos… well, we were reassured, though.”

“Of course, that’s right. Compared to then, he’s almost like tofu now. He’s become so soft after dating. He can’t even say a word to Ah-young noona [older sister or close female friend]!”

“……”

I shook my head at their jovial attitude, not knowing whether they were trying to tease the new recruit or me.

I approached Oh Ga-ram and carefully said,

“Just ignore what those people are saying. They’re just trying to tease us.”

“……”

However, his face, as he looked at me, was already filled with fear.

‘……That’s enough.’

I closed my mouth and started to focus on my work again, thinking that it would only create unnecessary misunderstandings if I talked to him any further.

And belatedly, I was able to think about the real business.

Of course, I didn’t come back here to clean.

My original purpose was to investigate the serial terror incidents.

If the thugs are really targeting only the cleanup teams for terror, then news will surely come again within a few days.

In order to catch them at the scene, I also have to hide in the field.

Well, what they’re doing is still at the level of childish pranks, so it’s a bit much to say they’re paying for their sins…….

Still, I should catch them and give them a good scare.

I listened to the radios of all the cleanup teams during work breaks, and I also focused my eyes and ears, looking around the streets.

I looked around like that for a whole day, but for some reason, there was no news from any team.

“Are you coming out tomorrow too, Jun-woo?”

The sun was setting, and it was finally time to go home without any particular gain.

Director Park Geun-tae asked me as he was settling the finishing work.

“Well… I think I will for the time being.”

“Is that so? Then that’s good for us!”

“See you tomorrow, Jun-woo-ssi.”

“Don’t be late, you punk!”

The team members greeted me with bright faces, as always.

Oh Ga-ram also bowed to me at a 90-degree angle, mixed in among them.

After confirming that they were each going home, I also turned around and started walking.

And then.

“I guess today wasn’t an unlucky day.”

“……”

My heart pounded greatly at the suddenly appearing silhouette.

Lee Ah-young was waiting there, wondering how she knew the time I would be off work.

“It’s been a while since that disappeared [referring to her waiting for him].”

She chuckled at my words.

“You don’t have any plans today, right?”

“Not for a week.”

“Then let’s walk a bit. As a walk.”

At her suggestion, we refrained from talking for a while and slowly started walking the night road.

But that was only for a moment.

Lee Ah-young broke the silence first.

“Did you find anything?”

“No. I kept watching the news from the other teams, but there wasn’t anything special.”

As I answered, she made a puzzled expression.

“That’s strange… I heard that incidents were happening every day, even if they were generally small in scale. Did they decide to step back for a while today?”

“I don’t know. Or maybe they noticed that I was undercover.”

Lee Ah-young shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.

“Well, even if they noticed, they wouldn’t stop, right? If they’re moving according to a plan, they must have a purpose, and if they have a purpose, they wouldn’t give up easily.”

“That’s true.”

“Above all, there’s a high probability that they’re moving as a group. If so, then there’s a leader directing the group, so they wouldn’t back down even more easily.”

I nodded at her words.

That’s right.

As long as they have a purpose, they won’t give up, even if they hesitate.

I just have to keep holding out until they stick their heads out again.

“For now, let’s watch a little more……”

It was then.

The cell phone I had put in my pocket started to vibrate.

As soon as I took it out and checked the screen, my expression hardened.

Lee Ah-young also asked cautiously, as if she had seen my expression.

“Who is it?”

“……Director Park Geun-tae.”

“What is it? Why do you have such a serious expression when it’s Director Park’s call?”

Of course, isn’t it obvious?

He’s someone who never contacts me outside of work hours.

Above all, it hasn’t even been 10 minutes since we parted ways.

‘But suddenly a call……’

I put aside the ominous feeling that kept rising to one side and answered the phone.

“Yes, this is Kim Jun-woo. What’s wrong……”

“J-Jun-woo!”

A very urgent voice was heard.

“Ga-ram has collapsed!”

“……Yes?”

I heard incomprehensible news.

“Not long after we parted ways, the street was noisy, so I went to see what was going on, and he was lying there after being beaten by someone!”

“B-beaten up? Who on earth would do such a thing……?”

“I don’t know either. They were already gone when I got there! I’m going to the hospital for now……”

Director Park Geun-tae trailed off for a moment.

“Jun-woo. Could this be……”

“It’s probably right.”

I answered before he could even finish speaking.

Yes.

Those bastards who had been following and harassing the cleanup team all week.

It must be the work of those unknown bastards.

“I’ll go to the hospital too for now. Let’s talk in detail there.”

“O-okay.”

I immediately hung up the phone and looked at Lee Ah-young.

Her expression was also quite serious, as if she had heard the contents of the call.

“I have to go right now……”

And, at that moment.

This time, Lee Ah-young’s cell phone rang.

“Y-yes, hello?”

As soon as she answered the phone with a heavy voice.

“……What?”

Her eyes widened and she looked at me.

“Okay. Hang up for now.”

She immediately hung up the phone and opened her mouth.

“It’s not just Team 3.”

“What?”

“The same damage has occurred simultaneously in three cases. For now, they’ve issued a return order to all cleanup teams, but the damage may continue to spread……”

I could feel my hand, which was holding the cell phone, trembling.

But that was only for a moment, and I immediately turned around.

“W-wait a minute! Where are you going!”

“……”

I took a deep breath.

“To work.”

The sensations I hadn’t felt for a year began to bloom all over my body.