The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 323

322

“A worldwide protest, huh…”

WDSO Headquarters, Head of Support Division’s office.

Director Lee Doo-shik, having heard the news of the overseas situation, crossed his arms and groaned.

“This has become a headache.”

“Tell me about it.”

Head of Division Lee Ah-young shrugged and replied.

“Did you talk to that punk, Junwoo?”

“……Ah, well, yeah.”

As soon as his name popped out, Lee Ah-young suddenly avoided his gaze and mumbled.

Director Lee Doo-shik stared at her with a puzzled expression for a moment.

“…He won’t help?”

“I don’t know. Well… he’s going back anyway.”

“……”

Lee Ah-young spat out those words calmly.

*Did she know?* Director Lee Doo-shik muttered inwardly.

“No thoughts on persuading him? You were the closest to him, after all.”

“It’s not like I didn’t try.”

“And?”

“……”

Lee Ah-young hesitated to answer for a moment.

“Ah, I don’t know. He’ll figure it out, I guess.”

She avoided answering and quickly turned her head.

In her faintly visible profile, her flushed cheeks caught his eye for some reason.

Director Lee Doo-shik stared at her silently and leaned back in his chair.

“So, is that why you called me? Because that punk won’t help, so you’re calling an old geezer who’s just enjoying his retirement life?”

“……You just watch TV at home anyway.”

“…I’m binge-watching dramas.”

“You know I’m paying for the monthly subscription, right?”

“……That’s quite impudent for someone asking for help.”

Director Lee Doo-shik glared at her with a displeased expression.

But only for a moment, as he found his daughter’s unusual reaction quite amusing, and he smirked.

“Well, I was going to help anyway. The matter is bigger than I thought. The board of directors is getting involved on a large scale… and President Cho is also actively responding, from what I hear.”

“The President is getting involved too?”

“What, do you think it’s just them? The WDSO branches seem quite enthusiastic too. They’re actively supporting relief supplies and dispatching rescue teams.”

“Come to think of it, Head of Division Ha also said he would help with the recovery efforts.”

“When persuading people, it’s more effective to show them with actions rather than words.”

Director Lee Doo-shik continued in a low voice.

“Of course… it would be best if Kim Junwoo stepped up himself, though.”

Then he stared at the empty space.

“What can we do? We have to get used to the void, starting now.”

“……”

“Why, are you sad?”

At that question, Lee Ah-young nodded slightly.

Then, Director Lee Doo-shik continued in a serious voice.

“That’s how it is. When someone you thought would be by your side forever suddenly leaves, you feel sad, angry… and it feels like it’s your fault.”

“…Are you talking about Mom?”

Director Lee Doo-shik smiled instead of answering.

Lee Ah-young had a rather complicated expression, as if her mind was in turmoil.

“Still, I had fun. Honestly, if it weren’t for that punk Kim Junwoo, neither you nor I would have made it this far in the association.”

“…Dad benefited quite a bit, though.”

“Didn’t you?”

“I think I got here with my own skills.”

“Ha! If you couldn’t even say that……”

The father and daughter chuckled, exchanging pointless banter.

But only for a moment.

“It’s going to be boring.”

“……”

The two shifted their gazes to different places.

An unexpected silence filled the office.

“Sigh, I should get going.”

Director Lee Doo-shik got up first, as if he was getting restless.

“Already leaving?”

“What else is there to do? I have to listen to my daughter’s request.”

Just as he was about to leave the office.

“Ah, I’m just asking in case……”

Suddenly remembering something, he turned his head back to look at Lee Ah-young.

“You didn’t happen to confess to Kim Junwoo, did you?”

“……!”

At the same time, Lee Ah-young’s eyes widened.

“H-How did you…! No, more than that… did you know?!”

“Hey, you brat. I’ve raised you for 30 years. Do you think I wouldn’t know something like that?”

“……”

Lee Ah-young pressed her lips tightly, her face flushed as if her weakness had been exposed.

“Well… judging by your reaction, it seems like you already made a move.”

“……”

“Did you get an answer?”

“…No.”

“Heh heh heh. Rejected, rejected.”

“Ugh, stop it!!”

Lee Ah-young couldn’t stand it anymore and shouted, but Director Lee Doo-shik had already quickly left the office.

Soon, Lee Ah-young threw herself into her chair. Then, she let out a deep sigh.

“I must have been crazy, what was I thinking……”

Just as her face was burning up again as she recalled the incident.

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the half-open office door and entered.

It was none other than.

“Is something wrong…?”

Moon Soyeon, from Cleaning Team 3.

“Ah, no. Nothing’s wrong……. More importantly, what brings you here all of a sudden?”

Since the cleaning team, which belonged to the Planning Division, rarely came to the Support Division, she asked with a rather puzzled expression.

Then, Moon Soyeon asked back with an even more puzzled expression.

“I was wondering if we could go together if you’re leaving now. Minju and Yubin already left. Do you still have work left?”

“…Huh? Where are we going today?”

“Where else! We said we’d have a company dinner today. Of course, you have to come too.”

Lee Ah-young clapped her hands, finally remembering.

That’s right, they did.

Lee Ah-young checked the time first.

Then, after hesitating to answer for a moment.

“…I’m done with work. Let’s go together.”

She forced a smile and got up from her seat.

***

“Hey, Sanghyuk……”

The meat restaurant reserved for the company dinner.

As soon as they arrived, Deputy Director Park Geun-tae called out to Han Sanghyuk in a dumbfounded voice.

“Did we happen to book the same place as another team today?”

“……I didn’t hear anything about that.”

The two men blinked, frozen in place at the scene unfolding in the restaurant.

That was because they had clearly made a reservation for Cleaning Team 3 and the number of heads of divisions.

“Ah, Deputy Director Park is here!”

“Sit here!”

“Hey, hey! Clear some space over there!”

Employees from the Operations Team and the Support Team.

Team Leader Pyeon Chang-hyeon of the Control Team.

And even Guild Leaders Cha Seok-hyeon and Yoo Ji-woo.

For some reason, the entire restaurant was packed with familiar faces.

“I invited them.”

Then, Head of Division Kim Minju greeted the two men and said.

“We’ve been through a lot, so I thought we should all get together at least once.”

“I-Is that so.”

“Don’t worry about the dinner expenses. I brought the corporate card.”

Head of Division Han Yubin also chimed in, slightly raising the corners of her lips.

Park Geun-tae and Han Sanghyuk still sat down with bewildered expressions, guided by Kim Minju.

And at the same time.

“Would you like a drink?”

“Ah, oh, thank you.”

The Operations Team 1 leader, who was sitting next to him, immediately offered him a glass of alcohol.

“Oh, no, thank you. You must be tired from the large workload, but we’re grateful that you’re handling it without delay.”

“Haha! We’re just doing our job according to the schedule. The Operations Team is doing all the hard work.”

“That’s not thanks to us. It’s possible because the surrounding teams are helping us that much.”

The Operations Team 1 leader said.

Park Geun-tae couldn’t hide his smile at those words.

Then, Deputy Section Chief Song Hye-yeon of the Support Team, who was sitting across from him, chimed in.

“Why are you leaving out our team? We’ve had over 100 weapon maintenance requests come in just yesterday and today.”

“Ahahaha, there are so many dungeons that have been delayed since the war……. I’m sorry.”

After Deputy Section Chief Song Hye-yeon smiled at the apology from the Operations Team 1 leader.

She then turned to Moon Soyeon, who was sitting next to her, and said.

“Cleaning Team, is your equipment still okay? Let us know if you need anything.”

“Well, one of the plasma cutters is broken……”

“Ah, that can’t be repaired right away… I’ll talk to the higher-ups about it. I’ll send you other equipment in the meantime.”

“R-Really?! Thank you!”

“What, it’s nothing.”

The two women said that and clinked their glasses together.

“Come to think of it, I heard you’re hiring new recruits for the Cleaning Team soon?”

Team Leader Pyeon Chang-hyeon of the Control Team, who was watching the scene, casually asked Han Sanghyuk.

“Ah, yes. Well… our section chief already got the approval.”

“You don’t seem too happy about it, judging by your expression?”

“Training the new recruits is my responsibility.”

“Ah……”

Team Leader Pyeon Chang-hyeon sighed at Han Sanghyuk’s words.

“Half of them quit because it’s too hard, even after all the hard work of training them, and half of those don’t even last a month… in the end, there are only one or two left.”

“Hahaha! That’s really frustrating.”

“At this point, it might be better not to hire them at all.”

Han Sanghyuk clicked his tongue and downed his drink.

“Is everything okay with the Control Team?”

“Sigh, why would it be? From next month, they’re dividing it into domestic and overseas parts to manage all the dungeons around the world… it’s easier said than done……”

The two men shook their heads without exception and each drank their alcohol.

There was no nobility, no rank, and no grade in that place.

There were only those who grumbled, cursed, and laughed together, who had worked hard today.

As the atmosphere of the company dinner gradually matured.

“Ah, right! Why isn’t Junwoo coming?”

The members of Cleaning Team 3, including Deputy Director Park Geun-tae, remembered someone they had forgotten.

But at the same time.

“……”

“……”

“……”

The expressions of the heads of divisions suddenly hardened.

Deputy Director Park Geun-tae looked at them and asked.

“Don’t tell me no one contacted him……”

“No, we contacted him.”

Then, Kim Minju shook her head and said.

“But… he probably won’t be able to come.”

With those words, the gazes of the three heads of divisions turned to the outside of the restaurant.

“…What do you mean by that?”

“Hey, how can the main character not come? Is that bastard acting expensive because he became the Secretary-General?”

“Is he busy with work?”

But the members of Cleaning Team 3, including Deputy Director Park Geun-tae, did not understand what that meant.

“It seems like he’s going somewhere far away……”

Kim Minju trailed off in a low voice.

The three heads of divisions pressed their lips tightly.

For some reason, silence continued with uneasy expressions.

Kim Minju, not wanting to ruin the atmosphere, forced a smile and opened her mouth again.

“Let’s not wait and have fun among ourselves. It seems like we won’t be able to see him for a while……”

“Who decided that?”

And then.

“……!”

“…Wh-What?!”

A former member of the Dungeon Cleaning Team.

The man who was entrusted with the head of the Operations Division of the Otherworld Dimension Management Association and the CEO of Karma Corporation.

And the current WDSO Secretary-General… and the main character of this gathering.

Kim Junwoo appeared there.

“T-Teacher…?”

“What, how did you get here?!”

Kim Minju and Han Yubin asked, startled by his appearance.

“Well, it seems like I have some time left.”

Kim Junwoo wiped away his sweat, panting roughly.

He seemed to have run quite urgently.

Everyone had a surprised expression, but Head of Division Lee Ah-young was completely frozen in place, as if she had seen a ghost.

“Alright, alright, it’s good that you came anyway!”

But Deputy Director Park Geun-tae, who had no idea of the situation, got up and approached him. Then, he held out a spoon and said.

“First, you’re the main character, so you have to give a toast!”

“……”

Kim Junwoo hesitated for a moment, looking at the spoon.

“Well, I wasn’t going to come……”

He started with those words.

“I thought it would be polite to meet you in person and tell you……”

He said that and first shifted his gaze to the members of Cleaning Team 3, including Deputy Director Park Geun-tae.

“First, to the members of Cleaning Team 3.”

“H-Huh?”

“Us…?”

“I’ve learned a lot from the first day of work until now. Thank you.”

“E-Eh, what did we teach you? Hahaha!”

“Why is that bastard like that? It’s embarrassing……”

At the sudden serious atmosphere, the members of Cleaning Team 3 reacted exaggeratedly with awkward expressions. And Kim Junwoo turned his gaze again.

“Han Yubin.”

A realist berserker class from the International Association.

At the same time, Kim Junwoo’s problem solver and the current Head of the Planning Division.

He opened his mouth towards her.

“Thank you for taking on all sorts of odd jobs.”

“…Knowing that is enough.”

“Honestly, I was very comfortable thanks to you. I still shudder to think what would have happened if I had dropped you during the interview.”

Han Yubin scoffed at those words, as if she was dumbfounded. And then, Kim Junwoo’s gaze reached the person next to her.

“Kim Minju.”

“……”

From a B-class hunter to the No. 1 domestic ranking in just 4 years, and the No. 1 swordsman class in the world.

The 6th SS-ranker in the world.

The current Head of the WDSO Operations Division and Kim Junwoo’s disciple.

Kim Junwoo looked at her and said just one word.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“……”

That one word that encompassed everything.

At those words, Kim Minju finally lowered her head.

“And… Lee Ah-young.”

Finally, the last turn came.

As the two people’s eyes met, Lee Ah-young’s pupils began to shake greatly.

An expression as if tears would fall at any moment if touched.

She tried hard to bite her trembling lips.

“Chloe says you’re responsible for her not being able to go to the company dinner alone, thanks to you.”

“…Yes?”
Tears disappeared at that very unexpected sound.

Kim Junwoo gestured towards her, towards her who was making a bewildered expression as if asking what he meant.

“Look outside.”

Kim Junwoo turned his back with those words, and the gazes of everyone, including Head of Division Lee Ah-young, turned to the outside of the restaurant.

And before long.

Bang—!

Puh-buh-buh-boong—!!

A loud explosion and yellow flames soared into the sky.

It was just a splendid firework to others.

“You don’t mean……”

Head of Division Lee Ah-young, who immediately realized what it meant, looked at Kim Junwoo with trembling eyes.

He smiled without saying a word.