The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 364

363. Epilogue 2 Retirement (2)

“…And then he just clammed up and didn’t say a word.”

A sharp voice echoed through the damp, dirty dungeon where the subjugation had ended.

With her arms crossed, Lee A-young was recounting the events of yesterday in an agitated voice.

“Of course, I know Jun-woo isn’t the type, and I understand he’s busy with the end of times just days away… but still, we’ve been dating for over two years, and he’s never even thought about marriage?”

“……”

“No, I mean, maybe he hasn’t thought about it. But why suddenly book a fancy restaurant that doesn’t suit him at all and set the mood like that! And then start talking seriously about the old days! Anyone could tell he was about to propose! Don’t you think?! I have every right to be upset, right?!”

“……”

Lee A-young looked at them with wide eyes, as if demanding an answer, but the audience hesitated for a moment.

They just glanced at each other, gauging the mood.

Only for a moment.

“Well… I understand what you’re saying, but…”

For the cleaning team led by Section Chief Park Geun-tae, who was diligently cleaning, it was like a bolt from the blue.

Park Geun-tae, the oldest of them, cautiously opened his mouth.

“Why are you talking about such important things here…”

“Min-joo and Yoo-bin are too busy to meet me… Who else do I have to confide in but you guys? Oh, if you’re uncomfortable…”

“Ah, no, it’s not that…”

Park Geun-tae immediately waved his hands, realizing his mistake.

Then, he carefully continued.

“I just didn’t think someone who’s the Association President should be talking about this while cleaning a dungeon…”

“……”

At Park Geun-tae’s words, Lee A-young’s eyebrows twitched, and then she glanced at the rag in her hand.

It was brand new when she entered the dungeon, but it was already tattered from scrubbing so hard.

“…I don’t know why, but I feel a little more at ease when I’m doing this.”

“Ah, yes… hahaha.”

Park Geun-tae forced a smile, and Han Sang-hyuk, who was next to him, quietly opened his mouth.

“Last time, you came because it was Chief Pyun’s blind date and cleaned for a while… Now even the Association President is here.”

“Hey, before that, Team Leaders 1 and 3 also came to clean.”

“Seriously, is this some kind of healing camp? Why are all these team leaders coming to clean? Tell them not to come next time.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll make an announcement or something so they don’t come next time…”

“I can hear you, you know.”

“……”

At Lee A-young’s calm words, Park Geun-tae and Han Sang-hyuk’s faces froze instantly.

The two were sending each other silent glances, asking for some kind of response, when…

“Well, Jun-woo was wrong. He shouldn’t have even set the mood…”

Moon So-yeon, who was the only one listening intently to Lee A-young, answered instead.

Lee A-young’s face brightened instantly, and she looked at Moon So-yeon.

“That’s what I’m saying! You’re the only one who gets me, So-yeon!”

“Have you talked to Jun-woo about it since then?”

At Moon So-yeon’s words, Lee A-young’s expression soured.

“We’re in a cold war right now, so not yet…”

“Hmm.”

Moon So-yeon smiled inscrutably once, then asked Lee A-young again.

“So, what do you want, A-young *unnie* [term used by younger women to address older sisters or female friends] ?”

“What do you mean?”

“About the marriage. You want to marry Jun-woo, right?”

“Well, that’s…”

Lee A-young trailed off, as if she was too embarrassed to say it outright now.

Of course, that was enough of an answer, so Moon So-yeon continued immediately.

“Then why don’t you two have a serious talk? No matter what we say, it’s something you two have to resolve.”

“That’s true, but we’re in a cold war right now…”

“Come on, you have to say what you want to say. You’re not going to break up like this, are you?”

“…I guess so.”

Lee A-young answered, avoiding Moon So-yeon’s gaze like a wary cat.

“Anyway, tell him what you’re thinking.”

Of course, Moon So-yeon was several years younger, but there was no arguing with her. It wasn’t wrong, and Lee A-young herself knew it.

“I guess you’re right.”

Lee A-young said with a wry smile.

“I wasn’t thinking straight. I shouldn’t have been whining to you guys…”

“Well, we’re just grateful for getting to hear an interesting story for free.”

Moon So-yeon replied with a good-natured smile, and Lee A-young smiled back at her consideration.

“I need to talk to him.”

Then, she put down the rag she was holding, said those words, and immediately turned around and left the dungeon.

“……”

“……”

Silence fell as soon as Association President Lee A-young left.

And not long after, Moon So-yeon looked at Section Chief Park Geun-tae and Han Sang-hyuk.

“Okay, I’ve solved it. What are you all doing? Time to pay up.”

She beckoned to the two of them with both hands.

At the same time, Park Geun-tae and Han Sang-hyuk shook their heads and took out cash, handing it to her.

“In all my life, you’re the first person I’ve ever seen chase away a superior and get paid for it.”

“How did that innocent kid turn out like this…”

“Hey, you all wanted it, but you’re making me the bad guy?”

Moon So-yeon made a dumbfounded expression and spoke in an absurd tone, but Park Geun-tae and Han Sang-hyuk didn’t care.

They just clicked their tongues, watching her, who had become an adult before they knew it, and had even been consumed by darkness.

***

“What.”

WDSO [World Dungeon Subjugation Organization] Seoul Headquarters, Secretary-General’s Office.

Association President Lee A-young, who had barged into the room, looked flustered.

Even though it was during work hours, the office was completely empty.

‘He’s not here at this hour?’

Association President Lee A-young tilted her head.

Of course, coming to the Secretary-General’s office for personal matters during work hours wasn’t a good look for the Association President either…

But the organization would be gone in two days, so what did it matter?

By the same logic, what reason would the Secretary-General of the Association, which would disappear in two days, have to be away at this hour?

Well, even if there was something urgent to finish, she, as the Association President, would know about it.

Of course, Association President Lee A-young had not received any notice about Kim Jun-woo’s schedule today.

Neither as the Association President nor as his girlfriend.

‘He left without saying a word to me, huh…’

Lee A-young shook her head with a displeased expression.

Could he have run away?

Because he didn’t want to talk to me?

That thought flashed through her mind when…

Knock―

“…Oh?”

“A-young *ssi* [Korean honorific] ?”

Someone opened the office door and came inside.

None other than Kim Min-joo, Head of Operations.

Association President Lee A-young shifted her gaze to the documents in her arms and smiled slightly, opening her mouth.

“Are you here to report on the final operation?”

“Yes, what about you, A-young *ssi*?”

“I have something to say, Min-joo *ssi*, your timing is bad. I don’t know where he went without saying a word…”

“Ah, the Director said he had some external business today and went out for a bit.”

“…?”

Association President Lee A-young’s eyebrows twitched.

“Did he tell you? That he was leaving?”

“Ah…”

Kim Min-joo trailed off, realizing the intent of the question, and made a troubled expression.

“I, I contacted him earlier to say I was planning to visit at this time. That’s when he told me.”

“……”

Kim Min-joo thought she had smoothed things over as much as possible, but Lee A-young still looked uneasy.

In fact, Kim Jun-woo being away wasn’t a problem in itself.

They weren’t a couple in their twenties, there was no need to contact each other every time they had something to do, and considering their respective positions, it wasn’t that strange for him to be away.

Nevertheless, the reason Lee A-young was uneasy was because the timing was unsettling.

A boyfriend who had stopped contacting her after an argument about marriage. Moreover, he seemed less certain about marriage than she was.

Could it be…

“…He’s not on a blind date with another woman, is he…?”

Lee A-young said those words with an almost tearful expression.

At the same time, Kim Min-joo was starting to find the two couples annoying.

***

‘Haa…’

In that place, which felt even more uncomfortable because of the suit I rarely wore, I kept checking my watch.

It was my first time experiencing such a setting, so I couldn’t help but feel nervous.

Of course, even that didn’t last long because of the thoughts that kept swirling in my head.

‘Marriage, huh…’

That word, both near and far. I had always thought about it, but never seriously considered it a reality.

It seemed like there was no heavier word than this in my life so far.

“Tsk, what am I supposed to do…”

I clicked my tongue softly, tilted my head back, and looked at the ceiling.

Then, I let out a faint sigh, making sure no one around me could hear.

To be honest, it wasn’t that I hadn’t thought about marrying her. It was just that it seemed like such a distant story that I kept putting off thinking about it deeply.

It’s not that I wouldn’t get married, or that I didn’t want to get married.

No, in fact, I also thought that marrying her was a predetermined course.

However, I just wasn’t sure if I could accept her in the process.

As I told Kim Min-joo and Han Yoo-bin, it was too heavy a burden for me to continue my relationship with her as if nothing had happened, without apologizing to her from before the regression.

That’s why, in order to solve this problem, I had to change the target of forgiveness.

The only person in this world who could forgive the atrocities I committed before the regression.

Myself.

Can I forgive myself?

If I could accept my past self and forgive myself, wouldn’t I be able to lighten the burden a little?

That thought had been swirling in my head ever since I talked to Kim Min-joo and Han Yoo-bin.

The reason I came here now is also because of that.

From now on, I had to see if I could forgive myself.

“Kim Jun-woo *ssi*.”

Yes. What’s important now is…

“We will now begin the interview. Please come in this way.”

“Yes.”

Just two days until retirement.

A jobless person in their mid-thirties who will lose the job they’ve worked at their whole life.

Dungeons, subjugation, hunters.

A perfectly ordinary and typical job that has nothing to do with such things.

A social freshman who doesn’t have any of the qualifications that everyone has, and doesn’t know anything about TOEIC [Test of English for International Communication] or anything else.

“Kim Jun-woo *ssi*? Please introduce yourself first.”

As soon as I entered the interview room, the gazes of the three interviewers turned to me.

I took a small deep breath and then began to say what I had prepared.

“Hello. I am Kim Jun-woo, who previously served as the Secretary-General of the International Dungeon Management Association, WDSO, and applied to the headquarters.”

“…?”

“…?”

I’ll have to start again from the very bottom of society.