[An unprecedented contract deposit. A man worth 60 billion joined the ‘Healing’ guild.]
└ Who the heck is this guy to receive 60 billion? Seems fishy. Do you know him?
└ Excuse me? It’s not suspicious at all. Don’t speak so recklessly without knowing anything! It’s totally reasonable.
└ Hey, troll, get lost.
└ You can’t lie with a face like that. 60 billion deposit is totally understandable. Lol
└ So when are we getting the hunting footage? I’m curious to see what skills he uses.
└ Nah, there won’t be any footage. He didn’t even go to the dungeon, how would there be a recording?
└ What nonsense. Then how did he bag 60 billion?
└ From F-grade to A-grade in just two days of footage, lol. Anyway, looks like the ‘Healing’ guild is participating in the dungeon bidding this time.
***
The interview went well. The internet was flooded with articles about Jong-sik, and the response was explosive.
“Off to a good start.”
The team leader said with a satisfied smile.
“We did have a few aggro articles, but overall, it’s a successful debut. Jong-sik, did you see the articles?”
A successful debut, huh? It’s a bit itchy to hear. Jong-sik tilted his head, sipping a cup of coffee.
“Why! With such a great response, aren’t you curious? No? Fine, let me read it to you. Here…. This is interesting!”
“…?”
“Someone said just looking at Jong-sik’s face alone is worth 60 billion in contract deposit.”
“Hmph.”
He almost spat out his coffee. Despite seeing his reaction, the team leader didn’t stop. His thumb moved rapidly over the screen of his phone, seemingly excited.
“Um. Many people are curious about Jong-sik’s main skills and dungeon strategy videos. Tsk, there are so many nosy people everywhere. Let’s just ignore them. Let me see….”
He seems intent on reading all the comments written. Jong-sik turned the conversation around.
“Speaking of dungeon strategy videos…. I’ve been curious too. When are we going to the dungeon?”
“Oh! My bad. I completely forgot to mention that. If everything goes smoothly, we’re planning to go next week. Actually, it’s only been three days since we recruited Jong-sik. We’re still conducting interviews for team members, and although we’re looking for a dungeon to conquer right away, it might take some time.”
It was the busy team leader, bustling with the early recruitment of an A-rank hunter. Honestly, if it weren’t for the interview today, Jong-sik wouldn’t have been called in.
“So, are we just doing interviews this week?”
“No, unless there’s something special, there won’t be any interviews. So, what do you want to do, Jong-sik? You can join me for team interviews if you want, or you can take a break until the end of this week and start working next week.”
“I’ll see you next week.”
Jong-sik replied without a moment’s hesitation. Well, he would give the same answer even if someone stopped him on the street and asked.
“Ahaha. I would have answered the same way. Well then, today’s schedule is over. Are you leaving now? Oh! We’ll have a welcome party next week with all the team members. Is that okay?”
It’s fine or not. Jong-sik nodded with a smile. He had already understood the heart of an office worker on his first day. Hurray for early departure!
“Of course.”
“Well, good luck with the move. Please take a good rest before next week when things will get really busy!”
The team leader, filled with enthusiasm, smiled widely. Indeed, there wouldn’t be such early departures next week.
And for good reason, they needed to achieve their target performance to prepare for the dungeon bidding scheduled for the last week of this month.
“Well then, I’ll go in.”
“Thank you for your hard work today!”
With that, she returned to her work, fully immersed in it, while Jong-sik thought, ‘She’ll probably work overtime again today.’
***
Having succeeded in leaving work early, Jong-sik made good use of his time.
There weren’t many shops near his house that handled various ingredients.
So, he stopped by large stores and markets in Seoul to buy various ingredients he needed. And as he returned home carrying his bundle of goods,
“Iki! You’re calling me a part-timer? Who said that!”
Yeona’s annoyed voice could be heard from beyond the front door. It’s the first time I’ve heard such an angry voice. Jong-sik chuckled and opened the front door.
“Hey, I’m back.”
“Oh? Uncle’s back early!”
The voice Jong-sik heard just now sounded noticeably different. It doesn’t seem like a big deal. Jong-sik chuckled at Yeona’s quick change of attitude and stepped into the house.
It seemed like there was only Yeona at home. And it looked like the unpacking wasn’t done yet, as there were still moving boxes scattered around the living room.
“Yeah. They said there’s nothing to do, so I came back early. Plus, the start date got pushed to next week. But what’s up?”
“Oh, well… um…”
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“People who don’t even know Dad keep leaving negative comments on Uncle’s articles…”
“I don’t care about that. Why get worked up over that kind of thing? But where’s Jong-pal?”
Jong-sik placed the belongings he was carrying on the dining table. As he did so, Yeona came running into the kitchen.
A seed of surprise, coriander leaves, and fiery hot herbs.
Yeona expressed her curiosity about the dungeon ingredients that could be seen at a glance.
“Dad went out to look for supplies to put in the restaurant. But Uncle, what are these?”
“I said I’d make medicine. These are the ingredients to put in it. We’re also picking up the fridge coats in two days, so we need to make them now.”
“Oh… hongsal moss. Ahaha. Well then, Dad, I’ll go tidy up the rest of the stuff. If you need help, just let me know.”
Yeona backed away and left the kitchen.
A while later,
A bitter smell began to permeate the kitchen.
‘Well, medicinal herbs are bound to be bitter.’
***
That evening.
“…Wow. It’s really black.”
“Is this made from hongsal moss?”
Jong-pal, who had bought supplies with his severance pay, asked, looking at the black liquid on the dining table. It was the hongsal moss potion Jong-sik had made himself.
“Yeah. We can’t drink it right away. It needs to ferment for about a day. So, just look at it for now, and we can drink it diligently once we move into the new house.”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea. But the smell… Is it okay?”
Well, it might seem that way just from the smell alone.
Jong-sik had to swallow down the urge to vomit several times in the past when dealing with potions.
“You’ll get used to it as you drink it.”
However, as disgusting as the smell might be, Jong-sik could vouch for the efficacy of the potion. Jong-pal, being an awakened individual, would feel its effects once he drank it.
“Anyway, make sure to keep it safe. Don’t leave it behind when we move.”
“It’s something you did, so I doubt I’d forget.”
“Alright then, I’ll be back in a bit.”
“At this hour? Where are you going?”
“To the landlord. I have to pay him a visit.”
“To Mr. Kang? Hmm. Want me to come with you?”
Jong-sik lightly shook his head at Jong-pal’s question. Then, he grabbed one of the three bottles of potion on the table.
“I’ll be back soon. He lives on the fourth floor, right?”
“Yeah, he’s probably home now.”
Jong-sik headed straight for the fourth floor. The lights were on, indicating that Jong-pal’s words were likely true.
Ding-dong.
As he pressed the doorbell, the landlord appeared.
“Oh, if it isn’t Jong-pal’s brother.”
They had crossed paths before, but it was the first time the two of them met like this. Perhaps that’s why the landlord’s words trailed off with uncertainty.
“I heard you were busy on moving day and might not have had the chance to greet me properly, so I came by in advance. And I have something to give you as well.”
Whether out of malice or goodwill, Jong-sik believed in returning favors received. He had come to return the kindness he had received.
“I heard from Yeona already. It’s a shame that you’re leaving, but I guess it can’t be helped. Oh, have you eaten? If not, come on in and let’s have a drink together.”
“No, I finished unpacking, and I plan to have dinner with the kids. Thank you for taking care of us. I’ll make sure to repay your kindness, but for now, please accept this…”
Jong-sik handed over the bottle of potion with caution. The landlord, applauding lightly, replied, “Oh, this seems valuable… But it’s okay. I didn’t do anything special. If anything, Yeona helped with cleaning the building.”
“It’s nothing special, so please don’t feel burdened and accept it. You can leave it indoors for a day and refrigerate it tomorrow. Have a glass each morning. And here’s my contact information. If you ever need help, feel free to contact me anytime.”
Jong-sik handed the landlord a piece of paper with his contact information along with the potion. The landlord reluctantly accepted it, and as he hesitated to say something…
“…I heard you’re a hunter.”
“Dear, who’s there? The soup is getting cold!”
“Dad! The soup is getting cold!”
“Okay, I’ll be right there. Go ahead and start eating.”
Upon hearing the voices from inside, the landlord stopped himself from saying anything further and responded. Jong-sik gestured urgently, indicating that he didn’t want to disturb their peaceful family meal.
“I’m fine, please go in and enjoy your meal comfortably.”
“…Well, thank you. We’ll enjoy it.”
And so, the night in Incheon drew to a close.
Two days later,
“Sir, Ma’am, thank you for everything.”
“Yeah, make sure Yeona studies hard and doesn’t get intimidated by the kids in Seoul!”
“We’ll come visit often.”
“You must be busy settling in there, so we’ve taken up enough of your time. You should go.”
With farewells from their neighbors, Jong-sik’s family left their beloved home. Yeona felt a pang of sadness, secretly wiping away tears, but it was only for a moment.
“…This is our home.”
The partially renovated house boasted an even more charming appearance.
The first floor had been transformed into a modern interior, blending a sense of sophistication with the nostalgic feel of a traditional red brick house.
Arriving at such a house, Yeona couldn’t contain her excitement. Of course, she wasn’t the only one feeling that way. Jong-pal, too, was delighted with the place that would fulfill their long-held dream.
He busily moved around among the movers and their belongings, instructing them on where to place things. Yeona also pitched in, rolling up her sleeves and weaving through the workers.
“Boss, please put the refrigerator over here.”
“It’s hot, so have a drink while you work.”
That’s when it happened.
Suddenly, a truck pulled up in front of the house.
“We’ve unloaded all the other items…”
Jong-sik, who was the first to notice the truck, approached it. Yeona followed behind.
“What’s going on?”
“Hello. I’ve been sent by the representative of the Healing Guild. Are you Mr. Dok Jong-sik, who moved in today?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
Sent by the guild representative? Jong-sik replied, scratching his head in surprise. The truck was filled with soil.
“Can we unload our stuff first? Oh, and here’s a card for Miss Yeona…”
Yeona approached Jong-sik, her eyes widening in surprise at the man’s words.
“Me?”
“Oh, you’re Miss Dok Yeona. Here.”
In this age of smartphones, why hand out cards? But more importantly, who sent this to her? Yeona unfolded the card in confusion.
Congratulations on your move, Yeona. I heard you have a garden in your new home…
And then she exclaimed, “Wow! Dad, they’re here to work on our garden as a gift from the representative!”
“Haha, really? Yeona must be thrilled. Then you can guide them to the backyard.”
“Yes!”
Excitedly, Yeona led the workers to the backyard.
A moment later, Jong-pal and Jong-sik entered the backyard. They chatted away while observing the ongoing work. Of course, Yeona was there too.
“So, have you thought about what to sell?”
“Well… At first, I thought about opening a snack bar since there’s probably an academy nearby, but now I’m considering selling Korean food.”
“Yeah. Whatever you choose, you’ll do well. Have you thought about what to plant here, Yeona?”
“Not yet. There are so many things I want to plant, so I need to think about it. And what about you, Uncle? What do you want to do in this house?”
“Me? I just want to eat with you guys and live a long and healthy life. Nothing special.”
