Inside the elegant box was a watch. It was a wristwatch artifact that the Blue House didn’t hesitate to boast about.
[Blue Wristwatch]
Monitors the wearer’s health status. Infuses vitality every second to help recover from fatigue.
[Unique Ability]
Increases strength by 20, agility by 20, and stamina by 20.
‘They say it’s a watch worth tens of billions of won. Not only because of its quality but also due to its rarity as a Made in Blue House artifact, it commands a high price.’
‘Was it because of that? Yeona could only stare at it, unable to touch it. Come to think of it, Jong-pal didn’t have a watch on his wrist either.’
‘Seems like he brought it along like a precious heirloom and left it carefully stored in the room. As mentioned earlier, like father, like daughter.’
“Everyone likes it so much, why don’t you wear it?”
“I tried wearing it once, but it felt like my wrist was trembling uncontrollably. It’s scary to think it might get scratched or something…”
In response to Jong-sik’s question, Yeona hesitated to speak. Seeing her niece like that, he couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Oh, just wear it. What does it matter if it gets scratched? They say anything you cherish ends up being ruined.”
“Hehe. But not today! It’s not safe to wear it out. What if someone recognizes it and steals it?”
It’s only natural for thieves to be attracted to jewels.
‘Seems like removing the Blue House emblem should suffice. If I have time, I should ask Trigo for repairs. It won’t hurt to be careful.’
Of course, it was a thought that would make Yeona panic if she found out.
Jong-sik had already made up his mind. How long has it been since she left home? And she wants to go out again? Isn’t it dangerous outside? Jong-sik looked at Yeona.
“Where are you going?”
“Just going to Guild Street for a moment.”
“Our guild’s place? Why there?”
“…Um.”
“What’s with all the fuss?”
‘Yeona, who rarely steps outside, going out makes me worried for some reason. And Guild Street, what kind of place is that? It’s not a bustling area, is it? After all, about 80% of incidents happen in busy areas.’
‘Come to think of it, wasn’t the last encounter with that lunatic at a restaurant in the busy area?’
“If you’re going shopping, do you want to go with Uncle?”
“No. Uncle has to go for an interview!”
“Well, if Jong-pal goes, it’s okay then.”
“Oh. No, it’s not that. Actually, I’m meeting someone at Guild Street….”
Jong-pal, who had hung up the phone unnoticed, narrowed his eyes and asked, “Who are you meeting?”
“Um. That’s… um…”
“Why are you being evasive? Whoever said what, whoever you’re meeting, wherever you’re going, just say it. It should be simple. Are you meeting Cheong-sol?”
Yeona waved her hands at the two men’s interrogation and replied, “Oh, it’s not like that. I’m just going out for a bit. Dad’s totally overreacting.”
“The world is getting dangerous! And it’s getting dark. Of course, I’m worried! Huh?”
“I’ll be back before it gets dark. I’ll definitely have dinner at home. It’s our family tradition!”
‘Was that their tradition? Then the meals they had at the Blue House weren’t really meals.‘
Jong-sik, who had just learned about this unheard-of tradition, said.
“That’s good to know. So come back soon. If you’re going to be late, call and let us know. So that the person waiting doesn’t worry. You know what I mean?”
Yeona nodded at Jong-pal’s words. Before long, Yeona, who changed from a dress to jeans, left the house.
There were only Jong-sik and Jong-pal in the store. Trigo was in the workshop on the third floor. Trigo, except for meal times, was dedicated to work.
Anyway, Jong-sik looked at Jong-pal, who had a stack of yellow envelopes in front of him, and asked. It was a money envelope to give to the interviewees. It’s customary to show this level of respect when you take someone’s time.
“You’ve prepared a lot. How many people are coming?”
“Fifteen. Actually, there were ten times more applicants than that, but we filtered them out from the applications. Hmm. I put fifty thousand won each, is it too little? I’ve never done this before, so I don’t know.”
“Even you don’t know, how would I? Just put it in yourself. But seriously, it’s been how long since the job posting? Unbelievable.”
“Even if the world turned upside down, it seems the job market remains the same. To think there would be so many applicants. And it’s not even for a major corporation, just a random restaurant.”
“That’s true. I didn’t expect there to be this many applicants. I thought my eyes would pop out just from looking at the resumes.”
“No wonder you’ve been glued to your phone all day. But how did you pick fifteen? Did you screen based on looks for the first round, by any chance…?”
“Oh, come on! It’s not like that. There were a lot of people with obvious agendas, so I weeded out those people, and also those who live too far away…”
“What do you mean?”
Jong-sik asked, and Jong-pal grinned and answered as if he was dumbfounded.
“Apparently, we’ve become famous. A hundred of the applicants were YouTubers. They even wrote that they’ll film YouTube videos while working, which I don’t like.”
“I see. You handled it well. You know it’s difficult to manage if you bring in the wrong people, right?”
“Of course. So, please do well today. You’re good at judging people.”
“Anyway, you’re good with words.”
Jong-sik chuckled and lightly jabbed Jong-pal’s side. That’s when someone knocked on the shop door.
“Hello. I’m here for today’s interview…”
Has it already been that long? Jong-pal greeted the applicant with a bright smile. Jong-sik muttered, “I guess they hired you based on your face,” under his breath.
At that moment,
Yeona was on Guild Street. Contrary to the talk of making an appointment, there was no one beside her. And it wasn’t like she was waiting for someone.
She was wandering around alone, pondering. Yeona wandered in and out of the shops on Guild Street. Before she knew it, she had a few envelopes in her hand.
It was the result of her efforts. They were quite heavy, indicating she had bought quite a lot. About an hour had passed since she started wandering the streets. her feet didn’t seem to know how to stop.
‘Hmm, what should I buy to make it seem like I made good choices.’
It was because of Uncle Jong-sik. Gifts for Dad and Trigo were easy to buy, but somehow, it was difficult to choose a gift for Uncle.
Although she strongly desired to buy hunter gear, the reality was that she was sorely lacking in funds.
Despite diligently saving up pocket money and earning money from working at the store, when combined, it was a considerable sum.
“Ugh! It’s too expensive.”
The price of an artifact suitable for Dad was beyond imagination.
“I-I’ll come back next time!”
In the end, Yeona turned away from the display shelf.
“Maybe in the Lotus Market … no, no.”
For a moment, the watch she received today crossed Yeona’s mind. But soon, she shook her head and brushed away the thought.
She didn’t want to easily sell the gift given by the respected President.
How much did she wager? Something displayed in the large shopping mall across the street caught her eye.
“Huh? It’s perfect for Dad!”
Somehow, it seemed to overlap with Dad’s image. Yeona crossed the street as if in a trance. Then she opened the store door.
“Welcome.”
“Can I see the items displayed outside?”
“Which one are you referring to among the displayed ones?”
At the employee’s question, Yeona reached out her hand.
“That one, over there!”
“Oh, it seems like you’re looking to buy a gift.”
With Yeona’s gesture, the employee immediately understood that she intended to buy a gift. And it made sense, considering what Yeona pointed out was for men.
“Yes. Can I take a look?”
“Of course. It’s a new product that just came out, and the response has been great. Please wait a moment.”
“Okay!”
Now that she had finally found something she liked, could she wait for it? Yeona responded confidently.
Various applicants visited Dok Family’s Restaurant. There were applicants boasting impressive careers, and there were those who had no experience in the food industry whatsoever.
The last applicant, Choi Hong-min, was one such case. 23-year-old Choi Hong-min. The resume he brought was neat. Although there was only one line in the work experience section, it wasn’t even related to the food industry.
“If you hire me, I’ll work really hard.”
Perhaps due to nervousness, Choi Hong-min scratched his lower lip with his front teeth. Jong-sik, who had scrutinized his resume, stared at Choi Hong-min in silence.
“He seems like Jong-pal. Applying for a dishwasher job when he knows how to handle mana.”
Feeling the gaze on him, Choi Hong-min straightened up in his seat. Then, Jong-pal asked a question.
“Hmm. You’ve been working as a porter for quite some time?”
“Yes! My father is a porter, so I’ve been helping him since I was young.”
“With that level of experience, you could have established yourself in that field. May I ask why you suddenly applied to our restaurant?”
‘Although the pay was higher than the minimum wage, it wasn’t comparable to being a porter. Moreover, it’s not easy to secure a position as a porter, and with steady clients, one could earn quite a bit of money.’
Of course, it would be stressful. Nevertheless, compared to just being a dishwasher, there was a brighter future.
Yet he applied for kitchen dishwashing, so Jong-sik was curious about the reason. As Choi Hong-min swallowed his saliva, he spoke up.
“A while ago, my father passed away. There was an accident in the dungeon.”
“Oh… I see.”
“After that, I quit going to the dungeon. Even though I grew up watching it, I couldn’t continue being a porter. If I mess up, my younger brother would have to take care of my funeral. Hah, I tried it once, and it really wasn’t something I could do. So, while looking for other jobs, I came across the job posting for this restaurant.”
“I see. However, we’re not hiring part-time workers, we’re looking for full-time employees. And we’re looking for employees who can work for a long time. The pay is much lower than what you’ve received, and yet you’re still interested?”
“Yes. If you hire me, I’ll work really hard. Washing dishes is something I’m surprisingly good at.”
Choi Hong-min expressed his determination. Jong-sik turned his head and looked at Jong-pal. Jong-pal was leaving a small mark on the resume Choi Hong-min submitted.
For some reason, he seemed to have liked him. Well, didn’t Jong-pal say earlier that he would be a perfect fit as a waiter, even after marking his resume like that?
Anyway, Jong-pal asked Choi Hong-min various questions several times. Some of the questions were quite personal, like asking how old his younger sibling was or if he needed to go home early.
After some time passed,
“Thank you for applying to our restaurant. It’s not much, but please take this. It’s for the interview.”
Jong-pal handed Choi Hong-min an envelope after finishing the interview. Choi Hong-min blinked his eyes and bowed his head.
“Then I’ll contact you again within 2-3 days.”
“Yes. Thank you. I really hope to see you again.”
****
[Uncle, it’s me, Yeona. Thank you so much for the bracelet you gave me last time. I really liked it. Even more than the watch I received today! Hehe. I wanted to give Uncle a present too, but I’m sorry it’s so late. I hope you like this gift! And if Uncle wears it, you’ll look even cooler than a model!]
It had been a while since he received a handwritten letter. Jong-sik felt his heart warm up. He only found out after returning, but Yeona said she went out to buy gifts for her family.
The letter he was reading now was also included in Jong-sik’s gift. He looked at Yeona with a pleased smile.
Yeona was teaching Trigo how to use the speaker. Trigo’s gift was a Bluetooth speaker and earphones.
A moment later, hip music filled the store.
“This is the perfect music for hammering nails.”
“Hehe. It’s my favorite song. Uncle! If you like this genre, can I recommend a few more?”
“Oh, sure, sure.”
Yeona hummed along, dancing to the rhythm. Then, she met Jong-sik’s gaze. Yeona dashed straight to Jong-sik’s side.
“Uhmmm. Did you read the letter? I told you to read it later!”
“Don’t worry about silly things like that. Anyway, thank you, Yeona. I’ll wear it well. No, should I wear it now and come out?”
“Yes!”
Jong-sik’s gift was a white shirt and a black cardigan. When he went into the kitchen to try them on, they fit perfectly, even though he hadn’t been told the sizes. Buttoning up all the buttons, Jong-sik came back out into the hall.
“Wow, Uncle Jong-sik looks really cool!”
With an approving smile, Yeona clapped her hands, and Trigo perked up his shoulders, saying some witty remark like “Brother, my eyes are dazzled.”
Jong-pal also nodded and raised his thumb. Then, Yeona shouted,
“Uncle! You’d look really, really cool if you wear it with that watch.”
Jong-sik thought he should definitely wear the watch after hearing that.
