“It’s a meeting on unified defense drills.”
When villains or undead monsters invade, civilians move to designated shelters and hunters protect the designated shelters.
That’s what unified defense drills were all about. And today’s meeting at the Blue House was about that.
Through the meeting, all matters related to the drills would be decided. Such as the shelters, the areas allocated to guilds, and…
“It’s because the Dok family is involved that I urged you to attend.”
“Our family?”
“Yes, Think about it. Mr. Trigo is in charge of making the shelters, Commander Dok needs to participate in the training as a member of the Healing Guild, and finally, Jong-pal.”
“Why Jong-pal?”
“I’m going to secure a contract for the hunters’ lunchbox business at this meeting.”
“…!”
Now I understand why it’s the Jong-pal Team without Jong-pal.
As Pyeong-ari said, the Dok family members had a significant impact on the unified defense drills.
“That’s why I invited you to come with me. Jong-pal said he wanted to cook as a volunteer, but where did that come from? Ah! I’m just letting you know in case you misunderstand, but it’s absolutely not about money.”
There should be some reward for the effort. Jong-sik, understanding Pyeong-ari’s intention, nodded as if to agree.
If they conducted it for free, there would come a time when the favor would be repaid.
“Shall we go in now?”
As it was a meeting attended by various guild officials, there were some familiar faces. They were the hunters who participated in national operations together.
“Commander Dok! Over here.”
“It’s a bit awkward to see you here instead of at the scene. Haha.”
As high-ranking hunters participating in national operations, they all held high positions in their guilds. That’s why they were attending the meeting.
Those who arrived first warmly welcomed Jong-sik and Pyeong-ari.
“We came because we have something important to discuss.”
“Something important? What is it? If it’s important to Commander Dok, then we should all pitch in.”
“It’s not for any other reason but…”
Before the meeting, Pyeong-ari dropped a hint to her fellow hunters. She wanted to secure a contract from the government for lunchboxes.
“It’s not Commander Dok’s business; it’s ours.”
“…Well, we’re the ones eating it. And compared to the tasteless military rations and Jong-pal’s lunchboxes, there’s no comparison!”
“Commander Dok, please trust us. We’ll get the contract ourselves!”
And this had a significant impact on the lunchbox contract. Out of the thirty guilds in attendance, twenty-eight guilds supported the Healing Guild.
Thus, Pyeong-ari secured the lunchbox contract.
Some time later, after the meeting, the two of them came out.
“Commander Dok! Aren’t you hungry? I know a delicious restaurant. Would you like to have dinner together?”
It was a brave invitation.
Jong-sik immediately declined.
“I’m sorry. I have somewhere to go.”
“…Oh, you have plans, I see.”
“Not exactly, I just wanted to buy a cake.”
“Oh! Does that mean you’re having a celebration party…?”
Nodding.
‘He’s indeed a homely person.’
Pyeong-ari’s gloomy expression suddenly brightened.
An idea occurred to her.
Pyeong-ari hurriedly spoke up.
“That’s great! I was just thinking of going to a cake shop because I wanted cake too. I know a really good cake shop. Would you like to go together?”
“…You were planning to go to a cake shop too, Team Leader Pyeong?”
“Ahaha. Yes! I said I knew a good place. That’s the cake shop. Ahaha. Shall we go together then?”
“Is it really that good?”
“Yes! You usually need a reservation to eat there… Oh! Anyway!”
Pyeong-ari grabbed Jong-sik’s arm.
“In exchange for telling you, can you buy me a coffee? No, please buy it!”
“Oh, sure. I have some time.”
She made the right move after all.
That’s what Pyeong-ari thought.
***
“Have you all finished writing?”
“No, not yet. We’re still working on it.”
The middle-aged person standing at the lectern chuckled in response to the students’ outcry.
“Is that so? Then take your time. But remember, the longer you take, the longer the class will be extended.”
“Ugh…”
“What? Another ten minutes added.”
“Ah, teacher!”
“Twenty minutes added.”
“Ugh…”
“Teacher, I’m done! How about collecting it right now?”
“You should have finished earlier. It’s obvious that it doesn’t take even five minutes to fill that out. Huh? You guys are sitting on your heads. Come on, quickly collect them.”
Students in the back row began to stand up and collect the survey forms.
The survey was about the students’ family backgrounds, such as their parents’ occupations, whether they were awakened, and their living environment.
Yeona, a student at Seoul Academy, naturally participated in the survey.
“Here.”
Yeona handed the survey form to the approaching student, and the classmate looked at Yeona’s completed form carefully.
‘What? I thought she had some impressive background, but she’s the daughter of a restaurant owner? Totally ridiculous. Seriously. Wearing our Seoul Academy uniform for such a topic? Who does she think she is? How did she even transfer here?’
A girl with pink hair glanced at Yeona.
Unaware of such thoughts, Yeona was preoccupied with her own worries.
“Do you all know that we have a parent-invited class this week?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t forget to inform your parents and make sure nobody is absent. Got it?”
“Yes!”
“Good responses. Ugh.”
“Since we answered well, can you please shorten the class time?”
“Who just made an absurd comment? Because of you, five more minutes.”
“Oh, come on!”
The source of worry was none other than the parent-invited class. Seoul Academy invites parents of students to teach classes every quarter.
On that day, instead of teachers, parents become the instructors for the day.
Since most parents of academy students are in the hunter profession, it’s an opportunity to hear diverse stories from the field.
‘It’s so inconvenient to have to invite parents like we’re in kindergarten. It’s something you can’t even imagine at schools in Incheon. Phew. I wonder if Dad can take a break that day…’
However, Yeona’s situation is a bit different. Her dad, Dok Jong-pal, is not in the hunter profession, and more importantly, he shouldn’t have to take a break just for this.
‘There’s no need for him to do that because of me.’
So, there’s nothing she can do about it.
“Well then, everyone, let’s take out our textbooks!”
After class, she should talk to the homeroom teacher about it.
***
“Wow, Uncle, when did you prepare all of this?”
A lettering cake is placed on the table.
When looking at the message written in the center of the cake.
‘To my beloved little brother, Jong-pal. Congratulations on the contract. Give it your all.’
It was clear who prepared the cake.
“I didn’t really prepare anything. I just bought it on my way home from work.”
“Huh? But this cake is from Gabi Shop, isn’t it? It was written on the cake box….”
“Hmm. The shop name might have been Gabi. Well, if it’s written on the box, then it must be.”
“Exactly! But that doesn’t make sense. That shop only takes custom orders.”
Yeona asked, and Jong-sik replied with a smirk.
“Oh, is that so? Then maybe it’s because the shop is known to Head Pyeong. He said the cakes from there are delicious and took me there.”
Dok Jong-sik, who didn’t know that Pyeong had paid twenty times the cake’s price, and Yeona, who didn’t know that Jong-sik didn’t know, nodded along with what Jong-sik said.
“Oh, I see. That makes sense! Anyway, Dad will be really happy when he sees it. Hehe.”
“I hope so.”
“I can guarantee it!”
“Then let’s see if he really likes it or not. Trigo, Uncle, could you please?”
“Yes. Understood. Hyung!”
As soon as Jong-sik lit the candle, Trigo nodded and headed to the kitchen.
At the same time, Yeona turned off the lights in the shop, and Haeli hurriedly put on a party hat. The preparations for the party were complete.
Eventually, Trigo came out to the hall with Jong-pal, who was in the middle of preparing dinner.
“What’s going on? I have to handle the seafood…”
“Right now, handling seafood isn’t important. Just come out. It’s something really big. To the shop, to the shop!”
“…What, why are the hall lights off again?”
The moment Jong-pal came out to the hall.
“Huh?”
A single light started flickering in the dark space. It was candlelight. At the same time, bang, bang, bang! The sound of fireworks followed.
“What’s going on here?”
While Jong-pal was bewildered, trying to understand the situation, Yeona began to sing the prepared song.
“Congratulations on the contract. Congratulations on the contract. To our beloved Dad….”
Nephews congratulating their uncle, and Pyeong-ari with a deeply moved expression, Haeli clapping beside Yeona, and Trigo focusing on the cake.
‘Looking at that sight, it feels like this is happiness. Along with that, no matter how many times I think about it, I feel like I made the right choice to come back to Earth.’
“What are you doing? You have to blow out the candles.”
With a smile on his lips, Jong-sik extended the cake he was holding towards Jong-pal.
“Thank you, everyone.”
Jong-pal wiped away tears as he blew out the candles.
Then, as if waiting for it, Haeli raised his hand. Of course, he wasn’t the only one.
“Next is me! I want to do it too, Haeli.”
“Oh, Korea is a Confucian country. Elders first. For that reason, ahem, I want to blow them out first.”
Trigo approached the cake subtly.
It meant he wanted to light the candles.
Eventually, Jong-pal couldn’t help but smile as well.
‘But what happens if you go from crying to laughing?’
***
“Huh? Wasn’t it just a guild contract?”
Yeona asked with a surprised expression, and Jong-pal nodded.
A few hours ago, he received a call from his brother, Jong-sik, who went out with Pyeong-ari, saying they had secured a catering contract for the hunters participating in the integrated defense training.
“It turned out like that somehow. Dad hasn’t even heard about it yet.”
“No wonder Dad bought a cake too. Of course, it’s also to celebrate joining the guild. Ah, right now, that’s not important. Anyway, Dad, congratulations for real. You’re going to be really busy now.”
“I guess I’ll be a little busier than now. But Dad will do his best. After all, it’s something that helps our family and our country.”
Signing two contracts in one day.
It was remarkable.
Yeona nodded and raised both thumbs.
But somehow her expression turned dark.
The reason was the parents’ invitation class.
‘…Dad really won’t work.’
Then there was only one card left.
Yeona glanced at her Uncle, Jong-sik.
“Yeona, just a moment.”
‘Could he read that look?’
Jong-sik called Yeona aside.
“What’s wrong?”
As expected, Uncle was quick on the uptake.
Yeona brought up her concerns.
“I talked to the teacher, but they said exceptions can’t be made. The academy’s principle is that even if they’re not parents, students must bring a guardian to attend the class….”
Her words trailed off.
Yeona hesitated to continue.
But Jong-sik cut to the chase.
“So they’re asking for someone to come to school.”
“Yes. It’s a bit of a difficult request, isn’t it?”
“Difficult? What’s difficult about it? When should I go?”
“This Friday!”
“No big deal. I’ll go, so don’t worry.”
Jong-sik replied promptly, as if there was nothing to think about.
His response made Yeona’s previous worries seem insignificant.
To confirm, Yeona asked again, “Really? Uncle, are you sure about your schedule that day?”
“Even if I’m busy, I’ll make time. So don’t worry about unnecessary things and go eat properly. It seems like you haven’t eaten properly because you were worried about that.”
“Hehe.”
“Amusing.”
Yeona smiled without reservation.
