"NOONA, you’re really here!"
Wonhee smiled at the enthusiastic greeting of Seon Eunseok– her eighteen–year–old nephew– while she was having a ’hang-over soup’ that her brother-in-law made for her for breakfast.
She ca ho a bit drunk last night after her mini-drinking contest with Yool.
[Because we fought a little.]
Wonhee and Yool drank soju and beer while fighting last night...
["Wony-ah, you’re usually too kind for your own good! You’re supposed to be the type of character who’ll sacrifice herself and a few people for the sake of the world. Why are you suddenly being stubborn now?"]
["The System didn’t guarantee that you’ll be alive once you return to your original body as Ong Yool. How can I send you off there in that situation, huh?"]
["But my sacrifice won’t be in vain since we’ll know the identities of our enemies."]
["The Big 4 and the others are already looking for the enemies, and it’s not like we’re in a hurry. But even if we are, I won’t still let you sacrifice yourself, Yool-ah. You don’t like your life as Ong Yool, do you?"]
["But I’d hate it if you got targeted again because we don’t know the identities of the enemies, Wony-ah."]
["I’ll be more careful, Yool-ah."]
In the end, Wonhee and Yool just got drunk without arriving at a conclusion.
Ahyeon drove Wonhee ho while Song Moonho took Yool back to the hotel.
"Noona, how long are you going to stay with us?" Eunseok asked excitedly. "I wish you’d just live here with us permanently. I almost had a heart attack when I saw the news, Noona."
Aww.
Eunseok had the look of a typical bad boy– handso but his sharp eyes made him look like a bully. It didn’t help that he was too blunt for his own good.
But, deep inside, Eunseok was still a child.
[Semi Unnie got married in her early twenties, right after graduating from college, and had Eunseok as their honeymoon baby.]
"I don’t know how long I’d be staying here, but I’m already looking for a new house," Wonhee said to her nephew. "I’m thinking of buying a house either near you or Soobin Oppa. Then I’ll turn that house into a fortress."
"Just turn our annex here into your new house, Noona. The annex is just as big as Noona’s penthouse anyway."
Pfft.
"Eunseok-ah, how many tis do we have to tell you that your aunt is not your noona?"
Wonhee smiled when Seon Chang-ho, Semi’s husband and Eunseok’s father, scolded Eunseok when he joined them for breakfast.
"But Aunt Hee-ya is only a few years older than , Abeoji," Eunseok complained lightly. "When I was a toddler, Auntie took care of . I thought she was my noona."
That was true.
[And that’s why I don’t mind Eunseok calling ’noona’ instead of ’Aunt.’]
"Too bad we’re Koreans, huh?" Chang-ho teased Eunseok. "And since we’re Koreans living in Korea, address your aunt properly."
"Yes, Abeoji," Eunseok said, obviously sulking. But his face lit up when he turned to Wonhee again. "Auntie, are you busy today? Let’s hang out. It’s been a while since we played just the two of us~"
"I can’t go out recklessly without at least one Big 4 mber with , so let’s just play here in the anti," Wonhee explained to her nephew. "Plus, Soobin Oppa and Geon Oppa will be here later."
***
"HEE-YA, I heard from your unnie that you’re interested in owning so shares in the Fall Guild’s Nom Nom Restaurant."
Wonhee was having coffee in the garden when Seon Chang-ho joined her.
[Eunseok was sad that he had school today.]
Anyway...
[Why did my brother-in-law bring up Nom Nom Restaurant?]
Oh, right.
When Wonhee t Fall Guild’s Guildmaster, she told Hamin that she would buy his shares if he sold them.
And she ntioned that to Semi when she was having dinner with her sister.
"I’m interested in owning enough shares to have voting power, Brother-in-law," Wonhee said politely. "But I heard it’s not easy to buy shares if you’re not related to the SC Foods."
After all, the SC Foods was the conglorate behind the Fall Guild.
[Smaller private guilds needed financial support from conglorate groups. Only the Big 4 managed to establish their guilds without needing financial backing from other people since they earned a lot during their rookie days.]
"I have so shares in the company, Hee-ya."
"Of course, you do, Brother-in-law. You are the younger brother of SC Foods’ current chairman, after all."
[Chaebols tend to marry other chaebols.]
"Well, I’m just my father’s illegitimate child," Chang-ho said lightly. "Even so, my older brother was generous enough to give so shares in the company. But now that I’m preparing to be Daesung Group’s next chairman, I’m thinking of selling my shares from the SC Foods. To be precise, my shares from the Fall Guild’s Nom Nom Restaurant."
The current chairman of the Daesung Group was Semi’s mother and the ex-wife of Wonhee’s father.
[My father was the son of the previous chairman of Daesung Group. But my father wasn’t interested in running a conglorate, so he gave up his right to inherit the group when he divorced his ex-wife. My paternal grandfather saw the potential in his forr daughter-in-law, so he made her the next chairman.]
And now...
"Is Auntie already retiring?" Wonhee asked carefully. Of course, the ’auntie’ she ntioned was Semi’s mother. "I thought Auntie would stay as the chairman for at least two more years."
"My mother-in-law will train for at least a year first," Chang-ho said shyly. "And I want to delay it as long as possible in case Semi changes her mind."
"Unnie is the president of one of Daesung’s subsidiary companies, and she’s doing well, but I don’t think Unnie has the ti to run the entirety of Daesung Group," she said. "I think Brother-in-law is the best choice to be the next chairman."
"Thank you for saying that, Hee-ya. Can I ask for a favor, then?"
"What is it, Brother-in-law?"
"Would you like to buy my shares in Fall Guild’s Nom Nom Restaurant, Hee-ya?" Chang-ho asked, smiling. "If Hunter Hamin ends up selling his shares to you, then you’ll have the voting power that you need."
Wonhee smiled after hearing her brother-in-law’s tempting offer. "Please na your price, Brother-in-law."
[I have money to burn anyway.]
***
"DO AHYEON is still a C-Class Hunter."
Wonhee already expected that result, but she still felt a little disappointed. "Thank you for checking Ahyeonnie’s status level, Geon Oppa."
Geon and Soobin arrived at Semi’s house half an hour earlier.
Chang-ho, before going to work, ushered them to the drawing room.
Wonhee, Soobin, Geon, and Ahyeon were the only people there.
"Did you say that your Status Window said the System raised Do Ahyeon’s status level while you were being attacked?" Geon asked while removing the pair of eyeglasses that he used to appraise Ahyeon’s status level. Yes, those eyeglasses were S-Grade equipnt used to check a Hunter’s level, and it was a gift from Soobin. "To A-Class, at that."
Wonhee nodded politely. "Yes, Oppa. But the System did say it was only temporary. Even so, I still wanted to make sure that Ahyeon’s level has returned to normal."
"It seems like the System raised Do Ahyeon’s level at that mont in order to protect you," Soobin comnted. "That must be one of your skills, Hee-ya."
Right.
Wonhee rembered that the System once summoned the Big 4 just to protect her.
[It’s scary how much the System protects . It makes wonder what the System would ask in return later.]
"Noona, I’d like to stay as a C-Class Hunter if I could," Ahyeon said nervously. "I can’t protect you anymore if I leveled up."
Wonhee was moved. "Ahyeonnie..."
"It won’t be a problem if you level up, Do Ahyeon," Soobin said casually. "After all, our Hee-ya is now an S-Class Guide whom the entire country needs to protect."
"Right," Geon said, nodding. "APA was heavily criticized after the news about the attack on our Hee-ya broke out. The entire country now sees our Hee-ya as a national treasure. So, no one will complain if you beco an A-Class Hunter, Do Ahyeon."
"I-I see," Ahyeon said, shyly. "T-Then I’ll do my best to level up for Wony Noona."
Wonhee just smiled at Ahyeon’s determination, and then she turned to her older brother when she rembered sothing. "Oppa, do you know when Semi Unnie is coming out?"
Soobin let out a sigh. "About that..."
***
SEVEN DAYS.
[It has been seven days already...]
Semi and Graham hadn’t co out of the Isolated Laboratory yet because, apparently, Graham couldn’t use his red fla properly to burn the ingredients they gathered.
But, most importantly...
"Why isn’t Yejun coming out yet?" Wonhee asked nervously while staring at the beautiful yet dangerous iceberg floating above the Blue House. "He’s supposed to co out today, right?"
She was allowed to go to the Blue House because aside from Ahyeon and Yool, Song Moonho and Soobin accompanied her.
The Special Forces (Cracks Division) led by Captain Lee Jiho were also there.
"Ah, dammit," Soobin said while looking up at the Crack. "The dungeon is breaking."
"How about Yejun then?" Wonhee asked worriedly. "What will happen to Yejun?"
"Your ability as a Guide must have been useless to Yejun Oppa, Chu Wonhee-ssi."
Hmm?
Wonhee turned around and saw a familiar beautiful face.
[The Winter Guild’s ’goddess?’]
It was Kim Bora, the Winter Guild’s A-Class Guide.
[Why is this kid picking a fight with ?]
***
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