If possible, I would have preferred a more suitable location, but the place where I sat down with Seo Kyunghoon was none other than the rooftop rest area. There wasn’t anywhere nearby good for a quiet conversation, and going too far seemed to make Kyunghoon visibly uncomfortable. Well, it was a sudden situation.

The rooftop corner rest area had a few trees planted in a small garden. The weather had cooled considerably, but a few outdoor AC units were still humming. Judging by the half-filled ashtray beside the table, it was mainly used for smoke breaks.

Since Noah is an S-rank, even with his presence suppressed, he would still be overwhelming for non-awakened people, so I asked him to stay by the rooftop entrance and prevent others from coming up. He was concerned for my safety, but it was a short distance, and I could easily handle a non-awakened person on my own. Kyunghoon had a higher stat grade than me, but he wasn’t awakened yet.

“I’m Han Yujin, director of the Monster Mount Breeding Facility.”

I reintroduced myself formally and handed over a business card. I had first met hyung in an irregular dungeon attack team. It had been a mess from beginning to end, and we even ended up fighting. We drank together with bruised faces, and now here I was, handing him a business card so properly—it felt weird.

“To be honest, I don’t quite understand why you’ve come all this way to find me.”

Seo Kyunghoon said, unable to hide his confusion. It was natural for someone who saw himself as just an ordinary office worker to think that way. Just in case, I tried using the Promising Talent skill, but maybe because the system hadn’t stabilized yet, the status window didn’t show properly.

“Even being recommended in the first place is a mystery to me.”

“To be frank, I’m not looking for someone exceptional.”

When I made it clear that it wasn’t because he was impressive that I came, Kyunghoon actually looked relieved.

“The current vacant position is just a basic clerical job. The people you’ll be dealing with aren’t ordinary, but the work itself isn’t difficult.”

In essence, it’s just a small-scale animal training and breeding facility. The monetary value of the deals was high, but the number of transactions was low.

“But more than anything, I need someone I can trust. In a way, that’s harder to find than any top-tier talent. It’s not a visible skill, after all.”

It’s actually not hard to find someone competent. As long as the conditions are right, you can hire anyone. But someone I can trust, who won’t betray me—how can I find a person like that? The answer is time. It’s a quality you only understand after spending a long time with someone.

“…You’re saying you can trust me?”

“I trust the person who recommended Deputy Manager Seo Kyunghoon.”

Kyunghoon rubbed the back of his neck, clearly unable to guess who had recommended him. That would be me. I’m the one who did.

“Regardless, I want to hire you, Deputy Manager Seo. So let me tell you the conditions. First, the base salary is 2 million won per month.”

Kyunghoon tried to hide his shocked expression. After all that, just 2 million? It was understandable for him to be taken aback. Especially since anything related to high-rank Hunters is known to be lucrative.

“And the hazard pay is 10 million won per month.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Feels a bit low, doesn’t it?”

When I gave him an apologetic look, Kyunghoon shook his head.

“Since it’s a place where high-rank monsters and high-rank Hunters will be around, it might feel insufficient, but I plan to be very careful about staff safety. You’ll never have to face a high-rank monster one-on-one, and I’ll take strict precautions with high-rank Hunters too.”

The office will be in the building, not the breeding facility, so you’ll mostly only encounter high-rank Hunters.

“Still, accidents are hard to prevent entirely, so of course there’s compensation. If you’re unfairly threatened by a high-rank Hunter, you’ll receive 5 million for A-rank, 20 million for S-rank as consolation. If you’re injured beyond that, not only will we cover all medical expenses, but you’ll receive 50 million for A-rank and 200 million for S-rank threats. Naturally, sanctions will also be imposed on the Hunter involved. In the case of death, well, let’s hope that never happens, but you’ll be thoroughly compensated.”

A-rank, S-rank, no one lays a finger on my staff. The sudden jump in numbers left Kyunghoon speechless. He just stared at me blankly.

“Of course, the four major insurances are included. Oh, and if your job regularly puts you in contact with high-rank Hunters, some insurance companies might deny coverage. That’s why we cover all medical expenses. On top of that, meals are separate—100,000 won per day.”

“Per day? Not per week?”

“You work to eat, so you’ve got to eat well. Quality meals make you healthier, and when you’re healthy, you work better. That’s how it goes, right? If you’ve got leftovers, you can use it for supplements or health tonics. In the end, investing in food pays off.”

What else was there. Ah, that.

“However, we don’t provide transportation costs.”

“That’s fine…”

“We provide a company residence instead. If your home is far from the office, commuting gets tough. No matter what anyone says, having your workplace close to home is the best. Take a look around the area and pick a listing you like, and we’ll take care of it right away. Of course, no penthouses or anything like that, but depending on household size, anything between 20 to 40 pyeong is possible.”

“Excuse me? That is, um…”

“Since moving frequently is a hassle, go for purchase rather than lease if you can.”

Roughly speaking, that’s the offer.

“The base salary will be increased as well. I’d also like to ask you to keep everything beyond the base salary and residence confidential.”

The base salary was intentionally set low. Considering the free housing, it’s not actually a small amount. Even if it’s a clerical position, the workplace is what it is, so attention is inevitable. Especially from people curious about the salary. If someone asks, “How much do you make?” and the answer is “2 million won a month,” it lands ambiguously. From Kyunghoon’s perspective, it’s on the lower side. But if you add “it’ll go up soon” and “the housing is free,” it becomes “Oh, that’s actually pretty good.”

That level was just right. Real estate near a large guild is expensive, but unless you’re handing over cash directly, it won’t be overvalued. If someone with no particular ability suddenly starts earning hundreds of millions, they’ll definitely attract weird people. And if it looks like they’re being paid too much, people might assume it’s a very important role, which makes things even more annoying.

Also, even if hazard pay or consolation money became known, they were justifiable with the right explanation. “There are still untamed monsters roaming around, so high compensation makes sense.” If someone says, “Your life is on the line!” others might go, “Ah, that makes sense.” Even though, in reality, there’s no such danger.

“It’s hard to imagine turning this down.”

Seo Kyunghoon said, looking dazed.

“It might look good at a glance, but it could actually be difficult to endure. For a non-awakened person, constantly dealing with high-rank Hunters can be pretty stressful. Plus, since it’s a unique workplace, you’ll probably get a lot of attention at first too.”

Of course, Kyunghoon would be fine. He had adapted to Hunter work fairly easily, and more importantly, he was someone who stood by me. There hadn’t been just one or two times when he was threatened just for being with me. Some of those were even mid-rank, and even high-rank Hunters.

But even so, he never left my side. That alone was proof more than enough.

“As long as I don’t get fired, I think I can manage.”

Kyung-hoon said with a slight laugh, as if he was finally starting to relax. It was meant as a joke, but knowing that he actually had been fired made it hard for me to laugh. Technically, it was because the company had basically gone under.

He had a mother and a much younger sister. As the head of the household, when he suddenly lost his job, he went to an awakening center just in case during his job hunt and was determined to be E-rank awakened. Not even F-rank, but E-rank, so he started Hunter work.

And then.

“About the company residence… does it have to be near the breeding facility? I have a younger sister, she’s much younger, still in high school. She’s entering college next year. If possible, I’d like to move near her school. And near the university too.”

“Yes, of course that’s fine. But for the university, even if the commute is a bit longer, I recommend living near a large guild. Even though dungeons have become safer, there’s always a chance. And of course, near the breeding facility is best. If you’re connected, people will be more willing to look out for you in case of an emergency.”

“Ah, that makes sense.”

“You seem close with your sister.”

“Yes. I think it’s because our father passed away early.”

He answered a bit bashfully. I had met his sister, Kyungha, a few times myself.

“I heard Director Han also has a very close sibling relationship.”

“…Huh? Y-yes, that’s right.”

I stammered without meaning to. My throat tightened with emotion. After all the hardship he went through raising me, I could still vividly hear the voice that said it was truly too cruel of me. He had told me to just forget about Yuhyun, but also said he understood why I couldn’t. That he probably would have been the same.

“…We’re really close, yes.”

When I acted worried for my brother or tried to shield him, he used to scold me to consider my own situation, but still looked out for me with concern. I could finally say in front of that hyung that we were close now. …My eyes welled up a bit too.

“My little brother and I lived apart for over three years because he was afraid he’d bring harm to me. You’ve probably heard about it.”

“Yes, I saw it on TV.”

“I didn’t know at all, so I used to resent him a bit. But he’s someone I really raised with care. When he said he was going to become a Hunter… it was so hard. He was still so young, not even an adult yet, and to think he was going to do such dangerous work…”

“…I would have felt the same. Even if my sibling were an adult, I would’ve tried to stop them.”

He said the same thing now as he had in my previous life, even though this was the first time we were meeting today. I knew how ridiculous it was to cry while complaining about my life in front of someone I’d just met. But I couldn’t hold it in. If I had told him before I died that it was all a misunderstanding and I had made up with my brother, he would’ve been genuinely happy for me. He would’ve poured me a drink, saying I must’ve had a rough time.

“You must’ve suffered a lot.”

“…Yes.”

Stains began to dot the wooden table. It must’ve looked ridiculous, people would wonder what the hell I was doing. It was embarrassing and awkward.

“…Here.”

A handkerchief was offered. It was familiar. He had once said it was a gift Kyungha bought him with her first part-time paycheck. I’d said I’d wash it and give it back, but in the end, I returned it not to the brother, but to the sister. At the funeral.

“…Thank you. I’ll wash it and give it back, so please come pick it up in person.”

“You mean I should start coming to work at the breeding facility.”

He smiled as he said it, and somehow, I managed to smile back. My throat was still tight and burning, but inside, it felt like a knot that had been tangled and stuck for so long had finally come undone.

“This is really embarrassing. I came to recruit someone and ended up showing a pathetic side. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. It happens.”

“Uh, for the details, please contact the Haeyeon Guild HR team. They’re handling administrative tasks for the breeding facility right now, so your initial training will be through them as well. Here’s the HR contact number. Please feel free to reach out anytime.”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll look forward to good news.”

“I feel like calling them right away.”

I said I’d welcome that with a smile. I handed him the gift I had prepared and left. There were still more people to meet—did I leave tear stains? Maybe I should find somewhere to wash my face.

“…Are you alright?”

When I got back to the car, Noah asked with concern. Now that I think about it, he probably heard everything. Ack, how embarrassing!

“I-I’m fine. Just got emotional since our family circumstances are kind of similar.”

Aside from taking care of a younger sibling, our situations were pretty different, but still. Feeling embarrassed, I hugged Peace close and stroked him. Anyway, the start went well. I don’t think it was too weird. …It probably was, but still.

The second place was also a small company. When I told Lee Yushin that bringing a newbie along was fine, she wrote “RESIGNATION” in huge letters on a plastic file with a marker and threw it right at her boss’s face. She said she’d long wanted to quit but hadn’t because she was worried about leaving the kid behind, and she flipped the middle finger too.

She used to team up with that newbie, Kim Hyewon, even as a Hunter. She looked out for other people too. I remembered her once joking that our [N O V E L I G H T] names were similar and that I should forget the brother who abandoned me and become siblings with her instead.

The next stop was a dog café. The part-timer, Choi Suryeon, was flustered when she heard what I had to say but still asked excitedly if she could see Peace. When I showed her Peace waiting in the car, she was overjoyed and couldn’t stop smiling. Two years younger than me, Choi Suryeon was on leave from university after finishing military service.

She and I had both rolled around at the bottom as F-rank supporters, but she gained a C-rank healing skill. That alone made it easy to get into a small guild, but she said she couldn’t leave her older brother behind. A single C-rank healing skill isn’t even enough to be a low-rank healer, but in low-level dungeons, it was still a welcome ability. So I eventually forced her to go.

…She wouldn’t leave on her own under normal circumstances, so we didn’t part on good terms. But that wouldn’t happen this time.

“This is the place.”

I parked near an old corridor-style apartment. I apologized to Peace, who had to keep waiting in the car, and got out. I had started this day in tears, but with each familiar face I met, my heart grew lighter.

This time would be different, and knowing I could make it that way meant more than anything.

“Fourth floor. No elevator here either.”

Lots of walking today. Guess I won’t need to exercise. It was a small, almost one-room apartment, and being a weekday afternoon, the area was quiet. I heard there was no class today, but I wasn’t sure if she’d be home.

“Yujin.”

I was standing in the hallway, counting doors since many of them were missing their room numbers, when Noah spoke up. When I turned around reflexively, there was a deep shadow over his face.

“What’s wrong?”

Noah hesitated, biting his lip hard before finally speaking.

“I shouldn’t have come with you.”

“…What?”

Huh? We did walk a bit, but he shouldn’t be tired or anything. Did I make him drive too much? But I don’t have a license. If I did, of course I would’ve taken a turn. Or is there some other issue…

“I thought, just like Myungwoo said, that I can’t keep running away. So I came…”

Noah’s voice trembled halfway to tears.

“But the more I do, the more I just feel… smaller.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep