Chapter 28
Standing confidently, he was inwardly a little nervous. He was Ji-gyun, an S-rank Hunter of the Seohan Guild. There was no way he’d just leave a regular Awakener who even provides food for Hunters alone.
“So, you mean you don’t know the method?”
But Ji-gyun hadn’t threatened him. Perhaps he intended to get more information through conversation first.
“How should I know? I told you, I don’t know.”
“Then how did a Hunter come from the dungeon?”
“That’s…”
Sori paused for a moment. She hadn’t actually done anything. The restaurant had simply leveled up and connected to the dungeon, right? And then, immediately, the infamous “Section Chief” had appeared from the dungeon.
“The restaurant is connected to the dungeon, yes. But how it works, I still don’t know. I have no idea how someone comes from the dungeon.”
“…Really?”
Ji-gyun exhaled deeply after hearing Sori’s words. Sori was genuinely nervous now. Was he disappointed that this was all she knew about a restaurant even linked to a dungeon?
With his arms crossed, Ji-gyun’s expression was serious as he glanced at the floor and walls. It seemed he was contemplating how to handle an Awakener who was still incapable of managing an awakened restaurant.
“Alright. Then I won’t report that you’re an Awakener to the Dungeon Management Headquarters. But if you ever find out how it works, let me know.”
Fortunately, Ji-gyun seemed willing to let it slide. Was it generosity for an ex? Funny if so.
Sori recalled the story of a Hunter who had nearly starved but had been rescued just in time.
“Has this happened a lot before?”
The issue of Hunters running out of food in dungeons didn’t seem to have been a major concern.
“Recently, dungeons have been appearing in increasingly expanded forms compared to before.”
That meant the time spent wandering inside the dungeons was also increasing.
“I see…”
Then why couldn’t she see this place from the dungeon? Just being connected wasn’t enough, apparently. But, as mentioned, Sori was still a beginner Awakener who knew very little.
“Anyway, I’d like you to help with this. Chef?”
Ji-gyun said “Chef” with a sly tone and slid both hands into his pants pockets.
“I’m not a chef. I’m the restaurant owner.”
Sori replied cheekily. Ji-gyun snickered.
“Right, Owner.”
Then he just stood there, quietly watching Sori’s hands move busily over the counter.
He didn’t leave.
In the quiet air, a strange gaze passed between them. Sori slowly looked up and met his eyes.
“…Why?”
A question asking if she still had business to attend to.
“…Are you done?”
Suddenly, unnecessary words. His low voice even stirred a sense she had forgotten. She deliberately frowned.
“You saw it too, didn’t you? How chaotic it was.”
‘Bringing in all those customers and asking if it’s manageable!’
Sori clenched her teeth in frustration.
“Use some help.”
He casually remarked. John had said the same thing, always telling her to get help. But was it really necessary?
“If lots of customers start coming to the dungeon as well, can you handle it?”
Suddenly concerned? It was uncomfortable.
“Finished your business? Then go quickly, will you?”
So she told him to leave. But Ji-gyun ignored her words and casually shifted the topic.
“What’s with that hedgehog?”
“Hedgehog?”
He lightly pointed with his chin to where John was.
Wait, hadn’t he gone to sleep? Since when was he here?
Sori was flustered. John, who had said he was going to sleep, was sitting on the window sill pretending to be a doll, with a foolish expression!
“Ah… it’s a doll. Someone just gave it to me.”
She brushed it off.
But Ji-gyun’s eyes sharpened, and he slowly approached John.
“It’s not a real hedgehog?”
Why was he suddenly interested in the hedgehog when she told him to leave?
“No, I said it was just given to me. Who would keep a hedgehog in a restaurant?”
Ridiculous. John’s eyes twitched slightly. Hmph. So just behave.
“The fur seems to be moving?”
Ji-gyun didn’t drop his suspicion and leaned his S-rank hunter senses so close that his face was almost in front of John’s nose.
“Why are you doing this? I said it’s just a doll.”
“Hmm.”
He gave a short sigh, then reached out and picked John up.
‘What the…?’
Even as an Awakener, did she now have to acknowledge John’s existence too?
Sori hesitated for a moment. If she revealed it, who knew what this crazy hedgehog John might blurt out to Ji-gyun?
Moreover, Ji-gyun might report it to the Dungeon Management Headquarters. It was better to keep it secret.
But now wasn’t the time to worry about that. John, grabbed by Ji-gyun, was in mortal danger of having his “alive” status exposed.
John seemed to be holding his breath. His puffed cheeks and reddened eyes proved it.
“These spikes look real too.”
Ji-gyun gently stroked John’s spikes. John’s eyes slowly glazed over as if he were about to faint.
Sori put both hands over her face. Crazy ex! Now even my pet!
“Hey, Ji-gyun! Stop! What are you doing with someone else’s doll?”
Finally, Sori decided to take John back. As she ran toward Ji-gyun and reached out, he put John back where he had been. John looked relieved.
Ji-gyun remarked,
“Since when did you develop a hobby of collecting stuffed animals?”
He looked at Sori curiously, slid his hands into his pockets, and headed for the door. He had doubted Sori’s lack of interest in animals.
‘He remembers all sorts of unnecessary things.’
“It’s not stuffed, it’s just a doll…”
Sori protested one last time, but Ji-gyun only chuckled and left.
The door closed. Confirming Ji-gyun had completely left, Sori hurried to John and shouted.
“John!”
“Phew! Your ex sure has sharp eyes.”
John stretched calmly.
“You said you were going to sleep. When did you come back? I told you we had guests tonight.”
He started grooming the spikes Ji-gyun had touched. John stopped and stood up like a meerkat. Then he smirked and shrugged.
“Don’t you know? The most entertaining thing in the world is watching mutual blunders.”
Ah, that irritating tone.
“What? Mutual blunders? Come here.”
Sori went to grab John again. He darted away from her hand in an instant. For several minutes, the restaurant—now empty of customers—became a tense chase scene.
The winner was John.
“You’re not standing there?”
“See you tomorrow, Awakener!”
He waved his tiny hand and slipped out through the door.
“Da…mn…!”
She had intended to follow, but the system blocked her.
“Stored messages?”
Loading…
Perhaps it hadn’t shown up during the busy day.
Congratulations!
Achievement “Serve 50 Customers” unlocked!
Reward: 500 EXP, Restaurant Level Up
Oh, finally! It was more surprising than expected. She had already served 50 customers.
Sori’s attention was on the achievement itself rather than the reward. Fifty customers, all by herself!
Of course, she had worked part-time before, but for someone inexperienced in cooking to serve 50 people successfully was nothing short of miraculous.
500 EXP gained!
Restaurant Owner (Lv.6) achieved!
Happy Restaurant Lv.4 achieved!
As expected, she leveled up. This time, the restaurant did too.
Sori was more interested in the restaurant’s level-up than her own.
‘What can I do this time?’
Heart racing, excited.
Happy Restaurant (Lv.4)
Interior: 7 Exposure: 2 Environment: 3
Current Reputation: 0
Remaining Stats: 5
“I think the environment used to be 2. It went up.”
She wasn’t sure exactly what increasing the environment did. She wondered where to spend her remaining stat points. Interior? Maybe on the interior.
She also worried that her reputation was still 0. How could she raise it?
As she pondered, the system window appeared again.
Congratulations!
Achievement “Serve 80 Customers” unlocked!
Reward: 700 EXP, Restaurant Level Up
Another achievement!
700 EXP gained!
Happy Restaurant Lv.5 achieved!
“Huh. Not bad.”
Her own level and the restaurant’s level had been mismatched, so this was a relief.
Happy Restaurant (Lv.5)
Interior: 7 Exposure: 3 Environment: 3
Current Reputation: 0
Remaining Stats: 11
“Oh, 11 points to spend!”
Sori didn’t hesitate.
“11 points to Interior!”
How would the interior change with 11 points? She clasped her hands in prayer-like fashion, gazing solemnly at the ceiling and walls.
Ta-ra-ba-ra-ba-bam
The system announced the order. Fanfares rang through the air, and confetti fell endlessly from somewhere above.
Even background music played. There weren’t any speakers, were there?
A familiar melody: Da-dan~ dan-dan dan dan-dan, ta-ra-la dan-dan dan~~ dan-dan dan ta-ra-da-la dan ta-ra-da-la dan~ dan dan~
“The Song of the Toast…?”
Yes. The famous aria from the opera La Traviata! The “Song of the Toast.”
The system displayed a message:
“The Happy Restaurant, which received over 10 points in Interior, praises Awakener Kang Sori!”
What? She barely had time to process the song before a wine glass appeared in her right hand.
“Time to taste the special celebratory wine of St. Bartholomew, produced in the year 800, offered exclusively to the Happy Restaurant!”
St. Bartholomew 800…? She wanted to ask, but her mouth was already filled with the wine’s rich aroma.
As the intoxicating scent—almost like a potion—hit her senses, the restaurant began to transform with the beat of drums. Sori’s eyes widened.
The ceiling was the first to disappear.
