< Cleaning Should Be Water Cleaning (1) >

Han Yoojin had gone missing.

The Haeyeon Guild Leader, who had gone to see his hyung as soon as it became visiting hours at 9am, was furious at the empty holding room. The Hunter in charge of the detention center, whose collar was grabbed by Han Yoohyun, explained while trembling that an order to move Han Yoojin had come down.

But the whereabouts of the vehicle that took Han Yoojin and left the detention center became unknown.

The Hunter a.s.sociation was turned upside down and temporary checkpoints were put up here and there. Each portal site was plastered with related articles in an instant. An interview filled with the Haeyeon Guild Leader’s miserable feelings came up as breaking news.

-The world’s sole magic beast trainer, Hunter Han Yoojin’s, whereabouts?

-The possibility of having left Korea already is high

-The tragedy brought about by the Hunter a.s.sociation’s poor management system

-The economic and social worth of the magic beast rearing skill

The entire country started to chatter away even before reaching the afternoon. The broadcast that Han Yoojin had filmed in the past and the live broadcast video from a few days ago filled TV screens several times. There was a lot of talk that simply worried about the missing person, but the main public opinion was more focused on Han Yoojin’s worth.

The economic gain and the stability of dungeon management created from him raising magic beasts. How much foreign Hunters fretted over entrusting baby monsters to Han Yoojin. The antic.i.p.ation from the earnings from abroad, etc.

All sorts of media chattered without a break about how big of a loss Han Yoojin’s disappearance was to the country.

And late afternoon.

“I should have protected ahjussi. I promised I would protect him……”

Having just come out of a dungeon and belatedly hearing the news, Bak Yerim made an appeal mixed with tears in front of the camera. Interspersing her speech with her story with Han Yoojin, she sniffled, asking the kidnapper to please return ahjussi safely if they were watching this.

Yoo Myeongwoo also worried about his friend with a face overcast with shadows. Like a s...o...b..ll that had started to roll, interest related to the disappearance became bigger.

“What do you mean Hong Kong, out of nowhere!”

Bak Yerim shouted, with a clear face devoid of tears.

“I want to go as well! Go and rescue ahjussi, and sightsee! There is a Di*ney Land in Hong Kong, right?”

“It was closed at the end of last year due to the aftermath of an A-Rank dungeon break.”

At Suk Simyeong’s words, Bak Yerim had a regretful face. She had wanted to go to an amus.e.m.e.nt park with ahjussi. At her grumbling, Han Yoohyun, who had been staring piercingly at the contracts spread out on top of the table, raised his head.

“We cannot know when some kind of problem will occur. Please do not think flippantly.”

“That is why I think even more that I should go. I have an instant movement and flight skill, so I can go there by secretly getting on a plane like Noah oppa. And I can quickly take ahjussi out, too.”

“Don’t you not have any hiding skills? If you happen to be caught, it can become dangerous for hyung.”

Bak Yerim was too inexperienced to skillfully hide her body without a hiding skill. At the cold words, Bak Yerim pouted and let out a big sigh.

“Would ahjussi be eating well? We have to quickly push down the a.s.sociation or whatever and bring him back. It really is done with exactly three days, right?”

“We have joined with Chief Song’s team, and tracking down the related people is already almost done.”

Suk Simyeong said.

“However, in order to completely mop them up, there is a need to strive for caution, so it will likely take two to three more days.”

“…We can just use my skill.”

White Corpse. If she used the skill that plucked out memories from corpses, they could catch the people involved in Han Yoojin’s kidnapping much faster and more easily. But Han Yoojin wanted that skill that could only be used when people died, to be used as little as possible. He also entreated them to stop Yerim from using the skill unless it was a case where it really couldn’t be helped.

“Right, what is Seseong, the Seseong Guild Leader ahjussi doing?”

At any rate, that ahjussi seemed to be capable. It was when Bak Yerim was saying that she’ll try to call Kang Soyoung since it would probably end faster if he helped.

“Excuse me……”

Do Hamin, who was sitting in front of the communication equipment, opened his mouth while looking around.

“Contact came from Noah-ssi just now.”

The people’s gazes focused on him. Do Hamin, who wasn’t used to being placed in front of high rank Hunters, S-Rank Hunters, was fl.u.s.tered as he pushed up his gla.s.ses.

“That is… He said the Seseong Guild Leader is in Hong Kong.”

“…Excuse me?”

Han Yoohyun let out a bewildered noise. Bak Yerim’s eyes also became round.

“And at the same hotel as Landlord, Han Yoojin-ssi, at that?”

“Ah, what is this? That ahjussi sure is fast! As expected, I will go as well!”

Bak Yerim squawked, and this time, even Han Yoohyun didn’t stop her.

***

The morning sunlight poured in through the gla.s.s that filled the surface of the wall. The calmly ordered room service was set out on top of the table. It was a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, roasted mushrooms, etc. Thick mango juice also filled one gla.s.s.

Spearing a firm sausage with a fork, I stared at the man sitting on the other side. Maybe he really was a guest here, because his outfit was loose and light.

‘Should I have also made a contract for the appearance of Sung Hyunjae?’

Though I wasn’t some kind of fortune teller, and hadn’t even dreamed that this person would pop up here. On top of that, he came in normally, opening the door with a hotel key, without any disturbance. In other words, it meant that he received my room key from the slaver. It wasn’t that there was no possibility of him robbing them, but it was too peaceful for that to have been the case.

“Could it possibly be that the reason you have information about the people aiming for me, is because you are in collusion with them?”

Sung Hyunjae had a relaxed smile at the question asking if he was on the same side as those guys and had deceived me, us.

“Would that be so? I’m a guest who received an invitation. I received a suggestion to come watch, since a precious item came in, so I came here.”

“They invited, not anybody else, but the Seseong Guild Leader? Did an invitation not go to Haeyeon?”

“The one who was invited wasn’t the Seseong Guild Leader.”

The eggs were soft.

“I came as a subst.i.tute.”

“Are you talking about a subst.i.tute for yourself?”

Sung Hyunjae didn’t respond. I rested my gaze on the sound blocking item on top of one side of the table, and then opened my mouth again.

“You brought two S-Rank Hunters over from abroad.”

Noah Luire and Evelyn Miller. If he was able to take charge of those two, wouldn’t his influence abroad be bigger than Korea’s Seseong? Somehow, that side of Sung Hyunjae may be the main ident.i.ty.

Though I didn’t think deeply of it up to now, since I wasn’t interested in paying attention to even the matters outside of the country.

“I already showed you a lot, so please reveal one or two of your cards as well.”

“Didn’t I personally come here like this?”

“Ah, yes. You are not a subst.i.tute. I am quite curious what you did before you Awakened.”

Things that were known about him were few. First of all, he apparently had Korean citizenship, but his past was really unclear, and due to the light coloring of his appearance, there was some suspicion that he was a foreigner, or multiracial. There were also rumors that he was a serious criminal but that the country had buried his past because he was an S-Rank Awakened Person. Seeing how Seseong Guild quickly established itself, speculation that he was a considerably wealthy person before Awakening circulated like a widely accepted opinion, too.

Would it be just that? His record after Awakening was more dumbfounding.

The world’s strongest, the 1st place in the ranking compet.i.tions. The owner of Korea’s top guild. There was hidden influence even abroad, and the person who had collaborated with both the filial duty addicts and the immoral people.

They were specs that suited a protagonist who saves the world in fiction. Though his personality completely didn’t. He was also a little old. Since, there were exceptions but it was usually young kids who were full of vigor.

‘Though realistically, an adult with a lot of experience and who has established themself in society and has good abilities would be more likely to save the world than young kids.’

If I hadn’t regressed, what would’ve happened? That amazing person could have somehow safely blocked the dungeons and gained a hundred years of a grace period. Even if he didn’t, the things that Sung Hyunjae had piled up for 5 years had basically become bubbles in an instant through me regressing.

My conscience was veeery slightly p.r.i.c.ked.

“If I said that I possibly caused an incredible loss for Sung Hyunjae-ssi, what will you do?”

“Is that a declaration of war?”

Unlike the usual him, his eyes shone as he smiled. Looking at that, the guilt that had raised its head a tiny bit cleanly disappeared. Even if I said, ‘I ruined your work by regressing’, he would probably find it fun.

“I am thinking of enjoying four days of vacation and then going back.”

I placed the fork on top of the empty plate as I asked him what he was going to do. It would be good if he didn’t interfere with my road home.

“I’m thinking of using one of the three times of your help.”

Pulling that out now of all times?

“What are you going to make me do?”

“Honeypot[1].”

Why honey again?

“Han Yoojin-gun is really good bait.”

“I am aware. So what are you trying to reel in?”

“Rather than reeling in, it’s cleaning.”

“You seem like someone who has never wiped a desk once in his life.”

“Throwing the whole thing away instead of wiping it, is also a method of cleaning. It’s the same in that it becomes clean, right?”

It wasn’t a cleaning method of this world. Anyways, the extremist cleaner wanted me to quietly play the role of merchandise and gather the things to clean.

“What if I really happen to be sold off like that?”

“I’ll take responsibility and win the bid for you.”

“And put that money into the debt again?”

“I was thinking of taking care of the expenses, but if you insist on paying back?”

“It is the expenses, of course.”

I drank the remaining mango juice as I took stock of the situation.

It seemed like Sung Hyunjae didn’t like the act of selling Awakening People. Of course it wasn’t an ethical reason like ‘human trafficking is a crime’. It seemed like it was just an eyesore to him so he wanted to overturn it.

“Above all, simply buying and selling isn’t fun.”

“Is your standard for living in the world ‘fun’? Please try pursuing some other sincere goal.”

“I have everything else.”

f.u.c.k, alright, you’re amazing. Ah, how annoying.

Anyways, my reason was also different, but I was in agreement over sweeping away the sons of b.i.t.c.hes who bought and sold people. I thought of the time Myeongwoo signed a slave contract. What would those sons of b.i.t.c.hes be doing around now?

Putting a leash on people with an irrational contract was bad too, but it couldn’t be compared to people actually openly kidnapping and selling others. And, it was true that it was the result of a sting operation, but I was the victim, so there was no need to tolerate it.

“There is a method for overturning things a bit more refreshingly – will you listen?”

Eating the pheasant, and eating the egg[2], and emptying the nest and setting it on fire[3]. It happened to be Hong Kong, so it was a perfect position.

Hearing my explanation, Sung Hyunjae laughed cheerfully.

“How should I express my feelings for Han Yoojin-gun?”

“What expressing – no thank you. I have heard that you will fall for me twice already. It feels like I will start to get tired of it, so please change your repertoire up a little. Do not make do with just your words.”

“You burned the roses and flung away the watch, so what is left?”

“Ah, that’s really enough, and just give me some money. So I can buy a souvenir.”

I was dragged here without a single cent. Sung Hyunjae took out a card from his wallet and gave it to me, with the same smiling face. The limit should be big enough, right? What should I buy for the kids?

***

It was only after staying stretched out the whole time, and ordering and eating dinner as well through room service, that I left the room and went to the lounge. The hotel employees were incredibly hospitable. Starting from the elevator b.u.t.ton, from the lounge room door to even the table’s chair, none of those had a chance to touch my hand.

Gregson came towards me as I was eating macarons and tea while staring at the night view that was run down compared to the past. I returned a smile at him making conversation still with a good-natured face, saying that I looked more comfortable than yesterday.

“The reception is good, so I automatically became relaxed. Though it is not that I am not worried for the future.”

“You will be treated to more than this wherever you go, so please do not worry so much.”

While I was laughing and chatting with the guy who was trying to sell me, a group of people came into the lounge. The old man who was surrounded in the middle of the group like he was being protected, looked closely at me. The person who came in a short while later and, as expected, had Hunters as guards, also placed their gaze on me.

It looked like they were the customers. I felt dirty, but I had to play the role of exemplary merchandise for a while, so I received the gazes with a smiling face. Ah, it would be great if the cleaning started soon.

When the slaver guy left, the customers approached and even started up conversations eventually. I wondered if I had to humor them to this extent even though it wasn’t even real, so I went back up to the room.

“Whew, I’m starting to want to see the kids. Peace, Chirpie?”

-Chirp

…Hm? Did I hear an auditory hallucination?

-Chirp

I heard a familiar baby bird noise again. Continuing, a pure white cotton ball was crossing over the soft carpet, when it stopped at my feet. Black eyes looked up at me and happily opened its beak.

-Chirp, cheep!

…W-why was it here?!

[1] in eng transliterated to krn, but given context, I don’t think it’s the usual eng def of ‘honeypot’ but more of like… general bait. unless the eng def also means that but like… i’ve only heard of ‘honeypot’ in terms of seduction in spy movies or w/e

[2] ‘eat the pheasant and eat the egg’ is an idiom that’s similar to ‘kill two birds with one stone’ (which also has a krn equiv that is the same thing both literally and metaphorically), ‘take your cake and eat it’, etc. Normally I tl idioms into the eng equiv or the general meaning, but yj extends the metaphor in the rest of the sentence so I left it as is.

[3] the reason why the commas are where they are, is bc the grammatical structure separates the sentence into those 3 phrases. The verb used for the ‘setting fire’ is more like ’[use sth] to make a fire (usually for a fireplace, campfire, etc.)’, so in this case it’s more like ‘emptying the nest in order to use it to make a fire’ instead of ‘emptying the nest’ being a separate action in and of itself. So the extension of the metaphor in footnote [2] is implying that you’re using the pheasant and the egg AND the nest, not that you’re just randomly setting it on fire