Please Cooperate In The Execution Of S-Class Official Duties - Chapter 57

Around 20 years ago, when she first became a Hunter, this system window constantly appeared in front of her.

Yet, Director Lee still wasn’t used to this system window.

No, should she say that she didn’t want to get used to it at all?

As she watched the protesters holding their yellow placards below, Director Lee became heavyhearted. ‘Ominous Premonition’ was a precognitive skill that activated independently of her intentions.

Throughout her career, this skill had only been triggered a handful of times. Based on her experience, whenever ‘Ominous Premonition’ was activated, a huge accident would inevitably occur.

“You can go. Ask the secretary to come in on your way out.”

“Yes, Director.”

As their conversation had already come to an end, Chief Jung didn’t find it unusual and left the room.

The secretary, who entered the room, received a brief instruction from the director.

“Increase the Disaster Response Agency’s patrols.”

“Yes.”

Trouble was brewing. Despite that, she hoped for something good to happen. Director Lee fervently wished for it.

* * *

Before entering her house, Hara lightly checked the eco-bag she was carrying. Inside was an ostrich egg wrapped in bubble wrap — no, it was Georg’s egg.

The quest wouldn’t be able to proceed if she placed it in the inventory, so Hara could only carry this cumbersome egg around like this.

[The constellation, ‘Cupid’ consoles you that the creation of life is accompanied by pain]

“Haah… I should have just broken this and made fried eggs with it before the quest appeared……”

[The constellation, ‘Cupid’ says that’s too cruel and pretends to be sad] 

[The constellation, ‘Cupid’ protests about the system message, saying that he isn’t pretending to be sad, but is really very sad] 

[The constellation, ‘Cupid’ protests about the system message, saying that this is slander]

Hara snorted.

Sometimes it feels like the constellation and the system were teaming up to make fun of her, but there were also times when they seemed to be growling at each other like this. Anyways, the constellation and the system didn’t seem to be on the same page.

Hara lifted her eco-bag again and entered her house. She pressed the passcode lightly and opened the door, and just happened to bump into Hada coming out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his head. Hada was startled when he saw her and rushed towards his room.

“Noona, you’re back early.”

“What early—”

What do you mean early, right now it’s already quite late. She was about to say that, but Hada slammed the door shut before Hara could finish.

What’s going on? Hara tilted her head and went into her room, setting down her bag.

At that moment.

[As the user’s Luck value is above 77, and the attribute, ‘Luck’ is activated]

[You sense a strange energy]

Hara’s eyes widened. What’s this? Luck?

[You sense an unusual oddity]

At the next moment, Hara’s eyes narrowed. As soon as the system message appeared, Hara immediately noticed what was odd about the situation.

Earlier, Hada was blatantly checking Hara’s mood when he came out with the towel wrapped around his head. Something seemed off, so Hara went to knock on Hada’s door again.

“Hey, have you done something wrong to me?”

Knock knock. But there wasn’t any response from within Hada’s room. He probably isn’t wearing headphones either.

“I’m coming in.”

When Hara turned the door handle, goodness. The door was locked. Rattle, rattle.

“What’s this?”

“I’m busy! Don’t come in!”

Hada’s voice echoed loudly from inside the room. It was an urgent tone.

Hara frowned. Then, she flinched. Could it be? She headed back into her own room and searched through her closet. It was a small and old closet. And soon, she realised that what should have been there was nowhere to be found.

It was the two bundles of 50,000 won that she’d hidden since she’d received them from Kwon Wook. 10 million won.

As soon as Hara realised that was what that’s missing, her head felt feverish in an instant and she rushed out of the room. She had been so preoccupied with quests and taking care of the ostrich egg for the past few days that she didn’t even think about her closet.

“Kang Hada, come out! You went through my closet!”

“Are you crazy? Why would I go through your closet?”

“Stop fooling around! You took the bundles of bills that were in there!”

There wasn’t any response. Rattle, rattle, Hara turned the door handle a couple more times, but it was still locked, and anger welled up.

That immature thing!

When she first received the money, Hara agonised over it. Should she use it to pay the fine, or what else should she do with it?

But in the end, she didn’t use the money to pay the fine. There was still a period of time left before the fine’s deadline, and she felt somewhat uneasy about it.

Hara’s father, Kang Jae-pil, always said, “In this word, there’s no such thing as a free lunch.” As someone that receives living expenses from Hara like clockwork, he had quite the penny-pinching temperament.

Hara’s mother, Hyunsook, was rather sick of it, and Hada had constantly lived with the words, “Dad’s a miser,” hanging on the tip of his tongue.

Naturally, Hara had always thought that she hated her father’s temperament, but it probably wasn’t the case.

Hara felt strangely uncomfortable and reluctantly hid the 10 million won in her wardrobe without using it. And after her trip to Ulsan, she became even more convinced that she shouldn’t spend that money.

Hara wasn’t such a tactless person.

The accident in Eonyang was undoubtedly Kwon Wook’s fault. Didn’t Kwon Wook himself admit it? However, Kwon Wook didn’t breathe a single word about the accident in Eonyang to Hara.

You’ve worked hard, go to the hospital. The aftereffects are even scarier. In between those friendly words, Hara had a sense of deja vu. Without a simple, ‘I’m sorry’, there was something abnormal.

Kwon Wook seemed to think it was only natural for others to suffer because of his mistakes. To Hara, such a Kwon Wook often seemed surprisingly dull.

On a different note, Hara began wondering if this was why big fans shouldn’t step on Oppa’s shadow. It isn’t because Oppa is really venerable, but it’s to keep a distance from Oppa such that he doesn’t feel like Human A.

As such, Hara had been looking for an opportunity to return this sum of money.

But how can he use it!

[The skill ‘Multiplication (A)’ has been activated]

Riiip, the sound rang out. It was the sound of the furious Kang Hara ripping the door handle and tossing it away.

“Hiik.”

Kang Hada became feeble.

“Kang Hara, are you crazy?”

“You’re the one that’s crazy!”

Hara stomped in. The frightened Kang Hada was dragged out of his spot between the bed and the bookshelf. Although Hara managed to lift Kang Hada, who was a handspan taller than her, in an instant, it didn’t bring her any pleasure.

Kang Hara brushed up Hada’s bangs. A bright red line covered his forehead line. It was a post-surgery marking.

Hara’s face turned stormy.

“When did you get this done?”

Obviously, it was probably while Hara was hectically dealing with the quests.

However, Hada, who has yet to come to his senses, uttered a bunch of nonsense.

“Kang Hara, have you gone crazy? Are you using your skills against a civilian?”

“Hey, Kang Hada. Before saying things like you’re a civilian, think carefully. Are you going to admit that you stole my money or not?”

Hara shook Kang Hada once. Argh, Kand Hada whined. Then, what he mumbled while avoiding eye contact was—

“What do you mean, steal? I borrowed it!”

Hara’s blood pressure shot up in an instant. Kang Hada managed to do something even the most notorious complainant hadn’t done.

“Did you even know whose money you’d spent?”

“W—whose money is it?”

“That’s,” and Hara paused suddenly. It was because she wondered if she could say that it was money she’d received from Kwon Wook.

Seeing Hara hesitate for a moment, Gahada suddenly shouted loudly.

“You accepted a bribe, didn’t you!”

“……What?”

“Look! I’m right!”

Kang Hada batted Kang Hara’s hand wildly.

Momentarily stunned, Hara let go of Kang Hada’s hand, and Kang Hada fell to the ground with a thud. Despite the chaos, his hands were still covering the precious hair, which had been treated just two days ago.

Kang Hada found Hara, who’d kept going out as of late, suspicious.

Hara, the model diligent civil servant, who used to start work at 9am and finish at 6pm suddenly became strange after returning from Yeouido. She would suddenly have business trips, and come back looking like an absolute mess.

She was caught coming back from outside two nights ago and suffered a stern lecture. Hara explained with, “Oh, I suddenly had work from the mana stone management division…?” but those excuses were insufficient for her dishevelled appearance.

At that time, Hada was excited wondering if it was because of Team K. But even after searching through Bokhee’s Instagram, there wasn’t anything special. The recent update only consisted of a post like “Taking a spin around Sangam Dungeon again~ But it’s for the sake of the citizens, so Bokhee is happy >.<“

Then, did she really cooperate with Team K once and that’s it?

Suddenly, Hada remembered the flashlight-like item she had left at the entrance. ‘Bokhee made that, right? Is it still in Hara’s room?’ He went in to check out of curiosity, but there was nothing there.

However, Hada knew this. If Hara had something precious, she had a habit of hiding things in her closet, just like a squirrel burying acorns into the ground. It was a habit she’d developed after her idol’s poster was torn up by her father in her second year of high school.

And the result of going through her closet was a jackpot.

“Crazy, Kang Hara. Isn’t she crazy? Why does she have money? What’s going on?”

Hada was taken aback as he held two bundles of 50,000 won bills in his hands.

Kang Hara works in the mana stone management division, a place where civil servants had to not only declare their assets, but also undergo irregular account inspections. It had made her father, Kang Jae-pil, who runs a business, irritated several times. Because it was too difficult to evade taxes in his children’s names.

“So… This isn’t legitimately earned money, right?”

Opportunity makes the thief.

Hada thought, ‘Let’s make a phone call…” He called the hair clinic where he’d gone through the operation examination not too long ago.

“Hello, it’s Kang Hada, who’d done an examination at your clinic before. When is the earliest possible surgery date?”

The clinic informed him that there happened to be a cancellation for tomorrow morning’s surgery and asked if that would work for him.

Tomorrow morning!

Hada ignored the faint pang of conscience that surfaced in his mind.