Welcome to Dungeon Hotel - Chapter 65

61. Suck into a novel

 

Aunt Misoon and Uncle Junsoo always said this in unison about Uncle Minhyuk.

 

‘Han Minhyuk has no love for humanity and is sensitive and picky.’

 

I don’t know about the first, but the second and third were never empty words.

 

Of course, Uncle was sensitive and picky, so he rarely hurt me or others.

 

Rather, he was tolerant of my mistakes.

 

‘Because I was young. He must have endured a lot.’

 

I had been very careful the whole time I was staying at the Pyeongchang-dong annex.

 

Rather than being angry at other people’s mistakes, Uncle was more likely to never see them again without a second chance.

 

There was a time when a housekeeper, who was still working there, quit due to personal reasons, so a successor came.

 

However, the newcomer was fired after a week because that person changed the place where Uncle always put things or cooked food that was too strong in taste.

 

A few people after that were similarly fired.

 

They all had similar reasons, and I heard that Uncle paid three months’ pay in one lump sum instead of firing them right away.

 

After the sixth change of helper in a month, the current one finally accepted the proposal for a double salary increase, and the family was stabilized again dramatically.

 

Uncle was such a person.

 

‘Guest in Room 201’ is hungry.

 

Satisfaction decreases by 10% every 10 minutes until ‘Hunger’ is dispelled.

 

……A cold sweat broke out on my back as I had to cook for such a person.

 

There’s even a time limit!

 

“Uncle, you are hungry, right?”

 

“I see. It seems that I wasted my stamina earlier.”

 

The previous hunting was so difficult that the S-Class Hunter was hungry.

 

The thought that I really almost lost my Uncle earlier made me cry for another reason.

 

“First of all, let’s eat and talk more. Is there anything you want to eat?”

 

If it’s what Uncle want to eat, I’ll go around Farming Dungeon and get it.

 

I made up my mind.

 

But Uncle’s answer was this.

 

“Anything.”

 

“….”

 

“It doesn’t matter what you want to eat.”

 

Damn it.

 

So this is how black consumers are.

 

I have to do it on my own!

 

Feeling frustrated, I asked Uncle to wait and quickly went down to the lounge.

 

No, I was going to.

 

“A little… I want you to do it quickly.”

 

Until Uncle murmured in a low voice.

 

The stamina of ‘Guest Room 201’ is dropping. Satisfaction—.

 

Ah, I got it. I got it!

 

“Please wait a little longer!”

 

I went down quickly.

 

Anyway it’s hard to match Uncle’s taste.

 

Then I should choose fast food.

 

What’s the fastest food I can make?

 

‘In the end, the answer is… ramen again.’

 

I started cooking ramen with tears in my eyes.

 

I can’t believe I’m giving ramen to Uncle who usually eats salad and steak.

 

For the person who doesn’t want to eat instant food once a year.

 

But in the meantime, I measured the scale, adjusted the water, put in the soup and flakes, set the timer, and boiled the ramen.

 

Miyeon, who saw that, approached me as if she was amazed.

 

“Are you cooking ramen now?”

 

“Yes. Guest 201 said he was hungry.”

 

“Ah, that guild leader Han Minhyuk! That kind of person also eats ramen.”

 

He doesn’t eat it.

 

“By the way, boss, you really cook ramen carefully.”

 

Miyeon smiled slightly. I answered as usual.

 

“I follow the recipe on the bag.”

 

“That is sincerity. Not trick. Originally, the most important thing in business is to do it consistently. My mom was like that. Rather than trying to do a lot of special things, it is best to always do the same with the same mindset no matter what guest comes.”

 

Always the same.

 

As soon as I heard that, I felt like my body was relaxed.

 

That’s right. Uncle, no, the black consumer was a guest at our hotel.

 

It might not be polite for other customers or for an uncle to try to be better to him as a black consumer.

 

As we have always done for our guests, let’s prepare a comfortable place to rest.

 

With that in mind, I started chopping the green onions.

 

Just like when cutting green onions for angler customers’ ramen, I rely on the standard as always.

 

I remember exactly how the “guidebook” showed me how to hold a knife and cut green onions.

 

Tak, tak.

 

A pleasant sound rang out.

 

I only picked the white part and sliced it thinly, and I felt that my wrist hurt less as I got used to the cutting.

 

Along with a light sound, a spicy scent began to spread.

 

It was only recently that I learned that there is a unique fragrance that comes from green onions.

 

‘This is going to make the cooking better.’

 

I smiled without even realizing it.

 

While cooking ramen for Miyeon and other guests of Yeongchunjang, I heard compliments on my cooking for the first time.

 

Satisfying the other person’s senses with the result of my efforts.

 

It was similar to the pleasure of the hotel business.

 

A window popped up in front of me.

 

Realizing the joy of cooking, the flavor of “Ramen” increases by 100%.

 

So even if I work hard to make the ramen, it will increase in some way.

 

That’s interesting.

 

“Oh, it smells delicious, boss! Can you cook ramen for me later?”

 

Geumdong circles next to me as if wagging an invisible tail.

 

“You are very good at cooking. Aren’t you teasing me?”

 

“No. It smells really good! I can taste food 70% with my nose before I taste it.”

 

Is that so?

 

Come to think of it, it seemed that the chefs on the contest program always smelled the food of the contestants before eating it.

 

“Okay. Let’s eat ramen and skip one meal instead. You are gaining weight again these days….”

 

“Hng, that’s a bit….”

 

Geumdong looked at me with sad eyes.

 

“The reason why I’m afraid of the boss is because the boss resembles the guest in room 201, right?”

 

I? With Uncle?

 

Did we become a bit alike after living together for a long time?

 

While I was tilting my head, Toto approached and asked.

 

“The guest in Room 201 looked very tired. What can we do for him?”

 

“I’m not sure….”

 

I pondered for a moment.

 

No matter how much I thought about it, he was not the type to rest while doing something.

 

He usually rests without doing anything.

 

What good service can we provide to such a person?

 

“For now, please be quiet. Because I hate noise.”

 

I asked Geumdong.

 

Then, for some reason, Toto, not Geumdong, raised her glasses with a more solemn face.

 

“I will do it quietly.”

 

“….!”

 

After that, Geumdong was quietly dragged away by Toto. What are they going to do—.

 

Soon the ramen was ready.

 

The ramen that anglers customers admired for being so delicious.

 

It’s ramen that doesn’t have a lot of ingredients or seasonings, but it’s cooked according to the standard water control and cooking level.

 

And the reaction of Uncle who tasted that ordinary ramen—.

 

‘Guest Room 201’ admires the flavor of ramen.

 

“It’s the first time I’ve ever eaten ramen that was so delicious….”

 

Uncle looked down at the empty bowl of ramen with a surprised expression on his face.

 

Satisfaction of ‘Guest Room 201’ increased by 5%.

 

‘Guest in Room 201’ still has doubts.

 

Of course, the strictness of black consumers didn’t disappear easily. It didn’t matter.

 

I was just glad Uncle could enjoy the taste of ramen this much.

 

Since he’s a guest of our hotel who has returned from a difficult hunt, wouldn’t it be nice to leave the quest if he filled his stomach with delicious food as quickly as possible?

 

“I’m glad Uncle found out about the taste of ramen. Actually, I liked ramen. Can we eat together sometime in the future?”

 

So it was when I said this.

 

Satisfaction of ‘Guest Room 201’ increased by 50%.

 

‘Guest Room 201’ will remember this moment for a long time.

 

…?

 

The satisfaction suddenly jumped up.

 

* * *

 

In the afternoon, after eating all the ramen.

 

After communicating with Han Woohyun, Han Minhyuk sat in the lounge and started drinking coffee.

 

Han Woohyun’s message was like this.

 

—Hunter Kang Sojin noticed about the hotel.

 

—How is Junghyo?

 

—Is Junghyo okay?

 

—Junghyo is…

 

He can’t believe that Hunter Kang Sojin Hunter noticed about the hotel and is worried about Junghyo.

 

Han Minhyuk gave a short answer and turned off the communication device.

 

—Don’t worry.

 

Kang Sojin’s mouth should be blocked after careful consideration.

 

Now, the first step is to find out about the hotel.

 

Junghyo flatly rejected the offer to sell the hotel.

 

A hotel connected to the dungeon, where hunters come.

 

It is a place whose existence has already become known among some hunters like an urban legend.

 

Junghyo said that it was impossible to use force in this place, but Han Minhyuk was somehow uncomfortable with this place.

 

The fact that Junghyo met Han Woohyun is also the same.

 

It wasn’t just because he noticed the ‘feelings’ Han Woohyun had for Junghyo.

 

It wasn’t just because he had been curious about Junghyo’s well-being for several years.

 

It was because he definitely makes a strange expression whenever he talks about Junghyo. Absolutely not.

 

What Han Minhyuk was worried about were Junghyo’s feelings.

 

Whenever she gets entangled with an S-Class hunter like Han Woohyun, he’s afraid that kid will keep thinking of Semyung.

 

That was what he was most worried about.

 

He wonders if having a sense of duty about the hotel is also caused by guilt.

 

So Han Minhyuk deliberately delayed going up to Seoul and decided to spend one night here.

 

To see what Junghyo looks like when she works.

 

In fact, isn’t the service industry never pleasant?

 

Even a bad guest like Han Woohyun can get tangled up.

 

‘I’m glad you found out about the taste of ramen.’

 

But somehow, Junghyo’s face seemed bright.

 

This is the complete opposite of the dark face she had when she got her first job in Seoul and went home to Pyeongchang-dong.

 

‘I resigned… it’s thanks to Uncle. Uncle always said that. That I should cherish myself the most. I kept losing that mindset at that company.’

 

Then, is Junghyo regaining his heart that cares for him here?

 

Han Minhyuk put down the empty coffee cup while unconsciously thinking about it.

 

Soon after, the cup was filled with hot coffee.

 

“…?’

 

At such a natural and perfect timing, Han Minhyuk raised his head.

 

Junghyo was holding a kettle. Not only did she change into a uniform, but she also didn’t even make a sound of footsteps, perhaps to avoid disturbing Minhyuk’s rest.

 

‘Is that why it’s comfortable?’

 

For some reason, Han Minhyuk realized that he didn’t feel any of the discomfort he usually felt while staying at this hotel.

 

Minhyuk was always uncomfortable when he was in the same space with others.

 

He doesn’t know if it was because he was uncomfortable with his family on paper when he was young.

 

Anyway, his senses, which were originally sensitive, became more sensitive as he went through S-Class awakening, and after becoming an S-Class awakener, Minhyuk became a person who always caught the attention of others as much as he did when he was young.

 

However, Minhyuk had no will to get close to anyone.

 

Because all human beings are greedy and dual beings.

 

Even he does it himself.

 

He even despised himself.

 

He might have stopped feeling so bad about himself a little while he was watching Junghyo. Still, being in the same room as other people was very irritating.

 

So he has never been on a trip with anyone—.

 

‘Come to think of it, I’ve never taken a trip or a vacation itself.’

 

Minhyuk suddenly realized.

 

For nearly 20 years, the only place he has been other than home has been a dungeon.

 

He thought that the only place he could be without anyone was at home.

 

But it’s as comfortable as his room.

 

But this place is as comfortable as his room.

 

All of the employees here, including Junghyo, are focused on their own tasks.

 

Junghyo makes coffee, the manager is busy at the counter, and the concierge and bellboy walk around cleaning up the lounge.

 

“Ah. You don’t have to worry about caffeine awakening from our coffee. Can I bring you something to read?”

 

“Is there a newspaper or something?”

 

“Hmm… How about a novel?”

 

Junghyo thought about it for a while, and as the amenities were upgraded, she held out a new novel book.

 

Without telling Minhyuk that the novel also has some effects.

 

Suck into a novel

 

—Guiding guests who have not been on a trip for a long time to the world of books.