WOSCH 03

Chapter – 03

The next day, I opened the shop early, dragging along the cat, who was still half-asleep and barely able to keep her eyes open.

“Why are you in such a hurry, nya? Yaaawn, I’m tired, nya….”

“I’m holding a tasting event today. So I need to bake plenty in advance!”

As I poured the batter into the oiled pan, it sizzled with a sharp sound, and a savory, delicious aroma rose into the air. I generously spread the sweet red bean paste from the tail all the way to the head.

Finally, I poured more batter over it and cooked it until both sides turned a beautiful golden brown…

“Ta-da! Bungeoppang is ready!”

“They’re definitely starting to look much better, nya.”

Thanks to the customer who had placed a large order yesterday, I felt like my skills had improved tremendously.

I placed the perfectly golden bungeoppang on the shelf and started diligently baking the rest.

“Huh? Aren’t you the bungeoppang shop owner?”

“Hello, Team Leader!”

As I headed toward the Management Bureau carrying a large bundle of freshly baked bungeoppang, Team Leader Yoon Kang-hyuk, whom I had met yesterday, greeted me.

“Are those bungeoppang for me?”

“Yes! That’s right. You enjoyed them so much yesterday.”

I grinned and held out the bungeoppang. He accepted them almost reflexively, then broke into a happy smile.

“Haha! Actually, I had been craving bungeoppang since this morning. I’ll enjoy them!”

As he let out a hearty laugh, even his sunglasses bounced along with it. He really did insist on wearing sunglasses even indoors…

Then I heard some delighted questions from beside him.

“Team Leader! Is that the bungeoppang you mentioned yesterday?”

“The kind where you can actually taste it…?”

“So it wasn’t a lie?”

Just as I expected. Considering the enormous size of the Hunter Management Bureau, there was no way there would be only one security officer working there.

And if he’s the team leader, naturally, he has team members.

Even if he were just an ordinary employee, it would be one thing, but if a team leader himself praised the food, its credibility would naturally increase.

“Would you all like to try some? I baked plenty.”

Seeing their eyes filled with curiosity, I smiled brightly. They nodded as if they were under a spell.

And when they cautiously took a bite—

“Whoa! I can actually taste it! I can really taste it!”

“It’s even delicious!”

“This is amazing!”

The same exclamations as yesterday erupted once again. I cheered inwardly.

I knew this would work.

The reason Hunters didn’t eat bungeoppang was simple. There was no point eating it when they knew they wouldn’t be able to taste anything!

Even if I forced them to try it, there was no guarantee things would go as well as they had yesterday.

At worst, I’d only end up damaging my shop’s reputation.

So I decided to make use of the reactions of other Hunters. Fortunately, Team Leader Yoon Kang-hyuk had already tasted the bungeoppang yesterday, making it much easier to get started.

Already, more and more people were sneaking glances in our direction.

The key to a tasting event is to give people just enough to make them crave more.

I cut the bungeoppang I had brought with me into bite-sized pieces, placed them on a plate, and stuck toothpicks into them.

Then I smiled brightly at anyone who made eye contact with me and held out the plate.

“We’re having a tasting event to celebrate our opening. Would you like to try one?”

The tasting event was, quite literally, a huge success.

At first, the Hunters hesitated and watched cautiously, but after one or two people reacted positively, they came rushing over in droves and began eating the bungeoppang one after another.

“It’s sweet and soft… What did you say the shop is called?”

“It’s called ‘Haneul’s.’ I just opened it right in front of the Management Bureau!”

I took advantage of every opportunity to advertise my shop’s name and location.

For the record, I had come up with the shop’s name in a hurry. No matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn’t think of anything better.

“How much is one?”

“Oh, ten thousand won!”

“Ten thousand won for one bungeoppang?!”

There was a lot of controversy over the price of the bungeoppang, and everyone’s eyes widened when they heard it.

Of course, it wasn’t because it was expensive.

It was because it was incredibly cheap.

“No way! I should buy these every day.”

“Me too! What time do you open?”

“We open at 8 a.m. Please stop by before you go to work!”

I had baked more than twenty, but with so many people crowding around, they were already running out.

I was handing them out mainly to people who hadn’t tried them yet, when suddenly, it felt as though the indoor temperature had dropped by three degrees.

Did someone leave a door open? Why is it so chilly?

I shivered and realized that the area around me had suddenly become strangely quiet.

Why was everyone staring at me…?

“What is going on here?”

“Gaaah!!!”

Someone had appeared silently behind me, making me jump.

Then I was struck by pure amazement.

Wow… There really are people who look like this in the world.

Dark black hair. An enormous height that forced me to crane my neck just to look up at him. An unrealistically handsome face that looked as though it had stepped straight out of a shounen manga, along with distinctive golden eyes.

Wait.

Wasn’t this person…?

“…H-Hunter Lee Hyun-woo?!”

The only S-rank Hunter in the country, Lee Hyun-woo, who appeared on television practically every time I turned it on.

He was looking down at me indifferently.

“I asked what is going on here.”

“Ah! Hunter, sir. She said she had opened a shop in front of the Management Bureau, so she was holding an event to—”

“An event? Is that what you call handing out food you know nothing about?”

Team Leader Yoon Kang-hyuk stepped forward to speak on my behalf, only to become the target of Hunter Lee Hyun-woo instead.

Ugh, I feel bad for dragging him into this.

By now, all the people who had filled the area had disappeared.

“I heard you opened a shop. Right in front of the Management Bureau, no less.”

He frowned and stared at the bungeoppang on my plate.

I hurriedly spoke.

“Hello, Hunter! My name is Jeong Ha-neul.”

Then I cautiously held out the plate I was carrying.

“This is an item I made. It’s a special kind of bungeoppang that Hunters can actually taste.”

“You said you can actually taste it?”

I nodded vigorously.

“Would you like to try one? Everyone said they were delicious.”

Everyone had initially looked as suspicious as Hunter Lee Hyun-woo, but once they tasted it, their attitudes had changed completely.

I smiled inwardly.

Even if he is an S-rank, he’s still a Hunter. Once he tastes it, he’ll change his mind.

But his actions completely shattered my expectations.

“I have no interest in eating something when I don’t even know what it is. It could contain poison.”

With a frown, he walked past me without a second glance.

He said it as though I had actually offered him poison.

“Wait, poison…?!”

I hurriedly turned around to stop him. At that moment, my legs tangled together, and the world tilted and shook.

Ugh, I’m going to fall!

I barely managed to regain my balance.

But the bungeoppang didn’t.

The bungeoppang on the plate flew in every direction and rolled across the floor.

“…There were still five left.”

It was unfortunate, but what was done was done. I began picking up the bungeoppang from the floor.

Then someone’s shoes entered my field of vision.

Combat boots…?

I raised my head and saw Hunter Lee Hyun-woo looking down at me.

“Until now, no one has ever succeeded in overcoming the side effects of awakening. And yet someone suddenly appears claiming to have created an item that allows people to taste food…”

He nudged a piece of bungeoppang that had rolled to his feet with the tip of his boot.

“Quite suspicious.”

What?

What did he just say!?

He hadn’t even tasted it, so why was he saying things like that?!

“Team Leader Yoon Kang-hyuk.”

“Yes, sir!”

He spoke with a cold expression.

“The security team’s duty is to prevent external threats. That includes distributing unidentified food that may contain poison.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful.”

I stared dumbfoundedly at his retreating back.

Finally, after he had completely disappeared from sight, I picked up the last piece of bungeoppang and grumbled.

“Does he always talk like that?”

“Haha, he is somewhat like that…”

It seemed Team Leader Yoon Kang-hyuk had dealt with this more than once or twice, because he awkwardly lifted the corners of his mouth as he spoke.

I looked around to make sure there were no more pieces of bungeoppang scattered across the floor and said,

“I didn’t know Hunter Lee Hyun-woo was that kind of person! He glared at me like I’d done something wrong when I hadn’t even done anything strange…”

“I suppose it’s because he awakened when he was young and suffered from the side effects for a long time. Side effects can be surprisingly troublesome.”

Apparently, he had awakened before he had even graduated middle school.

And he had awakened as the only S-rank in the country.

Team Leader Yoon Kang-hyuk shrugged, saying that considering what he had gone through, he could understand why Lee Hyun-woo was so sensitive.

“…Still, I don’t understand him.”

“Well, that is a little much. Anyway, it looks like the tasting event is already having an effect. We have customers at your shop.”

Team Leader Yoon Kang-hyuk lowered his sunglasses slightly and looked outside.

Our shop?

I couldn’t see anything.

When I tilted my head in confusion, he winked.

“It’s nothing special, but it’s one of my abilities.”

“You can see that far? That’s amazing!”

“More importantly, shouldn’t you go? People are waiting…”

Ah!

I couldn’t keep my customers waiting!

I bowed gratefully and hurried toward the shop.

Then I stopped in my tracks when I saw the crowd gathered outside.

“Boss! Why are you only coming now?”

“I want to order some bungeoppang. Can I order them now?”

“You don’t have any already made? How long do we have to wait?”

What the heck?

Why were there so many people?

I covered my mouth in shock.

The real beginning of my business had finally arrived.