Chapter – 04
“Phew, finally done!”
The moment B-rank Hunter Kim Min-woo emerged from the Gate, he threw off his protective equipment and shouted.
It had taken them a full three days to clear the Gate, and they were finally on their way out.
“That last part was really close, wasn’t it?”
“Seriously. I thought we were going to die!”
“But we made it back alive, so that’s what matters.”
The Gate’s rank had been about the same as usual, but this time, clearing it had been exceptionally difficult.
Still, they had returned safely, so that was what mattered. The team members playfully patted each other on the shoulders, celebrating their safe return.
“Good work, everyone. Let’s just file the report and go straight home.”
At the team leader’s words, everyone nodded vigorously.
After three days without properly washing or eating, the exhaustion on their faces was impossible to hide.
“By the way, aren’t you guys hungry?”
“I mean, yeah, but…”
“Should we grab a meal at a restaurant for Awakened people?”
Everyone’s eyes lit up at someone’s suggestion. The inside of the Gate had been terribly cold, so they were craving something hot and comforting.
There was just one problem.
They were all Awakened, and every restaurant nearby that catered to Awakened people was garbage.
“Let’s not go to that place we went to last time. It was like they dumped an entire bottle of capsaicin into everything.”
“They think if they make everything salty and spicy, they can just call it food for Awakened people!”
“Ugh—and they charge so much for that garbage…”
There were countless businesses that took advantage of the fact that Awakened people had difficulty tasting food and ran their establishments with absolutely no regard for quality.
Actually, if you thought about it, they were all like that.
Making everything excessively salty, sweet, and spicy regardless of how it tasted was the bare minimum, and despite using the exact same ingredients as ordinary restaurants, they charged several times more simply because the food was labeled as being for Awakened people.
Yet they still kept trying those restaurants because there was always that lingering hope that maybe this time would be different.
“I never thought not being able to taste food would be this miserable…”
The youngest member, Seon Da-eun, who had awakened just over a month ago, muttered gloomily.
Ever since awakening, no matter what she ate, everything felt bland, like she was chewing dry sand or eating underwater.
Putting up with it once or twice was one thing, but eventually, even eating itself became torture.
That was why so many Hunters simply took meal-replacement pills instead of eating proper meals.
“I really want to eat a proper meal at least once.”
“Ugh, tell me about it. I wish someone would make an item like that…”
They continued walking with gloomy expressions.
Ever since becoming Hunters, money had steadily piled up in their bank accounts, but because they could no longer taste food, it felt as though half the fun in life had simply disappeared.
I should just go home and sleep…
The suggestion of stopping at a restaurant to eat had already been rejected long ago.
They trudged toward the Management Bureau.
And the moment they arrived at the Management Bureau, they witnessed something unbelievable.
“What is everyone eating? Are my eyes playing tricks on me?”
“No. I can see it too.”
“I can see it too…”
Everyone passing by was holding some kind of food in their hands.
Some were even making sounds of delight as though they were eating something incredibly delicious.
Da-eun couldn’t hold herself back and grabbed a passerby.
“What are you holding?”
“You don’t know? It’s bungeoppang! Haneul’s bungeoppang.”
“…Haneul’s bungeoppang?”
Apparently, it was a street stall that had appeared in front of the Management Bureau a few days ago, and the bungeoppang it sold were items, meaning anyone could taste their sweetness regardless of whether they were Awakened.
“You can… taste it?!”
“Oh, you just got back from a Gate, huh? This stuff is all the rage these days.”
The passerby was kind enough to break off half of the bungeoppang he was holding and offer it to her.
Da-eun accepted the still-warm bungeoppang and cautiously bit into the end.
“Hey, rookie, how is it? Can you really taste it?”
“They didn’t put something weird in it, right?”
“Say something!”
As her silence dragged on, the people around her couldn’t hold back any longer and started bombarding her with questions.
Da-eun slowly raised her thumb.
“It’s freaking amazing! This is incredible!!”
Her cheeks flushed as she bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet. The face that had been exhausted only moments ago suddenly brightened.
That reaction… It must really be delicious.
Her expression is completely different from when she eats those so-called foods for Awakened people.
Where did they say they sell it? Haneul’s?
These bungeoppang were the real deal.
The moment they realized that, the entire group started running toward the street stall at the entrance of the Management Bureau as if they had made a silent agreement.
“…Wait. Is this entire line for that?”
“They said it was popular, but this is insane.”
They were left speechless when they saw the enormous line winding all the way around the shop.
This was hell.
Bungeoppang hell.
I had been baking nothing but bungeoppang nonstop since opening, yet the line wasn’t getting any shorter.
No, if anything, it seemed to be getting longer.
“Boss, how much longer?”
“Just a moment! I’ll have it ready soon!”
Our shop, where only flies had been buzzing around before, had gradually become famous through word of mouth after the free tasting event.
Now it had transformed into a popular shop where people had to stand in line just to get a taste.
But there was one huge problem.
My bungeoppang mold was still only a two-slot mold.
No wonder I can’t keep up.
The maximum I could bake at one time was only two.
So no matter how hard I worked, there was no way the line would disappear.
And that was even though I had limited each customer to just one bungeoppang.
As soon as the golden-brown bungeoppang were ready, I put them into bags and handed them to the customers.
“Here’s your bungeoppang.”
“Wow, finally!! Thank you!”
After waiting for so long, the customer who received the bungeoppang took a huge bite.
“Gasp! It’s… it’s delicious!”
Covering their mouth with one hand, the moved customer soon closed their eyes and slowly savored the taste of the bungeoppang.
And everyone watching them swallowed nervously.
“Hmm, I guess I can wait another thirty minutes.”
“I even took a half-day off just to eat this.”
“I’m definitely eating one today.”
Depending on their luck, customers sometimes had to wait several hours just to get a single bungeoppang.
And yet, the line still refused to shrink.
The reason was simple.
The reactions of the people eating the bungeoppang were impossible to miss.
People were moved to tears after eating them. Some let out loud exclamations of delight.
There were even people who cried from sheer emotion.
If I saw reactions like that, I’d be curious enough to buy one too.
I rubbed my stiff lower back and poured more batter into the bungeoppang mold.
Everyone was waiting so desperately for their bungeoppang that I couldn’t bring myself to rest.
Ugh. I’m going to have to cover myself in pain-relief patches again tonight.
Just as I was thinking that—
Ding!
A system notification window appeared.
A gift for the hardworking owner!
You have received the skill ‘Steel Stamina (B).’
Steel Stamina?
And it was even B-rank?
When I clicked on it, the description read:
‘Stamina increased by 200% while inside the shop.’
It was disappointing that the effect was limited to the shop, but there was no doubt that it was exactly the skill I needed right now.
All right. Let’s work hard and keep baking.
I clenched my fists and steeled my resolve.
After that, it was the same cycle over and over.
Bake the bungeoppang.
Put it in a bag.
Hand it over.
Repeat endlessly.
Still, as I continued, I gradually became faster.
This is actually kind of fun.
It almost felt like playing a bungeoppang tycoon game where customers kept flooding in endlessly.
I smiled inwardly at the silly thought.
And right then, the next customer approached.
“Welcome!”
“Ugh. What is this that I have to wait so long for… Huh? Jeong Ha-neul?”
“…Gong Ju-hee?”
The moment I saw her face, my expression immediately hardened.
Her name was Gong Ju-hee.
She had been my classmate during our third year of high school.
Her nickname was Princess Juhee.
She had earned it because she was particularly skilled at looking down on other people as though she were an actual princess.
Looks like she hasn’t changed at all.
She covered her mouth in surprise and quickly looked over my shop from top to bottom.
“I was wondering who would run a business out of such an old shop… So it was you.”
“Yeah. That’s right. Long time no see.”
“You’ve been doing well, right? Ah, sorry. I guess you haven’t.”
She shrugged after looking at me wearing an apron and a headscarf.
“But you awakened too? What rank are you?”
“I’m F-rank. Why?”
“Oh my! F-rank? I’m C-rank.”
Ju-hee curled the corners of her mouth into a smug smile.
Yeah, good for you. You’re C-rank.
I casually waved my hand.
I didn’t have time for this pointless conversation.
“So? Are you buying a bungeoppang or not?”
“…Huh?”
“If you’re not buying one, could you move aside?”
I pointed behind her with my finger.
There are a whole bunch of Hunters waiting behind you right now, and I’m kind of busy.
