Now that he had a plan in place, there was no way he could keep living in this rundown studio apartment forever.
First off, he needed to move somewhere more comfortable, and luckily, he had the seed money for it sitting in his pocket.
'S-Rank Hunters really are on another level.'
It was something he was feeling anew.
Not a private company, but a national agency at that. And not even the main Hunter Management Bureau, but its affiliate, the Anomalous Disaster Response Agency. Even just the signing bonus had come through as a whopping 3 billion won in cash.
For a public-service Hunter, it was an unusually large sum—apparently backed by special national budget allocations. They were saying it was a big deal for the government to have an S-Rank Hunter in one of its agencies, but it still felt surreal to Jeong-woo.
'Something I couldn't even dream of before my regression.'
He had started as a D-Rank Hunter, scraping by to reach C-Rank. Even as a survey team leader, the pay hadn't been overwhelmingly high for a job where you risked your life. But now, in one fell swoop, everything had changed.
As someone had put it, this was a life-altering reversal, and there were still moments when it was hard to accept. Of course, he didn't have time to wallow in those emotions.
"Kyaaaah...!"
He had moved to an apartment in the Gangbuk western district—close to the Response Agency for commuting and near Segi's school. It was a 23-pyeong unit, not huge, but a clean new-build facing south with a living room and two bedrooms.
Segi had her own room to grow into, there was a living room for spending time together, and big windows that let in plenty of sunlight.
"We're gonna live here now!?"
"Yeah, this is our new home from now on. Like it, Segi?"
"Super! It's like a palace!"
"So Segi's the princess?"
"Daddy's the knight!"
In the child's world, that seemed to be happening. No wonder—compared to their old 4-pyeong shack of a studio, this place must feel enormous.
Environment has a huge impact on child-rearing. A gentle, kind disposition comes from an environment free of resentment. Of course, hadn't that been the reason he once obsessed over just filling her belly?
Having felt lack in everything during his own childhood, Jeong-woo thought a kid who could have whatever she wanted would be happy. Of course, he knew better now.
'She needs to feel plenty of love.'
Emotional abundance matters more than material wealth. Those who know the sensation of being loved understand how to love. It's divided by innate environment, so Jeong-woo figured if he had a role to play, it was to hug Segi more, love her a lot more.
With that in mind, he scooped her up and asked.
"Should we unpack a bit and then eat? What do you want, Segi?"
"Donggrarangttang!"
"We could have something even fancier, you know?"
"Donggrarangttang!"
Segi added brightly. "I like Daddy's donggrarangttang!"
It was just retort food zapped in the microwave. Why she liked it more was anyone's guess. Maybe an overreach, but...
'...The days we had donggrarangttang were the days I sat at the table with her.'
Maybe that's why. Segi was a bright, cheerful kid, but sometimes she couldn't hide her loneliness when left alone. She had learned too early how to hold back tears. Traces of that heartache lingered in her words and actions.
Meeting her round eyes staring straight at him, Jeong-woo hoped she'd never have those moments again and said.
"How about a hamburger steak, Segi?"
"Huh?"
Segi blinked. She didn't seem to know what that was. That's when he realized: kids only know the world through their experiences, and she had so much left to learn. Plus, he might give her a new joy she hadn't known. With that thought, Jeong-woo decided.
"Let's go to the mart. We'll cook together and eat. Today."
And so, Jeong-woo took Segi—who still looked puzzled—out of the house. It was a fun time.
["Kids Need New Experiences!" Going shopping together! One Praise Sticker awarded! Great Parent (4/10). Collect stickers to unlock skills!]
["Kids Love Sweets!" The child gets as many snacks as she wants! One Praise Sticker awarded! Great Parent (5/10). Collect stickers to unlock skills!]
["A Child's World is Full of New Adventures! Adventures Need Companions!" The child obtains a toy doll! One Praise Sticker awarded! Great Parent (6/10). Collect stickers to unlock skills!]
The quest progress ticked up steadily while doing things at the mart. Regardless of how helpful it was, one thing he felt every time a notification popped up: 'Feels like it's praising me, saying I'm doing a good job.' And that wasn't half bad.
At the same time, he realized something else. 'Repeating the same actions doesn't count toward more quests. Gotta find new ways to make Segi happy each time.'
The difficulty ramped up over time, but that was only natural. If he could grind quests just by daughter-ing, the aptitude's purpose would feel off. Anyway, he was already over halfway there. The new skill was probably a summon slot expansion—most likely.
'Aptitude skill quests tend to have similar rewards for the same type.'
He'd find out when he got there. He put thoughts of the aptitude aside, because he had an even bigger gain right now.
"Is the hamburger steak good?"
"Yummy!!!"
["Cooking Class with the Kid! Making your own food is playtime too?" The child learns to cook! One Praise Sticker awarded! Great Parent (7/10). Collect stickers to unlock skills!]
Today, Segi's favorite side dish had changed.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The media always craves issues. The newer, more shocking, or gossip-worthy, the more the public goes wild. From that angle, the hottest topic lately was the tiga letters of the name Jeong-woo.
Jeong-woo's assignment to the Anomalous Disaster Response Agency. It had been whispered among insiders, but with no official statement from the agency, the articles' credibility was in doubt. Online, there was barely anything but speculation posts.
[Breaking News: Saw Jeong-woo at the mart. Was shopping with his kid. Super tall, legs insanely slim. Kid's adorable.]
[Comments]
— ANON123: Another sighting report lol.
— HUNTERFAN88: This seems legit? There was a paparazzi pic that got posted and deleted recently.
— LOCALGUY: Heard he moved to western Gangbuk.
— NEWSJUNKIE: ??? Anomalous Disaster Response Agency is official? Thought it was fake since no follow-up.
— REALESTATEBRO (Top Comment): Land prices there gonna skyrocket lololol
— NEIGHBOR: Mysterious real estate win for the locals lololol
[Breaking News: But why did Jeong-woo go there? If true, that's huge shock.]
[Comments]
— RESEARCHERWANNABE: Interested in research maybe?
— SKEPTIC: Even then he'd go corporate. National facility is real shock lololol
— RESPECTER: Shock aside, it's cool. Means he's got goals beyond money. I'd never go there even if they paid me lololol
— FACTCHECKER: Agreed, basically the only national S-Rank, right?
— HISTORYBUFF: Yeah, the inaugural director went missing—basically dead...
Unverified sighting reports. Voices full of questions branching from there. Whatever it was, with no solid confirmation, the frustration was building. The public just waiting it out was one thing, but imagine the reporters chasing the story.
They had been staking out the Anomalous Disaster Response Agency building for days on end. Not a single one looked clean or put-together. These past few days, their routine was simple: they'd squat blankly against the wall, then pop their heads up like meerkats whenever a car went in or out, only to slump back in disappointment.
One reporter let out a deep sigh.
"Hunter Jeong-woo... when's he gonna show up..."
"I'm turning into an old lady at this rate, sunbae."
"It's official, right? Jeong-woo really coming to the agency?"
"Yep, confirmed. Why else would all the main broadcast stations have their top reporters camped here for days?"
The info was solid; they just didn't know when he'd start. But they were getting worn out.
"Aah... miss you, Jeong-woo..."
"Keep it down, sunbae."
Vroom vroom—!
At the sound of a car, every reporter perked up without fail. This time, really Jeong-woo?
"Ah, it's a light car."
"Standard domestic model..."
"No way Jeong-woo rides something like that, right?"
The boxy white used light car chugged into the agency grounds. The reporters wilted like drooping grass again. They didn't know yet that the person in that car was the very Jeong-woo they'd been waiting for. Jeong-woo had no interest in cars and just saved money there.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
On his first day, Jeong-woo bustled about from morning. Shower, breakfast, wake Segi, feed her, bathe her, change her clothes. Then suit up, hop in the car, drop Segi at daycare.
"Bye-bye!"
"Yeah, listen to teacher, no fighting with friends."
"Mhm!"
"Please take good care of our Segi, teacher. Call me right away if anything comes up."
"Y-yes! H-Hunter Jeong-woo... of course...!"
The daycare teacher froze up, but Jeong-woo figured they'd get used to it in time. Then he headed to the agency and entered the building.
Stepping out of the car, Jeong-woo exhaled deeply. 'From here on, I had to rewrite history entirely.'
Jeong-woo entered the Response Agency building. The agency had tiga divisions: research, disaster detection, and field operations, plus the command staff overseeing them. Jeong-woo, needless to say, was command staff.
As Korea's sixth S-Rank and the only active national one, they couldn't stick him in some low-level role. For Jeong-woo, it was actually ideal. 'Easier access to data.'
Above all, though: 'Hunter Management Bureau.' He had to bring that down, dua years ahead of the original timeline.
Command had five people total, including him. 'Wonder if bringing coffee'll help here too.' He headed inside to command. That was the moment.
"Director! Approval on this!"
"Noryangjin Gate density rising in real-time!"
"Field manpower short! Those fucking idiots broke density limits again!"
Jeong-woo's jaw dropped. It was pandemonium. Director Jin Ho-jong was smacking his lips over documents, a frazzled woman next to him was demanding approval, and a scrawny glasses guy was mumbling at his computer while a giant on the phone was spewing curses.
All empat pairs of eyes turned to Jeong-woo. He gave an awkward smile.
"Hello?"
"Perfect timing. Introductions later—mind lending a hand first, Jeong-woo?" Ho-jong sidled over and placed a hand on Jeong-woo's shoulder. "Gotta head to the field. Gate shock."
Jeong-woo's expression hardened.
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