Chapter 89

EP.89 Stained Rock Pile (1)

The meal at the restaurant was over.

Although I received some absurd questions from the start, the conversations after that were quite ordinary.

Moon Jeong-hyuk wasn't as interested in our dating process as I had expected.

Most of the conversation revolved around typical Holder topics, such as the clan, recent trends in the Holder community, and what life at the academy was like.

Things like how many days we've been dating or where we met...

There was no need to memorize such detailed elements.

Instead, he suggested a casual drink after the meal.

...Just the two of us.

"Dad! Stop tormenting Jae-hyun. What are you going to do, drinking with a twenty-year-old alone?"

Naturally, Moon Ga-eun protested.

Even sitting together at the meal was uncomfortable, and without her, the anxiety would only double.

Still, it felt strange that Moon Ga-eun kept calling him "Jae-hyun" instead of "Do Jae-hyun."

Is this why the first name you use is so important?

"Haha. Don't be like that. I just like Jae-hyun. We'll only have ordinary conversations like we did at the meal."

"Right, Moon Ga... No, Ga-eun. It's fine, so go ahead and leave."

I met Moon Ga-eun's anxious gaze.

And I gave her a look that said it would be okay.

Honestly, if a question like "When are you getting married?" came up again, it would be a bit awkward, but it only happened once, and even if it did come up, I could probably brush it off.

Unlike Kang Woo-hyun, Moon Jeong-hyuk was friendly towards his daughter's boyfriend, so the conversation itself wasn't uncomfortable.

Moon Ga-eun alternated her gaze between Moon Jeong-hyuk and me...

Then she sighed and nodded.

"...Alright."

After Moon Ga-eun left.

Moon Jeong-hyuk and I moved to a nearby high-end wine bar.

The inside was surprisingly ordinary.

Simple lighting and a minimalist atmosphere.

The decor was modest for a wine bar, but it somehow added to the luxurious feel.

"By any chance, is this place..."

"Haha. I hate noisy places."

Sure enough, it was empty.

It seemed he had rented out the wine bar, just like the restaurant.

Moon Jeong-hyuk seemed to be a regular.

He skillfully ordered wine as we took our seats.

I didn't have any particular preferences, so I left the order to him.

"Do you often drink?"

Moon Jeong-hyuk asked as he poured the wine.

"Only on special occasions like today."

"Haha. I sensed that earlier. You seem to have a way with words that makes people feel good."

He clinked his glass as if toasting.

"Your personality seems to match Ga-eun well, which is a good thing to see."

...I'm sorry, sir.

This is actually a fake relationship.

The words I swallowed in my throat pricked my conscience.

It felt even worse knowing how genuinely he liked me.

"I'm sorry for asking such awkward questions earlier."

"No, it's fine. I understand you were curious."

The question about when I wanted to get married.

Fortunately, I hadn't thought about it much at twenty, and the straightforward answer that I wasn't considering marriage while dating worked.

Moon Jeong-hyuk wasn't the type to insist on immediate marriage.

But the fact that he asked such questions...

And the fact that he was drinking with me separately...

There seemed to be a reason for it.

"Ga-eun's mother passed away when she was three. It was due to an unexplained heart attack."

As the atmosphere relaxed with a bit of alcohol.

Moon Jeong-hyuk cautiously brought up the topic.

I already knew the general story.

Moon Ga-eun was one of the main characters in the original, so her family background was mentioned.

However, the complex family circumstances in between were new to me.

"I worked to forget the pain. I had no time to take care of myself or my family. For 15 years, I just worked. I built the clan, but as a father, I did a terrible job."

Fortunately, Moon Ga-eun grew up well.

Despite not being loved, she filled the void by giving love to others...

Though no one approached her, she took the initiative to meet and get to know new people.

Her bright and energetic personality...

It was a testament to her resilience.

"So, you kept setting her up with people..."

"Haha. Yes. As an unworthy father, I wanted to find a good match for her later in life. I thought her lack of dating was due to her past."

He seemed to think that her continuous rejection of introductions was due to past trauma.

Of course, Moon Ga-eun might think differently.

"...She just doesn't like it because it feels like a real setup."

He might be misunderstanding something.

But I could understand a father's late attempt to care for his daughter.

He probably wanted to make up for what he couldn't do before by finding someone who would love her.

The sudden questions about marriage were likely part of that.

"Anyway, it's really fortunate that you're dating a good person like her. I was worried for nothing. Ga-eun has already moved on and is doing well. Haha."

"...Ga-eun understands your feelings well, Mr. Moon Jeong-hyuk."

Feeling a bit melancholic, I awkwardly offered some comfort.

He smiled silently and took a sip of wine.

Surprisingly, the conversation with Moon Jeong-hyuk wasn't boring.

"So, I heard Kang Woo-hyun is working under you in the Fire Judgment?"

After the heavy topic, Moon Jeong-hyuk asked.

Ah.

Seeing him call Kang Woo-hyun by his first name, I finally remembered.

Moon Jeong-hyuk and Kang Woo-hyun.

The two Holders were old friends.

Because their fathers were close, Kang Juyeon and Moon Ga-eun had been friends since they were young.

'They seem to have taken good care of each other...'

Despite not taking care of his daughter and only working, he must have taken her along when meeting friends.

I nodded in response.

"Yes. He's working as an intern now."

"Haha. It's quite amusing that my daughter's boyfriend is working under my friend. Did Juyeon scout you?"

"Yes. Ga-eun and Juyeon Holder... everyone seems to think highly of me."

Moon Jeong-hyuk laughed heartily and continued.

"You're too modest. I've heard about your skills. A rare multi-talented Holder, far more capable than your peers. Our clan's scout team leader even checked your semester evaluation at Ga-eun's request. I read that report too."

"Ah..."

I had heard from Kang Juyeon before.

He had asked the scout team leader to evaluate my skills for recruitment.

It seemed he had also joined the exploration with <Royal> at that time.

"If you have the chance, come visit Royal. I don't want to pressure you into joining, but... it would hurt my pride to lose you to Kang Woo-hyun. Haha. I'll show you how great Royal is."

Moon Jeong-hyuk said with a pleasant laugh.

Even without the ability to read people's true intentions...

I could tell that the warmth in Moon Jeong-hyuk's heart was genuine.

The meeting with Moon Jeong-hyuk, arranged at Moon Ga-eun's request.

Even though my role was fake...

The conversations we had were all sincere.

A father.

And a Holder proud of his position.

That was my honest impression of Moon Jeong-hyuk today.

I smiled and clinked my glass.

"Yes, it's an honor."

It was a surprisingly pleasant day.

* * *

Rumble—

Thunder accompanied the rain that hadn't fallen in a long time.

The weather was terrible for going out.

Thanks to this, I was spending my golden Sunday at home.

Fortunately, I wasn't alone.

My apartment in Sangdo.

It was spacious for one person, sometimes feeling a bit empty.

A familiar face had come to visit.

"Seoul, I'm back...!!"

Kim Chae-eun had returned.

After the auction in Daegu, she had immediately left for Busan...

It had been almost two weeks since she last came back.

Kim Chae-eun was wearing new clothes and even had on lenses, proudly announcing her return.

She was still holding the [Frosty Staff] I had given her.

But I rubbed my head and asked.

"Do you have to make that declaration in my house?"

Kim Chae-eun was standing in a 'Yay!' pose, as if she had just climbed a mountain.

...Don't people usually do this in their own room?

Kim Chae-eun put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes.

"What's with that attitude? Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Of course I'm happy to see you. But..."

My gaze shifted to Kim Chae-eun's hand.

Specifically, to the spatula in her hand.

"I'm just a bit scared of that thing in your hand."

"What's there to be scared of? I'm making a pancake. On a rainy day, nothing beats a pancake with makgeolli! Look forward to it. This time, I'm going to beat you in cooking."

"..."

Look forward to it?

...That's what's scary.

Kim Chae-eun had come over to my house right after returning to Seoul and, coinciding with the rain, had brought ingredients to make a pancake.

Under the pretext of a "welcome-back party with pancakes."

No, for a welcome-back party, shouldn't the one being welcomed back be the one making the food?

I tried to argue that, but I couldn't stop her once she was in "serious cooking mode."

Sizzle—

Kim Chae-eun started cooking, slowly pouring the batter into the pan.

Seeing the pancake's appearance after a long time, I thought it might actually be delicious.

I asked, watching her blankly.

"When are you starting your training again?"

We hadn't seen each other in a while, but we had kept in touch.

So I knew the general situation.

The training with Jung Seon-young had been very effective.

And because of that, Jung Seon-young, who was unmatched in [Freezing] skills, had taken her on as a personal disciple.

Considering Jung Seon-young's unparalleled skills and position, this was a significant breakthrough for Kim Chae-eun.

"Probably around August? She said there are no more classes in July."

"So, you have two weeks off?"

"Yep! She said rest is as important as training, so she told me to take it easy."

Hearing that, I thought of the dungeon exploration plan I had put on hold.

"Stained Rock Pile."

A mid-level dungeon where B-rank monsters mainly appear.

Located in the Seoraksan area, it's an undiscovered dungeon that hasn't been explored yet.

In the original story, Park Jin-woo found and explored it alone in the later stages.

So, I had planned to explore it with Park Jin-woo, but...

That lazy guy still hasn't advanced to B-rank.

I wonder what he's been doing during this relaxed summer break.

"How about we go on a field hunt this weekend?"

"Field hunt?"

"Yep. Your skills have improved a lot, and so have mine... Let's go to Seoraksan and try something a bit more challenging."

So, I decided to explore it with Kim Chae-eun.

Of course, I couldn't just say it outright; it would have to be framed as finding it by chance while exploring the Seoraksan area.

"...Just the two of us?"

"Huh? Oh, of course. We won't go to the higher areas with high-level monsters, so don't worry."

I reassured her about the lack of party members.

With my solo dungeon experience, I was confident that "Stained Rock Pile" could be explored with just the two of us.

Kim Chae-eun nodded and turned her attention back to the pancake.

I watched her for a moment, then turned to go to the bathroom.

But...

"...Just the two of us, a mountain date... opportunity..."

I thought I heard something strange from Kim Chae-eun, who was making the pancake.

It must have been a mistake, right?