SSS-Grade Cafe in Front of The Dungeon

“Listen carefully, you must never make it obvious that you’ve noticed.”

Han Yiseong declared with a stern expression.

“You must act as usual. You understand, just like usual.”

“Yes, just trust us!” The twins nodded enthusiastically. A sparkling sense of duty shone in their eyes.

“Then let’s do the chant one more time…..”

Han Yiseong clenched his fist and was about to shout the chant.

Click. The door opened.

“Hunter Han Yiseong, are you here?”

It was Ki Yoohyun who opened the door. Han Yiseong unclenched his fist and immediately put on a calm expression as if nothing had happened.

“Keheum, hmm. Yes, Guild leader-nim, what can I do for you?”

“I’m about to go out, but I was wondering if there’s something I need to take care of before I do.”

Wordlessly, Han Yiseong and the twins’ gazes met in midair. Han Yiseong quickly replied with a firm tone, “No, there is none.”

“Really? I thought there was a request for assistance with the rift that appeared last week.”

Han Yiseong picked up the tablet PC on the table and quickly scrolled through the screen. Phew. Fortunately, the case had already been closed.

“Yes, I’ve taken care of it.”

“What about the data Agent Kim Jina requested?”

“I have already sent them an hour ago.”

“And also…….”

“……Yes, I’m done with that. That one’s done as well, and oh, I’ll get that one sorted out right away.”

Han Yiseong broke out in a cold sweat as he answered every question. If there was a single flaw, he was sure that Ki Yoohyun would immediately declare that he regretfully had to cancel the outing.

Luckily, Han Yiseong nailed every question perfectly, and finally Ki Yoohyun said the words he’d been waiting for.

“Okay. For now, it seems there won’t be any issues.”

“Guild leader-nim, then around what time do you plan to return?”

“Well…..”

Ki Yoohyun pondered thoughtfully. The twins beside them quickly interjected.

“It’s okay if you come back late.”

“Yes, you have to come back super late!”

Ki Yoohyun gave a wry smile to the twins who were sending him enthusiastic looks. However, without saying anything, he nodded.

“Fine. Contact me if anything happens.”

“Yes!”

Bingle. Ki Yoohyun, who had taken a step forward, took a step back. Then, he retracted what he had just said.

“No. No matter what happens, don’t contact me. At least for the rest of the day, don’t contact me unless it is an emergency.”

Upon closer inspection, his cheeks were slightly red. As expected, Han Yiseong and the twins’ prediction had been correct. Today was the day! After briefly exchanging secret glances, Joo Shinhee whispered.

“But they’ve been dating for a while, isn’t it too late for a first date now?“

“You idiot! They’ve been meeting at the cafe all the time instead.”

“You’re the idiot one! Meeting at the cafe and going on a date are completely different, you know?“

“Eek, then what if the Guild Leader gets dumped? I like Rieul-noona.”

“…… Guys, I can hear everything.”

Han Yiseong covered the twins’ mouths with both hands and spoke hastily, “Ha, ha, we will never, ever contact you, no matter what happens, so have a good day.”

Just then, Ki Yoohyun’s mobile phone vibrated briefly. It was obvious who it was from just by the look on his face. As he watched Ki Yoohyun turn around, Han Yiseong thought to himself.

Seeing him like this, he really changed a lot.

It wasn’t just the matter of revealing his identity and actively participating in the world. His dark eyes sparkled with anticipation, and his lips curved into a heartfelt smile.

It was the expression Han Yiseong had wanted to see when he first met Ki Yoohyun, so many years ago.

***

I opened the closet and contemplated.

“Hmmm…..”

“Kkyuuuu?”

There was only one question on my mind as I stood in front of my closet. What on earth should I wear today? It was truly spring. During the day, the weather was so warm that it was almost hot, but in the mornings and evenings, it was chilly. Should I bring a coat or not? What time will be back today?

“Hmmm……”

“Kyakyaogh! What’s wrong with you! Just wear anything.” Mieum grumbled next to me, bored by my continuous worrying.

Yes, worrying wouldn’t make my wardrobe grow. Let’s just wear this plaid cardigan.

But when I finally made up my mind and pulled the cardigan out of the closet, it was covered in cat hair. Yesterday, Mieum was laying down on some kind of plaid rug. Were those my clothes?!

“Mieum?”

“Waeolgh. It’s not me.” Mieum rolled her eyes and denied it, but not very convincingly.

“Really? I will confiscate your snack for today.”

“Nya, nyaaaaan……”

Just then, I heard a noise from downstairs. Oops, it’s already this time of day. This was not the time to be arguing with Mieum. I put on a random coat and went downstairs, leaving our house cat, who was pretending to be remorseful, alone.

“Yoohyun-ssi, hello. Wow……”

“What’s wrong?”

Ki Yoohyun was dressed comfortably. Having embraced spring with a much fresher outfit, he really….

“You’re so stylish.”

“Haha…..” Ki Yoohyun laughed shyly and reached out his hand. He removed Mieum’s hair that was stuck to my head and whispered affectionately, “You also look great today, Rieul-ssi.”

Speaking of the relationship between Ki Yoohyun and I, it was going very smoothly. Despite our respective busy schedules, we met occasionally, going back and forth between Cafe Rieul and Cheongna Guild, in our spare time.

I always regarded him as a good person, but as a romantic partner, I found him to be really compatible and wonderful. Not only that, but he’s handsome, sweet, and sometimes even cute … In short, he was perfect.

Yesterday, while I was enjoying these satisfying days, I suddenly felt a sense of discomfort.

Huh? Come to think of it, Ever since we decided to start dating, haven’t we only met at my store or at the Guild Leader’s office of the Cheongna Guild?

Where did we meet before? Guild, cafe, guild, cafe, cafe, guild, Hunter Market , guild, cafe……….

…….

…….

No, but we were busy.

“Rieul-ssi, is there something wrong?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. Right, I’ll have to go get ready for the store soon.”

“….Okay.”

Ki Yoohyun slowly pulled himself away from me. His expression showed great regret, but he didn’t hold on to me. However, the moment I looked into his sunken eyes, an intense sense of crisis washed over me.

Wait, have we been on a date yet? Or rather, before we started dating, we did something resembling a date, but after we started dating, we haven’t done anything at all.

If things stayed this way, as we made excuses of not being able to meet because we were busy, the only possible outcome would be a bad ending. After going through all the fuss, to break up without even having a single date!

A dark future unfolded in my mind. Every time I ran into Ki Yoohyun at the Dungeon Management Office, there would be a lot of gossip. Unable to withstand the public stares, I’d feign the coolness of a Hollywood star. And then, like a supporting character in a movie about regret, I’d end up regretting it too late and walked away in loneliness….

No! That mustn’t happen!

As I was about to walk back to the store, I turned 180 degrees and approached Ki Yoohyun.

“Er, didn’t you say you were going earlier?”

“Yoohyun-ssi, are you free tomorrow?”

“I’m free whenever you want my time, Rieul-ssi.”

“We’re going on a date!”

……So here we were, after a long time of dating, on our first date.

I wrapped my arm around Ki Yoohyun’s arm and spoke to the animals of the house, “I’ll go now, then. Tell Ash that I will return late tonight.”

“Waeolgh.”

“Kkyuu.”

Mieum and Lime, already busy playing among themselves, sent me off half-heartedly.

So where were we headed for our long-awaited first date…….

……It’s a dungeon.

For the sake of my honour, let me make it clear: I didn’t intend to do this. I never planned on this.

Since it was our first date, I wanted to spend it somewhere private where we could be alone, but there were no places to go. The beach in Jeju Island where we had gone a few times was excluded from consideration because, for some reason, we kept running into other people there. Additionally, common date spots like movie theaters and amusement parks were also ruled out because I was worried about being watched by others.

When I was contemplating where should we go, Ki Yoohyun made a suggestion.

“If you prefer a place with no other people, how about a dungeon?”

“What? Nope. Even so, dungeons are a bit…….”

“I heard that a new herb was discovered in a recently opened dungeon.”

“….Herb?”

“You mentioned before that you wanted to make herbal tea.”

Ki Yoohyun handed me a leaf of the new herb, claiming it was a sample. I sniffed it, and it smelled similar to mint.

Not good. I might have embraced the life of an S-Class Cafe Owner, but I couldn’t have my long-awaited first date in a dungeon. But if I could have this mint, I could make a variety of menus…….

“If I’m with you, I’m happy to go anywhere, Rieul-ssi.”

He smiled beautifully with those long-lashed eyes, I couldn’t possibly refuse.

Hence, we arrived at the newly discovered dungeon. The dungeon, situated in a dense forest, was both peaceful and cozy. As much as I hate to admit it, this was a better place for a date than any other place in town.

“Wow, this is a really nice place!”

“I’m glad you like it.”

I walked through the dungeon, holding hands with Ki Yoohyun, until we found ourselves in front of a bush overgrown with mint. The fresh smell cleared my head. It would taste so refreshing if I made a tea or ade1 with this mint.

Okay, let’s go ahead and pick as much as possible while we’re here.

I was eagerly harvesting mint for a while.

“….Aaah!”

I almost tripped and fell over a stone I hadn’t noticed. Ki Yoohyun quickly reached out and caught my stumbling body.

“Rieul-ssi, you have to be careful.”

“Uh …. Thank you, Yoohyun-ssi. I’m unharmed thanks to you.”

I was about to pull myself out of his wide arms, but stopped myself. We’re on a date now, and it’s just the two of us here. There’s no need to pull away right away, right? Could we just stay like this a little longer?

I could feel him tense up as I remained in his arms without pushing him away. He hugged me tightly with one arm and gently ran his fingers through my hair.

“…….”

“…….”

The dungeon, silent after the conversation had stopped, was so quiet that I could clearly hear the sound of his heartbeat and his trembling breath.

Our eyes met, and we slowly kissed…….

….. at least that’s what I was going to do.

“Aaahhhh?!”

“Rieul-ssi, be careful…..!”

Suddenly, a gate appeared beneath my feet. Ki Yoohyun grabbed me and tried to use his skill, but it was already too late. A beam of light shot out of the gate and sucked us in in an instant.

…….

…….

Sshwaa, Sshwaa~ I heard the sound of waves.

Regaining my senses, I looked around in bewilderment. Beyond the gate was a beach. The blazing sun, blue sky, and cerulean sea greeted me.

But the scenery was very familiar. I felt like I had been to this beach before.

“Human, long time no see, welcome!”

This voice was……

“Pepe!”

There’s no way I’d forget this unique way of speaking. The little fire spirit, one of Cthugha’s subordinates, was before me.

The gate that had suddenly appeared turned out to lead to the Garden of Cthugha. I was very happy to see Pepe after such a long time.

But where did Yoohyun go? We passed through the gate at the same time, so we must have landed in the same place.

“Pepe, have you seen anyone else? Wasn’t there one more person beside me?”

Instead of answering, Pepe ran towards a nearby area. There, Ki Yoohyun was just regaining his senses.

“…Yoohyun-ssi!”

“Ugh … Rieul-ssi, are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?”

“Yes, I’m fine…..”

“Human, first meet, who.”

Before I could finish my answer, Pepe interrupted. The way he blasted out hot flames, he seemed to be wary of Ki Yoohyun.

“Illegal, trespassing, angry!”

Oops. Ki Yoohyun wasn’t with me the last time I came here, so this must be Pepe’s first time seeing him. Before Pepe could burn all of Ki Yoohyun’s clothes, I shouted urgently.

“Aah, no, do-don’t! Pepe! This person is…..”

“Answer, curious, who.”

“…..Is?”

No, Yoohyun-ssi, why are you looking at me so expectantly?

“He’s the one I’m dating. He’s … a very precious person to me. So, don’t get angry, Pepe.”

Pepe’s flame, which was blazing brightly, died down in an instant. Pepe clapped as he circled around Ki Yoohyun and me.

“Couple, congratulations, congratulations!”

“Haha … thank you.”

“Couple, welcome, banquet!”

Pepe summoned the other fire spirits and began to set up a table, announcing that they would prepare a banquet.

Hyuuur, with a roar, a great flame flared up and transformed into human form.

“……Granddaughter, it’s been a long time!”

“Yesterday, I called you to help me fix the oven.”

“Hmmm, who is that human? I can sense some mighty power in him.”

“Well, haha … he’s someone I like.”

Pepe piled a mountain of grilled oysters on a plate and called us over. Naturally, we ended up partying with these fire spirits.

In the end, this intimate date ended in failure…….

I whispered to Ki Yoohyun, who was sitting next to me, “I’m sorry. Our date has turned into a mess.”

“No need. As I mentioned before, I’d be happy anywhere as long as I can be with you, Rieul-ssi.”

“……Thank you.”

“When we get back, I’ll stabilise that gate, so you’ll be able to come and go freely from now on.”

“Yoohyun-ssi…..”

What should I do? He’s a really good person. Such a wonderful person likes me.

After spending some time like that, Cthugha quietly called me over. He asked me a short question with a serious expression.

“Granddaughter, are you happy now?”

I turned my head and glanced at Ki Yoohyun, who was playing with the fire spirits that had gathered around him. When his eyes locked with mine, a sweet smile appeared on his face.

I recalled everything that I had experienced up to this point. I’ve met a lot of people, and I encountered both bad and good times.

And after all those experiences, this feeling I have now…….

I turned to look at Cthugha again. When I faced the transcendent being, the one who remembered my grandmother, a completely honest answer naturally flowed from my lips.

“Yes, I’m happy. I truly am.”

<THE END>

Translator’s Corner:

Wow,, I actually finished this SJAKDSHNJFKJDFLKJLKJD I CAN’T BELIEVE I FINALLY FINISHED SOMETHING??????

T_T

I first started translating this on July 2022, and today we’re already on July 2024. Sorry it took soooo long. I also didn’t expect there would be 123456 bad things happening on my life in the last two years (also, ALL THAT HAPPENED ONLY IN 2 YEARS? Fate hates me fr), thank you for listening to my problems all this time. I think a lot of people who were here in the early days already left, but still thank you for waiting for so long T_T I actually didn’t have the confidence I’d be able to finish, but now I’m glad I refused both the request to move this translation to another site and the take over request … sorry you’re stuck with me all this time and my unlucky situations though hehe

I know this story perhaps not fun (?) enough but I personally really like how calm this story is. I’m so grateful the author let us know Rieul T_T I was taking a long break from reading at that time since lot of traumatic events happen in my life, and when I started reading webnovels again, I found this novel and it became my comfort read since then. I like how Rieul started as someone who’s alone but in the end, she’s surrounded by a lot of good people. And the plot didn’t have anything that stressed me out, so it’s really peaceful to read T_T I hope you will enjoy this as a healing novel too~ I pray that we, too, will have a peaceful happy ending like hers.

Anyway, as for me, please pray my professor remembered my existence … well, I’m set to graduate in early November so please pray I’ll still be alive until then ajhdldsdkgjf I got sick so often since my body is not functioning like a normal human so my dream is to get that degree no matter what happens (I almost gave up. Let’s abolish the concept of thesis). Oh, I made a graduation wishlist on buy my coffee here! Although, the true actual graduation wish is a job … please let me find a job that will hire as soon as I graduate, I have nowhere to go sjkdhjkshddskjfh

NOW, LET’S PRAY FOR A MANHWA ADAPTION, EVERYONE T_T Visit the original work, give it a lot of traffics and loves! We need that Ki Yoohyun.jpg in 100 panels! (If you search for the kr title, the first result would lead you to the source. I want to add the link but I’m afraid this blog will go poof).

And for side stories, I will do them after my thesis got its final approval! Maybe in August? please say amen (IDK WHY IT’S ALREADY JULY 20TH, SOMEONE HELP I NEED TO FINISH THIS IN JULY). I need to start replying to the past comments and coffee messages too … see you again soon!