"I don't even know what an animal hoarder is, but cheating with someone who's already in a relationship? The rumor was nastier than expected."
Yoon Seo rubbed his forehead.
"Team Leader, you go first. I'm cheating? With who?"
Park Youngbum awkwardly adjusted his glasses and stammered.
"K-Kwon Jihan Hunter."
"…Kwon Jihan?"
"Yeah… Kwon Jihan's partner is Seo Chaeyoon, as you know. They really make a great couple."
"…"
"But people keep seeing you and Kwon Jihan together… like, really close. Like Kwon Jihan putting his arm around your shoulder… or you both laughing while looking at each other… One time, they even saw you patting his head?"
"…"
"Well, of course, friends can act that way. It's possible. I don't think you're someone who would get involved with someone in a relationship. But unlike us in The Guild of Leaves, those Seokyoung guys don't know you well, so I guess they misunderstood…"
Sigh…
Yoon Seo let out a long sigh. He hadn't expected to be misunderstood like this.
Do I really need to explain why I patted my boyfriend's head because he was cute?
…
Yes, I do.
Because Yoon Seo and Seo Chaeyoon are different people.
"Alright, understood. First of all, Kwon Jihan and I are just close like brothers. Please understand that I'm the biggest supporter of Kwon Jihan and Seo Chaeyoon's relationship."
"Of course! We know Yoon Seo would never commit something like adultery!"
"I believe you too, oppa. I already punched anyone who spread those ridiculous rumors!"
"Let's avoid punching, okay… Heewon, what's this about me being an animal hoarder?"
"They said you're an animal hoarder, oppa…"
"What even is an animal hoarder?"
Yoon Seo had never heard of the term. Goh Heewon, looking less pale than before, explained.
"An animal hoarder is someone who brings home dozens of animals, like they're collecting them, but then neglects them without proper care. The rumor says you adopt animals like… lizards, ferrets, squirrels, cats, hedgehogs, and then give them up a few days later. One day, you brought home a ferret, and a week later, it was a hedgehog, and then a month later, a squirrel… It's such a ridiculous rumor."
Ah…
It's about Riceball.
Riceball was known as 'Kwon Jihan's bird-shaped item,' so Yoon Seo let it freely take any form as long as it wasn't a bird.
Since the pet he was seen with changed every time, it probably did look suspicious.
Yoon Seo calmly explained to Park Youngbum and Goh Heewon, who were eagerly waiting for an explanation with their curious eyes.
"I have seven pets."
"Whaat? You really have pets?"
"Yes. I adopted them last year. I never neglect them. I carry them around with me to make sure they aren't neglected. They actually… were abandoned once before, so they all have separation anxiety and need to be with me at all times."
Yoon Seo didn't mention that he had neglected Riceball for 10 years and was about to abandon him in the end, which caused the separation anxiety.
"Oh… I see. Our Yoon Seo oppa is such a kind person who adopts and takes care of abandoned animals. Sniff."
"I knew it. Damn it, those ignorant Seokyoung punks who talked trash about Yoon Seo, I won't let them get away with it!"
Thankfully, they were easy to convince.
Park Youngbum suddenly grabbed Yoon Seo's hand tightly.
"Yoon Seo, if anyone dares spread such rumors in front of me, I'll clear them up myself."
"I'd appreciate that."
"Me too! The friendship of our Guild of Leaves maintenance team will last forever!"
"Thank you."
Not only that, but Goh Heewon and Park Youngbum also shared the news in the Guild of Leaves group chat, declaring that Yoon Seo was innocent. They vowed to deal with anyone who spread false rumors about him together.
Feeling better, the two replaced the grill and added more meat. As Yoon Seo received the tongs and grilled the meat, he thought of Kwon Jihan.
Someday, he would have to introduce Kwon Jihan to them.
He'd bring Kwon Jihan without any disguise items and say, 'This is my boyfriend.'
"...."
They'd probably be shocked and say, 'So the affair rumors were true after all!'
I guess I'll have to reveal it.
That Seo Chaeyoon is me.
That I am Seo Chaeyoon.
'Oppa, I get so worried every time you say you're going into the dungeon.'
'Whenever you don't talk in the group chat for three days, I immediately get a stomachache.'
"...."
No, I can't do that. If they knew I was Seo Chaeyoon, these sensitive people might suffer from anxiety, worry, and stress throughout the entire dungeon expedition. They might even end up more worn out than I would be inside the dungeon.
Yoon Seo chuckled to himself, and Park Youngbum looked at him wide-eyed.
"Why are you laughing, Yoon Seo? Are you happy at the thought of eating meat?"
"It seems like you've dropped your 'chic' persona lately. But this pork neck is amazing. Team leader, how did you know about this place?"
"Our team had a get-together here recently."
"Wow. This place is a 30-minute drive from the company, and you all came here?"
"One of the team members cried and begged to come here because it's so good. At first, I didn't have any expectations since the exterior wasn't that clean. The door over there is even broken and dangling."
"Right! I thought I broke it when I first saw it and got scared."
"By the way, why does the meat taste so good? Is there some kind of drug in it? I've been thinking about moving lately, and I'm considering Eunpyeong District."
"You're going to move to Eunpyeong District just because of a BBQ restaurant?"
"Yeah. There's a park nearby, a huge mart, and I heard the apartments over there have A-grade shield traps. Even this shopping complex with the BBQ place is said to be at least B-grade."
"B-grade is pretty decent, but… what the heck!"
Beep, beep-.
Suddenly, an alarm blared, interrupting Goh Heewon mid-sentence. It wasn't very loud, but the vibration along her wrist must have startled her.
"Whoa, what was that?"
"…Heewon, check your U-pad."
"The U-pad? Wait a sec…"
Heewon quickly touched her U-pad to silence the alarm.
Both Park Youngbum and Goh Heewon, who had also silenced their U-pads, exchanged glances with Yoon Seo. The notification on the U-pad, which is only given to hunters, read as follows:
[Overflow Alert
July 20, 19:01
Gwanjin-dong 409-208, Eunpyeong District
B-grade (Red-Orange-Yellow)
Check map]
A B-grade Yellow or higher dungeon had overflowed. Checking the map, the location was just behind the BBQ restaurant, and the restaurant wasn't just within the affected zone — it was right at the epicenter.
Beeeep!
A louder warning signal resonated, not just within the building but throughout the entire street.
"What the hell is that?"
"Whoa, is something serious happening?"
"Wait… that's the overflow alarm sound!"
The BBQ restaurant instantly became chaotic. One person shouted:
"Everyone, get out! We need to evacuate now!"
"Wait, if we leave the meat on, the place could catch fire!"
"The bill! What about the bill?"
"Argh! Just get out! Everyone, get out!"
Including the three of them, there were 31 people inside the restaurant. As everyone rushed toward the exit at once, people started bumping into each other, tripping over tables, and causing a mess.
"Ahh, I'm going to die!"
"Mom, help me!"
Seeing the civilians in a state of panic, Park Youngbum and Goh Heewon panicked as well.
"L-leader, do something! You're an adult!"
"W-what do you want me to do? You're an adult too, Heewon!"
"Hurry! It looks like everyone here except us is a civilian!"
"Argh, this is driving me crazy! Heewon, Yoon Seo, stop them! We can't let anyone leave!"
"Got it! Excuse me, please don't go outside! It's safer in here with the shield traps!"
Goh Heewon and Park Youngbum rushed to block the entrance. As hunters, they were much stronger than ordinary people, and with the two of them blocking the way, no one could get past.
Not that anyone was trying very hard, though.
The street outside had suddenly filled with a thick black fog. Even though it was evening, it was unnaturally dark. The civilians, terrified, stood trembling in front of the door.
"What's with this fog? Shouldn't someone go out and check?"
A bold civilian tried to open the door, but Park Youngbum quickly stopped him.
"No, you can't go outside. Stay inside."
"But I watch a lot of hunter documentaries, and they say in situations like this, you should get out first…"
"These days, every building has shield traps installed. It's safer to stay inside."
"How can we trust a shield trap?"
"Why wouldn't you trust a shield trap?!"
The civilian shouted back, and Goh Heewon, who took great pride in shield traps, yelled just as loudly. Soon, others joined in, shouting their own opinions.
Yoon Seo, standing a bit further back, kept his eyes on the writhing black fog. There was a monster in the fog, but fortunately, it wasn't a 'Misaligned Entity.' It had six long, thick tentacles and was classified as C-grade. Yoon Seo could easily take it down with just his
"Aaaaaah!"
"What? What is it?"
"Ahhhhh!"
"What's going on? What is it? Tell us!"
"Ahhhh!"
"Say something, man!"
"Ahhhhh!"
Whether the monster heard the civilian's terrified screams or not, the fog began to stir, and a massive tentacle quickly shot toward the BBQ restaurant.
"Why are you just screaming? Ahhh!"
Park Youngbum let out a scream of his own as he hurriedly slammed the half-open door shut.
Bang!
The tentacle was blocked just in time, not by the door, but by the shield trap installed on the building.
Everyone, except for Yoon Seo, held their breath, staring at the tentacle.
"...."
"...."
The tentacle was as thick as a large truck, and its full length couldn't be seen. It didn't seem to want to go elsewhere, either, as it kept circling the BBQ restaurant, occasionally tapping the windows or shaking the door.