# 16
Jin-ha eyed the crushed Pepero stick in Seo Ji-seop’s hand with suspicion.
“Just so you know, I’m aware that Pepero isn’t chewy. I just thought I’d try bringing it, just in case.”
“How did it go?”
“…I got kicked out without getting an answer.”
Seo Ji-seop slid down onto the table and mumbled.
“I really want to stop doing this… I’d rather fight monsters.”
Others nearby nodded weakly in agreement. Section Chief was among them.
“Um, do you have any clues that might help, Jin-ha?”
The moment he heard those words, something came to mind.
‘Crunchy, chewy…’
The man’s voice seemed to brush past his ear, causing Jin-ha to reflexively cover one ear. After rubbing his ticklish ear, he lowered his hand and stared at the portal, deep in thought.
The answer lay with Jin-ha. However, he had an unavoidable premonition that once he revealed the answer, he would become helplessly entangled in some problem. That wasn’t what Jin-ha wanted.
“Section Chief, and Guild Master.”
Both turned to look at him.
“Let me be clear in advance—I absolutely will not go beyond the portal.”
“Understood.”
While the Guild Master answered immediately, Section Chief’s nod came after a moment of consideration. Being a civil servant, his concerns were probably greater.
Jin-ha pulled out a box of oatmeal chocolate bars that Cha Ki-young had stuffed into his bag. It was just a mass-produced snack, though not exactly common in this era.
“Is that it?”
“I think we need to check.”
Jin-ha tore open the wrapper and took out the contents. Before he could do anything, Seo Ji-seop grabbed it and took a bite.
“It’s definitely crunchy, chewy, and sweet.”
Having confirmed this, Seo Ji-seop immediately put on his armor and jumped into the portal. His movements were urgent and desperate.
Others who had been collecting crunchy, chewy, and sweet items—piling up rejected items in one corner of the resort—were equally desperate.
“Please! I don’t want to eat any more sweets!”
“Tteokbokki! Jjamppong! Dak-galbi!”
Well, they might have to bring supplies, but it would be difficult to use a helicopter to transport snacks back to the city. They’d have to eat them all.
“……”
After anxiously watching the portal for ten minutes, Seo Ji-seop returned sooner than expected.
People initially cheered because he hadn’t rolled out unceremoniously. Given that he’d been humiliatingly ejected every time before, they thought this must be a success, but…
“It seems I was wrong.”
Seo Ji-seop’s expression was contorted.
There was only one reason why this unusually cheerful man would have such a distressed expression.
As people’s cheers died down, Jin-ha felt secretly relieved. In truth, he had desperately hoped his premonition would be wrong. It would have been better if the man was just being difficult, making unreasonable and impossible demands.
“No, the answer was right. The crunchy, chewy, and sweet thing was the oatmeal chocolate bar that Jin-ha brought.”
“That’s great! But why do you look like that?”
When Section Chief interrupted to scold him, Seo Ji-seop ground his teeth and let out a hollow laugh.
“This time he asked how often one should get sunlight, Jin-ha.”
“…What?”
“Is this related to Jin-ha too?”
His premonition had been correct.
On the other side of the portal, no, what that man wanted was Lee Jin-ha. He had sent back his plaything before it broke, but now he wanted it back in his hands.
This annoying riddle was clearly an invitation.
* * *
Lee Jin-ha was grateful for his position.
Although he currently worked at the Anomaly Management Agency, he originally belonged to the World Gate Information Association. Therefore, unlike civil servants, he didn’t have to do work beyond what was specified in his contract.
“Lee Jin-ha.”
However, his feelings were a bit strange.
It seemed like just yesterday when he had taken the side of the Anomaly Management Agency against Dr. Jo Sung-hyun’s nagging about not being called around at will, but now he was taking exactly the opposite position.
“Lee Jin-ha!”
Jin-ha glanced up at the sound of a fist slamming on the desk.
“What’s your reason for refusing to enter the portal?”
“Because portal exploration isn’t in my contract.”
The Deputy Director rubbed his forehead several times with an expression of disbelief.
“You’ve entered gates for investigation work just fine until now.”
“I think I made a mistake until now.”
“What?”
“I didn’t realize that working diligently beyond my contract would be used as grounds to force me into unwanted work.”
The Deputy Director couldn’t respond to Jin-ha’s words. Of course, it was true that the Anomaly Management Agency had been overworking Jin-ha beyond his contract.
The difference was that until now, the overwork had been Jin-ha’s voluntary choice, but regarding this matter, Jin-ha had no such intention.
“If you want to add portal exploration to the contract as a special clause, please consult with the Association.”
“That’s…”
Not possible, right?
Because if portal exploration were added to his duties, Jin-ha’s salary from the Association would increase by more than double.
Although the Anomaly Management Agency was known for securing large budgets among government agencies, it was still just a government agency. To pay a dispatched Hunter twenty million won the next year when they had paid ten million the previous year would require a substantial reason.
Not just a reason like “We’ve decided to pay for additional labor that was previously free,” but something more plausible.
Of course, it wouldn’t be impossible if they pushed for it, but the timing wasn’t good. The Deputy Director was currently aiming for the Commissioner position and wouldn’t want to create even small points of contention.
After glaring at Jin-ha in silence, the Deputy Director forced a smile.
“Lee Jin-ha, why don’t you just be honest about your reasons?”
His skill at pretending not to hear was exceptional. This time Jin-ha remained silent.
“You’re not someone who doesn’t understand the national benefits we could gain from this trade. There must be a reason why you want to step back despite knowing this.”
“Deputy Director.”
“What exactly happened in the portal…”
The Deputy Director, who had been questioning excitedly, sighed when he saw Jin-ha’s lowered gaze and changed the subject.
“…Six riddles have already been exchanged. Riddles that no one but you knows the answers to. It’s obvious what they want.”
“You solved one without me.”
“The limit on gifts that public officials can receive according to the Act on the Prohibition of Improper Solicitation and Graft.”
Jin-ha subtly avoided eye contact at the sarcastic reply.
“A special clause addition isn’t possible. That requires the Commissioner’s approval. Think about whether there’s another way. In exchange, you should seriously consider this too. Besides the answers to the riddles, you entering is the most certain solution. You know what I mean.”
After the Deputy Director left, only lukewarm silence remained in the office.
Jin-ha deliberately ignored Section Chief, who was showing signs of anxiety near the office entrance. As he kept his eyes fixed on the hologram monitor data, Section Chief soon closed the door and walked away.
Jin-ha gulped down cold coffee and closed his eyes tightly.
“……”
The riddles continued relentlessly after the oatmeal chocolate bar. And all the answers to these riddles could be found in the conversations Jin-ha had shared with that man.
How often should one get sunlight?
What to do after sunbathing?
What after listening to music?
What after singing?
The limit on gifts that public officials can receive according to the Act on the Prohibition of Improper Solicitation and Graft.
A Hunter’s duty.
All the answers were within the conversations between Jin-ha and that man. His memory was amazing—remembering each trivial conversation to use in riddles.
Jin-ha stared at the hologram screen and sighed deeply.
* * *
“Was it someone else again?”
“Yes. It seems that person’s stubbornness is quite formidable.”
The young man walking across the sand toward the man replied with displeasure, then glanced cautiously and tentatively asked:
“Shouldn’t we just force him to come now?”
The man sitting in a beach swing chair and swaying slowly opened his eyes, but squinted against the bright sunlight. The young man used finger-snap magic to move a parasol from a distance to above the man’s head.
Opening his eyes in the shade, the man took a glass of water from the young man and smiled as he gazed at the water droplets forming on the glass.
“That wouldn’t be any fun.”
“But Master, your condition…”
“It’s fine.”
He understood why his attendant was recommending forceful measures.
He currently looked as if he were seriously ill, with half-closed eyes, a haggard gaze, and poor complexion. His condition was worsening day by day, so from the attendant’s perspective, it must seem strange to avoid the simple solution.
But the man had his reasons.
“It’s worth waiting for.”
“Master, any more than this will be too much strain on your body.”
“Yes, this should be enough then.”
“Then I’ll go directly…”
“No, let’s give one last riddle.”
“Yes. What should I ask?”
The man rose from his chair and said:
“What is fun?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
