How to Seduce S-Class Hunters with Bungeoppang - Chapter 54
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 54
“Marriage? Absolutely not!”
Lee Hyun-woo shook his head, his voice uncharacteristically flustered. The problem was that he’d directed those words not at Se-ah, but at me.
‘Why is he looking at me when he says that!’
Every customer in the shop was watching with the rapt attention of someone glued to a melodrama. One person had even procured popcorn from somewhere and was munching away.
Se-ah paid no mind to Lee Hyun-woo’s desperate denial and began to weep.
“Sob! Really, you’ve truly lost all your memories. I thought you’d at least recognize me when you saw my face.”
Se-ah trembled violently, making no attempt to wipe away her falling tears—the very picture of a tragic heroine from a soap opera.
“…Now that I think about it, didn’t he say he lost his memories when he awakened? If that’s the case, could this person possibly be….”
“Shh! Hey, keep your voice down.”
The customers’ whispered murmurs seemed to reach my ears with unusual clarity.
‘That’s right. He did mention wanting to find a specific memory….’
Could the memory he was seeking be connected to Se-ah’s past? Had they truly promised each other a future together? If so, then why was he….
“Sob! I’m so sorry!!”
My spiraling thoughts came to an abrupt halt as Se-ah bolted from the shop, slamming the door behind her. Lee Hyun-woo, his expression unusually flustered, strode toward me.
“I truly know nothing of this. I don’t understand why she would say such things, but….”
I instinctively stepped back, putting distance between us. I had no idea what expression to wear when facing him now.
“…Shouldn’t you be going after Se-ah instead?”
I murmured weakly. The implication was clear—a woman who might have promised him marriage had just fled in tears, and he wasn’t going after her?
But he shook his head firmly in response to my question.
“You matter more to me than someone I don’t even know.”
“…But what if you really did meet her in the past?”
“That’s impossible.”
He’d admitted his own memories were incomplete. So why was he so certain?
‘Se-ah didn’t seem to be lying.’
Her reaction was unmistakably that of someone in shock—raw and visceral. I gripped my throbbing head and shook it.
“…I need to keep running the shop, so would you mind stepping away for now?”
“Ha-neul, I really….”
“You don’t need to apologize to me. It’s just that your presence might make things a bit chaotic for the shop.”
I stubbornly avoided his gaze, refusing to look at him. After hesitating, he finally turned to leave.
“We’ll talk later. I’ll wait.”
As he disappeared from view, I released a silent sigh and slumped into a chair.
“Sister! Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m just suddenly feeling overwhelmed….”
The shocking incident that had just unfolded left an awkward atmosphere hanging over the shop. Hunters who’d come to pick up their reservations tilted their heads at the unusual tension.
“Is something wrong? The atmosphere feels off somehow.”
“No, it’s nothing. You’re Bae Jung-min, correct? I’ll bring your order right away.”
Fortunately, as time passed and new customers arrived, the atmosphere gradually returned to normal. We continued operating as though nothing had happened.
But that didn’t mean all our problems were solved.
“Sister…. What about Se-ah? She still hasn’t come back in.”
“I’ll reach out to her. Could you handle the customers for a bit?”
Se-ah hadn’t returned since she rushed out of the Shop. I tried calling, but it just rang and rang before going to voicemail.
Eventually, I stepped outside to find her. Fortunately, Se-ah was sitting blankly on a nearby Bench, not far away.
I approached her with a warm canned drink I’d grabbed from the Vending Machine.
“Se-ah, are you alright?”
“…Oh, Shop Owner. I’m sorry. I left without saying anything.”
“It’s fine. But what happened?”
Her eyes, reddened from crying, began to glisten with fresh tears. She barely held them back as she spoke in a small voice.
“…I’ve kept this secret from everyone until now, but Hyun-woo and I used to date. Just like ordinary lovers. We cared for each other and talked about our future every single day.”
She tried to smile, but her expression crumbled immediately. She fidgeted with the canned drink, her head hanging low.
“But after he awakened, everything changed. He suddenly stopped contacting me, and it was like he became a complete stranger.”
“Did you try reaching out to him before that?”
“I did. But he said his number had changed, and when I tried to find him, he’d already become famous—I couldn’t even get close to him.”
She lifted her head and smiled sadly.
“I thought that if I worked at this Shop, maybe I’d run into him someday. I just… didn’t expect it to happen so soon.”
“So when you came looking to work at our Shop…”
“That was genuinely because I felt drawn to this place. But in the back of my mind, there was that small hope. Please believe me.”
What could I say to her insistence? I simply nodded and said I understood.
“Thank you for telling me. Do you need a bit more time to compose yourself? It looks like Ari’s handling the Shop alone right now, so we should probably get back.”
“Oh! No, I’ll come back with you. I’m sorry.”
When we returned to the Shop, Ari—who’d been managing everything solo—greeted us with relieved eyes.
“You’re here at last!”
There was no time for conversation; we had to tackle the backlog of orders. Ari kept glancing at me, curious about what we’d discussed, but with customers streaming in constantly, there was no opportunity to talk. The rest of the day passed in a blur of activity.
“Everyone worked hard today.”
“Thank you for your hard work. See you tomorrow!”
“I’m truly sorry about today. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
On my way back to the Dormitory after closing the Shop, the earlier conversation crept back into my mind.
“Could Lee Hyun-woo and Se-ah really have been like that? Ha-nyang, do you sense anything?”
“This one doesn’t have the gift of reading minds. But I could feel Se-ah’s emotions churning.”
“Her emotions churning, huh…”
Meeting an ex she thought she’d never see again? They’re both attractive—it wouldn’t be strange if something like that had happened in their past.
“Ugh! Why does this bother me so much?”
I ran my fingers roughly through my hair. Perhaps because I’d grown a bit closer to Lee Hyun-woo, their past kept nagging at me.
It was in the midst of this unsettled state that I heard a voice.
“…Ha-neul. Could we talk for a moment?”
“Lee Hyun-woo.”
In front of the Management Bureau Dormitory entrance, Lee Hyun-woo—who’d been sitting at the entrance—noticed me and slowly stood up.
“Ha-nyang, I’ll talk for a bit and then head in. Go on ahead.”
“Don’t stay out too late.”
After sending Ha-nyang ahead, we began walking slowly around the Dormitory. An awkward silence enveloped us. Finally, Lee Hyun-woo spoke in a low voice.
“It’s about what happened earlier. I felt I absolutely had to tell you, Ha-neul.”
“…Tell me what?”
“That person and I are truly nothing to each other. Regardless of what others might think, I hope you’ll believe me, Ha-neul.”
I stopped in my tracks and looked up at him. The bright glow of the street lamp cut through the darkening sky, illuminating his face.
“…Honestly, I’m not sure. You said you felt a sense of longing when you saw me. Could that person be Se-ah?”
“Absolutely not.”
“But you said you’ve lost your memories. How can you be so certain?”
He faltered, unable to answer my question. Had I been too harsh with someone who’d lost his past?
‘Why am I being so sharp with him….’
Just moments ago, I’d resolved not to care whether he’d met Se-ah in the past or not. Yet an inexplicable anxiety churned within me once more.
I was about to apologize for words that had slipped out unbidden when—
“…Even when I saw that person, I felt nothing. Neither longing nor the desire to protect.”
He met my gaze with an unwavering expression.
“Since my awakening, you’re the only person who has made me feel such emotions, Ha-neul.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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