I Got A Legendary Sniper Rifle - Chapter 223

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 223
Ep. 223
I tilted my head, wondering if Suyeon’s reply had come back unusually fast.
Had she happened to be on a break?
In any case, it seemed fortunate that Suyeon had a free day.
…In truth, I still hadn’t realized that Suyeon was free most days.
Especially when it came to anything related to me.
「Baekbalbaegjung: When should we meet? Where?
Ilgyeok: Ah… Yes, the location is….」
Apparently she had more free time than I’d thought, and as Suyeon eagerly began arranging a meeting time, I told her what I’d been casually considering.
And so our first team meeting, including Suyeon, came to be.
“Wooooooooooooow!!!!!!”
“Deokhuun, your jaw’s going to dislocate.”
“Sir! You said to just get an autograph, but what am I supposed to do if you actually bring her here in person!”
“?”
It was none other than Deokhuun’s Warehouse, which had practically become the hideout for the Spirits and me.
It was in a fairly secluded location, had plenty of space, boasted decent facilities, and frankly, there was nowhere else quite like it.
And Deokhuun, who had confessed since last time that he was an ardent fan of Suyeon, couldn’t contain himself upon hearing that she was actually coming here.
“Isn’t actually meeting her better than just getting an autograph?”
“Of course it’s wonderful! But you should give me time to prepare mentally! I haven’t even properly washed up today!”
“But that doesn’t really…”
I observed Deokhuun’s flustered state once more.
The moment he heard that Suyeon was coming, he’d dashed to his room and emerged wearing a luxury watch, a suit, hair gel, and even cologne.
I couldn’t fathom what else he thought he could groom.
Still, fan devotion knew no bounds, so I let it be.
“Deokhuun, no ice cream today?”
“Ah, ma’am. Of course I prepared some. Check the freezer over there.”
“That’s our Deokhuun~ Armor Fox, what are you doing? Let’s go.”
Elsie and Jia grinned widely as they headed toward the large freezer in the corner of the warehouse.
Once I’d learned that the Spirits loved ice cream, I’d had an actual industrial freezer installed—the kind you’d see in a frozen storage facility.
Deokhuun joked that feeding stray cats was cheaper in comparison.
When I heard that, I thought, ‘Is he planning to open a zoo with stray cats?’ but…
In any case, before much time had passed, a figure appeared on the CCTV monitoring the area outside the warehouse.
A long coat, a hat, a mask, sunglasses.
By anyone’s standards, it was suspicious—Suyeon’s signature disguise for going out.
“After seeing that getup a few times, I’ve gotten used to it.”
Now, whenever I saw someone dressed like that, I immediately suspected it was Suyeon.
…And I was almost always right.
“Oh my… Shin Gung is really coming to my humble warehouse…”
Deokhuun and I went outside to greet Suyeon.
Though Deokhuun nearly hid behind Ihyeon’s back.
When Suyeon saw the two men walking out of the warehouse, she waved cheerfully in front of the barbed wire-like fence gate.
“Hello!”
“Yes, hello.”
Saying so, I turned to look at Deokhuun behind me.
“Huh, why are you looking at me, hyung?”
“You need to open the door…”
“Oh right, of course.”
Deokhuun then went to the side of the door and operated the lock mechanism.
With a creaking sound, the door opened, and Suyeon looked around with curiosity and spoke.
“Wow, this is my first time coming to a place like this.”
“How did you get here?”
“Huh? You told me to meet here.”
“…No, I meant your transportation.”
“Oh, I see… I took the subway.”
I’d seen the opposite pattern many times, but this was a refreshing one.
‘Since she uses public transportation, her outfit has to be like that.’
Suyeon’s face was naturally well-known at a top star level.
Her appearance was so striking, and she held the unwavering rank 1 position.
The Management Bureau could have provided transportation, but Suyeon said she didn’t use such things for personal errands.
Something about not wanting to seem like she was receiving special treatment.
“From now on, when you meet with me, please let me know. I’ll give you a ride.”
“Y-yes, yes, yes, yes? You’ll give me a ride?”
“Yes, Personnel Manager Baek Seongyun told me to ask you directly for your home address.”
“Oh my…”
Suyeon seemed to be thinking about something, and her face flushed for a moment before she tried to tell me her address.
“Wait! Wait! Waaait!!!”
“…?”
“How can you reveal Shin Gung’s home address so carelessly?! I absolutely cannot overlook this!”
But then Deokhuun, who had been quiet until now, suddenly flared up and wedged himself between us.
A powerful determination that Shin Gung’s address—which could be called a national top-secret—could not be disclosed without any security in this barren wasteland(?)
“Later, go into that makeshift shooting range and have your conversation there.”
“Yes, well…”
Hearing him out, while there was some exaggeration mixed in, it wasn’t entirely wrong, so I nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, Suyeon, who had been observing Deokhuun carefully, asked me.
“But who is this person…?”
Only then did I realize the two were meeting for the first time, and I hurried to introduce them.
“Oh, I should have introduced you earlier, I’m sorry. This is the owner of this warehouse and—.”
“You’re my father, aren’t you? Hello, I’m Seo Suyeon.”
“…”
That day, Deokhuun’s world crumbled.
Later, though he was handed a business card reading “I’m twenty-three this year,” and though Suyeon kept bowing deeply to apologize for the rudeness, Deokhuun’s mood didn’t improve one bit.
‘Honestly, I don’t think mine would improve much either.’
Ihyeon, who knew how sensitive Deokhuun was about his age, fully understood his feelings.
“Hyung! Please don’t look at me with that understanding expression!”
“Ah, yeah… I’m sorry.”
“Tch, you don’t understand how I feel at all, hyung!”
What did I do?
Ihyeon let out a sharp breath and reluctantly followed Deokhuun, who was striding ahead into the warehouse.
The spirits who had been scooping ice cream from the freezer to their hearts’ content acknowledged Suyeon’s presence.
“Hey! Good to see you again?”
“It’s good to see you again.”
“Oh, unnie, how have you been?”
The three of them exchanged warm greetings.
After giving Suyeon a cup of ice cream as a courtesy to a guest, the five of them sat down together.
Ihyeon, as the team leader, spoke first.
“The reason we’ve gathered like this is that since Suyeon is joining us for the first time, I thought we should hold a modest welcome gathering.”
“Hello, I’m Seo Suyeon.”
Though there was hardly anyone who didn’t know her, Suyeon still stood up to greet them properly.
By then, Deokhuun, who had completely forgotten the earlier rudeness, clapped his hands in approval again.
“But why doesn’t the master speak casually to Suyeon?”
“Huh?”
“Yes?”
“Like the master said, we’re on the same team now, and honestly, the master should be speaking formally to Suyeon anyway, right? Just be comfortable, be comfortable~”
Elsie, who appeared to be the youngest here, spoke in a cunning tone with one leg propped up on the chair like a grandmother.
Ihyeon was twenty-six this year.
“Ah, I’m twenty-five this year…”
Suyeon was one year younger than Ihyeon.
“I’m twenty-three this year!”
“It’s surprising every time I hear it.”
“Cough, that kind of thing, what Elsie unnie said was a bit…”
In any case, they were all around the same age, so speaking casually wasn’t really a big problem.
“Suyeon, is that alright with you?”
“Ah, yes! I’m fine with it.”
When Ihyeon asked just to be sure, Suyeon welcomed it as if she’d been waiting for it.
“Then from now on, let’s speak casually…”
“Hyung, then what about me…?”
Deokhuun seized the moment and interjected with a subtle gleam in his eyes.
He could have sworn he’d said before that speaking formally was more comfortable, but now that the atmosphere had shifted this way, he seemed to have gotten greedy himself.
“No, I’m sorry, but you’ll have to keep doing it this way for a while.”
“Why, why, hyung?”
Why indeed.
‘If I didn’t speak formally, I’d end up using casual speech….’
Ihyeon had unavoidable circumstances related to his sense of reality, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell Deokhuun about it.
The wound he’d received from Suyeon earlier seemed sufficient enough.
“I see. To maintain an organization for a long time, one must preserve the hierarchy of order even between close associates. I understand your words well, hyung. You truly are remarkable.”
‘No, I didn’t say it quite like that.’
It seemed Deokhuun had misunderstood something quite significantly.
But what did it matter?
Since I couldn’t reveal the truth anyway, if he understood it this way, it was fine with me.
Having organized the situation in his own way, Deokhuun clapped his hands together cheerfully and spoke.
“Still, this is supposed to be a welcome gathering, so we can’t let it be like this. Let me quickly prepare a proper meal!”
“Huh? No, there’s no need to go that far.”
“Yes, that’s right. We ate breakfast not long ago….”
“Please wait just a moment!”
With that, Deokhuun made a phone call and disappeared somewhere.
A short while later.
“….”
“How did this happen so quickly?”
“Wow! Ice cream! Wow! Steamed squid!”
Without even a moment for casual conversation, the warehouse was laden with what could be called a “table so laden it might collapse”—a magnificent spread.
At this level, it seemed he must have been waiting nearby.
Ihyeon asked about the situation with a bewildered expression, and Deokhuun winked and spoke.
“They say many things can’t be done with money, but actually, far more things can be.”
“…Right. Send me the bill later.”
“Ah, don’t say such hurtful things. Come, let’s eat quickly.”
To Ihyeon, who felt apologetic and offered to pay, Deokhuun playfully guided him to a seat.
Suyeon, who had just eaten breakfast and wasn’t particularly hungry, already had her eyes sparkling.
The appetite for breakfast and the appetite for lunch are different, they say.
‘Aren’t they the same?’
Thus, Team Watchmen’s first lunch began magnificently.
* * *
“Wow, the food is so delicious.”
“Haha, I didn’t prepare it myself, but I’m pleased that Shin Gung finds it delicious. Please, have plenty.”
“Yes!”
If one only listened to the conversation, the atmosphere seemed quite harmonious, but the reality was different.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh——!!
The dining table had already become a vast battlefield.
Consider the people gathered here.
Korea’s Ranking 1st, Seo Suyeon!
The Spirit of the Black Robe, Jia!
The Legendary Sword, Elsie!
And the incomparable Hunter, Ilgyeok!
‘…I don’t seem to be at a level worthy of joining this group.’
Ihyeon had always been known for his hearty appetite, but standing before these three, he felt he’d need to concede at least five moves in advance.
Spoons, chopsticks, knives, and forks—every utensil clashed together in a dazzling display, as if engaged in a three-way territorial war.
The sight resembled the land-grabbing battles depicted in historical chronicles.
Any food retrieved even a moment too late would vanish from the table.
Naturally, the initial skirmish erupted between Jia and Elsie.
The ice cream placed out for dessert was divided and consumed in the blink of an eye.
What followed was a rapid depletion of foods in the order the two spirits preferred them.
In the midst of this, Suyeon, who had initially only tasted things tentatively, awakened and joined as a late entrant.
Unlike the spirits who ate in silence, she offered thanks and praise to Deokhuun for the meal while maintaining a pace that never fell behind theirs.
Clang clang clang clang———!
‘I, is this really the sound coming from a dining table and not from the Tower?’
Ihyeon watched the battle unfolding across the table—where sparks were literally flying, no exaggeration—with undisguised amazement.
He’d seen that classic animated film scene of a kung fu panda practicing while eating dumplings, but he never expected to witness something like it in reality.
In the end, Ihyeon and Deokhuun had no choice but to content themselves with eating only the single plate placed directly before them.
That much was sufficient, and besides, the spectacle the three of them provided was far more satisfying than the meal itself.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————