novel
| ← Ch.040 | Ch.042 → |
Translated by: ShawnSuh
Edited by: SootyOwl
"You, sir, have what it takes to bring the Diamond Clan back to its prime. If you decide to bring the clan back, I can promise to bring you at least ten more people with me. Besides, you're the highest level among all the clansmen in this field."
"Hm..." Ho Sung moaned, deep in thought. Having been preoccupied with cleaning up the champion's mess, Ho Sung had long forgotten about his clan. Now, as the idea of rebuilding his legacy entered his mind, his heart started to beat with excitement.
Typically, hunters in the streets made their living by offering protection from monsters to civilians, which often came with praise and admiration from business owners and a large group of followers. At level 200, Ho Sung and his clan taking over the city wasn't completely absurd.
'Boss. '
The four-letter word seeped into Ho Sung's mind.
—
"Sir, I've put together a list of restaurants." Ho Sung said, handing the champion a thick stack of paper at the terrace of a coffee shop. Sipping his iced Americano, Min Sung looked through the list of restaurants. Then, with a furrowed brow, he said, "And?"
"... Sir?"
"Are you expecting me to read all this?"
At that, Ho Sung shook his head in a hurry and added, "Oh, no, no! I'm just trying to show you that I've been working hard at finding restaurants! Hahahahahaha!"
Looking suspiciously at Ho Sung, who was laughing heartily, Min Sung said, "What are you? Bipolar?"
"Sir?"
"Did something good happen?"
"Oh, no. It's nothing like that. Besides, serving you is the biggest joy and reward of my life."
"Something smells fishy..." Min Sung said, sipping his coffee and staring intently at Ho Sung, who looked away into the distance, breaking out into cold sweats.
"Stay quiet and out of trouble, " Min Sung said. At which point, still looking into the distance, Ho Sung waved his hands in denial and said, "C'mon! Do I really look like someone looking to stir the pot? Don't you worry, sir. That won't happen."
With that, Min Sung let up and looked at the view. The weather was perfect. The Sun was just warm enough, and the breeze felt nice and cool, almost making Min Sung want to leave for a spontaneous trip. Enjoying the peaceful atmosphere, the champion rubbed his belly while wondering what kind of food would be best suited for the weather.
"Egh! The Sun! Make it go away!" Bowl grumbled, squirming in Min Sung's pocket. At that moment, Min Sung murmured inadvertently, "Pork bone soup?" and Bowl, startled by the name of the dish, started shaking in the champion's pocket. Then, it stopped and didn't move another muscle, as if playing dead.
Throwing his head back, Min Sung stared up at the sky and said, "What to eat?"
"May I make a suggestion?" Ho Sung asked.
"Go on, " Min Sung said, still looking up at the sky.
"How about spicy raw fish soup?"
Hearing that, Min Sung looked down and at Ho Sung.
"Interesting..."
"I know a place just around the corner too."
A fresh bowl of spicy raw fish soup on a sunny day. Nodding, Min Sung rose from his seat and said, "Let's go, " tossing the empty cup into the air. Seeing that, Ho Sung sprung up from his seat and caught the cup in the air.
—
[Bonto Spicy Raw Fish Soup]
There was weight to the name of the restaurant. In Seoul, there weren't that many restaurants that made their specialty item a part of their name, which showed just how much pride the owner took in their soup.
"This place has always been famous, but it exploded once it came out on TV. As you can tell, there's a bit of a line, " Ho Sung said, looking cautiously at the champion.
"Interesting. It's not even that hot yet."
"Sure, but it will be soon. Besides, it does get pretty warm during the day."
Nodding affirmatively, Min Sung got in line.
"Oh, sir? Don't forget your numbered ticket. People are standing in the order of their numbers. From the looks of it, we might have to wait up to an hour."
"An hour!?" Min Sung said, furrowing his brow.
"I know, right? Should we go elsewhere?"
Looking at the name of the restaurant, which exuded the owner's pride, Min Sung hardened his expression and said, "No. We wait."
"Of course, sir. Trust me. It'll be worth the wait, " Ho Sung replied, fetching Min Sung a ticket. At that moment, a stranger struck up a conversation with Ho Sung with a smile.
"Well, well! Are you here to eat? We're here to get lunch. Would you mind us joining you... Ugh!"
With a numbered ticket in his hand, Min Sung looked toward Ho Sung, who had the stranger in a headlock and was dragging the man away from the champion.
"... What is he doing?" Min Sung murmured, furrowing his brow, reminded of the endless line as he looked toward the restaurant. 'One hour, ' he thought, letting out a small sigh. Although it felt like torture waiting in an empty stomach, waiting in line for merely an hour paled in comparison to the kind of life he had had to lead in the Demonic Realm. Then, regaining composure, Min Sung sat on a chair nearby and waited for the line to die down.
—
"S-sir! What are you doing!? You're hurting me!"
Min Wook, a former member of the Ace Clan and one of the newest members of the Diamond Clan, said desperately, tapping Ho Sung on the shoulder. However, it wasn't until they were in a narrow alleyway that Ho Sung let up. Looking around cautiously, Ho Sung asked bewilderedly "What the hell are you doing here!?"
"Uh... grabbing lunch?" Min Wook replied, rubbing his neck and furrowing his brow. Looking at him, Ho Sung swallowed nervously. Then, scratching his forehead, he immersed himself in deep thought.
'What would happen if Min Sung Kang finds out that I've put the clan back together?'
The champion's views on the Diamond Clan hadn't been very positive from the beginning. In fact, the Diamond Clan had been no more than a group of bandits who robbed hunters passing by their territory.
'I need an explanation. I have to be able to explain to him why my clan is necessary. I need time. '
Should the champion find out about the clan before Ho Sung thought of an explanation, it was very likely that Ho Sung would die at the hands of the merciless champion firmly believing that he would be contributing to society by getting rid of Ho Sung. Not only did the champion possess enough power to slice a basilisk in two, but he was also heartless and merciless in certain situations, which had always kept Ho Sung on his toes.
'It's too early for an explanation. I have to keep it a secret for now, ' Ho Sung thought. Then, he grabbed Min Wook by the collar and pulled the man toward himself.
"Ugh! Sir! Why are you doing this!?"
"Listen carefully, " Ho Sung said, glaring fiercely at Min Wook, who gave him a puzzled look in return."How many of you guys are there in the restaurant?" Ho Sung asked.
"None. They're on their way."
"Good. Then, I need you to take them to a different restaurant."
"What!? But we made a reservation..."
"Just do it, damn it! I'm here with someone important! I'll explain everything later, all right? You hear me?" Ho Sung told Min Wook, who still seemed puzzled by Ho Sung's behavior.
"How do you think I was able to get to this level?" Ho Sung asked, and hearing that, Min Wook caught up to what Ho Sung was alluding.
"Ah... !"
"You catch my drift? Go on. Call them."
"Yes, sir."
Seeing Min Wook sending a text to his crew, Ho Sung breathed a sigh of relief. Then, he peeked his head around the corner to check up on the champion, pushing Min Wook, who was also peeking curiously, away.
—
After waiting for about thirty minutes, Min Sung rose from his seat. Although the expected wait time would be at least an hour, a group reservation seemed to have fallen through, shrinking the line significantly. Min Sung checked the time. In about ten minutes, he'd finally be able to taste the spicy raw fish soup.
Looking at the customers who were eating inside the restaurant and the line to get in, Min Sung crossed his arms. The fact that it was lunchtime and that the restaurant was close to a business park seemed to be contributing to its success despite its dishes being slightly expensive for a meal.
While Min Sung was lost in thought, the line shrunk even more, leaving only one more party ahead of him. Then, after waiting patiently, the time finally came.
"Number 128?" the employee called out his number, and Min Sung nodded in confirmation.
"This way, please, " the employee said and pointed toward a table, which seemed to have been cleaned just a moment ago. Taking the menu from the employee, Min Sung looked through the five items.
[Sea Squirt Soup]
[House Special Soup]
[Raw Octopus Soup]
[Raw Abalone Soup]
[Special Combination Soup]
There was a picture next to each item, making it easier for the customers to decide. The Special Combination Soup at thirty-five thousand won was the most expensive item on the menu, while the cheapest and most basic was the Sea Squirt Soup. However, Min Sung wanted a proper experience. As tempting as the raw octopus and the raw abalone soup were, he felt that the best place to start was the raw fish. Having made up his mind, he rang the bell on the table.
"Yes, what can I get you?" a woman dressed in a black uniform asked.
"I'll take a House Special, please."
"Sure."
With a brief answer, the employee went away with the champion's order. While waiting for his food to arrive, Min Sung looked around the restaurant as usual. Made of light-toned wood, the interior was quite sophisticated for a raw fish soup restaurant. The walls were covered with pictures of the owner and the celebrities who had eaten at the restaurant. Although it was packed at lunch hour, the restaurant wasn't all that noisy since most people were focused on eating.
While waiting for his food, Min Sung looked around to see what the customers were eating. From the looks of it, the House Special seemed to be the most popular. Although there were a handful of people who had gotten the Special Combination Soup, it didn't look all that appetizing. In fact, the unusual combination of raw seafood floating on cold broth seemed somewhat excessive.
Then, another dish came into view: a Korean-style poke. Imagining the tender slices of raw fish combined with the fresh flavors of nature, Min Sung realized that the raw seafood soups weren't the only items available in the restaurant.
'Maybe I should've gotten that instead, ' he thought. However, remembering the dish that had brought him to the restaurant in the first place, Min Sung retracted the thought quickly.
| ← Ch. 040 | Ch. 042 → |