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Chapter 3
I’m a 19+ Returnee
However, no matter how terrible her coworkers were, she couldn’t just quit her job.
Min Hyemi, as always, held back her tears and focused on the monitor in front of her.
“The market price for Black Dragon hides is…”
As she muttered to herself and concentrated on her work, a knock came at the door.
“Security Team 1 reporting.”
“Ah, yes!”
Kim Channeul, sitting by the door, replied brightly.
At the Disaster Countermeasure Safety Headquarters where Min Hyemi worked, there were two teams: “Security Team 1” and “Security Team 2.”
Her team, “Security Team 2,” was called the “Corpse Disposal Unit,” responsible for cleaning up sites and dealing with monster remains.
Meanwhile, “Security Team 1” was called the “External Affairs Unit,” tasked with handling damage to private facilities caused by hunters during battles.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you before!”
“Ah, I’m the new recruit! I just wanted to ask about the email the team leader sent a moment ago…”
The new recruit continued, but the moment Min Hyemi saw his face, her complexion drained.
The newcomer had an impressively sturdy build and strikingly handsome features.
And that was…
“Ugh!”
“Tea–Team Leader!”
Kim Channeul, who had been talking to the recruit, quickly rushed over to Min Hyemi.
“Are you okay?! Don’t die!”
“Ugh, Channeul… I guess this is it for me…”
“Team Leaaader!”
As Kim Channeul held Min Hyemi, who was half-collapsed, and wailed, the recruit looked utterly bewildered.
“Uh, are you feeling sick…?”
“Ugh! Get out!”
“Y-yes?”
“Get out, you brat!”
“W-why all of a sudden…?”
Kim Channeul, tears streaming, supported Min Hyemi and shouted:
“Our team leader is allergic to fantasy romance male leads!”
“Ugh.”
Indeed. That slick, perfect guy was definitely a returnee from a fantasy romance male lead story—her instincts screamed it.
“Ah, no, being a fantasy romance male lead isn’t… I was just a normal obsessive male lead. Of course, now that I’m back here, I don’t obsess anymore.”
“No! Our team leader hates the word ‘obsession’!”
“Ugh…”
“I-I did regret it a bit…”
“No! She hates regrets even more!”
“Ugh!”
“Even though it was a tragic genre…”
“That’s the worst word ever!”
“Ughhh!”
“Huh~? Hyemi-chan! Are you okay?”
Thus, on his first day visiting another team, the new recruit had to witness the other team’s leader vomiting, and Min Hyemi decided to call the person who helped her with cleanup that day, Lee Ruri, “Ruri-chan” for the day.
“Heh, it’s almost time to leave work.”
“Ruri-chan, got any plans after work?”
“What? Hyemi-chan actually asking me that?!”
Ruri puffed her cheeks as she spoke.
“Well, being kind for one day isn’t a crime.”
“Pfft, then you should always be nice!”
Ruri puffed her cheeks again.
“Anyway, what are you going to do?”
“Going home to practice vocals! There’s a song I’ve been obsessed with lately.”
“Honestly, you should accept that your singing isn’t that great by now.”
“What do you mean?! Are you insulting me, Ruri-chan?!”
Ruri puffed her cheeks for the third time. This was not a mistake—the narration emphasizes it.
“I guess I’ll do some overtime today. Security Team 1 caught a Black Dragon, but its sale price is tricky.”
“Security Team 1…”
The usually quiet Jeong Yesul joined the conversation, intrigued.
“It must’ve been difficult to catch a Black Dragon.”
“Well, that’s Security Team 1 for you.”
“Sometimes there are those who exceed the bounds of human capability.”
All hunters at the Disaster Countermeasure Safety Headquarters work in teams.
Among them, Security Team 1 is composed solely of S-rank hunters—the strongest team, practically legends of Korea.
Min Hyemi couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy. She had heard they earned astronomical sums of money.
“But aren’t Security Team 1 hunters supposed to have weird personalities?”
Kim Channeul, who had been dribbling a soccer ball in the middle of the office, spoke up.
“Well, yeah. Strong hunters are notorious for being eccentric.”
“True. Many of them are returnees too.”
“Exactly. Returnees are never normal. Even our team isn’t normal, honestly.”
As Min Hyemi murmured half-heartedly, suddenly the building’s siren blared.
Beep—Beep—
“What the…?”
The piercing noise made her flinch. Sensitive as she was, Min Hyemi didn’t like loud sounds.
[Emergency, Emergency—Intruder in the building—]
Everyone’s faces turned pale.
The Disaster Countermeasure Safety Headquarters is mostly staffed by office workers, who have almost no combat ability.
Hunters had offices too, but they were usually out on field duty.
If there was truly an intruder, it meant these workers were in danger!
“Everyone, grab your weapons and prepare to defend yourselves…!”
At that moment, masked men with guns stormed into the office.
“Damn…”
Min Hyemi cursed. It seemed too late to make a move.
“Hands above your heads!”
Security Team 2 was not stupid.
They had no combat ability, so they knew it wasn’t the time to be reckless.
All of them complied obediently.
The intruders cuffed their hands behind their backs and made them kneel on the floor.
“Is there anyone here authorized to access A-rank documents?”
One of the intruders shouted, but Min Hyemi replied calmly:
“We’re the Corpse Disposal Unit. We don’t have permission to access such documents.”
“Yeah, the office looked useless from the start.”
“Let’s wait for another team to contact us.”
The intruders whispered among themselves.
Min Hyemi watched them with calm eyes.
They’ll be suppressed soon anyway.
Korea had stabilized quickly after the monster outbreaks, but it wasn’t completely safe.
Like other countries, there were terrorist groups with abilities who committed crimes.
The headquarters often faced intrusions like this and was well-prepared.
No matter how the security was breached, hunters would arrive soon.
While she waited quietly, cuffed and silent, the intruders’ conversation reached her ears:
“This new member is really strong. They breached security so easily.”
“I heard they’re S-rank?”
What? Min Hyemi’s eyes widened. An S-rank had joined the terrorist group?
Officially, Korea had only six S-rank awakeners.
Four were at the Disaster Countermeasure Safety HQ, and two were freelancers.
S-rank hunters are rare and powerful. If an S-rank was among these intruders, it would take time to suppress them.
This could last longer than expected…
Realizing this, a cold sweat ran down Min Hyemi’s back.
She hated being restrained. (No need to explain why—this isn’t 19+ content.)
This won’t do.
She gauged the intruders.
Perhaps due to the office’s unimpressive appearance, only three intruders were present.
“Um… Are you returnees? We’re all returnees, so could you go easy on us…?”
“What are you talking about? There are no returnees here. Quiet!”
They yelled at her, but the fact there were “no returnees” was an important clue.
Finally resolute, Min Hyemi moved her hands behind her back naturally.
[Skill <Unlock Handcuffs> Activated!]
That’s right. Min Hyemi had the skill to unlock handcuffs.
Of course, it was a skill she gained from being restrained often. (No need to explain why—again, 19+.)
She freed her own hands and then unlocked Jeong Yesul’s cuffs as well.
Getting to Kim Channeul and Ruri might be impossible for now.
She didn’t know if the intruders were hunters or how strong they were.
It might have seemed reckless.
But…
This is enough.
Min Hyemi could defeat them.
