"Excuse me? What do you mean?"
Hearing that Choi Jiwoo had a way to help, Kang Hyunsoo paused mid-motion as he was about to spread chocolate sauce on a piece of bread.
Jiwoo mirrored his action, slicing her bread and dipping it into the chocolate sauce before answering.
"A confidential reassessment. It’s a special process reserved for unique circumstances. Instead of regular inspectors, high-ranking officials oversee the evaluation. However, this requires the Hunter Bureau Chief’s approval."
"The Bureau Chief’s approval..."
Hyunsoo muttered under his breath, recalling Hunter Bureau Chief Go Kyungseok.
Go Kyungseok was a renowned figure from the early days of the Great Cataclysm, celebrated as a hero who chose to serve the country through the Bureau rather than forming a guild. Revered as Korea’s Guardian Deity, his reputation for fairness and adherence to principles was unmatched.
In Hyunsoo’s past life, he had crossed paths with Go Kyungseok a few times, and each encounter left a lasting impression.
"He felt like a tiger," Hyunsoo reflected.
The man, even in his 60s, was imposing—his sharp eyebrows, rugged physique, and intense presence left those who faced him feeling as if their entire body was being crushed.
The thought of seeking approval from such a figure seemed daunting.
Jiwoo, aware of this, tempered expectations.
"It’s not guaranteed. That’s why I said I could help a little. All I can do is propose the idea to the Bureau Chief."
"I understand. Hunter Bureau Chief Go Kyungseok is renowned for his fairness. Still, I’m grateful for the opportunity. It feels almost undeserved to receive such special treatment—I’m curious why you’re going to these lengths for me."
"That’s...."
Jiwoo averted her gaze, focusing intently on the table instead.
In truth, her role as part of the Subjugation Division meant that Hyunsoo’s matters should have been handed off to another department. However, Jiwoo had personally taken charge of his case, even giving him a summoning orb with a 100-day cooldown—a resource that demanded careful consideration before use.
Even Jiwoo recognized her actions as excessive, and while she had an inkling about her motivations, admitting them felt oddly embarrassing.
Fortunately, their conversation was interrupted.
"Your steak and pasta are ready! I’ll set them here in the center. Enjoy your meal!"
"Thank you."
The server placed the appetizing dishes on the table, giving Jiwoo an excuse to pivot.
She twirled her pasta with a fork and countered with her own question.
"So... why did you ask me to have dinner with you? And at a family restaurant, of all places?"
The question was reasonable.
Although they had survived life-threatening danger together at Jaewon University, their relationship wasn’t personal enough to warrant a casual dinner invitation. To Jiwoo, it felt indistinguishable from a date proposal.
"I wanted to try the steak here, but I felt awkward coming alone," Hyunsoo replied casually. "Since we’ve been through so much together, I ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) thought it’d be nice to share a meal."
Hyunsoo’s tone was light, reflecting the true purpose behind his request.
[Absolute Beauty Quest 6]
[Have a meal with a member of the opposite sex for at least 30 minutes (12/30)]
Hyunsoo had no romantic intentions—his sole aim was to complete the newly unlocked Absolute Beauty Quest.
With no one else available for such a task, he had chosen a family restaurant to ensure the meal lasted at least 30 minutes. Dishes like steak and pasta provided the perfect pacing for the quest timer.
To him, this was a pragmatic decision, but Jiwoo interpreted it differently.
"Y-you think it’s... nice?" Jiwoo stammered, only catching the last part of his explanation.
For someone usually composed and intelligent, her reaction was out of character. Her face flushed red, and suddenly, she shot up from her seat.
"Um... excuse me. I’ll be right back—I just need to use the restroom!"
"Oh, sure. Take your time."
As Jiwoo hurried away, her face glowing like an overripe tomato, Hyunsoo didn’t think much of it. He picked up his knife and fork and began slicing the steak into bite-sized pieces.
His plan was simple: prepare the food while Jiwoo was away so they could enjoy the meal together once she returned.
However, as he was cutting the steak, a familiar voice interrupted him.
"Ha! That woman clearly has feelings for you, Master. Her face was as red as a cherry from embarrassment!"
Hyunsoo stopped mid-cut and glanced upward.
Flapping in the air near the ceiling was a small bird—a swallow wearing sunglasses.
"Swallow...?" Hyunsoo muttered incredulously.
He had summoned the cheeky bird earlier for security after leaving the hospital, but instead of focusing on surveillance, Swallow had been eavesdropping on his conversation with Jiwoo.
Swallow, ever the prankster, wasn’t acting out of character. But this time, there was a noticeable difference.
Hyunsoo raised an eyebrow and asked, "What’s with the drink? And where did you even get that glass?"
Swallow raised a wing nonchalantly, clutching a small wine glass filled with grapefruit juice.
"It’s your grapefruit juice, Master. I found the glass in the kitchen—it’s lightweight and easy to carry. Honestly, I’ve been craving a taste ever since the awards party."
The sight of a swallow sipping juice from a wine glass was bizarre, to say the least, but Hyunsoo decided against commenting further.
First, Swallow’s antics were oddly endearing.
Second, Jiwoo returned just then.
"Sorry for the wait, Hyunsoo Hunter," Jiwoo said, appearing calmer than before.
She had regained her usual composure, her earlier flustered state seemingly forgotten.
‘Swallow thinks the Ice Queen of the Hunter Bureau has a crush on me? Yeah, right,’ Hyunsoo thought, shaking his head in disbelief.
To move things along, he transferred some neatly cut pieces of steak onto Jiwoo’s plate.
"We came here to eat together—it wouldn’t feel right for me to start without you. I’ve pre-cut the steak for you. It’s still warm and should taste great."
"Oh, thank you!" Jiwoo exclaimed, her ears tinged with pink as she picked up her fork.
Seamless and natural actions.
For someone who might have ulterior motives toward Choi Jiwoo or was overly conscious of her feelings, such calm behavior was unimaginable.
Kang Hyunsoo wasn’t even entertaining the idea of romance.
In his previous life, no woman had approached him first, and the wounds left by Seo Jieun had completely killed any interest in relationships.
Perhaps because of this, he found interacting with women much easier now.
In his past life, talking to someone like Choi Jiwoo would have made him nervous, but now, he felt nothing of the sort. Time passed quickly, and soon, 30 minutes had elapsed.
[You have spent more than 30 minutes eating with someone of the opposite sex.]
[Dining with a member of the opposite sex for over 30 minutes (30/30)]
[You have completed Absolute Beauty Quest 6.]
[Reward]
[Charm +30]
[Beauty Skill: Summon Ally has been upgraded!]
[Beauty Trait: Aura (C) acquired.]
Finally...!
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As the rewards flooded in, Hyunsoo scooped up a spoonful of the dessert ice cream that had just been served and checked the messages.
The most eye-catching notification was:
[You can now view details about the state of your Beauty Ally.]
[Partial status screen for your Beauty Ally has been unlocked.]
[Your Beauty Ally has learned the skill: Magnificent Feather Flutter (B).]
《Status Screen》
[Beauty Ally]
[Level: 190 (Matches caster’s level)]
[Species: ???]
[Charm Charge: 55%]
[Skills: Magnificent Feather Flutter (B), Magnificent Barrier (C)]
[The Beauty Ally uses charged charm to remain summoned and to activate skills. Charm can be recharged through rest and eating.]
Swallow’s status screen had been unlocked.
Until now, Hyunsoo couldn’t access any details about Swallow, likely due to insufficient Charm stats. Now, he could see that Swallow’s level increased with his own, and the bird grew stronger with each boost in Charm. Charged Charm was also required for summoning and skill usage.
It turned out Swallow hadn’t been lying all along.
The next intriguing reward was the newly acquired beauty trait.
[Beauty Trait: Aura (C)]
[Effect: Activates against targets with lower Charm stats than the caster. Causes them to perceive a faint glow around the caster's face, making the caster appear 10% more attractive. Enhances the effects of beauty-related skills, such as Allure, by 10%.]
The trait’s name, Aura, seemed to reflect the phenomenon of people describing particularly handsome or beautiful individuals as “radiant.”
Had the trait simply made others find him more likable, it might have felt useless, but its 10% boost to beauty-related skills made it a worthwhile addition.
Great. With Absolute Beauty Quest completed, it’s time to move to the next stage.
Having achieved his goal, Hyunsoo paid the bill and prepared to move forward with his next plan.
But as he exited the restaurant, an unexpected variable emerged.
“Um... Hyunsoo Hunter? Do you like coffee by any chance?”
“Coffee?”
“There’s a café I know nearby. Since you bought dinner, let me treat you to some coffee.”
Though he had planned to part ways after the meal, Jiwoo was clearly interested in prolonging their time together.
The dessert had just been finished, but now she was suggesting coffee—and not just any café.
“It’s a little far, but it’s so worth it!” Jiwoo exclaimed, showing him the café’s location on her phone. It was at least a 30-minute drive away.
At that moment, Swallow, who had been perched nearby, spoke up again.
“Heh... see? I was right. She’s into you, Master!”
Swallow flopped dramatically mid-air, sipping from his grapefruit juice with exaggerated satisfaction.
Hyunsoo was at a loss.
While Jiwoo’s invitation might not necessarily mean she saw this as a date, Swallow’s teasing was relentless.
[Charm sufficient.]
[Absolute Beauty Quest 7 unlocked immediately.]
[Absolute Beauty Quest 7]
[Never forget your roots.]
[Clear a B-rank or higher dungeon solo without taking any damage (0/1).]
The next quest made it clear that spending more time with Jiwoo wasn’t feasible. To clear it, Hyunsoo needed to be alone.
In the end, Hyunsoo politely declined.
“Sorry, but... could we have something other than coffee?”
“Oh, sure! What would you like?” Jiwoo asked eagerly, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
Hyunsoo gave her a small smile, bringing their time together to a close.
“A potion.”