That Face Is the Problem - Chapter 12.2
He drew the blackout curtains and lay down on the bed to enjoy one of his hobbies: napping. His phone quietly held the alarm he had set. A nap, a bit of housework, then pork cutlet for dinner. Just another satisfying day.
***
“Ah, so this apartment only collects recyclables on weekdays. Until ten p.m.? That’s a bit strict…”
Jeong Jae-gyeong scratched the back of his head while reading the notice for his newly moved-in apartment. Since he had changed jobs and moved all at once, he had yet to properly arrange his new home. He did not even know what the neighborhood offered. He had at least chosen this place because it was close to the training guild and had strong security.
Because he had rushed the move as if escaping, he had little affection for the house. But he could not live like this any longer. After the humiliating incident earlier in the mock training grounds, when he had gotten an erection while being healed, he resolved to finally get his act together.
As part of that effort, Jae-gyeong decided to clean all the trash in his house. Trash from the moving boxes, food delivery wrappers, empty bottles—he had a mountain of things to dispose of.
“This is all my mental state…”
He muttered gloomily while separating the trash into large boxes and plastic bags. Just cleaning took over two hours. If he were not a physically capable hunter, his back would have already ached, leaving him completely exhausted.
“Ussha…”
Carrying piles of boxes and bags in both hands, he stepped out. The trash was stacked so precariously it nearly blocked his vision. With about an hour and a half left until ten p.m., there was no need to rush, but he felt anxious knowing it would take time to dispose of all this.
According to the apartment guide, the recycling area was located at the back of the complex. Since his apartment had only two buildings, it seemed there was just one recycling center. Residents could only deposit recyclables on weekdays, and the caretakers emptied it three times per day. On weekends, the center was completely closed to guarantee the caretakers’ day off.
‘Not a bad system…’
Just then, the elevator doors opened. Jae-gyeong carefully entered the elevator, cradling his bundles of trash. He hoped no one else was inside, but unfortunately, one person was already there. Still, he would not have to press the first-floor button himself.
He stuck as close as possible to the corner to avoid inconveniencing the other passenger. Leaning against the wall to prevent his precarious trash tower from toppling, he held it against his chest and face.
Fortunately, the elevator reached the first floor quickly. The doors opened, and Jae-gyeong waited for the other person to exit. However, the other resident was also carrying trash in both hands. When he stepped out, a loud rustling sounded.
‘Good. If I just follow him, I’ll reach the recycling center quickly.’
Feeling secretly pleased, Jae-gyeong waddled out of the elevator behind the other resident, following only by the sound, passing through the automatic doors and carefully descending the stairs.
The recycling area was not far. Exiting the apartment and turning halfway around, there was the large recycling center with a code scanner for general and food waste bins.
Because the bins required a code, they were outside. The main recycling center had doors that opened only when mana was channeled into them.
With his hands full and vision blocked, Jae-gyeong followed as the person in front opened the mana-locked door. That was the problem. Right after the door opened, disaster struck.
With a crash, the trash tower collapsed. The person in front toppled onto the paper waste in slow motion.
“Gah…!”
Jae-gyeong quickly reached out and grabbed the front person’s T-shirt. What he had overlooked was that the person ahead was a physically strong combat-type hunter.
Rip.
The T-shirt tore cleanly under Jae-gyeong’s grip, exposing the other person’s pale back. With the back ripped, the rest of the shirt hung in tatters. One sleeve had completely torn off, and the other was fraying like an off-shoulder top.
“I‑I’m sorry…!”
He stared helplessly at the remaining white fabric in his hands and bowed in apology. The person ahead slowly turned toward him.
“Jeong Jae-gyeong… Hunter?”
The voice sounded oddly familiar. Jae-gyeong glanced at the front person, who was barely covering himself with a ragged piece of cloth. And then…
“Gah… H‑H‑H… Da‑sol-…!”
Jae-gyeong came face to face with Da-sol, eyes red with anger.
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