"Please eat a lot."
"Thank you. I'll enjoy the meal."
There's usually a limit to how much can be served on a regular family dining table.
Typically, there are at most five main dishes with the rest being side dishes.
But what if it's not a regular family table?
What if food is spread out on a party hall table like in comics?
The problem becomes serious.
'This is excessive.'
I wanted to show I could eat heartily, but there was too much food.
I thought the comment about putting in effort for a guest who came after a long time was just a saying.
But when I heard they had prepared properly after moving locations, I sensed something was off.
There's no need for so many servants just to invite one guest.
'I'm not an ordinary guest, I suppose.'
I became newly aware of my position again.
A first-year cadet who cleanly cleared major incidents without casualties.
A figure guaranteed by Chairman Choi Youngnam and supported by Hunter Lee Minjun.
That was me.
I should have realized when reporters called me "Hunter" instead of "Cadet".
This must be what Melanie always meant by qualifications as an awakened one.
'I'm not in a position to receive ordinary treatment.'
I might need to get used to always receiving this kind of treatment beyond ordinary.
Of course, in today's case, Sujin may have put in effort to prepare such lavish food.
But from today, I clearly realized what attitude to take when receiving poor treatment in the future.
"Noona, shall I remove the lobster meat for you?"
"Huh...? Ah... will you...?"
Sujin was sitting demurely beside me, fidgeting.
It was probably due to the seating arrangement - Sujin and I sat side by side while her parents sat across from us.
She seemed unconsciously tense, as it could look like a meeting with the parents.
Sujin was wearing a white floral patterned lace blouse.
The harmony of her straight black hair, blouse, and denim skirt was truly fantastic.
Whenever she felt shy, her skirt moved to show her inner thighs.
If her parents weren't here, I might have reached out right away.
"Our Sujin can remove lobster meat well on her own, but Hunter Baek Taeyang, rather than that..."
"Honey?"
"Dad?"
"...The lobster seems a bit... hard to remove today... Dear, I'll remove it for you too."
"Thank you."
The conversation always flowed like this.
When I took care of Sujin, she smiled broadly with a small smile.
Seeing that, Yu Minhyuk would react, and his wife and Sujin would always put on the brakes.
Seeing such a heartwarming dining scene, I too...
'I too what?'
What memory was I trying to recall, what scene was I trying to remember?
There was clearly something I needed to think of after "heartwarming", but...
Nothing came to mind.
Like looking at a clear river and seeing nothing but myself.
My head turned white and all memories except "me" were painted over with an opaque color.
"Taeyang, are you okay?"
"Huh? Ah... yes, I'm fine. I guess I was moved because it's so delicious."
"Really? Hehe... I made this..."
This moment of dining feels very distant.
I slowly chew on the opaque memories, pulling them up to the surface.
'I am Lee Taeok... and I have a family.'
I hadn't thought of this obvious fact even once.
Lately, my words and actions were focused on "Baek Taeyang" rather than "Lee Taeok".
Clearly, I wasn't like this until before entering the S-rank gate.
Rather, I had the mindset of not caring whether these life forms made of text combinations lived or died.
But at Wonderland, I naturally thought about preventing casualties.
'Are the memories mixing?'
There were no family relationships in Baek Taeyang's memories.
It could be that they weren't set, or he might be an orphan.
But that doesn't mean "Lee Taeok's" family relationships don't exist.
"Noona, you're really good at cooking. What's this?"
"Ah, that's braised chicken wings in gochujang sauce with basil..."
I guide the conversation to mostly just answering without speaking much.
I nod with a subtle, not excessive, smile on my face.
I accelerate my thoughts.
It's been barely a month since entering this world.
In that time, memories were already mixing and I couldn't recall things from Earth.
It was one of the common clichés in possession novels, but to think it would happen to me.
'Should I write a diary to keep records...'
Knowing this didn't change much.
I'd need to find the next clue by clearing the NTL quest.
But what if I completely blend into the novel and develop the thinking of a character?
What if I really think this is reality and don't even try to escape?
"Wow, this beef is so delicious... What cut is it?"
"My, Hunter Baek Taeyang has quite refined tastes. You can tell right away. This is 'Songha-na' brand hanging tender."
"Thank you for telling me..."
"You can comfortably call me mother."
"Yes, mother."
"That's right son-in-law, eat a lot."
"Honey!"
"Mom!"
I was smoothly changing topics and conversing, but at those unexpected words, everyone looked at the mother with shocked faces.
Rather, the mother met everyone's eyes with a very confident face that said 'It's going to happen anyway, right? Right?'
Even Yu Minhyuk couldn't refute, so Sujin couldn't say anything either.
'This is bad'
I encountered an extremely difficult situation.
If I openly refuse here, the atmosphere will become awkwardly twisted.
But if I nod in agreement, we might suddenly become an official couple.
By yesterday's calculations, the total number of women I needed to have relationships with immediately was seven.
Suddenly getting tied down in this situation would become a serious problem.
I had to give an answer that walked the middle ground while not offending anyone.
'This is no ordinary situation.'
Yu Minhyuk's dinner invitation may have been a simple bait.
To think there was a separate final villain.
If the silence lengthens, the atmosphere will become strange.
"I think I'm still lacking qualifications."
Honestly, it was hard to think this was the best answer.
But it was the only thing I could think of right away.
I lower myself while raising Sujin, subtly showing humility.
It was the only option that didn't reject the relationship but indirectly conveyed it's impossible now.
"Hoho, you don't have to take it seriously, I was just joking."
"No, why would you make such a joke, you surprised Hunter Baek Taeyang."
"That's what I'm saying... Why burden the kid at a simple meal..."
Yu Minhyuk kept checking his wife's expression, not knowing what might be said next.
Sujin glanced at me occasionally to see if I was upset.
I was making eye contact with Sujin's mother, and those eyes definitely did not contain playfulness.
'If I show an opening, I'll get caught.'
Eyes sharper than a raptor's were trying to pierce through me.
It wasn't time to be confused about being in a novel or whatever.
"I like these jokes too, mother. It's fine. Hahaha"
"Hohoho!"
"Hahaha!"
The meal seemed to be wrapping up.
The food was quickly diminishing as we chatted here and there, and a big reason was that we couldn't have much conversation since it was our first meeting.
We couldn't suddenly interrogate each other after all.
"My wife and daughter are certainly good cooks. Don't you think?"
"Yes, you must be very happy."
"That's right, I'm truly happy. So I hope my daughter doesn't get hurt."
Yu Minhyuk pulled me up to his study saying "Men need to talk".
The study was huge, taking up the entire 5th floor.
It wasn't just books, but also weapons and equipment commonly used by hunters.
Two men drinking coffee and facing each other in the middle of this wasn't a very pleasant situation.
"My daughter is..."
The textbook father's lines continued.
This was my second hurdle.
From a romantic comedy perspective, I should be moved after Yu Minhyuk finishes speaking here.
A story of taking responsibility for a woman through a man-to-man talk while conveying deep fatherly love!
Yu Minhyuk was surely expecting something like that.
'No, I can't do that.'
There were too many women I needed to take care of.
The regular gathering for constant activation ability users was approaching soon.
Kim Minsu's heroine might appear then.
I needed to be ready to accept new women anytime, so I couldn't make a pure love pledge or anything.
'Instead, I can take responsibility for everything.'
I had a body that could easily send everyone home even after a wild sex party.
In a world created by Glasses Fatty, there must be a device to end with a harem no matter what.
'That fat guy wouldn't think of giving them away.'
If that was his intention from the start, he wouldn't have made Kim Minsu the protagonist.
He must be full of lewd desires to vicariously satisfy himself by creating a similar personality.
There's no way he suddenly planned an ending where only the main heroine is taken care of.
'I'll take responsibility for everyone, see the ending, then leave this novel.'
I reaffirmed this and looked at Yu Minhyuk with a serious gaze.
His words were ending, and I needed this expression to give weight to my words.
My already intense eyes became so powerful that even Yu Minhyuk flinched.
"...so I entrust my daughter to you."
"Though lacking, I'll do my best."
My best and Yu Minhyuk's best are probably very different.
But if the ending is happy, isn't that all that matters?
"Dad! How long are you going to keep Taeyang, seriously."
The conversation must have taken quite long, as Sujin came running to my side.
She couldn't wait any longer and came to get me.
"We're done talking. Don't forget the promise you made with me, Hunter Baek Taeyang."
"Yes, thank you father."
"Taeyang, let's go to my room."
"Okay noona."
I felt a bit sorry.
My ending and Yu Minhyuk's ending would be different.
'But so what?'
It's okay since I'll take responsibility, right father?
"Noona, you look really pretty today. Sorry I didn't say it earlier."
"No, it's okay. Our parents were too... you know... was it burdensome?"
"Burdensome? It's all out of care and wishing us well. I liked it."
"That's a relief..."
Sujin let out a sigh of relief as she guided me to her room.
Her toes wiggling in white socks were so cute.
I held Sujin's hand with a deep smile.
Going to a room alone together in such a large mansion.
This was unavoidable.
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