Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 105

Seoul City Hall, Fissure Management Division.

Cheol-Soo was nervously shaking his leg while talking on the phone. A deep furrow formed between his brows as he listened to the voice on the other end.

“So, does Do-Jun have to do this internship? Isn’t it supposed to be done before being assigned to the City Hall anyway? He’s already well-trained on the job, so why does he have to...?”

Fissure management civil servants were required by the Fissure Management Act and regulations to complete an internship at the Hunter’s Bureau before official appointment.

—Section Chief, as I recall, I informed you about this when he was first assigned. Supervisor Lee Do-Jun has to go through an internship with the Hunter’s Bureau since he didn’t do it before starting his job. And when I asked you about his availability for the internship, you said you could send him whenever. So why are you changing your mind now?

Frustrated, Cheol-Soo raised his voice. “Things have changed since then!”

—Huh? What do you mean by ‘things have changed?’

The HR officer sounded incredulous.

—Anyway, I’ve reminded you several times that completing the internship is a requirement for promotion to level 8. I’m trying to help Supervisor Lee get it over with since there’s an opening right now. Also, his promotion review is in two months. Are you trying to get in his way?

Cheol-Soo knew the standard procedure regarding promotions, which made it hard for him to flat-out refuse to send Do-Jun.

“I-I’ll just call the Councilor and ask him to make an exception. How about that?”

—Section Chief, why are you being difficult? I’ve made myself clear. Please respond to the official document by today.

The HR officer hung up without waiting for Cheol-Soo’s response.

“Hello? Hello! Ugh, why does a civil servant need to intern at a government corporation?”

Realizing the call had ended, Cheol-Soo muttered bitterly, “Stupid internship.”

Busy with his work, Hyuk-Soo sighed, glancing over at Do-Jun’s empty desk as he was away on a business trip.

***

“I’m back from my rounds.”

Do-Jun walked to his desk, removed his work ID, and put it in the drawer. Noticing the unusually cold atmosphere in the office, he tilted his head in puzzlement. Sitting down, he sent a message to Hyuk-Soo.

Lee Do-Jun: Senior, did something happen? Chief looks upset.

Kwon Hyuk-Soo: Ah... well, Chief tried talking to an HR officer to get you out of the Hunter’s Bureau internship, but it didn’t go too well.

Lee Do-Jun: Did I not do that internship yet?

Do-Jun’s fingers froze.

When he learned about this mandatory internship program three months ago, he’d assumed he had completed it already.

Kwon Hyuk-Soo: No, I remember you started right away. You were a bit of an unusual case... though it does happen sometimes. Don’t you remember?

Of course, he wouldn’t remember. He had hardly any memory of his past self.

Lee Do-Jun: It’s a bit fuzzy.

Kwon Hyuk-Soo: Anyway, the Chief asked HR if you could be promoted without the internship, but apparently, it’s a firm no.

Do-Jun’s position was Level 9 Fissure Management Clerk.

Given that civil servants usually get promoted to level 8 after a year and a half to two years, he knew his promotion review was approaching soon. Opening his document folder, he found the official dispatch for the Hunter’s Bureau internship list, drafted with today’s date.

He opened the attached Excel file and saw his name in the list.

Just then, Cheol-Soo got up from his desk, walked over to Do-Jun, and handed him a paper bag. Inside were a box of thirty red ginseng extract sticks, eel tail juice, multivitamin tablets, and other health supplements.

“Take these whenever they give you a hard time,” he told Do-Jun.

As he returned to his desk, he added, “And don’t go sharing these with the other interns—keep them for yourself!”

Do-Jun and Hyuk-Soo exchanged glances and then shared a chuckle.

***

The next day, the HR manager, Go Byung-Chul, stood in front of the Hunter’s Bureau Chief’s office. He adjusted his tie in the full-length mirror and cleared his throat.

Though he was an HR higher-up, meeting the Bureau Chief face-to-face as a mere manager was always nerve-wracking.

He flipped through the personnel file one last time to confirm that the man was listed, then took a deep breath and entered the room. The Chief’s secretary stood up to greet him with a polite bow.

“Welcome, Manager Go.”

“Is the Chief in?” Go Byung-Chul asked.

“Yes, he just arrived.”

Getting the confirmation, Go Byung-Chul knocked on the door. “Chief, this is HR Manager Go Byung-Cheol.”

“Come in.”

He was met by a stern voice from the other side of the door. When he stepped inside, he saw Young-Chul standing by the window, smoking a cigarette. He carefully closed the door and bowed deeply as the Chief turned around.

“What is it?” Young-Chul asked.

“There is something I’d like to report regarding the upcoming internship.”

Young-Chul looked puzzled. He didn’t understand why the HR manager would come to him about a mere internship. There had been dozens of internships before, but this was the first time a report was given on the matter.

“Isn’t that something you should handle on your own?” Young-Chul asked.

“Y-yes, sir. But I thought this should be reported to you directly... just in case...”

Young-Chul put out his cigarette in the ashtray and sat on the sofa.

“Alright, then. What is it?”

Go Byung-Cheol handed over the internship roster.

The Hunter’s Bureau conducted internships every quarter, usually taking around thirty people each session. This time, the number was slightly reduced to twenty-five.

After skimming the file, Young-Chul set it on the table, pulling out his cigarette pack from his shirt pocket.

“I still don’t understand. What’s so special about this cohort?”

“Supervisor Lee Do-Jun is among the interns.”

Young-Chul dropped his cigarette pack and picked up the list again.

Seeing Do-Jun listed last among the twenty-five names, his lips trembled as he said, “W-why is Supervisor Lee on this list?”

“Um... according to the law, Fissure Management civil servants must complete an internship at our Bureau before appointment.”

“But he’s already been working for over a year!”

“It’s rare, but we do occasionally have people come in later...”

Go Byung-Cheol studied Young-Chul’s reaction. He knew the Chief had a particular interest in this civil servant, but he had no idea why. Rumor had it that Lee Do-Jun was a civil servant who had commanded S-rank Hunters, but that alone didn’t seem to justify this level of concern.

“Shall I assign him to the General Affairs Team...?” Go Byung-Cheol asked cautiously.

The General Affairs work was an inside term for a filler system.

They would set up a position only for formality, and the assigned intern would only have to claim their work hours, not needing to actually show up.

“Manager Go, are you trying to get me killed?” Young-Chul said, recalling what Do-Jun had said to him before.

“I know you’re a wise man, Chief. I trust you won’t make any self-sabotaging moves next time.”

“Treat him the same as the other interns. I’m sure he’d want it that way.”

***

That night, after dinner, Do-Jun sat on the sofa in the living room, searching for information on the Hunter’s Bureau on his laptop. He was especially focused on the locations of the various offices, departmental information, and their responsibilities.

Starting tomorrow, he would have to report to the Hunter’s Bureau.

Karsiel sneaked a peek at his laptop screen that displayed a document titled “Hunter’s Bureau Internship Program.” She tilted her head, wondering why Do-Jun, a civil servant, would be looking at this.

Then, a thought crossed her mind. Could it be that Master has quit his job?

She went to the bedroom, where Yong-Yong was fiddling with the SpacePad with Byeol.

“Lord Izaas, may I have a word with you?”

“Hmm?”

***

“Wow, you filled out the stamp sheet again. Good job!”

Yoon-Hee handed Yong-Yong a ten-thousand-won bill with a bright smile. However, something seemed off about him.

Normally, he would have jumped up, grabbed the money with a grin, and shouted, “Thank you!” Today, however, he simply stared at the bill, gulped, and then shook his head with a sad expression.

“I don’t need it. It’s not like I did it just for the money.”

With a heavy heart, Yong-Yong walked to the drawer, pulled out his small wallet necklace, and opened it. It contained over 60,000 won he had saved up, mostly meant for his beloved snacks.

With a look of despair, he handed it over to Yoon-Hee. “Here, I hope this helps with our living expenses.”

Surprised, Yoon-Hee stammered, “H-huh? Yong-Yong, what’s wrong with you?”

This wallet—specifically, the money inside—was meant for Yong-Yong’s treats. He loved snacking so much that going to the corner store to buy a treat after dinner had practically become his daily joy. It was strange for him to suddenly give it all away.

“What’s gotten into him...?”

Perplexed, Yoon-Hee put the wallet back in the drawer, then finished slicing an apple and brought it to Do-Jun in the living room, who was busy researching something on his laptop.

“What are you doing, Father?” Yoon-Hee asked.

“I’m looking up some things about the Hunter’s Bureau since I intern with them starting tomorrow.

“What? But aren’t you already a civil servant...?”

“Think of it as an additional training course.”

“Oh, got it,” Yoon-Hee said, nodding, seeming to understand. “Oh, right. Yong-Yong’s acting strange all of a sudden. Do you know why?”

At Yoon-Hee’s question, Do-Jun recalled what Karsiel had said to Yong-Yong in the bedroom. Though she had spoken softly, he, as a transcendental being, could pick up even the faintest sounds if he wanted to, so he had heard everything.

“It seems Master has been laid off. We might be short on living expenses for a while...”

“Well...”

He explained the reason to Yoon-Hee, who stifled a laugh.

***

“Give it baaaaack! My walleeeeet!”

Yoon-Hee held Yong-Yong’s wallet necklace high above her head while Yong-Yong hopped up and down in place, trying to snatch it with his front paws.

Watching this, Karsiel bowed her head apologetically. “My apologies, Lord Izaas... I’ve accidentally spread misinformation...”

“You’re in on this with Yoon-Hee, aren’t you? Do you all think the Dragon Lord is a joke? Grrr!”

“N-no! I truly believed Master had been fired.” freёwebnoѵel.com

Yong-Yong’s paws flailed helplessly in the air, coming agonizingly close to reaching the wallet.

“Who was it that said, ‘I hope this helps with our living expenses?’ hehe,” Yoon-Hee teased him.

“I’m sooo pissed off!”

Satisfied with her teasing, Yoon-Hee finally handed the wallet back to him. Instantly forgetting his anger, Yong-Yong took the wallet with a beaming smile and clutched it to his chest, tears of joy streaming down his face.

“My baby, I missed you...”

“So, what should we do about those stamps you completed earlier?”

Yong-Yong looked at her as if questioning her sanity and held out his paw.

“Give.”

“I thought you said you didn’t do it for the money? But if you say ‘please,’ maybe I’ll give it to you.”

Yong-Yong immediately knelt down, looking up at her with pleading eyes.

“Please.”

“Oh... h-here you go.”

Feeling a bit guilty, Yoon-Hee handed him the bill. Yong-Yong’s face lit up as he received it, and he dashed to the bedroom.

“Byeol, let’s go to the store!”