IFH - 14

She hadn't expected him to arrive first, so she felt somewhat awkward.

Baek Eun bowed her head politely.

"Hello, Professor. You came quickly."

"I was anxious, so time passed too slowly. You have no idea how much I regretted it then."

Lee Dojae, who naturally delivered this joke, sat down.

"Is there any food you particularly like or dislike?"

"No. I eat all Korean food well."

"That's good. Then shall we enjoy the course meal slowly while we talk?"

When Baek Eun nodded, Lee Dojae skillfully placed the order. After the server closed the door and left, a brief silence fell over the room.

Baek Eun suddenly felt this situation was a bit uncomfortable.

She had called Lee Dojae out of necessity, but she had never eaten alone with anyone before, let alone a man.

So she couldn't grasp what topic to bring up at first.

Fortunately, after a moment of silence, Lee Dojae spoke first.

"I thought for a long time after reading the email. Honestly, I was a bit suspicious."

"I thought you might be."

At her candid answer, a small laugh came from Lee Dojae.

"First, I'm curious how Miss Baek Eun knows about my younger brother's chronic illness."

Lee Dojae smiled leisurely, resting his chin on his hand as he stared at her intently.

Even though she was clearly in the superior position, she wondered why it felt like their positions had reversed.

'So this is professor aura.'

And he's being incredibly direct?

Baek Dan had definitely said he was a black-hearted guy.

'Is he? It seems like he might be.'

There was something dissonant about his expression and attitude. As if it were all an act.

Instead of beating around the bush, Baek Eun decided to answer honestly. For someone who hides themselves completely, gaining trust comes first.

"I asked Baek Dan. We're twins, Baek Dan and I."

"Ah. I know you're twins. I thought that might be the case, and indeed it is."

Smiling slightly, Lee Dojae tapped the table with his long fingers.

"Knowing I'd be suspicious, why did you offer to help me?"

"I have a favor to ask of you, Professor."

"A favor, you say."

"Yes. It's not difficult, and it's something you can easily do."

At those words, the fingers that had been tapping the table stopped moving.

"I'm curious. What is this favor that I can easily do?"

His thin, curved eyes were incredibly sly.

'He definitely didn't feel like this back then?'

Just how many masks does that human have? Is he planning to use his looks to seduce her?

When Baek Eun made a bitter expression, Lee Dojae laughed softly once more.

"Let's eat first. The food here is quite good."

Interrogation before the meal, is it?

'I'll get indigestion, you bastard...'

Of course, it was only in her thoughts. With her sturdy stomach, Baek Eun absolutely never got indigestion.

Steaming, savory traditional porridge, nine-section plate, grilled abalone, galbi-tang, nutritious pot rice, and so on.

It was indeed a place with excellent cooking skills, just as Lee Dojae had said. The tteokgalbi was especially delicious, so Baek Eun ate heartily.

"You look good eating well."

"They say even the ghost who died eating has a good complexion."

Ha ha, laughed Lee Dojae as he deftly filleted the grilled mackerel with clean chopsticks and placed it before Baek Eun.

Baek Eun didn't refuse and ate slowly, savoring it.

With food entering her stomach, Baek Eun felt a bit more at ease. After swallowing the food in her mouth, she asked.

"But aren't you going to ask about other things? You must be curious how I can help your younger brother."

"Oh my. I was going to ask after we finished eating. Food tastes bad when it gets cold."

"I've finished eating. You can ask now."

When Baek Eun set down her chopsticks, Lee Dojae smiled brightly and poured water into her empty glass with a gentle sound.

"Thank you. You're kinder than I thought."

He looked quite accustomed to taking care of someone. It was a bit strange, as he didn't seem like that kind of person.

"I'm used to serving."

He was probably talking about his younger brother.

She had heard from Baek Dan that Lee Dojae's younger brother suffered from heart disease. She had also heard how terribly he doted on his younger brother.

She didn't know why Lee Dojae went mad in the fragments, but if such a precious existence died, it must have affected him somehow.

'If it were me, I'd go mad too if Baek Dan died.'

To her, he was someone who might become her enemy in the future, but somehow she felt a bit sorry for him.

"As I mentioned in the email, I'm not a doctor, so I can't help with accurate diagnosis or surgical operations."

"I know. I don't expect you to find the cause that the world's most renowned doctors couldn't discover."

Was it because he was clutching at straws that he came to see her? Recalling his voice from a few days ago, which had seemed quite desperate, Baek Eun nodded.

"But I can make the illness better."

"How can you be so sure?"

"This is my awakening ability."

"...Awakening ability, you say?"

Lee Dojae's expression changed.

If this was an ability, then it was an ability. Who could buff crops?

'Can they?'

Suddenly anxious, Baek Eun called upon her constellation.

'Judge of the Dead oppa. I'm the one and only, right?'

[Of course, my baby. Only you can purify the contaminated land and produce excellent grain, says the constellation 'Judge of the Dead' while pounding his chest.]

Only then did Baek Eun feel a bit relieved and answered confidently.

"Yes. I can't tell you everything right now, but my ability is to create something containing buffs. With it, it will alleviate your younger brother's heart disease."

"Buffs... you say."

At his dazed expression, Baek Eun nodded.

"I'll tell you the exact nature of the ability after we make a prohibition contract."

Blinking his eyes a few times, Lee Dojae asked belatedly.

"...Are you talking about a prohibition?"

"There's no other way. Please understand."

Prohibition contracts were quite dangerous.

If kept, there would be no major problems, but the moment Lee Dojae revealed Baek Eun's secret, his brain would burst and he would die.

"It seems like quite a troublesome ability to be discovered."

"Well, a bit."

A slight interest formed in his eyes before returning to normal.

"But what if you can't cure my younger brother's illness?"

"What do you mean what? Then you just don't have to do my favor. Did you forget it's a mutual contract?"

"Seems like I'm at a bit of a disadvantage. I have to suffer the prohibition, while you just walk away?"

"If you don't like it, you can stop."

At Baek Eun's indifferent answer, Lee Dojae laughed out loud.

What was so funny that he kept giggling since earlier?

Something containing buffs... Was it a coincidence that the 'buff lettuce' that had caused a worldwide frenzy about two weeks ago came to mind?

Come to think of it, this woman's older brother was ranked 2nd in the country. One of only two people, besides himself, who could access Hunter Market Master Mode.

Lee Dojae felt his mind clearing as he looked at Baek Eun.

Meanwhile, unaware of Lee Dojae's thoughts, Baek Eun was putting on a tough act to gain the upper hand, even though she wasn't in a position to be relaxed.

She was desperately hoping this would work.

"Why would I refuse? Very well. Let's do it that way."

A refreshing, clear voice rang in her ears.

'Whew. Finally got past one hurdle.'

She had known he would accept, but hearing it directly made her feel even more relieved.

"Then shall I hear what your favor is?"

"My favor is..."

Baek Eun wiggled her fingers, suppressing her unpleasant feelings with effort as she opened her mouth slightly.

"For you to meet with me regularly, Professor."

"..."

For an instant, Lee Dojae showed a bewildered expression before quickly composing himself.

'Right... I must look like one of the many women throwing themselves at you.'

She didn't want to say this either. But what could she do? If not this, she had no chance to learn about Lee Dojae.

'I need to find out why Lee Dojae destroyed the world by observing him up close.'

To do that, this kind of approach seemed the least suspicious.

Honestly, there were probably many people begging to meet him besides her, so it wouldn't be particularly strange.

Somehow self-loathing washed over her, but Baek Eun shamelessly continued.

"Twice a week, for three hours. Meet with me, Professor. That's my condition."

"Are you asking me... for a contract relationship right now?"

Oh my, what nonsense is he saying now?

Baek Eun, who had almost choked on her water, forced the corners of her mouth up into a smile.

"No! A romance between a professor and student? I've never even thought of such a tasteless thing!"

"Tasteless, you say..."

Somehow his expression looked like he was holding back laughter, but Baek Eun desperately made excuses.

"Yes! I simply have a great academic interest in you, Professor, that's all!"

"How interesting that you have so much interest in Hunter Studies, which has such a short history."

Now Lee Dojae was openly laughing. No matter how she looked at it, he didn't seem to believe her at all, but Baek Eun stubbornly continued.

"Ah, I only recently became an awakener. Wouldn't it be good for me to receive 1:1 teaching from Professor Lee Dojae, who is ranked 1st in the world?"

"Very well. As you said, it's not difficult, so I'll do it. Until when would be good?"

"Until I graduate."

"Very well. When shall we make the prohibition contract?"

It had been 5 days since she planted the potatoes, so they should be ready in another 5 days? Then she could set aside about a day for harvesting potatoes...

Baek Eun thought about the date for a moment before opening her mouth.

"Next Friday, 6 days from now. I'll text you the time and place. We'll meet and make the contract then."

Lee Dojae readily nodded and rose from his seat, offering his hand for a handshake.

A large, long hand. With thick veins running through it, she looked at it briefly before grasping it.

"Then I look forward to working with you, Miss Baek Eun."

"Likewise."

And so, the contract between the two was established.