Labyrinth Exploration 101 - L.E Chapter 86 (Part 2): An Ordinary Day (2)

At the Labyrinth Exploration site’s cafeteria, Lim Hae-jun was eating while glaring at someone.

Kim Doo-gyeom. The guy who grabbed a plate of spaghetti, five slices of pizza, and nearly forty buffalo wings.

“…Hyun hyung.”

“What.”

“You don’t find it suspicious?”

“Of who?”

“Kim Doo-gyeom.”

Lim Hae-jun’s radar was picking up something off about Kim Doo-gyeom. It was a radar he’d honed since childhood, filtering out people trying to use him.

“What are you suspicious of?”

“Good people don’t take *that* many buffalo wings when there’s a limited supply.”

Lim Hae-jun glanced at his own tray. Only eight buffalo wings.

They’d run out.

It wasn’t a supply issue.

No matter how much they prepared, there were just too many big eaters. Even scrawny Yoon Hwa-rim downed a whole pizza and twenty buffalo wings.

“Man, Seo Ji-woo… she’s unreal. Every time I see that, I lose all respect for her.”

Lim Hae-jun gaped at the state of Seo Ji-woo’s tray.

Nearly sixty buffalo wings. Seriously, why’s an elephant in the cafeteria?

“Isn’t that just selfish?”

“They’ll make more.”

“It takes time, man, *time*. I’m starving right now!”

Waiting meant training would get pushed back, and post-meal drowsiness would hit harder.

“But why get suspicious over something like that?”

“Huh? What do you mean why. Master Ha-woon is in the pits right now.”

“…In the pits?”

Kang Hyun asked while eating spaghetti.

“What, you don’t even know what’s going on?”

“What.”

Lim Hae-jun looked at him, betrayed. Kang Hyun shrugged.

“Dunno what it is, but he’ll figure it out. Saw it online—‘Always-Right says worrying’s useless.’”

Just then, the cafeteria doors swung wide open. A man threw them open with both hands.

Lee Jun-ho, striding in with his dobok billowing, a huge smile on his face today.

“Lee Jun-ho really seems to hate Master.”

The vibe between Seol Ha-woon and Lee Jun-ho had always been weird.

Lim Hae-jun’s guess? Probably because of Seo Ji-woo. The three of them had some invisible love triangle going on. He could tell.

“Hey.”

Suddenly, Lee Jun-ho stood in front of Kim Doo-gyeom.

“Huh?”

Kim Doo-gyeom responded. Lee Jun-ho grinned, his smile stretching ear to ear.

Was he about to give a compliment or something?

“What’s with your face?”

“…Huh?”

Lim Hae-jun tilted his head, and Lee Jun-ho leaned in closer.

“What’s with your face, I said.”

“Oh… it’s nothing. I’m fine.”

“No, I didn’t ask if you’re fine.”

Lee Jun-ho’s lips, which seemed like they were about to offer comfort, trembled oddly. He reached out and grabbed Kim Doo-gyeom’s tray.

“I’m asking why your damn face looks like that, you son of a──b*tch!”

A lion’s roar echoed through the cafeteria. Food went flying.

Lee Jun-ho flipped the tray right into Kim Doo-gyeom’s face.

Everyone’s eyes widened, Lim Hae-jun’s jaw dropped, and spaghetti and buffalo wings splattered onto Kim Doo-gyeom’s upper body.

“Hey, hey!”

“What’s going on!”

“What, what’s happening?!”

As other explorers stood up in shock, Lee Jun-ho kept staring at Kim Doo-gyeom’s face.

Was it because he was caught off guard?

Or because it was so sudden?

His expression faltered.

For a moment, the bare face beneath his mask was laid bare.

“…F*ck.”

Kim Doo-gyeom muttered a curse under his breath.

A dark smile spread across Lee Jun-ho’s face.

“F*ck, huh?”

Kim Doo-gyeom seemed to realize his mistake and quickly composed himself, but it was too late.

“Got you. Like he said, you’re wearing a mask, aren’t you? Get up.”

Lee Jun-ho stretched out his arm and grabbed Kim Doo-gyeom by the collar.

“Get up, you bastard.”

“Hey, Lee Jun-ho!”

Ryu Yeon-hwa stepped in, blocking Lee Jun-ho from pulling Kim Doo-gyeom up.

“Are you crazy? What’s with you all of a sudden?”

He grabbed Lee Jun-ho’s arm.

“…Let go.”

Lee Jun-ho’s warning was icy, his eyes sharp as blades.

Ryu Yeon-hwa, just as angry, shot back, “What if I don’t?”

“…….”

Lee Jun-ho froze. He stared intently at Ryu Yeon-hwa’s face, scanning every wrinkle and expression.

“You. I’ve never liked that look in your eyes. What, am I your subordinate?”

Ryu Yeon-hwa sighed.

“Jun-ho. That’s called a persecution complex.”

“…Persecution complex?”

Lee Jun-ho laughed, his eyes curving into deep arcs.

“Hey, hey, hey!”

Seo Ji-woo jumped up. When Lee Jun-ho got *this* pissed, he acted like that. Nobody was more dangerous than a guy who laughed like he was about to snap.

“What’s with you guys fighting again?”

Seo Ji-woo tried to intervene, but—

“Move.”

“Argh!”

Lee Jun-ho shoved her with his arm. Seo Ji-woo spun like a top and fell on her butt.

“You, follow me.”

At Lee Jun-ho’s glance, Ryu Yeon-hwa willingly nodded.

“Oh, this guy’s actually lost it!”

Seo Ji-woo rushed back toward them.

“Guys, stop it!”

“Stop it, please!”

Not just Seo Ji-woo but Yoon Hwa-rim, Zhao Yun, Kim Dong-ha, and others… even people from outside the cafeteria ran in to break them up.

Lim Hae-jun glanced over.

‘Why are they suddenly fighting among themselves?’

Well, they say you can know the flow of water but never the hearts of people.

“Hyun hyung, shouldn’t we stop them?”

“…They’ll figure it out.”

Kang Hyun was still nonchalant.

“What, are you some kind of nature guy? Always saying they’ll figure it out… Hyung, don’t you think Jun-ho hyung’s acting kinda different?”

Lee Jun-ho’s character had subtly shifted.

In the latest broadcast, people were praising his “alpha male” vibe. Was he fully leaning into that now?

“Yeah. He’s changed.”

Kang Hyun had already cleared his tray. A sense of unease flashed through Lim Hae-jun’s mind.

Lim Hae-jun quickly checked his own tray.

“…Ah! You ate mine!”

“No way.”

“No way my foot, one of my buffalo wings is gone!”

“…….”

Kang Hyun hurriedly got up from his seat.

“Seriously! Stealing food like a flea sucking blood!”

Furious, Lim Hae-jun started to chase him but noticed Seo Ji-woo’s tray. It was loaded with buffalo wings.

‘Those guys are still fighting, so it’ll take a while.’

Sneakily transferring some of Seo Ji-woo’s buffalo wings to his own tray, Lim Hae-jun pretended nothing happened, scrolling through his smartphone while munching on a wing.

“…Huh?”

He spotted a post on a community site.

“What?!”

│I’m Seol Ha-woon’s junior│

A new post with that title.

Lim Hae-jun’s wide eyes rolled in shock.

Dangun

I'm currently Translating the following novels: "Labyrinth Exploration 101" & "The Monarch Who Levels Up by Devouring " If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!

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