Chapter 03
F×cked up
Was it because I fell asleep thinking about the hot spring?
That night, I dreamed of a steaming hot spring, with warm mist rising from the water.
Wow, just dipping into that would melt all my fatigue away.
I wanted nothing more than to jump into the crystal-clear spring that made me feel relaxed just by looking at it.
But for some reason, I was floating in the air, unable to move as if something invisible was binding me.
Seriously? Even in my own dream, I can’t do what I want?
No way I’m letting that slide!
Fueled by my determination to enjoy a hot spring bath, even in a dream, I struggled with all my might.
At that moment, a massive whirlpool of water swirled up, revealing a gigantic silver dragon with shimmering jewel-like scales.
“A dragon…”
A real dragon appeared.
I gasped in awe, clasping my hands over my mouth.
This was my first time dreaming of a dragon in my 23 years of life.
A dragon dream—this had to be a sign of great fortune, right?
Should I buy a lottery ticket?
I was dazed for a moment before quickly gathering my thoughts.
No need to hesitate.
This is a dragon dream!
As soon as I wake up, I’m running to the nearest convenience store to buy a ticket.
As I entertained my happy delusions, I gazed at the radiant silver dragon.
Wait, but if this is really a lucky dream, shouldn’t the dragon come into my arms?
Why is it just staring at me?
It seemed like quite a shy dragon.
“Come here, let me hold you!”
I spread my arms wide, welcoming the timid dragon.
As if it had been waiting for my invitation, the dragon surged forward with the power of a rolling wave.
That’s right! Good dragon.
I gestured toward the dragon as if coaxing a child taking their first steps.
Since it was approaching without hesitation, I thought it would come straight into my arms—but right before reaching me, it stopped moving.
Wait, is it trying to play hard to get?
I’ve never even played hard to get with a boyfriend, and now I’m doing it with a dragon?
I felt a twinge of self-awareness, but priorities were priorities.
A boyfriend I didn’t even have versus a dragon that could bring me wealth beyond my dreams? The choice was obvious.
Just as I was contemplating how to lure the dragon into my embrace, it suddenly spoke to me.
“Would you like to become the owner of our hot spring?”
The dragon… can talk?
I was so stunned by the fact that the dragon could talk that I barely registered what it was actually saying.
“If you wish to become the owner, take this key!”
Muttering to itself, the dragon pulled a golden key from its chest.
A golden key?! I can’t ignore that!
If it’s handing me a golden key so casually, this must be a jackpot!
What should I do first when I win the lottery?
I’ll buy a house where I can live comfortably for the rest of my life… then get a car so I can travel freely…
And after that, I’ll open a hot spring in a peaceful place and enjoy a quiet, relaxed life.
If that happens, I won’t have to worry about getting hounded by reporters and losing my livelihood anymore.
….Yeah, there’s no time to waste.
I need to grab that golden key first.
Determined to claim my fortune before waking up, I reached out and seized the golden key—
The moment my fingers wrapped around it, a brilliant light burst forth, and unfamiliar messages began appearing before my eyes.
[Obtained ‘Hot Spring Master Key’ from Guide ‘Yeong-gye’.]
[‘Contract with Constellation ‘Ruler of the Hot Spring’ automatically established upon obtaining Hot Spring Master Key’.]
[Constellation ‘Ruler of the Hot Spring’ searches for ‘Hot Spring Master Key’ in surprise.]
[Constellation ‘Ruler of the Hot Spring’ rages, threatening to turn ‘Yeong-gye’ into soup.]
What the hell is all this?
[Awakening as ‘Owner of the Dried-Up Hot Spring (F)’.]
Wait… wasn’t this supposed to be a lottery-winning dream?
Now there’s a guide and even a constellation involved?
Could it be that I’ve actually awakened?
I stared at the floating messages, momentarily lost in thought, before waving my hand dismissively and laughed it off.
Even if—by some miracle—I really awakened….
I’m F-rank? And on top of that, I awakened as a hot spring owner?
I’ve never seen or heard of an awakened with the occupation of hot spring owner in my life.
So clearly, this is just a dream fueled by my desperate wish to live a peaceful life running a hot spring.
Considering how much I’ve been harassed by reporters lately, it makes sense that I’d have a dream like this.
“This dream feels way too realistic. I guess even dreams evolve with the times, huh? Right, Dragon?”
“I am not just any dragon.”
The dragon frowned, clearly displeased with the title.
“Then what are you?”
“I am the great Yeong-gye, renowned far and wide!”
Lifting its head proudly, the dragon let out a confident snort.
“Yeong-gye? Like the one used in yeong-gye baeksuk (chicken soup)?”
Even in a dream, the image of a plump, white, tender samgyetang made my mouth water.
Chicken soup is delicious.
Tearing off a generous chunk of meat and placing it on a spoon over the milky broth before taking a big bite… ah!
Just thinking about food made my stomach growl.
It was about time to eat something nourishing, right?
Since I eat tonkatsu often, I’ll save that for next time. Should I have chicken soup for lunch today?
I was just about to wake up and order lunch when the dragon suddenly erupted in fury.
“Chicken soup?! How dare you compare me to such a mere creature! Listen well! My name is written with the characters for ‘bright’ (瑩) and ‘radiant’ (暸), meaning I shine brilliantly. I am not some chicken!”
“Yes, Lord Dragon. I hear you loud and clear. Now that I’ve got everything I need, I’ll be waking up from this dream.”
Having no particular interest in the dragon’s name, I casually dug my pinky into my ear and focused on the golden key in my hand.
Its shimmering glow rippled, looking almost too real.
They say the more vivid a dream is, the luckier it is.
Excited by the thought of striking it rich, I clenched the golden key and let out a silent chuckle.
Time to wake up! I’m too hungry to sleep any longer.
Driven by hunger, I impulsively lifted my right hand and smacked my cheek with all my might.
Since this was a dream, I assumed it wouldn’t hurt—
“Ah! @#$%! That hurts!”
Damn it! My cheek burned like it was about to fall off.
A string of curses lingered on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t even let them out.
“Why does it hurt in a dream?”
“Why do you think?”
As I clutched my swollen cheek, panting through the pain, Yeong-gye looked at me with a pitying gaze and asked.
“Why do you think it hurts?”
“Because it’s real?”
“Exactly. When I found you, you were already asleep, so I had no choice but to borrow the setting of your dream.”
So, this was my dream… but also reality?
“Wait, are you saying I actually awakened? As a hot spring owner, no less?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The sharp pain lingering in my cheek made me realize something horrifying—this might actually be real.
“Wait, who gave permission for this contract? Just because you’re a Constellation, does that mean you can force contracts onto people? Did I ever say I agreed? You never got my consent, so this contract is invalid! Completely null! Void!”
Awakening meant stepping into the world of hunters, whether I liked it or not.
And seriously—hot spring owner? That was ridiculous.
Now that I thought about it, I had heard rumors before—some constellations were notorious scammers.
What if Yeong-gye had tricked me into signing the contract under false pretenses, only to change the terms later?
“It’s too late to change your words now. I clearly asked for your opinion from the start. I asked if you wanted to become the owner of the hot spring. After hearing the explanation, taking the master key was your own choice.”
Yeong-gye showed no intention of reversing the contract.
Now that I think about it, the dragon did say something…
But I was too blinded by the golden key and dreams of instant wealth to pay attention.
“Besides, the one who really forced this contract wasn’t even me…”
“What?”
Muttering to himself, Yeong-gye quickly cleared his throat as if to cover it up.
“Ahem, never mind. Anyway, the contract is already signed, and there’s no undoing it.”
“This is insane… It’s just a dream.”
Someone, please—tell me I’m dreaming!
Tell me this is just a nightmare!
“If you can’t believe it, I’ll show you directly. Once you become a hot spring owner, you’ll be too busy to even breathe.”
Yeong-gye flicked my golden key with his sharp claw.
[‘Hot Spring Master Key’ is being used.]
[In a moment, you will be forcibly transported to the portal leading to ‘Dried-Up Hot Spring (EX)’. Time remaining: 5 seconds]
“We’re going so suddenly? Like this?”
Since I had been sleeping, I was in my pajamas and looked completely unkempt.
“I’ll go ahead first.”
Flicking his long tail in amusement, Yeong-gye vanished into the portal.
[Time remaining: 4 seconds]
Cancel button. There has to be a cancel button.
[Time remaining: 3 seconds]
Surely, there’s at least one cancel button somewhere on this screen.
[Time remaining: 2 seconds.]
My eyes darted around frantically, but all I could see was the steadily decreasing timer and a single confirmation button.
[Time remaining: 1 second]
[Time remaining: 0 seconds]
I f×cked up.
[Moving to Hidden Field ‘Dried-Up Hot Spring (EX)’.]
Thank you for reading! ♡
