Even Today, the Ranker Dreams of Retirement

In the end, Habin emerged empty-handed from Elemes, having chosen no clothing.

While Habin’s decision stemmed from her reluctance to select the same attire as Hyun Siwoo, Cheon Sara, observing from a distance, wore a satisfied smile.

‘See? She couldn’t buy anything after seeing the price tag. Look at those empty hands.’

“Cheon Sara-ssi, you seem to be in a good mood. Did something nice happen?” Kim Woojin, another personal shopper who had just joined, inquired upon noticing her expression.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Sara replied, clearing her throat and averting her gaze nonchalantly.

◆◇◆◇◆

“Ajuel used ‘Cloud Bird Wool’ material in quite a few of their products. I’m delighted to have so much to show you,” Yoo Jihee said with a relieved expression as she brought a catalog and several items to Habin.

From hoodies and zip-ups to sweatpants and sweatshirts, Ajuel’s clothing featured many practical designs.

“These items come with proper defense and skill resistance options. This product buffers magical attacks, while that one has poison resistance, so it won’t dissolve on contact.”

“Wow……” Habin’s eyes widened in surprise as she examined the clothes.

Of course, increasing defense meant nothing to Hyun Habin. But regardless of that fact, she was genuinely impressed.

“……This is really good stuff!”

“Pardon?”

“It’s totally my style!”

Habin picked up a garment. Ajuel’s clothes aligned much more closely with her taste than Elemes’. The design, in particular, stood out.

A natural, effortless, and clean fit.

At least in terms of design, she preferred this over all the luxury items Hyun Siwoo had brought home combined.

“And the lining is made entirely of Cloud Bird Wool material. I heard that the investor who recently backed Ajuel’s brand has a particular fondness for Cloud Bird Wool. That’s why they put extra effort into this line.”

“They certainly know their stuff.”

Habin nodded approvingly. She quite liked this unknown Ajuel investor, sight unseen.

As Habin slipped her hand into the lining, the Cloud Bird Wool material seemed to embrace her touch eagerly.

It had a soft and fresh texture that truly gave the sensation of floating on clouds.

“Moreover, this clothing has stain-resistant and antibacterial properties. It’s unlikely to get dirty under normal circumstances.”

“Oh…… Who came up with that idea? They must be a genius.”

Habin, ever the reluctant housekeeper, lavished praise on the concept.

“It was a special request from that anonymous investor I mentioned earlier.”

“Whoever they are, they’re truly a person of refined taste.”

Budget brands typically don’t bother adding antibacterial or stain-resistant properties to their clothing items.

The materials and labor required are not insignificant compared to the effect.

It’s actually a high-level crafting skill that seems simple. Not everyone can afford the exponentially increasing production costs for each added effect.

Why bother with antibacterial properties when just increasing defense is challenging enough?

The same goes for luxury brands. Stain resistance and antibacterial effects are far too “practical” for their purposes.

People who buy luxury crafting brand products don’t worry about laundry in the first place. If it gets dirty, they can take it to a specialist cleaner or simply buy a new one.

Ajuel’s clothes, while a luxury brand, maximized practicality more than any other. They were right up Habin’s alley.

‘If I buy this, I won’t have to do laundry often, right? Sweet.’

[You still need to wash them frequently! Won’t they smell otherwise?]

‘Is that so?’

After pondering for a moment, Habin cautiously asked, “Hmm, since this has antibacterial properties, it won’t smell if I don’t wash it often, right?”

“……It shouldn’t, no.”

“Perfect. Then even if bodily fluids or blood splatter on it, it won’t absorb the smell. And it won’t stain either, correct?”

“That’s……right.”

“Last time, I had to be so careful not to get anything on my clothes. It was such a hassle. This is great for the perfect crime.”

“…….”

On the 26th floor of Kill Screen, when Habin was dealing with monsters and Hwang Maru’s gang.

Although Habin had been somewhat careless in her attacks, she had actually gone to great lengths to dodge and weave to avoid leaving traces on her clothes.

‘That one drop that landed on my temple was a close call. Chae-ssi’s eye for detail is no joke.’

She had made up some excuse about it being a special kind of tint, but he didn’t seem to buy it.

‘This is why perceptive prophets are dangerous.’

Habin shook her head and absently rubbed her temple. The other luxury section employees nearby whispered among themselves.

‘Blood? Bodily fluids?’

‘Perfect crime?’

‘W-what kind of questions are those?’

‘This hunter seems far from ordinary…….’

Whisper, whisper.

They cast sympathetic glances at Yoo Jihee, who stood beside Habin.

‘I wondered who would be handling this customer, but of course it’s Yoo Jihee-nim.’

‘I heard she takes on all kinds of clients. She must have it rough.’

‘Wasn’t Cheon Sara supposed to be here today too? If Sara isn’t sticking around, this customer must not have money.’

‘Right. That Sara, she’s got a nose for money. If this was a wealthy customer, she’d have pounced immediately.’

Anyone who knew anything in the luxury section was well aware of Yoo Jihee and Cheon Sara’s distinct customer service styles. As they exchanged meaningful glances, Habin suddenly looked up.

She had decisively picked up the sky-blue zip-up hoodie and white sneakers that had caught her eye earlier.

“Well then, I’d like to try these on.”

“Certainly, the fitting room is this way.”

Yoo Jihee guided Habin to the inner fitting room.

Tension crept across the faces of the surrounding staff as they witnessed this scene.

‘She’s trying on the Cloud Bird Wool line?’

‘Did she not see the price tag?’

‘Given that Yoo Jihee-ssi brought her in, she might not have much purchasing power. Is it okay to let her try on the Cloud Bird Wool line?’

‘Technically, it’s allowed, but…….’

‘With the antibacterial and stain-resistant properties…… it should be less affected by handling, right?’

Amidst the tension and hasty assumptions, the fitting room door creaked open.

“Nice, it fits perfectly.”

A snug, comfortable fit that hugged her body, a naturally flattering silhouette.

Even down to the fresh feeling of walking on clouds as the shoes embraced her feet.

Confirming that everything fit well, Habin shrugged her shoulders contentedly.

“It suits you very well,” Yoo Jihee, standing nearby, commented. The other employees looked on with indifference.

‘What’s she going to do now, take some photos?’

They had seen countless types of customers over the years.

There were plenty of hunters who would try on luxury items just to take selfies or record video blogs before disappearing.

Given that this was the highest-priced Cloud Bird Wool line, it seemed highly likely that she had asked to try it on for such purposes.

‘Some people even upload videos without actually buying anything!’

There were hunters who would just post YouTube videos with thumbnails like “Tried on 00 Brand’s Most Expensive Line, Is This Price For Real? Honest Review!” without making any purchases.

The staff knew from extensive experience that not all hunters were wealthy.

Recalling this, one employee quickly interjected, “Um, I’m sorry, but photography and video recording in the store are prohibited without permission.”

“Video? I’m not recording any video,” Habin replied, turning her head with a puzzled expression.

“Pardon?”

Habin walked back to the clothing rack and began selecting items one by one.

Sweatpants, sweatshirts, hoodies, zip-ups, various types of pants and outerwear, even pajamas and socks. After picking out all these items, Habin turned to Yoo Jihee.

“These are all made with Cloud Bird Wool material, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Then I’ll take all of these in the size I’m wearing now.”

“……Excuse me?”

A moment of silence fell over the store at her words.

“A-all of this?”

Another employee nearby cut in, unable to believe what they’d heard. Habin continued:

“Please put the sweatshirt and shoes I came in with in the shopping bag too. I’ll wear what I have on now out of the store.”

‘What did I just hear?’

‘She’s buying all of this? Everything?’

‘Does she even know how much all this costs?’

While everyone else was frozen in disbelief, Yoo Jihee was the first to regain her composure and respond.

“Of course! Certainly, customer.”

She turned toward the cashier with a bright smile. Noticing the stunned cashiers, she added in a cheerful voice:

“We’ll have everything prepared for you right away!”

◆◇◆◇◆

‘W-what’s going on? What did she buy? Why are there so many shopping bags……’

Cheon Sara wore a dismayed expression as she watched Habin and Yoo Jihee emerge from Ajuel after completing their purchase.

‘And those aren’t just any shopping bags!’

What they were carrying were Ajuel’s blue shopping bags.

Those were the special limited edition bags given only when purchasing exclusive items. Blue background with holographic silver embossing—the limited edition shopping bags.

Some wealthy customers would deliberately splurge on limited editions and top-tier lines just to obtain those shopping bags, so Cheon Sara was acutely aware of their significance.

‘That……! Those limited edition shopping bags…… To have that many, how much did she spend?! Even most VIP customers don’t buy this much in one go!’

Just who on earth is she?!

Cheon Sara’s hands trembled in disbelief. This situation was untenable. If it was true that she had purchased all of that, then Sara’s sales performance for the year would be completely overshadowed by Yoo Jihee’s.

‘I-I did everything right, my method wasn’t wrong.’

Letting Hyun Habin slip away had indeed been Cheon Sara’s misstep.

It was a painful fact. As Sara struggled to come to terms with this realization, Kim Woojin approached her with a pale face, as if something terrible had happened.

“Cheon Sara-ssi! I just got a call from the parking team, and we have an emergency!”

“Huh? An emergency?”

“They say Chae Jise-nim is heading towards the luxury section right now……”

“What?”

Chae Jise.

Those three syllables caused Sara’s jaw to drop in shock.

‘Ch-Chae Jise? The Chae Jise I know?’

The legend of the hunter world. The head of Solaris! The National Healer, Chae Jise!

‘Above all, in terms of wealth among hunters, she’s unofficially ranked first! The investment genius who could potentially surpass Fides in assets, the hunter tycoon……’

“Is it really that Chae Jise-nim?”

“Huh? Yes. It’s Chae Jise-nim from Solaris. What should we do? I think this might be her first visit to our department store. We’ve never had such a high-profile visitor before…… I’m not sure how to handle this.”

“Don’t worry! Leave it to me!”

With this news, Cheon Sara’s mood, which had been thoroughly deflated, suddenly soared.

‘This is my chance! An opportunity to gain recognition from the higher-ups!’

Sara could barely contain her rising smile as she glanced slyly towards Yoo Jihee and Hyun Habin.

She had been regretting not recognizing the VIP who had just arrived, but now it seemed there was no need for such regret.

‘An even more impressive VIP is coming. None other than the wealthy hunter Chae Jise!’

She was truly glad she had passed Hyun Habin off to Yoo Jihee. Cheon Sara’s face beamed with a self-satisfied smile.

Her approach had been correct after all. By turning away customers who weren’t profitable and being selective, she could now attend to a true VIP like Chae Jise.

‘Opportunities always come to those who are prepared.’

Cheon Sara turned to glance at Yoo Jihee, a slight smirk playing on her lips.

‘Yoo Jihee, you just keep tending to that power-hiding customer of yours. I’ll be welcoming none other than Chae Jise-nim!’

Cheon Sara straightened her posture, once again brimming with confidence. She had already thoroughly researched Chae Jise, so she felt well-prepared.

‘Meeting her has always been a dream of mine. Plus, she’s known for her keen insight in investments and business, so making a good impression can only be beneficial. If I play my cards right, I might even have a shot at being scouted!’

She had heard that Chae Jise had acquired and was operating several luxury sections far larger in scale than this small department store. If she could make a good impression, there might be an opportunity to transfer to one of those locations.

For a personal shopper, the chance to meet Chae Jise was comparable to winning the lottery.

Just as her vision filled with excitement, she caught sight of golden hair in the distance.

A relaxed gait, simple attire that couldn’t hide an unmistakable aura, and sunglasses perched loosely on the bridge of her nose.

“Chae Jise-nim!” Cheon Sara called out in an elated voice.

“Hmm?”

Perhaps noticing Cheon Sara, Chae Jise removed her sunglasses. She raised an eyebrow as if spotting something.

“Ch-Chae Jise-nim……?”

However, Cheon Sara soon realized that Jise’s gaze was directed not at her, but past her, towards something behind.

Jise’s eyes were fixed on Hyun Habin and Yoo Jihee, who stood behind Cheon Sara.

Upon spotting Hyun Habin, Jise’s face lit up with the most delighted smile as she called out cheerfully:

“Habin-aaa!”

“Huh? Jise-unni?”

“……?”