Chapter 10
“Hmmm…”
“Hmm? Is there a problem?”
Perhaps because I was unconsciously making a serious expression, Da-young looked at me with a concerned face.
“Oh, it’s nothing. Please continue choosing the menu.”
“Hmmm.”
Da-young glanced back at the menu, her expression showing that she was still deep in thought.
But what should I do?
Should I increase my tolerance to avoid getting drunk?
No, that would defeat the purpose of drinking.
Alcohol is meant to be consumed to get drunk.
If I’m going to do that, I might as well just order a soft drink.
The best feeling is getting just the right amount of tipsy, when you’re pleasantly light-headed.
…Maybe I should just drink and see what happens?
It’s not like Da-young would do anything strange if I got a little drunk.
Yes, don’t overthink it. Let’s just have a drink first and decide after.
Having made up my mind, I looked up.
By then, Da-young had already called over a staff member and was in the middle of ordering.
“What do you want to drink, Si-hyun? I’m a soju and beer mix kind of person.”
“I’ll start with a beer.”
“Hm, alright.”
The orders were quickly placed, and the staff member went inside.
Propping her chin on her left hand, Da-young spoke.
“It’s a good thing we were able to get an outside table. Right?”
“This place must be quite popular?”
“It’s one of those places that only the people in the know come to. It’s in a pretty secluded area, too.”
“I see.”
I nodded and looked around at the quiet street.
A few people were walking by here and there.
Small, clustered bars lined the street.
The atmosphere, free from excessive noise, was to my liking.
“…Would you recommend places like this again in the future?”
“Oh, you already like it here.”
Da-young raised the corners of her lips in a grin.
“Si-hyun, we’re not best friends, but we’ve gotten quite close, haven’t we?”
“…? I suppose so.”
“Then, should we start talking more casually now? You look like you’re in your late teens or early twenties at most.”
“Uh, um. Sure, go ahead.”
There’s a difference between my physical age and my mental age.
But there’s no need to explain that.
“You can speak comfortably to me too, you know! How about calling me ‘Da-young unnie’?”
“That’s… a bit much.”
“Geez.”
Listening passively and actually saying it are two different things.
There’s a difference in difficulty.
“By the way, Si-hyun, your hair is really pretty. Do you take special care of it?”
“…Just sometimes, when my sister helps me out.”
“You said you have a younger sister, right?”
“Yes, she’s suuuuper cute.”
“Pfft.”
“…?”
What’s this? Why is she laughing like that?
Tilting my head at the incomprehensible reaction, Da-young just waved her hand lightly and continued with what she wanted to say.
“Maybe I should grow out my hair too.”
“Isn’t short hair more comfortable?”
“Coming from someone whose hair reaches down to her waist.”
“…I actually want to try a bob cut like yours. But she told me not to cut it.”
“Your sister did?”
“Yes.”
Da-young chuckled lightly.
What’s so funny? I don’t get it.
“I’m curious now, since you’ve bragged so much. Could you show me a picture?”
“…Uh.”
Oh no.
I can’t believe this.
How did I not think of this?
I don’t have a single picture.
I’ve never been the type to take photos, even back then.
Even after returning to Earth, I’ve barely taken any pictures.
But still, shouldn’t I at least have a family photo or something?
What an oversight.
“Don’t tell me… You don’t have one?”
“No…”
“Hey, don’t look so down. You can always take one next time.”
“…Right?”
I thought she’d scold me for showing off without having any photos, but…
As expected, Da-young is a kind person.
“Haha, then should I try to be your number one?”
Suddenly, Da-young jumped up from her seat.
With a quick motion, she moved to my side and extended her hand toward me.
“Your phone!”
Overwhelmed by her momentum, I handed over my phone.
She skilfully swiped the screen and opened the camera mode.
Switching to the selfie mode, she held the phone out in front of us.
Da-young brought her face close to mine, getting ready to take a picture together.
As the distance closed, a pleasant, faint scent tickled my nose.
“Don’t look at me, look at the camera!”
“…Okay.”
I glanced forward, slightly scolded.
Click! Click!
She adjusted the angle a bit and took several photos.
“Unlock your phone for me?”
“Just a second.”
After unlocking the phone, Da-young opened the messaging app.
She scrolled through the gallery and selected a few photos.
The selected photos were then sent to her private chat.
When the photo session was over, Da-young returned to her seat.
“Not only do you not have any pictures of your sister, but your entire gallery is empty?”
“I’m just not really interested in taking pictures….”
“And the only chat records are with me and your sister?”
“I haven’t been back on Earth for very long….”
“Oh my goodness.”
Da-young’s expression instantly changed.
It was the kind of look you’d give a pitiful creature.
I should say something in response.
“…There’ll be more soon.”
“Of course, there will. Who could leave you alone?”
“…?”
“There’s just something about you.”
Da-young let out a small chuckle.
She then leaned forward slightly and spoke.
“Why don’t you ask some of our guild members for their numbers while we’re at it? Well, maybe not Ji-han… but Han-gyeol, for instance. What do you think?”
“Oh, Han-gyeol. That sounds good.”
It’s not a bad idea.
Finally, my empty contacts list is going to undergo a dramatic transformation!
Heh, heh….
“…But why not Ji-han? Is there something wrong with him?”
“Oh, it’s just that he’s got a bit of a strong personality. And he’s currently on a business trip out of town, so you haven’t had a chance to meet him yet.”
“I see.”
A business trip, huh.
Hunters really do seem to be busy.
Come to think of it, my female friend Ji-ah also said she was busy with a business trip in another region.
I suddenly feel like I want to see her face again.
“Oh, right. Si-hyun, I have something for you.”
“Huh? What is it?”
“Your status window!”
Da-young said something utterly embarrassing as she pointed into the air.
Moments later, a long sword materialized in front of her.
“This is something Han-gyeol used to use, but I made a new sword for him recently. It’s still in good condition, so I thought, why not let you have it?”
“Are you sure it’s okay?”
“Of course! It may be second hand, but I made it myself, and it’s still very usable. I even got it repaired.”
“Oh.”
I cautiously took the sword she held out to me.
Looking at its condition, it seemed like a great weapon, perfect for a D-rank hunter.
“You’re a holy knight, right? I’m not sure what your world was like.”
“Hmm, it’s roughly the same.”
“Then…”
“Your food is ready.”
Just as Da-young was about to ask me a question, the food arrived sooner than expected.
Two bottles of beer and one bottle of soju were naturally set on the table.
“Shall we have a drink?”
“Yes!”
While Da-young swiftly mixed her soju and beer, I poured my beer into a glass.
Pop! Sssss—
Bubbles foamed up.
It’s been such a long time since I’ve seen this sight.
It’s making me feel nostalgic.
“Cheers!”
Da-young held out her glass.
We lightly clinked glasses, and I took a sip of the beer.
The combination of the carbonation and the unique taste of Korean beer filled my mouth.
How would I describe this?
Ah, right. Refreshing!
That’s the word I was looking for.
The clear and crisp feeling of the beer I hadn’t tasted in ages made me feel good.
“Ahh… this is the taste. Si-hyun, try some of the side dishes! It’s my recommended menu.”
“Oh, okay.”
I picked up a piece of the side dish with my chopsticks.
Hmm, it’s delicious.
I acknowledge Da-young’s excellent taste in food.
“Hehe, how is it? Tasty, right?”
“Yes! I’m glad I came.”
I felt my spirit’s lift.
I could feel the muscles in my face relaxing into a smile.
But who cares? What’s good is good.
I took another sip of the beer.
“Si-hyun, I know you’re strong, but don’t you need some armour?”
“Well….”
“Weren’t the holy knights in your world wearing armour or something?”
Holy knights and armour.
The image of a woman from the hero’s party naturally came to mind.
She was tall for a woman and had a muscular build.
She tried to appeal her charms to the hero.
…If only she’d shown me half of that kindness.
“Ah, wait… More importantly, Si-hyun!”
“…Yes?”
Lost in my thoughts, I was startled by Da-young suddenly clapping her hands.
“You’re really pretty, but I think you dress too plainly. Is there a reason for that?”
“Hmm, it’s comfortable, and I’m used to it.”
There were only two types of clothing I wore in the other world.
The pitch-black nun’s habit the hero had custom-made to hide my figure.
It was an expensive outfit with all sorts of magical treatments, worn even in battle.
And the simple, old-fashioned casual clothes that looked like something from the Middle Ages.
I wore them on my days off, with long skirts that went down to my ankles.
Thanks to that experience, I no longer had any aversion to wearing skirts.
Of course, I still dislike revealing or short ones, though.
“It’s such a shame. Want to go shopping together someday?”
“…I’ll think about it.”
“That’s what you say when you want to reject something.”
Caught.
I pretended not to hear, turned my head slightly, and took a gulp of my beer.
Gulp, gulp.
The refreshing carbonation slid down my throat.
I set down the glass, picked up some food, and deliberately changed the topic.
“Da-young, why are you in a small guild?”
“What do you mean, why?”
“You’re a rare craft-type hunter. Couldn’t you be treated better in a bigger guild?”
“Oh, I used to be in a large guild.”
“Oh, really?”
I stopped mid-way as I was pouring more beer into my glass and looked at Da-young.
Is this one of those situations?
Like ‘It’s better to be the head of a snake than the tail of a dragon’?
“They were way too demanding with quotas and exploitations. There was some trouble when I left, but Wings was established with some close friends who left with me.”
“Ah….”
Exploitation…
It naturally reminded me of the church and royalty.
I felt a sense of camaraderie with Da-young.
“Hey, don’t make that face. Things are pretty fun these days! Want to have another drink?”
“Yes!”
We clinked glasses and gulped down the beer.
“Haa…”
I’ve only just finished one bottle, but I can already feel the buzz.
Soju would definitely be too much…
I sighed regretfully and stood up.
“Da-young, I’m going to the restroom.”
“Huh? Then I’ll go with you.”
“…Alone! I’ll go alone. Could you order some more beer?”
“O-oh, okay.”
Leaving the bewildered Da-young behind, I started walking.
I’m not ready for something like that yet.
* * *
Da-young rested her chin on her hand as she watched Si-hyun’s figure disappear into the store.
No matter how many times she saw her, she couldn’t help but think what an unusual person she was.
So pretty, yet with no interest in dressing up.
Sometimes, she would behave in a way that didn’t seem like a typical woman.
But somehow, that only added to her charm.
She had never met someone like this before.
“Why don’t you try being a little friendlier…?”
It made her want to protect her.
Si-hyun was definitely a much stronger hunter than herself.
But every now and then, during conversations, she would feel an urge to take care of her.
It wasn’t the first time.
Da-young chuckled quietly and picked up some food with her chopsticks.
She chewed thoughtfully, savouring the taste.
Then it happened.
“Hey, isn’t that Da-young?”
“…?”
A familiar voice.
Da-young turned in the direction of the sound.
A man nearly 2 meters tall approached her slowly.
The woman beside him frowned as she followed him over.
“What a coincidence, huh? Running into a thief here of all places.”
“…Your words are a bit harsh.”
“Am I wrong?”
“Shit.”
Da-young casually cursed, but the man didn’t seem to care.
After all, he believed he was the stronger one.
“Life seems pretty good for you these days. Coming to places like this to drink.”
“Yeah, life’s great. So, would you mind getting lost?”
“No, I can’t do that. Do you know how much damage you caused our guild?”
Bang!
The man slammed his fist on the table.
Glasses and bottles toppled over, creating a ruckus.
“Do you know how much the guild lost because of you?”
“I wouldn’t know. I don’t care either.”
“Then, maybe it’s time you find out?”
The man flashed a sinister smile.
Da-young tensed up, trying to figure out how to handle the situation.
But it was hard to think clearly with alcohol in her system.
“Hey babe, I need a moment. I’ve got to teach this bitch a lesson.”
“Make it quick.”
The woman grumbled in response to the man’s words.
She thought to herself simultaneously.
Why does it seem like I run into beauties every time there’s trouble?
The white-haired girl from last time was annoying, but this one is irritating too.
I finally joined a new guild and got myself a boyfriend.
I thought I’d finally have some time to enjoy myself, but why does it always turn out like this?
She sighed deeply.
At least her boyfriend didn’t seem to have any favourable feelings towards the other side.
The time when those two guys acted all lovey-dovey in the dungeon was awful.
Sure, that white-haired girl was pretty, but was she really worth that much trouble?
At least today was better.
“You bitch. Why don’t you just apologize sincerely? Maybe then I’ll feel better.”
“Why should I apologize when I’ve done nothing wrong? Why don’t you leave before I call the Management Bureau?”
The man snorted at Da-young’s response.
“You know violence is quicker than the law, right?”
“You bastard…”
Da-young furrowed her brow.
It was true that she was currently under the Management Bureau’s mediation and protection.
But if a full-blown conflict were to break out, what would happen?
Most of the Wings Guild members were E-rank or D-rank, and they barely numbered ten.
The other side belonged to a major guild that even the Management Bureau was cautious about.
The Bureau would step in again, but their support had limits.
She didn’t have enough trust to rely solely on them.
‘It’s humiliating, but… should I just apologize and get this over with?’
She really didn’t want to.
Should she just trust the Bureau and hold her ground?
…But that fist was right in front of her.
The man in front of her cracked his knuckles loudly.
The woman beside him snickered.
Watching this, Da-young realized she had to make a decision.
“…”
“Cat got your tongue? Huh?”
The man grinned menacingly and leaned in.
At that moment.
Da-young caught sight of a familiar figure in the corner of her vision.
Si-hyun was walking back, her face set in a hard expression.
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Comment