"How many tis do I have to say it? How long do I have to keep accommodating you?"
"Ugh... I really don't want to party with soone like you."
"Just give a turn. Honestly, you’ve been helping out everywhere, haven’t you? It's not like it wears out, so give a turn too."
"Hey! Stop following around. You have no manners, woman!"
"Let's just end it here. It seems like our guild and you just don’t match."
Lee Hyun-ah was suffering every day. She had moved to Seoul filled with hope, thinking that becoming an Awakener ant she could take revenge on the detestable monsters, but what awaited her was a harsh reality.
Talent that didn't et her expectations, dirty desires wanting more than just skill, and the jealousy and envy that ca with them... Day by day, she grew tired, and her self-esteem hit rock bottom. The drive she once had, feeling like she could do anything, had long since disappeared, and she was rely surviving by inertia. And even that inertia was severed when she was fired from the guild.
"Should I just give up and go back down, like Min-woo said...?"
But she couldn't bring herself to quit. She was afraid that giving up would make all the taunts and ridicule she had faced beco reality. Yet, continuing as a hunter seed too much for her exhausted spirit.
...And then she t Gam Deok-bae.
"Aha! So this is how it's done?"
"Wow! You really know your stuff. Thank you."
A total novice who started hunting without knowing the basics. A person more foolish, naive, and gullible than herself. Yet, he was kind and never said a bad word.
For the first ti since being fired, she smiled.
"Pfft! Is he an idiot? How can he not know this? I guess I have to teach him."
"No! You do it like this? Do I really have to explain even this?"
"Right. That’s a bit better. But what's with that face? Pfft! Why is he looking so proud after doing that?"
For the first ti in a long while, she felt genuine joy. It was refreshing and fun to be the one giving instructions, having always been the one scolded in the guild. Even though he was a poorly behaved student, she felt proud seeing him gradually make fewer mistakes.
Knowing there was soone worse off than herself, And that this person depended on her, And that he followed her instructions, Her battered self-esteem began to rise.
"Ah, I see. So if I register my card here, the proceeds from the magic stone sales automatically co in?"
"Do I just borrow equipnt over there?"
"No? What? Oh! This! Right?"
"That's right. Hyun-ah, you really know your stuff. Thanks to you, I won’t get called a sucker anywhere."
Every word from Gam Deok-bae sent a thrill through Lee Hyun-ah. His gratitude was strangely addictive. So, she couldn't let him go. She continued to look after even the smallest details for him, just to hear more praise and thanks.
As ti quickly passed, most stores were about to close.
"Hyun-ah, I really appreciate what you did today. It must have been hard to care so much for a stranger, but I'm really grateful for your help."
"Ah... No! It wasn’t for free, you know."
"Still, it was my imposition. You even saved so magic stones for ."
"That’s because you're F-rank... Seniors are supposed to look after their juniors, right? It's the sa with hunters. Yes, that’s just how it is."
"Not everyone does that, though. I'm lucky to have been in a party with you. I hope my next party mbers are like you."
"Uh... huh?"
She was genuinely flustered. There was still so much to teach him, so much to take care of, And so much more 'thanks' to receive... But he seed to want other party mbers.
"People usually party with the sa rank, D-rank, right? I'll level up quickly so we can party again."
"Ah..."
That was it. She had put up walls, not really knowing him, disgruntled at the thought of being in a party with an older, unattractive F-rank healer. She had said this would be their first and last ti.
But she was wrong. The man she actually t wasn’t the low-quality person she had imagined.
"That’s not it!"
"What?"
"It’s that... Gam Deok-bae, you have skills and an artifact, so it's hard to see you as just F-rank... Also... I guess I wouldn’t feel secure. You might forget by tomorrow..."
"What do you an?"
"So... I’ll help you until you reach D-rank! It's hard to find party mbers you get along with. You could et so bad ones who might steal your artifact!"
She didn't really understand what she was saying herself. She just blurted out whatever ca to mind to keep him.
"It’s not a loss for , either! It’s not easy to find healers, and you still have a lot to learn. If you party with another hunter, you might cause trouble... No! I an, not that you’d trouble ..."
"Oh, I’d love to keep partying with you. It's reassuring to be with a veteran."
"Veteran... Yes, that's a good choice!"
'I did it...!'
Luckily, he readily accepted her party invitation. Her expression relaxed. The words 'reassuring veteran' made her heart race, thinking how much he relied on her.
"Give your contact information! I'll prepare the dungeons and schedules and contact you in advance!"
"Oh, that would be really great."
"Ah... he's thanking again!"
She was thrilled to have re-ford their party but did not realize that for the first ti in her life, she had asked a man for his contact details.
====
Wow... this is the first ti a woman has asked for my number. Is this the effect of investing points in appearance? Well, it's probably more about how hard it is to find healers, but still, it feels good to have my number asked for.
But still, I shouldn't be mistaken. Lee Hyun-ah has a boyfriend. She started dropping hints about her boyfriend before we t, and today when we t, she was blatantly wearing a couple's ring. It probably ans don't get the wrong idea and don't hit on unnecessarily. So today I made sure to put up a strong front, and it seems to have worked. After the raid, her guard was significantly lowered.
And honestly, I didn’t even have ti to worry about it. Wasn't it just about entering dungeons, killing monsters, collecting magic stones, and that's it? Why was there so much to worry about... I had to learn the right timing to enter or retreat, and it seed like I had to morize the weaknesses of each monster because they were all so different. Plus, there were more things hunters need to know than I thought, like magic stone collectors, fees, equipnt rental. I think I was too complacent, just trusting what’s on the internet.
Still, I learned at least the basics I need to know while being tutored by Lee Hyun-ah. I was worried she might misunderstand my intentions as hitting on her, but fortunately, Lee Hyun-ah agreed readily and taught everything I needed to know in detail. She seed rude before we t, but once we t, she turned out to be a kind person. So people change their tone online. Maybe Lee Hyun-ah is one of those people.
Anyway, thanks to Lee Hyun-ah, I was able to safely complete my first dungeon raid, receive so hunter-specific tutoring, and even make plans for future parties. It was a positive day in many ways.
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