Pretending To Have A Girlfriend? Chapter 24: Losers (1)

In front of the dungeon entrance:

While going toward the dungeon entrance, I shook a bottle filled to the brim with the blue poison of Tiwit scorpion.

-Challang challang

On the way back, all three were silent for so reason.

Usually, 'who would see and at what ti' was always the topic of conversation not this ti.

Were they considerate of now that I had a girlfriend?

I didn't even have to say I had to et my girlfriend or sothing.

Was that it?

I expected a situation where they'd ask to spend ti with them, so I had already prepared an answer but it seed there was no need for it.

'Does this an I have another 5 days off?'

My heart was beating with excitent at that thought.

It was the sa excitent I felt before receiving the salary when working as a guard with Luss in the past.

I looked at the exit of the dungeon.

This exploration had also co to an end.

Looking back, everyone was still silent.

I opened my mouth:

There was no problem this ti, and everyone did well. Ah, right! The thing we talked about Ill see if I can get a B-class mission.

I felt the ti to challenge a B-class mission had co.

Though it took two days to complete this mission, the majority of the ti spent was to find the Tiwit scorpions. While there was never a dangerous mont in defeating them.

My physical condition was the first reason, and the second reason was that all the other party mbers fought well as if they were also motivated by . For example:

Viennas prayer was a little more effective,

Luss was a bit rougher and more precise,

And Lily Noona was a little more destructive.

Overall, the firepower was better.

I've decided; we're going to take on a B-class mission next week.

No one said anything even though this was probably the most dangerous mission wed ever challenged.

If we fought like today, we will be fine. Still If you still think its too early to challenge a B-Class mission, please let know now I want to do it because I think we're ready, but its not good to force it.

Still no answer

'Doesn't it an they also agree?'

In the first place, Vienna and Luss had been telling that they could do more, so I wasnt expecting any opposition either.

After all, I was the only one who was hesitating and cautious about it.

Its going to be an important day, so everyone, take good care of your body. If you have sothing to prepare, prepare it.

There was no answer, so I felt a little embarrassed.

'Well, let's not make them nervous by talking more about it now. Yeah, let's just do it the next ti we enter the dungeon.'

For now, Ill just end it here so everyone can rest.

Um Okay. As Ive said everything. Well, see you in 5 days, guys. Well talk more about it then.

That..!

Vienna, who had been quiet so far, tried to speak sothing.

I turned around and looked at her.

Yes, Vienna?

Even after raising her voice first, she took a mont to lick her lips with a sullen expression and asked in a crawling voice.

No ti this week?

Oh okay. This was as expected.

Rather, if there was sothing unexpected it was that she asked so carefully like that.

Did she think she would be a hindrance between and Elza?

Actually, I hated eting the party mbers every day for 5 days straight, not the eting itself.

So, I didnt really feel like rejecting that offer.

I was only pretending to have a girlfriend so I was not busy for the whole 5 days anyway.

And if it was the day before we challenged the B-Class mission, I think itd be nice to have a al with everyone in the evening.

HmmThen shall we et on the day before we take on the mission? The day before entering the dungeon?

Viennas expression brightened.

On the other hand, Luss and Lily Noona spoke hastily.

too! I want to et you too, Chis. Are there any other days without appointnts?

Starchis, won't you et Noona-!

-Wow, calm down for a mont.

I was surprised to see them speak with enthusiasm even though they didn't even utter a single word when the topic was about challenging a dangerous B-class mission.

But as soon as the topic of the eting ca out of my mouth, they tried to make an appointnt with as if they also had a chance.

There seed to be so misunderstanding.

I didnt an to et only Vienna that day, I ant to have a al with everyone together. Its the day before we challenge the B-class quest, so lets et and have dinner.

Vienna muttered inaudibly again.

What? I wanted to et alone

Lily Noona had the sa doubt.

Yes? Together..?

Right. Lets have a party together.

Ah Dinner party..

Luss ca over and grabbed my arm.

Yes?

Chis Do you have any other days off? A day when the two of us can et separately, not at a dinner party

Only us?

Why is it sothing important, Luss?

Ah No. I dont really have anything that important I just want to hang out

I was excited at the thought of being able to rest for 5 days, but I was again facing a potentially fatal request.

However, since we'd et at the dinner, was there any reason to et separately?

It was not that I hated hanging out with Luss, but I still wanted to enjoy my break alone.

And we had to challenge the B-class mission as well, so I wanted to prepare my body too.

The lie about having a girlfriend was also made for a ti like this, so I decided to use it.

Sorry, Luss.

Ha What! Not even a day?

I have one day. So, lets have dinner that day.

No, Chis! Cant we just et each other for a day?

If I agreed, then Lily Noona and Vienna would also say ' too! too!' and things will be the sa as before.

'We both may et separately later, but for now, lets draw a line.'

Theres no way, Luss.

Luss' shoulders dropped at my declaration.

Then she slowly shook her body.

The air around us began to vibrate, and the atmosphere changed.

In terms of mood, it was even more serious and alarming than when we fought the Tiwit scorpion.

Luss?

This is not I thought But this is too much

What?

Still youre way closer to than Elza. Weve known each other for six years!

Luss, whats wrong?

I know you are busy eting your lover. But does that an you can just dump your friend?

Ah~ You know very well that its not like that.

What is it, then? Aren't you abandoning !

No, I didnt refuse to et her for a long ti like a year, and it wasnt even that I hadnt seen her face in a long ti.

Honestly, I didn't understand what she was talking about.

How long haven't we t for you to say that you were abandoned?

But she shook her head. It seed she wouldnt admit it.

If I'm not abandoned, how can I not see you even one day during the 5 days off? We havent even t since last week! Will this week be the sa?

I was dumb, but Luss was good at talking, so I always had trouble finding the right words to answer in these argunts.

Luss.

Just one day I'm saying were only going to et for one day

The next ti we'll co to the dungeon, we'll have to take on a dangerous B-class mission you have to take care of yourself for it.

Isn't that why I want to et you..!

What did that an?

I was scratching my head in confusion.

There were even tis when I just hated fighting. But now I had sothing to say; A solid weapon to win this argunt.

Though it was a lie, on the surface, I still had a girlfriend.

I Imagined Elza in my head; What if she really existed?

We can et separately one day, I said.

That Then !

It was not like I would never see her in my whole life.

But that is not now. When we havent seen each other for a long ti we should et each other and share our stories. Or when sothing happens.

Isnt this the ti for sothing? I might lose my life challenging the next dungeon.

I knew that, and that's why I was going to rest in order to protect everyone's life.

No, Luss. I won't back down today no matter what you say.

What is that What is that! You are my friend!

I could understand what Luss was saying.

As I'd known her for a long ti, I knew a little about Luss surroundings as well.

Most of the n lusted over Luss' beauty while most won were envious, and Luss never hesitated in cutting such people off. So to sum it up, I was her only male friend and she didn't have many female friends either

So maybe she expected a lot from .

Because I was the closest to her in her little friend circle.

I also knew that Luss could still be awkward with people of the opposite sex and needed my help.

Because a friend who was a woman and a friend who was a man should give you different experiences.

Even if we are friends, it's completely different from when I have a lover to when I dont.

Why? What does it matter if you have a lover?

So The reason First of all, I added a setting that Elza was a little possessive.

Elza doesnt like it when I et a woman separately who is not her.

The pressure in the surroundings intensified.

What? Are you just going to follow through on that? Now shes ruining our six-year friendship?

Thats right, Starchis. It is too much to neglect us just because you have a girlfriend.

Lily Noona also intervened while -

Nod. Nod.

-Vienna also nodded her head to show them support instead of using words.

It seed all three thought the sa

But I couldn't be pushed here.

Is our six-year-long friendship going to be ruined just because we didn't see each other?

Chis-

-Luss, haven't I been listening to your requests all this ti?

So just like that, Ill listen well to my girlfriend telling not to go on a date with another woman.

another woman? And my request to et with you is?

Looking for sothing to say, I imagined Elza again.

As I kept imagining her all this ti, I had a strange feeling that I really had a girlfriend.

So, instead of a lie, I said the truth this ti:

Luss, you're mistaken,

Luss looked at , blinking her sohow moist eyes.

My first priority is my girlfriend.

At my words-

Shook

-The tension that covered the surrounding disappeared. The feeling of pressure was gone.

Luss lowered her head.

Your first priority is not a friend of six years, a party mber, or an older brother, but a girlfriend...

Because I was a supporter of pure love, I was kind of sincere here.

Even though you t that girl only a few weeks ago but she is still your first priority...

If Elza was a real person, Luss' words would have actually been true in that case.

You're mistaken, Luss; She's not my top priority, because I value her more as a person... Its just Its because a girlfriend should be your top priority.

Even if there cos a day when I didn't love her as much as now, she would still be my first priority as long as she is my girlfriend.

****

Late evening:

I was on my way back to the inn after handing over the Tiwit Scorpion's poison and completing other formalities. But my mind was still stuck on my conversation with Luss;

I had a feeling that I said those words a little too firmly.

If I think about it from the other sides point of view, I think I would be disappointed too.

If Luss, Vienna, and Lily Noona had boyfriends and they refused to et soti because of that, I'd be sad too.

And I think I would be a bit despondent too if my brother got a girlfriend and he turned down all of my attempts to et him.

I would understand their circumstances though.

So, even if Vienna, Luss, and Lily Noona may be disappointed in for doing this, they will eventually understand.

I finally reached the inn.

'I should eat sothing before going up to my room.'

When I entered the restaurant, there were only one or two people there.

I talked to the inn owner who sat on a chair, seemingly having already completed her work.

Madam, Im here!

Oh, young man?

She greeted with a big smile.

Hello. Please cook sothing for .

Before that

?

She took out a piece of paper from her clothes and showed it to .

It was a piece of paper folded in half.

What is this?

Stion? Was it? Anyway, a nice-looking young man left this for you.

Oh, Hyung?

When?

This morning. I didnt see the contents.

I received the note from her.

Thank you.

Okay, Ill bring the food right away, so wait a little bit.

I took a seat in the corner.

As the inn lady entered the kitchen, I opened the note.

Starchis, lets go night fishing the day after tomorrow.

Suddenly, I felt like laughing.

How was the timing so exquisite?

B Class missions were dangerous.

Of course, now that I had so confidence, I felt a little less nervous, but I thought eting soone I loved or cherished was the right thing to do.

And such people in my life were My older brother and my party mbers.

I had already decided to et Vienna, Luss, and Lily Noona over dinner.

I was thinking of visiting my brother, but I got a letter like this first.

And what he wanted to do was night fishing.

I had many mories of starting fishing at night with my older brother and finishing it while watching the morning sun.

'It would be nice to bring back so mories.'

I had no appointnts with anyone even if I stayed up all night, so I just had to sleep the next day and recover. It was a good plan.

My thought process was disturbed suddenly by a commotion outside.

I turned around and saw two tall n entering the inn.

I could see just by their eyes that they were people who knew how to fight.

They also seed a head taller than . The clothes, on the other hand, looked expensive and neat.

They said in a loud voice.

Owner!! Give us a seat!

Yeah! It should be the best!

The inn lady heard them in the kitchen and ca out.

Hey, whats going on? There are plenty of seats?

The inn owner looked nervous.

However, it seed that the two n had no intention of causing trouble.

One of them talked with the lady, and the other one ca to those sitting in the restaurant, including , and handed over silver coins one by one.

One wouldn't suddenly be rich by having a silver coin, but it was not a small sum of money either.

The bald man then ca to and asked politely:

Sorry. Could you please leave your seat? Here! It is a sign of our sincerity.

What happened?

He didnt think about using that intimidating size, and I liked how he was willing to compensate others for this inconvenience.

Just because you know how to use power doesnt an you have to use it every ti.

That Our master is overprotective of the young lady and she'll co here soon.

To this place? Why?

Young lady heard a lot of rumors that this place is best to taste common people's food.

The other big guy over there must have said the sa thing to the inn lady as she burst out laughing.

I also felt a little more relaxed seeing her like that.

Still, I asked what I was curious about.

Okay, so he's overprotective, but why should I step aside?

Isnt it difficult to understand? We also don't actually understand. But master hates it when the young lady goes near a man

The man dealing with the inn owner also ca to , whether it was because I briefly looked at them, or the person in front of was having a hard ti, I didn't know.

The two of them started rubbing their hands together.

Please Can you please leave?

Older brother..! No, cool bro please!

They seed so desperate that I laughed for no reason.

I was thinking of leaving the place in the first place.

Anyway, whether I eat here or in my room, there was no big difference.

I could just ask the inn lady to bring so food. So why would I keep insisting on not doing that?

In the end, I burst into laughter.

"Haha, I was going to move anyway... Stop straining your back.

At my words, the faces of both n brightened.

Thank you!

Good brother! Thank you! You are the best!

Both of you, do your best.

After all, everyone was living a difficult life.

As soon as the silver coins were received, the other custors also began walking out of the restaurant, rejoicing.

I slowly started to climb the stairs with the tonfa I had put down next to . Then I saw the inn owner looking delighted while opening her fist-sized coin purse and looking inside it.

Her food was always prepared with care, so I felt it was the result of her hard work.

Young lady is coming!!

Both n were standing on either side of the door, holding a confident-looking posture.

As I was about to go up, I looked back, wondering what this 'young lady' looked like.

Her face was not visible because of the large hat she wore, but her hair, which flowed down to her shoulders, was pink.

Pink hair

Ugh

It was a bit of a common color, but I felt anxious for no reason as I went into the room.

[Note:

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