“I believe this is the first time I’ve ever ridden in a car you’re driving, Nuna.”
“That’s right. We haven’t seen each other since my high school graduation. Have you acquired your driver’s license yet?”
“No, I haven’t. I rarely have any need to drive a car.”
Despite driving a car that seemed to have sprung straight from a racing game, Lee Seol-hwa proved herself a remarkably diligent citizen, faithfully adhering to the speed limit and signaling for even the most minor lane changes.
“Still, Nuna, wouldn’t it be much faster for you to simply run rather than travel by car, especially as an S-rank Hunter?”
“That’s certainly true. However, if I were to run at such speeds on a public sidewalk, I could inadvertently injure innocent citizens.”
As we continued our drive, engaging in lighthearted chatter, we arrived at the White Deer establishment in what felt like an instant.
Oh, I completely forgot to notify Gong Wiseon in advance.
He’s bound to be quite flustered when his part-timer arrives for work accompanied by an S-rank Hunter.
I considered sending a message at that very moment, but we had already pulled up directly in front of the shop.
With no other recourse, I steeled myself, put on a brazen facade, and stepped inside.
“Ah, Sihyeon-gun, you’ve arrived? I trust you’re full of vigor to…”
As he always did, Gong Wiseon greeted me with a warm smile from behind the bar counter, but his words trailed off as he seemingly registered the woman who had followed me inside.
‘He appears to be quite taken aback.’
Yet, his eyes remained their usual narrow slits, betraying no outward change from their customary appearance.
Gong Wiseon offered a slight bow and then playfully addressed Lee Seol-hwa.
“My, my, what a pleasant surprise, Geom-hui-yang. (TL Note: ‘Geom-hui’ or ‘Sword Princess’ is a title often given to a powerful female sword user.) If my memory serves me, I only had the pleasure of seeing you once when the bar first opened, and I must confess, I’ve been secretly rather disappointed by your absence since then.”
“A guild member had encouraged me to visit back then. While the drinks were exceptionally good, I’m not particularly fond of alcohol, which is why I haven’t returned.”
“Ah, well, I imagine you’ve been quite busy with other matters, especially your work. I completely understand, of course. But to think that such a distinguished personage would grace us with their presence today, and with Sihyeon-gun, no less…”
Gong Wiseon stroked his chin, tilted his head in contemplation, and then let out a soft chuckle.
“Sihyeon-gun, you truly are a man of many sins.”
“…Sihyeon. Do you have a girlfriend?”
Reacting to Gong Wiseon’s suggestive remark, Lee Seol-hwa narrowed her eyes and shot me a sharp, questioning glance.
‘Why on earth would it be interpreted in such a manner?’
Just as I was about to protest and deny his implication, Gong Wiseon, still letting out a soft chuckle, opened his mouth a step ahead of me.
“Ahahaha, it appears there’s been a slight misunderstanding. I merely meant to say that Sihyeon-gun is a man truly deserving of envy, seeing as he not only shares an acquaintance with Geom-hui-yang but also crafts absolutely exquisite cocktails.”
“Is ‘a man of many sins’ typically the phrase one employs in such a context?”
“Well, you may simply attribute that to my own slip of the tongue.”
‘That was no mistake.’
‘He undoubtedly said it deliberately, solely to tease me.’
“Sihyeon-gun is truly remarkable. I’d advise caution, lest you find yourself becoming one of his regulars.”
As I subtly glared at Gong Wiseon, he merely offered a satisfied smile and smoothly retreated to a corner of the bar counter.
‘He truly is an extraordinary individual.’
It might not be my place to say, given that I’m friends with the very man in question, but he managed to maintain his composure even before the Sword Princess, going so far as to playfully jest with her.
“He’s a more amusing character than I’d anticipated.”
“Isn’t he?”
It appeared she had taken a liking to him as well, at least to some degree.
Following this, she naturally took a seat on one of the stools before the bar counter, and I proceeded to take her order.
“Nuna, what would you care to drink? Feel free to take your time and browse the menu.”
“Hmm…”
True to her nature as someone not fond of alcohol, Lee Seol-hwa gazed intently at the menu for a considerable time, carefully perusing her options.
‘And yet, such a person insisted on accompanying me here.’
“…I’m not sure. Could you recommend any non-alcoholic options?”
‘A non-alcoholic beverage that Lee Seol-hwa might enjoy…’
“You still have a fondness for sweet things, don’t you?”
“Who doesn’t appreciate something sweet?”
“Nuna, you, in particular, always had a greater fondness for them than anyone else. Do you know how much effort I put into catering to your palate? I swear, I thought I was going to develop diabetes trying to keep up!”
“…Quiet, you.”
As I delved into past memories, Lee Seol-hwa waved a dismissive hand, telling me to cease my idle chatter.
She had possessed an intense fondness for sweet treats ever since her school days.
Only I knew the secret that this girl, who excelled in academics and athletics and was the object of everyone’s admiration, always kept peach-flavored jellies tucked away in her desk drawer, sneaking bites during class.
‘For a sweet drink… perhaps a fruity soda would suffice?’
Given that Lee Seol-hwa’s favorite fruit is peach, I should prepare a peach soda for her.
Rummaging through my memories, I gathered the necessary ingredients: peach syrup, sparkling water, ice, and, of course, fresh peaches.
The crucial detail here is that it absolutely had to be a soft, juicy peach (TL Note: ‘mulbok,’ a soft, watery peach), not a firm one (TL Note: ‘ttakbok,’ a firm, crunchy peach).
Should one inquire why, it is simply Lee Seol-hwa’s unyielding preference.
To her, a firm peach isn’t even truly considered a peach.
I filled a serving glass generously with ice, then poured in the peach syrup.
Next, I very slowly poured in the sparkling water, taking care not to lose its effervescence.
I then stirred the mixture gently, ensuring the sparkling water thoroughly blended with the syrup that had settled at the bottom.
Following this, I peeled the chilled, soft peach and meticulously sliced it with a paring knife.
“…”
As I was in the midst of preparing the peaches, Lee Seol-hwa, who had been observing my movements, tilted her head slightly and spoke.
“Your knife skills are remarkably precise.”
‘I felt a sudden, unwarranted pang of discomfort.’
Perhaps it was because she was Lee Seol-hwa, the renowned Sword Princess, but it seemed she had, however faintly, discerned some subtle essence of profound swordsmanship in the way I sliced the peach.
Then again, she might have simply been genuinely impressed.
“My skills naturally improved the more I worked.”
“How long have you been working?”
“Roughly one month.”
“One month…?”
Lee Seol-hwa continued to tilt her head, a hint of bewilderment in her expression.
To swiftly divert the conversation, I artfully arranged the sliced peaches on the rim of the glass and presented it to her.
“Perhaps I truly possess a knack for this, just as the owner mentioned. Here is your drink.”
“Oh. Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”
Lee Seol-hwa, with a slight dip of her head, carefully accepted the glass from my hand.
She took a slow sip, and her eyes widened ever so slightly.
“…It’s delicious?”
“Would I ever serve you a drink that wasn’t delicious?”
“No, not exactly… it’s simply far more delicious than I had anticipated.”
“I appreciate the compliment.”
Thereafter, Lee Seol-hwa silently continued to sip her peach soda, a quiet satisfaction settling upon her.
In the midst of this, Lee Seol-hwa, who had momentarily closed and then reopened her eyes, suddenly posed a question to me.
“Sihyeon.”
“Yes?”
“If you’re amenable, Nuna will secure a nice house for you. Would you like to live there?”
‘………’
“Excuse me?”
My mind momentarily seized up at Lee Seol-hwa’s offer to procure an entire house for me.
“No, but… why?”
“You know as well as I do that the neighborhood you reside in isn’t particularly safe. It’s far too dangerous for you, a non-Awakened individual, to continue living there.”
‘Is she truly so concerned about me living in a dangerous neighborhood?’
“Moreover, a notorious killer dubbed the ‘Villain Murderer’ has recently been preying upon that very area.”
‘A sharp pang of recognition.’
‘That, would be me.’
“Furthermore… recently, a peculiar phenomenon has been observed: Gates in that vicinity are closing on their own. The very Gate Nuna acquired through auction behaved in such a way. It’s an unprecedented situation, and there’s a risk of a sudden, massive surge phenomenon occurring.”
‘Another jolt.’
‘Also me, hehe.’
In this increasingly awkward situation, a cold sweat involuntarily trickled down my back.
But hold on a moment—Lee Seol-hwa’s guild was the one that successfully bid on a Gate in this very vicinity.
‘In that case…’
“So, Nuna, your guild acquired the Gate near my home. You must have incurred significant losses, then?”
“While we did receive some compensation from the Association, it was still a considerable loss even accounting for that.”
‘Oh dear.’
‘Unbeknownst to me, I had been gradually chipping away at Lee Seol-hwa’s guild operating funds.’
‘I suddenly feel a little apologetic.’
‘No, not just a little, but immensely apologetic.’
‘Yet, I can’t exactly apologize for this.’
‘I find myself in an utterly difficult predicament, unable to do anything about it.’
“…So, what do you say?”
Lee Seol-hwa took another sip of her peach soda and cautiously asked.
I remained silent for a moment in response to her question, then slowly shook my head and replied.
“I don’t think that will be possible.”
“…Why? What’s the problem?”
‘If I accepted your money for a house after I’ve caused you so much financial damage, I wouldn’t be able to face you.’
There’s also a matter of moral principle, and the neighborhood I currently live in is extremely beneficial for my growth.
As someone whose goal isn’t to live ostentatiously here, I have no reason to leave.
Of course, unable to voice that truth aloud, I offered a wry smile and said.
“I don’t want to burden you, Nuna.”
“It’s fine by me.”
“And, frankly, your father still frightens me.”
“…”
At the mention of her father, Lee Seol-hwa fell silent, lowering her head.
Neither of us had any friends.
She was too perfect, preventing anyone from easily approaching her.
As for me, I was subjected to malicious prejudice and ostracism simply for being an orphan.
Through a chance encounter, we began talking and realized our situations were remarkably similar.
Thus, we naturally started spending time together.
Though, in truth, I was mostly just vaguely following her around.
While no one else treated me as a human being, Lee Seol-hwa always did.
No, beyond simply treating me as a person, she treated me as an equal, a friend.
As an individual with whom she could share emotions—laughter, conversation, and sorrow.
I liked Lee Seol-hwa.
Not because she was the daughter of Lee Hwa-cheol, the chairman of a major corporation and South Korea’s first S-rank Hunter.
I liked her simply because she was Lee Seol-hwa.
I loved her because she was Lee Seol-hwa.
So I always trailed behind her, striving to become someone she wouldn’t be ashamed of.
She, too, recognized my efforts and regarded them with appreciation.
And yet, all my efforts and affection were ultimately crushed by a far greater emotion on the day of her graduation: a tidal wave of humiliation, self-loathing, and terror.
