Awkward Reunion Over Coffee
After scooping up all the party alliance's loot, we stepped out and went through the standard gate-clearing procedures. Reporting what happened inside, divvying up the rewards... treating and evacuating the wounded. The bodies were transported too. Once time passed and Ha-eun came to, she was luckily left scar-free thanks to the World Tree's Leaf.
After that, at Lee Joo-sun's request, we headed to a nearby cafe.
"Ugh... it's been a while... Joo-sun oppa."
"Yeah... tell me about it..."
An awkward vibe hung thick between them. ...Ha-eun had begged me to come along, so here I was, but the mood was like a funeral wake. I slurped my coffee loudly, the only one chowing down, and quietly spoke up.
"You two know each other?"
By the way, I'd dropped the formal speech with Lee Joo-sun. It suited my personality better, and he didn't seem to mind.
"Well... we were academy classmates," Ha-eun answered my question.
"Academy?"
"Yes... Kids who awaken young usually go to the academy."
I hadn't known since I was a returnee, but apparently adolescent awakeners attended these special academies. Makes sense... shoving immature awakeners into regular schools would be risky. But more than that...
"..."
"..."
What the hell was this atmosphere? Why weren't they saying a word? Were they exes or something? ...Did I crash a spot I wasn't supposed to be at? I don't get human romance. Especially since I'm a woman only on the outside—I suck at girl emotions too.... Should I bail now?
Swish—
Swish—
In the stifling tension, my tail tip twitched against the floor, and Ha-eun giggled before speaking.
"Here's the thing, unnie. This oppa... he was friends with my brother too."
"Ah, your brother's friend?"
"And... we had a big fight when we were kids."
Hmm. I could kinda guess why things were frosty.
"...I was way too immature back then. I still feel really sorry thinking about it."
"Same here. I wasn't any better..."
Another wave of awkwardness, and Ha-eun tried to lighten the mood.
"Oppa, looks like you've formed a party."
"Yeah. Ha-rin and Da-jeong are my fixed members."
"These days, I'm teaming up with this unnie. She's so amazing... I've got a ton to learn."
At that, Lee Joo-sun awkwardly glanced at me—probably remembering my fight scene—and chuckled. Then his expression sobered.
"Heard you got kicked out of the house."
"...Yeah."
"Park Sang-hyuk told me himself. We cleared a gate together recently."
"With oppa...?"
Ha-eun's surprised look made him laugh hollowly.
"That guy's a mess now."
"Huh...?"
"I knew it the second I heard you'd been thrown out. Could tell what happened. I know you two's personalities."
"..."
"Not sure if I should say this to you, but someone who tries as hard as you doesn't deserve that crap. It's obvious."
Ha-eun chewed her lip, then bowed her head. She fell silent, unable to find words, her face shadowed.
"I couldn't even take down the boss this time. Failed to protect the others too.... Nothing's changed since back then. I'm still way too weak compared to oppa."
"Yeah, you're strong for sure. Probably S-rank soon? But... you've got nothing around you."
"...Pardon?"
"I snapped out of it after you beat the crap out of me. Formed a party, climbed to B-rank. But you..."
His gaze shifted to me mid-sentence.
"Hmm... you're a beastkin, right...?"
"Dragon."
"...And you've teamed up with someone this insane. But he's got nothing by his side. Makes sense, given his usual antics."
That last bit wasn't just about people, I bet.
"He seemed... empty inside."
Comrades you can lean back-to-back with. Or a pillar to rely on. At the very least, a compass pointing the way. Anyone heading into battle needs something to hold onto, to affirm who they are. For me, it's treasure.
Funny enough, it doesn't have to be alive and breathing. There are lunatics who treat their weapons like buddies. Idealists leaning on dreams as pillars. Romantics forging ahead with just their eyes as compasses. In my old world, we called them adventurers. Here on Earth, they're hunters.
But if you can't define yourself with anything? If no one acknowledges you? Can you even call that a hunter? No matter how strong, standing alone without conviction is just... standing there. No personal goals, no recognition from others.
"My brother's always been like that. Prefers climbing alone over with others..."
"He loves stepping on people to get up. Loves discarding them like trash cards too."
"...Yeah."
Especially that "discarding card" bit—he emphasized it. Hmm... I haven't met Ha-eun's brother myself, so I don't know him well, but he was piquing my curiosity. How broken is he? And what opportunities might bloom from those cracks? Well, sticking with Ha-eun should reveal it soon enough.
"Ha-eun, got a question. Mind if I ask?"
"Sure...? What is it?"
And one more thing from that convo bugged me. Kinda sensitive, maybe.
"What do you mean she beat you?"
"Oh, that...? Um..."
Ha-eun glanced nervously at the guy before my blunt question. Lee Joo-sun smiled faintly.
"It's fine. She's my lifesaver, after all. I can tell you."
He spoke for her, and the story that came out was ridiculous.
"Embarrassing, but I was super jealous back in the day."
"What, Ha-eun had a rep, so you bullied her?"
"Spot on. Lasted about a year. Hmm... I said something stupid then."
Confessing like it was a sin, he continued—till "stupid" when Ha-eun cut in.
"I still remember. 'Bragging about climbing on family clout, bitch?'"
"...I'm truly sorry. I regret it."
"I'm not mad. Just... anyway, after that, I kinda lost it too."
She was already ahead of her peers thanks to family training. So when she snapped and swung, she turned Lee Joo-sun into a bloody pulp. Obviously.
"That was... when the family already treated me like air. Guess I just couldn't hold back."
Good thing she didn't draw her sword—that might've been her last desperate act. No coming back from that.
"After that..."
"Total chaos. It was assault, after all. But it made me think."
Why was he doing this? Why trash-talk a girl he couldn't even beat skill-wise? That doubt hit him, he said.
"Guess you need to get beaten like a real human to wake up. After, I trained hard to win with skill."
Then he sincerely apologized to Ha-eun, went to the academy teachers and Park family saying she wasn't at fault.
"Wild."
"You think?"
"Yeah. People change that dramatically?"
Least not the ones I knew. Some king in my old world went to execution without bending.
"Anyway, since we're catching up after so long, got a favor to ask."
"What...?"
"Something I'm dead serious about. Spar with me..."
Whoa? Hold up—no confessions! Ha-eun's my contractor!!
"Wait a sec—"
"once?"
"...Pardon?"
"...Huh?"
Eh...? Spar...?
"Wanna see if I can cross swords with you as hunters now, not students."
***
Okay, so. Lee Joo-sun's pitch boiled down to this: Spar as pro hunters, not kids anymore.
Ha-eun's reply?
"No thanks."
Sharp as a blade.
"Oof, got injured today too, so I'm beat. And... my power's still not satisfying."
She fiddled with her sheathed sword.
"Once I'm happy with myself, maybe. Even today... I couldn't control it...."
Talking about that massive flame from earlier? That had me curious too.
"What even was that back there?"
"Well... our allies went down, I got worked up... I dunno. Sorry...."
Wish I'd been there. Anyway, sounds like a power surge. Common with mages—mana control fails, boom. Happens a lot.
So, teach a swordswoman magic first...?
"Fair enough. I'll wait. Gotta get stronger steadily too."
"Till then... how about sparring with unnie? She's like my mentor."
"Eek... her? I like living, thanks."
"What?"
Recalling my fight, he freaked. Anyone'd think I murder people. I do hold back....
"Then, mind swapping contacts? You're Goldie, right?"
"Yup. Legally Lee Se-yeon, but hate that name. Why contacts?"
I sipped my coffee slowly as he answered dead seriously.
"Thought our parties could help each other as hunters. Like allies. I'll get the other two's numbers for you too."
Other two: Kim Da-jeong and Na Ha-rin, I figured. No clue on Da-jeong, but Ha-rin's skills might come in handy. If we meet again... building some rapport ain't bad.
Beep—
"Thanks."
Contacts swapped. I popped a cookie from the table.
Then a random thought hit: Among our five, excluding him and me, it's all girls? And biologically, I'm female too?
"Looking at it now, this guy's got yellow fever bad."
"...Pardon?"
"Your contacts are all chicks."
"Not intentional... but not complaining?"
So brazen. Ridiculous.
"Mess with the wrong one, might get you killed?"
We bantered lightly like that.
Scrape—
"U-um, gonna hit the bathroom quick!"
Ha-eun bolted—no tolerance for this talk, huh.
"Anyway, I've got someone I like, so no worries there."
"Ooh, who? Know her?"
"...You're way too into this. One of our party members. That's all—secret."
Oho, legend.
"Anyway, next time we'll all greet you properly."
"Sure."
Quick handshake. Glancing outside, night had fallen. We'd been nonstop.
"Oh yeah, our side's got another kid too. Might hit it off with Ha-rin later."
"Kid...?"
Terra loves weird rocks and ores—might click with Ha-rin.
"Yeah, another little dragon besides me. Left her at the dorm today... Wait. What time is it...?"
"9:30 PM."
Oof. Plan was gate clear in the morning, then lunch with Terra right after...
"Forgot...?"
"Pardon?"
Terra.... not starved to death, right...?