An Older Sister I Know
An Older Sister I Know
Thanks to Appa's consideration, my body felt light enough to fly, but contrary to my heart wanting to test out my ability right away, Appa ordered me to rest for three days.
"Why?"
"We accelerated your adaptation using the elixir, but conversely, the remaining mana from the elixir hasn't been fully absorbed yet. Please wait just three days until all of it is absorbed."
"Yeees, I understand."
It was disappointing, but what could I do when Appa said so?
Following Appa's words, I spent most of my time over those three days meditating, sensing the mana inside my body.
Thus, the promised three days passed, and today I made a complete recovery.
As soon as I opened my eyes early in the morning, I sprang out of bed.
Placing both hands on my waist and looking inward, I felt mana that was perfectly stabilized compared to three days ago.
'Move.'
As I channeled my will into the quiet mana, the mana inside my body moved toward my arm according to my intent.
Compared to when I first awakened, the amount was merely a drop in the bucket, but according to what I looked up on Hunter Gallery (searched up by Armchair Expert), this too would grow the more I used it, and it was even possible to surpass the amount from when I first awakened someday, so from now on, it all depended on my effort.
I smirked while looking at the extreme cold mana wrapped around my right hand according to my will.
"Kukuk, though the beginning may be humble, the end shall be..."
Clack—
"Daughter, are you awake... Oh, you look healthy. Omma will come back in a bit, so have fun playing, okay?"
Ah.
Along with the thud sound of the door closing, my heart also went thud, slamming into the very bottom of the abyss and shattering into pieces.
Why, why of all times right now...?
I resented Omma for opening the door without knocking, but there was also no denying that it was partly my fault for being overly excited about finally being able to use mana at will.
Next time, I should stick a paper on my bedroom door saying 'Must Knock'.
Actively acting as if nothing happened, I opened my bedroom door, walked out, and sat at the dining table.
Soon, Omma placed a plate containing evenly toasted bread and a cup filled to the brim with milk in front of me, speaking up.
"Daughter, did you have fun playing?"
"Ah, Omma!"
"Phehehe, what's wrong with that? When I looked it up, kids who awaken at your age all play like that."
"N-No. I-I wasn't playing..."
Why does it feel like the more I speak, the more I'm losing?
Only then did I realize that answering only gave Omma more amusement, so I quietly shut my mouth and just ate my toast.
Right around the time I was almost done nibbling through the toast.
Ding-dong—
The doorbell rang, announcing someone's arrival.
Wondering who could be visiting this early in the morning, I turned around to see Omma opening the door as if she had been waiting for them.
And the person who opened the front door and stepped inside was none other than...
"Hello, Samonim."
"You came early? You could have taken your time."
"Not at all. I came early because I wanted to see Samonim and Sia after so long."
"Is that so? Come on in."
A beauty with neatly tied black hair and a puppy-like face.
However, uniquely, white bandages were wrapped tightly around both her arms. The identity of this special woman was none other than Uncle Hyuntae's daughter, Jang Maria-noona—no, eonni.
"Hello, Sia."
"It's been a while, eonni."
Eonni, who turned legal adult this year and was active as an active-duty hunter belonging to the Changgung Guild, was someone who had built a close relationship with me since childhood by playing with me often, as Uncle Hyuntae worked as my Appa's secretary, attendant, and bodyguard.
Having just joined the guild this year, she must have been busy since I rarely saw her lately, but to meet her like this.
But why did she come to our house so early in the morning?
When I tilted my head with toast still in my mouth, Omma noticed my confusion and spoke.
"Because Sia needs to register as a hunter now. Maria came to help with that."
"Ah."
Come to think of it, I had completely forgotten.
According to the Hunter Special Act, anyone who has awakened must inform the Hunter Association within one week of awakening and register as a hunter.
And four days had already passed since I awakened.
From the villain attack to being taken to the Hunter Association and getting sick with a fever, it was understandable that I forgot.
In the midst of all this, Maria-eonni coming to help was something I was thankful for, but...
"Eonni, aren't you busy?"
"Ahaha, I worked hard recently, and the Guild Leader personally told me to go take care of it as outside field work, so it's fine."
Oh, treating this as field work?
Changgung Guild is an even better, employee-friendly company than I thought.
Nom nom nom—
I quickly devoured the remaining toast, downed the milk in one cool gulp, and prepared to head out.
Omma and Maria-eonni told me to take my time, but I couldn't resist when the hunter registration card that would soon be in my hands floated before my eyes.
With that alone, I could finally post on Hunter Gallery with a fixed handle instead of as an anonymous user!
Although drying my hair took a bit of time, I finished getting ready to go out faster than usual and came out.
"Goodness, it would be great if you acted this quickly all the time."
"I'm always quick though?"
"Sigh, the child saying that is the same one who always goes 'Just five more minutes, five more minutes...'"
"W-Waaah! Stop! Stoooop!"
I hastily tried to stop Omma's brutal atrocity of bringing up her daughter's embarrassing traits so nonchalantly, but unfortunately, with my pitiful height, even reaching out my arm couldn't reach Omma's mouth.
Having witnessed my embarrassing side, Maria-eonni merely smiled as if it was adorable.
Sob sob, I've been defiled.
Despite her daughter being unable to even lift her face out of embarrassment, Omma grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and handed me directly over to Maria-eonni.
Maria-eonni, taking hold of me, bowed politely to Omma, lifted me up, and walked straight out of the house.
"Have a safe trip."
"I will take good care of her."
As we stepped outside the house like that, a lukewarm breeze transitioning from spring to summer swept over my body.
Feeling the wind brushing against my face, I wriggled into the passenger seat opened by Maria-eonni and put on the seatbelt.
And Maria-eonni, getting into the driver's seat, also put on her belt and started the car engine.
"Now, shall we go?"
"Let us depart."
"Ah, was the accelerator on the left?"
"?!"
"Just kidding, just kidding."
**
Jang Maria.
A rookie hunter of the Changgung Guild and ranked #1 among the most anticipated rising prospects of the year with a bright future ahead of her, the first time she met Han Sia was more than 10 years ago.
Back when Han Sia was still sucking on a pacifier and toddling around on the floor, elementary schooler Jang Maria, meeting Han Sia for the first time, fell head over heels for infant Han Sia's charm.
Charmed by cute, squishy, and soft Han Sia, Jang Maria visited Han Sia's house whenever she had free time after that day, spending her time watching the child.
Although her father, Jang Hyuntae, said that visiting too often could be a nuisance, such words didn't work on Jang Maria, who was already deeply smitten with Han Sia's charm.
Thus, over several years of devoted care—hugging her when she cried, singing lullabies when she slept, and changing her diapers like a ghost whenever she made a mess—Jang Maria was able to become like family to Han Sia.
And Jang Maria did not think of such Han Sia... as family.
"Heheh, so cute..."
Han Sia's photos filled the room, starting from infancy, her first birthday doljabi, first time rolling over, first baby porridge, first piggyback, first step, first dress, first, first, first, first...
Photos full of memories completely covered one wall.
Considering that even these photos were only a fraction put up after careful selection upon careful selection, it clearly showed just how obsessed Jang Maria was with Han Sia.
And we, as a society, have agreed to call this stalking.
A damp, sticky love distinct from familial affection.
Because Jang Maria acted normal so well, and Han Sia was also young, up until age 5 Sia simply thought of her as an eonni who truly cherished her.
However, one day at age 5, Han Sia got into a traffic accident and regained memories of her previous life.
Even though just a day prior she had thought of her as a normally good eonni, after regaining her past life's memories from the traffic accident, Han Sia sensed something off, even though not all her memories had completely settled.
Somethin'... She realized that somethin', anyway, somethin' was definitely not normal.
After fully regaining her memories and being discharged from the hospital, Han Sia distanced herself slightly from Jang Maria out of an indefinable anxiety.
And that was nothing short of the sky falling down for Jang Maria.
Seeing Jang Maria wither away day by day like a plant without light and water, Han Sia eventually raised the white flag first and approached her again, allowing the dying woman to come back to life after tremendous hardship.
Having experienced almost losing Han Sia in a single moment, Jang Maria put on an even more perfect mask without a single flaw after that day.
In front of Han Sia, she merely acted as a good eonni, expressing her sticky feelings strictly inside her own room where no one could see.
Thanks to that, the memory-regained Han Sia also reached her own conclusion, thinking, 'As expected, keeping a distance for a bit was the answer,' and went back to being close like sisters.
Thus time passed, and one day after Jang Maria became an adult.
'Haah, my Sianium is running low.'
Having been unable to meet Han Sia for several months due to her busy schedule adapting to the guild and learning various tasks, Jang Maria felt herself slowly drying up.
Although she was topping up her Sianium(?) whenever she had time by pulling out a handkerchief (Han Sia's gift) she carried in her breast pocket, it was merely filling the bare minimum, leaving her with an appearance that fit the description of 'barely keeping from starving to death'.
Having recovered the bare minimum of Sianium, Jang Maria hurried her steps.
It was because of a summon from the Guild Leader.
Arriving in front of the Guild Leader's office, she straightened her clothes and knocked on the door.
Knock knock—
"Guild Leader-nim. It's Jang Maria."
-Ah, come in.
Opening the door and entering, she felt a vast amount of mana filling the Guild Leader's office as if embracing the heavens.
The suffocating mana was not intentionally pressuring her, but simply released freely, making Jang Maria realize the power of the Guild Leader who stood infinitely high above.
Changgung Guild Leader Cheongeom Kang Sua.
And Cheonryeok Han Jaehoon sitting in the seat opposite her, drinking tea.
'Father-in-law?'
Of course, this was just a thought she kept to herself.
Seeing Han Jaehoon casting a brief glance at her as she entered the room, she also bowed politely.
"Here, please sit on this side."
"Yes."
Following the Guild Leader's guidance, tea cups were set in front of her as she sat on the sofa.
And pouring tea into the cup, Kang Sua opened her mouth.
"Miss Jang Maria, recently rumors among the guild members have been good, and there's talk that your future is highly anticipated. I am also one of those looking forward to your potential as a rookie."
"T-Thank you!"
"Fufu, it's nothing really. But you shouldn't go around telling people I said this, alright? Others might get jealous."
"Yes! I will keep it to myself!"
"Fuhut, Miss Jang Maria is quite an amusing person. Then let's leave the ice-breaking at that, and returning to the main point, do you know why I called you, and why Director Han Jaehoon is here?"
"No, I don't really..."
"Well, even up until this morning, Miss Jang Maria was in the erosion zone, so you might be out of the loop regarding rumors."
"Rumors...?"
"Yes, rumors."
Reacting as if she knew nothing—and in fact, actually knowing nothing—Jang Maria listened to the truth of the 'rumor' coming out of Kang Sua's mouth, and completely forgot that she was in front of the Guild Leader as she unwittingly unleashed murderous intent.