Chapter 7
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: My First Smartphone in Life
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Jeong Yujin shot up from her seat, her eyes wide as she glared down at me.
The intensity of her gaze made me duck my head low.
She seemed flustered somehow and scolded me gently. "S-Sorry."
"I had no idea you had a story like that. I figured maybe your family was just a little short on cash or something."
"No, it's fine. It's been five whole years since I've been on my own."
"Five years?!"
The buzzing cafe fell silent in an instant.
Her voice had been so loud that all eyes were now on us.
But Jeong Yujin didn't seem to have a moment to spare for the stares.
Instead, she raised her voice even more and leaned right in toward me.
She was so close I could make out every single one of her eyelashes.
"Five years... how old were you even then? Barely kindergarten age... maybe not even old enough to start yet... What the hell is the country doing about this?"
"Um..."
Then she started muttering to herself.
Her voice was too soft to catch properly.
"Did relatives or someone look after you?"
"No. My parents passed away about three months after I was born, and Grandma raised me on her own until she passed five years ago. I've never heard anything about relatives... Guess we weren't close, or maybe there aren't any."
"How could that even..."
Jeong Yujin slumped back into her seat, the fight draining out of her.
If anything, she looked more uncomfortable with this than I did.
"What about meals? Hell, how do you even get by? At this point, you'd be better off in an orphanage or a protection center..."
She trailed off into mutters too quiet for me to hear again.
I watched her and calmly sliced off a small piece of the bread in front of me, popping it into my mouth.
Wow, this is good too.
Subtle onion flavor.
"Ah, if you're worried, don't be. I eat regular meals and everything."
"Really? Do you get some kind of stipend?"
"Yeah. About three hundred thousand won a month. Stock up on bean sprouts, and you can get by just fine."
"...Sorry, shouldn't have asked."
Huh? What's that about?
Bean sprouts are delicious, though.
Steam 'em with some chili powder—yum.
As soup—yum.
Seasoned raw—yum.
"So that's why you wanted to become a hunter? Makes sense. Normally, kids your age have parents who say no to gates. Minors need parental consent."
"Really?"
Oh, so since my parents are gone, I didn't need it.
Come to think of it, that clerk kept glancing between me and the monitor.
"Even then, they usually at least ask if there's any other guardian... That staffer must've screwed up big time. Should report it to the Association."
"N-No, it's fine. Thanks to that, I could go into the gate, and I don't have any other guardians anyway."
"That's not fine. Kids need adult protection. Not just physical—legal too."
Jeong Yujin shook her head firmly.
I agreed in principle, but it hadn't hurt me any.
More than that, I didn't want some poor staffer getting in trouble on my account.
We cleared the dungeon safe and sound—what's the issue?
"...Hayang, if it's okay, could I maybe swing by your place real quick?"
Her sudden request to visit my home startled me.
For one, my place wasn't fit to show anyone.
Even beyond that, inviting a near-stranger home felt awkward, no matter how nice she'd been.
"Sorry. Grandma always said not to let strangers in... Ah! Not that I don't trust you, Yujin."
I'm not a little kid anymore.
Bringing up Grandma was a bit embarrassing.
But claiming an adult said so added some credibility.
Luckily, Jeong Yujin seemed to buy it.
"Fair enough. Sorry, I got ahead of myself."
"It's okay. Next time you visit, I'll treat you to some tasty bean sprout dishes."
"Uh, sure. Looking forward to it."
The mood shifted like it was time to wrap up, so I gathered my things to leave.
Didn't bring much—just checked that my hunter license and thousand-won bill were still in my pocket.
"Oh yeah, Hayang—you don't have a phone, right?"
"Nope."
"You registered as a hunter today, so let's grab you one. Awakeners get special mana-powered smartphones for free. Country covers the bill too."
"Whoa, really?"
Such an amazing perk!
Am I finally getting my first smartphone?
"Yeah, there's a shop nearby. Let's go. Just so you know, it's legit—no shady stuff or hard sells."
"Hehe, I figured. Thank you."
"Always so cute."
"D-Don't call me cute! I'm not cute!"
"Saying that just makes you cuter."
"Eek?!"
Why?!
Anyway, we left the cafe and headed to the shop she'd recommended.
"Thank you. Have a good one."
"Take care."
I glanced down at the phone in my hand as we stepped out of the shop, and a grin crept onto my face.
A smartphone!
Crown jewel of civilization!
That thing everyone in modern society has at least one of!
And now it was finally in my hands.
Wow, it's way thinner and lighter than I thought.
The staff showed me how to use it, but it still feels awkward.
"How's it feel? Happy?"
"Yes! Super happy. Thank you so much."
"No need to thank me—I didn't do anything. World's gotten so rough these days; even kids should carry a phone. Plus, this hunter model's special—no charging needed. Just mana, and it's good to go anytime."
"Whoa, really?"
What an incredible world.
A smartphone that doesn't need charging.
Grandma's old one had such a short battery life—she was always grumbling about plugging it in.
"Lots of hunter-specific features too—play around with it at home. Oh, mind if I save my number?"
"Of course."
She was the one who handed me this treasure, after all.
Least I could do was share my contact.
Not sure if mine was worth much, though.
[Hayangi]
Thnks so much for today~~
[Hayangi]
see ya next time
"Uh... um. 'Yujin Unnie' would've been fine. 'Yujin-nim' feels too formal."
"S-Sorry. Calling you 'unnie' feels kinda hard..."
"Huh. Well, can't force it."
She smacked her lips like she still regretted it.
But this was one line I wouldn't budge on.
Unnie? Unnie?!
I'm a guy—well, was!
Sister's one thing, but unnie's a bridge too far.
"Want a ride home? My car's over there."
"Ah, no thanks. Subway's plenty."
Luckily, subway's free for me.
One of the government perks.
"Got it. Pushing too hard would just weird you out. I'll text, so let's hang when you're free."
"Sure! Thanks again for today."
"Psh. Might've just met the next S-Rank star with my own eyes—who's grateful here?"
"S-Rank, though..."
That's a huge stretch.
But she seemed to want to boost my confidence.
And honestly, it made me happy inside, so I just grinned like an idiot.
Not that I'm an idiot, of course!
"Take care. Text if you have hunter questions—big or small."
"Will do!"
She kept glancing back like she had lingering regrets, which bugged me a bit.
But I chalked it up to her just being that nice.
Shedding for a total stranger like me.
Rescued me from that scary guy earlier too.
Probably sweet to everyone.
I waved and turned away.
Pat-pat-
My shortened stride irked me as always.
But with the smartphone in hand, it felt a lot better than before.
After seeing Hayang off, Jeong Yujin stopped by guild HQ.
She wanted to clear her schedule in case a gate came up with Hayang soon.
Ka-toong!
"Oh? Hayang. Didn't forget what I taught her."
Her phone buzzed right then.
Curious, she checked it—and there was the familiar name she'd saved earlier.
She felt a strong attachment to the girl she'd only met today.
'And she's just so cute.'
Her clothes were ragged, sure.
But that flowing silver hair, those ruby-gem eyes.
Her frail build, barely reaching Yujin's chest.
All of it stirred a fierce urge to protect.
Anyone but a loose screw like Kim Taesung would want to keep her safe.
"Ha, can't wait already. What now?"
Three years of nonstop gates.
Short or long, depending on how you sliced it.
But just changing partners made it this exciting?
Jeong Yujin hummed as she quickened her pace toward the vice-master's office.
If this raid went well, recommending Hayang to the guild wouldn't be a stretch.
That'd be perfect.
She tucked the hope away gently in a corner of her heart.