Chapter 120
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: Trust Me.
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"……."
I sent Yu-wol home.
And then I returned home myself.
[Bam-para-ppa-bam-bam~]
Right in front of my eyes, the system—which seemed especially excited today—was displaying a celebratory window along with firework emoticons.
I pressed my throbbing temples and stared at it.
I wanted an explanation.
"It's just… so sudden…. Could you explain? In every way…."
Of course! User!
[(^^)]
Starting from Counselor V.2.
All the way to the window that seemed to be Seol Yu-wol's status.
It was definitely called an ability awakening.
I don't know everything about hunters, but we have textbooks and share knowledge among ourselves.
There are several ways for ability awakenings, but the first one is…
'Just doing it.'
Without reason, just because the time has come.
Awakening like fate.
Hunters awaken by filling in the missing abilities with new skills.
The second way.
'Condition fulfillment.'
I don't know what the condition is.
Hunters usually have unique abilities.
And those are different for each person.
So in my case….
"Did I… fulfill the condition?"
The second one.
It seemed highly likely to be condition fulfillment.
I'd already unlocked an ability once before.
Yes, that's right!
Okay for now.
Got it.
The reason for the ability awakening isn't that important.
What matters in the end is the content of that ability.
[Seol Yu-wol]
Something I couldn't shake from my memory since earlier was now displayed right in front of me again.
"What… is this?"
At the top of what seemed to be a status window, the name Seol Yu-wol was written.
The stats were simple.
Intelligence was extremely high.
Dependency was very strong.
And martial power was considerable too.
"Is this… really Yu-wol?"
Stats representing her condition?
Yes! That's right!
[ ✧٩(•́⌄•́๑)و ✧ ]
I tried to ignore that bright, cheerful emoticon and pointed out the most incomprehensible part.
"No, intelligence and martial power… I can accept that."
Intelligence could be high.
Whether Seol Yu-wol was a genius or not wasn't that important right now.
Martial power too—she was S-rank, still young, and the chances were high that this wasn't even her peak.
But.
"Why is dependency at 10?"
I zeroed in on the part most related to me, the one that made me uneasy.
Seol Yu-wol had a dependency on Yi Seo-ryeong.
It was strong.
I'd tried to shift that dependency to me through therapeutic transference.
And slowly… peeling it away, she graduated today.
Seol Yu-wol had shown no problems even when apart from me for long periods.
The biggest side effect of high dependency—apathy and wandering—was completely absent in her.
On top of that, finding her role in life, studying protection, even practicing cooking….
"……."
Again.
The role Seol Yu-wol found… joining the Hero Association.
And… protecting me within it.
The protection studies she'd done… were ultimately for me.
The cooking she made as a thank-you gift… was ultimately for me.
Seol Yu-wol had never done anything for herself even once.
I was always the focus.
"……."
So.
The dependency had never disappeared even once?
It had only shifted from Yi Seo-ryeong to me.
Not diminished in the slightest.
Seol Yu-wol seemed completely fine.
No agitation even when I wasn't there or when apart.
I immediately stabbed in the PIN.
[Seol Yu-wol][PINNED]
[Current Status: Heading home from work. Moving to the lodging provided by the Association.]
[Main Stance: Excited to start work tomorrow. Though a bit worried about Mary Hunter.]
Even now, she seemed completely fine.
That's why I hadn't noticed.
"……."
What meaning did it have?
- Swish.
I picked up the name tag on my chest that read [Counselor Yoo Seon-woo].
And.
- Fling.
Threw it straight onto the bed.
What a ridiculous title.
Closing a client whose treatment hadn't worked at all.
And forming a new relationship with the client.
Should I start counseling again right now?
Was it too late?
Admit I was wrong, scrap all these relationships, and find a completely new approach.
No, but now?
Maybe it would be right to hand her off to another competent 'real' counselor.
Yu-wol is kind… she definitely wouldn't harm that counselor.
It was just my fault.
As a counselor….
[Ding!]
"……?"
At that moment, the system popped up in front of me.
It's hard to say the treatment failed! The problem was with the client Yi Seo-ryeong from the start!
Detaching the dependency from her alone was a huge help, wasn't it?
"It helped, but…."
If dependency is still high, it means nothing.
The target just changed.
If you just live normally like this, the dependency might naturally decrease over time, right?
That's way too optimistic.
I mentioned earlier it's just the tip of the iceberg!
Let me show you one of the abilities of the new awakened ability!
The system window in front of me shone brilliantly and switched to a new window.
There are two paths ahead.
We couldn't know the future before, but now we can!
In fragments.
Choose an option.
You can observe exactly one stat.
The title alone looked ominous.
The future visible?
…The stat to check is dependency. If it's truly healing naturally over time, the dependency stat should gradually decrease.
Good.
I nodded and opened my mouth.
"The first one, if we continue like this. As protector and protected."
[Tap tap!]
[ ＿〆(。。) ]
[Input complete! Got it. And the second?]
"When I admit I was wrong and suggest starting new counseling with Seol Yu-wol."
I wanted it to compare those two futures.
[Data reception complete.]
[Beginning 'Future Fragment Observation' for the two branch points.]
[Observation Target Stat: Dependency]
- Shh….
The system window floating before me scattered like mist and then regrouped.
[Time Passed: 1 Month Later]
[Dependency][■■■■■■■■■■ (10/10)]
[Time Passed: 6 Months Later]
[Dependency][■■■■■■□□□□ (6/10)]
[Time Passed: 1 Year Later]
[Dependency][■■□□□□□□□□ (2/10)]
[Time Passed: 1 Year 6 Months Later]
[Dependency][□□□□□□□□□□ (0/10)]
As expected, it wouldn't decrease?
However.
It was gradually fading away.
Finally.
Dependency completely vanished.
Over time, Seol Yu-wol's dependency was truly dropping bit by bit.
Dependency dropping meant she no longer needed to depend.
Her mind at ease without clinging to me anymore.
No more anxiety.
I turned my head to look at the second screen. Then, if we started counseling again….
[Time Passed: 1 Year 6 Months Later]
[Dependency][■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ (12/ERROR)]
"……."
On the contrary.
Dependency had increased.
To a degree I couldn't comprehend.
The path I believed was right would completely ruin her.
Textbooks exist, but they might not fit everyone!
The system put up a new window, as if consoling me.
Maybe for client Seol Yu-wol, your current method is better?
"… Haha."
The feeling of common sense being denied.
I let out a hollow laugh.
If I'd arbitrarily suggested new counseling to Seol Yu-wol based on my judgment, I'd have led her down a bad path again.
If the system hadn't been there.
User.
At that moment, the system spoke to me in a somewhat different tone.
Don't trust the books.
Don't trust the textbooks.
"……."
Trust what you're doing yourself.
And… above all.
Trust me.
[ (╹◡╹）]
I quietly stared at its words.
"… Yeah."
I slowly nodded.
Seol Yu-wol, Jahwa-yeon, Yi Seo-ryeong, even Luna.
In the end, everything had worked out well.
I must have… my own way.
"I can't do without you."
I said to the empty air with a wry smile.
Me too.
It replied in one second, as always.
I can't do without you either, User!
[So…]
The system window blinked as it added one final line.
[（╹◡╹）]
