Her Friend
Without any pretense, "...W-Well, if it's that much, then things change a bit."
The chilly atmosphere warms up in an instant. There's no trace of the venomous edge Karen had just moments ago. It was only natural, really. For someone like her, skipping lunches just to pay off debts, 10 million Mihwan might as well be rain in a drought.
'If money can't solve it, maybe you just don't have enough.' I could get behind that saying, at least somewhat. You can't buy everything with money, but you can buy most things.
Of course, 10 million Mihwan isn't pocket change for me either, but I figured it was worth the investment. 'Entering a dungeon comes with serious risks from the get-go.' Dragging her into a situation where she could lose her life meant I had to compensate her fairly. Plus, I genuinely hoped this would ease her circumstances a little. At the very least, I wanted her eating three square meals a day. Poor girl.
'My stocks have been killing it lately, so this expense is no big deal.' I had about 150 million Mihwan on hand right now. Plenty of room to spare.
"You free next weekend?"
"I've got a part-time gig, but I can shift it to another day if needed."
Vitality seeped into Karen's voice as she answered. It was the first time I'd seen her this spirited.
"So, what exactly do you want me to do?"
"Nothing major. Just come dungeon raiding with me."
"...A dungeon?"
Her tone dropped back to its usual flatness for a split second.
"You messing with me, or dead serious? Spell it out."
"The latter. I'll handle all the info and gear for the raid. You just bring your body and weapon."
"I haven't heard any rumors about a new dungeon popping up. Where'd you even hear about this?"
"I've got good ears. No comment on the source. So, you in? Or out?"
Karen closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath at my question. With her sharp mind, she must've realized right then that I wasn't just some clueless rich kid.
"What's the difficulty?"
"The two of us should handle it no problem."
Info on an undiscovered dungeon's location and level would've been suspicious coming from a guy who just enrolled at Providence. That's when Karen, hearing my answer, grimaced like something didn't sit right.
"...Tch."
She twisted her expression and spoke up.
"Did a background check on me or something? Guessing my level that casually."
The air froze solid in an instant. Her pink eyes fixed on me with icy sharpness.
"Just so you know, since we'll probably be seeing a lot of each other—consider this a heads-up."
The frozen atmosphere intensified.
"Don't talk like you know everything about me."
Karen hated anyone encroaching on her pain—her past. She despised people treating the hell still vivid in her mind like it was no big deal, spouting off like they understood. A natural reaction for anyone. Who'd want their horrific ordeals taken lightly? Karen's just took it to a trauma level.
If I hadn't brought up the 10 million Mihwan, she'd have probably decked me.
"You have no clue what kind of life I've lived or the pain I've endured."
Karen was still a young girl. Drowned too early in suffering, it had become her entire world. Overwhelmed by the agony piled on her fragile self, she had no bandwidth to look around.
If she just caught her breath and glanced outward, she'd realize it. The world was far more beautiful than she thought. And for every beauty, countless writhed in pain. Sadly, you and I—we're just part of that crowd.
But expecting her to grasp that now would be my selfishness. Overcoming her pain and broadening her horizons was her journey. So, I wanted to be the tall uncle who lent a hand whenever she stumbled.
"What would a spoiled brat like you, who's never known hardship, possibly understand?"
"..."
I couldn't keep up the naive peer act forever. Karen was clever, a master at reading people. Sure, playing innocent could close the gap a bit for now. But even if I worked hard to build closeness that way, one slip would shatter the fragile trust.
For the guy who wanted to be her reliable uncle, picking up the pieces every time she fell—that was a nightmare ending. Better to drop the mask now. A relationship built on dark truths would be sturdier than one teetering on bright lies.
Yeah. Show my true face before trust even forms.
"Half right, half wrong."
Decision made, I spoke.
"Even I don't know everything about you. But..."
In the bone-chilling tension, I told her:
"Most of it? Yeah, I do."
Her face hardened instantly. She bit her lip ever so slightly.
"...Finally showing your true colors, huh."
She let out a small, hollow laugh and continued.
"And then what? You just wanna be friends? What a joke."
"Hey, that's harsh. I might not know everything, but that part's dead serious."
"...Cut the crap. Why would a hotshot like you wanna hang with bottom-feeder trash like me? You just want a useful tool, right?"
She meant it as an insult toward me, but it dripped with self-deprecation.
"Anyway, I'll take the job. Gimme your phone. I'll put in my number. Hit me up if you've got more to say."
She punched in her number quick and handed back the phone, then turned to leave.
"Hey, not taking this?"
I pointed at the plastic bag stuffed with snacks. Karen paused and glanced back.
"...Don't need it."
Short reply, then she walked off again.
Our relationship had reset—hell, backslid even further. It stung, but growing pains, right? To build something solid, you gotta level the ground first. Even if it hurt, I had to finish prepping the foundation for trust.
I just watched her receding figure fade into the distance.
"..."
After grueling training at the field, I showered up in the locker room and stepped out of the main building. Real spring now—the night air didn't bite like before. Or maybe today's bitterness was coloring it that way.
"...Hope she ate dinner okay?"
The image of Karen trudging off alone, skipping lunch, lingered.
'...Maybe I should've kept hiding it.' The thought flickered, but I shook my head. Had to happen eventually. Better to take the hit early, right? I lanced the abscess of betrayal before it swelled. Tried justifying it that way, but my conscience stayed sour. I'd still pried into her heart, after all.
I swallowed the bitter guilt and quickened my pace. Once a good distance from the building—
-Hey, damn it. Bitch, what makes you think you can glare like that?
The words made my face sour instantly. I stopped and perked my ears.
-You took the money, so pay it back. What, you think we stole it or something?
The voices came from the right—a narrow alley there. Sounded like a loan shark barking at a debtor.
"......."
I hadn't even seen it yet, but I had a hunch who the debtor was. I crept quietly to the alley entrance and peeked around the corner, back flat against the wall.
"...I'm saving up. Give me a little more time—I can pay half, even if not all—"
"Ha, you fucking bitch! You think I came here to hear excuses? Results, not bullshit. Ugh, that's why humans suck. Even when you spell it out, their brains can't keep up."
There was Karen, surrounded by rough-looking guys, and a lion beastkin yanking her collar, shaking her. She gritted her teeth, fists clenched, but he just smirked.
Blood surged hot through me. It'd been ages since my head boiled like this.
"What, gonna swing? Go ahead. More debt for us—win-win."
"...You fucking dog."
I pulled out my smartphone.
"Dog? That's you, bitch. Can't even pay back what you borrowed, all mouth. I told you—I don't care if you're saving or not. Borrow from someone else, or... sell that body of yours. Not a bad idea."
The lion beastkin leered openly at Karen's figure.
"Never liked your face much, but the body's always been tempting. I could buy you out special right now—if you're worth it."
"...Fuck off, you retard. I'd rather kill myself than sell to scum like you."
Karen bared her teeth, glaring daggers. That must've hit a nerve—the lion's face darkened.
"...Fine, won't play nice. Hey, boys—hold her proper."
He raised his empty hand slowly, then swung—
-Click!
My phone's camera shutter echoed through the alley.
"Hm?"
The lion scowled and turned toward me. Ignoring his glare, I pocketed the phone with the evidence shot and strolled in.
He growled at me.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Me?"
I answered curtly.
"Her friend."