The Gate in the Empty Lot
"……!"
The moment our eyes met, my heart plummeted.
Those golden eyes were fixed solely on me.
I felt an instinctive sense of danger and stumbled back step by step.
But…
Whoosh—
"!!!"
In the blink of an eye, the girl who had been hugging Rose moments ago was right in front of my face.
She propped her small finger under her chin, tilting her head this way and that.
"Where have I… seen you before… hmm……"
Just as she leaned in close enough for our noses to touch, sniffing curiously, Rose intervened.
Rose yanked me back sharply, shielding me behind her.
"Hmm…?"
"Please behave yourself, S-rank Hunter Cheon Dohwa."
"Wh-what's with that stiff tone…!"
At her clearly drawn boundary, Dohwa's face crumpled into a pout instantly.
"I'm not in my twenties anymore… And please, no tantrums in front of people."
"I just… got so excited to see you…"
"Anyway, we're leaving. Take care, and see you next time."
Dohwa slumped her shoulders like a dejected puppy, but Rose remained firm.
She gripped my wrist tightly and strode off without a backward glance.
"Wait, hold on…! Hey! Rose! At least tell me who that kid is before you go!"
Ignoring the plaintive cry from behind, we hurried out of the Hunter Association building.
"Ugh… she's gone…"
"……"
Dohwa watched their retreating figures with a bitter smack of her lips.
Then she furrowed her brow again, lost in thought.
"But who was that kid… I swear I felt a familiar aura from her."
"……"
"Dabin… say something…"
The black-haired woman standing like her shadow adjusted her satgat hat and spoke in a low voice.
"That girl just now… she was incredibly cute. Just like you, Master."
"……"
I eyed Rose rushing out, puzzled.
Something felt off about her discomfort.
Dohwa had been a bit overwhelming, sure, but not enough to flee like this.
She got into the car wordlessly and headed home.
Mid-drive, Rose finally spoke.
"Um… Shina."
"Yes…?"
"That person we ran into earlier."
"Yeah."
"If you see her again, just ignore her like you don't know her. Don't even talk to her."
"Huh…? Why…?"
"Well… it's a complicated issue. Just… whatever you do, don't tell her you're Shinwoo's daughter."
"……"
Something was up.
Before I died, there hadn't been any friction between Rose and her. If anything, they'd been on friendly terms.
Something must have happened after my death.
But scrutinizing Rose's attitude, it wasn't hatred or disgust.
It felt more like Rose was unilaterally awkward and wary around her.
Like she was hiding something.
I gave a short reply for now.
"Okay, got it."
"Alright… Shina, it's all dry now. Time for bed?"
The hairdryer fell silent, and she gently brushed my hair one last time, looking down at me tenderly.
Bedtime.
As her hand reached for the light switch, I urgently grabbed the hem of her thin nightclothes.
"Huh…? Shina, what's wrong…?"
She tilted her head, pausing, her eyes brimming with affection despite her surprise.
"I… want something."
"Oh…? Sure. What does my Shina want? Tell me anything."
She smiled faintly, pleased, and leaned down toward me.
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, ready to grant any request.
"Tomorrow… I want to stay home alone."
In that instant, her smile vanished.
"Huh?"
"Don't you have work tomorrow?"
"Y-yeah… So you want to stay home alone?"
Her voice trembled faintly.
As the conversation veered unexpectedly, anxiety crept into her gaze.
"Yes."
My answer made her expression harden resolutely.
"No."
"Why?"
"……Are you scared to go out? Then I won't go to work tomorrow. I'll stay home with you, okay?"
She clutched my hand anxiously, words tumbling out in a rush.
"No. You have to go to work. I just…"
"Absolutely not. No way, no way…!"
She shook her head obsessively, cutting me off.
"……But you said you'd grant my wish."
I deliberately pouted a little, avoiding her eyes.
"Ah… n-no…! That's not… um…"
She stammered visibly, conflicted between her promise and her urge to control me.
I seized the moment, gazing up at her with the most pitiful eyes I could muster.
"I'll be good and stay put. Please? Yeah…?"
"Agh……"
My pleading gaze began to shake her resolve.
She furrowed her brow, letting out a groan-like sigh, her face etched with indescribable anguish.
"O-okay… fine. But you have to stay home quietly? We'll call every hour, got it? Promise?"
She finally surrendered, dropping her head.
"Yes!"
I beamed in response, and she watched me with a complicated expression, lingering reluctance evident, before sighing deeply.
"Haa……"
"Shina… you have to pick up when I call, okay? Right away, got it?"
At the front door, shoes on, she clung to my hand, unable to tear herself away, extracting promises over and over.
Her eyes swirled with anxiety and impatience.
"Yes, don't worry."
"Ugh… Okay, Auntie’s heading out. Call if anything happens!"
She waved and stepped out.
Click—
The door lock echoed through the quiet hallway.
"……"
Silence.
I took a deep breath.
A thrilling sense of liberation surged from the depths of my chest.
Finally…
Finally, some time to myself…!
I slowly surveyed the empty, spacious house.
"Hmm……"
Without delay, I headed to the bathroom.
"Whew……"
I soaked under the warm shower, shook out my wet hair, and stepped out.
The girl in the mirror still looked alien.
I straightened my clothes neatly and stood in the middle of the living room.
"Alright… ready."
This wasn't just about lounging around.
I steadied my breath and murmured softly.
"Status Window."
"Ugh……"
Seeing my stats quantified like this made me sigh involuntarily.
Pathetic, as expected.
Even accounting for this 11-year-old body, these were dismal numbers.
Still… even if I wasn't planning to hunt…
Getting stronger never hurts, right?
Click—
I smirked faintly and stepped outside with light footsteps.
Blinding sunlight poured down.
Normally, I'd be at work by now.
My chest swelled with excitement.
I pulled out my phone and opened the apartment complex map.
"Hmm… let's see……"
Scrolling with my finger, I spotted a clearing connected to the rear forest path.
"That… looks perfect."
I arrived at the secluded clearing, untouched by foot traffic.
The playground I'd passed was eerily quiet.
Everyone must be at school.
School, huh…
No need for me to go, right?
Probably…?
I did some light stretches in the center of the clearing.
"Unh… cha…!"
After a quick warm-up, I clenched my fist with grim determination.
"Alright… let's do this."
For real stamina training, I bolted forward blindly.
The exhilarating rush of wind… lasted only a moment.
"Hah… hah… ugh?!"
Barely 30 seconds in.
My lungs burned, and my legs gave out.
I sprawled ungracefully onto the grass.
My heart pounded like it would burst; my vision spun.
"Eh… ehk…"
Why is this… so hard?
I'd expected it, but not this bad.
I'd only run a bit faster than an average adult male, yet my body screamed in protest.
My grand plan to raise stats through training was creaking from the start.
The best way was actually dungeon runs for levels, but…
The thought made me chuckle dryly.
Dungeons? Why would I go in there.
And in this apartment complex, of all places…
Vwooooom…!
"……?"
Lying on the ground, I sprang up reflexively.
An unidentified vibration hummed in the air, soon swirling into a massive blue vortex—a gate.
"……"
Whoa, a gate.
I approached the gate cautiously.
Then poked its surface with a small finger.
A tingling mana surged through my fingertip.
"Whoa…"
A gasp escaped my lips.
A real gate.
Rank… somewhere between D and C?
Drawing on past experience, I roughly gauged its size and mana density.
Not extremely dangerous, but no place for a civilian.
I circled it thoughtfully, chin in hand.
"Hmm……"
After a moment's deliberation, I shook my head.
Nope, not going in. Scary.
I turned to head home without regret.
That was when it happened.
"Danger…!"
"……?"
A sudden shout, and a strong force shoved my shoulder from the side.
I lost balance and tumbled neatly onto the clearing floor.
"???"
Bewildered, I looked up to an absurd sight.
The pusher, thrown off by the recoil—or maybe from rushing too fast—flailed and got sucked straight into the gate.
"Eh……?"
Once again, I was alone in the clearing.
Only the rustle of grass in the wind filled the silence.
"……"
Was that person an awakener?
No, their movements were too… clumsy for one.
And it wasn't voluntary entry—just an accident while trying to save me.
"……"
Their fate inside was obvious.
"Haa……"
I stood, brushing dirt off my pants.
I understood the misguided shove, even if unasked for.
To them, I was just a little girl. Seeing one near a gate, anyone would rush over.
They'd tried to save me and ended up like that…
Guess I have to rescue them…
The promise to stay home quietly was broken long ago anyway.
I stepped into the rippling blue vortex.