The Ripples in the Puddle
"You really enjoy your work."
"Yes! It's actually quite fun. It feels rewarding to be doing something."
Most people in the Blast Guild held Yunjae in absolute awe. His overwhelming power, combined with his natural administrator aura, tended to intimidate others. But to Anton, while Yunjae was certainly an object of wonder, he wasn't someone to be feared at all.
"It's good to see. I never expected to meet someone like you."
Currently, Yunjae's existence was a hot topic across the entire globe. Knowing this, Anton couldn't help but look a bit worried that the young man's peace might soon be shattered.
"Ah, and thank you for helping with Ms. Akemi and Ms. Suyeon's real estate matter!"
But the person in question didn't seem to care in the slightest.
"Well, they practically kidnapped me for it," Anton shrugged, looking a bit embarrassed.
"Anyway, you're going to have a lot of annoying and troublesome things coming your way. I don't know how much help I'll be, but I can chase off any pests in an instant."
Even though Ileyna wasn't cured yet, no one had ever stepped up to help Anton like this before. Because of that, Anton was determined to protect Yunjae in return. Hearing his gruff but sincere gratitude, Yunjae let out a soft chuckle.
"But that's probably unavoidable. I'm like someone who stepped in a puddle."
"Hmm?"
"No matter how carefully you try to move, ripples will always form. Those ripples are inevitable. All I can do is hope they fade away with time."
Anton nodded slowly at his words.
I see.
In reality, Yunjae wasn't just a normal person stepping in a puddle; he was a giant. If he wanted to, he could completely crush the puddle and make a total mess of it. Hoping the ripples would simply fade away meant he had no intention of reacting violently. He was choosing to respect the existing order of the world despite possessing the power to shatter it.
Anton looked at him with newfound admiration. Yunjae didn't just possess terrifying strength; his mental fortitude was on an entirely different level.
"In any case, you really are an incredible kid."
He was someone who could control the entire world at his whim, yet he chose to focus on satisfying his small, mundane desires. Anton smiled, genuinely wanting to be his friend.
"Mr. Anton, you have a nice smile." Yunjae smiled back, offering a gentle compliment.
"Well, it's nothing..."
Seeing the burly Russian uncle get so shy, Yunjae decided to tease him a bit.
"You know the saying, 'If the outgoing words are kind...'?"
Anton paused, trying to recall the Korean proverb. "...the incoming words are kind?"
"No, the incoming horse is 'COME'!"
Anton's face contorted in a mix of amusement and frustration.
"Stop doing that! Not all middle-aged guys like those terrible puns!"
"Ah! I thought you'd like it! Like when a ballad singer falls flat on his face—"
"I didn't laugh at that because it was funny!"
Despite his protests, Anton couldn't help but chuckle again. Yunjae giggled happily.
"But smiling is good. Once Ms. Ileyna is cured, please smile even more, Mr. Anton!"
He was truly consistent.
"...Yeah. I'll drop by again around lunchtime."
"Yes! See you then!"
For the first time since joining the Blast Guild, Anton felt a warm sense of human connection as he stepped out of the Support Part office.
"You've gotten quite close with Anton."
Mari, who had been pretending to work while secretly listening to their conversation, spoke up with a warm smile. Yunjae nodded.
"Yes, I think Mr. Anton was just anxious because of Ms. Ileyna. He's actually a very good person."
"Hmm, by the way... can you really cure something like a brain tumor?"
"I'll have to try it first to be sure, but there might be other ways. Since I have Mamon's Grace, if I study neurosurgery, I'll probably acquire surgical skills in no time."
Mari let out a helpless laugh at the sheer, rule-breaking absurdity of a max-level character.
"Anyway, did something happen today?"
"Pardon?"
"No, it's just... the dummy goddess, Akemi, and even you seem a bit down today."
Yunjae shook his head with a soft laugh. "No! It's probably just your imagination. Everyone has days like that, right?"
Mari stared at him, her expression turning serious.
"But Akemi is definitely acting strange. She didn't even chime in when we were talking about uniforms."
Lupinus was currently busy using the excuse of babysitting Taerin with Rosamy to tease the little girl, so she was her usual shameless self. But Akemi, who usually loved to teleport into any conversation, had been unusually quiet today. Even though maid uniforms were her absolute specialty.
"Pardon?"
"She requested a consultation with you."
"Ah! That was Ms. Akemi?"
He knew there was one consultation request on his schedule, but he had no idea it was from Akemi.
"Yeah, she wants you to come to her office. I wonder if she's worried about something lately."
"Could Ms. Akemi be... seriously considering surgery?"
Mari wondered if that could actually be it. Akemi had been looking deeply contemplative all day.
"Even so, would she really go as far as surgery?"
"Well, maybe Ms. Akemi wants to have her pride as a woman."
"What do you mean, pride? It doesn't really matter, you know."
"But if Ms. Akemi heard you say that, she'd be furious!"
Those who possessed abundance could never truly understand the anger and frustration of those who lacked it!
"Hmm. I suppose so, but..."
Still, would she really consult Yunjae about *that*? No girl in her right mind would talk about her chest size to the boy she liked.
"Anyway, that's Akemi's biggest complex, so if she brings it up, make sure to comfort her."
"Yes, Ms. Mari!"
"And... don't let her do anything weird to you just because you're alone!"
Normally, one would tell the boy not to do anything weird, but in Yunjae's case, it was the exact opposite. He was so pure and timid that he would never make a move first, making him the prime target. Yunjae's eyes shook in panic.
"Ah! I can't exactly guarantee that...!"
"Just remember you're on the clock!"
Hearing the subtle hint of jealousy in Mari's voice, Yunjae couldn't help but smile.
"Yes, I understand, Ms. Mari! Well, it's time, so I'll go talk to Ms. Akemi."
"Alright. Good luck."
As Yunjae left to meet Akemi, Mari shook her head slowly.
"Something is definitely off today."
Akemi was strange, but Yunjae was even stranger.
He only said 'Ah!' three times...
From his conversation with Anton until now, he had only used his signature exclamation three times. Mari had realized that whenever Yunjae got serious, his verbal tics completely disappeared. Seeing the frequency of his embarrassed gasps drop so drastically made her worry that he was carrying a heavy burden.
"Is he worried that people are going to start bothering him again?"
All Yunjae wanted was to live a normal, quiet life.
"Sigh, I guess I should just pretend not to notice."
Mari let out a soft sigh, feeling slightly frustrated that there wasn't much she could do to help him.
"Ms. Akemi!"
Leaving Mari behind, Yunjae walked down the hall and entered Akemi's office.
"Welcome!"
Akemi, who had changed into an off-the-shoulder Gothic Lolita dress with striking white frills, greeted him brightly.
"I didn't expect you to request a consultation, Ms. Akemi."
"Eee? I have plenty of worries too!"
Fitting for Akemi, her office was packed with games, anime merchandise, and idol posters. It felt more like a teenager's bedroom than a professional workspace.
"I even prepared tea!"
"Yes, thank you!"
Regardless of the decor, Yunjae appreciated the warm hospitality.
"So, what did you want to consult about? Is life in the guild uncomfortable, or...?"
"No, not really. Ever since you and Mari joined, things have been lively and fun. I actually look forward to coming to work."
Then what could she possibly want to talk about?
Could it really be...?
Akemi had recently used a magic stone to upgrade her Sleep spell. Because of that, Yunjae's eyes naturally drifted toward her chest, which showed very little volume even in her off-the-shoulder dress.
"Eee! I didn't call you here because of that!" Akemi blushed furiously, covering her chest with her hands.
"Ah! I'm so sorry, Ms. Akemi!"
"...Is it really that small?"
"No, that's not it! I was just wondering what the reason was! I'm so sorry for jumping to conclusions without asking!"
Seeing him bow and apologize frantically, Akemi couldn't help but giggle.
"Well, it's fine. I've been acting like that the whole time anyway." She brushed it off coolly.
"Actually, my problem is that I don't have any close friends."
She took a sip of the oolong tea she had prepared. Yunjae looked at her, surprised.
"...Pardon?"
He had never expected that to be her worry. Akemi was eccentric, but she was incredibly outgoing and friendly. He had assumed she was surrounded by friends.
"But you're close with Ms. Mari and Ms. Suyeon, and you got along with Lady Lupinus so quickly..."
"Yeah, but... there's no depth to it, I guess."
Seeing her look so genuinely downcast, Yunjae nodded in understanding.
"I understand. You feel like you don't have a truly deep relationship where you can share your innermost thoughts, right?"
"Yes! You read my mind perfectly!"
Yunjae offered an awkward smile.
"Still, I didn't think you'd be worried about that. You're so energetic, I thought you got along with everyone."
"Well, not really. When we talk, people don't seem to share serious things with me."
"Hmm..."
Yunjae took a sip of his oolong tea, listening intently.
"I started working as a hunter when I was really young. Since my teleportation ability is safer than most. I've been doing this since I was eight."
"Ah, since you were that young?"
"Yeah. My family is just like that."
It seemed Akemi's family was far from ordinary. Yunjae nodded, feeling a strange sense of kinship.
"I see. But doing this kind of work since you were eight... that must have been incredibly hard..."
"Yeah! Everyone ignored me and wouldn't listen because I was a kid. I've never actually been to a real school."
Because of that, she had never had the chance to make normal friends.
"The reason I started loving games was because I could make friends through them."
"Ah..."
Yunjae looked at her with a soft, sympathetic gaze. He finally understood why she was so obsessed with video games. Knowing the painful past hidden behind her bright exterior made him feel even more apologetic.
"Anyway, that's why I don't really know how to mingle with people. When I first came to the Blast Guild, it was actually very comfortable. No one tried to act close, and I could just do my job."
Akemi smiled warmly at him. It was her first time being completely alone with him, and having him listen so intently to her worries made her shy but incredibly happy. After all, she had fallen in love with him at first sight.
"But lately, I've been wondering if there's something wrong with me."
"Hmm, did something trigger this?"
At his serious question, Akemi rested her chin on her hands, elbows on the table, and stared directly into his eyes.
"Yes."
"What kind of...?"
"You don't share your true thoughts with me, Yunjae."
Yunjae's eyes widened at the unexpected words.
"You tell Mari everything, but you don't tell me..."
"Ah, it's not like that..."
"So that's my worry. I want to get closer to you, but I have absolutely no idea how!"
Her approach was so direct, yet incredibly girlish. Yunjae could only offer a helpless, embarrassed smile.
"Hmm..."
"Is there something wrong with my personality?"
"N-No, of course not! It's not that..."
She seemed genuinely distressed. Yunjae thought she looked adorable in her seriousness and smiled softly.
"Actually, I'm just extremely shy around new people."
"Yeah, I know that. You're very timid, Yunjae."
"Ah! How could you!"
Yunjae's cheeks flushed pink, and he fell into a brief silence.
"Hmm..."
He spoke up again, his voice quiet.
"Anyway, that's not the only reason. I'm also very cautious when it comes to dealing with people."
"Why?"
"Sigh."
Yunjae let out a deep sigh. Then, as if making up his mind, he offered a faint smile.
"I understand how you feel, Ms. Akemi. I actually debuted as an idol when I was twelve."
"Eh...?"
This was the topic he had briefly mentioned this morning—the one he had clearly wanted to avoid.
"You don't have to force yourself to talk about it if you don't want to..." Akemi said, feeling a bit guilty for prying.
Yunjae shook his head.
"Well, actually, we did pretty well back then."
"Eh? Really?"
"Yes. By some stroke of luck, we were on TV a lot and did tons of events. I was only twelve, but I was so busy I had to split my sleep into two-hour blocks."
"That's amazing, Yunjae! You were really popular!"
Akemi had assumed he hated talking about it because he had failed, but it was the exact opposite.
"But then, why did you quit?"
If he had debuted at twelve and achieved success, there was no logical reason to stop. Yunjae rested his chin on his hand and looked at her.
"...It was just too hard."
"Eh?"
"At first, I was just happy to have debuted. But as time went on, it became exhausting. I couldn't sleep properly, I couldn't see my parents even though our house was right nearby, and the older members, the agency staff, and the broadcast producers all looked down on me because I was young."
"Ah..."
At only twelve years old, enduring such a lifestyle would have been brutal for anyone.
"But strangely, my youth worked in my favor, and at some point, I started getting booked for solo broadcasts more often. They always made me do girl group dances because they said I looked pretty. I danced my heart out, and as I got more famous, people started leaving hateful comments. Asking why a boy was doing things like that. Calling me gay, things like that."
Having faced such intense public malice at such a tender age, it made sense why he was so unfazed by the media's reactions now.
"That's so unfair! You only did it because they told you to!"
"Ah, anyway, it was exhausting, tiring, and I had to keep doing things I didn't want to do. I missed my parents. There were many people who liked me, but there were also just too many people who hated me. It was a really painful time for me."
Hearing about a world she knew nothing about from Yunjae, Akemi let out a deep, quiet sigh.