Chapter 44
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Special Celebration (3)
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Emma Russell was a genius.
She had reached B-rank at the tender age of thirteen and A-rank by sixteen—an unparalleled prodigy.
Even among the hunters who rose to fame around the same time, her growth rate was unmatched and one of a kind.
"……."
But the heavens hadn't granted her everything. Even now, nearly a decade later, Emma hadn't broken through the A-rank ceiling.
And yet, an A-rank hunter in her fourth year, scheduled to attend the exchange event, had suddenly been promoted to S-rank?
It was only natural for complicated emotions to stir.
'Shin... Yi-rin...'
Well, truth be told, it was fine. Emma was an incredibly rational person.
She knew full well why she hadn't reached S-rank herself and that not everyone gets equal rewards for their efforts.
It was just that the one in question had to be Korea's Shin Yi-rin—of all people—which was truly lamentable.
"...Hello. I'm Hunter Shin Yi-rin from Korea."
Neither the other S-rank hunter beside her, Nangong Seyun, nor the various hunters flanking them caught Emma's eye.
Shin Yi-rin—the enigmatic woman who had recently monopolized the attention of Emma's ultimate favorite, Lan Mei.
Emma made a point of catching every schedule or program Lan Mei appeared on, pouring her heart into it. Yet she couldn't fathom how the two had even crossed paths.
'I supported her first... I even got a mutual follow first...'
Given how Yi-rin kept mentioning her right before her S-rank promotion, they were clearly close on a personal level.
From Emma's standpoint, the existence of this Shin Yi-rin—who had everything she wanted—was unbearably infuriating.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Emma Russell. Congratulations on your S-rank promotion—sincerely."
Swallowing bitter tears inwardly, Emma began fulfilling her duties as France's star hunter.
She was a professional who knew how to manage her emotions. Yi-rin had earned her promotion through sheer ability, and her friendship with Lan Mei was no different.
So... Emma was okay with it. She could accept it. But right after the second day of the exchange event wrapped up, the situation inevitably escalated.
'What in the world...?'
As they were chatting and building rapport—with some time to spare—Emma, who had casually broached the subject of their relationship out of curiosity, faced a shocking revelation.
Surprisingly, Yi-rin didn't seem particularly close to Lan Mei at all.
All that shouting her out, and this was the cold response? It was honestly bewildering.
"Um, I'm not really that close to her... so I wouldn't know."
"Oh, I... see?"
Having received the attention from her dream idol that Emma yearned for, Yi-rin casually defined their bond as if it meant nothing.
And yet, she gushed endlessly about some unheard-of one-hit wonder star, trying to introduce her to Emma nonstop.
It was impossible for that not to grate on Emma's nerves.
"Hmph, she's not as cute as you make her sound. I prefer sharper, more elegant vibes."
"Ah... "
Honestly, she was pretty darn cute. The kind of adorable creature that made you wonder if such a thing existed in the world.
But Emma's pride wouldn't allow her to giggle over a few photos, and more than that, she couldn't hide her lingering resentment toward Yi-rin.
"Her being so blatantly cute just makes me push back a bit... Maybe she just doesn't match my vibe."
"……."
Her words had come out a tad sharp, but it was probably fine, right?
No, honestly, wasn't that a bit too much?
Over a week of her favorite's shoutouts dismissed like they were worthless—it left even an outsider like Emma feeling aggrieved.
"……."
Yi-rin tilted her head with a somewhat shocked expression, lingering by Emma's side as if reluctant to leave.
But under Emma's polite dismissal disguised as fatigue, she finally headed back to her lodging.
...Hmph.
After that, a subtle awkwardness began to drift between them.
Yi-rin persistently approached her whenever she had a chance, and eventually, fed-up Emma got into what amounted to a spat—which leaked out to the public.
...Did I go too far?
But Yi-rin was at fault too. Keep pestering someone already full of grudges, and of course harsh words would fly.
Tadak.
Tak.
Kkuuk.
She snuck onto Clam and peeked at the girl's account Yi-rin had introduced. She was pretty cute.
After finishing lunch, the girl's image suddenly flitted through her mind, so she checked the account again. Incredibly cute.
'Should I subscribe...?'
Ding!
That night, as she was browsing the girl's account again, a few messages arrived from Yi-rin.
Apologizing for her careless attitude and worrying if she'd offended Emma.
'Why go this far...?'
Truth be told, Emma had been the one more at fault, but receiving such a sincere apology first made her feel uneasy and guilty.
Honestly, she'd only pretended not to care, but she was quite interested in the girl Yi-rin had introduced. She'd just been scrolling through her photos moments ago.
'…….'
In the end, the sensitive Emma couldn't sleep. With a bottle of wine in hand, she headed to Yi-rin's room.
Just opening up a little revealed they got along surprisingly well. Their tastes were fundamentally similar, so it was only natural.
'Wait, they really aren't close...?'
As they cleared up their misunderstandings and chatted about favorite dolls, animals, and more, time flew by.
Thus, the two unexpectedly forged a bond and wrapped up the long yet short exchange event.
#
[Just a simple mishap? The two growing suddenly close.]
[Emma Russell: "Yi-rin is a hunter with outstanding talent; expect steady performances ahead."]
[Shin Yi-rin: "Emma's a good person. Promised to guide her if she visits Korea."]
"……."
After Yi-rin got permission from me to post about the Plan on her dedicated feed, articles like these started pouring out of nowhere.
No way, right?
It even felt like an axe murderer vibe to me, but the timing was suspiciously meaningful.
- Emma Russell · Official
"……."
No freaking way, right?
Proving my denial wrong, as her schedule was nearly done, messages started flying in from Yi-rin again.
Ding!
(Happy raccoon emoticon)
Thanks to you, it all worked out!
If it's okay,
Could I get some autographs later to give to my friends?
(Startled red panda emoticon)
Seeing how our relationship had upgraded from acquaintance to friend, I started pondering my response.
An autograph... Meeting in person seems iffy, so maybe just hand it off to Cha Se-ra for delivery?
Ding!
(Red panda holding up an "OK" signboard emoticon)
(Raccoon bowing deeply emoticon)
I asked just in case, and she said she needed two autographs total.
One was Emma, so who was the other? Probably just some other hunter who'd participated without making waves.
Ding!
By any chance,
Can I know who it's for?
Emma and Alain!
(Startled red panda emoticon)
Alain Remir, the knightly hero?
He had a strong middle-aged dad vibe now with marriage and kids, but once upon a time, he was every kid's idol and a role model for the current generation of hunters.
For such a man to want my autograph—it was profoundly moving.
Ding!
(Red panda striking a "leave it to me" pose emoticon)
Wrapping up my chat with Yi-rin and finishing my physical enhancement training, I logged into my saved shopping site to pick out outfits for the next shoot.
My stock of bought clothes was starting to run low.
'Hmm.'
Recycling outfits—even with new combos—was tricky once debuted, so shopping always brought more headaches.
The closet was bursting at the seams, too precious to toss, but uploads needed fresh looks.
Is this the pain of fashion influencers? The difficulty was definitely ramping up day by day.
'Not easy...'
Honestly, my imagination and search skills had limits; I was tempted to hire a pro stylist.
But that wasn't feasible for me yet, so I had to tackle it all myself.
Truly lamentable.
"……."
Thud.
Suddenly lost in bittersweet thoughts, I paused my shopping scroll and blankly stared at the ceiling.
I still recoiled from excessive attention or being the center of buzz, but honestly, it bothered me less than before.
Now, I felt more discomfort from what I didn't have. Hard to imagine compared to my old self.
"...No clue."
Had building relationships boosted my social skills without me noticing?
Or was this new me shedding old shackles, forgetting past traumas?
"……."
It seemed positive, yet it also felt like I'd become shallow, leaving my heart unsettled.
If I changed and forgot so easily, it was like admitting those past ordeals meant nothing.
Sruruk.
Sruk.
A menhera spiral loomed, so I snapped out of it, waving my hand to dispel the clouds forming overhead.
Time to eat.
Just as that thought hit, a blaring ringtone erupted, my smartphone on the desk vibrating wildly.