Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: First Time Seeing a Saintess Who’s Good at Magic?
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A quiet park where people passed by only sporadically.
Hankyeol wandered back and forth across the same spot, lost in deep thought.
The Wings Guild's elite party, which had been on an expedition to the countryside, had recently returned.
They were mostly D-rank hunters like him, with just one C-rank member leading them.
Seo Jihan—the guy who was currently charging ahead triumphantly, as if dead set on hitting B-rank in no time at all.
Watching that smug bastard...
Hankyeol felt a burning desire to promote to a C-rank hunter as soon as possible.
But it wasn't easy.
In today's terms, he considered himself a total "beta male."
He was indecisive and short on initiative.
He was complacent to a fault—even as a D-rank, he often stuck to E-rank dungeons for safety.
He was the kind of guy who couldn't even rip open a bag of snacks in one go without fumbling.
Still... a new desire had taken root in his heart.
In that D-rank dungeon where he'd partied up with Sihyun before,
he still vividly remembered how his body had moved so fluidly, exactly as he willed it.
Back then, the situation had been too frantic for him to really notice the shift.
But looking back later, he realized he'd definitely been different.
He was much stronger than usual.
'No matter how I slice it, it had to be that Holy Knight skill helping me out.'
No other explanation came to mind.
He didn't know the exact details of her power,
but it was unmistakably Sihyun's influence.
He wanted to feel that sensation again—just one more time.
To experience his stronger self once more.
To finally become a true C-rank hunter.
Hankyeol stopped in front of a park bench and plopped down onto the ground.
With trembling fingers, he pulled out his phone and opened the chat app.
Sihyun's profile popped up automatically after he had added her number.
There was no background image—just a single headband slapped on the profile pic.
What could he say? It was so very Sihyun.
'I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.'
Tense as hell, Hankyeol tapped the 1:1 chat.
There were no prior messages, so an empty screen greeted him.
That void felt like the literal distance between him and Sihyun.
'M-maybe I should just bail...?'
Hankyeol hesitated once more.
But then he shook his head.
Even a beta male had to go full alpha sometimes!
He typed boldly:
- Hi, Sihyun-ssi. It's Hankyeol. If you're not too busy, could I ask for some help?
He'd typed it all out.
But he couldn't bring himself to hit send—he was waffling again.
His finger hovered over the button endlessly, moving up and down in indecision.
Right then.
Plop.
A leaf, carried by the wind, fluttered down onto Hankyeol's head.
Staring daggers at his phone in total tension, Hankyeol jolted upright in surprise.
"Ah, what the—! It's just a leaf!"
He irritably brushed off the leaf and stared back at his phone.
"......"
Oh god. The message had sent.
He must've hit the button when he jumped up from the leaf.
Feeling his eyelids twitch, Hankyeol rubbed his face with his palm.
After dry-washing his face, he checked the screen again.
It wasn't read yet.
He set the phone down on the bench for a moment.
He stretched his arms wide, trying to relax.
He checked the screen again.
Still unread.
His body felt rigid, and time seemed to drag on forever.
A cold breeze brushed past him.
Still unread.
'I'll just check again when I get home...'
Hankyeol let out a deep sigh and stood up.
He shoved the phone into his pants pocket.
That was when it happened.
- Vrr.
The smartphone vibrated lightly.
Hankyeol froze on the spot in shock.
Maybe it was someone else? No, it had to be Sihyun's reply.
If it was a reply...
Was it an acceptance? A rejection?
What if she said no?
A whirlwind of thoughts raced through his head in seconds.
With trembling fingers, he checked the message.
It was from Sihyun.
- Shall we meet tomorrow afternoon?
Words carrying clear approval.
"Yesss—!"
Hankyeol leaped into the air right there, pumping his fists in victory.
Fireworks exploded in his mind, and imaginary music blared in his ears.
He felt like he owned the entire world.
Passersby stared blankly at him as they walked on.
"......Ahem."
Hankyeol sheepishly lowered his arms, which had been thrust toward the sky.
A certain jjambbong joint in Seoul.
It wasn't yet peak lunch hours, so the place was relatively quiet.
- Ding-a-ling!
The door opened with a small bell chime.
The waitress, who had been bent over wiping a table, straightened up.
"Welcome!"
She approached the entrance to guide the new customer.
Spotting the customer's face, she couldn't help but smile.
"Take any seat you're comfortable with!"
"Sure."
It was a young woman with an exotic look.
The waitress remembered her face well.
She possessed an unforgettable beauty, and this was already her third visit.
She came about once a week.
The customer settled into a spot in the corner, and the waitress said,
"One jjambbong, right?"
"Yes."
The customer nodded with demure poise.
The waitress headed to the kitchen after confirming the order.
"Chef!"
"What is it?"
A middle-aged man turned at her call, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.
"That customer is back!"
"Oh yeah? Nice."
The chef grinned and nodded.
He'd only glimpsed her briefly when serving before, but she'd left a very strong impression.
On her first visit, she'd left just under half the food untouched.
Was the portion too small? Was it not to her taste? Was it too spicy?
Those brief thoughts had crossed his mind at the time.
A few days ago, she'd come again.
She left a tad less than the first time.
It felt like a little bit of encouragement to him.
And now, today, she was back once more.
The chef felt a thrill of curiosity about how she'd do this time.
He always gave his all, but today he was extra meticulous in finishing the dish.
The waitress brought the jjambbong to the customer.
And the two watched her stealthily, holding their breath.
The customer stared blankly at the steaming bowl.
Then, with one hand, she casually swept her long hair behind her ear.
She blew on the hot noodles and took a careful bite.
Hoo, hoo... slurp—
The waitress and chef's eyes were locked on her cherry-like lips.
She snapped the noodles once in her mouth, and the reaction came right away.
"Hng, hng...!"
She looked strained from the very first bite.
A delicate wrinkle formed between her fine brows immediately.
But the customer didn't give up—she picked up more noodles with her chopsticks.
One bite. Another.
She was savoring the dish with intense care.
"She's faster than last time!"
"Yeah! She might polish off even more today!"
The two quietly cheered her on from the shadows.
"Cough! Cough!"
Choking back tears, she gulped down water frantically.
The chef's hands clenched involuntarily in sympathy.
The customer started slurping again.
The two workers unconsciously synced up, cheering her on in silence.
'Go on, keep going! Don't back down, you got this!'
'This is the crucial part! Focus, focus!'
Did their passionate support reach her?
The customer, who had briefly covered her tongue with her palm,
began inhaling the noodles at a furious pace.
Slurp, slurp—
The noodles vanished in a flash.
"Haaaah—!"
The customer shot up from her seat.
She rushed over to the waitress with quick steps.
"Let me get the check!"
After paying by card, she bolted out of the shop.
The waitress followed to the entrance and watched her go, a wry smile tugging at her lips.
The cute customer was sprinting toward the nearby convenience store.
Probably to grab something to soothe her burning mouth.
The more the waitress saw her, the more adorably charming she seemed.
"Oh ho, she ate a bit more than last time!"
"Really?"
The chef nodded proudly.
If she came again next week, he'd throw in some extra service.
Or maybe he'd stock the fridge with milk ahead of time.
Strawberry flavor, perhaps?
Various fancies flitted through his mind.
"Haa..."
Sihyun sucked hard on the straw of her banana milk once, then let out a long sigh.
Finally feeling alive again, she shook her head.
She hadn't planned on having spicy jjambbong for lunch from the start.
But thinking of the Wings Guild naturally brought jjambbong to her mind.
It was probably because that first day's memory was etched so deep into her psyche.
Spicy food was a scary beast.
You knew it would make you suffer.
Yet once it crossed your mind, saliva flooded your mouth.
The craving hit hard, you gave in, and you regretted it later.
Still, that very first bite—when your tongue was still intact—was pure bliss.
Maybe that's why she couldn't quite quit.
Anyway, it was a damn good spot.
Sihyun took public transit to the Wings Guild building.
It was familiar turf after a few visits.
She walked smoothly toward the office.
Soon reaching her destination, she knocked and stepped inside.
Hankyeol, looking as stiff as a board, greeted her.
"Uh, w-welcome!"
"Hello."
Sihyun sat in the seat across from him.
Hankyeol bellowed energetically,
"Th-thank you so much for coming today!"
Sihyun gave a small nod and sucked on her straw.
Hankyeol's gaze flicked to the tip of the straw for a split second, but he shook his head hard and pressed on.
"The help I meant is... just once, if you could party with me in a dungeon!"
"Sure, let's go."
"All rewards can go to you, Sihyun-ssi... Huh?"
"...? Dungeon. Let's go."
Hankyeol's eyes went wide.
He'd agonized all night over how to make it a win-win situation for her.
He didn't expect instant agreement.
Sihyun took another suck of milk through the straw.
She'd half-guessed it would be something like this.
It wasn't a big deal, and Hankyeol seemed like a decent guy at heart.
'Might as well help him out once.' With that light thought, she'd suggested meeting here after lunch.
"We'll split the dungeon rewards half-and-half, per the rules," she said.
"N-no way! I'd feel too bad. Please, take all the rewards, Sihyun-ssi."
Hankyeol shook his head vehemently at the calm Sihyun.
Deciding it was best to switch topics, he brought up the past incident.
"Th-that Holy Knight skill, right? I really felt stronger in the dungeon last time."
"...Close enough."
"I knew it! I just wanna feel it one more time. I think it could push me toward C-rank! Please!"
"Hmm..."
Sihyun gazed at the passionate Hankyeol and gave a small smile.
She liked his attitude in asking, and his motives checked out.
That itch to smash through a wall after hitting your limit—it was something she'd felt plenty of times herself.
Ultimately, he'd have to figure it out solo—but a little nudge? She could do that.
Decision made, Sihyun lightly swapped ideas with Hankyeol on which dungeon to hit.
Right then.
"Master! You here?!"
The door flew open as a young man barged into the office.
Sihyun frowned at the noise; Hankyeol's face hardened once he clocked who it was.
Seo Jihan—the guild's ace.
"Not here either. Bro! You seen where Master went?"
"Sigh... Jihan, we have a guest. What kind of manners is this?"
At Hankyeol's rebuke, Jihan shrugged nonchalantly.
He finally noticed Sihyun, his mouth dropping wide in a "whoa!" expression.
"Oh, hey there?"
"......"
Having seen him ignore Hankyeol, Sihyun gave him the same silent treatment.
She'd dealt with plenty of this type back in the other world.
She had zero interest in engaging with him.
She savored the deep flavor of the banana milk through the straw.
'Should I grab a few more of these on the way home?'
Ignored by Sihyun, Jihan's brow twitched in irritation.
"Tch, so what if she's pretty—ignoring people like that?"
"......"
Jihan strode toward Sihyun.
Sihyun immediately grabbed her milk and slid smoothly to the other side of the seat, widening the gap between them.
"Ha...?"
Jihan's face muscles spasmed.
Sihyun ignored his reaction and turned to Hankyeol.
"...What kind of guy is this?"
"Ah... Sorry, Sihyun-ssi. He's one of our guild's rising stars. A C-rank hunter. Let me apologize for him."
Hankyeol bowed his head in apology, then shot Jihan a stern look.
"Don't be rude to our guest. Apologize. Now."
"Why you gotta boss me around, bro?"
"......"
F*cking punk.
Hankyeol swallowed the curse bubbling up inside him.
There was no point in picking a fight he couldn't win. Hankyeol was a beta male, after all.
Sihyun, who'd been quietly watching the exchange, finally spoke up.
"Hankyeol-ssi."
"Yes?" Hankyeol turned with an apologetic look at her call.
"You said there was no need for conditions or rewards earlier."
"Yeah."
"I've changed my mind."
"...?"
Suddenly? Hankyeol was puzzled but he nodded.
It had felt a bit weird for her to agree without any strings attached from the jump.
She wasn't some actual saintess, after all.
"Shut that guy up. Then I'll help you."
"...Pardon?"
Hankyeol blinked in confusion.
How was a D-rank like him supposed to take down the guild's C-rank ace?
"What kind of bullshit is this?" Jihan snapped, clearly pissed off.
He hated her acting cocky just because of her looks and gender.
But Sihyun just snorted and brushed him off.
This had actually worked out perfectly.
Hankyeol's request boiled down to wanting to try a buffed fight.
The dungeon had just been the safest pick for a test.
Now a perfect punching bag had delivered itself right to them—no need to travel anywhere.
"Hmm..."
It was time for a proper lesson. Or rather... time for some repentance.