Chapter 74: The Childhood Friend's Turn
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 74: The Childhood Friend's Turn
Chapter 8 - Childhood Friend
1
“Juksim, the next pattern is coming!”
Inside Lord of Academy.
As a Black Knight, I kicked off a wall and charged forward.
The massive new raid monster before us, Ifrangel, thrashed its six heads and spewed flames. At that moment, Juksim raised her staff.
[ Jugeumbitgwa Simjangnimi has cast ‘Death Ice Blast’. ]
In an instant, all six mouths that were about to breathe fire froze solid.
Juksim’s skill, to so precisely target and hit each of the wildly moving mouths, was astounding every time I saw it.
[ Jugeumbitgwa Simjangnimi has activated ‘Dark Aura’. ]
[ Ifrangel has been afflicted with ‘Fear’. Its defense is partially reduced. ]
Just as the debuff landed with perfect timing, a figure leaped up from the ground.
It was none other than Naek, a female character clad in a yellow uniform over a black base.
“Hyaah!”
With a spirited cry, Naek brought her axe down on one of Ifrangel’s necks.
Shattered fragments scattered from the point of impact, and a shower of arrows rained down through the opening.
Far in the distance, Ahyu was firing from long range, wielding a crossbow that glowed with crimson heat.
This is my chance.
I immediately raised my greatsword high into the air, gathering an aura of pure blackness onto the blade.
[ Doremi Fasol has activated ‘Obsidian Star Cluster’. ]
As the skill notification sounded, I swung my sword down on Ifrangel’s neck. With a clean slice, the severed head tumbled to the ground.
After that decisive strike, I let out a sharp breath and turned my head, aiming for the next neck.
“Let’s finish this!”
That’s right.
We were in the middle of a raid with our four-person party.
After successfully hunting Ifrangel, I enjoyed the rewarding process of distributing the loot.
Soon, I’d have another chance to attempt a +18 enhancement.
Just you wait, Araman. I’ll definitely avenge you!
The one who makes it to the end is the real winner!
“Man, that was seriously fun! Now this is what a real game feels like!”
Naek swung her twin axes around, as if unable to forget the thrill of the battle.
I had no idea why a girl who enjoyed it this much had quit the game for so long.
“By the way, Domi, I heard you met up with Ahyu?”
“Ah, I met Kkotbi, too.”
“Whoa, I’m hurt! Meet me, too! Ahyu, why won’t you meet me!”
“Because you’re loud, Naek.”
“Ahahaha! That’s harsh!”
I couldn’t deny that she was loud.
More importantly, Naek didn’t know Ahyu was a girl.
Nor did she know that Kkotbi was Yua.
This one’s going to flip out when she finds out.
Then again, knowing her personality, maybe she wouldn’t care.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Eva-bro and his sister much lately, have I? I think one of them was online, though.”
“Ah, they sent me a private message saying they’d be busy for a while. Said they were swamped with work.”
“Aww, I wanted to see the twin bro and sis. You should set something up.”
“Easier said than done.”
“Domi, you live in Seoul, right? I’m in Gyeonggi Province. Should I come up for a drink? You used to seem like you never wanted to leave the house, so I left you alone, but…”
Is she feeling lonely these days?
Seeing Naek, who was now much more proactive about meeting up than when she wasn’t playing, I scratched my head.
“Let me know if you’re coming up. I can at least be your drinking buddy.”
“Really? For real?! You’re so on!”
Then, I glanced over at Juksim.
She had been silently inspecting her items, but when our eyes met, she tilted her head.
Honestly, I could take or leave meeting Naek, but the one I was most curious about was Juksim.
I didn’t know her gender, her voice, or anything about her.
If we’re just talking about time spent playing the game…
She was the one I’d known the longest.
Just then, I saw Juksim start to type in the chat.
[ Jugeumbitgwa Simjangnimi: Asks why you are looking at her like that. ]
“Oh, no reason. Just because.”
I shook my head as if it were nothing.
It’s rude to pry when someone clearly doesn’t want to reveal personal information.
Besides, Juksim was the type of person whose range of activity was limited to the convenience store in front of her house.
Asking someone like that to an offline meeting would be an ordeal.
I knew from my own experience, back when I was a shut-in because of that false sexual harassment claim, how terrifying it was to meet people.
“By the way, Domi, didn’t you say you had plans today?”
“Ah, right. What time is it?”
Hearing Naek’s words, I immediately checked the time.
I had plans to meet Ms. Baek Seol-hyang today.
I wasn’t sure what we would be doing, but she’d mentioned talking about the university last time, so there must be something planned.
“Looks like I have just enough time to get ready and head out. Sorry, I’ve got to go.”
As I was about to log off, Ahyu shot me a discontented glare.
She knew I was meeting Ms. Baek Seol-hyang today.
Since Ahyu and she didn’t get along, it seemed she didn’t like the idea of me hanging out with Ms. Baek Seol-hyang.
But what could I do?
My actual boss had scheduled the meeting.
“I’m heading out.”
With those words, I said my goodbyes and logged out of the game.
“You done?”
As I emerged from the game, Baeksan, who had been lying on my bed, let out a long yawn.
He had been wandering around, phasing through the walls when I logged in, but it seemed he had returned at some point.
“Yeah, I have to go out for my appointment now.”
“That so.”
Baeksan replied as if he had little interest.
For some reason, whenever Ms. Baek Seol-hyang was involved, his reactions were always lukewarm.
I wondered if something had happened between them in the world he came from.
“Practice your aura on the way.”
“What? I’m taking the subway.”
“Do it standing up, you punk.”
Since the academy ended, I had been training with Baeksan every day, and my growth had reached 0.2%.
I could now use nearly twice as much aura!
I was impressed with my own progress, but Baeksan still seemed dissatisfied with my current state.
I need to master this aura thing as soon as possible.
Vowing to one day humble Baeksan, I went into the bathroom to wash my face.
After that, I quickly got ready and headed to the subway to go to our meeting spot.
For some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to wear anything other than a dress shirt and slacks.
The thought of meeting the chairwoman of my company made my hands unconsciously reach for them.
The sorrow of a salaryman.
My hair’s gotten a bit long, hasn’t it?
I touched the ends of my hair, which had grown out since I hadn’t been to a salon, and made a mental note to get a haircut soon.
And I’ve lost some weight, too.
I glanced down at my stomach, which had always been on the verge of spilling over.
The belly that was sure to pop out the moment I hit my thirties was now gone, replaced by the clear definition of my upper abs.
Baeksan’s training was incredibly intense, and since aura ultimately strengthened the body, it seemed my physique was gradually adapting.
Maybe, with a little more time, I could have a great body like those hunters who occasionally do photoshoots.
The thought suddenly sent my self-esteem soaring.
Maybe I’m not so bad after all?
“You’re here.”
And just like that, my self-esteem came crashing down the moment I saw her.
Her silver hair fluttered against her exceptionally pale skin.
Beneath her blue eyelashes were exotic, sapphire-like eyes.
Dressed differently from her usual office attire, Ms. Baek Seol-hyang wore an off-the-shoulder top with delicate, summery lace, connected to a dress by thin straps. She was so beautiful she looked like she had just stepped out of a fashion magazine.
To be honest, of all the people I knew, I thought she was the most beautiful.
Standing before her, I instantly felt small.
My newfound self-esteem vanished, replaced by the thought of whether someone like me even deserved to stand next to her. But the bright smile she gave me brought me back to reality.
She really is breathtakingly beautiful.
“I’m sorry. Have you been waiting long?”
“No. I came by car, so it was fine.”
I see.
Feeling the gazes of every passerby fixed on her, I walked over to Ms. Baek Seol-hyang’s side.
“I see you’re in a suit?”
“Ah, it’s comfortable, and I just felt like I should wear it.”
“Because you’re meeting your boss?”
Since that was the truth, I gave an awkward laugh.
Ms. Baek Seol-hyang looked at me with a slightly dissatisfied expression.
“But… I came to see you today for personal reasons, you know~”
My eyes widened at her slightly drawn-out, pouting tone.
Perhaps because this was our first time meeting in a casual setting, this side of Ms. Baek Seol-hyang was unexpected.
Then again, when I think about it…
Neither Ms. Baek Seol-hyang nor I knew much about each other.
I didn’t even know her age.
“Let’s go buy clothes right now. I’ll change immediately.”
“Pfft, I’m just kidding. I’m used to seeing you in a suit, Ha-chan, so I like it. Shall we walk for a bit first? There’s a place I’ve been wanting to go.”
“Yes, let’s go right away!”
I immediately started to follow her.
Even if my low self-esteem made me feel timid, walking with a beautiful woman was still an exciting thing.
“Was the place you wanted to go a university?”
The place Ms. Baek Seol-hyang and I arrived at was, of all things, a university campus.
It wasn’t the one I had attended, but it was one of the top universities in South Korea.
“Yes. To be honest, it’s not like we can actually attend university, right?”
“Well, that’s true.”
Ms. Baek Seol-hyang was so smart that I was sure she could pass the entrance exams without much trouble.
But for me, who had been away from studying for six years, it would take a lot of effort to get back to my former level.
On top of that, neither of us had the time.
From what I could see, Ms. Baek Seol-hyang was always busy.
The idea of her attending university while working every day because of Girasung…
Honestly, it was impossible.
Thinking about it that way, I realized she must have made a great effort to make time for me today.
“So, I thought I’d be satisfied with just experiencing a day at school like this. The dean is an acquaintance, so I got permission for us to experience a class for the day.”
That was just like her, always so thorough.
The way she clenched her fists was cute, but I was also worried.
Noticing my expression, she turned to me and gave a faint smile.
“Are you thinking that I’m overdoing it by taking a day off to keep my promise with you when I’m so busy with the Association?”
I nodded silently.
Seeing this, Ms. Baek Seol-hyang gently clasped her hands in front of her.
“It’s not too much. I’m thinking of today as my day off. And I was really looking forward to it.”
As she said this, the tips of her ears turned a faint shade of red.
I stared at her blankly for a moment before clearing my throat and speaking.
“I understand. Then let’s do our best to be students for a day.”
Even if it was just for one day, we could certainly get into the spirit of it.
“I got a list of various classes through my acquaintance. I figured you’d be interested in hunter or returnee-related topics, so I focused on those. Is that okay?”
“That’s more than okay, it’s perfect.”
The class schedule she had gotten was for fourth-year major courses.
I felt a little guilty about attending for free, but since we were just auditing for a day, I figured it wouldn’t be a big problem.
“Then how about this class?”
Seeing my reaction, Ms. Baek Seol-hyang moved closer and showed me a picture of the class on her phone.
I flinched as I felt her soft hair and skin right next to me, but I quickly composed myself, not wanting to be rude.
“Yes, let’s do that one.”
“Great. Oh, and…”
At that moment, she looked at me with a slightly hesitant expression.
As I tilted my head in question, she spoke carefully.
“Since we’re students at the same school for today… I was thinking, maybe we could drop the formalities?”
Not all university students speak casually with each other, but it was common for those in the same major.
I didn’t think it would be difficult, but there was one thing I needed to know first.
“That’s not a problem, but I don’t know your age, Ms. Baek Seol-hyang, so I’m not sure how I should address you.”
At my question, which I hadn’t been able to ask until now, she looked at me and laughed, covering her mouth.
“I’m the same age as you, Ha-chan. Twenty-six.”
So we were the same age.