Second Ranking Match # 1
Second Ranking Match # 1
"Then go on in, Kim Geun-cheol. Don't wander off to any weird places on the way."
"Where would I even wander off to?"
"It's just a saying, driver. Please take us to Ares Academy."
"Yes."
"Well then, goodbye. Here's the taxi fare."
"No! Leona! Wait!"
-Thunk.
Before I could say a word, Leona shoved the fare into my hand and slammed the taxi door shut.
"Ah, man!"
No way to refuse this. And Leona even told them the destination like she was taking care of me to the very end.
I feel like I'm being treated like a kid.
I love it...!
The infinite benevolence of Archangel Leona. Receiving it makes my whole body feel warm and languid. I'm so grateful but I have no idea what to do in return.
I'll worry about that later. Let's just close my eyes for a bit. I burned a lot of mana too. I'm so tired I'm about to keel over.
If I recover a little stamina in the taxi and then crash hard back at the dorm, I should be back to normal condition by tomorrow.
Fierce battles bring growth, but they also bring down your condition. And tomorrow is the ranking match. No matter what, I have to fucking crush Mun Min, so I need to manage my condition.
* * *
I see the living room of my old home.
Is this a dream? The thought crossed my mind, and I saw myself sitting at the table in front of the TV with Mom and Dad, eating and watching the news.
For some reason it felt like I was seeing them after a long time, so I tried to say something, but Mom and Dad's faces were completely blank.
Aaaaaah!
I screamed, but maybe because it's a dream, my voice didn't come out well... sheer terror. But the scene changed. A crimson sky. A wrecked road. There, I was screaming in despair as I lay face down.
Aaaaaah!
"Student."
* * *
"Student. Student, wake up. We've arrived at the school."
"Uh... yeah?"
"You're awake. Grab your sword from the back."
"Ah, yes. Thank you."
I thanked him and got out, then opened the taxi's back door and grabbed my sword, the two monsterkin swords, and the monsterkin gun.
-Zoom.
The taxi zoomed off.
"Ah."
I stared blankly at it and suddenly remembered the dream I just had. What the hell was that? It's a bit hazy, but I remember eating with Mom and Dad and warmly watching TV.
"..."
Let's just go back.
Clutching my uneasy heart, I returned to the dorm. Instead of heading to my room, I knocked on Si-hoo's door.
"Si-hoo! Si-hoo! Open the door, quick."
-Knock knock knock.
Soon there was some noise inside, and after about two minutes.
"Ah, haa. Geun-cheol, you're here?"
Si-hoo, dressed comfortably and looking out of breath, opened the door.
"Yeah, I'm back."
"But... huh?! No! Geun-cheol! What's that! You picked up something weird!"
Si-hoo was utterly flustered and cried out in shock. It is a bit weird what I'm carrying. Monsterkin weapons are a bit alien compared to human ones.
"These are monsterkin swords. Design's kind of cool, right?"
"What are you talking about! Just get in!"
I went in with Si-hoo, who was still startled. I put down my stuff and immediately lay down on the floor.
"Ah, I'm dead tired."
Seriously dead tired.
"Why are you lying down? What the hell happened?! Weren't you volunteering with Leona today?!"
"No, well, we went volunteering, but the work ended in the morning. So I hung out with Leona for a bit."
"How does that... Ah! Don't tell me, I heard there were a ton of gates at some department store earlier!"
"That's the one. We were shopping, and whoosh, gates popped up inside the department store. So Leona and I fought for our lives. And I brought back the spoils."
"What the...!"
Si-hoo looked down at me with a grim face.
"You should've called! I would've run right over!"
It definitely would have been easier with Si-hoo there. Since you're around the same level as Leona.
"Why would I call? It was over in no time. After fighting a bit, the Hero seniors showed up right away."
"Haah! You're hopeless, really!"
"Hopeless my ass. I cut down all the monsterkin and brought back the loot, didn't I?"
"Those swords and guns? Looks like E-rank monsterkin, Surtals. A weapon-wielding species..."
"Ahh, what's it matter? Anyway, I'm starving to death. Let's make something to eat."
"Seriously, Geun-cheol. It was still dangerous. Real combat against E-rank monsterkin? With your skills, it's still risky."
"Heh heh heh, my skills? Hey, I'll show you tomorrow."
I've realized.
My strength.
"I'll show you just how 'strong' I've become."
"Stop saying weird things! Anyway, if anything like this happens again, call me right away! I'll come provide backup!"
"Sure, whatever."
"Then get up. Let's make dinner."
"Agh, fine."
I got up, stretched a bit, and headed to the fridge. I opened it right away and checked the contents. Then I went straight to the bathroom and washed my hands.
Alright, should we cook and eat again today?
"Oh right, Si-hoo."
"Why?"
"From today, I'm forming Leona's Guard."
"What are you talking about now!"
"Just something that happened. It's a private organization, so you join too."
"Joining some weird group..."
"Hey. Is Leona weird?"
"You're the weird one, Geun-cheol!"
"Always calling me weird. Always. Hey, let's just whip up some stir-fried pork."
No matter what, I will make Si-hoo join Leona's Guard.
* * *
I made and ate spicy stir-fried pork with Si-hoo, who nagged just like Leona, then returned to my room. I headed straight to the bathroom, took off my clothes, and showered.
"Hmm."
But aren't these monster attack incidents happening way too frequently? It feels like I run into them every time I go out.
Well, gates pop up nationwide all the time, so it's not that weird, but it seems like it's happening way too often lately.
"Oh, right."
Thinking about that made me think of Kitty again. She's a girl oddly tied to gates. Kind of like me. The feeling that gates open wherever you go.
-Tap.
So I hung the showerhead on the wall, let the water hit my back, and sent a message to Kitty.
[What are you up to?]
I sent it and was about to search the news for a bit, but a reply came right away.
[Playing outside, Geun-cheol.]
[Where?]
[Somewhere in Gyeonggi-do.]
That's fucking huge.
[Be careful while playing. I saw monsters appear near the department store earlier.]
[Yeah. I know. I saw it on the news. But why did you message me, Geun-cheol?]
[Because I got worried when I heard about the gates.]
This Kitty brat kinda has my luck with gates, so she might get caught up in something if she's out and about. I don't know how strong Kitty is, but at her age she probably doesn't have much proper combat experience.
A fragile existence.
[Is that so? You were worried about me, Geun-cheol?]
[Yeah. If nothing's wrong, good. Sleep well.]
[Geun-cheol. Do you want to meet up next time?]
[Sure.]
Might as well meet up. She's quite a bit younger than me, but we've gotten friendly enough to feel like friends.
-Ding.
"Hm?"
But suddenly Kitty sent a photo.
"This is?"
I looked, it's a photo of the department store area I was at earlier. Right now it's chaotic with soldiers and stuff.
[Seems the gate incident is over.]
[What? You went there?]
[Went to check it out after seeing the news. Wanted to see what happened.]
[Who has that kind of dangerous hobby? That's no good. I'll have to scold you next time.]
[Goodnight, Geun-cheol.]
This kid is so cheeky, going around doing dangerous stuff. As I was about to put my phone on the shelf, Kitty sent another message.
[Oh, right, Geun-cheol. I told my sister about this older guy I've been meeting.]
What?!
[And she said she wants to meet you.]
[Who? Your sister?]
The reply didn't come.
"Hey!"
[Hey.]
[Hey.]
[Hey.]
I kept messaging in a panic, but that Kitty punk cut off contact right away! No! What do you mean 'older guy you're meeting'! It sounds like I'm some kind of criminal!
"Agh! Next time I see her, she's dead!"
This cheeky little brat.
I'm gonna give her a proper scolding.
"Fucked."
If I actually end up meeting her sister, what am I supposed to say? Even from the sister's perspective, this is way too weird.
-Scrub scrub.
I roughly dried my hair with a towel and flopped onto the bed. Chad trait: lying down without drying hair.
As I lay there.
"..."
Earlier.
I mulled over what had suddenly come to mind while talking with Leona. Chewing on it gave me a hollow feeling in a corner of my chest, and a strange unease crept in.
"Memory confusion."
I've been half-doubting and glossing over it until now, but it's real. This kind of forgetfulness is getting worse lately.
To be specific... memories of my hometown.
I keep forgetting them in brief intervals. Mom and Dad's faces? Of course I remember them all. And I clearly remember everything about how I lived. When I 'think' about it like this, it all comes to mind.
But when I'm just going about my day, those memories feel hazy. What the hell is it? Is my memory really breaking down?
"Scary...!"
Suddenly scared, I grabbed my phone and went to my contacts.
"I'm too scared, Leona...!"
When scared, talking to Leona is the best. And the moment I acknowledged I was scared, thanks to the horror movie from earlier, all sorts of ghost thoughts popped up and I got too afraid to turn over or look elsewhere.
-Ring.
So I called Leona.
"Hello, Kim Geun-cheol? It's nighttime, what is it?"
"Leona, I'm so scared...!"
"No way! The horror movie! Kim Geun-cheol, are you crazy! You really called me at night because you're scared?!"
That's not the only reason, but talking with Leona made the anxiety go away. And it even feels like light energy is being transmitted through long-distance communication, brightening the room.
"Agh, you're impossible, really!"
She's shouting as if profoundly frustrated, and honestly, if a guy like Mun Min called me suddenly saying he's scared, I'd react the same way.
"Leona, come on."
"Come on what? Should I sing you a lullaby?"
Leona's lullaby?!
"Hush, hush. Our Geun-cheol. Now go to sleep quickly."
No way!
"Khek! Leona! That just banished all my fear! I'm the most thankful in the world!"
"You really are outrageous in every way. That it takes my lullaby for you to be satisfied... I'm hanging up!"
"Don't...! Leave me in the dark!"
"Go to hell!"
-Clunk.
She hung up without a shred of mercy.
"I didn't even get to properly thank her."
Well, shall I fiddle with the status window for a bit and then sleep? Memory confusion, whatever. Maybe coming to another world has side effects like that.