Chapter 59
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Lilia, Who Is That Again?
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“Lilia? Who’s that?”
“Oppa, I’m done with my college entrance exam. Buy me a meal.”
“What does the exam have to do with a meal...?”
“You’re really gonna do this? Don’t you feel bad for your hardworking junior?”
“Ah, no. It’s not like that.”
It had just been right after I returned to the Demon King’s Castle. I got a message from Huh Min-ah after a long while. She was asking me to treat her to a meal to celebrate finishing her exam.
I’d been wondering why she’d been a bit quiet lately, and it turned out it was because of the exam.
In the end, I cleared a day to buy her food. I didn’t have anything urgent, and honestly, I wanted a break myself.
‘Of course, the real rest would be lounging at home watching anime and munching on potato chips.’
Still, it felt good seeing Min-ah after so long.
We talked about how we first met, what had been going on at the academy, how her exam went, and before I knew it, time had flown by.
“Wow, this is delicious!”
“My friends and I come here a lot. First time for you, oppa?”
“Yeah. The places I go with my friends are totally different.”
“Where’s that?”
“Uh... a figure shop, but it’s closed now. The building collapsed last time because of the All-Kill Guild.”
“Right. That was total chaos. Now that you’re becoming a hunter, oppa, I worry you’ll have to deal with monsters like that.”
“Haha. Don’t worry too much. That stuff’s for the big shots. At best, I’ll handle goblins.”
“At best? It’s still goblins! Haven’t you seen the anime Goblin Hunter?”
“Huh? You watched that? Didn’t you say you didn’t like anime?”
“W-Well, everyone said it was so good, so I tried it. It, it was fun?”
“Right? It’s fun, isn’t it?”
Huh Min-ah, whom I hadn’t seen in ages, had similar tastes now, so we hit it off even better.
Of course, she still seemed to struggle with accepting anime OSTs.
“I’ve never seen someone sing Japanese songs at karaoke before.”
“Normally, you’re supposed to dance along, but I held back in front of you.”
“Ah, dance?”
“...Forget what I just said. Please.”
“Okay.”
“Thanks.”
I wiped off cold sweat and sighed in relief when Min-ah turned to me with a bright smile.
“Hehe. Feeling better now, oppa?”
“Hm? Better how?”
“This morning, your face looked awful. Like you were being chased by something, all anxious.”
“Did it?”
“Yeah. You looked really worn out.”
I had been running nonstop without a real break. Even on days off, I’d been practicing my martial arts nonstop.
Now that the crises were over, why had I been like that? Probably because my fight with Lee Chun-bae had been that intense.
“Thanks. You really helped me unwind.”
“Does that mean I earned my meal?”
“You did more than that. Seriously, thank you.”
“If you’re grateful, buy me another one next time.”
“Suits me fine.”
Min-ah and I walked side by side, laughing. Just as I thought it was about time to part ways, someone blocked our path.
Short hair, sporty outfit, a refreshingly mature woman with a cool vibe.
It was Instructor Song Hye-rin.
“Huh? Instructor Song? What brings you here?”
“What, can’t I be here?”
“No, it’s not that... Just feels weird seeing you downtown.”
“Don’t call me Instructor all stiff-like. Call me noona. We’re past that now.”
“Huh?”
“Come on.”
“N-Noona.”
“Hmm. Good. So, what’re you up to? On a date?”
“Huh? Ah, no. She’s a school junior. I was just treating her to a meal for finishing her exam.”
“Oh, so that’s why you’re walking with this little missy?”
I was spitting out what sounded like an excuse when a floral scent approached sharply from the side.
“Oppa, who’s this lady?”
Min-ah linked arms with me. I was struck with a surge of emotion and lost my words for a moment.
While I was speechless, the two exchanged glances rapidly. Hye-rin noona’s eyes flashed intensely.
“What did you just call me? Lady?”
“Oops? Sorry. I’m still a kid, so ‘auntie’ slips out.”
Min-ah smiled sweetly as she apologized. Hye-rin noona smiled back, veins bulging on her forehead.
“Y-Yeah. You’re still a kid, so you wouldn’t know. But I’m not an auntie. I’m your unnie. Unnie.”
“Yes, unnie. Pfft!”
“Why, why are you laughing?”
“Oh. Sorry. It reminded me of old guys joking around calling their friends ‘oppa.’ I laughed because it was funny, but if it bothered you, I apologize. Aun— Uh, unnie.”
Hye-rin noona’s eyes burned even fiercer than before. It was a murderous glare worthy of a 2-star hunter.
What was amazing was that ordinary Min-ah was smiling and taking it in stride.
‘Maybe Min-ah’s some hidden master I don’t know about...’
But why were they fighting? Over me?
‘Nah, no way.’
It couldn’t be. Probably my imagination again.
As I shook my head, Hye-rin noona cautiously tugged at my sleeve.
“In-hyeok, got a sec? Something urgent about the guild.”
“Huh? Uh, that.”
I glanced at Min-ah at Hye-rin noona’s words, and Min-ah nodded with a soft smile.
“Go handle work with your boss, oppa. I’ll wait here.”
“Boss... Grr! Hey, sorry, but it might take a while. Why don’t you head home first?”
Hye-rin noona was subtly trying to shoo Min-ah away, but Min-ah shook her head right away.
“It’s fine. Exam’s over, I’ve got plenty of time.”
“T-Time is precious. You’re too young to know...”
“Of course, these last golden teen years, but spending them waiting for oppa is fine.”
“T-Teen...?”
Hye-rin noona kept muttering “teen” over and over, then turned to me with a half-dazed look.
“I-I’ll explain quick.”
“Yeah, noona.”
“Got an offer from Black Bears. They’ll give us stuff in exchange for introducing the masked guy.”
“Introduce?”
“Yeah. They want to scout you.”
“Huh? Black Bears wants me?”
“Why, tempted?”
Instructor Song eyed me anxiously.
“Not a bad feeling. But I’m not going.”
I had to hide my identity. No one would believe a guy who awakened last year and was still a trainee was a 3-star hunter.
Even if they did, they’d suspect how I got so strong so fast.
‘Meaning, for now, I gotta play the part of a proper 1-star hunter.’
I planned to reveal my promotion at the right time and get certified. Fast enough to surprise, but not impossibly so.
“You turned it down?”
“Yeah. Regretting it?”
“No way. I wasn’t planning on big guilds anyway.”
To hide my identity, I should avoid crowded places. And even without that, I didn’t want to leave Song noona.
“Feels like you picked us just ‘cause we’re small.”
“N-No, that’s not...”
“It’s fine. It’s true. We’re barely a guild right now. But we snagged five gates this time, so things’ll get better soon.”
“Huh? Gates? From where?”
Gates in Yangyang were dried up, and others had owners.
No news of new ones, so where’d she get them?
“From Black Bears. I’ve got some debts from Ban Seong-woon. And... it’s a bit shady, but we got a chance to tour a 2-star gate too.”
Borrowing gates was huge. Guilds without gate rights couldn’t survive.
“Good news, but don’t you think they’ve got an angle? Black Bears handing over gates just like that?”
“If they have a conscience, this is the least. After what that guy did. And their real aim’s probably the 2-star tour.”
“Not like with Lee Chun-bae...”
“Nah. They wanna scout you. Hinted at wanting the masked guy. Offered other stuff too, but details later.”
“Got it.”
Hye-rin noona wrapped up quick, probably mindful of Min-ah waiting.
“Now go to your cheeky little kid.”
See? Even saying that, she was considerate. That’s Hye-rin noona.
“And tomorrow, clear your schedule no matter what. Eat with me. My treat. A hundred times better than today.”
Ah, or maybe not...?
* * *
‘He’s a real adult now. While oppa...’
Huh Min-ah watched the two talking seriously, feeling oddly urgent.
Just a year older, yet Cha In-hyeok had grown into a full adult.
She couldn’t even imagine the hardships he’d faced as a trainee over the past year.
‘I get it, but...’
Still, seeing him talk with that woman made her inexplicably angry.
Hated being treated like a kid, hated the blatant date interruption.
And that look in her eyes. That unnie definitely liked oppa. Woman’s intuition.
‘I saw him first.’
She’d been busy with exams, he with academy. Finally some free time, and another girl sneaks in?
‘Oppa’s weak to temptation. No good. Gotta message him more from now on.’
Just then, Cha In-hyeok finished and came back. Huh Min-ah linked arms tight, like she’d never let go, and glared at Song Hye-rin.
“Ha, how did I end up...”
Song Hye-rin’s sigh laced with lament drifted over. Ignoring it, Min-ah pressed closer and spoke to In-hyeok.
“Oppa, let’s grab dinner too before going. There’s a great place nearby? My treat.”
“Uh... isn’t it getting late?”
“It’s not even 6 yet. Just dinner. Yeah? We haven’t seen each other in forever.”
“What? So you’re staying till night?”
Sparks flew from Song Hye-rin’s eyes. But Huh Min-ah glared back undaunted.
‘What, hunter means you win? Why crash someone’s date?’
Sparks flew between their eyes. Cha In-hyeok was out of the picture now. Both were locked in a staring contest to win.
“Why does it always end up like this?”
Cha In-hyeok looked baffled when—
“Huh? What’s this, Cha In-hyeok. You bastard! What’s with this dating sim situation? How?”
O Deok-hun, dressed like he’d just crawled out of his cave, spotted Cha In-hyeok and the two beauties and called out.
“Wha! Deok-hun, what’re you doing here?”
“Ah, heard the figure shop renovated, so checking it out.”
“Figure shop?”
“Yeah. They moved locations. And...”
“And?”
Deok-hun pushed up his glasses like he was sharing a huge secret and whispered.
“Don’t freak. They got a life-size Lilia figure.”
“What? For real?”
“Yeah. Heading there now. Wanna come? Boss said I can take pics specially.”
“For real? Awesome! Can I too?”
“Dunno? I’ll ask.”
In-hyeok had once dropped over 200,000 won on a life-size Lilia body pillow.
Now a life-size Lilia figure to see in person—and pics? For free?
‘No way I’m missing this.’
“Let’s go, quick!”
“Wait! Hey, you rude punk. Say bye to the ladies first.”
“Oh right!”
Cha In-hyeok mumbled something about an emergency and we’ll meet next time, then spun around.
“Let’s go, quick!”
“How’s a guy like this a dating sim protag? Beats me.”
Deok-hun shook his head and headed to the shop. Curious about the two hotties, but honestly, less than a life-size Lilia.
“Let’s go, bro.”
“Roger!”
And so Deok-hun and Cha In-hyeok left. Song Hye-rin and Huh Min-ah let out deep sighs of inexplicable emptiness, unsure why they’d even fought.
“Sigh. Lilia, who’s that?”
“Lost to some old guy. In a weird character T-shirt...”