The Legendary Designer Choi Nari (1)
Arriving home filled me with complicated thoughts.
I'd never had any complaints about my place before. But now that I'd been an S-rank hunter for a while, living in this one-room apartment felt downright awkward.
I gave the place a quick clean and was about to order some food when my phone rang before I could even open the app. The caller was Kim Seol-bi.
"Seol-bi."
I answered with genuine pleasure.
—Have you been well, Sung-gi?
Kim Seol-bi's voice sounded a bit complicated. She seemed happy to hear from me, but there were deeper emotions tangled in it.
"Sorry. Things have been hectic lately, so I haven't been in touch."
—It's fine...
She said it in a voice that was anything but fine. Still, she seemed pleased that I'd apologized.
—I heard about everything from A-jin. So much has been happening.
Kim Seol-bi was the first woman I'd met thanks to my ability—and the one who kickstarted my new life. No matter the circumstances, leaving her out like this didn't sit well with me.
"Want to grab a meal together after so long? How's your place? Repairs done?"
—Not perfect, but mostly fixed. I stay elsewhere during the day anyway.
Her house was still under repair, and she was crashing at hotels while the work was ongoing. A place that massive would take forever to fix, naturally.
Thinking of her luxurious home made my one-room feel even shabbier by comparison. With everything ahead, I really needed to move. Even if I'd relocate again later, it was time to leave this dump.
That was on my mind when Kim Seol-bi said something completely unexpected.
—Can I come to your place, Sung-gi? I miss it after so long. It's where we first... met.
Right. Ironically, the first place I'd met Kim Seol-bi was right here in my apartment. She'd shown up at my door unannounced, after all.
Recalling that still felt surreal. My ability had that effect—even on me.
She'd first seen me from afar when I dropped off Kim Eun-bi at the dungeon, but our actual meeting was here.
Suddenly, nostalgia hit.
"Of course. I was just about to order food anyway."
—Don't. I'll bring something. Anything you crave?
"Nah, nothing specific. Get whatever you want."
—Okay. Hehe.
She laughed, sounding delighted. Then something occurred to me.
"Hey, Seol-bi, did you ever commission gear design from Choi Nari before?"
—Choi Nari?
Her surprised echo was fair—it was a random question. I figured she'd need time to recall, but she answered right away.
—Yeah. Lucky I did. She took my commission before quitting that line of work. She was sweet about it back then, but now she turns down gear design requests from everyone. Probably causing her a ton of headaches.
It clicked. When she said "quit," she meant taking commissions from hunters. I'd seen enough hunters to know some were total assholes. Plenty would hold grudges over rejected requests and try to make trouble.
But someone of Choi Nari's caliber—capable of designing for a figure like Kim Seol-bi—wouldn't buckle easily. Still, the pressure would build, and she might even leave Korea over it.
—Why the sudden interest? You looking to commission her too?
—Tough luck. Even S-rank hunters can't get her to design anymore...
"Not that."
I noted how casually she called her "Nari."
"Are you close with Choi Nari, Seol-bi?"
—Close enough. Eun-bi’s tighter with her, though. She introduced us via SNS. They're probably still chatting now.
"Ah, got it~~"
Perfect. Meeting Choi Nari through Choi Yunmi was one option, but this was even better. If Kim Eun-bi and Choi Nari were friends, access would be a breeze.
I made my request.
"Could you bring the gear she designed for you back then?"
—Sure. I always carry it in my inventory. Her quitting commissions jacked up the price. I've been offered ten times what I paid—and that's just collectors, not even for wearing. Foreign gear companies call constantly too. But I'm not selling to anyone. I don't wear it outside S-rank dungeons.
"Sounds like you love it."
—Of course. Wish you could try something she designed too. So, why the interest in her all of a sudden?
"It's complicated. I'll explain when I see you."
—Okay~
I hung up, excited to see her after so long. But a twinge of unease crept in too.
I had things to tell her. She'd know about meeting Chichi and Titi through the Kim Se-in incident. But hearing Choi Yunmi had joined the group today? And that Choi Nari might follow?
"Hmm."
I scratched my head. This wasn't getting any easier.
"Whoa, it's seriously cool."
I marveled at Kim Seol-bi's gear, designed by Choi Nari. Knowing I wanted to see it, she'd worn it underneath and come straight over.
Seeing her without the outer layer, I was blown away. The design was stunning—and it suited her perfectly. Agile vibe, luxurious flair, with a subtle cuteness. It couldn't be more ideal.
Even I, clueless about hunter gear design, could tell it was flawless. And from Choi Yunmi's stories, I knew it had even greater potential beneath the surface.
Hunter gear designers had special abilities. It was a hunter trait. Crafting required deep mana understanding. Technicians maximized raw potential, but designers wove it into functional perfection—something no ordinary person could grasp.
Like other hunters with their awakening gifts, designers wielded unique talents.
"Impressive, right?"
Kim Seol-bi beamed, showing it off. She looked as beautiful as ever. Just like she said, memories of our first meeting here flooded back. It felt like ages ago, yet not that long.
Studying the gear closely, I sensed something extraordinary.
"Seol-bi, mind circulating your mana once?"
"Sure."
She obliged without hesitation. As mana flowed, the gear hummed with a crisp keeng and glowed softly.
"Whoa..."
Activated like this, it was breathtaking—far more than visually. Its true value shone through. No wonder the price was astronomical.
I'd been shocked by S-rank gear prices at Choi Yunmi's shop. S-rank hunters basically invested through their equipment. Made sense—who wouldn't collect pieces worn by the elite? Especially something this gorgeous. Just owning it would make you feel like an S-rank.
Right size, and you could even try it on. No skills or enhanced physique, but the thrill would be real. And people dropped billions—sometimes tens of billions—for that rush. Untouchable for normies.
I analyzed the gear. It tied into the ability I'd realized through Choi Yunmi: piercing a hunter's mana flow.
Through it, I saw Kim Seol-bi's mana moving fluidly, beautifully. Not in detail, but I grasped how it boosted output and efficiency.
Flawless. Any corporation would kill for this.
And naturally, desire stirred. I had to recruit Choi Nari.