Chapter 18 Meeting at the Orphanage Volunteer 4
Chapter 18: {A Meeting at the Orphanage} 4
{A Meeting at the Orphanage}
He's strong.
Since her relationship with Yu Ji-hu had never been particularly close, this was the first time Seo Yu-rin had witnessed his strength in actual combat.
Though he had always been somewhat overshadowed by his overwhelmingly powerful older sister, Yu Ha-rin, even during training sessions, Ji-hu's skills were formidable enough to challenge not just his peers but even adult Awakened Ability Users.
But the combat prowess he was displaying now could only be described as overwhelming.
With just a simple manipulation of his Qi, explosions erupted, tearing apart a dozen monsters in an instant. Then, with a casual flick of his hand, the air itself seemed to split—monsters' heads cleanly severed from their bodies before they even hit the ground.
Amazing.
The sight of him effortlessly dispatching the monsters left Yu-rin in awe. It was the kind of strength she aspired to have, the kind that stirred admiration in her heart.
Yu Ha-rin was so terrifyingly powerful that she hardly seemed human—more like an object of reverence. But Ji-hu, while not quite as strong as his sister, was still astonishingly powerful in his own right. And unlike Ha-rin, he was kind and approachable. To Yu-rin, he embodied the ideal image of a hero.
I want to get stronger too.
From that moment on, she trained even harder.
But strangely, after that day, she found it difficult to get closer to Ji-hu.
Every time she saw him, her heart would race uncontrollably, her thoughts scattering in disarray. She couldn't maintain her composure around him.
By the time she turned fifteen, her training shifted toward practical combat, and she naturally drifted apart from him. Their interactions became fewer and fewer until they barely spoke at all.
Occasionally, she would give him small gifts or exchange greetings, but nothing more. And to him, she was likely just one of many faces passing by in his life.
Then, when she was seventeen, Ji-hu was summoned to another world—disappearing from Earth without a trace.
Ji-hu is gone...
Yu-rin had believed he would return someday, but the sense of loss was crushing.
Not long after, she heard that his sister, Yu Ha-rin, had also been summoned away. Since she wasn't close to Ha-rin, the news had reached her late.
I have to get stronger too.
From then on, Yu-rin threw herself into battle, repeatedly challenging Rifts and fighting monsters to hone her skills.
Her ability specialized in close combat—when she wielded a sword and shield, she could simultaneously fulfill the roles of both damage dealer and tank.
Through relentless training, she distinguished herself among her peers, becoming a remarkably skilled fighter.
But because she refused to join a guild, she couldn't form a proper party. And that reluctance stemmed from a particularly bad experience.
Once, after forming a temporary party to clear a Rift, her supposed teammates had suddenly turned on her—attempting to gang-rape her inside the dungeon.
At seventeen, she was at that delicate age between girlhood and womanhood, exuding an innocent charm that made her seem like an easy target.
She had subdued them all, of course, and cleared the Rift alone. But after that, she could no longer bring herself to trust strangers enough to form a party. As a result, she was forced to stick to lower-ranked Rifts, far below her actual ability.
Not being affiliated with a proper guild also meant she took a significant loss when exchanging Mana Stones—guilds and the government offered vastly different rates.
Still, with what little she earned, she continued supporting Sarang Orphanage, where donations were scarce. She volunteered regularly, helping with cleaning, laundry, and other physical labor.
Four years passed like this, and visiting the orphanage to volunteer became part of her daily routine.
Ji... Ji-hu?
Then, one ordinary day, as she arrived for her usual volunteer work, she was stunned to see Yu Ji-hu standing there.
He's back.
The boy who had vanished after being summoned to another world had returned safely—a Returnee.
"I came to volunteer. It's been a while," he said.
"Y-yeah. Long time no see."
Yu-rin still felt awkward around him.
She knew exactly what that fluttering in her chest meant now.
But she also knew her place. Ji-hu was someone far beyond her reach—not just because he was the younger brother of the world's strongest Awakened, the true Empress who commanded unparalleled power and influence, but because he himself was a hero she admired.
So she kept her distance.
Before she knew it, they were both inside, surrounded by children. Ji-hu effortlessly ordered various dishes for them, his movements practiced and natural.
"Wooow!"
The kids cheered, and Yu-rin found herself smiling without realizing it.
"Yu-rin."
"Y-yeah?"
Caught off guard, she responded a little too dumbly.
"I never imagined I'd run into you here."
"Ah, yeah... Me neither. When did you get back?"
She hadn't heard any news about Ji-hu's return. There had been reports about the Empress clearing Rifts recently, but nothing about him.
Then again, if Ha-rin's personality hadn't changed, she probably wouldn't want her little brother making headlines anyway.
"About two weeks ago. Do you come here often?"
"Yeah. For about four years now."
Four years—meaning she had started volunteering here when she was nineteen.
"You've been diligent," Ji-hu said with an approving smile.
Yu-rin felt a strange mix of pride and warmth at his praise.
This was the first time she truly understood how happy it felt to be acknowledged by someone she admired.
"Hey, mister, do you know this lady?"
"Oppa, what's your relationship with her?"
The children, curious, swarmed around them. Ji-hu chuckled softly.
"We just studied together when we were kids. We're catching up after a long time."
The kids looked slightly disappointed.
"That's it?"
"Aren't you her boyfriend?"
"It's nothing like that. You shouldn't jump to conclusions—it might make her uncomfortable."
Watching him gently scold the children, Yu-rin could tell he hadn't changed at all.
"Can we talk for a bit?"
"Sure. The food will take a while, so we have time."
Once they stepped outside the room, Yu-rin immediately asked,
"Are you going to keep coming here?"
"Yeah, I plan to. We'll probably run into each other a lot."
She felt a surge of joy but tried not to show it.
"Um... do you remember? That time you saved me from the monsters?"
"Ah, back then? Of course I remember. How could I forget you, rushing to save people without even proper gear? That was heroic."
His praise made her cheeks burn, but she didn't hate the feeling.
"Th-that time... I still haven't forgotten how you saved me. I thanked you back then, but... after seeing the world, I realized there aren't many real heroes like you. Haha..."
Her laughter carried a bitter edge.
Both she and Ji-hu had lost their parents to monsters, which was why they had become Ability Users—to prevent others from suffering the same fate. But most Ability Users cared more about profit than protecting people.
Some even deliberately left Rifts uncleared, and there were those who used dungeons as cover for crimes.
"It can't be helped. But I think it's a relief that there are still people like you out there."
Ji-hu seemed well aware of how ugly the world could be.
Well, he's always known.
Even in a dirty world, as long as there were people trying to do the right thing, that was enough. And he was one of those people.
That was why she admired him even more than the Empress.
"By the way, are you in a guild or party these days?"
"No, actually... I'm not really comfortable with guilds or parties."
She calmly recounted her past experiences.
There was no reason to hide it. As she spoke, Ji-hu's expression darkened slightly.
"So that's what happened."
"Yeah. I reported those criminals, but they were released almost immediately. Then, two years ago, when the Empress purged the guild alliances, their crimes resurfaced, and they were properly punished."
"I see. My sister took care of it."
Ji-hu looked relieved but also somewhat bitter.
"Being betrayed by your own party must have been terrible."
"Y-yeah... But I wasn't too shocked. I hadn't known them long enough to trust them deeply."
"...Right."
Yu-rin noticed his expression had darkened unnaturally.