Another SSS-Rank?

Yoon Taehwan looked back and forth between me and Choi Jian for a long while.

"You'll regret this."

With that, he turned and walked away.

As for Kim Hyeonji, the police hauled her off while she was still screaming for her money. Personally, she was someone I never wanted to see again.

"Hahh..."

"You did well."

"N-no, not at all. You did far more than I did, Yeonwoo..."

"Me? I just ran my mouth because you're on my side."

When I had an Awakened whose future as an SSS-rank was already a lock, what was there to be afraid of?

"Heh, hehe..."

Choi Jian gave an awkward little laugh.

"It's all thanks to you. Because of you, I shot up to C-rank in no time."

"If you ask me, you'll hit S-rank just as fast."

"R-really?"

"Of course."

I snuck a glance at Choi Jian's status window. Most of the improvement items had vanished — only about two of the original ones were even left. That said, two new lines had been added on top of those remaining two.

So this is what they mean when they say a person can change in an instant.

They weren't the sort of problems I could solve with a few words, but given enough time, every last one of them was well within reach.

"Jian, why don't we put off the rank evaluation for a bit?"

"What? But if your rank is too low, you can't enter higher-level Gates."

"There's no need to go into a Gate right this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠second."

Besides, becoming C-rank didn't mean she could immediately apply for a C-rank Gate anyway.

"And as a guild, we've got a few things to take care of. I need to officially register you as a guild member, and we have to file a report that we're commencing guild activities."

"Ah, I see."

"More than anything, I'd be too worried sending you into a high-rank Gate right away. You haven't fully adapted to your increased mana yet, and handling your abilities still feels awkward, doesn't it?"

"Ah..."

Choi Jian flushed and lowered her head.

"I... I didn't think you'd care that much about me."

"...I was just stating the obvious."

"Even so."

"Anyway, Jian."

I turned to Choi Jian, who was walking alongside me, and asked as naturally as I could.

"By any chance... were you planning to sleep at my place again tonight?"

"......"

Instead of answering, Choi Jian quietly averted her eyes. That was answer enough. Naturally, my response was already decided.

"...No."

"Ah, why nooot?!"

"Isn't it obvious?"

I'd already let her stay over once, but even so.

"It's too small."

"...What?"

"It's too cramped. I can't. I'm used to sleeping on the floor, but that doesn't mean I want to do it every night."

"Wait — I thought it was because I'm a girl that you wouldn't...?"

"What does that have to do with anything? It's not like I'd be a threat to you."

"Ah."

Besides, sharing a room with a girl was nothing new to me. At the orphanage, when they ran out of space, they'd pack kids into rooms regardless of gender.

"Th-then I'll sleep on the floor...!"

"How could I make a precious guild member sleep on the floor?"

"Th-then what about sharing the bed...?"

"...Are you being serious right now?"

I stared at her in disbelief, and sure enough, her face had gone completely red.

"B-but I don't have anywhere else to go. And I don't want to see that woman's face ever again."

Fair enough. After cutting ties with her family like that, going back home would have been strange.

"...Is there anything you need to pack and bring with you?"

"It's fine. Knowing her, she'd probably demand money just to let me take my own stuff. I already carry the important things with me, so it's okay."

Choi Jian said it with a bitter expression.

...Hahh.

Seeing that look on her face, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I couldn't bring myself to refuse any more coldly.

"...You need to find a place of your own and move out as soon as possible."

"Hehe...!"

Choi Jian wasn't so dense that she missed what that actually meant.

"Thank youuu."

"Hahh..."

"Oh, should I pick up beer again today?"

"I don't know. Do you like drinking?"

"Uh, no. Last time it just seemed like you enjoyed it, so..."

"I'm not much of a drinker either. Yesterday I just really wanted a beer, that's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠all."

"I-is that so?"

So I decided we wouldn't buy beer today. Instead.

...I should at least get her a change of clothes.

Come to think of it, wasn't this already the second day she'd been wearing the same outfit?

A clothing store happened to be nearby. I took Choi Jian by the wrist and headed over.

"W-why are we suddenly going in here...?"

"I'm going to buy you some clothes."

"W-what?!"

Choi Jian frantically waved her hands.

"I-I'm fine with what I have on."

"I'm not. You didn't even shower yesterday..."

"W-waaah! I'm sorry! I'll change! I'll wash!"

"Let's go in. I'll pay for the clothes, so don't worry about it."

"I-isn't this too much of a burden on you...?"

"I'll just deduct it from your settlement later."

It wasn't like we were shopping at some luxury brand. At most, this was a neighborhood clothing store — how expensive could it possibly get? I held out my card to Choi Jian.

"Pick out whatever you'd reasonably wear, and just pay with this."

"Uh, what about you...?"

"I'd be embarrassed picking things out with you, so I'll wait outside."

"I-it's fine, though. You can pick with me."

"I'd be embarrassed."

She needed new underwear on top of outerwear. Standing there watching her pick all of that out would make for a pretty weird picture.

"You're not going to dump the card and run off, are you...?"

"......"

"I-if you do, I'll come find your house and cry in front of it...! I-I know where you live, so...!"

"I was just speechless because that was such a novel threat. I'm not going anywhere, so hurry up and buy your stuff. And stop threatening me."

I managed to shove Choi Jian inside, then leaned against the wall by the door, intending to kill some time.

"...Huh? Yeonwoo oppa?"

"?"

I looked up at the familiar voice, and a familiar face came into view.

"...Han Yerim? What are you doing here?"

It was Han Yerim, my junior from the orphanage — the one I'd parted ways with three years ago.

She was staring at me with wide eyes, as if she'd never dreamed of running into me in a place like this. But that only lasted a moment. Her big eyes curved into crescents, and she bounded straight at me.

"Wooow, oppa! How long has it been?!"

"Hey, hey — if you actually charge at me like that, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I'll— ghk?!"

"Ah, sorry. It's been a while since I dealt with a non-Awakened."

"Augh, seriously..."

No wonder she was the orphanage's greatest success story. That strength of hers was ridiculously overkill.

I glared at her, coughing and clutching my sore throat.

"Hehe..."

"So, what are you doing here?"

"What do you mean? I live around here."

"What."

I had no idea. A guild had snatched her up the moment she Awakened, and we hadn't been in contact since.

"Huh? I wrote letters to the orphanage every day, though?"

"...There weren't any. We all figured you'd abandoned us. No calls, either."

"......?"

For a moment, Han Yerim's eyes narrowed — a look of suspicion, as if something had just clicked.

"Hah, those bastards, don't tell me..."

"What?"

"It's nothing. So what have you been up to, oppa?"

"Me? Well..."

I'd somehow inherited a guild and was trying to get it off the ground.

...Do I tell her or not?

Han Yerim had always been especially attached to me, even back at the orphanage. There was a real chance she'd start pestering me to let her join the guild too.

It was right then that her status window came into view.

"...Oh."

Was SSS-grade talent really supposed to be this common?

I looked at her with a conflicted expression.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It's nothing."

But I couldn't just tell her to join my guild the moment I discovered she was SSS-rank. It wasn't like I was trying to become the Pirate King or something.

...That compatibility rate is bothering me, though.

The thought that I'd rather raise her myself than leave her in a place like that was genuine.

Even so, that's going too far.

Once her contract expired, maybe. But poaching a hunter mid-contract could blow up into a serious problem.

While I was mulling it over, Choi Jian came out of the clothing store with shopping bags and called out to me.

"Yeonwoo, I finished picking out my clothe—!"

"...Yeonwoo?"

The two women's expressions froze the instant they spotted each other.

"Oppa, who is that girl? Hmm?"

"Y-Yeonwoo. Who's that next to you...?"

I suddenly had the feeling that things had just gotten complicated. Why, though?