Chapter 59
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Does It Feel Like Someone Else's Problem?
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Does it feel like someone else's problem?
It was right when Ga-eun was about to pass through the safety scanner.
The safety officer staring at the monitor noticed something off and called out to her.
"Hmm? Hold on a sec, everyone..."
Ga-eun handed the camera to Da-hye and approached the staff member.
"Is there some kind of problem?"
"Well, nothing serious. You're a C-rank Awakener, right?"
"Yes."
"Your mana capacity reading is a bit unusual. When was your last check-up?"
"Uh, around June last year? It was the one at school. But what's unusual about it?"
The staff member nodded at her words.
"Congratulations. Your mana capacity has increased a ton in just a year. You should probably get retested."
"Pardon...?"
The staff member turned the monitor around to show Ga-eun the screen as she stood there in disbelief.
"See here? It shows B-rank mana, but your records say C-rank. Since it just updated, you'll probably need to renew within the year."
"Oh..."
Ga-eun was genuinely flustered.
'Damn, no wonder I've been feeling so light on my feet lately...!'
No, why had her mana capacity suddenly increased out of nowhere?
She'd started at C-rank and been an Awakener for a while now, but it hadn't budged until suddenly changing after just one year?
Did that even make sense?
B-ranks weren't called quasi-official for nothing.
"B-rank?!"
Da-hye, who was holding the camera, jumped in shock.
?
B-rank????
What???
For real??????
??????
Insane
What?!
Leader got promoted!
Whoa!!!!
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Ga-eun returned after finishing her chat, her face full of bewilderment.
"Sis, they said I'm B-rank now, so I need to get retested..."
"Uh, y-yeah... I heard. Congrats...?"
"Hmm..."
It was clearly huge news, but Ga-eun's expression was strangely dark.
LOLOLOLOLOL
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
LMAOOOO
Congrats!
But why doesn't she look happy?
Just stunned?
She doesn't seem thrilled tho?
The viewers were puzzled by Ga-eun's unexpected reaction when one figured it out.
B-rank Awakeners have to enlist.
Oh
?????????
For real?
Yeah?
Leader's not a Hunter, right?
There's a law for that.
B+ have to go if not Hunter ㅇㅇ
Not regular service, 3 years lololol
Insane
Fr??
First time hearing ;;;;
Lol there's such a law
Even guys can't do regular if high rank, forced 3 yrs lol
Makes sense, no high-ranker skips Hunter/Guard
LMAO
What lololol
LMFAOOOOOO
ROFLCOPTER x9
Hooah! Hooah! Hooah! Hooah!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ribbit! Ribbit! Ribbit!
High-rank Awakeners B-rank and above bore a national defense obligation.
Hunters and Guards counted as paramilitary, exempting them from service.
But for Ga-eun, who had zero interest in becoming a Hunter, it was a bolt from the blue.
The chat turned into a festival as viewers reveled in her suffering.
Ga-eun scowled at the sight.
Given her streaming niche, most viewers were veterans—or soon-to-be.
Even those with just six months preferred mocking Ga-eun's three-year fate over their own woes.
Schadenfreude always trumped personal joy.
Discharged two days ago and this stream slaps!!
(Deleted message)
Our resolve! Our resolve! Our resolve!
(Deleted message)
Lee Ga-eun-nim, five mins till guard duty, sir!
(Deleted message)
I'm senior now, no more casual talk.
(Deleted message)
?
Not manager
It's the leader lolololol
LMAOOOOOO
She went dom!
Hands off keyboards everyone!!!
Ga-eun started chopping veggies with a deeply furrowed brow, venting on her ingredients.
But her complicated mood didn't improve.
It wasn't even an official warrant yet...
"......"
The spot where we sat.
A standard six-person table common inside the building.
Used as extra library space during exams, or for quick lunches otherwise.
I sat in my chair, quietly gauging Ga-eun's mood.
In the hushed atmosphere, Min-ji spoke up.
"Um, well... A rank-up is still good, right? Congrats anyway?"
Ji-eun swiftly smacked Min-ji's head.
"Hey, read the room."
I watched them, then looked at Ga-eun.
"You okay...?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just... it's complicated."
Ga-eun gave a wry smile at the sight.
Her forced grin was heartbreaking...
She couldn't possibly be okay.
I sighed outwardly but felt secret relief inside.
'Thank god it's not me for real.'
Min-ji rubbed her head and pressed on.
"But seriously, Ga-eun, no plans to be a Hunter? Or Guard? Honestly, I'd go Hunter. Pays bank. Hardly anyone dies these days."
Ji-eun shook her head.
"That's advanced countries. Shitholes with bad security? Total mess. Guards can't moonlight, so no streaming. Quasi-civil servants."
"Oh...?"
Ga-eun chimed in as Min-ji and Ji-eun talked.
"Well... It's my stubbornness, really. Might rethink it now."
'But weird.'
Chan-seong and now Ga-eun. Both people I'd gotten close to had ranked up one level.
Min-ji and Ji-eun were friends too, but not as deeply connected.
No major shared ordeal, y'know?
Wait.
Both Ga-eun and Chan-seong went through the department store incident.
After, Chan-seong wrecked himself protecting me at the exhibit.
Shot to D-rank right after, he'd said.
Ga-eun blasted her powers fighting at the theater too.
And she stuck by me the most anyway.
...Is this my fault?
Others might thank me in awe.
But not Ga-eun.
She'd run away from home 'cause her parents hated her Hunter refusal and kept blocking her streams.
Explains her Hunter phobia I'd seen multiple times.
'Yeah, keep it secret for now. Nothing confirmed...'
I glanced at Ga-eun and nodded.
As Min-ji, Ji-eun, and I comforted her, raucous voices erupted from somewhere.
Turning, two male freshmen—likely from Ga-eun's class—approached with mischievous grins.
Ga-eun noticed them nearing; one scanned dramatically left and right.
As if we weren't even there. Total theater kid.
"What? Thought I heard army talk? Huh-trussing..."
"Hey hey, cut the crap! Only lady classmates here—no way girls talk army!"
Obvious troll mission on Ga-eun.
Min-ji scowled hard at their weird speech.
"Ugh, these idiots with their cringey talk again!"
The guys got even more hyped.
"Oi oi! Ain't this the true woman! Who! Fulfills! Her! Three-year duty!"
Ga-eun's fist on her thigh twitched visibly.
"Six times longer than our piddly six months! Service! So respectable, right?!"
Ji-eun tried shooing them.
"Fuck off already? Zero awareness, seriously."
"Ooooh—"
They comically dodged Ji-eun's swing and kept the skit going.
"Yo, what if she goes NCO? Could be our CO?"
"Gasp!"
They widened their eyes like an epiphany.
"Then, preemptive salute! Sir~yes~sir!"
"Sir~yes~sir."
'Heh, fuuu...'
Honestly hilarious.
But for Ga-eun's sake, I clamped my cheeks to stifle laughter.
Ga-eun finally snapped at their nonstop jabs, bolting up.
The chair screeched across the floor.
"Hey! You little... Make it so I don't have to enlist?!"
The guys backpedaled from her beet-red face and clenched fist.
"Whoa, pissed."
"Dom alert~"
"Catch ya in class—I'm dead!"
"Eeeeek... Ah."
Got careless...
Their flailing escape was too funny.
I slapped a hand over my mouth too late.
Ga-eun whipped around, glaring at my leaked giggle.
"Eep—."
Her piercing stare nearly triggered hiccups.
"......Sorry."
"Didn't say anything?"
She said smiling, but her hand hovered over my head.
And...
Squish squish squish
"Gyaah sorry! Stop pressing!"
Her grip threatened to flatten my already petite frame.
Su-hyeon's soft paws couldn't budge B-rank Ga-eun's hand.
The morning after Su-hyeon nearly got squished flat.
"Uh...?"
Heading to the kitchen for water like usual, Su-hyeon spotted mail through the door crack.
"Mail first thing in the morning...?"
Flipping the envelope revealed the Ministry of National Defense seal.
"Defense Ministry? What?"
A bad vibe hit; Su-hyeon tore it open right there.
"Huh...?"
[Enlistment Notice]
'???????'
Su-hyeon's half-lidded eyes bulged wide.
Flipping the paper repeatedly didn't change a word.
"Haha, must be another Kim Su-hyeon."
Forced laugh to deny reality.
But the address was spot-on.
[Seoul XX-gu xxx-xx ... Apt 501 Kim Su-hyeon]
"No way? Why? I'm a girl... Wait, I am a girl now?!"
Panicking, Su-hyeon spun in circles mumbling.
"No, it's not. Gotta be a mix-up. Yeah, a dream! This is a dream, right?"
*Snap*
Her self-hypnosis failed; the paper stayed the same.
"Waaah!!"
Su-hyeon flung the door open and bolted next door.
Forgot shoes—cold tile stung her soft soles, but who cared.
Bang bang bang bang—
"Brüel! Brüel!! Open up!!"
Frantic pounding; couldn't reach the doorbell.
The door soon swung open.
"What is it... Whoa!"
Brüel, easing out cautiously, gasped as a tiny warmth latched onto her shin.
"What is this?! How?!"
"Calm down, please, Su-hyeon-nim."
"Do I look calm right now!!"
Su-hyeon dangled from Brüel's leg, shaking it wildly.
A far cry from Ga-eun's composed melancholy.
Brüel struggled to soothe her without hiding her fluster.
Home casuals: loose shorts and slippers instead of her usual skintight fits.
Her long, pale legs were statue-perfect, but the black helmet atop her head undercut the elegance.
"F-First, what happened...?"
"How can I calm down?! I'm a girl—a woman! Why enlistment?!"
"Pardon? Enlistment? What do you...?"
Su-hyeon wailing on her leg looked just like a cat mourning its lost scratching post.