Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Interlocking Gears (1)
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Good times pass quickly, they say.
Using the excuse that she had caught a cold and couldn't help it, Hye-eun stayed in my room for one more day, and we shared a bit more intimacy of heart and body.
And so, after spending yet another night together with her—even into the second night at my place—the next morning arrived.
Somehow, we'd both ended up taking two days off in a row, so now it was time for both of us to return to our daily routines.
We'd nursed each other's illnesses and truly opened our hearts to one another.
And we'd had sex twice.
It might not seem like the most productive activities.
But in terms of the fact that I'd confessed everything to Hye-eun, those days had been more than worthwhile.
To be honest, it wasn't everything.
I hadn't told her how the "Hunter Lust Manager" awakening ability actually worked, or about the various artifacts I'd bought with points.
Nor had I mentioned other skills like Flame Magic or Healing.
It wasn't that I was deliberately hiding them; I planned to reveal them when the time was right.
I just felt it was a bit too early still.
Explaining the ability that grew stronger through sex had already required quite a bit of convincing.
Piling on more information all at once would be too much for her to take in right away.
I'll just reveal the rest little by little as needed.
For now, with what I'd already confessed to Hye-eun, my conscience felt clear.
"Uuuuugh~~!!!"
Hye-eun stretched with such force it seemed like she'd unravel every muscle in her body, which naturally woke me up as well.
Just like a married couple rising from the same bed, she and I sat up together.
"How's your body feeling?"
"Completely refreshed! After being nursed all day by you, Tae-kyung!"
"Glad to hear it."
I'd been worried her chills might linger into the next day.
But those concerns were completely dispelled—she was back to full condition today.
After that, as we changed clothes and got ready to head out, we chatted about my hunter awakening and such.
"So, you've only been awakened as a hunter for about a month, Tae-kyung?"
"Yeah. To be precise, it happened the day we first had sex. It was my first time with someone that day, too."
"Really? So that sex we had was truly your first experience?"
"...Yeah. Kinda embarrassing."
"Hee-hee, heh-heh-heh..."
It was pure coincidence, but she seemed pretty pleased about being the one to take my first time.
Hye-eun let out a satisfied chuckle while changing her clothes.
"I'm glad... that I got to have your first experience, Tae-kyung..."
"...I'm sorry about that day. I basically used you for my awakening."
"But your virginity became mine because of it, so it's fine.
If someone else had taken your first time for any reason, I would've been way sadder."
"Thanks for thinking of it that way."
In this world, a man's virginity held as much value as a woman's in the previous one.
Evidently, the fact that she'd taken my first time meant quite a lot to her.
"So, what are you going to do from now on, Tae-kyung?"
"Hm?"
"You promised me, so you have to become the best hunter now.
To keep that promise, you'll need to reach at least SS or SSS rank. Got any plans?"
"Plans..."
Of course, I wasn't planning to just charge ahead blindly; I had a plan for advancing to the next stage as a hunter.
Well, I was going to tell her after switching to the company anyway, so now was as good a time as any.
"My next goal is to join the Sky Blue Shield party."
"......Huh?"
Hye-eun tilted her head at me, clearly confused by my words.
"Sky Blue Shield... is our party?"
A perfectly natural response from the leader of Sky Blue Shield.
"Yeah, exactly."
"For real? You're saying you want to join our party, Tae-kyung?"
"Is that not okay?"
"Of course it's okay!!"
Having heard my next plan, she suddenly got all excited and started rambling.
"Perfect timing, Tae-kyung. I was thinking of adding one more member to the party anyway. Ideally a dealer or healer.
You handle the sword, so you'd fit right in, and after about a year of syncing up, you'd be combat-ready right away..."
"Calm down, Hye-eun. I haven't officially decided to join yet."
After calming her down—she was already talking like I was a full party member—I explained the specifics of joining her party.
"For starters, I can't join right now. I'm still with the guild."
"Oh, right. Yeah, I got ahead of myself..."
"Plus, I'm only C-rank. I'd just be a hindrance if I jumped in now."
I showed her my bronze hunter badge, and her head tilted slightly.
"C-rank hunter... Kim Sung-chul?"
"I registered under a fake name since I wasn't sure how things would go. You know the guild doesn't check that stuff."
"True. It's more like a dungeon management office than a real guild."
"Still, no place levels you up faster, so I'll go to B-rank there before switching jobs."
"Yeah, that'd be quickest. Assuming your skills hold up."
True to her experience as a veteran hunter longer than me, she immediately grasped my plan and nodded.
"But it's bold to start at the guild instead of a company."
"Hm?"
"To switch to a company while keeping your B-rank guild cert, you need a recommendation from at least an A-rank hunter.
I can write one for you now, but what if you hadn't told me?"
"...Actually, someone already agreed to write one for me."
"......"
It might hurt Hye-eun's feelings since she'd already decided to write one for me.
But I confessed first that someone else had agreed to it.
"I... see. Well, you did say you... had relations with other hunters besides me..."
"Yeah. So for the company switch, I'll lean on her."
"But already that close? It's only been a month since you awakened.
Sex is one thing, but close enough for a recommendation? That seems off..."
"Normally, yeah."
Writing a recommendation ties to her credibility, so it's a big risk.
But I had someone at the company close enough to take that risk.
"Min-ah agreed to write it, so it's fine."
"......Huh?"
Her movements paused as she put on her plate gloves for work.
"Min-ah? You mean the Han Min-ah I know?"
"Yeah, that's her."
"You two have been in touch? She told me she wasn't talking to you..."
"We met recently. My awakening gets stronger the more I connect with female hunters.
Han Min-ah came to mind since I knew her, so I went to her place, and that's when it happened."
"R-Really...? That b*tch—uh, no, Min-ah had sex with you, Tae-kyung?
That's weird... I could've sworn I told her you were definitely my boyfriend...?"
Her voice suddenly turned icy, radiating clear killing intent toward an obvious target.
For the absent someone's safety, I hurriedly added more explanation.
"Calm down, Hye-eun. It was unavoidable."
"What could be so unavoidable that she'd steal her friend's boyfriend...?"
"The day I went to her place happened to be her heat cycle. You know her awakening ability since you're in the same party, right?"
"......Ah."
She understood immediately, and the killing intent vanished.
"Min-ah couldn't help it either, so forgive her. And after, she apologized profusely for jumping me."
"I... see. I almost misunderstood my friend for nothing..."
"Han Min-ah struggles with heat suppressants every cycle, so I thought of helping with that.
You know her family situation, Hye-eun."
"Yeah... Those suppressants aren't cheap..."
Han Min-ah had been friends with not just me but Hye-eun since high school, so she knew her circumstances well.
Considering that, she couldn't press too hard on Min-ah jumping me in heat.
Besides, it was mutually beneficial—one saved on suppressants, the other boosted hunter power.
No real victims in the end.
"Actually, Min-ah wanted to tell you right away. I asked her to wait until I told you myself.
So don't grill her. I'd feel bad for her."
She'd asked me to keep it secret, but if it messed up her friendships because of that, I'd have no face left.
"G-Grill her? As if I'd do that to Min-ah."
"You promise?"
"O-Of course! You said you'd help me get stronger anyway!
If you get stronger by sleeping with Min-ah, it's good for me too! Right!"
"Thanks for saying that, Hye-eun."
In my mind, I silently apologized to Min-ah, who'd unknowingly weathered Hye-eun's killing intent.
"...And I've met Cha Yu-ri from Sky Blue Shield a couple times too..."
"What? Whaaaaat???"
Explaining how I'd met Cha Yu-ri by chance took even longer than with Han Min-ah.