#07. Growth (1)
After setting my weapons down in my room, I stepped out. While coming out, I kept thinking to myself, “Is this situation too emotional?” Even though the regressor didn’t speak first, I suggested going out to eat together. Isn’t the word “eat” almost like a date? It was a new thought that our relationship had grown closer. I had never shown such behavior until now. Without a doubt, the change was clearly a rare thing. The problem was that, because of Kang Hana, my mood felt very uncomfortable.
“Heh.”
Kang Hana was dressed in ordinary modern clothes. But her enormous chest couldn’t be hidden by normal attire. It only stood out more. “Nuna, what do you mean you were hungry? Let’s go eat that.”
“Is it okay…?”
“Yes. I received help from you today, right? I’ll treat you.”
“No… I don’t need to… I, I’ll treat you since I’m the one who bought it…!”
After finishing preparations, we left the inn and strolled the streets. The sun was setting past noon, so players in unusual outfits appeared here and there. Kang Hana took us to a shop.
“…It’s surprisingly ordinary.”
“Really…? I just wanted to go somewhere ordinary…”
Even though I thought she’d eat something extravagant, the place Kang Hana entered was an ordinary meat restaurant. A modern feel filled the air. I could’ve eaten meat or drink before being summoned to the Tower of Struggle. The thought came naturally, but because of how eagerly Kang Hana was waiting, I held my tongue.
“I’ll grill it for you.”
“Uh, yeah… Thanks…”
I snatched the tongs from Kang Hana’s hand. I felt a strong urge to do it myself, but since I had the personality to grill what I bought, I had no choice. Sizzle—.
I placed the meat on the pan and continued our conversation roughly.
Our group came from different dimensions, but we weren’t that different in thinking. “That celebrity?” “The president?” “Coins too?”
Except for the existence of superpowers, we didn’t differ much in culture. Maybe the author was just lazy. Clink—.
“Uhh.”
After one or two drinks, Kang Hana’s face turned red. Even that strong “Body Reinforcement” couldn’t overcome alcohol. Kang Hana started laughing emptily.
“…Nuna.”
“Mm.”
“What’s your ideal type?”
Yoo Dahui, who had emptied her glass alone, asked casually. It was about men. In the novel, Kang Hana always avoided talking about men. She just ran away from Yoo Dahui’s seduction. She never said anything herself.
“I…”
What? Is she talking about ideal type? At this point, I started doubting if the novel skipped something. If the novel is incomplete, I lose either way. Kang Hana glanced at me and whispered.
“Well, not really… there’s no one special…”
“No one? There must be someone you’re attracted to, right?”
“Uh-huh, I can’t think of anyone. I’d be happy if someone just liked me…”
Kang Hana lowered her head and muttered. I wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol making her blush or the embarrassment. Yoo Dahui stared at me hard. Next was my turn, apparently.
“You?”
How did I answer last time? “A small woman who cooks well.”
“…For real?”
“Yeah.”
I emptied my glass. The alcohol burning down my throat made my expression frown automatically. Yoo Dahui narrowed her eyes like she was dissatisfied with my answer.
“Ha… No matter how I look, you seem like you. What am I supposed to do…?”
No, huh? Suddenly?
“What?”
“There’s something like that.”
I tried to stay calm. I knew nothing. I didn’t know when I got caught, but it was important to figure things out from now on. If I made the wrong move, I’d cross a river I couldn’t return from.
“Let’s settle this with a draw…”
Until I got the mask with the “Illusion Disguise” option on the first floor, I’d stay away from Yoo Dahui. I was restraining myself.
“Hey, you’re curious, right? Tell me.”
“No. It’s not something good to talk about.”
Yoo Dahui was firm. She looked a bit troubled. It felt like she was about to do something bad.
“A glass alone is lonely.”
Yoo Dahui raised her glass. I decided to give up on the already tipsy Kang Hana as out of play.
Clink—.
“Kuh… I feel like I’m going to die…”
The more I drank, the more I collapsed. No matter how I tried to hold on, I couldn’t beat Yoo Dahui. How much protagonist buff did she get to become such a heavy drinker? While the world spun around me, Yoo Dahui’s appearance stayed too perfect. She looked exactly the same as at the start, as if she hadn’t drunk even one glass. Kang Hana flinched.
“Uuwah…! I think I’m going to puke…”
“Nuna, should we go to the restroom together?”
“Yeah… Let’s go together…”
Yoo Dahui supported Kang Hana and headed to the bathroom. There were other people at the meat restaurant besides us, mostly humans. It wasn’t too many, so it wasn’t noisy.
“You’re back.”
“You rested a lot, right? Here, drink.”
Yoo Dahui sat Kang Hana in the chair and raised her glass. Those two, they’re going to finish me. Damn it…
Clink—.
Hold on. Hold on again. Clink—.
Oh shit. Don’t hold on. I feel like I’m going to die. For real. “Hey, hey. I can’t drink. I think I’m going to puke.”
“Puke and come back.”
“No… I just drank, so it’d be a waste if I puke.”
“If you’re wasted, drink it all. There’s still a long way to go.”
Yoo Dahui stared at me and emptied her glass. Then she nodded her head. Ugh, scary. “Kuuuuh!”
I emptied the glass. I was slowly going crazy wanting to sleep. If I lay on the bed, I could sleep in honey-like bliss while falling into the abyss.
“…Jinwoo.”
“What?”
“There’s something I’ve been curious about.”
“…What?”
“It’s just that a story about a person I know suddenly came to mind. I wonder if I gave the right advice back then. I’m curious what you’d say if it were you. Listen carefully and tell me your thoughts.”
It’s about an acquaintance? It’s about you and me. Yoo Dahui poured more alcohol into my glass and started speaking.
“My acquaintance was raped.”
Eh? How did she jump in like that?
“But my acquaintance had a bit of pride. No, really strong pride. That’s why she couldn’t just let the rapist be. The law’s judgment was a shame. She wanted to catch and kill the guy herself…”
“……”
Yoo Dahui took a sip of her drink. I immediately refilled her glass.
“But it’s not like he wasn’t visible at all. Surprisingly, there were many clues. After checking everything, it narrowed down to about one person. There was someone nearby who fit the rapist’s description… But she said she was really confused. Because it was someone she knew and had been close with, she kept hesitating. ‘Is this really the person?’”
“Ah…”
“My acquaintance said she wanted to believe in that person. Because she was someone who was there for her when she was in trouble. She really wanted to believe… but she couldn’t.”
Yoo Dahui smiled faintly and emptied her glass. Her smile was brighter than any other. “It’s funny. If that person were beside her… she’d get the information she needed at the right time, a strong ally would drop from the sky, and everything would go smoothly. The things that were hard when she went alone became easy with that person.”
“Hey?”
“Doesn’t it feel scary to die? She doesn’t take care of her own body and helps so hard…”
“……”
“How can you doubt? It’s a shame…”
Alcohol suddenly left my system. My mind was instead getting clearer. “Are you drunk?”
“Drunk? I’m not drunk. I drink more than you by a few bottles. You can’t drink at all.”
“How do you know that?”
“I know everything. There’s nothing I don’t know. Ah. There is one thing I don’t know.”
Yoo Dahui’s eyes boiled with anger.
“That bastard’s face.”
“Who’s that bastard?”
“There is. A person who looks like you.”
Damn, it’s over. Just before getting caught. Yoo Dahui stared at me and smiled mischievously. “Anyway, you won’t remember. If there’s something you’re curious about from Nuna, ask. I’ll tell you everything.”
“I have the personality to remember everything I heard while drunk. Drunken confession? There are a ton of people who made their black history in front of me.”
“Ah, yeah, yeah. Impressive. Kim Jinwoo. Then you’ll be able to endure more?”
Shit…
“Why didn’t you go up to the first floor today?”
“Just because. That guy was annoying.”
“What’s the task?”
“There is one. But it’s not something I can do right now.”
Yoo Dahui emptied her glass.
“What are you doing? Not drinking?”
I followed and emptied my glass too.
“……”
How much time passed?
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Return by Death
“……!”
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Welcome, players. Bright sunlight. A vast Colosseum square. And a helper fairy. The tutorial has started again.