A Turbulent State of Affairs
I apologized. I swallowed my twisted pride and apologized. Because my relationship with my sister was far more important than some petty pride... because I didn't want to be abandoned by her, I apologized. I did, and yet... Seohui's expression remained grim.
"Hmm..." Under her gaze, which felt as though it were piercing right through to my inner soul, I unconsciously lowered my eyes.
"Are you being sincere?"
Unable to look her in the eye, I kept my gaze fixed on the ground.
"Why aren't you answering?"
It wasn't sincere. They were just words forced out of my mouth because I was terrified of her casting me aside.
"Sigh. I guess I was a bit too harsh, too. I'm sorry."
Her words descended upon me like a ray of divine light.
"Oh... yeah..."
"Still, you need to be careful around other people, Sis. There's no need to go around making enemies for no reason, right? The world is a scary place these days. People will nitpick over the absolute smallest things."
I had never experienced anything like that before. But Seohui was probably right.
"Y-yeah..."
Do I really need to be careful...? But with my personality, is that even possible? With a personality as twisted as mine? It's hard enough to fix even when I'm aware of it. I can't even apologize to my own sister properly.
"Geez, look at you getting all downcast just because I got a little angry." Seohui let out a deep sigh, stepped closer, and wrapped her arms tightly around me. "You're not a child."
"Ah, well..."
I still had some kobold blood splattered on my clothes, but she didn't seem to care at all. Seeing her like this made a lump rise in my throat. To a pathetic idiot like me, who couldn't even offer a sincere apology... my sister was being so incredibly kind.
"I'm sorry. Really... I'm sorry."
I felt like I had let my pride get in the way over something completely trivial. After apologizing, I felt too awkward to look her in the face. Seohui, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed, which only made me feel more embarrassed and ashamed.
At any rate, now that the issue with my sister was more or less resolved, I contacted Ah-young and Gyuri. It seemed they had been so worried about me that they hadn't even eaten while waiting for my call. A short while later, the two of them found us in the parking lot.
"Everything went well, right?" Ah-young blurted out the moment she saw us.
"Yes, sorry for causing you guys so much trouble," Seohui said with a smile.
Meanwhile, I was so utterly mortified that I couldn't even lift my head.
"S-so, today..."
"Our personal issues are one thing, but we still have Gates to clear."
Is that so...?
On one hand, I felt a wave of relief. If we had headed straight home, being alone in the car with Seohui would have been incredibly awkward. But with Ah-young and Gyuri around while we cleared Gates, I wouldn't have to walk on eggshells quite as much.
"Um! Since we're already out, could we grab some lunch first?" Gyuri asked, clearly starving. Right on cue, Ah-young's stomach let out a loud growl.
"Ah..." Ah-young's face flushed red with embarrassment.
"Very well, let us eat."
We headed to a restaurant near the Gate. The hot soup and rice tasted decent, but with my sister sitting right across from me, I was too self-conscious to eat properly.
"Not much of an appetite?"
"Oh, yeah..."
Unable to be honest, I just went along with it. At any rate, by the time we finished clearing the Gate two more times, the sun had set and darkness had fallen.
"The days are getting longer, but..."
"It's still night."
Perhaps because some time had passed, the tension from earlier had mostly dissipated. It was still an embarrassing and shameful memory, but I was doing okay now.
"Ahem! I'll be more careful from now on."
"Good. Please, stop making things so hard for me."
How was I supposed to know she was running around cleaning up after me? I had no idea...
"Okay..."
I really should be careful...
I had resolved to behave a bit more gently, but that was easier said than done. I tried to watch my step at the guild, but blunt remarks still slipped out of my mouth, and my habit of speaking informally remained unresolved. I tried to at least be mindful of my attitude, but controlling my facial expressions proved to be a monumental task.
Even so, my reputation did improve slightly. I took the initiative to use my abilities on others. Normally, I hated using my powers on strangers, but I did it for Seohui's sake. I erased old scars, healed post-surgery complications, and even cured hair loss. Once I started sharing my gifts, the public perception of me shifted. I went from being a "cocky rookie S-class" to a "talented rookie." Some even started saying, "So what if she's a little arrogant? She has the skills to back it up."
"My, I never expected you to take the initiative to heal our guild members," Jegal Cheon remarked.
His tone was strangely grating.
"Why? Do I look like a bad person to you?"
"Not necessarily, but you do have a rather difficult impression."
Ha. Annoyed, I knit my brows.
"What are you trying to say?"
"Ahem! Actually, a rather troublesome matter has come up."
His attitude was cautious.
"Well, let's hear it."
He explained that there was a hunter gathering. A global hunter gathering, to be precise.
"The association sends invitations to S-class hunters for this event."
Which meant, naturally, that invitations had arrived for both the Guild Master and me.
"Tsk..."
"You only need to show your face for a moment before leaving."
Since the gathering happened to be held in South Korea this time, he wanted us to attend.
"Do I absolutely have to go?"
"It's not strictly mandatory."
Yet, Jegal Cheon's face practically begged me to go. What a pain...
"I'm only going because you're asking."
"Thank you."
I didn't know why he was so insistent, but he said I'd understand once I got there. The gathering... was today.
Is this guy insane?!
For a formal gathering, shouldn't you dress up? And he's telling me this on the very day of the event? I smacked Jegal Cheon on the back of his head. Even Seohui scolded him when she heard the news.
"Sigh."
I didn't even have anything to wear.
"Sis, what should we do?"
"Well, we still have a bit of time, so I guess we should go buy some clothes."
For this kind of gathering, one had to dress formally. I had clothes at home, but nothing resembling formal wear.
"I-I am truly sorry."
I lightly tapped Jegal Cheon's head with my fist as he bowed in apology.
"Make sure you do better next time."
Since he offered to put the clothes on the guild's expense account, Seohui and I headed to the department store.
"It's been a while since we went clothes shopping like this."
A bitter smile played on my lips as memories of the past surfaced. The boutique we visited was a luxury brand store inside the department store.
"Even if it's on the guild's tab, is this really okay?"
"Come on, if you're going to an event like that, you have to wear luxury brands."
Seohui had repeatedly emphasized that S-classes from other countries would be there, and we couldn't afford to look underdressed.
"So S-classes from other countries are coming..."
If I asked why they were coming, the answer would likely be to gather information on the recently designated S-class Gate.
"They might also be there to see you, Sis."
Since S-class healers were incredibly rare worldwide, there was a high chance of scouting offers.
"I have no intention of leaving the country, though."
"Well, they don't know that."
True enough.
Just because it was a luxury brand didn't mean everything was gaudy and over-the-top. However, even when I found something I liked...
"I don't think this size will fit."
"Unless we go up a size..."
My chest was the issue. While some women's clothing was designed with a larger bust in mind, my breasts were simply too big.
"The fit is a bit off, but it can't be helped."
I ended up purchasing a Dior dress and jacket set, along with a matching handbag.
"Even if it's on the guild's card, I feel like we spent way too much."
"Is that really what you're worried about? Sis, are you going to be okay wearing that?"
The dress had a somewhat revealing design; wearing it left my cleavage completely exposed. It wasn't originally meant to be this revealing, but my chest was simply too large.
"Well, I'll just have to endure it for a few hours."
Aside from the chest area, the dress was relatively modest, so I could manage. After purchasing the clothes and bag, we returned to the guild. Jegal Cheon clutched his head the moment he saw the receipt.
"You know how it is, Oppa," Seohui said.
"I know. That's why I'm not saying anything."
"Why? Did you think my sister would already have formal wear?"
Jegal Cheon subtly avoided her gaze.
"My apologies. I have no interest in fashion, so I rarely go shopping."
"Haha, no, it's fine. Um, as for your partner..."
Since the Guild Master was also attending...
"So the Guild Master is my partner?"
"Yes. Even if it's uncomfortable, please bear with it."
"Why would it be uncomfortable?"
Acting as the partner to that taciturn man would actually be much easier.
At any rate, I changed into the clothes in the guild's dressing room, transferred my belongings to the new bag, and even applied some light makeup.
"Sigh, to think I'm even wearing makeup."
"Sis, you know how to touch up your makeup on your own, right?"
Of course...
"I can manage."
"Then that's fine. You look extra pretty today, Sis."
A chuckle escaped my lips at Seohui's compliment.
"I am always beautiful, dear."
"True."
Her immediate agreement actually made me feel a bit embarrassed.
At any rate, when I went to meet the Guild Master for my escort...
"Oh my. Are you really going dressed like that?"
Namgung Min stood there wearing a modified Hanbok.
"Hmm."
"Sigh, of course he is," Seohui muttered.
It suited him well, but...
"You really don't know how to be considerate of your partner."
If I stood next to him, the contrast would look bizarre.
"It matters not," he replied, his tone suggesting it didn't make a difference since we were only showing our faces briefly before leaving.
"Let us go, then."
I extended my hand, expecting Namgung Min to escort me. He just stared blankly at it. For a moment, I was utterly speechless.
"Do you... perhaps not know how to escort a lady?"
"A-Ah, no, it's just..."
"And that's why he's still single," Jegal Cheon muttered from behind us.
Frustrated, I looked at Namgung Min, who wore a genuinely clueless expression.
"Pfft, hahaha."
I couldn't hold back my laughter.
"So you wore those clothes because you have zero escort experience and no intention of doing so."
"I-I am sorry."
Seohui and I let out a collective sigh.
"Seohui, shouldn't you have taught him this kind of thing beforehand?"
"How am I supposed to teach my brother?"
True...
"Anyway, let's go."
Left with no choice, we decided to just head out. We went down to the parking lot, but headed to a different section than usual. The car parked there was quite different from the ones we normally used.
"Is this an import?"
"Yes. We rarely use it, but it was purchased for official business."
Indeed, there are always people who compare such things. To avoid being looked down upon, one has to show off when the situation calls for it.
I walked toward the passenger seat... but our Guild Master, lacking any sense of etiquette, didn't even think to open the door for me. He really had zero experience in escorting. I might have to teach him myself later, or tell the Vice Guild Master to get him some proper training... I didn't know what the future held, but there was a high chance we would attend guild events together. If the Guild Master acted like this every single time, it would be incredibly off-putting. At any rate, we got into the car and set off for the gathering.