The Two of Us in the Labyrinth (1)

Time passed, as it always does, and the Camping Club's activities began in earnest.

"Whoa... we've got a lot of promising kids joining this time."

Club President Jeong Tae-sung looked over the new members as he said it. Beside him, Vice President Lee Jae-min shook his head at the stack of application forms in his hands.

"Tell me about it. Honestly, I never expected this many people to apply."

"Just sorting through the applications took days."

"I don't think I've ever spent an entire day looking at nothing but paperwork."

Jeong Tae-sung laughed.

"Still, it paid off, didn't it? Results like this make all that work worth it."

"That's true. We did get a lot of good people."

Jeong Tae-sung's gaze swept the new members gathered around them.

"But the biggest surprise is something else entirely."

"You mean Kim Jin-hyuk?"

Jeong Tae-sung nodded.

"Yeah. I never thought that guy would join our club."

"And then there's Lee Si-hyun and Kang Ha-rin on top of that."

Jeong Tae-sung let out a short laugh.

"This year's a real jackpot."

Yeah. A jackpot, all right.

I stood off to the side, quietly listening to the two of them talk, then let my gaze drift forward.

No matter how many times I look, this scene still doesn't make any sense.

Kim Jin-hyuk was laughing and chatting with the friends gathered around him, while Lee Si-hyun hovered at his side, carefully trying to ease her way into the conversation. A little farther off, Kang Ha-rin watched the whole thing in silence.

Seeing the original novel's main cast all gathered in one place like this left me with a peculiar feeling.

I shifted my gaze a little farther to the side. Over there, a girl was watching Jin-hyuk — and only Jin-hyuk — from a distance.

So she came too.

There was a major character among them who still hadn't made much of a name for herself with anyone else.

Seo Yoon-ah.

A girl whose talent would one day devour the entire field of alchemy. Kim Jin-hyuk's childhood friend, close since they were small. She was a first-year now, and that talent had yet to show itself. In other words, she was still an uncut gem — raw potential that no one had recognized.

I casually started walking toward her.

"Hey."

"......Excuse me?"

Seo Yoon-ah turned at the sudden greeting.

"Oh. Hello."

She looked puzzled for a moment, then offered a light greeting in return.

My reason for approaching her was simple.

Stake my claim before anyone else discovers her.

And to do that, I needed to start by getting on her good side.

"Um, just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠checking — you're a second-year, right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Is there something you needed?"

"You like Kim Jin-hyuk, don't you?"

"What? W-wait. Hold on. What are you suddenly—"

"I'll tell you what Kim Jin-hyuk likes."

The affinity play I'd come up with: tell a girl what her crush is into. Nothing makes you friends faster than that.

"What's wrong? Did I startle you?"

"Come on, no need to hide it from me."

"Just follow my lead and Kim Jin-hyuk will naturally—"

Seo Yoon-ah's expression went cold.

"...I think that's enough."

"Who even are you? Why are you suddenly talking about my feelings like you know them, and offering to tell me what Senior Jin-hyuk likes?"

Her brow furrowed slightly.

"Are you making fun of me?"

Huh.

Did I mess this up?

"No, I'm not making fun of you. I was trying to help—"

"I don't need it. Please leave."

Seo Yoon-ah cut me off, her voice ice-cold.

"I don't particularly want to hear that kind of thing from a complete stranger."

With that, she turned and walked away without a backward glance.

......

"...Did I just screw this?"

I stared blankly at Seo Yoon-ah's receding back.

Then Jeong Tae-sung's voice rang out from up ahead.

"All right, everyone ready?"

He looked around at the assembled club members.

"Our destination this time is Cheongun Mountain."

"It's a low-mana region, so hiking there is going to feel a little different from other mountains."

A few of the new members tilted their heads at that.

"They say seeing is believing. Better to experience it yourselves than listen to me talk."

"That's enough talking. Let's get moving."

The moment Jeong Tae-sung finished, the club members gathered their gear and started to move.

"Everyone step inside the magic circle."

Following Lee Jae-min's directions, the members climbed onto the circle one by one.

"I think this is the first time I've used one of these since coming to Frontier."

"Feels like it's been forever since I went hiking."

"This is gonna be fun."

The new members looked around with bright, excited faces. The first-years especially — this was their first club activity, and it showed. They were practically buzzing with anticipation.

Jeong Tae-sung laughed at the sight.

"Haha, don't get your hopes up too high. It might be harder than you think."

"All right. We're moving out."

The magic circle hummed, flaring with a deep blue light.

"Hah... hah..."

"This is harder than I expected."

The excitement from earlier had faded with every passing minute. A few of the first-years were catching their breath, their pace slowing to a crawl.

"I've been in dungeons plenty of times, but hiking's a whole different thing."

"Right? This might actually be harder than fighting monsters."

"Senior, how much farther?!"

Jeong Tae-sung laughed at the new members' complaints.

"I told you it'd be tough."

"Just a little more and we'll hit base camp. Hang in there until then."

There was a reason the kids were struggling this much. Just as the body tires easily in thin air, the concentration of mana in the surroundings affects a person's condition. In a low-mana region like Cheongun Mountain, even using magic the way you normally would — even simply moving your body — started to take its toll.

I figured this would happen. That's why I came prepared.

I rolled the gum around in my mouth, my expression perfectly casual.

Probably because it was a conditional item. An insanely cost-effective one, too — only 3,000 points for a whole pack. Which meant 600 points a piece.

I palmed the remaining gum and approached Seo Yoon-ah again. This time, I had no intention of repeating my earlier mistake.

"Hey."

The moment she saw me, Seo Yoon-ah's face scrunched up and she took a step back.

"Look, I'm sorry about earlier."

"This is my apology."

I held out one of the pieces of gum in my hand. Seo Yoon-ah looked from the gum to me and back again.

"......"

"What is this?"

"Gum, as you can see."

"Yes, I can see that."

Her expression shifted, growing faintly complicated.

"You don't actually think this counts as an apology, do you?"

"No, that's not really what I meant."

"I just felt bad about earlier."

"Is there any way I can make it up to you?"

"......"

Seo Yoon-ah looked at me for a moment, then let out a sigh.

"...Fine. I'll take it."

"Huh?"

"You look like you'd just keep standing there holding it out."

She accepted the gum, reluctantly. After a brief hesitation, she tore open the wrapper and put it in her mouth.

"......"

"Well?"

Her expression began to change, bit by bit.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Hold on."

She rolled the gum around in her mouth, her eyes narrowing.

"This..."

"How did you make this?"

I grinned.

Hook, line, and sinker.

My second plan. The first one had gone down in spectacular flames, so I'd had to come up with this one on the fly. I'd figured that if she was an alchemy type, she'd take the bait for sure. She was almost as interested in alchemy as she was in Jin-hyuk.

"Curious?"

"Yes. This is actually worth researching."

"Then help me out later."

"...Excuse me?"

"With making things like this."

I held up the extra gum still in my hand.

"When I need something made, I want you to make it for me."

"In exchange, I'll keep supplying you with research materials."

Seo Yoon-ah considered that for a moment.

"......"

"All right."

"I'll help you."

She said it evenly, without much emotion.

"But as promised — you'll tell me how you made the gum."

"And you'll provide the materials I need for research. That's the deal."

"Of course."

"Then we have an agreement."

Got it.

Establishing a connection with Seo Yoon-ah. For now, just building a relationship I could call on when I needed help later was enough.

"Also... could I have two more pieces of that gum?"

Seo Yoon-ah asked carefully from beside me.

"Why?"

"One for research..."

She paused.

"And the other is a secret."

"......"

I had a pretty good idea, but.

"Well, no reason I can't."

We were basically partners at this point, so I figured I might as well give them to her.

"Thank you."

Seo Yoon-ah took the gum, hesitated for a moment, then started walking toward Kim Jin-hyuk.

Called it.

Before I knew it, the sun was going down.

At base camp, club members were bustling in every direction — some prepping dinner, some tidying the area, some getting the campfire ready. Everyone had a job, and they were all busy doing it.

I'd finished my assigned work, so I was taking a break with a drink ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of water.

"Bring the ingredients over here, please!"

"Tables are all set up!"

"Where's the firewood?"

Lee Jae-min, who was in charge of the campfire, looked around as he spoke. I naturally turned my attention that way.

"Ah, we're short on firewood."

Lee Si-hyun, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠standing nearby, heard him.

"I'll go get some."

"Oh? That'd be great, but..."

"Everyone else looks busy, and my hands happen to be free right now anyway."

"Hmm... well, in that case. Hold on a second."

Lee Jae-min scanned the area. Then his eyes met mine — I was sitting off to one side, taking a break.

"Seol Dam."

"Yes?"

"If you have a moment, could you go with Si-hyun and help her bring back some firewood?"

Huh? Me?

I froze for a second at the unexpected request. Next to him, she looked a little startled herself.

"I'd rather not send her alone. It could be dangerous. I'd appreciate it."

Lee Jae-min said it carefully, looking apologetic.

"Ah... um..."

"We're just short on people right now. Just this once, please."

"...Understood. I'll go."

Looking at that face, I couldn't bring myself to refuse.

"...Why does it have to be you."

I could hear Lee Si-hyun muttering beside me.

"Don't ask me."

"You could've just said no."

"Could you have said no, if it were you?"

"......"

"See? You can't even answer."

Lee Si-hyun's lips pushed out in a small pout.

"You've changed, you know that?"

"Changed how."

"I don't know. There's just something."

I didn't answer. I just kept looking ahead.

A stretch of silence followed. Then Lee Si-hyun asked, out of nowhere.

"Why'd you even apply to the Camping Club in the first place?"

"I submitted my application before you did, you know."

"...What?"

"I put it in the second the club applications opened."

Lee Si-hyun stared at me like she couldn't believe it.

"No way."

"Why not?"

"You actually like this kind of thing?"

"More or less."

"I had no idea."

"What's it to you? Less talking, more firewood. Let's grab some and get back. It's getting dark."

"...Fine."

We started gathering the dry branches piled nearby, one by one. The firewood came together faster than I'd expected.

"This should be enough, right?"

"Yeah. This looks good."

I nodded, looking at the pile we'd collected off to the side.

"Let's head back."

We'd only taken a few steps with the firewood in our arms when—

"...Wait."

Lee Si-hyun stopped walking.

"What?"

"No..."

She slowly looked around.

"I feel like I've seen this scenery before. From back there."

At that, I surveyed our surroundings too.

Trees we had already passed. Rocks that looked just like the ones before.

A cold, uneasy feeling slid down my spine.

"......"

Oh. Hold on.

Hahahaha... we're so fucked.

I stared blankly at the message floating in front of me.