Hong Yeon-hwa Is Curious

Before long, we arrived in front of a sprawling commercial building.

It was the Downtown General Store.

If the Elven Magic Tool Shop focused strictly on archery, earth, wood, and nature-aligned wares favored by the pointed-ears, this place traded in practically everything under the sun.

The sheer volume of inventory is staggering, too.

Of course, with such overwhelming quantity came an equally vast variance in quality, and much of it tilted decidedly toward the mediocre. While the Elven shop took only a brisk scan of the A-rank corner to pick it clean, this general store required unearthing hidden gems buried deep within floors packed to the rafters.

It was bound to take time, demanding an equal measure of luck and keen discernment.

Naturally, I wasn't particularly worried on that count.

When it comes to a sharp eye, nobody beats me.

As a battle-tested veteran of the game, I could tell at a single glance whether an item was trash, treasure, or harboring some obscure, hidden utility. Besides, I had brought along our very own lucky sloth. This expedition might wrap up far sooner than expected.

Plus, as an added bonus...

"Hong Yeon-hwa."

"H-Huh...?"

"Got anything you need to buy?"

"No...? Not really...?"

...I had brought our walking butane lighter, Hong Yeon-hwa.

Why had she tagged along all the way to the general store when she didn't even want to shop? Judging by how often her eyes darted toward the two of us rather than the merchandise on display, she seemed dying of curiosity about what we were after.

No need to chase her away, though.

While the items I wanted were tied to boosting my specs, they weren't top-secret intel that needed to be guarded under lock and key. Besides, she might prove helpful in unexpected ways.

And so, I decided to let Hong Yeon-hwa trail along.

Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Seo Ye-in, I gave the order.

"Bokdeong-i Radar, initiate."

"Vrrr—"

In a completely deadpan drone, Seo Ye-in mimicked the whir of radar machinery. She slowly panned her gaze to the left, swung it to the right, tilted her head in thought, and then pointed toward the stairwell.

"Vrrr."

"Upstairs?"

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"Vrrr."

Following the coordinates of the Bokdeong-i Radar, I mounted the steps. Hong Yeon-hwa trailed in our wake, wearing an expression that practically screamed, Are they serious?

Reaching the next floor, Seo Ye-in recalibrated her trajectory once more.

"Vrrr."

"Over there, got it."

The shelves she pointed toward displayed an array of ice-aligned items. I moved forward to inspect the selection together, but Seo Ye-in stopped dead in her tracks before reaching the display.

"..."

"What's wrong?"

"...Cold."

She even took a deliberate step backward.

With so many ice artifacts clustered in one spot, the immediate vicinity radiated a distinct chill. Given the innate habits of a sloth that detested the cold, it made sense that she didn't want to go anywhere near it.

I said casually, "Stay here, then. I'll take a quick look."

"Mm..."

The Bokdeong-i Radar had already performed its duty admirably. There was no need to drag her into the freezer. After depositing Seo Ye-in on a nearby display sofa, I walked over to the shelves alone and began combing through the stock.

Hong Yeon-hwa edged closer, hovering hesitantly before asking in a tentative voice, "What kind of... item are you looking for?"

"Mainly penalty reduction. Cooldown reduction would be even better."

"Cooldown reduction..."

Repeating the words under her breath, Hong Yeon-hwa turned to inspect the shelves on the opposite side, clearly intent on helping.

For a while, we silently scrutinized one artifact after another, until I felt Hong Yeon-hwa suddenly freeze.

Peering over my shoulder, I asked, "Find something?"

"N-No. I don't think this is it."

"What is it? Let me see."

She might have thought she was mistaken, but there had to be a reason she hesitated. Deciding it was best to verify, I stepped over to her side. Hong Yeon-hwa gingerly raised a finger, pointing toward a secluded corner of the display.

"That... thing."

It was a chunk of ice roughly the size of a child's fist. Its peculiar feature was what lay entombed within: an hour hand, a minute hand, and a second hand, frozen like the face of a clock.

The sloth radar never misses.

It was precisely the cooldown reduction item I had been searching for. The restriction limiting it exclusively to the Ice affinity was a bit of a snag, but...

"Hong Yeon-hwa."

"Y-Yes?"

"Good job."

"...?"

Hong Yeon-hwa looked slightly bewildered, but receiving praise clearly delighted her, as her face brightened instantly.

First, I carried the Frozen Time Crystal over to Seo Ye-in. She had already started dozing off in the short time I'd been gone, but she blinked awake as I approached.

"My lady, this is the one."

"Swipe."

Trusting my judgment without question, Seo Ye-in barely glanced at it before whipping out her Black Card. After completing the checkout at lightning speed, I called over to Hong Yeon-hwa once more.

"Hong Yeon-hwa."

"...?"

"Melt this for me, would you?"

Hong Yeon-hwa's unique trait: Aquaflame. Boasting overwhelming elemental superiority against ice, it could liquefy virtually any frost in the blink of an eye.

"..."

Having once again been treated as a glorified portable lighter, a flash of indignation crossed Hong Yeon-hwa's features. But under my silent, expectant gaze, she quietly lowered her eyes and raised her index finger.

Fwoosh...

It was a tiny flicker of flame, bashful as her gesture, yet its potency was anything but modest. The moment it touched the fire, the Frozen Time Crystal liquefied into slush before evaporating entirely. In the very next instant, all that remained floating atop Hong Yeon-hwa's palm were the hour, minute, and second hands.

A hidden piece tied to various 'Frozen' items. While perfectly functional in its original state, melting it away with magical fire stripped away its restrictions completely.

I offered Hong Yeon-hwa my sincere thanks. "Thanks. This is B-rank, so it wouldn't have melted easily. You handled it in a single shot."

"N-No, it's nothing. I barely did anything..."

Hong Yeon-hwa waved her hands in frantic denial, yet the corners of her lips were already twitching upward into a grin. She still had a long way to go when it came to hiding her feelings.

Now that I had secured the Time Crystal, I resolved to use it on the spot. While lower cooldowns benefited any ability, my absolute highest priority right now was Penance. Not only did it carry a staggering seven-day cooldown, but unlike Amplification or Bestowal, it lacked a rank. Because methods to develop or enhance it were exceedingly rare, it held top priority.

Although the description promised only a "slight" reduction, a baseline of seven days meant shaving off an entire day. This alone would make coordinating future training schedules considerably smoother. It would also relieve a good deal of the suffocating pressure whenever I chained it with Octopus Arms.

Afterward, I spent the remaining afternoon wandering the commercial district alongside Hong Yeon-hwa and Seo Ye-in, heading back to the dormitories just as dusk began to fall.

Back at the Ruby Magic Tower club room.

Her older sister, Hong Ye-hwa, eyed Hong Yeon-hwa with a suspicious squint. Finding the persistent gaze prickly, Hong Yeon-hwa asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Did something good happen?"

Though she hadn't realized it herself, Hong Yeon-hwa had been humming with a goofy, dreamy smile ever since stepping through the door. Her inner thoughts remained stamped squarely across her face.

Still sporting that silly grin, Hong Yeon-hwa replied, "Nothing special. Here, Sis, have some bread."

With that, she plunked a paper bakery bag onto the desk. Hong Ye-hwa peeked inside and retrieved a Hellfire Pizza Bread.

"What's gotten into you? Look at you being thoughtful."

"Just thought of you."

"Thanks, I'll enjoy it."

Taking a hearty bite of the Hellfire Pizza Bread, Hong Ye-hwa nodded slowly in appreciation. A normal person would have been screaming and scrambling for water, but an outrageous spice tolerance ran in the family.

A heartwarming sisterly moment seemed to blossom—until a sudden thought struck Hong Ye-hwa like lightning.

"...Wait. How did you buy this?"

"What do you mean, 'how'? At the bakery."

"I'm asking how you even got in."

Downtown bakery pastries were sold in extremely limited quantities at the student cafeteria. Actually stepping inside the establishment to purchase bread or dine in person was impossible without a special meal coupon. And those coupons were a luxury that even third-year club presidents like Hong Ye-hwa couldn't acquire on a whim. Naturally, suspicions flared.

Sensing the sudden chill in her sister's tone, Hong Yeon-hwa braced herself, but decided to answer truthfully.

"Well, I didn't get the coupon. We ate there together."

"With whom?"

"...Kim Ho?"

"..."

Hong Ye-hwa blinked twice. Setting down the half-eaten Hellfire Pizza Bread, she rose from her chair and advanced toward her younger sister, one slow, deliberate step after another.

Her palm began to crackle and blaze with shimmering fire, gearing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠up for her customary Flame Back-Smack. Instantly sensing mortal danger, Hong Yeon-hwa threw up her guard and scrambled backward.

"W-What are you doing?! Why?!"

"You claimed you didn't like him. Yet you're going on dates in the commercial district?!"

"It wasn't a date!"

"Eating a meal together, just the two of you, is a date!"

Hong Ye-hwa closed the distance with predatory resolve. Hong Yeon-hwa retreated step by frantic step until her back met the wall. Even so, she wasn't entirely without a defense.

"I-It wasn't just the two of us!"

"Then who else?"

"Seo Ye-in was there too!"

"Seo Ye-in?"

Hong Ye-hwa's eyebrows arched. It wasn't an unfamiliar name. Raking her memory, she recalled the girl as an opponent her sister had clashed with several times in PvP combat. A gunner class—meaning Hong Yeon-hwa, burdened by an unfavorable matchup, had lost most of those bouts. Come to think of it, she recalled hearing rumors that Kim Ho and Seo Ye-in were practically joined at the hip.

Hong Ye-hwa asked, "What's the deal between those two? Are they dating?"

"How should I know?"

"Go ask."

This time, Hong Yeon-hwa bristled indignantly.

"Why on earth would I ask that?!"

"Why couldn't you?"

"Why are you so nosy about other people's business, Sis?!"

"I'm doing this because of you, you idiot! For you!"

Whomever Kim Ho dated was none of Hong Ye-hwa's concern—so long as it wasn't her own sister. If Kim Ho and Seo Ye-in were truly a couple as suspected, the window for her sister to wedge herself in would narrow to a slit. That would significantly diminish the worry of Yeon-hwa getting distracted by romance.

Lowering her voice to a gentle, cajoling tone, Hong Ye-hwa reasoned, "It's something you could easily ask in casual conversation."

"..."

"Fine, don't if you really can't."

She had no intention of forcing the issue if Yeon-hwa felt overwhelmed. Besides, she could always slip the question to Kim Ho herself later.

Meanwhile, Hong Yeon-hwa stood with a faint scowl, thoroughly lost in thought.

To be honest... I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠am curious.

Weren't the two of them glued together every single day, doing almost every PvP duel and raid together? If they hadn't run into her in the commercial district, wouldn't they have spent the entire day alone? Wasn't that a date?

Were they really dating?

There seemed to be something going on with Senior Tang Gyu-young too, so what was that about?

Should I... actually ask...?