I got a girlfriend.
I got a girlfriend.
-Uop
A feeling of nausea welled up, waking me from my sleep.
I quickly ran to the bathroom and vomited my guts out.
Retching endlessly, I stayed there for a long time.
My face became a mess of tears and snot.
My head was dizzy.
Usually, when you vomit from drinking too much alcohol, the dizziness brought on by the alcohol buzz tends to subside, but this time was not the case.
The alcohol buzz remained as it was, and the nausea tormented me just as much.
As soon as I raised my body thinking it was calming down a bit, the nausea rushed back in full force.
After wrestling with it for a while, it seemed to calm down slightly, so I stepped out of the bathroom.
I looked around my surroundings.
My room was still in disarray.
Cups and bottles were rolling around.
Rus was sprawled facedown on my bed.
It was a mess.
Just how much did I drink?
I don't even remember.
They say alcohol calls for more alcohol, but why did someone like me, who normally wouldn't drink like this, drink so recklessly and endlessly? I was baffled.
The world was spinning in circles.
-Tak
I grabbed the wall to support my body.
For now, I needed to rest a bit more.
Ah, but let me vomit once more before that.
I had expected it, but it was a lingering hangover.
Even though I constantly went in and out of the bathroom, my stomach kept churning.
Cold sweat poured down and my head ached.
It was the kind of hangover that made you think about wanting to die dozens of times.
Just what the hell did I eat yesterday, or am I like this because I ate way too much—I even started resenting Rus, who had suggested we drink in the first place.
Rus had also suffered all morning, but around lunchtime she pulled herself together and offered to make me some hangover soup, but I refused since I figured I wouldn't be able to keep any food down anyway.
It was so painful and exhausting that I endured it by forcing myself to fall asleep.
I kept praying to sleep for a long time, but this wasn't the kind of sleep I had wanted.
Just how much longer did I sleep?
Even though I slept for a long time, my fatigue was even worse, probably because my body had suffered.
My whole body creaked.
When I opened my eyes, the outside was dyed in an orange glow.
It was evening.
Rus was gone, probably having gone home.
Is it all over now?
Lily noona, Vien, and even Rus.
Were all the appointments over, and had my free time finally arrived?
My throat was terribly dry.
Even so, I had a strange anxiety that if I drank water, I'd throw up again, so I just moistened my lips for now.
With my last day off coming to an end like this, I still had things I needed to do.
I needed to pick up a quest for tomorrow.
If I wanted to spend what little time remained solely for myself, I had to hurry out, accept a quest, and come back home, but my damned body was exhausted and didn't want to move.
I let out a sigh.
Still, I had to do it.
I washed up briefly in the bathroom, changed my clothes, and headed to the quest guild.
"Ah, you're here, Stachys-ssi."
A petite male receptionist wearing glasses greeted me.
I managed a smile.
"Have you been well?"
"Well, my job is just sitting down. Stachys-ssi... are you alright?"
He looked at me with a worried expression.
"What are you talking about...?"
"You don't look so good... I'm worried."
I gave him a smile at his words.
I could understand why he was worried.
Receptionists encounter death easily.
When parties enter dungeons, there is a chance they won't return.
In that case, the receptionist hears of the party's death through the words 'Quest Failed.'
No matter how much they try to treat each other professionally, they constantly see faces and talk, learning each other's information even if they don't want to, and building intimacy, only to be reminded of the dungeon's cruelty through death.
This receptionist was also worried, seeing my expression, in case I might somehow die.
"It's because of a hangover. Don't worry."
He asked with a somewhat relaxed expression.
"Well, did you have a drink because you had something on your mind?"
"It's nothing like that. Well, never mind that, could you show me some quests?"
"Ah, just a moment."
It wasn't that I didn't have worries, but it was an uncomfortable topic to talk about.
At my words, the receptionist rummaged through some documents.
"C-rank party 'Barefoot', reputation... Level 6. Now, these are the available quests."
He handed over the list of quests.
I naturally took the list and scanned it with my eyes.
After pondering for a long time, I handed the documents back to him and said,
"Um... We'll take this one. Tweet Scorpion venom. We'll bring this back."
The Tweet Scorpion is a type of giant scorpion found in dungeons.
Its venom is dangerous enough to kill you if you aren't treated properly when stung by its tail, but it's used extensively as medicinal herbs, so it has many uses.
The amount we needed to bring back was roughly... what you'd get from catching 3 of them.
It was still an unfamiliar monster, but considering our party's coordination, I thought it would be fine.
The receptionist hesitated as he tried to take the documents.
He seemed to have something to say.
"Uhm... Stachys-ssi. I don't know if this might be overstepping my bounds, but..."
"... Yes?"
"How about taking a slightly safer quest? Ah! Of course, the others are dangerous too, but still, the Tweet Scorpion is a bit..."
His cautious way of speaking held deep concern and a warm heart.
"We've gathered them before too, are you worried?"
"Th... Ah, no, then. Actually, what do I know? Stachys-ssi knows best."
And he hastily withdrew his advice and dipped his quill in ink.
But I had a change of heart just as fast as him.
There's no harm in trusting a receptionist's intuition.
"No. Let's do as you said. Next to that one, let's go with bringing back King Boar horns. Was it 6 horns?"
His expression brightened up instantly at my words.
He let out a "Phew" and stroked his chest in relief.
"Yes, it's 6. The reward goes down, so it was a bit burdensome for me to suggest, but since you accepted my request, my mind is so at ease."
"There's something bothering you about it, isn't there?"
When I asked, he looked closely at my expression and nodded.
"Yes. There is. Anyway, I wish all the party members good luck."
When I returned home, it was night.
After eating dinner, I should rest well until lunchtime the next day when I meet the party members.
The scars of the hangover still remained.
-Kkiik
...?
I sensed a presence inside the room I opened the door to.
It was the sound of someone cooking.
Soon, the sound of someone dashing over from the kitchen came, and they welcomed me as I opened the door and entered.
".... Rus?"
"Ah, Chis, you're here?"
"Why... why are you here?"
Didn't you go home?
In that case, what about my free time?
"Ah, you were suffering from a hangover, so I thought I'd make you something to eat. Is your stomach okay now?"
After staring blankly at her for a long time, I nodded silently.
She also nodded brightly and led me into the room.
I... want to rest.
.
.
It was almost midnight when Rus finally went back.
Lily hadn't been able to sleep properly for four days.
Because the argument she had with Stachys all day tormented her.
'It was a perfect day.'
She thought.
'I smelled his scent, saw his boyfriend look, ate delicious food, and had fun playing.'
At their final parting, Stachys told Lily not to meet up so late anymore.
Naturally thinking it was just whining, Lily snapped at him with the intention of fixing his mindset.
But he was different from usual.
Instead of letting her win like he usually did, he growled in a low voice and pressured Lily.
He picked apart her words point by point and cornered her against the wall.
But even while cornered against the wall, Lily's heart pounded because of her feelings for him.
Knowing it wasn't the situation for that, her heart beat wildly on its own.
And when she thought it couldn't possibly beat any faster, Stachys asked:
-'Lily noona, do you like me?'
"Kup..!"
Just thinking about that time made Lily's chest tighten fiercely.
She clutched her heart and staggered.
Did he ask if she liked him?
Why ask something so obvious?
I like him. I love him. I can't live without him.
Just his existence makes the world shine beautifully.
At that moment, she wanted to answer that she did.
But the moment she heard his sigh, she couldn't do that.
Come to think of it, yes.
She had never seen him look that angry in her entire life.
It would be a toss-up whether a confession would succeed even in a perfect situation, so should she confess amidst this kind of situation?
What if he rejected her feelings then?
The image of him leaving her was vividly imagined.
So she pulled off a perfect lie for the first time.
The easily nervous Lily disappeared, and neither her voice nor her face betrayed the truth.
She answered with determination.
That she didn't like him.
And that painful memory had been tormenting her for days.
She shook her head to brush off the thoughts.
Lily was heading to the meeting place earlier than usual.
Lily decided to tuck her tail between her legs just this once.
She had said she would never back down regarding the time they spent meeting when parting ways, but in the end, Lily was in the subordinate position.
If he came at it sincerely, there was no way she could win against him as the one who liked him more.
Actually, Lily knew it too.
Just like he said, hanging out that long is something only couples do.
She couldn't have him yet, so she had to back off a little.
If Lily made up with Stachys and grew closer to him, perhaps an even better situation would occur.
There was also anxiety.
'He didn't only tell me to part ways early from now on, did he?'
She had to find out without asking.
If she asked and it turned out he only did that to her...
And if Vien and Rus found out, she'd be caught by her weak point.
When she reached the meeting place, Vien had arrived earlier than her.
".... Vien, have you been well?"
Seeing Lily, Vien deeply scowled.
"Hey! Lily, you! Just how hard did you make things for Stachys! He was so exhausted when he was with me!"
"My my... Could that not be because of me, but rather because Vien worked him too hard...?"
And because of an unpleasant detail she suddenly remembered, Lily also narrowed her eyes.
"... You probably stayed up all night using your Wish Ticket. Of course Stachys would have a hard time."
"If it weren't for you, I could have even eaten dinner together on the second day!"
"Ah, you couldn't even eat dinner together on the second day? That... is truly unfortunate."
Lily put on a faint smile.
Just as the petty fight between Vien and Lily was escalating, Rus approached.
"Rus, have you been wel...?"
"....??"
Lily and Vien froze upon seeing Rus.
Rus, approaching with an expression overflowing with leisure, stood resting her chin on her left hand.
There was a ring on her left index finger.
As if showing it off, Rus tapped her lips with her index finger.
"I've been well, Lily-ssi."
As the two remained frozen and stared only at her finger, Rus spoke with exaggerated gestures.
"What are you staring at so hard... Ah..! This? This is a friendship ring."
Rus grinned sheepishly.
Lily felt a massive surge of jealousy burning up.
'I fought with Stachys... and you show up wearing a ring?'
Seeing Lily's serious expression, Rus chuckled.
Everything was within her expectations.
Rus was convinced that this time was her victory.
"Ah, Lily-ssi, you coordinated Stachys's boyfriend look, didn't you?"
Lily flinched, and Vien alternated her gaze between the two of them.
Vien couldn't possibly follow the situation of how things were turning out.
So, does that mean Rus got friendship rings made, and Lily bought him a boyfriend look outfit?
She looked at herself.
'The two of them left behind special things, but what is this of mine...'
Vien clenched her fists tightly. She had thought she would leave behind the most special memories this time, but when she actually opened the lid, hers was the most pathetic.
"I think... you might have crossed the line a bit. Why would someone who shouldn't become his lover be curious about his lover look?"
Rus didn't even spare a glance at Vien, who was engulfed in a sense of defeat.
Vien was no match. Rus was focusing solely on Lily.
"W-What's wrong with buying clothes...! Th-Then Rus, you too, the ring—"
"Mine is a friendship ring."
Rus said with a chillingly hardened expression.
"Friends can do that. Don't try to play dumb, Lily-ssi."
Rus slowly approached Lily and whispered.
"The treaty. You must keep it well, alright?"
Stachys arrived, and they entered the dungeon.
After hunting and hunting for a long time, only the final King Boar was left.
Since it wasn't a difficult quest either, it was proceeding somewhat smoothly.
"Chase it quickly!!"
Stachys shouted.
The last King Boar was fleeing like an arrow with its huge bulk.
"Lily noona!! Cast Slow!!"
"Haa.. haa... It's blocked by the trees right now, so it's hard! You need to hold it down a bit longer!"
At her words, Stachys put strength into his legs to catch the King Boar first, but unexpectedly, he couldn't get up to speed.
Even otherwise, he had been feeling something strange in this quest.
His strength didn't seem like it used to be, and he tired out quickly.
Stachys had no choice but to look at Rus.
Rus met Stachys's eyes, nodded, and then picked up speed to chase after the King Boar first.
Soon after, the sound of a shield slamming down with a bang was heard.
The sound of the monster squealing in agony ("Kkuik!!") followed along.
As we ran a bit further toward where the sound came from, a path suddenly opened up in the forest.
The tough grasses were all flattened, and there were no grown trees.
At the end of the path were Rus and the King Boar.
The King Boar got back up, avoiding Rus, and this time charged straight at Stachys.
'You made a mistake.'
Stachys told the King Boar in his heart.
The King Boar charging in a straight line with its head lowered.
He gripped his right-hand tonfa tightly.
"Slow!!"
Lily noona's spell burst forth.
It had noticeably slowed down, but because it was originally so fast, it was still a speed difficult to ignore.
But for him, this was more than enough.
He swung his tonfa right on timing.
And at that moment.
Huh?
Stachys's vision blinked once. It went dark and then bright.
Strength drained from his entire body once and then returned.
And the weapon he was swinging slipped out of his hand.
It was a split second.
Bang!!!
What made the sound was not his weapon and the King Boar's head, but the King Boar's head and Stachys's torso.
Stachys flew backward as he was and fell.
"...Uh...?"
"Chis!!"
"Eek!! Stachys!!"
The moment everyone thought it was over, Stachys got hit.
Vien dashed into the dust smoke generated by his body.
After ramming Stachys, the King Boar looked around, searching for a place to flee.
-Syuk!
But the King Boar collapsed, losing its balance.
The monster's front legs flew into the air.
Lily had attacked it, grinding her teeth furiously.
'How dare you.... How dare you!!!'
"Don't think you'll die comfortably."
Lily said as she approached the whimpering monster lying on the ground.
It felt like something snapped inside her head.
And before she could inflict further torture, Rus approached and finished off the King Boar.
As her target of fury vanished so emptily, Lily rolled her red eyes to glare at Rus, but Rus showed zero interest.
"Rus? What are you doing right now—"
Rus pushed past Lily and walked by.
Without even thinking to retrieve the dagger stuck in the King Boar's neck, she headed toward where Stachys had collapsed with tear-filled eyes.
"Chis!! Are you okay??"
At her action, Lily snapped to her senses.
Thinking that the situation was over and that it was a safe state with nothing left to threaten Stachys, she suppressed her surging chest and ran toward him.
There were quite a few thin trees he had knocked down as he collided with them.
But Stachys, the person involved, was better off than expected.
He wasn't knocked out, nor did he have any major injuries anywhere.
Lily first let out a sigh of relief.
Instead, Stachys sat there without a word, holding his head with both hands, looking as though he were bitterly blaming himself.
He, who normally would have reassured them by saying he was fine, was acting like that.
At that sight, nobody could speak to him except Vien, who was praying and healing minor wounds.
Everyone didn't know what to say to him.
Because it was the first time they had seen Stachys like that.
What was that just now...?
I kept pondering as I walked back.
My vision going pitch black and my body losing all strength.
It felt as though I was vividly experiencing the process of fainting with my own body.
The scenes after that kept popping into my head.
That feeling of my weapon slipping out of my hand.
The dull pain and my body flying through the air.
The eyes of my party members looking at me in shock.
Lily noona and Vien, who had to step forward in front of the monster because I, the vanguard, dropped out.
I massaged my hand.
I dropped my weapon.
I'm not some farmer fighting for the first time, and yet I, someone trying to make a living with weapons, dropped my weapon.
"Everyone can make mistakes like that...?"
Even though Vien comforted me from the side, my mind wouldn't ease up.
It only ended up like this because the opponent was a King Boar.
It was only like this because it was a monster we had already experienced several times.
If... I hadn't listened to the receptionist's words yesterday?
If we had fought the Tweet Scorpion?
Unlike the King Boar, the Tweet Scorpion is belligerent.
It doesn't run away and rushes in to kill the enemy standing before it.
If I had dropped my weapon while fighting that?
I shut my eyes tightly.
The party would have faced a crisis because of me.
In this line of work where you lose your life over a single mistake, can I just put down the burden on my heart with some crappy excuse that it's something that can happen to anyone?
The fact that what stood before me was a King Boar and not a Tweet Scorpion was purely thanks to luck and the receptionist.
Once again, I massaged my hand.
This won't do.
Our party had now arrived at the dungeon entrance.
Now, if we just bring back the King Boar horns, we can have another 5 days of rest.
But I continued to agonize.
Why did I have to experience a situation like this?
It's because I lacked strength.
Why did I lack strength?
Because I couldn't take care of my body.
Why couldn't I take care of my body?
That's because....
I turned my head and looked at the party members.
"This week I get to meet him for two days, right? I only saw him for one day last week!"
"Can you say that so shamelessly? You know the reason too, Lily!"
"I think it'd be best for me, who had a bit more influence in this quest, to meet him a lot."
Hahaha....
Laughter burst out in disbelief.
They're doing this even at a moment like this?
This shouldn't be happening... I was starting to get a little mad.
I'm agonizing like this for you guys, why don't you guys understand that I'm having a hard time?
I deeply inhaled and exhaled.
I repeated it several times, trying to hold back my anger.
But it didn't go well.
-Tak, my energy drained away.
Worrying about it felt stupid.
Right!!
This is enough!!
I don't really know. How hyung's advice will help.
But I know that this kind of situation shouldn't continue.
Dropping my weapon was purely my fault, but those girls who excessively overworked my body definitely have a share of the blame too.
Look at the topic of conversation.
It's a topic that feels like this kind of situation is bound to happen again.
And honestly, do I have to do those things again next week?
Ah, I'm not doing it anymore.
I don't know how long I can keep up the lie without getting caught, but I'm going to do it now.
I won't feel any guilt.
They'll sulk? Suit yourselves. I'm going to die like this anyway.
Hyung's words back then telling me to just leave them be if they sulked started to make a little sense.
"Chis? What do you think?"
"You're meeting me for two days this week, right?"
"Ah... U-Um, Stachys. I'm sorry about before. I won't force you to meet for a long time anymore, so you're going to meet me for two days, right?"
They all pushed their bodies forward and asked me.
"Ah, everyone. Actually, there's something I need to tell you."
I put on a bright smile.
At my words, the three of them opened their eyes wide, and then,
"I think I won't be able to meet you guys even for a single day this week."
The three of them instantly scowled with the exact same expression.
Why are you making expressions like that?
You don't even like me, nor is it a 'some' (situationship) relationship.
What's wrong with not meeting?
"Chis, I think you need to explain properly."
"You! I'm going to remember what you just said! It's not like you're sick! I checked myself!"
"Stachys!! Is it because of m-me, perchance? Don't get mad, I was wrong!"
Vien and Rus looked at Lily noona.
"What did you do again?"
"Lily-ssi, what did you do?"
I waved my hands dismissively.
"No, no, it's not because of Lily noona."
I took a deep breath and said:
With the firm determination not to get caught in the lie at all costs, as naturally as possible.
Let's trust hyung.
It will be resolved.
"I got a girlfriend."