NOVEL WEB Chapter 22
Da-young rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.
She looked again at the scene before her.
What the heck…?
It still didn’t make sense.
What on earth was going on?
Our Wings Guild’s promising member, Ji-han, is sprawled out in a pathetic state.
And in front of him, Si-hyun is chatting away while Han-gyeol is chuckling.
First off, the question that popped into Da-young’s mind.
Ji-han? How? Ah, Si-hyun was that strong.
Up until here, she could somewhat accept it.
Next thought.
Why are those two bullying Ji-han?
No matter how she thought about it, it didn’t make sense.
Da-young frowned.
At that moment, Ji-han sluggishly got up from where he was.
He shoved Han-gyeol aside and hurried over to Da-young.
Thud!
Ji-han collapsed right in front of Da-young and shouted.
“Ma-Master! Please save me!”
He sounded so pitiable.
Anyone could tell he looked like someone being bullied.
Si-hyun looked down at Ji-han with a cold expression.
Han-gyeol let out a big sigh.
“He just suddenly started picking a fight! They both were beating me up!”
“Picking a fight? Who’s that?”
“That white-haired guy!”
Da-young looked up to see Si-hyun.
With arms crossed, she was glaring at Ji-han with a glacial expression.
“Si-Si-hyun…?”
“…Yes.”
“Did you hit him…?”
When Da-young asked in a trembling tone, Si-hyun replied in an emotionless voice.
“I didn’t lay a finger on him… Oh, I did flick my finger once.”
“……?”
Hearing Si-hyun’s answer, Da-young’s mind became even more confused.
It didn’t seem like a lie, and it wasn’t like her to do that.
She wasn’t the type to pick fights with anyone.
Even if she did pick a fight, if she didn’t actually strike a blow herself…?
“Ji-han?”
“Yes, yes!”
“Then who hit you? Was it Han-gyeol?”
“……”
Ji-han couldn’t answer right away.
Even though that white-haired guy seemed to have used some trickery, he was just an E-rank Hunter.
If that’s the case, it meant that he had been purely beaten by Han-gyeol, his brother.
He had been strutting around bragging about becoming a B-rank soon.
But now he was whining after getting beaten by a D-rank Hunter?
The cause-and-effect was strange.
Everything about the situation was bizarre.
“Han-gyeol must be hiding the fact that he’s a C-rank!”
“……”
“No, shouldn’t it be too much to beat your little brother like this? Isn’t it too much?”
Ji-han hurriedly babbled out whatever came to mind.
After observing Ji-han for a moment, Da-young looked at Han-gyeol.
As soon as their eyes met, Han-gyeol slowly shook his head.
Da-young grasped the situation.
Who would everyone in the Wings Guild unanimously say is the kindest and most diligent person?
It would definitely be Han-gyeol.
Si-hyun picking a fight for no reason and then hitting someone?
Da-young hadn’t known Si-hyun for long, but one thing she knew for sure was that Si-hyun doesn’t ‘even show interest’ unless it’s someone she knows.
If she’s dismissive, that’s one thing, but starting a fight makes no sense.
Da-young also knew that Ji-han’s personality was rough around the edges.
The sequence of events had become clear.
“…Ji-han, we had a promise, remember?”
“Yes, yes…?”
“When we set up a new guild, we would tone down our tempers and live more earnestly. Don’t you remember?”
“Th-that…”
Ji-han looked up at Da-young’s face.
Tears welled up in his eyes as he looked at her.
He wore a very despondent expression.
At that moment, Ji-han belatedly realized that he had messed up.
Come to think of it, they had made that promise.
Why did he leave a major guild to join the Wings Guild?
He had clearly lost his original intention along the way.
Before he knew it, he was acting just like the bullies from his old guild.
“…Huh.”
Da-young raised her palm.
Ji-han braced himself for what was about to happen.
However, he accepted it quietly.
Slap!
A heavy smack echoed.
Ugh…
Slap! Slap! Slap!
With the continuous slaps, Ji-han’s head was jerked back and forth mercilessly.
But it didn’t last long.
Da-young eventually stopped because she was crying.
Even with his lip bleeding and looking like a mess, Ji-han buried his head in the floor.
“I-I’m sorry! I won’t do it again! I promise!”
His tone was filled with sincerity.
Da-young looked over at Si-hyun and said.
“Sorry, Si-hyun. I made things unpleasant.”
“…It’s fine.”
Si-hyun shook her head at Da-young’s apology.
At that moment, Ji-han stood up and bowed deeply to Si-hyun.
“I’m really sorry for bothering you today! If you want to punish me, I’ll accept it with grace!”
“…No need.”
Si-hyun lightly shook her head.
Honestly, when she saw Ji-han acting so cocky, she thought he was hopeless.
But it seemed that Da-young had a significant effect on him.
With the apology, her mood lightened up.
Giving a punishment would just be a hassle, so let’s leave things here.
After all, he was just using Han-gyeol as a punching bag.
It was true that she had provoked him because her ignoring didn’t work.
Si-hyun slowly began to walk away.
“Da-young, I’ll just have a cup of coffee and head back. That’s okay, right?”
“Mm? Of course!”
“Add vanilla syrup, please.”
“Oh wow, how did you know we had that?”
Da-young briefly watched Ji-han as he apologized to Han-gyeol.
She then followed Si-hyun.
And so, the commotion that had erupted ended peacefully.
Si-hyun really just had a cup of coffee and neatly went back.
While tidying up the cups, Da-young looked at Ji-han.
He was sitting quietly, with his head down, looking ashamed.
Da-young muttered what just popped into her head.
“Ji-han, you’re still a C-rank, right?”
“…Yes? That’s right.”
“I saw you the last time we went drinking. Si-hyun took down a C-rank Hunter with one hand, right? Oh, was she a B-rank now?”
“…Huh?”
Ji-han’s eyes widened in shock.
“She wasn’t an E-rank magic-type Hunter?”
“She’s a melee type.”
“…What? What’s going on?”
Ji-han’s mouth snapped shut.
Why did I lose today?
Was Han-gyeol really becoming a C-rank?
Did I lose in a one-on-one fight?
No, more importantly…
Took down a mid-level Hunter with one hand?
Ji-han felt cold sweat running down his back.
What if he hadn’t apologized in time?
He could literally have gotten beaten into a pulp…
He vowed to himself never to mess with a woman like Si-hyun again.
Ji-han reminded himself to remember it… again.
*
When Si-hyun returned home, she immediately melted into the sofa.
She turned on the TV with the remote and slumped against the armrest.
The warm sunlight poured down, and she felt cozy.
Yawn…
Letting out a natural yawn, she drowsily leaned her cheek against her arm.
So soft.
Sofas are the best.
Since she finished everything she needed to do for today…
Now that the TV is on, she should watch Momobin’s broadcast…
*
“…Hmm?”
Si-hyun glanced around.
Worn-out carpet.
Old wooden and stone walls and floors.
It’s an all too familiar sight.
This is how an inn room in another world looked.
Right, I was on a journey to defeat the Demon King.
Nodding, Si-hyun perched on the edge of the bed.
It’s hard. But it’s familiar.
Knock Knock.
It’s me.
Someone lightly tapped on the door.
Si-hyun unlatched the door and swung it open.
A plain-looking brown-haired woman stood there.
The guild’s porter from the Hero Party.
The only one among the women in the party who wasn’t hostile towards Si-hyun.
She occasionally visited Si-hyun late at night.
The woman entered Si-hyun’s room.
Si-hyun silently closed the door and sat back down on the bed.
The porter’s gaze drifted over to the table.
Elemental Magic Theory Books, Bible, Introduction to Martial Arts, etc.
The traces of Si-hyun studying diligently every day were apparent.
All of that was to gain recognition from the Hero Party.
“Aren’t you pushing yourself too hard?”
“…I have to prove my worth…”
“Hmm…”
The woman shook her head, clearing the books off to the side to tidy up.
She placed some light snacks on top of it.
After that, she approached Si-hyun, who was still looking down.
“Here, take this. Keep it in your bracelet.”
“…?”
The woman handed a small piece of jewelry to Si-hyun’s hand.
Gently stroking the back of her hand, she looked into Si-hyun’s eyes.
“I’m giving it to you secretly, so hide it well, okay?”
“…What is this?”
Her voice came out weak, as if her spirit had left her body.
The woman smiled wryly.
“They say it’s a gem that grants wishes.”
“…That’s absurd.”
“Is that so? Ahaha…”
Maybe it was just such an outlandish statement.
Si-hyun quickly denied it.
It wasn’t really something like that, either.
But the woman looked back at Si-hyun again.
She was speaking earnestly, wanting to ensure Si-hyun didn’t give up on life.
She placed a hand on Si-hyun’s shoulder.
At that moment, Si-hyun woke up.
“Ah, you woke up? Sorry.”
“…”
Si-hyun rubbed her eyes and looked at the person in front of her.
It wasn’t the porter, but her younger sister, Si-yoon.
She was tucking a thin blanket over her.
It seemed she had dozed off for a moment and dreamt of old memories.
“No… I just dozed off for a bit.”
Si-hyun shook her head and got up.
Si-yoon stared at her sister’s face for a moment before heading to the bathroom.
Since she was working, she needed to go back.
Si-hyun manipulated the TV and turned on Momobin’s live stream.
The screen was during a chat broadcast, and Momobin was absent.
She checked the broadcast content.
Today’s game was a simulation game with nurturing elements added.
Staring blankly at the screen.
Si-yoon returned to the room after using the bathroom.
Momobin still hadn’t come back.
Si-hyun waited endlessly for her favorite VTuber to arrive.
Minutes felt like quite a bit of time had passed.
Then, finally, Momobin returned.
《Did you wait?》
– Moha
– Finally here
– Why is the host taking so long these days?
The chat rolled up rapidly.
Momobin skillfully ignored the comments and progressed the broadcast smoothly.
Thus, the game planned for today began, progressing with the storyline.
A mature adult accidentally saves students in danger.
Recognizing that ability, they become a homeroom teacher for a class at the Academy.
Teaching students, doing consultations, and sometimes enjoying dates.
Gaining recognition from those around and the students.
It was a tale of overcoming hardships to achieve happiness and love.
“…”
Lost in the story of the game, Si-hyun found herself daydreaming.
Her captivating self in the classroom, catching the students’ attention with her exceptional lessons.
The charismatic image of herself leading her students together to crush monsters.
Relations based on mutual recognition rather than oppression and shackles.
Even just imagining it felt like happiness.
If things had gone as they should, had the major catastrophe not occurred, she would have graduated from university and become a teacher.
Si-hyun envied the protagonist in the game.
At the same time, she became curious about Momobin’s thoughts.
She pondered and pondered.
Finally couldn’t hold back, she wrote her first donation.
[User ㅇㅇ donated 2,000 won!]
– What do you think about the profession of a teacher or professor?
《What do I think? Um….》
That was a pretty broad question.
Si-hyun wasn’t sure if she would get the answer she wanted.
She thought that even if it didn’t matter, that was fine.
《It’s a really splendid profession. It’s a job that requires a sense of duty.》
– I agree, lol
– 100% agree
– Sense of duty?
《Don’t you think so? Would someone only after money become a teacher?》
– That’s true when you think about it.
– For real, lol
– That’s true, haha
Of course, not every viewer agreed with Momobin’s opinion.
Some negative opinions were posted as well.
But that wasn’t important to Si-hyun.
Momobin had a positive perspective.
A sense of duty.
Just the word alone felt like it had a wonderful resonance.
“Should I ask her something…?”
Si-hyun muted the TV for a moment.
She took her smartphone and searched for various things on the internet.
Rather than asking without knowing anything, she thought it better to find some basics on her own first.
Then, she could ask about what she couldn’t find.
So she organized some bits of information in her mind.
Si-hyun then called a friend.
– Hello?
A moment later, Ji-a’s lovely voice came through the call.
“Uh, I was wondering about the Academy professor…”
Si-hyun had a light back-and-forth of questions and answers with Ji-a.
They also set a date to meet tomorrow.
After hanging up, Si-hyun placed her hand on her chest.
Thump, thump.
Her heart was pounding.