HBWnovel Chapter 20
Chapter 20
A quiet park with only a few people passing by here and there. Han-Gyeol paced around, lost in deep thought.
Recently, the elite party from the Wings Guild had returned from a mission outside the city. Most members were D-rank Hunters like himself, but among them was one C-rank: Seo Ji-Han, a Hunter rapidly climbing the ranks with an air of arrogance.
Watching Ji-Han’s smug demeanor stirred something within Han-Gyeol. He wanted to be a C-rank Hunter as soon as possible.
But it was easier said than done.
To put it bluntly, Han-Gyeol lacked decisiveness and drive. Despite being a D-rank Hunter, he mostly stuck to E-rank dungeons out of caution. He was the type to struggle even with opening a bag of chips in one go.
Still... that longing persisted. He couldn’t shake the memory of his last D-rank dungeon expedition with Si-Hyun, where, for the first time, his body moved fluidly, beyond his usual limits. In that critical moment, he hadn’t noticed it, but looking back, he realized he had felt stronger than usual.
‘It must have been Si-Hyun’s Paladin skills,’ he thought.
There was no other explanation. He didn’t know exactly how, but he was certain it was due to Si-Hyun’s influence.
Just once more, he wanted to feel that power. To experience a version of himself closer to C-rank.
Han-Gyeol sat down on a park bench, took out his phone, and opened the messaging app. Si-Hyun’s profile appeared on his screen, automatically saved after they exchanged numbers. Her profile was minimalist, with just a headband in the display picture, which somehow seemed fitting for her.
‘You can do this. You can do this,’ he told himself.
He nervously opened a one-on-one chat with her. A blank screen greeted him, mirroring the distance he felt between them.
‘Maybe I should just drop this...’
He wavered again but shook his head. Even a timid guy like him had to step up once in a while.
Resolutely, he typed out a message.
- "Hello, Si-Hyun. This is Han-Gyeol. If you're not too busy, could I ask for your help with something?"
He typed the message but couldn’t bring himself to hit send. His finger hovered over the send button, going back and forth, up and down.
Just then...
A leaf drifted down and landed softly on his head, startling him into standing up.
“Oh, just a leaf...”
Irritated, he brushed it off, only to look back at his phone and freeze.
The message had been sent.
In his startled moment, he must have hit send by accident. He could feel his hands shaking as he covered his face with his hands, trying to calm himself.
She hadn’t read it yet.
Han-Gyeol placed his phone on the bench, stretched his arms, and then glanced at the screen again.
Still unread.
He sat there, tense, as time slowly ticked by. The chilly wind brushed past him.
Still unread.
‘Maybe I should just go home and check later...’@@@@
He sighed, got up, and slipped his phone back into his pocket.
And then...
*Buzz*
His phone vibrated.
Han-Gyeol froze on the spot.
It could be a message from someone else... or maybe it was from her.
If it was... was it a yes? A no? What if she refused?
A flurry of thoughts raced through his mind. He took a deep breath, pulled out his phone, and checked the message.
It was from Si-Hyun.
- "How about tomorrow afternoon?"
It was a positive reply.
“Yes!” he shouted, jumping up and raising his fists in celebration. It felt like a victory fanfare was playing in his mind as he basked in the euphoria. He felt on top of the world.
It was a worthy spot.
After finishing her milk, Si-Hyun took public transport to the Wings Guild building. The place was familiar now after several visits, and she made her way to the office with ease.
Han-Gyeol greeted her stiffly as she entered.
“Oh, welcome!”
“Hello.”
Si-Hyun sat down across from him, and he stammered out his thanks.
“Thank you so much for coming today!”
Si-Hyun simply nodded and took a sip of her banana milk.
Watching her drink, Han-Gyeol seemed momentarily captivated before he shook his head and continued.
“The thing is, if it’s alright... I’d really like it if you could join me for just one dungeon trip!”
“Yes, let’s go.”
“I’ll make sure you get all the rewar—Wait, what?”
“Let’s go to a dungeon.”
Han-Gyeol’s eyes widened in surprise. He’d spent all night thinking of ways to make this a win-win for her, but she had agreed so easily.
Si-Hyun took another sip, unfazed. She’d already guessed this was his request, and it wasn’t difficult. Besides, Han-Gyeol was a good person, so she’d figured helping him once wouldn’t hurt.
“We’ll split the dungeon rewards evenly, per standard rules.”
“No, no! I couldn’t take half. Please, you keep everything!”
Seeing Han-Gyeol’s insistence, Si-Hyun decided to steer the conversation. He’d mentioned feeling empowered last time because of her skills, and she was willing to help him again.
As they discussed which dungeon
to choose, a loud voice interrupted.
“Master! Are you here?!”
The door burst open, and a young man barged in. Si-Hyun frowned at the noise, while Han-Gyeol stiffened.
It was Seo Ji-Han, the Wings Guild ace.
“Not here either, huh? Hey, where’s the master?” he asked.
“Ji-Han, please mind your manners. We have a guest,” Han-Gyeol said sternly.
Ji-Han turned, his expression smug until he saw Si-Hyun. His mouth dropped.
“Oh, hey there!”
“...”
Seeing him treat Han-Gyeol with such disdain, Si-Hyun ignored him entirely. She’d encountered this type of person often enough in the other world and wasn’t about to waste her energy.
She took another sip of her milk, musing over whether to buy more on her way home.
Ji-Han’s brow furrowed, visibly irked by the lack of response.
“Just because you look cute doesn’t mean you can ignore people, you know?”
“...”
He moved toward her, but she slid effortlessly out of reach.
“What the...?”
His face twisted in annoyance, and Si-Hyun turned to Han-Gyeol.
“Han-Gyeol.”
“Yes?”
She looked at him, her face serious.
“Didn’t I say no conditions were necessary?”
“Yes, you did.”
“Well, I changed my mind.”
“...?”
Han-Gyeol was taken aback but nodded. It had seemed too good to be true when she agreed without conditions.
“Make that guy be quiet, and I’ll help you.”
“...What?”
Han-Gyeol gaped at her, not sure what to make of her request. As a D-rank Hunter, he had no chance against Ji-Han, the guild ace.
“Are you serious?”
Ji-Han’s anger flared. The gall of this girl to think she could make demands based on her looks.
But Si-Hyun smirked, seeing him as the perfect opportunity.
Han-Gyeol’s wish was to feel the rush of combat again. A dungeon was merely a default choice. But with this volunteer before them, there was no need to venture far.
“Alright...” she thought with a smile. It was time for a lesson. Or perhaps... a little redemption.
TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars for the translation - it inspires me and gives me the strength to write more. Thank you~!
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