“…….”

That’s… I have nothing to say….. But I felt wronged. Last time we met, I barely managed to squeeze out some non-existent time to meet.

Usually, a popular A-rank hunter would be even busier, but strangely enough, I was busier than this guy. Was it because I worked all week long?

In the end, the words that escaped my lips were mixed with a sigh.

“I was busy. Unlike a certain someone who has all the free time in the world.”

“Well, I’m pretty busy too in my own way.”

“A busy person contacts me every day?”

“No. Once a week. For some reason, I feel like if I don’t check on your survival, you might suddenly die somewhere…..”

Who does he think I am, a sunfish? Of course, when I worked all week, I didn’t have time to check any messages or anything. Even on my day off, I just slept like a corpse.

As we walked while having this pointless conversation, the chicken place soon came into view. By then, the awkwardness that had arisen from meeting after a long time had disappeared.

“Buy me an expensive one.”

“Didn’t you make a lot of money after joining Cheonrang?”

“There’s a difference as vast as heaven and earth between the income of an unawakened person and an A-rank hunter, Mr. Hunter.”

“Well, if you want, we could go somewhere more expensive than this place.”

“I don’t want that.”

“Yeah, I thought so.”

After finding a suitable spot and placing our order, complicated feelings arose.

It’s not Baek Yi Hyun’s fault.

Same age, same background as a returnee, same education.

Him, an A-rank hunter scouted and active in a large guild, and me, barely scraping by with part-time jobs without a single thing to boast about.

……Whenever I faced Baek Yi Hyun, I was overwhelmed by a feeling of utter insignificance.

“So, what’s up?”

While I was sorting out my thoughts alone, Baek Yi Hyun asked me. His consistently gentle tone made me even more angry.

Baek Yi Hyun has always been this kind of person. Kind to everyone, gentle to all, and capable too. Someone who doesn’t flaunt his abilities, just helps everyone…..

Is it really right to confide my situation to such a Baek Yi Hyun?

If I share my worries, he will surely listen to my story with all his heart and soul. He’ll worry, try to empathize without really understanding my situation, and probably think of the best solution too.

That’s why I hated it. This is a one-sided inferiority complex. Because I can’t be such a good person.

“It’s nothing.”

So that’s the answer that came out in the end. Hearing my weak words, Baek Yi Hyun met my eyes.

“Ha Young, you…..”

Just as he gently opened his mouth.

“The world will perish again! Woooah, oh God. God has passed judgment on this world. A blow to humanity that does not face destruction…..”

Someone was shouting in an incredibly loud voice outside the store.

Dressed in a robe with a picket sign and even a megaphone, it looked like a thoroughly prepared cult member.

“Judgment will come upon this world……!”

Of all places, why here? My head is ringing when I’m already tired. Can’t someone call the police?

“Cults are really running rampant these days.”

“Haven’t you heard? Those people are all…..”

People drinking at the next table were also whispering among themselves. As I turned my head, I met a pair of jade-colored eyes looking at me.

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t hear. What did you just say?”

“……It’s nothing. If nothing’s wrong with you, that’s good.”

Baek Yi Hyun, looking not at all pleased, let his words trail off with an ambiguous expression. Seeing him take a sip of the beer that was just there for show since he doesn’t even drink, I thought he must be quite upset.

I should change the subject.

“I’m really sorry, I’ve been tired lately. More importantly, how have you been?”

“I’m always doing well. Nothing special happened.”

“Are you trying to brush it off like that? There’s no way nothing happened to an A-rank hunter. I heard you even went to an A-rank gate?”

“…….”

After a brief silence, he soon turned his eyes and said while swirling his glass.

“Really. I didn’t do much at the gate, and I’m the youngest in the guild….. There’s been some talk about the guild master in the guild lately, but I’m not really interested in that kind of thing…..”

“You’re the youngest?!”

“……You really haven’t been paying attention to me at all, have you?”

A gentle smile spread across his lips. Feeling a pang of guilt inside, I smiled as if nothing was wrong.

“How could that be? I’m saying this because you were among the top returnees and your skills were good.”

“Haha, it’s nice that you see me in such a good light…… but it’s true. Maybe it’s because Amwol is a big guild. There are many people more impressive than me.”

By that logic, I’m also the youngest and Cheonrang is a large guild, but I have a lot of work.

I wonder if the welfare is different even among the four major guilds. I briefly thought about Amwol. Since nothing came to mind, I decided to just let it go.

To think that Baek Yi Hyun is the youngest, what a waste of talent.

The conversation that followed was about trivial recent happenings.

Baek Yi Hyun said he doesn’t do much as the youngest in the team, just backing up his older teammates. Calling people at least 10 years older ‘elder brother’ and ‘elder sister’, I thought even his senior teammates in the same team lack conscience.

Just, that kind of talk. How are things these days, doing well as usual. Any people you dislike, none. Does everyone treat you well? They do, and so on.

I didn’t talk about getting caught up in the gate, or getting involved with Cheon Shin Woo. I just didn’t want to.

But then…..

“Oh right, Ha Young. What’s your relationship with Cheon Shin Woo?”

“Pffft, cough, cough. Ack, hack hack.”

The attack came suddenly. And it hit hard.

Of all times, I was drinking beer, so I had to struggle not to spray the contents of my mouth on his face and the food. As I turned my head and shook my body for a while trying to calm my choking, a faint pat also came. He makes me choke and then provides both the illness and the cure. Seriously.

“Why is that topic coming up here!”

When I finally calmed down and expressed my indignation, Baek Yi Hyun tilted his head slightly.

“Don’t you look at the anonymous site for awakened ones?”

“I’m not even awakened, why would I look at that?”

“But you can still register since you have a returnee ID card. Here, take a look.”

Baek Yi Hyun, who had been fiddling with his phone, shoved a certain screen at me.

Author: Wizard of Oz’s Oh My

You know that girl in the article, right? Actually, I was at the scene that day? Honestly, the interviewer crossed the line with his remarks;; I understand stepping on him, but aside from that, JGK went completely crazy.

I didn’t know that electric air conditioner could make such a gentle expression and have eyes dripping with honey;;;

They say people change when they go crazy….. Has our JGK finally gone mad? Has he turned from an air conditioner into a heater?

(Comment): What’s your eyesight?

└(Author): 3.0, 3.0 you [expletive]

(Comment): But why is CSW an electric air conditioner?

└Because he emits cold air when he’s upset. His attribute is ice, right? He’s a walking human air conditioner.

└When he’s angry, he sears. When Cheon Shin Woo gets mad, he freezes the surroundings and sears with electricity, it’s chaos.

└He’s called an air conditioner because he’s a walking human air conditioner, and electric because he sears with electricity!

└(Comment Author): It must be cool to be next to him in summer.

└Cool my foot, you’d be lucky if he doesn’t suddenly snap and create a cold zone

(Comment): Fake news

See more…….]

After reading the entire post, I was left speechless, my mouth slightly agape. Baek Yi Hyun, having confirmed my reaction, took his phone back.

“This is about you, isn’t it?”

“……This is insane.”

“You really haven’t seen it, have you?”

No, I did see it. Even as I felt my own sanity unraveling, I looked for information here and there.

But I didn’t know such posts were being uploaded on the anonymous site for awakened ones too.

“There’s more than just this. There was even someone who said they work at Cheonrang.”

“Can you find that post for me……?”

“Calm down, Ha Young.”

“I’m really desperate here, please find the post by the person who said they work at Cheonrang!”

“……Take a breath before speaking. It really wasn’t anything special.”

How would you know if it’s special or not! As I glared at him with wide eyes full of indignation, Baek Yi Hyun shoved some chicken into my mouth.

“Are you really not in any kind of relationship with Cheon Shin Woo?”

Those jade-colored eyes asking that were clear and pure.

Somehow, I felt uncomfortable. Instead of speaking, I shook my head, and Baek Yi Hyun smiled gently again.

“Hey, Ha Young.”

“……If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t call me like that.”

“Do you want to awaken?”

And then he asked this. A classmate I’m meeting after a long time to drink with is asking if I want to awaken. The answer got stuck in my throat.

Why on earth is he asking this? A distant feeling pulled at me.

“You’ve always wanted it, right? To awaken. You said if you awakened, you could achieve what you desire, protect those you want to protect.”

There wasn’t a single tremor in his face as he asked. His clear expression filled me with an incomprehensible frustration.

How should I answer, numerous thoughts passed through my mind, but the words that came out of my mouth were surprisingly calm.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re so great. Must be nice to be able to do everything you want, Mr. A-rank Hunter?”

“That’s not what I’m asking……”

“I’m going to wash my face for a bit. Order another beer and some more side dishes while I’m gone.”

“……Okay. Oh, you can drink mine if you want.”

“Drink your own.”

I stood up immediately without waiting for a response. I heard him say, “You know I can’t drink,” from behind, but I pretended not to hear and hurried to the bathroom.

Can’t drink, my foot. You have a higher alcohol tolerance than me.

When I washed my face, the mirror reflected the face of a woman with short hair. A face that still retained a bit of youthfulness, one that could be seen anywhere, and rather ordinary.

Me, the most unique yet inevitably the most ordinary.

The things Baek Yi Hyun mentioned, I had already given up on in the past.

I gave up on awakening and broke my resolve to protect someone. Thus, I adapted to this world and was living like this.

Why does he ask such questions to me, who has finally managed to accept the fact that I am powerless and insignificant?

I find Baek Yi Hyun uncomfortable. I dislike him. The fact that he can ask such questions without any hesitation, that he can expose others’ painful vulnerabilities with a clear expression. And yet, the fact that there isn’t a single trace of malice, that he’s someone who genuinely cares for others more than anyone else.

The feeling that he’s asking if I still haven’t awakened, that I’m just that kind of person after all, is probably just because my own inferiority complex is so ugly.