Mom was especially worried. It seemed Si-hyun had told her everything that happened to me.
My condition was better than expected. Though thinking about that day still scared me, that was the extent of it.
Having Si-hyun by my side probably helped stabilize me mentally.
Concerned about hospital costs, I checked out the next day.
After paying for tests and hospitalization, all the money I'd earned was gone.
"Was all that work for nothing!?"
Yeah, all the Magic Stones I collected at the Ant Nest ended up paying medical bills.
Between car fuel, Si-hyun's clothes and food expenses, I was completely wiped out.
"Oh well, there will be other opportunities."
"Come on! Even so, this is too much!"
Seeing Si-hyun looking perfectly content just made me feel drained. Was this guy completely carefree?
My savings were completely gone, you know?
"I can't go out for a while, so you need to earn money even if you have to go alone!"
"Don't wanna..."
"What do you mean you don't want to! Your car's fixed now! You have to earn it back!"
"Fine, I get it."
"And you need to properly raise your Hunter rank too."
"Huh? Why? Aren't we going to work together?"
Currently Si-hyun is a D-Class Hunter, having received a high rating from the start due to his outstanding Ability. Meanwhile I'm only E-Class - too big a gap would make people think I'm just riding his coattails, and not having my achievements recognized would be problematic.
Though achievements just mean Gate entry records, Ability tests, and Magic Stone exchanges anyway.
"Just do it! I'll reach D-Class and you'll reach C-Class. Our goal is conquering C-Class Gates!"
Fine, initially I thought I could make easy money just running D-Class Gates. But reality wasn't that simple. Places like the Ant Nest paid well but were easy to get lost in, while the Gwangju Gate was easy but had too much competition. So I decided to aim for C-Class Gates to establish stable income.
Hearing my declaration, Si-hyun smiled happily.
He seemed glad I wasn't discouraged.
So I gave him my brightest smile in return.
Yes, I should forget the shadows those criminals cast and focus only on the future.
-
-
Three days had passed since returning home from the hospital.
When I first got home, Mom greeted me with deep concern and cried when she saw the wounds on my face. She kept saying how heartbreaking it was for a girl to have scars, even suggesting we find a healing ability user through connections, but I declined for now.
I didn't mind having some scars. It's not like I planned to date men anyway.
Strangely, by the third day home, all the bruises and wounds had disappeared.
Injuries that should have taken a week to heal vanished as if by magic.
Oppa said it might be an effect of the World Tree Spear.
Apparently World Tree Artifacts can enhance the wearer's recovery.
We'd need a sensory ability user to examine it to know for sure.
But the problem was that healed wounds don't necessarily mean no scars.
In the end, I learned concealing makeup techniques from Mom.
Mom stared at my skin and said it was so flawless I looked like I was wearing makeup even without any. Honestly, I never think about these things.
As someone who usually just goes out with moisturizer, dealing with all the cosmetics Mom brought gave me a headache. Just barely understanding the difference between foundation and BB cream was tough enough, let alone the five-plus hours she spent explaining usage and demonstrating application.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
I reached only one conclusion: makeup just isn't for a tomboy like me.
Better to give up and stick with moisturizer!
"I quit! No more makeup! Never again!"
Eyeshadow, mascara, lipstick, all too difficult. Honestly, the variety is overwhelming. Different shades and uses for the same product? Plus all those application techniques? Do real women go through this every day?
When a simple moisturizer would do the job!
Though I did learn how to use concealer properly.
In the end, Mom treated me like a canvas and forced a makeover on me. When she heard I was meeting Si-hyun that evening, she scolded me about "where do you think you're going looking like that" while enthusiastically slathering more products on my face.
That wasn't enough, Mom even took charge of my outfit, completely transforming me into a girlish appearance.
Even though I'm already female.
A white ruffled blouse with an H-line skirt, nude tights and a blazer...
I guess you'd call it office wear.
Mom snatched away the sneakers I wanted to wear and forced low heels on me.
Standing in the entryway in this outfit, I felt uncomfortable from head to toe.
The skirt left me feeling exposed underneath, and the tightness of the tights felt strange. Similar to skinny jeans but different. I thought all high heels had stiletto heels, but these low heels were surprisingly wearable. Still awkward though.
Dressed up by Mom, I stepped out with clumsy footsteps.
On my way to the meeting spot, I could feel people's stares and whispers, making me utterly uncomfortable.
Was it because I looked weird in feminine clothing?
Or because my behavior wasn't feminine enough?
Under everyone's gaze, I grew flustered. Plus I'd left way too early, fifty minutes before the scheduled time. Definitely a mistake.
Though the thawing weather wasn't too cold, those stares felt oppressive.
I pretended not to notice and fiddled with my phone.
Ah... I should get this cracked screen fixed.
The problem is money. That damn criminal left me penniless this time. So frustrating.
"Excuse me."
I looked up from the novel I was reading on my phone to see a decent-looking man standing before me.
"You're so beautiful. Could I get your number?"
"Sorry."
So he was hitting on me. Does that mean I look really strange like this?
As I lowered my head to focus on my phone again, someone else approached.
"Can I get your number?"
This time it was a muscular man covered in tattoos.
"Sorry."
"What, are you shy?"
The slick-talking man moved closer, refusing to take no for an answer.
Damn it, I'm either shy or I just don't like you. What's your problem?
"Please leave."
"Hey, playing hard to get?"
The tattooed man suddenly grabbed my wrist.
"Think you can act all high and mighty just because you're pretty?"
The rejected man grew angry and tightened his grip on my wrist.
Bastard... I channeled strength and shook off his grasp. Even without an Artifact, an Awakened's arm strength far exceeds that of an ordinary woman.
"Huh?"
"I'm Awakened. Back off if you know what's good for you."
"Shit."
The tattooed man stared blankly for a moment, then ultimately didn't dare cause trouble and walked away cursing.
After that, men approached me every three to four minutes, all of whom I rejected.
The constant harassment was utterly irritating.
"Hello."
Again?
I looked up to see an older man.
"Have you considered becoming an entertainer?"
He handed me a business card.
"You've probably heard of OO Entertainment."
It did sound familiar, isn't that one of the big three entertainment companies?
I studied the confident-looking man with the director title.
Getting scouted was a novel experience, but I had no interest in the entertainment industry - that wasn't a career where one could maintain privacy.
"Sorry, not interested."
"Eh? Won't you reconsider? With your looks, you'd definitely become famous!"
"Really not necessary."
"What about starting as a model then?"
His persistent attitude was starting to irritate me.
"If someone says they're not interested, you shouldn't push."
Si-hyun appeared. The 190cm man glared down at the scout, who immediately froze.
When the scout got a clear look at Si-hyun's face, his eyes suddenly lit up.
"You! That's right! Would you like to become a celebrity too? The two of you could debut as a group!"
"Not interested."
"Sigh..."
Under Si-hyun's intimidating presence, the scout gave up with a sigh, seeming genuinely disappointed.
"You came early?"
"J-just a bit?"
Seeing Si-hyun made me worry about whether my outfit looked strange. Wearing a dress for the first time made me self-conscious, and the makeup added to my anxiety.
"You look beautiful."
His compliment made my cheeks burn. Even though I was being praised, I felt strangely embarrassed.
"Is it okay for us to meet like this?"
"Yeah, the bruises are all gone."
"Really?"
"Mhm, want to see?"
I suddenly pulled up my shirt collar and bent forward, making Si-hyun quickly turn his head away to stop me.
"Wh-what are you doing!"
Ah, I did it again. I always end up making mistakes around him.
"Sorry! Anyway, they're completely healed. They said it's the Artifact's effect."
"Is that so? That's good."
I stared at his profile.
"That... does it look strange?"
He looked me up and down.
"No, it suits you well."
He said it suits me?
"R-really?"
My cheeks burned even hotter, but I didn't dislike his praise.
"Are you wearing makeup?"
"Yeah... because of the scars."
Si-hyun's expression immediately darkened, his fingertips gently brushing my cheek with pity.
"You'll ruin my makeup..."
"Sorry."
"Don't worry about it, it's really fine."
"But the scars..."
"If it's a problem, we can use Oppa's connections to find a healing ability user."
Right, even though he's a damn brother, I should use him when needed.
"Why didn't you remove them immediately?"
"That... I just don't want to remove them yet."
He couldn't explain the specific reason. No... actually he knew perfectly well but was pretending not to.
Perhaps this was a warning to herself. A reminder not to let her guard down.
Or maybe it was shackles. Something to make sure i never forgot that incident.
From the sticky emotions emerged even more disgusting thoughts.
The anxiety that her overwhelmingly powerful and promising friend might eventually abandon her... The fear of being accused of holding her friend back...
These feelings of guilt toward Si-hyun... toward my best friend, might be thoughts created to bind me.
Suddenly, my stomach churned with nausea.
"Are you really okay?"
Si-hyun looked at me with concern. These thoughts were wrong.
"Yeah, then shall I rely on this handsome gentleman? Please escort me."
I joked to dispel the heavy mood.
"Pfft, shall we get going then, madam?"
Watching him naturally play along with such elegance, I felt a bit jealous.
But I smiled and took Si-hyun's outstretched hand.
Suddenly, people around us started making strange gestures - pretending to vomit, glaring sideways, or clutching their heads.
What, did they see something they shouldn't have?
Yet the destination where Si-hyun escorted me turned out to be Domoni's Pizza, which felt like a disappointing letdown.
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