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2. White Hand Whack!  A fierce and fast sound rang out. Immediately following, crimson blood streamed down. “Argh!” Alta, clutching his nose, squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. Then, seeing the blood flowing over his palm, he glared and burst out in irritation. “This son of a bitch used cheap tricks again!” “It’s because the one getting tricked is an idiot…….” What Alta had wanted was for Jeong Tae-ui to meet his attack head-on and engage in a test of strength, but Jeong Tae-ui had no desire to do that when he knew he would likely lose. This wasn’t a test to fairly assess skill through a proper match, and in actual training where you get hit and beaten, why would I willingly take a clean hit? So, he’d slightly parried Alta’s attack, deflected it, and in that motion, landed a blow right on Alta’s face, and now Alta was throwing a tantrum like this. Barely listening to Alta’s shouts and howls, Jeong Tae-ui rummaged in his pocket to offer him a handkerchief. Suddenly, a hand as big as a pot lid flew in from behind and harshly struck the back of Jeong Tae-ui’s head. “Ayak!” Clutching the back of his head that had been struck with a thud, tears welling up in his eyes, he turned around to see Carlo standing there. Carlo, who had finished his own match, wore a face that was half amused and half genuinely angry. “If you keep using cheap tricks like that, you’ll get seriously hurt someday. Fight properly, properly.” “…Ugh…. I’ve heard that same thing five times already, and this is the sixth time these stupid losers fall for my ‘cheap tricks’.” Jeong Tae-ui muttered as if feeling wronged. At that, Alta immediately stepped closer, right beside him, and yelled. “If someone had known beforehand, who do you think would fall for it!” “If you know beforehand, the usual tactics won’t work against you either.” Jeong Tae-ui offered a very reasonable defense, but Alta was still seething with anger and kept shouting. Jeong Tae-ui muttered, "I know, I get it," and stepped back a few paces from him. Then, he suddenly bumped into someone standing behind him, and stopped walking. “Ah, sorry.” “Watch where you’re going. And do something about that noisy guy in your team.” The person he had bumped into, from the opposing team, frowned as he spoke. As Jeong Tae-ui raised his eyebrows and stared blankly, the man brushed off the shoulder that had bumped against Jeong Tae-ui and walked away. “What’s with him?” “He’s from Instructor Golding’s team. A real pain in the ass.” “Do you know him?” “I know his face and name, but if you're asking about personal relations, then ‘no’.” Carlo shrugged and shook his head. Alta, who seemed to have mostly stopped the bleeding, returned the handkerchief, grumbling, “His attitude is really stiff.” “Did something bad happen with their team? Why is he so aggressive?” “Nothing bad. But nothing particularly good either. It's always like this.” “Always?” “There are more times we compete than cooperate, so why would we be friendly?” “……Wow, this community is, this… bleak……” Jeong Tae-ui shook his head. Relations are bad with other branches externally, and even internally, teams don't get along. What kind of human relationships are these? Staying here much longer, I'll ruin my personality. Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue, propped his wooden sword, and squatted down. Just then, he was hit on the back of the head a second time. “Ack!!” This time, it was weaker than Carlo's hit, but being hit again in the same spot doubled the pain.  Next to Jeong Tae-ui, who was clutching his head again, another thwack sound rang out, and Alta also clutched his head. “Who sits down to rest in the middle of a sparring match? And Alta, aren't you his sparring partner? If he sits down to rest, you should take that opportunity to beat him mercilessly." The one saying this with a grin was my uncle, who seemed to have abandoned his good nature long ago. Tears welling up, Jeong Tae-ui glared at him with blurry vision and muttered. “Unc……, Instructor Jeong, why are you here? It’s not even your class time right now.” But there was no answer. As Jeong Tae-ui said, his uncle, who should be discussing strategy in lecture hall #3 in the West Wing right now, must have come for other business. He walked over to the instructor in charge of the 2nd Martial Arts training, standing at the front. Behind him, a man glanced at Jeong Tae-ui, smiled silently, and followed his uncle. “Ah, the driver.” Jeong Tae-ui blurted out. It was the man who had driven the car when I came here with my uncle, from when we arrived in Hong Kong to when they reached this island. He was wearing an indoor uniform now, making him look a bit more rigid than before, but it was definitely him. “Driver? Ah, you mean Chief Officer Kang? Well, I guess that guy does drive the Instructor’s car.” “Chief Officer is another thing entirely.” “He’s a member just like us, but to put it simply, he’s the instructor’s head secretary. He drives, helps with work, and is also a bodyguard.” The hierarchy that I thought was simple just keeps sprouting new things as I dig deeper. As Jeong Tae-ui muttered, “Is it a cornucopia or something?”, he overheard other colleagues murmuring. “Recently, there’s been sparks flying between instructors. I heard Chaeng fought with Golding not too long ago.” “Hmm, so that’s why. Promotion to Director General. They say he’s moving to headquarters.” “Then it’s understandable that they'd be fighting over achievements now. It won't make much difference to us who becomes Director General or Deputy Director though.” “Don’t be so quick to laugh so comfortably……. Remember when the South American branch got turned upside down? I heard people even died in the fierce behind-the-scenes power struggles back then. If things get serious here, there’s no telling what might happen.” “Hey, stop it, you’re scaring me. We should just look after our own lives.” “……” Jeong Tae-ui rested his chin on the hilt of his wooden sword, staring silently at his uncle.  Listening to conversations like that, I felt more and more resentment towards my uncle. Even if only one member here were to die, considering fighting skills and brute strength, I would be among the weakest. I might as well have the number one spot on the death list. “As expected, the only thing to rely on is luck……. Jae-ui- nim , Jae-ui- nim , please share some of that luck with me…….” Since coming here, sighing seems to have become a habit. Jeong Tae-ui let out another long sigh, and then stood up with a “Heave-ho”.     Alta moved on to the next turn, and a new sparring partner returned. Because they were doing team-mixed sparring, his opponent wasn't always from his own team. He sparred a few times with unfamiliar faces. This time, the new sparring partner who returned was the man from Instructor Golding's team, the one he had bumped into earlier. That opponent also seemed to recognize Jeong Tae-ui, as he frowned. Jeong Tae-ui mumbled awkwardly, "Huh……", scratching his head. I didn't want to become acquainted like this,  he sighed and gripped his wooden sword again. Even though it was a wooden sword, if you got hit by that tree stick, which was adjusted to be heavier than a regular one, it hurt terribly even with protective gear on, so you couldn't relax for a moment. If you were unlucky and got hit wrong, it was straight to the infirmary. It hadn't even been a week since he arrived here, but Jeong Tae-ui had already visited the infirmary more than ten times. Four of those times were to support and take on a sparring partner who had collapsed, and the rest of the time he had collapsed and had to go himself. The infirmary was also located on the 2nd basement floor, where the lecture halls and practice sparring grounds were, and now he could find it with his eyes closed. He was gradually getting used to the system of how the branch operated. He had become familiar with his colleagues, and even if he didn't know everyone's names, he had become familiar with the faces of the guys from other teams. Well, there were only about 100 people in total, and during regular course hours, we were constantly face to face, sometimes becoming people who beat each other up, so even if it was to retaliate for getting severely beaten, I couldn't help but become familiar with their faces. The martial arts training they were doing now had a theme for each hour, and today it was wooden swords. The fact that there were no regulations other than to use the wooden sword efficiently was creating sparring that was infinitely close to brawling. Jeong Tae-ui looked for openings in the man rushing towards him. As the wooden swords collided head-on, a sharp sound rang out. At the same time, a stinging pressure went through his wrist. This man also seemed to have immense strength. "Alright, in that case……." Jeong Tae-ui suddenly grabbed the other man's collar. And then he turned sharply. The opponent, momentarily faltering, noticed Jeong Tae-ui's opening and ruthlessly struck him with the wooden sword. It feels like I’m going to die from the pain. He was not only incredibly strong but also hit without any restraint. Jeong Tae-ui swallowed curses under his breath, endured the barrage, and threw away the wooden sword he had been holding in his other hand. Then, grabbing the opponent's collar with both hands, he executed a shoulder throw, sending him crashing down. It was worth it to have endured the beating and charged unarmed. The opponent, who briefly resisted and staggered, eventually fell onto his back on the floor. As the man lay sprawled on the ground, Jeong Tae-ui picked up the wooden sword he had thrown away and straightened his collar. Astonishment flashed across the face of the opponent who was just trying to get up from the floor. “Hey, you don’t mean to tell me you’re going to------.” “Well, now it’s your turn to get hit a bit.” Speaking casually and rolling up his sleeves, Jeong Tae-ui began to beat the man with an indifferent expression. The man quickly got to his feet even as he was being hit, but in that brief moment, he was hit at least twice as many times as he had landed. When the man stood up completely, Jeong Tae-ui stopped hitting him. He had to listen to the man's shouts, who was massaging his forearms and thighs, face flushed crimson and veins bulging in his neck. “Hey, you ignorant and underhanded bastard! Don’t you even know how to fight?!!” “What are you talking about? You just experienced it yourself.” Jeong Tae-ui blinked with a placid expression. Beyond him, Alta—already forgetting how he had been hit in a similar way earlier—was shrugging and laughing. Face completely red, the man charged at Jeong Tae-ui with his bare hands, wooden sword or not. Seeing the man grab his collar and clench his fist to punch him in the jaw, Jeong Tae-ui slightly frowned and lightly struck the man’s neck with the wooden sword in his hand. “Cough…….” “Knowing full well that your opponent is armed, why would you charge in with bare hands……. You have to think of your body.” Jeong Tae-ui spoke calmly, frowning as if concerned. The man, even while clutching his neck with one hand, didn't let go of Jeong Tae-ui’s collar and staggered back a couple of steps. As a result, Jeong Tae-ui’s top was ripped. “Hey, listen to what that guy’s saying. ‘Think of your body,’ he says, ‘Think of your body.’  He’s as considerate as a cat is to a mouse.” “Vicious bastard. If there's a nasty internal crime next time, the victim will definitely be that guy.” He heard his colleagues whispering from behind. Jeong Tae-ui stared blankly at his chest, now exposed, and then glared fiercely at the whispering colleagues. “I can hear you, you know.” “Well, yeah, unless you’ve got something stuffed in your earholes, you should be able to hear us. Ooh-ooh, hey hey, it’s all visible. Oh my, pink nipples, how cute.” “……” This is why I don't associate with guys like them and only like cute and lovely pretty boys. If I had heard those words from someone with the same inclination as me, how much more disgusting would I have felt? If it had been a honey-sweet pretty boy, I might have willingly offered a hundred nipples as bait and hooked his whole body, but hearing such words from an old guy like that is no fun at all. Jeong Tae-ui grimaced and roughly gathered his clothes, tying the torn edges together. The guy whose neck had been struck by Jeong Tae-ui’s wooden sword seemed to be in quite a bit of pain, still standing frozen like a statue, clutching his neck and panting. “Why is your uniform in that state? The budget manager is going to be angry.” As his uncle, who seemed to have finished his business, was heading out again, he scanned Jeong Tae-ui up and down, then chuckled and said. “It’s only natural for uniforms to wear out, fray, and tear when you’re training, what’s the big deal?” “But that tear wasn’t from wear and tear. Anyway, even if it’s a spectacular view, it's embarrassing for those looking. Go to Xinlu and ask for a new uniform. While you’re at it, show off your physique a bit.” His uncle smiled subtly and left. Following that, unpleasant voices chuckled and snickered, saying things like, ‘Looks like you’re getting to see Xinlu’s face this time,’ ‘While you’re at it, just change right in front of him,’ ‘Even if you’re a bit late, we’ll all understand,’ and so on. Jeong Tae-ui, who could maintain a perfect poker face in almost everything else, was uniquely unable to hide his feelings when it came to Xinlu. Anyone could tell that he harbored feelings for Xinlu from my flustered attitude and blushing face. Thanks to that, there was no one in the team who didn’t know that I had a crush on Xinlu. Xinlu himself probably knew as well. Regarding that matter, Jeong Tae-ui felt not just relief, but even a kind of gratitude. At first, his colleagues tilted their heads, puzzled by Jeong Tae-ui’s attitude towards Xinlu, and then, vaguely suspicious, they cautiously asked, ‘Hey, is your taste by any chance… that way?’ At that time, I momentarily considered denying it. It was because memories from my time in the military flashed through my mind . The memory of having feelings beyond platonic affection for someone of the same sex, or having sexual relations, being a serious handicap. It was also a reason why my relationships with colleagues weren’t smooth. However, as expected, I had no intention of hiding it, nor did it seem like I could hide it.  So, Jeong Tae-ui nodded. Meeting their gazes with a serious face. But his colleagues' reactions were anticlimactically bland. A couple of words like, ‘Oh, really,’ was all they said. ‘We’ve been rolling around in this rough world for years, that kind of thing isn’t even something to be surprised about. Just don’t make it too obvious. ……Ah. I like women, so don’t go liking me!’ Perhaps understanding Jeong Tae-ui’s bewildered expression, Carlo muttered in a bored tone before offering advice with a seemingly serious face. Then, suddenly, he wore a sly grin and spoke in a drawling voice. “So, you like Xinlu, huh. Hmmm… You do know that in-house romance is forbidden, right?” Starting with his words, from then on, all of his colleagues were like that. It was material for teasing that would last a hundred years. The nonchalant attitude of his colleagues, in contrast to his past memories, brought relief to Jeong Tae-ui. However, even while feeling relieved, listening to their teasing and drawling comments still made him bristle. “If you’re so envious, why don’t you guys rip your clothes and go with me? Though, I doubt you have bodies ugly enough to show to anyone.” Jeong Tae-ui spoke confidently, looking at his colleagues with a brazen face. At that, the colleagues who had been teasing Jeong Tae-ui just moments ago, in a simplistic manner, quickly became furious and started ranting. “Ugly?! Did you say ugly?! Look at my magnificent muscles!” “This wonderfully tanned skin! A reverse triangle body! Women are crazy about it!” “All that does is make you look uneducated. You’re not balanced at all. ……And it’s not like you have cute pink nipples as a charm point like me.” Jeong Tae-ui swept his gaze over them with openly mocking eyes, then snorted audibly and walked away. He could hear the voices of his colleagues shouting and yelling from behind, but it wasn’t the first or second time he had heard it, and it was no more than the buzzing of flies. *** ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Tâmago We made a discord server! please join us!

My uncle is not in the room No, to be exact, it's more accurate to say that he wasn't in the room. Preoccupied with worries and half-lost in other thoughts, Jeong Tae-ui entered without knocking, but no one was around to call him out on it. The door wasn't locked, and there was no one in the room, so he paused for a moment, but then he heard the sound of water coming from inside and understood. Someone was probably in the attached shower room. Jeong Tae-ui confirmed that this was indeed his uncle's room, noticing several familiar belongings carelessly scattered on the desk. He then entered and sat in the large chair in front of the desk, slowly looking around the room. His uncle's private office was quite different from Jeong Tae-ui's own room. Not only the furniture and electronics provided, but above all else, there were many books here. The bookshelves, filling the walls without a gap, were crammed full of books in no particular order. Jeong Tae-ui ran his hand lightly across a bookshelf within reach. My uncle possessed a great many rare books. My uncle's house—though he spends most of the year at a branch office, returning home for less than ten days a year—belonged to a considerable bibliophile, and was filled with rare books that would make antique book collectors drool with envy. The fact that the house had been burgled by book thieves once spoke for itself. So, Jeong Jae-ui would often go to his uncle's house and stay for several days at a time.  However, he stopped going when he ran out of books to read. Before that, Jeong Tae-ui would sometimes go to his uncle's house to call for his older brother. While Jeong Tae-ui didn't love books as much as his brother or uncle, he still enjoyed them enough to recognize a rare book when he saw one. Among the books within his reach, there was one—a book he had wanted to read but ultimately couldn't find. Jeong Tae-ui raised his eyebrows slightly and picked up the book. It was a book I had tried desperately to find, but ultimately had to give up on because even the original edition was out of print. I don't know where this person finds such things so well. It's convenient for me, though. Jeong Tae-ui, impressed with his uncle, idly flipped through the pages of a book. However, he couldn't seem to concentrate on it. It's because that young man he'd encountered earlier keeps appearing before his eyes. "……Seriously. I’m not some lovesick teenager……. Get a grip, Jeong Tae-ui." Jeong Tae-ui rubbed his face, which was starting to feel hot, and clicked his tongue. He even lightly slapped his own cheeks a couple of times. What on earth is this branch like? How could they leave such a young and frail kid in the middle of this harsh island? But considering he was on this floor, he's probably not a staff member……. Jeong Tae-ui, after considering that much, came to an abrupt halt. This is the first basement floor. It's not a floor where staff members stay. The people who stay on this floor, ……I’m guessing that the kid is actually someone important, like the director, or the vice director, or an instructor……. Jeong Tae-ui's face stiffened slightly. He only mechanically flipped through the pages of the book in his hand with his mind blank. Just that moment. What brought Jeong Tae-ui back from his brief lapse into unconsciousness was a very faint mechanical sound, one that could easily be heard in the quiet room. Jeong Tae-ui turned his head towards the direction of the sound. It was coming from the phone on the desk. A quiet, soft mechanical sound. A monitor, about the size of a notebook, attached above the red flashing lamp, glowed dimly and faintly, as if urging him to press it. Jeong Tae-ui turned his head. The sound of water was no longer coming from the bathroom. He thought someone would be coming out soon, but then he heard the sound of splashing water, along with a soft humming. It seemed like they were soaking in the bathtub. The phone call did not end easily, so Jeong Tae-ui put the book down on the desk and stood up. He went to the bathroom and knocked lightly on the glass door. "Uncle―, you got a phone call.” A phone call? At this hour? ―――Aha, I think I know who it is. Please take the call for me and write down the message. I'll be out in a while." In the uncle's voice, which responded to Jeong Tae-ui's words, there wasn't even a hint of surprise. It's certain that he already knew from the moment Jeong Tae-ui entered the room. Although he entered silently, his uncle wasn't the kind of person who wouldn't notice someone's presence, and Jeong Tae-ui, as expected, sighs, thinking, "Yeah, I figured." "If you knew someone was coming, you should have thought about getting out sooner instead of leisurely taking a bath, Uncle." As Jeong Tae-ui muttered, a low chuckle echoed from inside the bathroom "I know it's you, so why would I hurry?" Yeah, he was originally someone with this kind of side to him. Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue and returned to his desk, but in the meantime, the call had ended. "The call's disconnected, Uncle," Jeong Tae-ui shouted towards the bathroom, then picked up his book again and sat down. A bath, huh? By now, that young man must have entered the bathroom too.……. Jeong Tae-ui's face flushed again for no particular reason. Even his earlobes felt hot. His fair, supple body, close to a peach's hue, would be flushed and beautifully colored in the warm water.  His skin seemed like it would have a subtle, soft, and very pleasant scent.  It made me involuntarily want to embrace him. "…….This is serious, really serious…….It was just a fleeting moment. Why am I being like this? Jeong Tae-ui." Jeong Tae-ui fanned his flushed face and sighed, muttering to himself. It wasn't like I had a crush on the young man or anything. I didn't know him well enough for that. But the guy kept popping into my head. Jeong Tae-ui sighed for what felt like the hundredth time today, fanning himself with the thick book he was holding. Then, the quiet mechanical sound rang out once more. The lamp flickered again. Jeong Tae-ui hesitated for a moment, considering whether to call his uncle, but thought he wouldn't come even if he did. He pressed the lamp, remembering that he was supposed to write down a message. But he couldn't find any paper or pen to write with.  It would be nice if it was a message I could remember. "Yes, hello." As soon as I answered the phone, the LCD monitor on top of the lamp turned on. And a video image, presumably from the person who called, appeared. The viewing angle wasn't very wide, so I couldn't see clearly, but it seemed to be indoors. It was probably a personal room, and I could vaguely see a built-in closet next to the white wall. And, a human body filled about 1/3 of the screen. Due to the narrow angle, I could only see a part of the middle of the body. About half of a light blue shirt around the chest area was visible. And there was a sleeve connected to that shirt, and at the end of the sleeve, there was a hand holding a mug. They were white hands. Delicate and fine, they seemed best suited for dancing across piano keys. The large mug looked tiny in those hands, which were so large but also so white and beautiful. The nails at the end of each finger were neatly aligned and as clear as pale glass. '―――Who’s this?' An unpleasant mechanical sound. It was as if I was listening to a pre-recorded message from an electronic device, with a stiff, layered voice, as if the phone's settings had been configured that way. The white hand inside the screen set down the mug. Then, with a long finger, it tapped the rim of the mug. 'Instructor Jeong Chang-in?' "Ah―…,he’s in the bathroom right now. If you have something to say, you can tell me." Jeong Tae-ui's eyes were drawn to the exquisite hands, as transparent and delicate as carved ice, as he replied. There was no reply from the other side for a moment. As he was astonished to see the hand move, as if it were attached to a living being, a voice startled him with a sudden whisper. 'Therefore.' " Unn ?" 'Who are you, answering the phone in that room?' It seemed like the voice had softened a bit, perhaps it was just my imagination. There was something almost hypnotic about it. The strange mechanical voice, combined with the sight of the abnormally beautiful hand slowly caressing the mug, only enhanced that feeling. Jeong Tae-ui wondered what to say, but since he didn't know who the other person was, he chose the most neutral response. "I'm the nephew of the person who's so relaxed they're taking a bath even though someone might come looking for them. If you have something to say, go ahead and tell me. But I don't see anything to write on, so please keep it short. My memory isn't very good." Jeong Tae-ui finished speaking, and then there was a moment of silence broken only by a few chuckles. ‘I see, you must be the second nephew then. Your name is……?' "…….Jeong Tae-ui. What about you?" Jeong Tae-ui realized it then. This man knew about me. No, to be exact, he knew about Jeong Chang-in's family. He knew that Jeong Chang-in had two nieces, and that one of them was very intelligent and famous. Given that everyone in the branch knows Jeong Jae-ui is Jeong Chang-in's nephew, it's not surprising someone would be aware of their family connection. After a moment of silence, the man spoke. 'Ilay.' Jeong Tae-ui nodded. Ilay. It's a good thing it's an easy name to remember. The man named Ilay was silent for a moment. Another hand appeared on the screen. It was the left hand, symmetrical to the right hand that had been visible until now. The two white, beautiful hands clasped together. When Jeong Tae-ui sighed without realizing it, only then did Ilay open his mouth.  'What’s wrong?' "It’s nothing……. Don't you get told that your hands are beautiful?” 'My hands?' Ilay looked puzzled and asked back, looking at his own hands. Within the monitor, his hands unclasped and moved. His fingers, bent at each joint, were a work of art in themselves. He clenched and unclenched his hands once, then clasped them together again, saying playfully. 'I've never been told that before. You like my hands?’ " Unn , they’re beautiful." 'Haha, sure. You can take it. But only after I'm dead. And put your hand on my arm instead. Even a corpse would feel sorry for not having hands.’ "……I’ll pass. My hands are all wrong for something like that. If I attached your hand to my body, it would just look out of place." Jeong Tae-ui wrinkled his nose. He's the type to make a deadly serious joke. Ilay chuckled softly for a while, as if amused by something that had been said. 'Nah, it wouldn't suit you. Your hands are much more suited to your face.'  A chuckle escaped their lips as he spoke. Knowing that the other side could see him more clearly, Jeong Tae-ui tapped on the phone's lens. "It seems like this lens has a wider angle. Well, it's not a bad thing to see only your beautiful hand filling the screen." Ilay let out a chuckle. 'Does that mean you are working for the Asian branch now?'  Jeong Tae-ui shrugged in response to Ilay's question. "Yeah, thanks to my uncle, I was able to get in without going through any procedures."  'Aha, a parachute hire.' Jeong Tae-ui couldn't help but laugh at Illay's amusing remark.  I guess you're right. Just then, he heard the sound of water again from the bathroom. It seemed like my uncle, who must have finished his bath by now, was rinsing off. "My uncle will be out soon. Do you want to wait a bit, or should I pass on your message? Or would you prefer to call back?” Realizing he hadn't even heard the reason for the call, Jeong Tae-ui spoke. Ilay murmured 'Umm' in a languid tone before replying. ‘Tell him I found the book he was looking for. It's Laurent Gastié's Mythology, the 1925 edition. It's 3500 dollars.’ "Got it. The 1925 edition of Laurent Gastié's Mythology. It's 3500……." Jeong Tae-ui paused to think about what had been said. Jeong Tae-ui had heard of Laurent Gastié's Mythology before and wanted to read it. However. "3500 dollars? For a book?" Muttering in disbelief, Ilay laughed out loud as if he understood exactly what he was thinking. 'If I tell Instructor Jeong that I got it for a really cheap price, he'll be so pleased. So tell him that, and let's see if we can meet up again sometime.’ A beautiful hand waved slightly in greeting, and with that, the screen went dark, and the call ended. Staring blankly at the screen that had turned pitch black once more, Jeong Tae-ui sighed deeply and leaned back into his chair. I knew rare books could fetch a high price, but I had no idea it was this much. Now that I see this room and my uncle's house, it's like a treasure trove. I can understand why someone would steal the books. With a newfound curiosity, Jeong Tae-ui eyed the book on the desk, pondering its value. Just then, his uncle, fresh out of the shower, patted him on the shoulder. "Why are you having a staring contest with a book? If you want to read it, you can borrow it. But since it was hard to find, please be careful with it and return it in good condition." "I don't have the guts to borrow books that cost 3500 dollars."  "3500 dollars? I didn't give that much for the book, who said that?" His uncle carefully wrapped a wet towel around Jeong Tae-ui's neck and took out a gown from the built-in closet and put it on. Removing the damp towel, Jeong Tae-ui leaned back in his chair and, in a relaxed manner, spoke to his uncle who was visible upside down. "It was someone who seemed to be the owner of an old bookstore. They had such beautiful hands.” “Hands? Who are you talking about?" Jeong Tae-ui raised his eyebrows slightly, somewhat unexpectedly. I thought that if I said only that much, my uncle would understand. Am I the only one who thought those white, delicate hands were beautiful? "They apparently found a copy of Laurent Gasthier's mythology book. The 1925 edition. They said it was 3,500 dollars"  "What? Laurent Gasthier's mythology book?” A look of delight immediately spread across his uncle's face. His eyes widened, he gave a broad smile, and approached Jeong Tae-ui again. Even the way he adjusted the lapels of his gown seemed joyful. "Uncle······. these books, did you collect them for such a huge amount of money? I'd be devastated if a fire broke out." "What are you talking about? A 1925 edition of the mythology book for that price is a steal, a steal! By the way, who is this generous broker? I should call them back and thank them.” "Ilay." When Jeong Tae-ui mentioned the hand's owner's name, his uncle paused. Then, he looked at Jeong Tae-ui with a very strange expression. For the first few seconds, he seemed unfamiliar with the name, as if he didn't recognize it, but soon he seemed to remember. 'Ah,' he said, nodding his head. However, the next moment, he stared intently at Jeong Tae-ui with an even more peculiar look on his face. "······Who did you say?" "He said his name is Ilay. I didn't hear his full name. You two seemed to be close acquaintances with you, Uncle.  Judging by how he immediately knew I was your second nephew when I said I was your nephew, it seems like you two know each other well."  "Ilay······. he said that? Him?" "That's what I heard······. But since you're saying that, I'm getting a little unsure.  Maybe I misheard the pronunciation because it was a mechanical voice.  Do you have any idea who it might be?” When Jeong Tae-ui added, 'Then you can just call back using the caller ID, so don't worry about the book,' his uncle shook his head. "No, I know who it is. It's just that I haven't heard that name for a long time, so I had forgotten it." "Does he have multiple names?" That's a sign of a con artist, Jeong Tae-ui muttered with a smirk. However, the calm tone of his low, cool voice, and the image of his elegant, beautiful hands, were not at all associated with the word "con artist." But it's also difficult to say that the image of an old book dealer fits perfectly, so you can't judge a person just by their voice and hands. "His hands were really pretty." As Jeong Tae-ui muttered, his uncle, who was taking out wine from the cellar, looked at Jeong Tae-ui with a complicated expression. "Hands······. Yeah, I've never really paid attention to them, but now that I think about it, his hands might have been graceful." "Maybe it's just me who thinks that. Since that person said it's the first time they've heard someone say their hands are beautiful." "Probably so." The way he spoke as if it were so obvious made Jeong Tae-ui briefly question his sense of aesthetics. With a face as calm as ever, his uncle turned back and, smiling nonchalantly, twirled the screw with his fingertips. As he effortlessly drove it into the wine cork and pulled it out, he muttered to himself. "Even if it were 'scary hands,' maybe, but when would he have ever heard someone say he has 'pretty hands'?"  “? Indeed, his fingernails were neatly arranged like pieces of glass……. They were hands that were beautiful to the point of being almost frightening.” The uncle, hearing what Jeong Tae-ui said, simply smiled without replying. "So, this place was where Tou told you about? It's right near the elevator, so it wasn't hard to find, was it?" His uncle changed the subject. Jeong Tae-ui, who had been briefly thinking about those white hands, then remembered a minor grudge he held against his uncle. While wandering around and getting lost, he had even cursed at his innocent uncle, blaming him for the building's ridiculous layout. Then, what came to mind again was the cotton candy-like young man he had encountered in the shared bathroom. His face turned red again. As his uncle brought out two glasses, he looked at Jeong Tae-ui with a curious gaze, as if he found it amusing. It seemed he found it entertaining to watch Jeong Tae-ui's face change from flushed to blank and then gradually turn red again. "Why? Did something happen?……Did the guys on our team play some kind of mean prank on you? They're usually like that. They're not bad guys, but when a newbie joins, they're happy to have a new colleague, so they play pranks on them. You can think of it like little kids teasing someone they like." His uncle, imagining some situation, comforted Jeong Tae-ui, saying, 'Don't worry too much about it, it's just between guys.' Jeong Tae-ui, while suspecting that the situation his uncle was imagining might be even more problematic if it was just between guys, shook his head. "I don't know what you're thinking, but there were no problems with my teammates. I got lightly roughed up a bit, but that's because I was also at fault." "Really? Then what's the problem? Since Tou took you there, you must have been with them right away. So, did the problem occur after you parted ways with them?” As my uncle handed me the golden liquid, a sweet scent wafted out. Jeong Tae-ui, smelling the sweet aroma, clicked his tongue with a bitter expression. "Uncle. I heard that a prison guard lives on this floor.” "That's right. The other members, including the warden, are on the sixth floor below. Why, do you want to go up? Then you'll be successful." His uncle joked with a broad smile. His gaze, however, held a hint of trying to discern the true reason why Jeong Tae-ui had suddenly brought up that topic. "…….I took the wrong elevator and was wandering around a bit when I met someone." Jeong Tae-ui began the story as if nothing was amiss. However, as that person came to mind again, he became inexplicably anxious.  His uncle, with amusement, observed Jeong Tae-ui's expression and prompted him, 'And then?' "I think it was just before I was about to go into the bathroom when that person gave me directions, which is how I found my way here." "……Ah……. Okay, so who was it? Didn't you ask for their name?" His uncle, with a slight upturn of his lips as if he understood something, asked again. Jeong Tae-ui shook his head. "No, I just asked for directions. He seemed a bit young, and depending on how you look at it, he might not even be an adult yet. He had a soft, fluffy feeling……. and although he looked somewhat Western, he seemed to be of Chinese descent.” "Aha, he seemed young? Tsk tsk, your taste never changes. I had my doubts, but." His uncle shook his head, as if he had figured something out. Jeong Tae-ui, feeling a surge of anger, glared at his uncle. "So, is there a minor here, then?" "There isn't. ……And so what if they are a minor? You just have to wait patiently for a while, then reap the rewards after they've grown up. Kids grow up in the blink of an eye, you know." "Uncle, it's not about that kind of thing.……. …….So, who is he? That person." "Anyway, since it's you, Uncle, you probably already know who it is, right?" he grumbled, asking sullenly. While turning his head away stiffly, his uncle glanced at his nephew, whose face was flushed, cocked his head to the side, quietly observed him, and then chuckled. "……You innocent guy. I heard from Jae-ui that your romantic relationships were quite complicated, so why are you reacting so naively? I even heard there was a time when two men had a knife fight over you.” "Did my Hyung even say that?" Jeong Tae-ui frowned and clicked his tongue. That did happen once. There was a young man I thought was cute and had slept with a few times, but he had an incredibly picky and feisty personality. But we didn't date. That young man himself said so. We were just partners in bed when we felt like it. So I believed that without a doubt, but it seems that wasn't the case. Jeong Tae-ui himself didn't know why, but he was quite popular in clubs of that kind. So, after a while, another person approached me. And------things went wrong. This person who approached me also had a far-from-ordinary personality, so a truly bloody and chaotic scene unfolded. Thanks to that, Jeong Tae-ui himself was even called to the police station as a witness and investigated, and in the process, rumors even spread discreetly to Jeong Tae-ui's school, where he was a cadet at the time. After that, it was a series of hardships. "So, who is that person?" As Jeong Tae-ui muttered more curtly, his uncle, seemingly thinking about something, grinned, shrugged his shoulders, and then opened his mouth to speak. "You'll probably meet him again soon. Since he's the administrative officer in charge of member welfare and internal affairs." "------You mean Xinlu, that......? Do Administrative officers also live on this floor?" "Um. Everyone except the team members stays on this floor. Even outside guests stay on this floor. When people from other branches come for joint training, they stay on the same floor as you guys." "Haa……." Jeong Tae-ui muttered as if he were in a daze. I see. I didn't think about the administrative officer category. Yeah, now that I think about it, he didn't have many muscles on his body, and I couldn't find any scars or blemishes. There's no way someone with that kind of body could be a team member, and it's unlikely he's a prison guard who's been through a lot. Then, of course, the only one left is the administrative officer, but why couldn't I think of that? Jeong Tae-ui, scratching the back of his neck, thought about it, and then suddenly recalled that smooth, soft skin without any blemishes, and his face flushed again. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind, feeling the gaze of his uncle watching him from the side, but it was no use. "Seeing this side of you, I really feel like I've lived a long life. You really do see all sorts of things in a lifetime." His uncle, in a tone of wonder—yet with a clearly joyful voice—spoke, shaking his head slightly. Jeong Tae-ui looked disapprovingly at his uncle, then suddenly remembered the reason he had come to this place. "But really, Uncle, aren't you being too much? I was just planning on keeping a low profile and going back in six months, but from what I'm hearing, this is a complete survival game." "Um?" "I heard that a countless number of people die during joint training. And the number of injured people is beyond counting. Even so, how can you drag your own nephew into such a dangerous place? That's too much!” "While there might be some cases of minor injuries or even trips to the hospital for severe cases, deaths are rare. So, rest assured.” "Yes……. But you also know, Uncle, that it would be difficult for me if I were seriously injured." "Aah, I know. If you get seriously injured, I'll personally take you to the best-equipped hospital right away, so don't get angry. I didn't bring you here to kill you." His uncle, still speaking in a light tone and smiling, said that. Jeong Tae-ui sighed. Just as he said, he would immediately take care of things if I got hurt. It was less of affection for his nephew and more of a sense of duty for what he should do, but he had never once been negligent in handling such matters. So, Jeong Tae-ui wasn't worried about that point. It was just that, with signs of a difficult future appearing everywhere, he simply wanted to complain a bit. And in fact, it was also true that it would be problematic for Jeong Tae-ui if he were injured beyond a certain point. Of course, everyone has trouble when they get seriously injured, but Jeong Tae-ui has difficulty with surgery due to his constitution. Regardless of his own will, his body is quite finicky, and his rejection response to foreign substances is much higher than the average person. In the past, when he was seriously injured while clearing mines and was immediately taken to the hospital, they inserted metal pins to connect the fragmented and broken bones, but a severe rejection reaction occurred, requiring him to undergo major surgery again. "Well then, I'll be going before it gets any later. You must be tired too, Uncle, so please rest." "Hasn't this book been brought out to look at? I'll lend it to you, so go and read it.” As Jeong Tae-ui stood up, his uncle picked up the book he had taken out and placed on the desk, and held it out to him. Jeong Tae-ui looked at the book for a moment in silence. It was carefully preserved, but the passage of time couldn't be stopped, and it was yellowed. As the number 3500 hovered in his mind, he was afraid to even touch it. "No……rather, I'll just read it here. It's too precious a book for me to borrow." "Is that so? I don't mind either way, but if that's more comfortable for you, then that's fine. When you go to get the room key from Xinlu, ask him for a spare key to my room as well. I'll let him know. So, you'll go right away to get the key and the rules sheet?” Jeong Tae-ui paused at his uncle's words. Certainly, after leaving this room, I was planning to go to the administrative office to get the keys and so on. And I was about to grab whoever was on duty and ask them to call the person in charge, Administrative officer. But right now, that person in charge, the Administrative officer, should be in the bathroom. Even if I call him, I'm not sure if I'll be able to reach him properly, and even if I do, it would only bother him. Seeing Jeong Tae-ui, whose face was flushed and who looked a little embarrassed, wondering what to do, his uncle opened his mouth as if he knew what he was thinking. "Xinlu has probably already finished his bath and is working in his room. He has low blood pressure so he doesn't stay in the tub for long, and besides, he's a bit of a workaholic. Since he's going to be working anyway, it won't be a bother if you call him." As Jeong Tae-ui met his uncle's gaze, who was looking at him with a subtle smile, he felt a surge of emotion for no reason, glared at his uncle with a sullen face, but seeing his uncle's nonchalant demeanor, as if nothing had happened, he could only sigh. Yeah, I'm really drawn to that Administrative officer. Even if I don't recognize it as liking him, I want to see him again and know more about him. So what. Jeong Tae-ui's face became a little shameless. Feeling attracted to someone isn't something to hide. Sensing Jeong Tae-ui's change of mood, his uncle gave a slightly regretful look, but then, as if he had changed his mind, smiled calmly. "It's wonderful to fall in love with someone. To love and be loved. That's the foundation of the world." "…….Uncle, you really have a knack for saying things that make me cringe sometimes." Jeong Tae-ui, with a face that was neither displeased nor pleased, muttered, glancing at his uncle. And leaving his uncle's laughter behind, he left the room. ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Tâmago We made a discord server! please join us!

4.   02. Ranking match   “Hyung!”   When I pressed the code on the door lock and opened the front door, Chae Yoo-jeong came running in, smiling brightly. The image overlapped with a large dog greeting its owner.   “Are you not tired? I should have picked you up by car.”   Chae Yoo-jeong, who was standing in front of me as I was taking off my shoes, naturally took my bag.   “It’s okay. Why bother going out on this street?”   Yes. Coincidentally, the location of the company where I worked was much closer to Chae Yoo-jeong’s house than my own.   Thanks to this, I can see him like this after work even on weekdays. The contract for the house I currently live in is coming to an end, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to look for my next house nearby.   “Are you hungry?”   “Yes. Order something……”   As I walked into the house while answering Chae Yoo-jeong’s question, I found a table full of food.   “The lady visited yesterday.”   “Ah.”   “Well, all I did was warm it up and prepare it, but… If it’s still okay…………….”   Chae Yoo-jeong continued his words with both cheeks-stained red. Faced with that right in front of me, I thought quietly.   ‘It’s so fucking cute.’   Even if that’s not the case, how can you not like a pretty guy who makes up his mind and only chooses pretty things?   I approached Chae Yoo-jeong, struggling to suppress my dark desire that kept rising at the top of my head.   “Kiss kiss.”   “What?”   I demanded again, tapping my cheek with my finger.   “I want you to kiss me.”   “……!”   Chae Yoo-jeong’s eyes widened and his entire face lit up.   “Why are you so shy about kissing when you prepare all the food and wait for me?”   Chae Yoo-jeong, who had hesitated for a while in front of me, who was smiling, finally mustered up the courage to kiss my cheek. A sound rang out, along with a tickling sensation as if his feathers were touching it.   ***   After dinner, we happily took out the ice cream sticks that we had bought in advance.   “You can’t go to sleep, right?”   “I have to go home because I have to go to work tomorrow too.”   After eating half of the ice cream, I began to speak cautiously.   “Yoo-jeong, I feel bad about saying this while you’re on vacation.”   “What?”   “That… Actually, there is something I want to do at Zenoris.”   Originally, Chae Yoo-jeong’s professional specialty was that he had to return to HOL after his vacation.   Considering that, I tried to enjoy whatever game I played during my vacation with Chae Yoo-jeong.   Of course, I didn’t make a promise, but it’s still a long-awaited vacation and Chae Yoo-jeong might be upset if I do something different.   “Anything else?”   “Yeah. To participate in the event. Rather than just playing one or two rounds, the goal is to be first in the job rankings.”   If the reason Lycheeyum is obsessed with Chae Yoo-jeong is to make his guild No.1 on the server, then you just needs to destroy that goal.   “It won’t take long.”   I added leisurely, leaning back on the sofa.   If you leave Lycheeyum like this, he will continue to follow Chae Yoo-jeong until his vacation ends and force him to join the guild.   To prevent that, even if Chae Yoo-jeong returns in the Early Evening, he will have to leave again when the vacation is over, and that will only cause unnecessary fuss.   In that case, all I have to do is work hard for a few days and take away Lycheeyum’s first place. We also happen to have overlapping jobs. I couldn’t miss this opportunity.   ……To be honest, these reasons were all just excuses, and I just wanted to beat up Lycheeyum in an official setting.   ‘How dare you try to use my lover as promotional material for your guild?’   When I looked into it, I heard that there were a lot of users watching the battle for first place. I’ll spread the word throughout the server that you’re a slob.   “But it’s not important, so you won’t have to do it if you don’t like it. It’s fine.”   After hearing this, I tried to quit talking about this to Chae Yoo-jeong right away if he got even a little glum or sad, but instead, his face was filled with anticipation.   “It’s actually so good! If you had the skills, it would be very easy to get to the top of the job rankings, but since the timing overlaps with your vacation, I thought you couldn’t do it because of me...………………”   “No way. I didn’t want to do it because it was a hassle.”   “Hyung, actually…….”   Chae Yoo-jeong lowered his long eyelashes and opened his mouth with an embarrassed expression.   “I have something to give to you.”   As soon as I finished eating my ice cream, Chae Yoo-jeong grabbed my hand and led me into the room. He then turned on the computer and sat me down, then he turned on his laptop from the seat next to me.   “Wouldn’t it be easier to participate in ranking matches if you had better weapons than you have now?”   “Good weapon?”   Those words reminded me of the weapon I was using now. A few years ago, when I first started at Zenoris, I was using the same staff I received from Chae Yoo-jeong.   Afterwards, new staffs specifically for Dark Mage and high-performance staffs were released, but since I had already strengthened Lux 2.0, there was no need to change to a new one.   “Isn’t it still good enough? You gave it to me.”    “It’s not fully strengthened yet.”   Chae Yoo-jeong accessed Zenoris on his laptop and opened the inventory. I was shocked when I saw the red items filling my inventory.   “What’s this?”    “It’s enhancement stones.”   Chae Yoo-jeong answered shyly and smiled.   “Recently, due to an event, mass supply of enhancement stones has been released, so the price has gone down. I collected them because I wanted to take pictures of Hyung’s weapons.”    “This much?”   “The probability of reaching the 9the level is low, and if I fail, I have to advance again… Still, this will be enough.”   When I received an unexpected gift, I was a little embarrassed. Even when filming the quarterfinals, didn’t Chae Yoo-jeong prepare all the necessary materials, starting with the enhancement stones? He even provided reinforcements himself.   I’m grateful that he did that, but he even prepared the reinforcement stones for reaching the 9th level in advance.   ‘No matter how cheap the event was, it would have cost quite a bit for this amount...…………’   When I saw Chae Yoo-jeong, who only thought about me whether he was sleeping or awake, my heart rang.   “Are you going to participate in the ranking match tomorrow? Let’s make the 9th level with this!”   Chae Yoo-jeong’s eyes were shining brightly towards me. It seemed like he wanted me to praise him, his heart clearly visible, and I couldn’t hold back any longer, so I hugged him and showered him with kisses on his face.   “So adorbs, I’m dying, really.”   Chu, Chu, Chu. The tickling sound rang out non-stop. He was amazed at how someone could be so pretty, cute, and lovely.   “Hyu-Hyung...…………… “   After I kissed him to my satisfaction, Chae Yoo-jeong’s face and neck turned so bright that it wouldn’t be surprising if he burst out immediately. I said that he was so cute, so I kissed him on the cheek one last time and released him.   “Thanks. With this, I’ll take it to the 9th level and then beat up all those kids.”   When I thanked him playfully, Chae Yoo-jeong nodded with an excited expression.   “Should we enhance all here?”   It was almost 8pm now, so I had about 2 hours to spare. I followed Chae Yoo-jeong and accessed Zenoris via computer.   I received the Enhancement Stones from Chae Yoo-jeong and stood in front of the altar. I calmly placed the staff and reinforcement stones on the altar.   The success rate in the 9th round was only 5%. Considering my luck of failing miserably every time I challenged these odds, it was obvious that the Enhancement stones would cost two to three times more than others.   “Should I give it a go?”   “Yes……!”   After hearing the solemn announcement, Chae Yoo-jeong looked very nervous and glared at the monitor. I swallowed dry saliva and moved the mouse.   [Do you want to strengthen it? (Gold coins are used)]    When I pressed the button, a yellow light flashed and a sound effect of striking metal was heard. yet.   Kwrrrng!   [Strengthening failed.]   “……..”   “…….”   Black lightning struck the altar, and a message window notifying the Enhancement failure appeared in the center of the screen. The air surrounding me and Chae Yoo-jeong suddenly became cold.   When I checked the staff information with trembling hands, I saw that the quarterfinals had changed to the semifinals. Fuck.   “Hyung, it’s okay! I knew this would happen so I prepared a lot of reinforcement stones!”   “Y-yes.”   Chae Yoo-jeong is right. There’s no way you’ll succeed right away on the first hit. There is nothing to be shocked about again.   After gathering my heart, I pressed the altar again and inserted the staff and reinforcement stone.   Kwrrrng!   [Strengthening failed.]   Kwrrrng!   [Strengthening failed.]   Kwrrrng!   [Strengthening failed.]   Chae Yoo-jeong and I stared at the staff who had become the 5the level with cold eyes. what? Why have my staff stats returned to when I first received them? Did it go back?   Even after reaching the semifinals, I failed once more. Even if I failed from the 5th level, I was lucky that I didn’t lose my enhancement level, otherwise I would have been stuck in the 4th level.   Chae Yoo-jeong, who was fidgeting next to me, carefully held my shoulder and opened his mouth.   “Hey, Hyung.”   “…….”   “Should I…?”   I quietly gave Chae Yoo-jeong my seat. I’m so embarrassed, really.   ***   HM: MC really has bad luck   --- Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Meimei, Ghostx Support on Kofi: Side stories 1(Complete) We made a Discord Server ! please join us!

131. It took quite a bit of time to clean up the scene. They had to find out who had been turned into monsters by Ainas, and had to list the people who died as a result. Many people were killed and injured. Moreover, since most of them were Guardian Guild awakened, America was in trouble. This was not only because the national power was weakened. Other countries demanded responsibility for the deaths of their people because of the American guilds. “We are victims too!” They tried shouting, but it didn't seem to reach them. Ainas, caught in the midst of this, shut her mouth. She tried many ways to get the mouth to open, but it didn't work. Meanwhile, the fairy next to her whined that Ainas, Albert, and Miriel should also be sent back. “I will send it back when the time comes.” “When will that be! Please send me now, okay?” The fairy was very persistent. In that situation, Ainas requested to meet Hyeon-woo. “You don’t have to listen to that, Hyung.” Although Seon-woo was against it, Hyeon-woo felt that they needed to meet at least once. Therefore, he received permission from the U.S. government and met Ainas face to face. "Long time no see." It must have been a hard life for Ainas, but nothing had changed from before. “You may be acting quite harshly, but aren’t you still human? Because demons are strong against pain. You won’t be able to open my mouth.” Ainas assured. “Now that the person I was following has died, I think I will have to find a way to live too. Don’t you need a faithful servant?” “Why did you have to turn around like this?” Hyeon-woo looked at Ainas with a puzzled expression. “It’s something I hear often. But I'm serious. At least I will be much more helpful than the monsters you bring with you.” “I was your enemy.” “Yesterday’s enemy becomes today’s colleague.” “It’s okay. Don’t talk nonsense and quickly tell me what you know.” “I don’t like it. Why should I reveal it without any benefit?” Ainas stuck out her tongue. It seemed like it would take more time to extract information from him. If the crime they committed was even minor, they would just send it back and solve it on their own. Hyeon-woo clicked his tongue and stood up. "Hello." People passing by greeted Hyeon-woo politely whenever they saw him. All of this was thanks to Amber. She actively defended Hyeon-woo and revealed the hidden sins of the Guardian Guild. Because of that, it was known that the reason Hyeon-woo was hiding his power was to kill the hidden villain Leon. ‘It’s not like that.’ Suddenly, he was treated as a hero. Still, it was nice that he didn't have to make excuses. With that in mind, he turned the corner and saw two familiar men. One was his cute little brother and the other was his lover. “Hyung, did anything happen?” As soon as Seon-woo finished his question, Do-jin also opened his mouth. “Are you okay? Didn’t Ainas cause any harm?” Their words were different, but the meaning was the same. They were both worried about Hyeon-woo. "I'm fine. Seon-woo must have been busy, so did you wait for me?” Seon-woo frowned at Hyeon-woo’s words. After Leon met his end, the Awakened decided to elect a new president of the association. One of the candidates was Russia's Pyodro and the other was South Korea's Ji Seon-woo. Originally, they were going to nominate Hyeon-woo as a candidate, but he turned it down. Now that everything was over, he had no intention of taking on a position like the president of the association. “No matter how busy I am, I still have time to wait for my Hyung.” ‘Oh my, you’re cute.’ Hyeon-woo lightly pinched Seon-woo’s cheek. Then, the crumpled eyebrows slowly relaxed. Looking at the situation, it seemed like the president of the association would be Seon-woo. Then, inevitably, the number of people living abroad will increase, and he would become very busy. Do-jin was happy for him. The person who was precious to Hyeon-woo was also precious to him, but Seon-woo needed to separate from his Hyung a little bit. “What happened with the director?” “You mean Kim Cheol-soo.” "Unn." Director Cheol-soo is said to have been taken aback by the situation in the United States, which was going differently than expected. And it seemed like he was going around meeting this person to somehow preserve his position, but it didn't seem to have any effect. “I could easily pull him down from his seat now." “So you’re saying you can change the director?” "Yes." “So Choi Moo-hyuk will become the director?” “Not really.” Do-jin intervened in the conversation between Seon-woo and Hyeon-woo. “Choi Moo-hyuk is too young to become the director. I think we need to appoint someone else before that.” “Who?" “That’s up to Choi Moo-hyuk to take care of. We will help, but you will have to find the talent yourself.” “Well, you have to do that yourself.” Hyeon-woo nodded. In this way, the situation was being sorted out. “Then all you have to do is attend the funeral one last time and then go back.” “That’s right.” This time, a joint funeral will be held for the awakened people and citizens who died unjustly. Although they died, they decided to award medals and pensions to their remaining family members. “What happens to the Guardian Guild now?” Most people in the Phoenix Guild have left and only a few remain. It was because the guild leader, Bacardi, was a villain. So it wasn't hard to guess that the Guardian Guild would be similar. “Are they going to disband?” “For now, it looks like the Guardian Guild will disappear. But it is said that the remaining people will band together and create a new guild.” The eyes of the people looking at the Guardian Guild became harsh, but they still came together again for a value that they could not give up. [Justice] For that one word. “It won’t be easy.” "That’s true. Because there will be prejudice. Still, they chose to try." Do-jin smiled and answered. There are people who stand up even when everything falls apart and they have no choice but to give up. That is why the world can continue to move forward. The funeral was held in a solemn atmosphere. More than half of the coffins were empty, but it was still enough to bring out the sadness and will of the people. Hyeon-woo, wearing a black suit, was looking at it all. “Alberg.” "Yes." “You too, go back now.” “Aren’t you being too cold-hearted?” “Miriel decided to go back as soon as you do. “I may not be able to return to Ainas.” Ainas bore too much resentment. The situation was not suitable to send it back like this. She will probably die here. “I can’t go. Where should I go without you?” “Alberg, you know who I like.” “Yes, you like Han Do-jin. A meaningless life that will one day perish.” "It’s okay. When that time comes, I’ll go with you.” “You can live much longer if you come with me.” Hyeon-woo chuckled at those words. “That’s not what I want.” "Okay." Albert looked up at the sky for a moment. 'Should I take him by force?' Afterwards, without the fairy's interference, Hyeon-woo cannot return on his own. “Don’t think of strange things.” “I didn’t think of anything strange.” “How can I believe that?” Hyeon-woo waved his hand. “What if I don’t go back?” “We’ll have to force you to return.” This was a funeral, so it wasn't appropriate to fight. So, I will drag you somewhere else and fight. "Good." Alberg smiled sadly.  I want to get my hands on Hyeon-woo, but I don’t want to be hated by him. That's why I decided to have a little patience. Isn’t the life of a demon long anyway? “I’ll go back now. But i will come back someday. I will definitely go with you then, so be prepared.” “Do you think I’ll follow suit when that happens?” “Then I will really take you by force.” I will take you even if I have to kill you or just embrace your soul. 'A human's life is 100 years anyway.' Although awakened live a little longer, it is still an extremely short period of time compared to demons. “Aah, you are amazing!” As soon as Alberg makes his decision, a fairy appears from somewhere Bong!  and appeared. “As expected, it’s Hyeon-woo! You're so good at persuading Alberg!" “Okay, take me quickly.” "Yes! I’ll open the door!” The fairy spread his hands wide and drew a circle. Then, a portal appeared in the air that a person could pass through. “Then finally.” Albert came closer and kissed Hyeon-woo. It happened so quickly that he couldn't avoid it. "You!" “This is the last time, so please forgive me for this.” Before Hyeon-woo could swing his fist, Albert passed through the portal. Now the only one left was Miriel. Unlike Alberg, who only returned her body, Miriel had a large baggage. When asked what it was, he answered calmly. “Ga-jun took care of it.” It looks like you've been enjoying life here quite a bit? There are more than one thing you like here. “I’ll meet you again someday.” After that, Miriel left, too. The fairy who heard the word at the end cried out, "No." But Miriel had already disappeared. "Then I'll go back, too." "Yes." Hyeon-woo saw off the fairy. "Now really live the way you want it." That was the fairy's last word. HM: It's kinda sad… Well… although I’m happy to finish it, I do feel a void. ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Davine, YaagRabRag We made a discord server! please join us!

3.   The weekend passed and Monday came again.   While Yoo Ji-han went to work, Chae Yoo-jeong had a busy daily life of his own. He got up, had a late breakfast, and headed home.   After he finished working out in the gym in the basement of his dorm, he chats for a bit with the coaches and plays a round or two of HOL with his teammates, who are also there to hang out. After that, they all have a late lunch together, return home, do housework such as cleaning and laundry, and then it’s time for Yoo Ji-han to get off work.   -How was your day today?   "Good."   The reason why he was so busy moving around even though it was his vacation day was because Yoo Ji-han was worried about himself.   Even though Chae Yoo-jeong was really okay, Yoo Ji-han was still worried about him. He was not worried because he did not believe Chae Yoo-jeong. Because he likes him, he can’t help but worry. Chae Yoo-jeong now knows the difference well.   Chae Yoo-jeong himself did not want to be locked in a room without seeing sunlight or meeting people, waiting for Yoo Ji-han to contact him, so Chae Yoo-jeong maintained his activity to some extent for himself and Yoo Ji-han. he has to exercise anyway, so he wants to go out at the same time.   The conversation between the two started when Yoo Ji-han left work, and naturally changed from cell phone to Discord call after turning on the computer. It was now natural for them to play Zenoris and discord call together on days when they weren’t meeting up.   -Where are you now?   “I’m in front of the repair shop.”   -I’ll be there right away. What should we do today? Should we go on a raid?   Every time Yoo Ji-han, like no other person, asked him what he should do, he loved it so much that he felt like he was going to die. Chae Yoo-jeong smiled shyly and recalled the suggestion he had been meaning to make earlier.   ‘I’ve collected a certain amount of reinforcement stones, so I think I can upgrade his weapon today.’   He has accumulated quite a lot of reinforcement stones that he has purchased from time to time. Chae Yoo-jeong, who decided that this would be enough to make it to the 9th round even if he failed a few times due to unluckiness, cautiously opened his mouth.   “Hey, Hyung. If it’s okay...…………….”   However, Chae Yoo-jeong’s words, which he began with great intentions, could not be finished.   [All] Lycheeyum: Hahahaha   [All] Lycheeyum: Hello, Yoo Chae   “…….”   Chae Yoo-jeong’s brow furrowed miserably when he saw the intruder who appeared before him.   Isn’t this stalker bastard tired? Even though he had been logging on and off from the same spot over and over again for the past three days, his behavior of waiting for him at this location every time and then greeting him was insane.   -Why did you stop talking?   “……No. Hyung, I’ll just go there.”   It was right not to have anything to do with a guy like that.   He was looking through the scrolling items in his inventory with the intention of changing his access location at this point, but Yoo Ji-han responded with a puzzled look.   -En? I arrived?   At the same time, the character ‘I’m sleepy’ came to my side. Anyway, just like last time, Lycheeyum continued to recommend Chae Yoo-jeong to join the guild.   [All] Lycheeyum: Yoo Chae-nim ㅠ   [All] Lycheeyum: Are you sure you don’t want to come to the guild?   [All] Lycheeyum: If you come, I’ll treat you really well~   Only then did Yoo Ji-han, who saw the chat belatedly, open his mouth with an expression of confusion.   -What is that person… Isn’t that the same person as last time?   When Yoo Ji-han, who remembered his username from Lycheeyum, asked, Chae Yoo-jeong barely swallowed his exasperated breath and tried to act as if nothing had happened.   "That’s right. Maybe it’s because I’m always here. He keeps coming back.”   -It’s not you that’s the problem, they’re the problem. Even though you refuse to join the guild, they keep forcing you.   “That, um……………”   Seeing Yoo Ji-han taking his side, Chae Yoo-jeong completely forgot about the irritated feelings that had been rising just now and blushed slightly.   [All] Lycheeyum: Yoo Chae?ㅜㅜ   [All] Lycheeyum: Are you leaving?   [All] Yoo Chae: no   [All] Yoo Chae: go away   [All] Lycheeyum: Wow, you weren’t leaving   [All] Lycheeyum: Don’t just say no.   [All] Lycheeyum: Or, how about coming and experiencing the guild for just a week? please?   [All] Lycheeyum: You won’t regret it   He tried to hit Lycheeyum quickly for the sake of Yoo Ji-han who was waiting, but it wasn’t easy. Chae Yoo-jeong became nervous and fidgeted and quickly opened his mouth.   “I-I’ll solve it quickly. wait a minute."   -Wait. Even if you say no, they won’t listen.   Yoo Ji-han calmed down Chae Yoo-jeong, who was at a loss, and immediately began typing on the keyboard.   [All] I’m sleepy: Why do you keep inviting him to the guild even though the person in question says he doesn’t want it?    [All] I’m sleepy: Even if it’s a good suggestion, you have to do it once or twice for them to understand. If you keep doing this, it’s coercion.   [All] I’m sleepy: Stop it already   Every word from beginning to end was correct.   That’s right, stop! I don’t even have enough time to play with Hyung! Chae Yoo-jeong sympathized with this and nodded her head enthusiastically.   [All] Lycheeyum: ㅋㅋ   [All] Lycheeyum: What.. ha;   [All] Lycheeyum: Isn’t it free to suggest a guild to someone who doesn’t have a guild?   [All] Lycheeyum: Who are you, telling me to stop?   He thought that Lycheeyum’s reckless behavior would be eased because the person next to him could dissuade him, but that was Chae Yoo-jeong’s mistake.   The sly attitude he had when suggesting a guild to Chae Yoo-jeong was gone, and sharp, argumentative chats poured out. And that too, towards Yoo Ji-han and no one else.   [All] Lycheeyum: Also, shut up about that guild ㅋㅋ;   [All] Lycheeyum: It’s really transparent to just tell me that   Chae Yoo-jeong’s sense of reason was cut short as it wasn’t just a fight, but everywhere he looked there were comments mocking Yoo Ji-han.   “Lychee………”   It was that moment when swear words that he would never say in front of Yoo Ji-han came out of his mouth without his knowledge.   -Um, that doesn’t work either.   A clear and simple voice without any sign of unpleasantness came through the headset.   “Hyu-hyung...……………”   -It can’t help it. Let’s just ignore it and go about our business.   There was no way Yoo Ji-han, who was quick-witted, could not have known that Lycheeyum’s chat contained an intention to ignore him. And yet it’s so peaceful.   Chae Yoo-jeong, who was immediately taken in by Lycheeyum’s provocation, felt ashamed of himself.    And once again, Yoo Ji-han was amazing.   ‘As expected, Hyung is different.’   He realized that he still had a long way to go. Chae Yoo-jeong quietly took a deep breath with the tips of his ears dyed red.   Okay, let’s stop and play a fun game with Yoo Ji-han. Yoo Ji-han must have already been extremely tired after working. He didn’t want to cause unnecessary stress.   “Hyung, come to the party. I’ll use the scroll!”   -Yes, yes.   There was a faint smile in his answering voice.   ***   [Guild] I’m sleepy: Lycheeyum, what is this guy doing?   [Guild] I’m sleepy: Does anyone know him?   After that, a guy named Lycheeyum continued to follow me and Chae Yoo-jeong and forced him to join the guild. Having been interrupted by Lycheeyum, we had no choice but to give up on our original itinerary.   I didn’t want to show off to Chae Yoo-jeong, who was already watching me, so I held back and instead asked for help from the guild.   [Guild] Harn: Huh??   [Guild] Manaolingnam: ???   [Guild] Drink some water: Lycheeyum?   [Guild] Drink some water: If it’s the Lycheeyum I know   [Guild] Drink some water: Aren’t he the No. 1 in the Dark mage rankings now?   [Guild] Harun: I know it well...   [Guild] TheHunter: Wasn’t it Gilma from another guild?   [Guild] Park Seung-jin99: yeah   [Guild] Park Seung-jin99: Last time, he asked my sub-character if I wanted to join the guild   [Guild] Park Seung-jin99: Looking to recruit the already guild member?   I smiled coldly as I read the guild chat that kept popping up as if I had been waiting for it.   Current Dark Mage job ranking #1? Then, it is true that the chat earlier was aimed at making fun of me because I am a fellow Dark Mage.   ‘It’s annoying to tease Chae Yoo-jeong under the pretext of joining the guild, but how dare you interfere and ruin Chae Yoo-jeong and I’s happy game date time?   For the first time in a long time, I began to turn my head, which had been stiff for a while due to a happy relationship and a smooth work life.   Lycheeyum, this kid awakened my gamer instincts that had been dormant for a while. As a user who enjoys the game, how can I meekly back down from a fight that comes first?   [Guild] Drink some water: Hmm   [Guild] Drink some water: Are you aiming for the No. 1 on the server?   Among the guild members who heard all the blame from me, Kang Ji-hye spoke as if she had realized something.   [Guild] I’m sleepy: This means using Yoo Chae as a way to increase guild rankings.   [Guild] Drink some water: After listening to the story,   [Guild] Drink some water: Lycheeyum, what this user is aiming for is very obvious   [Guild] Harn: I think it’s like that with guilds...   [Guild] Mocha Bread: Oho   [Guild] Drink some water: If it’s only for Yoo Chae, I guess he just wants an aggro player   [Guild] Drink some water: he’s currently ranked 1st in the job rankings   [Guild] Drink some water: Then it’s obvious   [Guild] Staric: You probably don’t know because this is your first time experiencing a ranking match   [Guild] Staric: If a guild’s Gilma takes first place in a ranking match, the publicity effect alone is enormous   [Guild] Crazy Hunting Friend: Come to think of it, when Yoo Chae became a member of our guild, he was also #1 in Chain Blade ranking, right?   [Guild] Drink some water: Yes   [Guild] Drink some water: To be exact, that’s why I brought you here   [Guild] Drink some water: No. 1 in job rankings, flashy dealer aggro dealer level   [Guild] Drink some water: If a guy like that becomes a guild master rather than a tank like me, there will be a lot of people in the guild   [Guild] Drink some water: That’s why Early Evening took first place and has maintained it until now   “Hmm………………”   After listening to Kang Ji-hye’s explanation, I could see Lycheeyum’s goal.   I see. In the end, they were preparing to push out Early Evening and become the number one guild on the server. That was why he persistently proposed to Yoo Chae to join the guild.   [Guild] Staric: Lycheeyum, I see that this user guy is not that famous   [Guild] Staric: I don’t think he has the constitution to be an aggro dealer   [Guild] Staric: If he comes into the guild and Yoo Chae causes an accident like before,    [Guild] I’m getting lazy: Oh....    [Guild] Mocha bread: It’s crazy, got goosebumps   [Guild] Drink some water: crazy   [Guild] Drink some water: Even if I were in that position, I would still want Yoo Chae    [Guild] Bright Clouds: No, but you’re like that anyway   [Guild] Staric: Secret^^   [Guild] Staric: Then I guess you want Yoo Chae more ㅋ   [Guild] Staric: The name already has quite a bit of value   [Guild] Staric: It won’t be that satisfying from their perspective   [Guild] Hwasoun: Why does Staric-nim know so well?   [Guild] TheHunter: Stop talking about secrets and dig up pumpkins   [Guild] TheHunter: Is this my life quest? It’s yours ㅡㅡ   [Guild] Staric: ㅠㅠ   [Guild] Let’s do this: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ   [Guild] Harn: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ   [Guild] Bright Clouds: I can’t last even 1 minute;   In short, by recruiting Yoo Chae to their guild, is Lycheeyum trying to gain a manpower who can attract attention and popularity at the same time?   ‘When you kill two birds at once, you have to expect a big blow.’   With that arrogant attitude you showed in front of Yoo Chae and me earlier, it would be difficult to kill one bird, let alone kill two birds with one stone.   “……”   I crossed my arms and calmly organized my mind. After weighing all the probabilities of what might happen in the future, I decided what to do first.   [Guild] I’m sleepy: Thank you for letting me know.   [Guild] I’m sleepy: It was a great help   ‘First, I have to meet Chae Yoo-jeong first.’   The rest was next. There is nothing more important to me right now than Chae Yoo-jeong.   [Guild] Bright Clouds: Why am I anxious...   [Guild] Crazy Hunting Friend: I have a strange feeling...   [Guild] TheHunter: It’s been peaceful so far   The guild members who sensed the unusual atmosphere whispered. Anyway, I picked up my cell phone that I had left next to the keyboard.   Just then, I received a call from Chae Yoo-jeong, who had gone to take a shower. I received the call with a natural smile.   HM: I wonder how this is gonna go   --- Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Meimei, Ghostx Support on Kofi: Side stories 1(Complete) We made a Discord Server ! please join us!

Ohana was passing by the partition because of an errand. Ohana, who had been asking Hyeon Gyu-ha to take a selfie without any worries, was surprised, considering how willingly he had done with the promotion video in the past. < Gasp. Why not?> I still don’t know what you were thinking before, but since you said no, there was nothing I could do. Ohana bowed and apologized, hiding her embarrassment. I can't just close all the SNS comment windows, so what can I do? Hyeon Gyu-ha frowned at her expression filled with embarrassment, and after a moment of fierce conflict, he made a decision with a heavy sigh. Hyeon Gyu-ha, who took the selfie, also looked down at the person in charge. Because of the people in the office who witnessed the series of events, rumors that Hyeon Gyu-ha’s control tower was In Yoo-shin spread throughout the entire department, not just the Hunter Department. After hearing the story, In Yoo-shin praised Hyeon Gyu-ha diligently. As they say, a little praise can make even a whale dance, and Hyeon Gyu-ha felt quite cheered up. In Yoo-shin didn't realize that Hyeon Gyu-ha's continued pretense of being upset was a feigned weakness to take advantage of the situation. Thanks to that, Hyeon Gyu-ha was able to hug him tightly, rub his face against his, and even get patted on the back. Considering the sacrifice of giving up a cozy 1-night 2-day camping trip, this wasn't bad at all. “Hmph.” Sending a triumphant smile to 8-se was a bonus. No matter how cute that little rat tried to be, he couldn't beat me. 'Where on earth did that annoying kid come from?' At the same erosion gate 19 years ago, after meeting the third Ursitoare, the boss appeared normally and cleared. It might have something to do with In Yoo-shin being his ø³¼Îð. In any case, it was time to focus on the date now. Hyeon Gyu-ha, who had kissed the top of his head, took out an object from the inventory.  It was a new gift for In Yoo-shin. I’m sure that it would be the most useful gift for him. In Yoo-shin lowered his face as he felt something caught on his neck and looked puzzled. It was made of black leather, similar to a crossbody bag, but much smaller. "What's this? A pouch?" "You can't wear clothes with front pockets all the time." "Ah! Is this a carrier for 8- se ?" Looking at it that way, it was just the right size for 8-se to fit in and settle down. When he opened the door, 8- se  crawled out of the front pocket and went inside. "Gyuu." 8-se let out a satisfied sound. “It’s a couple item made with the same leather as my jacket. It’s sturdy, but it’s also waterproof, so it doesn’t get dirty even if blood splatters, so it’s comfortable.” “Ah, so that’s why you always wear that jacket.” I want to think of it as the blood of a monster, but it probably has a lot of human blood. It feels like 14-year-old Hyeon Gyu-ha’s heart is beating and pounding inside. In Yoo-shin changed the subject. “Is it time for the others to come?” “By the way, I forgot to mention it because it’s not important, but I heard that only Narsha came today.” “Only Narsha guild is coming?” “I heard Choi Jin-hyeok did something.” Since the ultimate goal is to hunt the boss and close the dungeon, they get the cooperation of the guilds when they do dungeon training. I knew that they had decided to cooperate with five guilds this time, but it was surprising that Narsha Guild was suddenly reduced to the only one. Since Hyeon Gyu-ha is here, there should be no problem in clearing it. The small questions will be resolved when the rest of the group arrives. Soon after, the sound of charter buses lined up and coming up the short dirt road was heard. The first person to get off the bus that was parked in the parking lot that only had traces was Park Seung-gi. "You're early? Hunter- nim , please take care of me today!" Hyeon Gyu-ha just nodded his head in greeting. In some ways, it was a rather unlucky reaction. However, since he knew that he was being polite to his boyfriend's friend, Park Seung-gi didn't care. Hyeon Gyu-ha, whose cozy 1-night 2-day camping trip for the two of them was canceled, decided to get some pictures of him when he was younger. Park Seung-gi naturally welcomed any visit to the dungeon, whether it was for a training session or a picnic. “I’m just going to sleep for a day, why is the suitcase so big?” “It’s because I put the containers to take samples in. This was also reduced and reduced. The professor even gave me a lab drone so I could film properly.” “It looks really expensive.” “If this breaks, my salary will be gone too.” While they were babbling, the others got off one by one. Following Park Seung-gi was Ohana, who looked completely lost, holding a camcorder. “Why did I get assigned all the way to Gangwon-do on the weekend……………….” The mastermind was Team Leader Noh of the Digital Communication Team. When Team Leader Noh found out that Hyeon Gyu-ha was in the escort team, he had a feeling that the number of views would be huge and he gently teased Ohana, who was somewhat familiar with him. As an F-rank Awakened being with the ability to keep one's hands steady, she's perfect for the job. In the midst of the heavy task of filming Hyeon Gyu-ha's vlog under the guise of a dungeon training vlog, she continued filming faithfully. Through the viewfinder, the public hunters including Choi Jin-hyeok and the Awakeners were seen lined up and coming down. There was also healer Song Chan-young to take care of the injured. Today, the leader of the escort team was Gamma Team Leader Choi Jin-hyeok. The person with the highest level and ranking was, of course, Hyeon Gyu-ha, but no one, not even In Yoo-shin, expected leadership from him. “Don’t gather around like kids, come here.” CHoi Jin-hyeok, who naturally took on the role of leader, gestured and lined up the Awakeners who got off the bus at the back. “Excuse me, Hunter Hyeon Gyu-ha- nim .” One of the Awakeners spoke cautiously. It was the man who had caused a commotion at the Erosion Gate earlier. The man bowed with a look of extreme apology. “I’m sorry about last time. I didn’t realize how much you were protecting us, and I lost my mind for a moment.” Hyeon Gyu-ha, who actually received the apology, was indifferent. “Yeah, yeah. you don't have to force an apology, so just go inside, or I'll throw you to the monsters.” The man blushed in embarrassment as he returned to the line, wondering if he had really been worried about that. In Yoo-shin pursed her lips slightly. “Gyu-ha- ssi  is not the kind of person who kills people for no reason.” That's why I'm even more concerned about the incident 14 years ago that he might be connected to.  Hyeon Gyu-ha narrowed his eyes and smiled meaningfully. “Only the Master needs to know.” The SUVs behind the bus belonged to the Narsha Guild. "Hello!" “Oh, it’s been a while.” Another car parked next to the guild members who were exchanging greetings with the familiar public servant hunters. And soon, In Yoo-shin learned the reason why only the Narsha Guild was cooperating today. The person who came out of the last car that arrived was Gong Tae-seong, who looked even more mentally exhausted than Ohana. “Ah, the guild leader himself came?” “I don't know why someone as important as the guild master is doing such a boring mission, but with that guy and Narsha, we should be fine.” During the three days he was locked in the erosion gate, he became somewhat close to me, and he was the one who gave the cage to 8-se. Seeing his pale face and sighing all the time, I was worried. The man who got out of the car with Gong Tae-seong greeted Choi Jin-hyeok first, and then In Yoo-shin and Hyeon Gyu-ha also looked back. “You’re In Yoo-shin, right? I’m Han Jun-soo, the guild leader’s secretary.” He greeted me with a friendly expression for some reason, even though it was his first time seeing him. That gave him courage and he asked him carefully. “Is the guild leader sick?” “Oh, that’s not it.” Han Jun-soo smiled bitterly and whispered in a low voice. “Actually, the guild master was supposed to go on a luxury hotel stay with his daughter this weekend. But the lady turned him down, saying she was going on a trip with her boyfriend.” “Excuse me, but how old is the daughter………………?” “5 years old.” While Gong Tae-seong was mentally exhausted after being pushed by his only daughter's boyfriend, Choi Jin-hyeok, who had signed the contract, intervened. In Yoo-shin sighed. "You must be shocked………………." “It's perfect timing. Hyeon Gyu-ha's camping plans have gone awry, so he'll probably just go through the motions with the hunt. With Kong, it'll be easy. He's perfect for large-scale killing, since he's great at starting fires.” I don't know if these two are on good terms or bad terms. As the cars that were supposed to come back tomorrow left, Choi Jin-hyeok picked up the loudspeaker and cleaned up the messy surroundings. In Yoo-shin swallowed hard. They would soon be passing through the gate.  Hyeon Gyu-ha lowered his gaze as if he had noticed the presence. ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Editor M, eteryl Support on KOFI: Chapter 57, 58, 59, 60 If you wanna become a translator, editor or proofreader, please use the discord link given below and follow the instructions in the recruit channel. We made a discord server! please join us!

130. The battle continued fiercely. Libby's body began to freeze, and his movements started to slow down. In that way, he became a dull target, nothing more and nothing less. The Awakened were tired, but Libby was also tired. He couldn't believe that his reality was now of struggling and not being able to overcome humans. ‘There were too many obstacles.’ Ji Hyeon-woo, who was stronger than expected, the Angel child (Miriel) who suddenly appeared, and Alberg, added to them, and at some point his plans went awry. The result was this. “Should I step back?” Ainas, who had been lying dead, lightly waved her hand. Now, he could get out of here using the portal generator he had. Libby thought of getting out of here for now. However, the moment he thought so, he suddenly felt a cold wind freeze his whole body. "Do you think I'll let you run away?" Hyeon-woo laughed ferociously. Ainas, who was shaking her hand, was caught by Alberg by the nape of her neck. There was no retreat. A little more now. I could knock Libby down with just a little more force. The root cause of all this. If I don’t stop killing them, the world will return to normal. Thinking so, Hyeon-woo did his best. And the moment he was about to strike Libby, who was sluggish because most of his body was frozen, a portal opened in the air and a fairy appeared through it. In general, it was bigger and more splendid than the fairies that Awakened had seen. "Hello everyone. I am the manager of the fairies, the queen.” The queen bowed elegantly, but Hyeon-woo did not stop moving his hand. Squash. A frozen stem was torn to pieces by Hyeon-woo. “Hey, could you listen to me for a minute?” "Say it." Even in that situation, Libby still struggled, and Hyeon-woo worked hard to shorten the stem. He was the same with Do-jin and Seon-woo. The queen looked at them in amazement and cleared her throat. “Everyone, you know this. Neither the demons nor the Angels should come to this world. That is the rule of all dimensions. However, there are also Demons and Angels here. That is why I have come to rectify him.” “You came quickly.” The queen's eyes widened at the sound of sarcastic remarks. However, when she realized that the subject was Hyeon-woo, her eyes softened again. “For me, this was the best. Rather, why don't we just leave the demons alone? I will send them both back to their original world.” “Are you going to return this?” Hyeon-woo's expression became more ferocious. “Because it shouldn’t be here.” "No. It has to die here.” He had been in this world for quite awhile, but was it fair to just send them back with no repercussions? He couldn't understand that. Naturally, Hyeon-woo's voice also became sharper. “Just calm down.” The queen tried to stop Hyeon-woo somehow, but Hyeon-woo didn't budge. He was just tearing Libby to pieces as though it was his duty. If she interrupted saying she would send him back now, she felt like he would pluck her wings as well. “S-shall we go back first with the Angels?” The queen smiled awkwardly and spoke to the Angels. “Leave demons here and go back? I can't.” The Angels spoke in a cold tone. Their always neat clothes were in a mess, and their hair was disheveled. The wings were also not intact. They insisted that they could not go back because of the demons, but in reality they were angry at the treatment of humans by the Queen. But there was no way the queen knew that. They suppressed their rising emotions. 'So that demon is dying over there.' Hyeon-woo, a strong man outside of the ordinary, made up his mind and attacked, so it seemed that even the demons could not stand it. Alberg, who was also a demon, grabbed Ainas and smirks. The queen opened her mouth again to convince the Angels, but something flew from behind. It was a piece of Libby's frozen stem. "Shut up and get out of here. You guys are next after this guy." Hyeon-woo glared at me with a bloody gaze and said. Everyone except for a few people got goosebumps and shivered at how bad the energy was. “Are you treating us like demons?” “There’s no need for Demons or Angels in this world.” What's the difference? Hyeon-woo insisted on his idea to the end. Some of the Angels protested, but Miriel stopped them. “I will stay, so others may go back. I will return after making sure the demons disappear completely.” “Oh my God, I can’t leave you alone as you’re too young. I'd rather stay." "No. I am the one who has maintained a relationship with humans at least.” Miriel calmly persuaded her parents and her elders. After arguing for a while, they were eventually returned to the original world by the queen. They left Miriel alone. Left alone, Miriel walked lightly and stood next to Alberg. “Hey, kid.” “Don’t call me a kid, demon.” “You call a kid a kid, well.” Alberg threw away Ainas and sat down on top of her. "Okay, I think all of your conspiracies are broken, but what are you going to do now?" Miriel, who had grasped the entire situation from what had happened so far, realized that Alberg's plan had also been broken. “I don’t know either.” After saying that, Alberg looked at the dying Libby. "Go back, I'm going back!" Libby, on the brink of death, asked the queen for help, but it was too late. “I can’t stop Hyeon-woo, who got angry once.” “Aren’t you the strongest in the Demon Realm?” I heard that Hyeon-woo often fought with Alberg. But isn't that because Alberg, who fell in love, took care of it?  Miriel tilted her head. "You saw it?" Alberg snorted. “Never. Until now, Hyeon-woo had competed with me with his pure strength. So it's more lovely. I like his never-bending personality.” “As expected, of demons. Their taste is the worst.” Miriel sold Alberg and watched as Libby's end neared. "Stop!" Libby swung his stem, speaking in a nervous voice. “You said you would let me go back!” He was so urgent that he couldn't even say the honorifics he used to use. He thought of Hyeon-woo's abilities similarly to Miriel. So, this was an unexpected situation. Now he had to focus on how to survive, not how to kill. In the meantime, Hydra Kai, who maintained the barrier, was knocked out. New Awakened stormed inside, and as soon as they entered, they found Libby and Hyeon-woo. “My God, what is that?” “It is a strange monster.” While trembling at the bizarre appearance, the Awakened intervened in the raid. Those who had been exhausted from fighting the whole time fell back and new ones took their place. Libby gritted his teeth. "It's really over now." Hyeon-woo, who plucked off almost all the stems, stood next to the flower hanging in the center. “Do you really think this will all end?” There were still many monsters planted by Libby in this world. They will still exist and move in this world after he is gone. "I don't think so. This may be the beginning." Hyeon-woo replied calmly. Then he put his hand on the thick petals. Feeling his body hardening in an instant, Libby made a last desperate attempt. It was to dissolve his demonic energy and explode his own body. “Everybody die!” But even that didn't have much effect. Firstly, Hyeon-woo covered the explosion with demonic magic, and secondly, Do-jin swallowed the minor damage as a shadow. Still, there were some that got away, but these guys here are the strongest. Each of them could have just figured out that much. The head of the Guardian Guild, who had deceived everyone and made a mess of the world, passed away more vain than expected. 'Now, the remaining problem.' After solving Libby, Hyeon-woo looked around. Once the urgent matter is resolved, the next problem will emerge. And the next problem was him. How will people react? 'Perhaps ostracism.' Because the power he had was not normal. Hyeon-woo wiped his hands and looked around him. He had been feeling tumultuous emotions just a moment ago, but now he was locked in a strange silence. "Th–" Then someone opened up. "Thank you for your help!" It was Amber who was resting in the corner exhausted. She struggled to get her body up and bowed down to Hyeon-woo. “If it wasn’t for Hyeon-woo-nim, we would all be dead!” "That's right." When Amber came forward, Ivan also added a word to it. “It was a really terrible monster.” Junichi also intervened. "Hyeon-woo's abilities are different from those of monsters." Amber continued to speak. “And that ability helped us all.” It really helped us a lot. One by one, they began to bow their heads toward Hyeon-woo. "Thank you." "Thank you." “Thanks to you, I survived.” The hostility that could have been directed at Hyeon-woo disappeared. It was thanks to Amber who came forward. ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Davine, YaagRabRag We made a discord server! please join us!

1.   01. Yoo Chae’s stalker?   [Event] Ranking Battle START! A thrilling ranking match that comes with summer!   The ranking match for each class that many people have been waiting for has finally begun!   Hello, this is Zenoris.   Various benefits and items are waiting for you.   Access Zenoris right now and receive various event products.   * Event details:   -Prepare for the ranking match! Gift box provided once a day (reset at 00:00 AM, once per account) (non-tradable)   -If you participate in a ranking match, you can receive a stamp. Get additional gift boxes as stamp rewards.   - Challenge your highest score! Several items are available.   * Components:   -Attendance reward gift box: level-up medicine, Linnaeus feather, three-color Cree   -Stal (random), low-grade enhancement stone, intermediate enhancement stone, potion collection bag, battle support box, etc.   -Additional stamp gift boxes: Totem (random), high-grade enchantment stone, supreme enchantment stone, gold box, primordial gem fragment, designated dye   -Reward items for achieving the highest score: Erg of Light, Level Enhancement Box, Refined Crystal, Three Stat Increase Potions, Pet (Smoke, Color Random), Challenger’s Suit (Choose 1 for women, 1 for men)   Please refer here for a detailed explanation of the rankings for each job. → [Ranking match guide for each class]   Thank you always.   [Guild] Bright Clouds: By the way sleepy-nim   [Guild] Bright Clouds: Don’t you want to play ranking matches??   A guild chat came up right after I finished the dragon raid with Chae Yoo-jeong. I answered by biting into the lollipop I was eating.   [Guild] I’m sleepy: just on the last day   [Guild] I’m sleepy: I’m just going to have a quick fight and get the reward   Dark Mage was the first job created last year, and Zenoris also started at that time, so I was able to get the highest score reward in just one round. I already had a job and didn’t have much time to play games due to work, so I didn’t have time to put any effort into the rankings.   [Guild] Mocha Bread: Ranking match is so good ㅇㅅㅇ   [Guild] Drink some water: I’m always busy playing games with Yoo Chae after work   [Guild] Drink some water: What are you going to do with the ranking match?ㅋ   [Guild] Let’s do this: Come on, come on~   [Guild] Bright Clouds: Aaaah>-<~   [Guild] I’m sleepy: yeah   [Guild] I’m sleepy: I don’t have enough time to play with Yoo Chae   [Guild] Harn:?   [Guild] TheHunter: ???   [Guild] Bright Clouds: What am I...?   [Guild] Mocha Bread: Why are you so obediently admitting it?   [Guild] Drink some water: Ah...it’s a bit rough, isn’t it?   [Guild] Manaolingnam: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ   [Guild] Bright Clouds: Water-nim too?   [Guild] Harn: I’m going to faint ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ   [Guild] Crazy Hunting Friend: Please think about it   [Guild] Park Seung-jin99: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ   [Guild] Harn: Have you seen Staric?   [Guild] Harn: Please improve the second couple too   [Guild] Staric: Sorry...   [Guild] Staric: I will try harderㅠ   [Guild] TheHunter: Oh, that’s a long story again   Currently enjoying watching the chat of guild members who react as expected.   It was time to do it. Chae Yoo-jeong, who had gone to make a phone call, returned.   “Hyung, I have an interview scheduled.”   Chae Yoo-jeong’s voice was heard talking about the schedule through my headset.   “Interview?”   “Yes. I think I’ll have to go out for a bit next Wednesday.”   “What time is it?”   “It’s at 4 o’clock in the dormitory building. There is a separate interview room.”   After shyly explaining, Chae Yoo-jeong soon asked excitedly.   “Hyung, since your company is also in Gangnam, should I go there when you get off work? Can’t we have dinner together?”   “Of course.”   “Okay, then I’ll take the car. Please call me when you get off work.”   “Okay. But next Wednesday?”   “Yes.”   Today was Thursday, so there was about a week left until next Wednesday. I can’t spend a week like this just playing games.   “Shall we meet next Wednesday, and meet tomorrow as well?”   Crack, crash!   As I asked with a smile, the loud sound of something falling and hitting echoed through my headset.   “Chae Yoo-jeong?”   “Yes? Ah yes! I, T-tomorrow is good too! I really like it!”   “Are you hurt somewhere? What just happened?”   “That… I kind of dropped my phone. It’s okay.”   “…….”   Surely this won’t be a mess every time we go on a date from now on? I changed the topic of conversation a little, hoping that Chae Yu-jeong would calm down a little.   “Chae Yoo-jeong, aren’t you going to play the ranking match?”   “Ranking match?”   Fortunately, Chae Yoo-jeong answered in a much calmer manner.   “Well, I don’t really think about it. I didn’t play the rankings last season anyway, so I can get the highest score reward with just one or two games, so there’s no need to do it.”   Chae Yoo-jeong ranked first in the Chain blade class rankings the year before last, but last year he quit Zenoris due to problems with me and his professional gamer activities, so he did not participate in the rankings.   If he had been in first place last year, he would have had to be at least in the top five to get the highest-ranking reward, but neither I nor Chae Yoo-jeong did any ranking matches last year, so we only got one or two rounds to get the reward.   “What about you?”   “I won’t do it either.”   I continued as I threw the finished candy bar into the trash can.   “I don’t have enough time to play with you, so what am I supposed to do with it?”   Chae Yoo-jeong recently finished the spring season safely and his vacation has begun in earnest. In other words, he can stay at home and play other games to his heart’s content during his vacation.   Dating in Zenoris and dating in real life was difficult outside of this period. As I succeeded in getting a job, the free time I had was gone, so I planned to hang out with Chae Yoo-jeong as much as I could. The next vacation comes after finishing the summer season and the world competition, the Hold Cup.   “Hyung……!”   After hearing my story, Chae Yoo-jeong called me in a voice full of emotion. I couldn’t hide my happy smile either.   If other people see this, they’ll say we’re sick, but guess what? The beginning of a relationship is all like this.   ***   At 11 a.m, Chae Yoo-jeong woke up leisurely and as soon as he opened his eyes, he picked up his cell phone and sent a morning greeting message to Yoo Ji-han. After finishing his shower, he had a simple salad for breakfast and logged on to Zenoris.   Yoo Ji-han was in the midst of working at the company. After seeing that ‘I’m sleepy’ was displayed offline in his friend’s window, he turned on the auction house.   Ever since he took his vacation and started Zenoris again, Chae Yoo-jeong has been buying reinforcement stones with a light in his eyes. The purpose was to upgrade Yoo Ji-han’s staff to the top 9.   Because of Chae Yoo-jeong’s professional work, he can only visit Zenoris on vacation, but he wasn’t Yoo Ji-han. It was clear that Yoo Ji-han had some affection for Zenoris, as even when he broke off ties with him, he would occasionally come over and play games.   It was natural for a user who had enjoyed the game to be greedy for specs in a game he was passionate about. Yoo Ji-han didn’t say anything, but he must have been quite frustrated after using a level 8 staff for nearly two years. So, he wanted to make it a level 9 staff on behalf of Yoo Ji-han, who was busy.   However, he was worried that Yoo Ji-han might feel burdened, so he was collecting reinforcement stones whenever he was away. Thanks to the ranking event, the supply of reinforcement stones was released and he was able to buy a lot at a cheaper price than usual, which was also beneficial to Chae Yoo-jeong.   [All] Lycheeyum: Yoo Chae-nim   [All] Lycheeyum: Yoo Chae-nim?   “……?”   When he heard that chat messages kept popping up somewhere, he found himself being called by an unfamiliar user.   When he moved the auction house window that was blocking the center of the screen to the side, a character he had never seen before was standing right next to him.   Even though it was clearly visible that the other person was calling him, Chae Yoo-jeong only raised his eyebrows in curiosity.   He moved the auction house window that had been placed on the side, back to the center. And then he resumed the shopping that had been interrupted by the useless guy.   [All] Lycheeyum: Hey, Yoo Chae-nim   [All] Lycheeyum: Are you diving?     However, the other party was also formidably persistent. Not only did he continue to talk to Yoo Chae, he even sent him a friend request.   The friend request messages and chat windows covering the screen were a bit annoying. Chae Yoo-jeong frowned and reluctantly tapped on his keyboard.   [All] Yoo Chae: ?   [All] Lycheeyum: Oh haha, you’re awake!   [All] Lycheeyum: Hello   [All] Yoo Chae: ?   ‘?’, which means answer only business questions. The other person in the chat said with a slightly embarrassed expression.   [All] Lycheeyum: Yoo Chae, you don’t have a guild right now, right?   [All] Lycheeyum: Would you like to come to my guild?   Chae Yoo-jeong hadn’t gone anywhere since he left the guild Early Evening.   After that, he quit Zenoris halfway and didn’t feel the need to go to the guild unless it was Early Evening, where Yoo Ji-han was. Since he could only enjoy Zenoris briefly during vacations, there was no point in him joining the guild, so he did not go back even when Kang Ji-hye said it was okay to come.   [All] Yoo Chae: no   Chae Yoo-jeong flatly refused without even confirming the name of his opponent’s guild.   But the opponent was persistent this time too.   [All] Lycheeyum: Please at least think abt itㅠㅠ   [All] Lycheeyum: I heard you split up with Early Evening   [All] Lycheeyum: All members in our guild are all strong and have good personalities   [All] Lycheeyum: If you come, I’ll treat you really well.   [All] Yoo Chae: no   As if Chae Yoo-jeong’s answer was not visible, an invitation to join the guild appeared in the center of the screen. Chae Yoo-jeong, who realized that he was someone who couldn’t communicate well, closed the invitation window and immediately clicked on the channel change button.   ‘Hyung too… Was this how you felt when you first met me?’   Chae Yoo-jeong realized that it was more intrusive and bothersome than he thought for someone he didn’t even know to pretend to be friendly, and he recalled what he did to Yoo Ji-han in the past.   At that time, he was so happy to meet Yoo Ji-han and was so excited that he tried to get to know him, but looking back now, it was really true. He once again felt grateful to Yoo Ji-han for accepting him.   ‘As expected, Hyung is the best!’   No matter what he thought, Chae Yoo-jeong, who ends up with ‘Yoo Ji-han is amazing,’ praised Yoo Ji-han very naturally this time.   Otherwise, today is Friday and he will be meeting Yoo Ji-han in the evening, but his heart has already started to beat faster. So Chae Yoo-jeong completely forgot about the guild offer he had just received and was filled with anticipation as he thought about his date with Yoo Ji-han.   ***   HM: it’s nice to see that YC understanding why MC acted like that….   GX: YC is getting a taste of his own medicine, albeit he’s still praising MC whilst it is happening. Well, at least he understands.   --- Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Meimei, Ghostx Support on Kofi: Side stories 1(Complete) We made a Discord Server ! please join us!

2.   Zenoris Forum: [Rotel] Yoo Chae [Rotel] Is he back? [Comment 5]   Author: Ghost of the Dice Views: 98 Recommendations: 0   Oh wow   Congrats, there’s 1 idiot in Rotelㅋ   [▼Expand comment]   LV45. Mungusam [like 0|dislike 0]   I admit, is it Yoo Chae I know?   └It seems right.   LV12. dongfangzhuo1 [like 0| Dislike 0]    Ha I also came back this time, but the timing is fk...   LV28. Blue Forest [likes 0 | dislike 0]    Why?? We are overwhelmed with just this.    └Please sell us the rights to transfer the server   Zenoris Forum: [Rotel] Isn’t it rather a thing? [Comment 10]   Author: Let’s Go Witcher Views: 102 Likes: 0   After folding Yoo Chae in the Early Evening   When I think about the shit these bastards were saying;;;   For me, Yoo Chae with the Early Evening combination is a hundred times better.   Even though Yoo Chae in Early Evening doesn’t do anything while spreading shit all over the place, Yoo Chae in Early Evening is also an asshole, but anyway, by my standards, he’s better than the idiot..   [▼Expand comment]   LV33. QE21 [likes 3 | Dislike 1]   Yeah, Anyway, he came back. I wish he had done something stupid like before and beat up Fever so that he couldn’t even make a fuss.   ㄴ crazy, he’s back after all   ㄴㅉㅉ loser mind   LV23. Kim Ferret [likes 0 | dislikes 0]   I hate both....   LV50. Common Sunday [likes 0 | dislikes 0]   ㅋㅋ it’s a legend that you can’t even say a word in front of Fever and you just talk behind their back here   └Everything is legendaryㅋ   LV38. Nyamunkkun [ likes 0 | dislikes 0]   But didn’t Yoo chae split up from Early Evening? What’s back now   He was planning to play with Yoo Ji-han all day today, so there was no time to play Zenoris unless it was now. While Yoo Ji-han was washing up, as he had been doing recently, he turned on the auction house and looked through the newly posted reinforcement stone listings, and the whole chat came up.   [All] Lycheeyum: Oh, Yoo Chae-nim haha   [All] Lycheeyum: Hello   [All] Yoo Chae: ?   A user who was standing exactly where he logged in naturally greeted him. Chae Yoo-jeong’s eyes narrowed after seeing the chat.   ‘What is this guy?’   Chae Yoo-jeong, who had completely forgotten that he was the user who had recommended joining the guild yesterday, ignored the opponent’s chat and turned on the auction house.   If it were any other time, he would have changed the channel first, but right now he’s only going to do it until Yoo Ji-han comes back, so it was better to ignore it.   ‘The price is cheaper than yesterday.’   Chae Yoo-jeong, who saw that the price was about 15% cheaper than usual, began to buy the cheapest reinforced stone. He clicked his mouse hard, thinking that he would only need to buy about 200 items today, but suddenly a system window popped up at the forefront of the screen.   “……?”   The window completely obscured the purchase button. Chae Yoo-jeong frowned and looked at her.   [The guild has invited you. Would you like to join the guild? Confirm/Reject]   What kind of shit is this...……………   Chae Yoo-jeong, muttering a curse under his breath, pressed the reject button and closed the auction house window. Then he noticed the message above the username of the user who had just spoken to him.   The guild name was clearly revealed.   [All] Yoo Chae: Don’t send it   Chae Yoo-jeong, who gained all the happiness in the world through his love affair with Yoo Ji-han, warned in a much more limited attitude than before.   However, as if he had left his wits on the floor of the market, the other person sent him a friend request this time.   [All] Lycheeyum: Don’t do that haha   [All] Lycheeyum: If you come to the guild, you won’t regret it   At the guild proposal, Chae Yoo-jeong finally remembered what happened yesterday. I think it was exactly that nickname yesterday. It seems like they are the same person.   [All] Yoo Chae: I have no intention of going, so fk off.   Chae Yoo-jeong once again gently expressed her refusal. But unfortunately, the other side was also formidably persistent.   [All] Lycheeyum: Say   [All] Lycheeyum: Have you seen the job rankings?   [All] Lycheeyum: Me and Guild manager are currently ranked 1st and 2nd in Lycheeyum rankingㅋ   [All] Lycheeyum: i admit the real talent is in the guild, so come haha   Chae Yoo-jeong quietly raised one eyebrow. When he saw the unfamiliar introduction, his already annoyed feelings mixed with irritation.   ‘Should I kill him?’   He was certain that the opponent also had field PVP turned on, as the display changed when he hovered the mouse pointer over the character.   If he had known this would happen, he would have just killed him when it was time to deal with him.. Even while he was thinking about this, the other person sent him another guild invitation message without notice.   “……”   It was at that time that Chae Yoo-jeong, who had been staring at the monitor for a moment with cold eyes, turned off the guild invitation message window that covered the center of the screen and was about to attack Lycheeyum.   “Are you playing a game?”   A familiar scent wafted through him. The body heat that spread from his right shoulder instantly turned Chae Yoo-jeong’s body red.   Yoo Ji-han, who had just washed up, stood behind Chae Yoo-jeong and lowered his upper body. He wasn’t completely dry yet, and his moist hair smelled like the same shampoo as his own.   “Who is this?.....What?”   Yoo Ji-han quietly asked Chae Yoo-jeong, who had lost his mind as he was captivated by his scent and body temperature.   “Who is talking to you now?”   Chae Yoo-jeong, who had finally regained his senses, saw Lycheeyum wandering nearby and shook his head.   “I don’t know that person either.”   Yoo Ji-han placed his hands on the desk and bent his upper body further towards Chae Yoo-jeong to read the chat window displayed at the bottom of the monitor. Chae Yoo-jeong narrowed his shoulders as he was trapped in Yoo Ji-han’s arms while sitting on his chair.   Chae Yoo-jeong’s cheeks and ears turned red as he felt Yoo Ji-han’s body touching him.   “I guess he came to scout you because he knew you didn’t have a guild.”   “I-I refused. I won’t go in.”   His heart was pounding wildly, and his hands were trembling. He tried to answer as calmly as possible, but his tongue didn’t work as well as if it were malfunctioning.   “Hmm….”   Yoo Ji-han’s eyes turned to Chae Yoo-jeong’s face. After staring at Chae Yoo-jeong’s bright red ears and cheeks for a moment, he opened his mouth.   “Chae Yoo-jeong.”   “Yes?”   “Look at me.”   Chae Yoo-jeong, who was fidgeting and not knowing what to do, turned his head with a squeak like a broken machine. Chae Yoo-jeong and Yoo Ji-han met each other’s eyes at a distance so close that their breaths intertwined..   As Yoo Ji-han watched in silence, Chae Yoo-jeong’s face continued to turn red in real time. Only after he blushed as if he was going to explode at any moment did he giggle as if Yoo Ji-han found him cute.   Chu!   Yoo Ji-han, who had lightly kissed him, patted Chae Yoo-jeong’s cheek with his hand and helped him up.   “Come out. Let’s have breakfast together.”   “Yes………”   Chae Yoo-jeong stared blankly at Yoo Ji-han, who kissed him and then turned his back and left the room without any regrets.   Before he knew it, the game was left behind him. Chae Yoo-jeong quickly got up from his chair to have a nice breakfast with Yoo Ji-han.   [All] Lycheeyum: so if Yoo Chae-nim   [All] Lycheeyum: come to the guild   Chae Yoo-jeong, who stood up and mercilessly turned off the game without even looking at what Lycheeyum said, ran after Yoo Ji-han like a puppy obsessed with his snack.   ***   HM: Sometimes, I can’t believe that MC is with YC… ha…. Owo after translating this for almost 2 years…   GX: I wonder how YC managed to get MC to get with him, MC was clearly annoyed with him for a good while.   --- Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Meimei, Ghostx Support on Kofi: Side stories 1(Complete) We made a Discord Server ! please join us!

[Exclusive] Interview with ‘Gamgack’ - Winning the spring season, what is your next goal? Reporter Kim Seok-hong ( Interviewteam.peulpo.com ) [Comments: 225] What would you get if you won the world championship? The things that immediately come to mind are fame and popularity. The LVS team, which proudly won the Hero of Legends World Championship last year, gained fame and popularity through hard work and outstanding skills. But does that mean they are always happy? Having skills means that you will be promoted to positions of high evaluation. Many people praise a talented player for their outstanding play, but at the same time, they also strongly criticize them when they show a disappointing performance. It is not easy to maintain the glorious first place achieved through effort and skill. The main character of today's interview is "Gamgack" Chae Yoo-jeong, the jungler of the LVS team. ‘Gamgack’, now 25 years old, has become a veteran player in his 6th year. How much effort does player ‘Gamgack’ put in to earn the title ‘the best team in the world’, and with what mindset does he have when playing the game as a professional gamer? Also, what are the ordinary concerns that Chae Yoo-jeong, a person other than being player ‘Gamgack’, has? We have talked and listened to various stories with him. (picture) The player ‘Gamgack’ I met this morning. The Glory of the Hold cup he attained. Q. First, please introduce yourself for the readers of this interview. Hello. This is ‘Gamgack’ Chae Yoo-jeong, the jungler of the LVS team. It’s been a while since I was last interviewed by you. Q. You’re now in your 6th year as a veteran player. You have been working as a professional gamer for 5 years, not including breaks. Have you felt any less pressure? Of course I’m less nervous than when I first went on the field and played, but that doesn’t mean I’m not nervous anymore. I always do my best to show that I am already prepared, so I think it is something that cannot be helped. Q. So you’re saying there hasn’t been much difference in the end? Yes. It's like that. (laugh) Q. You won the world championship last year, and recently won the spring competition. Could you please tell us your thoughts? I worked really hard to participate in the Hold Cup. After competing, I worked hard with the goal of winning. So, when I won, my first thought was ‘I’m glad.’ I was happy because I achieved my goal. The stage was different, but the spring competition was the same. Q. It is very impressive to hear that you put the same effort into world and domestic competitions without any discrimination. The LVS team won the championship again as soon as the player ‘Gamgack’ returned after a one-year break. What do you think about this? Even if I hadn't returned, the LVS team would have won both last year's Hold Cup and this year's spring championship. The team was close to perfect even before I returned, and I practiced a lot to improve my skills to match the team. Q. I'm sure it must have been difficult in many ways when you started playing again after taking a year off. Are there any people who were helpful? What do you think of coach Yoo Gyung-seok and fellow jungler player ‘Tenet’? Everyone was so helpful that it's hard to pick just one person. Of course, the coach and player ‘Tenet’ were of great help. In particular, they put a lot of effort into mental care so that I could feel less pressure. I also wanted to repay the help, so I worked harder. Q. What is the next goal for the LVS team, which has won the trophy twice in a row, from winning the Hold Cup last year to winning the spring season this year? Of course, it's another Hold Cup win. In order to do that, we first need to achieve good results in the summer season. (picture) Chae Yoo-jeong, ‘Gamgack’ looked at his watch. 25-year-old Chae Yoo-jeong, not a pro gamer ‘Gamgack’. Q. Half a year has already passed since you turned 25. Your friends are at the age of attending college. Don’t you envy their ordinary lives? I'm jealous. Like attending college, walking around campus with close friends, working on assignments, and going out to play... I was particularly envious of the small daily life that college students enjoyed last year. Actually, I'm still jealous even now. (laugh) Q. When talking about age, the military cannot be left out. I heard that fans are hoping to win a gold medal at next year's Asian Games. Do you have plans to go to the military? Not yet. There are seniors who are older than me and went, and I still want to play as a player. Even if I get to participate in the Asian Games, I will work hard to win, not for military purposes. Q. Then what about dating? There are quite a few players who are in a relationship, but is there is player ‘Gamgack’ willing to do so as well? I have a heart. Everyone I meet tells me that it's a great age to date. (laugh) Q. I’m curious about the ideal type of player ‘Gamgack’. What type do you prefer ? I don't have a specific person as my ideal type, and I'm a bit picky about preferences. I wish they could be as good at games as I am, and if possible, I wish they had black hair. They would look very pretty with black hair. (Laughs) I wish they were a little taller. And I like that they listen to me well and have a straightforward personality. Q. Both appearance and personality are important? If we were to compare the two, I think personality is more important. I like kind people. A person who can lend their umbrella to another person when it is snowing. (laugh) Q. If such a person were to appear, would you be willing to start dating at any time? Yes. Of course, this is only possible if the other person also likes me. (laugh) Q. I don’t think it will be easy to be as good at video game as player ‘Gamgack’. Well. I think it's quite possible. Since people who are better than me come out in HOL every year. And there is no need to limit it to HOL, people who are good at all games are cooler. Q. How would you briefly describe your dating style? I also want to do what the other person likes. (laugh) Whatever it is, I'll be happy if we do it together. (picture) Profile photo of player ‘Gamgack’ released during the spring season. (Source: LVS Official) Let’s conclude the interview. Q. The summer season is approaching. How are you spending your day these days? Since it's vacation time, I'm trying to clear my head and focus on resting as much as possible. I need to rest properly now so that I have the strength to run without any problems during the summer season. Q. Can we expect good performance this summer season and the Hold Cup in the fall? Yes. I will do my best to ensure that the viewers are not disappointed. Q. Lastly, is there anything you would like to say to those who are seeing this interview? Thank you very much for always watching over me and supporting me. We will continue to work harder to be able to repay your support in some small way. [▼Expand comment] LV13. HOL is difficult [Likes 91 | Dislike 3] Gamgack seems to be in a great relationship? ㄴ20 ㄴ No, in the answers related to dating, (laugh) ㅋㅋappears a lot ㄴ Uh-huh, I noticed that Gamgack is probably in a relationship already ㄴ It seemed like he was a bit nervous and excited while answering the dating partㅋ ㄴ If you can’t date with that face, that’s more of a problem LV24. Bear lick [likes 63 | Dislike ] What is that picture of you touching ur watch in the middle?;; Wow, I'm going crazy ㄴ Even when he retires, he’ll have a lot of ways to eat well and live well. ㄴ Even if he quit becoming a professional right now and make a living by filming commercials, he would make a lot of money, right? LV48. Wow Orange Flavor [likes 36| Dislike 7] I don't know if he's gay or what, but do you understand that he's in a relationship right now? Don't date a girl, just keep being gay ㄴㅋㅋㅋㅋThe interview content is too short. ㄴ Why does gay suddenly come out?? ㄴ There was a gay rumor going around once, just as a joke ㅋㅋㅋㅋ LV39. Kim Oh-su [Likes 22 | Dislike ] Are you going to hold the Asian Games without going to military? You can never win a gold medal with that kind of mindset. Be serious about your exemption. ㄴ I can’t stand the military exemption *** [Cafe/Firm] [Recommendation Bulletin Board] [HOL] interview with Gamgack.jpg (Author: Oil Gas Station) (EpCs67qU0AA5edJ.jpg) (EtT_ilaUYAEUjqF.jpg) (FJSAcPqagAAGRro.jpg) Full interview -> https://www.peulpo.co.kr/we bzine/news/?news=147172&iskin=esports And the photos released after the interview (b37374e0b4baa5.jpg) (3b54b3ab5e8166.jpg) (d3bea05643e75c6a.gif) (acabc7777948cccbd.gif) [Comment 58] [Recommend 4] [Scrap 2] ㄴ(First comment) Honestly, if you have a conscience, shouldn’t you exercise? You have a handsome face and are good at games, but do you even exercise? ㄴ Where did the last two GIFs come from? ㄴ It's probably on player Tenet’s stargram. It was posted yesterday ㄴ I heard there is a gym in the basement of Team building. It seems to be true. ㄴ Stop.. please.. ㄴ and shoulder fk ㄴ He’s handsome, tall, good at gaming, has a nice voice, and even works out ㄴ No, don’t do it. ㄴHyung really lives alone ㅋㅋㅋㅋ ㄴ Don't do it fk ㄴ Jekosam.... ㄴ Gay people will fall for it.. ㄴ Are you gay? ㄴDrip, ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ There was a video that came out that said Gamgack is close with his Hyung ㄴ Gay gay.... ㄴ I feel so fucking happy when I look in the mirror fuck *** [HOT/Popular Post] Professional gamer who is hot among male students these days omg.jpgif [478 comments] Photos from the interview with HOL LVS team jungler ‘Gamgack’ (EtT_ilaUYAEUjqF.jpg) (g860223VkAQLaf_.jpg) (FUNcsABUsAAe4gJ.jpg) daily photos of player (FQ93JwVVUAAuW4F.jpg) (D0w8S6LU0AAmD1A.jpg) (FHJb20caMAEmluu.gif) (uEP2vxcxb2MAUM.gif) (6G2mZdAsMM188q.gif) He's hot because he's handsome (For reference, the LVS team is a talented team that won the world game competition called Hero of Legends last year and also won this spring competition) ㅊㅊ Cafe ㄹㄷㅂㅎ [Expand comments] Comment 378. Huh?? really a professional gamer? Comment 379. Cute ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Comment 380. Gasp, the 6th water drinking gif is awesome. Comment 381. I thought he was the player when I saw the title hahahaha Our Yoo-jeong is good at gaming and has a pretty face. Comment 382. Is it because of the hair? He looks like ㅋㅋㅋㅋ goldfish ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Comment 383. Seeing as there is a gym in the back, you can also exercise.. ㄴ Comment 278. You have to exercise to get shoulders and chest like that. ㄴ Comment 402. I’ve been working really hard for several yearsㅠㅠㅠㅠ Comment 384. Seriously, the body is thick and awesome. Comment 385. Isn’t he famous? I think I've seen it a few times in the comments saying that he’s handsome Comment 386. It's hot ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Comment 387. Your skin looks better than mine. How can you take care of it while playing games? Comment 388. Wow, the gifs Comment 389. Isn:t he a celebrity? I thought he was an idolㅜ ㄴComment 390. Fr I thought he was an idol Comment 391. When he laughs, his mood changes completely. I like it haha Comment 392. He looks like he has a good physique, how tall is he? ㄴ Comment 72. Says over 180 ㄴ Comment 263. 188 said in the past ㄴ Comment 392. Gasp 188?? He looks tall in the picture, but he’s actually taller ㄴ Comment 394. (Attached photo.jpg) Yes, this is a photo from when they won the championship cup this spring, but they are too tall ㅠㅠㅠㅠ Comment 393. Chae Yoo-jeong..♡ Comment 394. (Attached photo.jpg) Look at Howl Yoo-jeong’s game photoㅜㅜ The way he is concentrating is sexyㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠㅠ ㄴ Comment 322. What’s with the jaw line? crazy Comment 395. So what is this person’s name? ㄴ Comment 173. Chae Yoo-jeong Comment 396. Am I the only one coming back for the third time? ㄴ Comment 328. You too,,? me too,, Comment 397. Why is his skin so white and pretty? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ *** “I really……………….” I looked down at the community comments that appeared on my phone screen and laughed. I wondered what kind of link she would suddenly send to me like this. The message Kang Ji-hye sent early in the morning was an interview with Chae Yoo-jeong and several links to community posts. Thanks to this, as soon as I opened my eyes, I got to see something interesting and sent a reply full of sincerity. [Yoo Ji-han: tsk tsk] I couldn't tell if it was sincerity, even after wiping my eyes and looking at it, but it was sincere for me anyway. I turned off my phone screen, placed it on my bedside, and lowered my head. Light beige hair was scattered around my shoulders. When I reached out my hand and smoothed his hair, I felt a soft touch. “Um……” As my hand stroked his head, Chae Yoo-jeong nodded and fell deeper into my arms. The corners of his mouth went up at that action. “Chae Yoo-jeong.” “…….” “Yoo-jeong.” “…….” “I know you’re awake.” Chae Yoo-jeong, who had my eyes firmly closed, heard my words and his long eyelashes twitched. He then nuzzled his face into my shoulder as if he was sleeping. “Hyung……………….” "Did you sleep well?" I raised my body and kissed Chae Yoo-jeong's cheek. Chu, A kiss sound echoed. After receiving the kiss, Yoo-jeong opened his eyes and giggled. “Yes. What about Hyung?” “I slept well. Just wait. I’ll make you some toast.” As I tried to get out of the bed, Chae Yoo-jeong wrapped his arms around my waist. The guy who hugged me with quite a bit of force opened his mouth with his face completely awake and not as if he had just woken up. “I’ll do it later. Let’s lie down a little longer. Yes?" I looked directly at the twinkling eyes and lay down again, following Chae Yoo-jeong’s lead in fascination. Well, I don't have any plans today, so I don't mind taking my time. Chae Yoo-jeong obediently clung to me as I lay down next to him, a satisfied smile on his lips. I burst out laughing at that sight. “Do you like it?” "Yes." “I tried to make you breakfast because I was afraid you might be hungry.” “It’s better to lie down like this with Hyung.” Looking at Chae Yoo-jeong, who was holding me with a happy expression, I wondered if there was anything wrong with breakfast. But I also really enjoyed his warm body temperature. I grabbed Chae Yoo-jeong's right hand and gently kissed the back of his hand. It was a peaceful morning as a new day began. —--- HM: 25-year-old Chae Yoo-jeong... 25-year-old Chae Yoo-jeong, who is older than Yoo Ji-han at the beginning of the main story... ㅠㅠ An amazing relationship... --- Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Meimei, Ghostx Support on Kofi: Side stories 1(Complete) We made a Discord Server ! please join us!