Chapter 31

The next morning, Cho-i and Nara were busy preparing for their interview. To be precise, only Nara was busy preparing for the interview. After taking out a lot of cosmetics, the first thing she did was trim her eyebrows. Cho-i sat cross-legged next to her, watching her.

“What are you doing?” “My special interview-specific makeup.” “Why bother? We’re already accepted even if we just sit there in tracksuits, scratching our feet.” “Still, it’s good to make a good impression. All the interviewers there are A-Rank or higher.” “Really?”

Cho-i casually got up and started changing her clothes. It was that rock band t-shirt, and Nara Shim, who had jumped up from her seat, quickly pulled it off her.

“Wear something else!” “Why!” “Why do you think?!”

So, Cho-i wore the suit Nara Shim lent her, and Nara wore a two-piece suit with a neat H-line skirt.

“Can I wear sneakers?” “No.” “I don’t have flats.” “Wear even boots.” “That’s ridiculous.” “Our shoe sizes don’t match, so there’s nothing we can do. Or do you want to buy some on the way?” “Too much trouble.” “I figured.” “Let’s just go.” “Oh, okay. Hey! Turn off the lights when you come out. You always leave them on, don’t you?”

Once ready, the two immediately took a taxi to Paehyeok. Even if they wanted to buy a car, it was awkward since neither of them had a driver’s license. Do hunters get a pass for driving without a license?

“Don’t be nervous.” “You’re the most nervous one, you know?”

The interview waiting room at Paehyeok wasn’t anything special. The only difference was that everyone sitting there was a hunter. Nara Shim was sitting on a chair, shaking her legs, while Cho-i leaned her head on Nara’s shoulder, crossed her legs, and looked at her old smartphone.

“What are you looking at?” “My photo album.” “Why?” “It’s strange that we dated for so long, but I don’t have a single photo with that jerk.” “It’s amazing you two dated for so long.” “Honestly, it was a stranger relationship than just dating.” “That’s true. When people first saw you two, everyone thought you were crazy.” “Even you got used to it later.” “Yes. My apologies.” “Are you a little less nervous now?” “Oh, oh? Did you care about that?” “No.” “It would be nice if you spoke a little more prettily.” “Why speak prettily when your face is pretty?” “You’re so annoying.”

While her words were indeed annoying, many people in the waiting area were actually glancing at Cho-i. Cho-i, however, paid no attention and just kept looking at her smartphone. After some time, Cho-i and Nara’s names were called.

“Participant Cho-i Hyeon, Participant Nara Shim, Participant Hyeonoh Kim, please come in!” “Yes!” “Yes!” “Yees~”

The three entered the door and sat side by side on the three chairs provided. There were a total of four interviewers. Cho-i’s inspection revealed that all but one were A+ Rank.

‘This means there are many A-Rank or higher individuals in Paehyeok, not just S-Rankers.’

The interviewers looked over the documents and asked.

“Participant Hyeonoh Kim. Participant Cho-i Hyeon.” “Yes.” “Yes.” “As a tank, what do you think is the fundamental thing you must provide to your party members?”

Hyeonoh Kim answered.

“Stable tanking and trust.” “What is your reason for thinking that?” “Because I believe that only a tank that can be fully entrusted with their lives is a true tank.”

It was a so-so answer. It was also textbook-like. The interviewer who asked the question asked Cho-i,

“Participant Cho-i Hyeon?”

Cho-i smiled brightly and said,

“I’ll take down the monster before it takes down our party members.”

“…Huh?”

Next to her, Nara Shim quickly replied,

“It seems like an answer appealing to her good strength and attack power for a tank, Interviewer!”

The Interviewer looked at Nara Shim with eyes that asked why she was stepping in, but Nara Shim very quickly introduced herself.

“As a buffer, I mainly support tanks! Support is truly my calling! I even wanted to support during the interview. Hahahaha.”

In the chilly atmosphere, only Nara Shim’s laughter echoed.

“So, Miss Cho-i Hyeon? What do you think your strengths are as a tank?”

“Ah! I…”

Nara Shim quickly covered Cho-i’s mouth.

“Diligence and sincerity! She’s more diligent than she looks! Not only does she stand guard without sleeping, but she also takes the lead in confronting monsters more than anyone else!”

“Participant Nara Shim, I didn’t ask you.”

“It’s, it’s my occupational hazard.”

“Participant Cho-i Hyeon, could you please answer?”

“I like fighting. I feel an itch. My heart pounds every time I enter a dungeon. It wasn’t like this before. Maybe people change. Right?”

“…”

“It’s true.”

“…”

“Oh, I’m also good at rock-paper-scissors.”

“…”

“What? Do I need to say more? My face is pretty.”

“…I’ll ask Participant Hyeonoh Kim.”

After that, no one asked Cho-i and Nara Shim any questions during the interview. Nara Shim inwardly shed tears and thought,

‘It’s really fortunate that Yeonhan and Dongju are here….’

And so, the interview ended.

“Everyone worked hard.”

“Thank you.”

“You worked hard.”

“Goodbye~”

And so, Cho-i Hyeon…

“Oops.”

She turned off the light and left, then came back in, turned it on again, and left. Only silence hung thick in the interview room.

***

The next day, Cho-i stood in front of Paehyeok’s guild. Because today was the day Paehyeok called her.

“It’s annoying; they could have just picked me up from my house.”

In her pocket was the Paehyeok key card she had gotten in advance yesterday. She yawned widely and ambled into Paehyeok. She went straight to the sofa in the first-floor lobby, sat down, and started tapping her foot, waiting for someone. This morning, she had received a text from an unknown number. And that person, surprisingly,

“You came early.”

“Oh, hello, Guild Master. Loyal.”

“Now that you’re a guild member, your attitude is completely different.”

“Is there a reason for it to be the same? You’re the one who feeds me.”

“Feeds you, huh.”

“So, where’s the pickup vehicle?”

“Pickup vehicle? Don’t you usually watch the news?”

“I don’t watch that kind of stuff, it’s boring.”

Honestly, it was more like she couldn’t watch because she was restricted from TV and the internet, but Cho-i said it lightly.

“Then Scythe will have to show you directly.”

The handsome-faced Guild Master started walking back the way he came. Cho-i followed him, looking bewildered.

“Where are you going?”

“The rooftop.”

“Why?”

“Did you forget what my ability is?”

“Ah, ah!”

Telekinesis! she exclaimed loudly. With a beaming face, she immediately got into the elevator.

“We’re flying, right?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, so that’s why you told me to come to Paehyeok. I was wondering why you weren’t bothering to pick me up from home.”

“A guild doesn’t act like an entertainer’s manager.”

“I had high hopes because I heard the welfare was good.”

“I’ll keep that in mind for the future.”

“The Guild Master is so easy to talk to and just the best.”

Cho-i exaggeratedly held up a finger. The problem was that it wasn’t her thumb.

“Oh, not this one.”

She switched to her thumb and smiled brightly. The Guild Master looked at her with a face that asked, “What on earth is this?” She took the elevator to the rooftop and threw open the iron door. The wind whipped her hair violently. She cackled, looking at the rooftop with the helipad.

“What, it’s quite a broadcasting company. There are even some celebrities.”

Cho-i said that and looked at the Guild Master, Taehyeok Sa. He shrugged.

“I often hear that.”

“How annoying.”

“Usually, people say things like that so I can’t hear them.”

“I didn’t know.”

Cho-i said that and immediately stepped onto the edge of the rooftop. And jumped. Her body plummeted.

The sound of the wind cutting through the air stung her ears. The sensation of her body falling was similar to the feeling of her insides trying to escape her body.

“I really can’t live like this.”

And at some point, her body suddenly stopped, and the Guild Master’s voice was heard next to her.

“So, what did you say to me yesterday?”

Cho-i repeated the exact same lines she had said the day before yesterday.

“How can a person not die? Of course, they die.”

“Even like this?”

“Wouldn’t there be people like this somewhere?”

“Where on earth?”

“Hmm, parkour practitioners?”

“People who do parkour do parkour, it’s not a suicide attempt club.”

“I wasn’t attempting suicide just now.”

“After jumping down so suddenly?”

“You said we were going to fly. I thought everything was ready.”

“If it wasn’t for my reaction speed, it would have been a disaster.”

“How could I not trust SS-Rank reaction speed?”

“I’ve been thinking this since last time, but you really are all talk.”

“Don’t you have a lot of people like that around you?”

“You know it well. So this time, I thought I’d choose someone who works quietly and well, but then someone like you came along again.”

“Ahahaha.”

Cho-i giggled, flailing her limbs while hanging upside down in the air.

“More importantly, could you please spin me around? The blood’s rushing to my head, the blood!”

“You’re full of surprises.”

“I’m the one who’s full of surprises.”

Taehyeok Sa spun Cho-i’s body around. Cho-i laughed, delighted. She was still flailing, trying to walk in mid-air. Taehyeok wiggled his finger and pulled her towards him.

“Hold still. I’m going at full speed.”

“What about the others?”

When she asked where the dungeon mining team and the healing squad were, Taehyeok replied,

“They’re already there, waiting.”

“Oh.”

“But there’s no healing squad.”

“Why not?”

“Because there won’t be anyone who needs healing.”

Taehyeok Sa said, his light brown eyes shining golden in the sunlight. Cho-i smiled, a little grimacing.

“That’s good news.”

“Just hold on tight.”

Cho-i grabbed Taehyeok Sa’s waist. Taehyeok Sa hugged her shoulders tightly, with a look that said, ‘I didn’t expect this.’ Without a doubt, there had never been, and would never be, anything as thrilling in Cho-i’s life.

***

“Gasp, gasp.”

As soon as Cho-i landed on the ground, she staggered and took deep breaths. It was inevitable after moving through the clouds.

“Everyone finds it that hard. But there won’t be any more of this in the future…”

“I’m going crazy. Can’t you give me one more ride?”

“…”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“…”

Cho-i rummaged through her wallet.

“Damn it, I’ll pay!”

Taehyeok shook his head and walked towards the dungeon.