“Hm…”  
“Is there a problem?”  

Da-young looked at me with concern, noticing my serious expression.  

“Oh, it's nothing. Just go ahead and choose what you want.”  
“Hm.”  

Da-young glanced back at the menu with a thoughtful look.

What am I going to do? Should I raise my tolerance level a bit so I won’t get drunk? But then, that defeats the purpose. The point of drinking is to feel a bit of a buzz, right? If I’m just going to block it out, I might as well just order soda. I mean, getting just tipsy enough to feel pleasantly light-headed is the best part. …Maybe I should just drink and see how it goes?  

It’s not like Da-young would take advantage if I got a bit tipsy. Yeah, no need to overthink this. Let’s just see how I handle it.

Having decided, I looked up. By then, Da-young had already called over the server and was placing our order.  

“What would you like to drink, Si-hyeon? I’m a fan of soju mixed with beer.”  
“I’ll start with beer for now.”  
“Alright.”  

Da-young finished ordering and then turned back to me, propping her chin on her left hand.  

“Good thing there were still seats available outside, right?”  
“This place must be pretty popular.”  
“It’s one of those hidden gems that only a few people know about. It’s a little out of the way too.”  
“Ah, I see.”  

I nodded, glancing around the quiet street.  

A few people strolled by now and then, and the street had several small pubs clustered together. The calm atmosphere was nice.

“…Could you recommend places like this to me again sometime?”  
“Oh, you like it already?”  

Da-young grinned.

“So, Si-hyeon, we’re pretty close friends now, right?”  
“…I guess so.”  
“Then, mind if I start speaking a bit more casually with you? You look like you’re still in your late teens or maybe early twenties at most.”  
“Uh, sure, go ahead.”  

There’s no need to mention that my mental age is older than my body’s.  

“And you could call me Da-young unnie, you know!”  
“…I’ll pass.”  
“Tsk.”  

Listening is one thing, but saying it out loud is different. It’s just not the same.  

“By the way, your hair is really pretty. Do you take special care of it?”  
“…My little sister does it for me sometimes.”  
“You have a little sister, right?”  
“Yes, she’s really cute.”  
“Pfft.”  
“…?”  

What was so funny?  

Da-young just waved her hand lightly and kept talking.  

“Maybe I should grow my hair out too.”  
“Isn’t short hair easier to manage?”  
“Coming from the one with hair down to her waist?”  
“…I’d actually like to cut it short like yours, but my sister won’t let me.”  
“Your sister doesn’t let you?”  
“Yes.”  

Da-young laughed softly.

“You’ve bragged about her so much, I’m curious now. Want to show me a picture?”  
“…Uh.”  

Oh no.

How did I not think of this?

I don’t have a single picture of her.  

I’m not really the type to take pictures often. I mean, I haven’t really taken any since returning to Earth. But still, shouldn’t I at least have some photos with my family?  

A total oversight.  

“Don’t tell me… You don’t have any?”  
“No…”  
“Aw, don’t look so down! You can always take one next time.”  
“…You’re right.”  

I thought she’d make fun of me for having no photos after talking about my sister so much. But, as expected, Da-young is a kind person.  

“Hehe, then how about I become the first?”  

Suddenly, Da-young stood up. She moved over to my side, holding out her hand.  

“Give me your phone!”  

Caught up in her energy, I handed it over. She casually swiped to open the camera.  

Switching to selfie mode, she stretched her arm out, getting closer to me. The faint, pleasant scent of her perfume tickled my nose as she leaned in.

“Look at the camera, not at me!”  
“…Okay.”  

With a gentle reprimand, I looked at the screen.

*Click!* *Click!*

She adjusted the angle and took a few shots.  

“Unlock it for me?”  
“Hold on.”  

I unlocked my phone, and Da-young opened the messaging app. She navigated to our chat, selected a few of the photos, and sent them over.

Once she was done, Da-young returned to her seat.  

“Wow, it’s not just your sister—your whole gallery is empty!”  
“I never really cared much about taking photos…”  
“You don’t have any messages either, except from me and your sister?”  
“I’ve only been back on Earth for a little while…”  
“Oh my gosh.”  

The look on Da-young’s face shifted instantly. She looked at me as if I were some helpless creature.

I should say something to defend myself.  

“…It’ll fill up soon enough.”  
“Of course, it will. Who’d leave you alone?”  
“…?”  
“Some things don’t need explaining.”  

Da-young chuckled, leaning forward slightly.  

“How about getting some numbers from our guild members? Maybe not Ji-han… but Han-gyeol’s number? What do you think?”  
“Oh, Han-gyeol? Sure, that sounds good.”

Not a bad idea.

Finally, my empty contacts list was about to get some life in it! Ha… haha…  

“But why not Ji-han?”  
“Oh, he’s a bit intense. Plus, he’s out of town for work right now, so you haven’t met him yet.”  
“Ah.”  

Out of town, huh? Hunters really are busy.

I remembered that my old friend Ji-a mentioned she’d been busy with work trips as well. Thinking about it, it would be nice to catch up with her.

“Oh, Si-hyeon, I have something to give you.”  
“Really? What is it?”  
“A sword!”  

Da-young boldly announced as she summoned a long sword, pointing at the air dramatically.

“This was Han-gyeol’s old sword. I just made him a new one, so I thought you might like it. It’s still in good shape, so rather than throwing it away… want to give it a try?”  
“Really? I can have it?”  
“Of course! It’s secondhand, but I made it myself, so it’s still very sturdy. I even repaired it for you.”  
“Wow.”  

I carefully took the sword from her. After examining it, it looked perfect for a D-rank hunter, well-crafted and solid.

“Paladins are knights too, right? I’m not really familiar with the world you came from.”  
“Uh, it’s pretty similar.”  
“Then…”  

“Here’s your food.”  

Just as Da-young was about to ask another question, the food arrived quicker than I’d expected. They also set down two beers and a bottle of soju on the table.

“How about a toast to start?”  
“Sure!”  

As Da-young skillfully mixed her drink, I poured myself some beer.

*Fizzz*  

The bubbles rose to the top. It was such a familiar yet long-missed sight.

“Cheers!”  

Da-young raised her glass. I clinked mine against hers and took a sip.

The fizzy, refreshing taste of Korean beer filled my mouth.  

What did people call this? Ah, right. Refreshing! That’s what they’d call it.  

The crisp, clear taste of the beer felt nostalgic and pleasant.

“Ah… this is the best. Si-hyeon, try some of the food! It’s my favorite.”  
“Alright.”  

I took a bite of the food with my chopsticks. Mmm, it was delicious. I had to admit, Da-young had great taste.

“Hehe, good, right? I knew you’d like it.”  
“Yes! I’m glad I came.”

A relaxed, light feeling spread through me. I could feel the smile on my face. It’s fine; sometimes it’s nice to just enjoy the moment.  

I took another sip of beer.

“Si-hyeon, I know you’re strong, but don’t you think you need some armor?”  
“Hm… maybe.”  
“Weren’t the paladins in your world fully armored?”  

The word “paladin” brought to mind one of my former party members in the hero’s party. She was tall and muscular for a woman and often flirted with the hero.  

…If only she’d shown half that friendliness to me.

“Oh, wait… Si-hyeon!”  
“Yes?”  

Lost in thought, I looked up as Da-young clapped her hands.

“You’re so pretty, yet you dress so plainly. Is there a reason for that?”  
“Uh, it’s comfortable, and I’m used to it.”

In the other world, I only wore two types of outfits: a plain black nun’s habit enchanted with spells and a simple medieval-style outfit for casual days.  

“Such a waste. Want to go shopping together sometime?”  
“…I’ll think about it.”  
“Hey, that’s what you say when

 you’re trying to decline.”

Caught.

Feigning ignorance, I turned slightly and drank my beer.

Gulp, gulp.

The cool carbonation went down smoothly.  

Setting the glass down, I picked up some more food and decided to change the subject.  

“Why are you in a small guild, Da-young?”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Production-type hunters are rare, aren’t they? Couldn’t you get better treatment at a larger guild?”  
“Oh, I used to be with a big guild.”  
“Oh, really?”

I paused, looking at Da-young. Is this one of those “better to be the head of a snake than the tail of a dragon” situations?

“There were too many quotas and exploitation. I had a bit of a conflict when I left, but some friends left with me, and we formed Wings.”  
“Ah…”  

Exploitation…

Naturally, I thought of the church and royal family from the other world. I felt a sudden kinship with Da-young.

“Oh, don’t look so down. I’m really happy now! Shall we have another toast?”  
“Yes!”

We clinked glasses and drank.

“Ha…”

Only one bottle in, and I could already feel the buzz. Soju was definitely out of the question…

I sighed in disappointment and got up.

“I’ll be right back, just heading to the restroom.”  
“Huh? Well, okay. I’ll order us more beer while you’re gone.”  
“…Just me. I’ll be back soon. Please order the beer.”  
“Oh, um, sure.”  

Leaving Da-young looking slightly puzzled, I made my way inside.

Some things are just too soon for me to handle.

---

Da-young watched Si-hyeon head toward the back of the shop, resting her cheek on her hand.

She really is a unique person, Da-young thought.

As pretty as she was, she didn’t seem interested in dressing up. Sometimes her behavior didn’t seem very “feminine” at all. And yet, that was all part of her charm.

In all her life, Da-young had never met anyone like Si-hyeon.

“Wonder if she’ll ever start calling me ‘unnie’…”

She felt an odd protectiveness toward Si-hyeon. Si-hyeon was clearly stronger than her, yet whenever they spoke, Da-young felt the urge to shelter her.

Da-young laughed softly and took a bite of food, savoring the taste.

Just then—

“What the hell? Isn’t that Da-young?”  
“…?”  

The familiar voice made her turn.  

A towering man, nearly two meters tall, was walking toward her, followed by a woman with a scowl on her face.

“Well, well, isn’t this a coincidence? Running into a thief here.”  
“…Watch your mouth.”  
“Why? It’s true, isn’t it?”  
“Ugh.”

Da-young let out a small curse, but the man didn’t seem bothered. He knew he held the upper hand.

“Looks like life’s treating you well, huh? Coming out to bars and all.”  
“Yeah, pretty good. So why don’t you get lost?”  
“Oh, I don’t think so. Do you know how much damage you caused our guild?”  

*Bang!*  

The man slammed his fist on the table, causing the cups and bottles to rattle.

“Do you even realize how much we lost because of you?”  
“No, and I don’t care.”  
“Well, maybe you should.”  

He grinned nastily, and Da-young tensed, trying to figure out how to handle the situation.

The alcohol wasn’t making it any easier.

“Babe, I’ll be right back. Just need to teach her a lesson.”  
“Make it quick.”  

The woman beside him grumbled.

Both of them seemed annoyed with the situation, with no love lost between them.

“Just apologize, and maybe I’ll feel generous enough to let it slide.”  
“Why should I apologize? How about you back off before I call the authorities?”  

The man sneered.

“You know the law’s not gonna help you here.”  
“Bastard…”  

Da-young’s expression hardened.

Sure, she was currently under protection from the authorities, but if a real conflict broke out, what would happen?

Wings was a small guild with fewer than ten people, mostly D and E-rank hunters. But the man’s guild was one that even the administration treated with caution.

Would the administration step in again? It wasn’t certain, and she couldn’t rely on that alone.

'As humiliating as it feels… should I just apologize this time?'

She hated the thought.

But his fist was already poised in front of her.

The man began cracking his knuckles ominously, while the woman beside him chuckled softly.

Da-young could feel the weight of a decision closing in on her.

“…Cat got your tongue?”  

The man grinned as he leaned closer.

And then—

From the corner of her eye, Da-young spotted a familiar figure.

Si-hyeon was walking back, her face set in a hard expression.

 

TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars for the translation - it inspires me and gives me the strength to write more. Thank you~!

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