The sudden intrusion of Shin Se-hee, along with her drunken ramblings, had thoroughly ruined the atmosphere.

‘Is this some kind of trap…?’

I narrowed my eyes at her, her head bowed low, her glossy hair hanging down, and a faint blush on her cheeks.

Wait a minute, blushing?

Could she be…

‘Drunk?’

I sniffed the air, detecting the refreshing floral scent mixed with a sharp alcoholic fragrance.

Tsk.

I rubbed my forehead. ‘This is bad.’

No wonder she skipped the morning training session.

‘But why would she drink? She only drinks when something pisses her off, and there was no reason for that yesterday.’

Shin Se-hee, despite her gentle and sparkling appearance, had a sinister and calculating personality underneath. Many players disliked her for this very reason.

In the main story, she had played a role similar to a villain, and in the game, she often messed with the conditions of the characters they had obtained, earning her even more dislike.

Well, that’s what I wanted to say, but…

In the original world, Shin Se-hee had a significant fan base, just like in the world of Velvets.

The reason for this was

Gap Moe

While her personal story did provide some context and attempted to redeem her character,

It was her sudden image change from a twisted and calculating person to a pathetic and clumsy drunkard that won over many fans.

Just like how Lee Yoo-ri earned the affectionate nickname ‘Soup’ Shin Se-hee also had a similar nickname.

[Snake Wine]

A combination of ‘snake’ and ‘wine,’ referring to her drunk state.

While this nickname didn’t gain as much popularity as ‘Soup,’ it was used within the Shin Se-hee fan community, who affectionately referred to her as ‘Snake Wine.’

Indeed, Shin Se-hee’s character when drunk was that of a ‘drunkard.’

She only drank when something frustrated her, and just one sip was enough to transform her personality into that of a pathetic mess. With her nemesis, Lee Yoo-ri, by her side, she would spew out embarrassing and cringeworthy words.

Shin Se-hee suddenly lifted her head.

“We’re partners, right? We had a good thing going!”

With glistening eyes and flushed cheeks, she bit her lip and said, “I’ll be good to you. Okay? Do you need money? Or something else? Just tell me. I can give you anything. So please, please include me too—please.”

Hey, Se-hee, can you stop with those suggestive remarks?

Murmurs filled the air as the surrounding diners turned their attention to us. Lee Yoo-ri’s gaze, which had initially been filled with contempt, now shifted to one of disgust.

If I didn’t handle this situation properly, my reputation would be in ruins, and my party proposal would be doomed.

‘Calm down, let’s assess the situation first.’

Clarifying the situation was the top priority.

“Shin Se-hee.”
“……Yes.”

At the sound of her name, she responded in a meek voice, hunching her shoulders.

“……Yesterday.”
“Yes, last night.”
“We made a deal, didn’t we?”
“……Yes. You told me about that trashy guy. You said you couldn’t include me, but you gave me another option, so I should be satisfied with that.”

Shin Se-hee sat with her hands clasped on her knees, looking up at me with a ‘how could you’ expression.

“……”

Ugh, my head is spinning.

Is she doing this on purpose?

The murmurs around us grew louder. Ignoring the stares, I continued the interrogation.

“I said I would include Kang Do-hee.”
“That’s what I’m talking about! Why only Do-hee! Why include her and not me……!”

What is she even talking about?

When did I say I would include Kang Do-hee?

Ah?

A thought occurred to me, and I asked,

“Did I say I would include Kang Do-hee?”

At this, she shook her head vigorously from side to side, as if to say that wasn’t the point.

“No, you said you would include Do-hee in your party!”
“In what?”
“The party!!!”

Oh, she meant the party.

Hey, you should’ve specified what you wanted from the beginning, you idiot.

“So, you wanted to be included in my party?”

I said in a slightly louder voice.

“……Yes, why are you shouting? It’s loud, and my ears hurt.”

Shin Se-hee scowled and rubbed her ears.

‘Because of you, I might add…’

My fists were trembling with anger.

Anyway,

Shin Se-hee?

‘Hmm, I never thought she would want to join my party. That’s a surprise.’

To be honest, I had never considered it, which was why I didn’t immediately understand what she was talking about.

Shin Se-hee was the type to always form her own party, so I had never thought about including her in mine.

I took a moment to gather my thoughts.

‘Hmm, and… I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to include her in the party.’

In the gacha game, Shin Se-hee had her uses.

But was she essential?

No.

Ultimately, Shin Se-hee’s role was to deal with minor enemies.

And there would be a superior alternative to her in the future.

Additionally, with Lee Yoo-ri as the tank of the party, Shin Se-hee’s value diminished even further.

Shin Se-hee’s presence wouldn’t affect Lee Yoo-ri, but Lee Yoo-ri ‘s presence would hinder Shin Se-hee’s performance.

‘Hmm, it seems best not to include Shin Se-hee in the party.’

I turned to Lee Yoo-ri.

“……What? Of course, I knew it was about the party! I didn’t misunderstand even a bit! There’s no way you would do that, Jin Yuha!”

Lee Yoo-ri rambled on, as if she had been caught red-handed, even though I hadn’t said anything yet.

“……Huh? But what’s this about a party?”

She furrowed her brows, confused by what I had said.

“I’ve been given the authority to form a party in advance because of some recent events.”
“……What!?”

Lee Yoo-ri’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Usually, party formation is prohibited at the beginning of the semester, so we can’t tackle dungeons together, right?”
“……Yeah.”
“But if you join my party, we can start tackling them from the very beginning.”
“!”

I shared with her the proposal I had prepared. Lee Yoo-ri’s biggest complaint about the Velvet Academy was that she couldn’t participate in dungeon raids during the early part of the semester. While Kang Do-hee, who preferred working alone, didn’t mind, Lee Yoo-ri couldn’t venture out on her own.

So, she ended up doing odd jobs and working at restaurants to make some money.

“Lee Yoo-ri.”
“Huh, what…?”

I looked at her with a serious expression, and she averted her gaze.

“We had fun when we partied together, didn’t we?”
“……Yeah, but.”
“And do you remember when you promised to protect me?”
“……Yeah.”

I continued, “So, I have a proposal for you. Will you be the tank of my party? I do have someone else in mind, but you’re the first one I’m officially inviting.”
“Me, me first?”

I nodded.

Lee Yoo-ri remained silent for a moment, looking dazed. Then, after glancing at Shin Se-hee and into the distance, she closed her eyes tightly.

“……I’m sorry, but I can’t accept.”
“What…?”

I couldn’t hide my surprise at her unexpected refusal. Lee Yoo-ri maintained a calm demeanor as she explained,

“We have the inter-group sparring coming up after tomorrow and the following week. Can you give me your proposal again after that? I appreciate the offer, but this is something I feel strongly about.”

Lee Yoo-ri seemed to be concerned about my gender, as the inter-group sparring would be the first time I would be leading a party in a combat situation.

Haa─

I sighed, feeling disappointed and dejected.

“That’s a shame.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. I understand. I’ll respect your wishes and give you the proposal again after the sparring.”
“Okay.”

For now, I would have to be content with getting her answer.

“……And, and! You’re including other people, but not me! Why her and not me!?”

Shin Se-hee, who had been watching from the sidelines, suddenly spoke up, her face flushed with frustration.

“You should sober up first. You’re giving me a headache.”

.

.

.

Haa─

Lee Yoo-ri returned to the training ground and let out a sigh.

“I don’t know if I did the right thing…”

A party led by Jin Yuha would undoubtedly be exceptional.

Regardless of gender, she was the first to witness his abilities, and she had no reason to doubt him.

The fact that Jin Yuha chose her, out of everyone, to be the first person he officially invited to his party made her heart soar.

She had almost accepted his proposal without hesitation.

However, her excitement quickly cooled down.

‘The person he plans to bring in must be Kang Do-hee.’

And the strange woman who suddenly intruded during today’s lunch seemed to be vying for a spot in his party as well.

Both of them were special admission students.

While one of them had tarnished her image a little, there was no doubt that they were both exceptionally capable. They were already well-known in the hunter industry even before enrolling in the academy.

Their interest in Jin Yuha’s party only highlighted how desirable it was.

But she, Lee Yoo-ri, didn’t have such an impressive reputation.

All she had was the connection she formed with Jin Yuha before coming here, having explored dungeons with him.

‘And Jin Yuha likes me.’

The thought of being compared to other women and getting a spot in his party based on his personal feelings rather than her abilities was unacceptable to her pride.

That’s why

“I need to show them that I’m not someone to be taken lightly.”

It would be a waste to give up just because of their impressive reputations.

Huff─

Slap─

Lee Yoo-ri slapped her cheeks with both hands.

“I will make him say that he needs me.”

As soon as she arrived at the training ground, she called out to her party members.

“Everyone, gather!!!!!”