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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Sparring (1)
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Just as I was about to offer Lee Yuri a spot, Shin Se-hee suddenly burst in. And with her words, full of misunderstandings, she thoroughly sabotaged the whole situation.
'Is this some kind of trap...?'
I narrowed my eyes, watching her.
Her head was bowed low, her lustrous long hair falling forward. A glimpse of her cheek revealed a deep red blush.
...Wait, deep red? Could she have...
'Has she been drinking?'
Sniff, sniff— As I leaned closer, a refreshing floral scent wafted over, mixed with a pungent alcoholic aroma.
Thud.
I pressed a hand to my forehead.
'Ah, this is messed up.'
No wonder she skipped morning training and didn't show up.
'Seriously, she never drinks unless something really pisses her off. Why the sudden alcohol?'
Shin Se-hee.
Contrary to her innocent and sparkling appearance, she was a character with an incredibly devious inner nature.
That's why there were quite a lot of people who disliked Shin Se-hee, just like me.
She'd even act villainous in the main story, and she'd constantly mess up the condition of the characters I had recruited, so who would like her?
That's what I'd like to say, but... in truth, the fandom that adored Shin Se-hee boasted a considerable size, not just in this world of Velvet Sra, but even in my original world.
The reason for that was simple: 'gap moe'.
While her personal story would explain why she became like that and thoroughly 'wash' her image, more than that, it was Shin Se-hee's usual twisted and calculating demeanor. When she suddenly changed her image and appeared as a pathetic, dorky mess, the repulsion faded, replaced by a fresh appeal.
Just as Lee Yuri had the nickname 'Gukbap,' Shin Se-hee also had a similar one.
[Infused Liquor]
A nickname formed by combining 'snake' and 'alcohol.' Of course, it didn't catch on as widely as Gukbap's, so only her devoted fandom would playfully call her 'Infused Liquor Gallery Master.'
That's right.
Shin Se-hee's character trait was 'the drunk dork.'
She only drank when something pissed her off, but even one sip would turn her personality dorky, and with her natural enemy, Gukbap, right beside her, rambling remarks would just spill from her mouth.
Shin Se-hee suddenly lifted her head.
"We were partners, weren't we! We were good together, weren't we!"
She bit her lip, her eyes moist and glistening, as she spoke.
"I'll treat you well. Huh? Do you need money? Or something else? Just say the word. I can do anything for you. So please, please let me in too— Please."
Hey, Se-hee, Se-hee.
Could you please stop saying things like that?
If you keep it up, I'll look way too amazing, won't I?
Murmurs— The gazes of those eating gukbap around us gathered. Lee Yuri's gaze, too, was steadily shifting from disdain to outright disgust.
If I didn't properly handle the situation here, I could really screw up. Party invitation or not, this was a crisis where my reputation could plummet into the abyss.
'Alright, calm down.'
First, I needed to assess the situation.
"Shin Se-hee."
"...Yes."
When I called her name, she replied in a timid, crawling voice, like a shrinking violet.
"...So. Yesterday."
"Yes, last night."
"We made a deal, didn't we?"
"...Yes. You told me about a scumbag man. You said you couldn't 'let me in,' but to be satisfied with another man you introduced instead."
Shin Se-hee said, looking up at me, her hands clasped tightly on her knees. Her expression was as if asking how a person could possibly do such a thing.
"..."
Oh, damn it. My head was spinning. Is she really doing this on purpose?
The murmuring around us grew louder. Ignoring the surrounding gazes, I continued the Q&A.
"I said I only 'let in' Kang Do-hee, right?"
"Exactly! Why only Do-hee! Why only let in Do-hee and not me—!"
What in the world was she talking about? What did I 'put in' Kang Do-hee yesterday—?
Ah?
I asked, just in case.
"I 'put in' Kang Do-hee?"
At that, she shook her head vigorously from side to side, as if to say that wasn't it.
"No, you said you were putting Kang Do-hee in!"
"Where?"
"THE PARTY!!!"
Ah, so it was about the party.
You brat.
If you'd just stated the object clearly from the start, wouldn't this have been avoided?
"So, you were asking to be put into my party!?"
I said, raising my voice slightly.
"...Yes, why are you talking so loudly? Ugh, it's noisy. My ears hurt."
Shin Se-hee frowned and dug in her ear.
'And whose fault is that...!'
My fists were truly trembling.
Anyway, Shin Se-hee?
'But I never thought she'd want to join a party...?'
Honestly, I had never even considered it, so I didn't immediately realize she was talking about a party. Unless she was pulled from gacha, she was the type to always form her own party.
I collected my thoughts for a moment.
'Hmm, and... I wonder if it's right to bring her into the party.'
If Shin Se-hee appeared in character gacha, of course, she had her uses. But to say she was an essential character...?
No.
Ultimately, Shin Se-hee's main use was dealing with minor mobs. And for that, there was an upgrade among the characters I'd meet later.
Moreover, since I'd already designated Gukbap as the party's tank, her value plummeted even further.
While it didn't matter at all if Shin Se-hee was with Lee Yuri, Shin Se-hee couldn't even unleash 50% of her true power when Lee Yuri was around.
'Hmm, it would probably be better not to accept Shin Se-hee.'
I turned my head to look at Lee Yuri.
"...Uh-uh! Ah, I knew it! That she was asking to be let into the party! I truly didn't misunderstand it even a tiny bit! There's no way you, Jin Yu-ha, would do something like that!"
Lee Yuri was rambling on, as if she'd been hit by something, even though I hadn't said a word yet.
"...Huh? But a party? What does that mean?"
Belatedly, as if the words didn't quite register, she tilted her head.
"I managed to get permission to form a party in advance this time, due to some circumstances."
"...What!?"
Lee Yuri said with a startled expression.
"Normally, forming parties is forbidden at the start of the semester, so you can't clear dungeons or anything like that, right?"
"...Riiight?"
"But if you join my party, it means you can do it from the very beginning of the semester."
"!"
I recited the lines I had prepared for her. Lee Yuri's biggest complaint at the start of the Velvet Academy semester was precisely that she couldn't clear dungeons. While Kang Do-hee, who usually moved alone, didn't care, Lee Yuri couldn't go out by herself. So she'd always go do manual labor or work part-time at restaurants, which didn't even pay well.
"Lee Yuri."
"Uh, uh...?"
I faced her with a serious expression. At that, Lee Yuri slipped her gaze away.
"We had a good time when we partied together, didn't we?"
"...W-we did, but."
"And do you remember promising to protect me?"
"...Mhm."
"So. This is my offer. Would you be my party's tank? I do have someone else I plan to bring in, but you're the first official recruitment offer."
"M-me, the first?"
I nodded.
Lee Yuri wore a dazed expression for a long time at my words. She glanced at Shin Se-hee, then at the empty air, and slowly closed her eyes.
"...That's difficult."
Her answer was a refusal.
"What...?"
I couldn't hide my surprise, as I hadn't expected it at all.
Lee Yuri opened her mouth with a calm demeanor.
"Tomorrow and next week, we have group sparring sessions in our joint training, remember?"
"...Yeah."
"Once that's over, could you perhaps offer again then? I'm very grateful for the offer, but... this is a bit of a stubborn thing for me."
Lee Yuri said with a resolute expression.
'Does she still not trust me...?'
Perhaps because the party leader was male, Lee Yuri set the group sparring session in joint training as a condition.
Haa— I sighed with a mix of regret and disappointment.
"That's a shame."
"Sorry."
"No, it's fine. I understand. I'll do as you say. I'll offer again after the group sparring session."
"Alright."
For now, I seemed to have to be satisfied with just getting that answer out of her.
"...Again, again! You only let others in, why not me! Me!"
Shin Se-hee, who had been watching from the side, said with a choked-up expression.
"You, first sober up. You're making everyone who hears you burst with frustration."
***
Haa— Lee Yuri sighed as she walked back to the training grounds.
"I don't know if I did the right thing..."
A party with Jin Yu-ha as its leader. It would undoubtedly be amazing.
Regardless of gender, I was the first one to confirm his skills, so there was no way I'd doubt him.
Honestly, the words that Jin Yu-ha had offered the first party recruitment to none other than herself made her feel like she could fly with joy.
To the point where she almost impulsively accepted the offer without even realizing it.
However, immediately after, Lee Yuri's head cooled down.
'The person he plans to bring in separately, that person must be Kang Do-hee.'
And that strange woman who suddenly intruded on their meal today also seemed to covet a spot in Jin Yu-ha's party.
Both of them were special admission students.
While one of them had slightly broken her illusion, that woman must also be amazing in terms of ability. After all, they were both already famous in the hunter industry even before admission.
Jin Yu-ha's party was a coveted position, to the point where such people would desire it.
However, she herself didn't possess any such grand title. Her connection was merely having cleared a dungeon with Jin Yu-ha before coming here.
'And Jin Yu-ha likes me.'
Being compared to other women, and securing a spot based solely on his liking for her, not her actual skill—her pride wouldn't allow that.
Therefore.
"I have to show him. That I'm not an easy woman."
To despair and give up because of their reputations—wasn't that too much of a waste?
She wanted to proudly win that spot, not through affection, but through skill.
Whew— Slap! Lee Yuri slapped her own cheeks with both hands.
"I will definitely make him say that he needs me."
As soon as she arrived at the training grounds, she called out to her party members.
"Everyone, gather!!!!!"