Heroine Netori-Chapter 60

To begin with the conclusion, I safely passed the C-rank hunter promotion exam. It was a more challenging test than expected, but it wasn't difficult for me, who has already graduated from D-rank.

A rare special dungeon? Thanks to my Observation skill, it wasn't difficult at all. A one-on-one duel with the instructor? The attacks of a mere C-rank hunter couldn't penetrate the healing that I had fully developed.

While other hunters complained about the unprecedented difficulty of the exam, I couldn't relate at all and proudly set a new record, successfully passing the exam.

“Wow... last month I was an F-rank hunter, and now I'm a C-rank hunter!”

Everything has been going well since I awakened 'Heroine Netori'. It's true, you never know with life.

—Bzzzz!

[Hello, Hunter Gam Deokbae? This is Jin Myung-woon from Twosome Guild. I'm reaching out because...] [This is the heavenly Angel Guild! Hello? We've heard about your recent promotion, Hunter Gam Deokbae...] [Hello? This is Hasam Guild reaching out after hearing about your exam success...]

To think that love calls would pour in like this for someone who used to be a shut-in. It's beyond my wildest dreams.

But, here’s the thing. What should I do? I have no intention of joining a guild.

At first, I was happy to receive the contacts, but now that they've become so frequent, it's just annoying.

—Bzzzz! —Bzzzzz!

Ah, seriously! Just stop, will you? Isn't this illegal? Isn’t there something like a privacy protection law?

[From: Lee Hyun-ah]

Ah, it’s Hyun-ah.

****

I don’t exactly dislike guilds. Joining one has many benefits, like gaining comrades and easier access to information. But is it right for me to join a guild now? The answer is no.

As someone who can grow freely with 'Heroine Netori', I am an irregular being. I will differ in growth rate from other hunters, and I'll continuously gain skills that are hard to come by.

Being affiliated in this state isn’t right. People will suspect that I'm hiding something, and that will soon turn into jealousy and envy that will haunt me. Why would I join a guild then? Absolutely not. The disadvantages of joining a guild outweigh the advantages for me.

—Bzzzz!

[Hello? Mister, where are you?]

[Almost there. Stop fussing, I’m not running away.]

[Ehehe... Okay! I’ll be waiting!]

But forget all that for now! Today, let's just enjoy ourselves. I’ve been non-stop for ten days, so I deserve a day off. To celebrate my promotion, we decided to have a modest party at Hyun-ah’s place. I usually end up taking drunk Hyun-ah home, but today we decided to start drinking at her place from the beginning.

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It wasn’t my idea, by the way. Hyun-ah invited me. She said she wanted to repay me by cooking for me? Although it won’t compare to my chef-level cooking skills, I'm still looking forward to a meal prepared by a woman.

—Ding dong!

“The door is open! Come on in!”

But she really worries me. Why is she so defenseless? Of course, it means she trusts me a lot, which feels good, but since I almost consider Hyun-ah like a sister now, I'm also worried. What if she gets tangled up with a bad guy and gets into trouble? Ah well, I guess I’ll have to look out for her.

“Excuse me~”

“Pfft! What was that? Go ahead, make yourself at home~”

Wow... seeing her in an apron is a first. No matter how many times I see it, the impact is tremendous. With that level of skill, there’s no worry about anything spilling on the floor.

====

From the moment he visited her home, Lee Hyun-ah had been tense. It was because of the words he had told her that day which kept nagging at her mind.

"I have something to tell you if I pass this promotion exam."

"It's something really important for both you and me."

She couldn't possibly guess what he meant by saying it so seriously. There were a few guesses she could make.

"Could it be that he’ll ask me out? Have I finally made it?"

But that seemed unlikely. No matter how assertively she had pursued him, he had remained impervious. It seemed improbable that he would change his mind now and ask her to date him. It was the statement she most hoped for, but it was the least realistic.

"Or could it be... he’s going to say let's break up? That he can't continue being with me anymore...?"

This seemed more likely. For the past ten days, she had been merely a bystander. He, even as a healer, had managed to clear D-rank dungeons on his own without her help. Now that he had been promoted to C-rank, there seemed to be no reason for him to continue hunting with her. Thus, it was the statement she least wanted to hear but the most realistic one.

However, accepting that was too painful. He had been her only salvation when she was alone. Now that he had become so precious to her, she really didn’t want to let him go.

Thus, today was her last chance. No matter what conclusion he had reached, it was an opportunity for her to steer him towards the response she desired. That’s why she had forcibly invited him to her home, dressed more boldly than usual, and even cooked, which she normally didn’t do.

But...

She couldn't do it. He was the same as he always had been, and nothing had changed between them.

She smiled, but her heart ached. It was fun, but it was incredibly painful. She was happy, but it was also despairing.

"It’s over... just like that."

Tears came, but she forced herself to hold them back. She wanted to be remembered with a smiling face in the end. So, she asked him with as bright an expression as she could muster.

"...So, when are you going to tell me...?"

"Huh? Tell you what?"

"What do you mean, what! You said... you have something to tell me if I pass the exam..."

"Oh, that?"

"Yes, that!"

His casual response was infuriating. She couldn’t understand why he was bringing it up in such a manner.

But seeing his attitude somehow made her think that it might be a more trivial matter than she thought. Suddenly, hope sprang up.

"Yeah, how much he relies on me! That must be it. He was just joking."

The more she thought about it, the more it seemed right. Her tension dissolved. A laugh escaped her. She felt like a fool for having been so tense up to this point.

"Silly me, worrying for nothing! Uncle, that was mean. Playing with a girl's heart?"

Though she felt a little spiteful, she still felt overwhelmingly relieved. Just the thought that the worst-case scenario hadn’t occurred made her happy. She was annoyed at him, but she also liked him that much. Now, she felt she could accept whatever he was about to say.

As she waited with a beaming smile for his response, he casually began to speak.

"Hyun-ah, quit being a hunter."