CH 17

Baek Taera, who narrowed his eyes as if remembering something, asked with a laugh.

“You acted like you didn’t want to use that ring because it’s a troublesome thing, so you’re using it as a couple ring instead?”

It was quite close to the answer. However, in my opinion, the problem would be that it contains annoying words that can’t be ignored.

“What do you mean couple ring! Isn’t what you’re saying a bit much?”

“It’s not?” 

“It’s not!”

“Then what is it?” 

“That’s…!” 

I was stopped when I was about to continue explaining about the ring. This is because Lee Jehee, who came between me and Baek Taera again, put one hand on each of our shoulders and began to push them with strength.

“It seems that the cleaning is about finished over there; it’s time to move.”

“…Suspicious.”

“….”

Was there a confidentiality clause in this contract? As far as I remember, I don’t have any. 

Looking at Lee Jehee, who seemed to have stopped anyone from talking, moved without hesitation. As he said, we were the only creatures left in this wide field.

Between the bodies of the monster, I approached the Chorok and Hana, who were wary of the surroundings. At that time, Hana with an expressionless face asked an unexpected question.

“Are you okay?” 

“…Me?” 

“Yes.”

What is this normal flow of conversation? Why am I so moved by that? 

“Ah, yes. I’m fine. Thank you for your concern.” 

“No. It’s okay for us, but it’s a dangerous place for Yeon Seonwoo-ssi. Please be careful.”

That’s weird. Even though it was an ordinary word that could be said in a dungeon, I was deeply moved. Hana’s expression and tone were still blunt. Even so, a single word filled with worry melted the heart that had been tangled up until now.

Kim Hana-ssi, as expected, you were my—.

[Warning: Be Loved is -1 because the master is upset] 

[Warning: Be Loved is -1 because the master is upset] 

[Warning: Be Loved is -1 because the master is upset] 

[Warning: Since the status of the skill to Be Loved is negative, “Melancholy” effect will be given] 

Really, I’m going crazy! 

Suddenly, the strength of the body was lost, and the shoulder on which Lee Jehee’s hand had been raised became heavy. As I stumbled across him, it changed into a fluttering form and the sight of being held in his arms. This was never my intention.

But what’s so upsetting that I got -3 at once?

“What is it, did you have status effects again?”

“Are you okay, Yeon Seonwoo-ssi?”

No, I’m not okay. I feel like I’m going to die because I’m ashamed.

When I received the attention of other members in the party, my face was hot. So I asked the original culprit about this matter. Of course, I’ll keep my voice as low as possible so that no one else can hear it. 

“…What’s wrong with you, really.”

“What did I do?”

“What made you feel upset?

Even at my question, Lee Jehee just smiled without saying a word. Then, as if it can’t be helped, he hugged the body of the person who had lost all the energy. In other words, it was a shape in which my upper body was folded in half and hung over his shoulder.

“Ack!”

“Let’s go.”

“—Are you going to go like that?

“I’ll listen, Master.”

At Lee Jehee’s words to go, Baek Taera repeatedly asked if he was really going to do that, and Chorok who ran to me was ready to lift it as if I was a burden. No one paid any attention to my pain. The pain in my stomach pressed against the shoulder bone.

“I, it hurts!”

“Master, please give me that.”

“Yeah, let Chorok hold him.”

“Jehee-ssi, should I hold him?”

Even Kim Hana said as if she didn’t know my pain and looked only at Lee Jehee with a worried face. It can’t be hard for Hunter, who can’t measure his ability, to hold me, who is close to a normal person.

I’m going to die of embarrassment. Why did you bring me here! 

“It’s okay, Chorok, just clear the road. Hana-ssi, please do some mapping. Clear it quickly and leave.” 

“No I mean, I’m hurt, ugh!”

This bastard! I’m sure he just hugged me on purpose.

I could feel the pain in my stomach pressed against his shoulder bone by the weight of my body. As he stretched out while swallowing his breath, Kim Hana immediately prepared the skill.

I only trust Kim Hana—.

[Party member ‘Kim Hana’ activates the secondary skill ‘Exploration’. Exploration Assistant: Hawk]

As soon as the skill was activated, Hana reached into the air. After a while, the shape of a bird appeared over the straightened arm, and it gradually became clear.

A hawk that appeared like that immediately flew up after making a glance with Hana. Hana will now scan the entire dungeon through the hawk’s eyes and deliver the information to us.

“First, let’s wait in front of the forest.”

Following Hana’s calm instructions, all the party members began to move in order.

Hana’s speed, which ran forward as if it were shooting, was amazing, but Chorok followed her at a speed that didn’t lag behind at all. Lee Jehee, who started late, quickly caught up with the two and ran lightly like a person who came out for a walk, and Baek Taera was running close behind him. 

Even so, I was a little more surprised because I couldn’t believe that Baek Taera was a healer. It was a common perception that healers are usually slow.

Unlike the others who started running like that, I was still stuck over Jehee’s shoulder. I was trying to hold onto anything I could grab so as not to fall, and a low voice fell with the sound of wind blowing through my ears.

“So, from now on, take good care of your eyes.”

Eyes? What kind of eyes? No way, are you talking about my eyes?

If he threatened to hang me on the shoulder if he didn’t like my eyes, he had already succeeded in his threat.

However, for a moment I wanted to ask a question that I couldn’t understand, and I kept my mouth shut, fearing that I might bite my tongue at a speed I couldn’t even believe that a human was running.

If I die in this dungeon, I will die not from the monster, but from the anger disorder. Or maybe it was because I was humiliated.

Phew, damn it. 

******

At the entrance of the forest, where there was no separate road, our party took a break waiting for Hana’s instructions. Except for me, to be exact. 

I, who was hanging on Lee Jehee’s shoulder with my upper body folded, was thinking all kinds of praise phrases to go down. 

“Hunter Lee Jehee’s shoulders are as wide as the sea, and his heart is like the sky.”

Everyone will know that the sky is dirty because there is a lot of fine dust these days.

“So I’m very proud that I’m a fan of Hunter Lee Je-hee. If there is a place where I can tell you, do you want to know?”

I’m so happy. I don’t have a place to tell. I’m not a person who doesn’t even use social media, so I didn’t have anything to announce in the future. 

“How about the way you always take care of me? It’s as beautiful as silk!”

For your information, I hate silk the most. It’s like that from today.

With all of that, If I received +1 for ‘Be Loved’, I will manage to get out of the status effects. However, Lee Jehee didn’t let me down even though he knew about the status effects, and in the end, made me beg. 

“…Please save me. Please put me down, please.”

It was not until he heard the desperate words that he dropped me off. Having barely sat down on the grass, I put my hands on the floor and swallowed my tears.

I didn’t expect to be so happy with the ground. But at the same time, I bowed my head in a sense of shame that I had to live like this. Lee Jehee, who stood next to me and looked down, smiled quietly and talked to me as if teasing me.

“Who will kill you?”

“I almost died. Because I’m ashamed.”

“You’re exaggerating.”

“You easily say that for what happened to someone else.”

I raised my head, which had been deeply buried in the ground, and looked at him. But where is that guy who will be shaken by my eyes?

“We wouldn’t have been able to keep up with our pace anyway, so what we’re going to hear is a matter of course.”

“Who said that?”

“Do you really ask because you don’t know?”

“—I did, but now I think I understand.”

Yeah. It’s you. Do whatever you want.

Today was the moment when I sighed instead of the frustration of not being able to say what I wanted to say. A hawk appeared from afar with a beeping sound and circled over our heads. 

“Looks like we’ll have to cross the forest. If everyone is ready, let’s go.”

Hana looked at the party members and raised her hand. The Hawk, who had lowered the altitude while spinning round and round, descended on Hana’s arm, and the shape gradually became blurred. When Hawk’s image vanished completely, a notification stating that the skill had been deactivated appeared.

The party members, noticing that the signal to move, get up and tuck their pants. Kim Hana, who had already prepared, called Chorok and explained her future movement followed by me, Lee Jehee, and Baek Taera.

But I don’t know why this punk Baek Taera keeps talking to me. Since when did we become so close?

“Did Jehee Hyung give you that ring?”

“I think so?”

“If he gives it to you, just say so. What do you mean ‘I think so’? 

“I mean I don’t want to explain in detail. You’re often told that you’re slow-witted, aren’t you?”

“—I hear sorry more often than that. Do you want me to make it come out of your mouth?”

Doesn’t that bastard know what to do other than make threats?