PFFT.
Wonhee found Yejun and Tannie’s reaction funny.
[Yejun’s eyes seem to be bigger than Tannie’s round body, while Tannie’s eyes look comically bigger than usual.]
But this reaction could only an one thing.
"Did you not think I wouldn’t realize it?" Wonhee asked, slightly hurt. "The System punished Song Moonho-ssi for putting in danger. I realized back then that the System really cares about . And then I rembered what Tannie said about my late awakening."
"M-?" Tannie asked, obviously in a panic. "What did I say about it?"
She repeated what Tannie said back then word by word.
""The ability granted to you by the System is sothing that the strongest Hunters would need, so The System decided to delay your awakening as it nurtures the people who are supposed to protect you. Now that those people have passed the System’s standards, we figured it’s ti for you to awaken. So, here we are now.""
"Y-You have a good mory, Chu Wonhee."
"Thank you," Wonhee said, unfazed. "I figured the System was talking about the Big 4 since they are the strongest Hunters in Korea. Hunters from other countries are out of the question. I thought the System would choose Hunters who could stay by my side without ruining Korea’s relationship with other countries, so Big 4 it is."
Yejun, who had finally recovered from shock, clapped his hands. "Wonhee’s deduction skill is S-Grade, too."
"Thank you, Yejun-ah. Yool, Ahyeonnie, and I love reading mystery novels, so that’s why," she said. "Anyway, that’s how I figured the System would favor the Hunters it chose to protect . I bet the System also favors Soobin Oppa. My brother isn’t a part of the Big 4, but his skills alone carry the entire military forces of our country. The System probably gave Oppa those skills because he’s related to ."
Tannie looked so shaken by now. "Chu Wonhee, you’re quick-witted."
"When the System punished Song Moonho-ssi for trying to hurt , I figured it has to reward people who do the opposite, since the System needs to be safe," Wonhee explained how she ended up with that conclusion. Then she turned to Yejun. "I also rember that you gained a new skill a little after we t, Yejun-ah. It’s because you were good to , right?"
Yejun fell silent for a mont, looked up at the ceiling, then looked at Wonhee as if he had already made up his mind. "I gained the teleportation skill after I t you. That’s how I first suspected that the System favors you, Wonhee-ya."
"Then when did you confirm it?"
"The System gave a side quest that I couldn’t reject– literally," Yejun said. "The System asked to shower you with love and affection, and it didn’t give the option to choose ’no’ even though it was just supposed to be a side quest."
"It’s just a side quest, so it doesn’t have a punishnt. So, what’s the reward then?"
"Unique abilities, apparently," he said. "How did you know side quests don’t co with punishnts, Wonhee-ya? Did your siblings teach you about side quests?"
Oh, she got caught.
[Since I already addressed the elephant in the room, might as well co clean.]
"Actually, I also received a side quest," Wonhee said, then she took a deep breath before she finally confessed. "Yejun-ah, the System said I’ll level up faster the more I gain your favor. That’s why I’m acting nice to you all this ti."
"Ah, gotcha."
She knitted her eyebrows at Yejun’s lukewarm reaction. "That’s it? You’re not mad at ?"
"Why would I be mad at you?"
"Because I was only being nice to you for the side quest!"
Yejun blinked, and then he burst out laughing.
Even Tannie let out a weird grin.
"Hehe."
"W-What?" Wonhee asked, confused. "Did I say sothing funny? I’m being serious, though."
"Wonhee-ya, you think you were only "acting" nice to ?"
Oh.
She was starting to catch on.
"I know you’re an excellent actress, but you can’t fake kindness no matter how good of an actress you are," Yejun said, smiling at her. It was his rare genuine smile, not the smile he’d flash to look down on people he didn’t like. "Plus, due to my line of work, I learned how to beco a good judge of character. I know when soone is being real or not. If I was that easy to fool, then I would have been dead already judging by how many people have already tried to stab in the back– especially when I was younger."
Ah, that actually made sense.
[Yejun was only sixteen years old when he awakened as an S-Class Hunter. Since he was too young back then, many people may have tried to deceive him. That was probably how he learned how to be extra vigilant, especially towards his peers.]
"Wonhee-ya, there was never a ti that I felt you were being insincere towards ," Yejun said, chuckling. "I bet you even forget about the side quest half of the ti."
Uhm, she couldn’t deny that.
Tannie grinned again. "Hehe. Chu Wonhee doesn’t even check the Gauge ter of Hwang Yejun’s affection level."
Wonhee gasped. "There’s a Gauge ter to check Yejun’s affection level for ?"
Again, Tannie grinned. "Hehe~"
"See?" Yejun said smugly, picking up his chicken drumstick again. "That’s why I never doubted your intentions, Wonhee-ya. And even if you were only nice to because of your side quest, I wouldn’t have minded it."
"Why?"
"Because I like being close to you, Wonhee-ya."
"Because I’m a Guide and you’re a Hunter?"
"Nah."
"Then is it because of your side quest?"
"I already failed that."
"Huh?"
"The side quest asked to shower you with love and affection, but you already made it clear that you have no intention of sleeping with , Wonhee-ya," Yejun said casually. "I will never force myself on you, so I don’t care about the side quest anymore."
What?
"True," Tannie said, nodding (bouncing in the air, to be precise). "Hwang Yejun hasn’t checked his Side Quest Window lately."
Okay, she was still confused.
"Yejun-ah."
"Yeah?"
"What’s the connection between you showering with love and affection and wanting to sleep with ?"
Now Yejun looked as confused as Wonhee was. "Isn’t that how Hunters are supposed to love their Guides whom they have a high matching rate with? Through sex?"
"Who told you that?"
"I was surrounded by Hunters and Guides who have a high matching rate back in the Winter Guild. They would all act like dogs in heat whenever it was ti for their Advanced Treatnt."
Wonhee gulped nervously. "I-Is that how it was in your guild?"
"Yep."
"So, that’s why you ended up thinking that to shower with love, you have to sleep with ?"
"Is it not?" Yejun asked innocently, tilting his head to one side. "My hyungs back in the guild used to tell that it’s my responsibility as a Hunter to please my future Guide in bed. So, I thought I should use the bed techniques they taught to pleasure you to prove my love for you, Wonhee-ya."
By this ti, Wonhee was already blushing.
Tannie noticed that and unintentionally "teased" her. "Chu Wonhee, are you cosplaying an apple right now?"
Argh.
Yejun, on the other hand, nodded as if he was agreeing with Tannie’s comnt. "I don’t like apples, but I may start liking them now that they remind of you, Wonhee-ya."
[Hwang Yejun... I’m not sure if he’s innocent or a player...]
But she had to know about his feelings towards her.
Wonhee gulped nervously before she asked. "Yejun-ah, do you l-like ?"
"Yep," Yejun said without missing a heartbeat. "I have a soft spot for herbivores."
"I said I’m an omnivore."
"Right," he said, chuckling. "I misspoke, Omnivore-ssi. My bad."
Haaah.
[Yejun still sees as an herbivore, so I’m still a weakling in his book.]
"I also like how soothing your touch is, Wonhee-ya," Yejun added softly. "That’s why I love your personal space, too."
Pfft.
Wonhee finally found out why Yejun was being too chummy with her.
[Yejun isn’t flirting with . He just likes as his Guide. And since I’m the only Guide who can give him comfort, he’s being clingy. Plus, he has a soft spot for weaklings like .]
"I get it now," Wonhee said, nodding. "Thank you for being honest, Yejun-ah."
"Sure."
"But to do your side quest, you don’t need to, uhm..."
The corner of Yejun’s mouth curved into a smirk. "Seduce you into sleeping with ?"
Wonhee blushed, but she tried to maintain a serious face. "Yes, that– you don’t have to do that," she said, coughing to hide her embarrassnt. "I think by simply being friends like this, we can both gain rewards from our side quests."
"If you say so," Yejun said, and then he quickly changed the topic. "Are you going to confront your older siblings, too?"
"This is why you kept asking before if my oppa and unnie really love because they’re my family, or only because they benefit from loving , right? That’s actually the main reason why I realized the System’s "carrot and stick" approach towards the people around ."
"Well, I didn’t want you to be kept in the dark about it. Or would have you rather stayed ignorant?"
"No, you did the right thing."
"I know."
Pfft.
"Anyway, please don’t let my siblings know that I already figured out the System’s carrot and stick approach towards the people around ," Wonhee said in a serious tone. "I can’t handle another emotional confrontation yet. But once I feel better and stronger, I’ll talk to my oppa and unnie about it."
"I’m curious about one thing, though."
"What are you curious about?"
"Are you not mad at your siblings?"
"Not really," Wonhee said sincerely. "Because I know my siblings’ love for is genuine. I’ll trust our sibling bond over the System any ti of the day."
"Good thinking."
She just chuckled. "But I am curious as to how my siblings felt when they found out about the reward for loving . So, I’m determined to talk to them about it soon. But, for now, this is just between the two of us, okay?"
"No problem– I’ll keep it like our little dirty secret."
And Yejun said that with a straight face.
That actually made Wonhee wonder.
"Yejun-ah, can I say sothing rude about you?"
"You wouldn’t be the first to do so," Yejun said, shrugging. "Go ahead."
"The way you speak sotis doesn’t suit your personality," Wonhee said curiously. "Do you realize that you sound like you’re flirting with most of the ti?"
"Oh, I do?"
She nodded eagerly. "Who taught you to speak like a player?"
"Like a player? But my hyungs back in my guild taught that this is how a Hunter should talk to their Guide."
"What exactly did they teach you?"
"To always coax my Guide?"
"Apparently, I have to sweet-talk my Guide and cling to them desperately so they won’t have the heart to abandon ."
Aigoo.
[So that’s why Yejun sounds so flirty most of the ti.]
"Yejun-ah, as a friend of the sa age, let give you so advice."
"Huh?"
"I know you trust your hyungs, but sotis, our brothers could be our worst enemies. Affectionately, of course," Wonhee said in a teasing voice. She even patted Yejun’s hand gently. "It’s okay, Yejun-ah. You have ti to unlearn the prank that your hyungs played on you."
Yejun let out a gasp. "My hyungs tricked ...?"
She wanted to tease Yejun more, but Tannie– whom they almost forgot about – suddenly vibrated.
And then the tangerine fairy scread.
"Ergency!"
After that, Tannie turned into Wonhee’s Status Window.
"Oh," Wonhee said, surprised. "Hunter Graham is coming over?"
***
IT WAS another ergency.
Yejun understood that Wonhee wasn’t exclusively his.
But the mont Wonhee brought Graham to her WITHOUT him, he felt weird.
There was a pang in his chest that he had never felt before.
Moreover...
"I want to kill Han Graham..."
Yejun only whispered it to himself, but the person next to him heard him and even comnted on his remark.
"Please do it where I can’t see, man."
Yejun glared at Gong Yool who imdiately avoided his gaze.
[He’s scared of , but he’s not afraid to speak his mind.]
As expected of Wonhee’s best friend.
"Han Graham has Ahn Kisoo, so why did you bring that fla thrower here?"
Yool glanced back at him, obviously annoyed. "Don’t lash out at just because you’re jealous."
Jealous?
[?]
Now Yejun felt even weirder.
Being an X-Class Hunter ant he had lost so of his human emotions along with a part of his humanity. After all, losing their emotions and sanity was the reason an X-Class Hunter was a threat to the human race.
Hence, he was confused about his feelings at the mont.
[What is jealousy in the first place?]
***
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