30
"Ah, Mr. Woojin! Over here!!"
As soon as he got out of the taxi and turned his head toward the voice calling his name, a beautiful woman with a completely different vibe from how he remembered was waving her hand with a bright smile.
"Hyena──"
"Just call me by my name outside."
With both hands shoved into the pockets of her beige coat, Jang Hyena approached and poked Baek Woojin's side with her elbow, gesturing with her eyes at the bustling crowd on the street.
"Isn't it better that no one picks a fight with us?"
"There are guys who deliberately pick fights targeting Hunters or Awakeners."
"All sorts of crazy people exist, huh."
"Well, even for that, you need a certain level of recognition to become a target."
Baek Woojin blended into the bustling crowd while having light conversation with Jang Hyena.
"But where did you get a job?"
"Somehow connections worked out, and I ended up at the Association."
"Really? Then I can just contact you if anything difficult comes up on the administrative side later."
"If about 10 years pass, maybe I could be of some help."
"Pfft!"
"Ugh, that hurts."
"You're such a baby~"
Not sure which part she liked, but Jang Hyena lightly pounded his forearm, and as expected of a Tanker on the verge of C-rank promotion, her hand was quite heavy.
"But it's a bit of a shame. I actually wanted to scout you."
"For someone with that intention, you didn't contact me much."
"Even so, you're my savior. Approaching you with such impure intentions felt wrong. So I just ended it as a thought. Plus, I didn't know anything about you at the time, so naturally I figured you'd be affiliated with a guild."
Even in an environment where it was hard to avoid bumping into pedestrians no matter how carefully they walked, thanks to Baek Woojin who was already quite tall and had become even more solidly built after Awakening, the two could walk comfortably to their destination restaurant while conversing without much difficulty.
"Did you make a reservation?"
"Jang Hyena."
"Jang... Seokho! Guide them to table 31!!"
Outside, at a glance, there were easily over thirty people waiting in line, but thanks to Jang Hyena's preparation, they could be guided directly to their seats without waiting.
"Great seat, right?"
"Yes."
The seat the staff guided them to was a private room on the 3rd floor. It was nice that it was quiet, but what Woojin liked most was that he could look down clearly through the reasonably large glass.
"But from what I saw, it looked like an all-you-can-eat place. Do they have rooms like this even at all-you-can-eat restaurants in Busan?"
"Of course not? This place is special. More importantly, do you not know this place?"
"If I knew, I wouldn't have asked."
"That's true too."
Jang Hyena said while taking a bite of the seasoned vegetables that came out as side dishes.
"You know Hong Yeonha, right?"
"Yes."
About a month ago, he had even spoken with her directly.
"This is the very place that Hong Yeonha certified as delicious."
"I see."
Of course, just because a celebrity certified a restaurant as delicious doesn't mean it's actually a good restaurant. Just like how people are divided over mint chocolate, 'taste' is ultimately a matter of personal preference.
"Do you like Hong Yeonha?"
"Of course. She's young, pretty, and plus you saw the recent news, right? Her talent is on an unprecedented level. She even does volunteer work once a month, so her character is really upright. Wouldn't it be stranger not to like her?"
"Yes, well. I suppose so."
"What's with that half-hearted reaction."
Jang Hyena glared with fierce eyes, but that didn't change Baek Woojin's reaction.
'Character, huh.'
It was a very brief conversation, but the attitude and words Hong Yeonha showed at that time were somewhat different from the Hong Yeonha that Jang Hyena was thinking of.
Of course, he knew that saying that would gain nothing and only hurt Jang Hyena's feelings, so he didn't bother bringing it up.
"Thanks for the meal."
"You eat well."
"For a Tanker, eating is earning."
Her meal was so hearty that it almost rendered her nice outfit meaningless, and her personality as well was exactly like her first impression—a very bright and energetic woman.
"Here."
After finishing even the tangerine ice cream that came as dessert, Jang Hyena held out a small pouch tied pretty with a red ribbon on white.
"Please tell your sibling to use it well."
"I will."
Receiving the pouch with his left hand instead of his ring-adorned right hand, Baek Woojin carefully slipped it into his coat's inner pocket.
"Mr. Woojin, I think we get along better than I expected, so I'd like to go for a second round like this."
"You said you have plans tomorrow."
"That's exactly why."
The two put on their coats they had taken off and left the restaurant.
Between the cool winter wind and the noise created by the growing crowd as the hour grew late, the two walked back the way they came.
"But with Mr. Woojin's level of skill, wouldn't a guild be better? Civil servants don't pay well."
"Money isn't the goal."
"Still, money is the best."
"Agreed."
Having escaped the bustling cultural alley, the two came out to the road to catch a taxi.
"So which room did you book?"
"I didn't move."
"What? Then are you saying you eat and sleep at the Association?"
"No. I eat and sleep at my place in Seoul."
"......?"
Not seeing any passing taxis, Jang Hyena tilted her head as she watched Baek Woojin call a taxi through an app.
"So that means... you came down from Seoul today to meet me?"
"Yes."
"You must be crazy!"
"...That hurts."
Having called a taxi, Baek Woojin put away his smartphone and created some distance from Jang Hyena.
"If you needed that, you could've just asked me to send it."
"It's only a little over two hours round trip."
"You really are a strange person, Mr. Woojin."
Baek Woojin just shrugged and rubbed his sore left arm.
"You were generous. I'll come up next time."
"No, there's no need for you to come specifically."
Jang Hyena's eyes narrowed, but Baek Woojin just shrugged once more in response.
"I'm going."
"Is that it?"
"Yes. You should head in too, Hyena."
"I'll watch you go."
It was when the taxi stopped and Baek Woojin got into the backseat.
Tap. Tap.
Just as he was telling the driver the destination and about to depart, Jang Hyena lightly tapped the window.
"I felt like if not now, there wouldn't be another timing to ask."
"I don't know what it is, but go ahead and ask comfortably."
"How old are you?"
"......"
The question he'd wondered why she hadn't asked finally came out of Jang Hyena's mouth.
Baek Woojin brought his index finger to the window switch button and said.
"I'm 20."
"Huh?"
"See ya."
"No no! Wait a sec──"
At her expected reaction, he closed the window and leaned back comfortably in his seat.
"Please head out."
"Sure~"
Leaving behind Jang Hyena's voice ringing through the closed window, the taxi quickly moved away from her.
**
Blink. Blink.
As soon as he entered the hotel room, he had the magic stone from his pocket absorbed into the ring, and with the familiar sensation, his consciousness briefly faded to black before waking again.
And the familiar ceiling that entered his sight.
"It took longer than expected."
Baek Woojin, who had just regained consciousness and was blankly staring up at the ceiling, sat up at Schrodin's voice reaching his ears.
"I apologize. I tried to come as quickly as possible, but luck wasn't quite on my side as I'd hoped."
"It's fine. I don't think you were slacking off."
Schrodin, who was sitting at the desk they were seeing for the third time today, closed the book he was reading as always and moved to sit on the opposite sofa.
"You've become a bit sturdier than before. And you've learned a useful minor skill."
"Can you see that?"
"Hehe, the soul contains everything."
"I see."
What exactly could be seen from a soul was unknown, but since it was the old man's words, Baek Woojin simply accepted them.
"Now then."
When Schrodin poked his hand into the air, space distorted, and from within, an ordinary-looking hourglass was pulled out.
"Today's conversation will only be until this hourglass runs out."
"Understood."
Since he had received so much from Schrodin, and it was a proposal with nothing to lose, Baek Woojin briefly watched the sand beginning to fall before opening his mouth.
"Oh ho, a carriage made of iron flies through the sky?"
"Carriage... well, something like that."
"A drink that's sweet yet has a sharp fizz. I'd very much like to try that sometime."
"I'd like to bring it to you, but my body is in this state."
"Hmph."
Time flew by quickly.
No matter what topic or thing he brought up, Schrodin's reactions were so engaging that even Baek Woojin, who was more of a listener, got caught up in the excitement from midway, and the two talked without realizing the passage of time.
"And then──"
"Hehe, that's all for today."
Schrodin's finger pointed at the hourglass whose sand had all fallen to the bottom.
"I'm the one who's more reluctant about this."
"It was enjoyable for me to listen since you were so enthusiastic."
"Is it almost time to go back?"
"No."
After putting the hourglass back away, Schrodin made an expression like something fun was about to happen.
"Do you remember that the stronger you become, the longer you can stay here?"
"Yes. And that if I qualify, rather than a soul, I'd be able to come with a complete physical body like before."
"You remember well."
At that moment, despite being in a soul state, Baek Woojin had the illusion of his heart pounding fiercely with a thud.
"It was a thought I had since we last parted, but you mentioned cola today, right?"
"That's correct."
"Hehe, given my age, there aren't many things to enjoy. I've grown tired of things like food too. So I'll quickly make you stronger and taste that cola and that mint chocolate thing."
At the moment his prediction came true, Baek Woojin rose from the sofa and bowed his head toward Schrodin.
"If you'll help me, I'll follow you in anything."
"Ahh, there's no need to be so grateful to me. Strictly speaking, I'm in the position of watching you struggle."
"It doesn't matter. I don't know what it is, but it would be impossible without you, Sir Schrodin."
"If young people these days were even half like you, I might have liked them a bit."
Knowing that it wasn't just lip service to win favor, Schrodin smiled with the gentle smile unique to an aged elder and lightly snapped his fingers.
"Ugh..."
"Don't resist."
Staggering from the sudden onslaught of overwhelming drowsiness, Baek Woojin heard Schrodin's words not to resist and collapsed onto the sofa.
"Since you're in a soul state, training your body is impossible. Instead, I plan to give you various experiences."
In his gradually narrowing field of vision, he could see the crinkled wrinkles around Schrodin's eyes folding together.
"Die and struggle to your heart's content."