"What about the gate?"
In the end, I gave up on the card issue and brought up another topic. I didn't know how things had been going while I was suffering from pain.
[It would be better to talk about that later.]
"What? Why?"
[Let's meet face-to-face. I'm coming back in two days, so you should rest until then.]
Coming back? I asked casually, "Where are you?"
Cheon Sa-yeon asked, like he was having fun, [You seem to be curious about so many things about me? I'm so touched.]
"Don't talk nonsense."
[Haha.]
A voice other than Cheon Sa-yeon could be heard over the phone. At first, it seemed like it was an attendant's.
[I'll hang up now. If you want to see me in the meantime, just endure it.]
Crazy bastard.
I was disgusted and ended the call right away.
'Wait. I didn't hear where you are.'
Nothing has been resolved. I sighed.
Clutter—
"We're back… Yi-gyeol-ssi, what's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Min Ah-rin and Kim Woojin, who had gone out to buy coffee, returned just in time. As I was handed coffee by Kim Woo-jin, I said, "Today, I'm going to clear out of the hospital room and go back to the 23rd floor."
"Are you okay? Why don't you lie down for another day or so?"
"I can't sit still so I can't*."
I was better, so there was no need to stay here any longer. Min Ah-rin, who looked around as if contemplating my words for a moment, nodded her head.
"That's fine. Since my vacation is over, I can provide healing if things go wrong for Yi-gyeol-ssi."
"That's not necessary…"
"I'll be too anxious otherwise."
Min Ah-rin took my cell phone out of my hand. Min Ah-rin, who touched the screen at a speed that I couldn't even follow, immediately returned the cell phone.
"I saved my number. Do you know how difficult it is to get a healer's number?"
"Haha, that's right."
"If anything happens, please call me."
Min Ah-rin opened her eyes wide and spoke as if scolding me, but she was not scary and just looked cute. I smiled awkwardly and looked at the phone where Min Ah-rin's number was saved. For some reason, it seemed that more and more numbers were being saved.
As I left the hospital room with my luggage, Min Ah-rin offered to watch a movie, but she got a call before I even refused. From what I had heard, it seemed that an injured person came out of the gate that had just been cleared.
"Next time—for sure!—let's hang out." Min Ah-rin left with a sad face.
* * *
I returned to the room on the 23rd floor with Kim Woo-jin.
I took off the shirt I was wearing in the hospital room and put on a white tee and a dark navy blue blouse.
When I changed my clothes, Kim Woo-jin asked with a puzzled voice, "What? Are you going out?"
"I have a place to go to."
"I'll go too."
I thought why not. I pondered for a while and answered yes. Kim Woo-jin, who looked at me with no expectations because I rejected him every time, lit up.
"Where did you want to go?"
After searching for a destination on my cell phone, I came out of the guild building with Kim Woo-jin. At that moment, I grabbed a taxi passing by and got on and answered, "Area G21."
* * *
As I got out of the taxi, I frowned at the crowd gathered near the control line. There was nothing I could see in this state.
"Kim Woo-jin. Come closer."
"Huh?"
Kim Woo-jin came closer. I hugged Kim Woo-jin's waist with one of my arms and used my ability. Kim Woo-jin's body stiffened in an instant.
"Hey, don't stay still and hold onto my waist. Your posture is very…"
"..."
"Kim Woo-jin?"
Curious, I looked up and saw Kim Woo-jin's face, which was red as if it was about to explode. What was wrong with you?
"Kim Woo-jin, are you okay?"
"Huh? Uh…"
"Hold my waist."
I have to go higher, but I was worried. At my words, Kim Woo-jin squeaked like a machine that had not been oiled and hugged my waist. That was better. I increased our altitude.
"Is this okay? I guess it's comfortable for the two of us."
"…it's okay."
"You don't look good. If you don't like it, wait down there."
We could float separately, but then I would have to worry about the amount of energy, so it was bothersome.
"Nope. It's really okay."
Kim Woo-jin hurriedly shook his head to deny it, but his complexion did not improve at all. Were you afraid of heights like Ha Tae-heon?
I guess I had to move on my own next time.
"…anyway, why here?"
"I need to check something."
Cheon Sa-yeon told me to rest until he returned, but I wasn't someone who would listen to him.
'I can't trust the information that Cheon Sa-yeon gave me.'
Of course, there wasn't much I could do about it. I just came to the G21 Area just in case.
"It's open!"
"The gate's open!"
After a while, the reporters who were looking at the gate took out their cameras all at once. The gate, which had been firmly closed, opened its doors and revealed several people.
"Stand back."
"Please keep a safe distance!"
"Cha Soo-yeon-ssi! Please interview with me!"
"Why was the clear time delayed?"
The bodyguards managed to stop the reporters, who became fiercer as they waited for a long time. I found a familiar face among the clear team, all holding their wounds.
"Lend me a hat and you use your ability," I said as I took the hat that Kim Woo-jin was wearing. Kim Woo-jin was puzzled but used his ability. The boy's face suddenly clouded like a mist.
In that state, he safely escaped the line of sight.
"Cha Soo-yeon-ssi."
I approached Cha Soo-yeon, who was being treated for injuries. Cha Soo-yeon, who looked back at me reflexively, widened her eyes.
"How can you be here…"
"I need to talk to you about something."
After thinking for a while, Cha Soo-yeon said to the healer, "I'm fine now, so please look at the others."
"I understand."
As the healer left, Cha Soo-yeon looked around and dragged me to a relatively deserted place. I gently lifted the hat that I had been wearing low enough to cover my eyes and smiled at Cha Soo-yeon.
"Are you seriously hurt?"
"No way."
To my question, Cha Soo-yeon snorted and proudly smiled as she answered. That was right. If it was Cha Soo-yeon, it was not like she could be easily defeated.
"How did you know I was here?"
"I came here just in case, and I got lucky."
"Uh huh."
I was being honest, but Cha Soo-yeon didn't seem to believe me. She didn't trust me as much as she used to. That was unfair.
"What did you come here for?"
"I have a question for you about the gate."
At those words, Cha Soo-yeon's eyes shone sharply.
"I'm sure you didn't come here to ask a useless question…"
"You're quick-witted."
In fact, asking for information about the gate belonging to another guild was an act against etiquette. But as the situation was like this, I just hoped Cha Soo-yeon understood it.
"I went to the gate with the Requiem Guild members a few days ago."
"I know. I saw you in the interview."
"..."
I almost failed to keep a straight face. I, who managed to straighten out my grimacing face, continued to say before I stopped, "The inside of the gate has changed a lot from before."
"No way…"
"Yes, most of the monsters have been upgraded. The numbers have also increased."
Cha Soo-yeon, who had heard that far, nodded her head as if it was understandable.
"Are you here to ask if the gate I entered was the same?"
"For now."
Cha Soo-yeon blinked with a worried look, then folded her arms and sighed.
"…right. It was just like you said."
"Can you tell me the details?"
"Here, Area G21 is one of the gates I have been in charge of for a long time. It's an easy gate to clear because there aren't many B-grade monsters."
The B-grade gate, the gate of the G21 Area where C-grade and B-grade monsters were predominant.
There was an unexpected change in the gate.
"All the monsters were getting stronger without warning. I don't know exactly because I didn't bring an identifier, but everyone on the team, including me, felt it. Something is wrong."
"C-grade has been upgraded to B, and B has been upgraded to A."
"I guess so. As you said, not only did it get stronger, but the numbers also increased."
This was the third time Cha Soo-yeon had cleared the gates of the G21 Area. As they entered twice, it was said that they already knew exactly where and to what extent monsters came out.
"Twenty monsters appeared where ten should appear, and another monster intervened in the middle…" Cha Soo-yeon grumbled in a tired voice. "I'm glad I took one healer along as the Master said because I thought it was a B-grade gate and it almost got me into trouble."
"Your master… Master Hong Si-ah?"
"Mh. She's not the kind of person who usually cares about that, but this time, she has been nagging me a lot to make sure I take a healer."
Cha Soo-yeon tilted her head with a subtle expression.
"Wait. Something seems strange. Why did…"
"You may have guessed."
It had been four days since I and Cheon Sa-yeon cleared the gate and left. If Cheon Sa-yeon informed the masters of the dangers of the gate while I was suffering for a while, it was understandable that Master Hong Si-ah reacted like that.
"For sure, we don't know which gate is strange unless we go inside. Not all gates have changed. Master Hong Si-ah must have invited the healer because she was worried about Cha Soo-yeon-ssi."
"…well, she seems to have a surprisingly delicate personality."
Her tone was blunt, but her pride in her guild master could be seen on her face. Seeing that scene, I reflexively thought of Cheon Sa-yeon.
'No, this isn't the same.'
I'm an independent, so why do I think of Cheon Sa-yeon? Erasing Cheon Sa-yeon's face from my mind, I said hurriedly, "Thank you for letting me know. I will go now."
"What? Already?"
"Yes."
There was nothing to say now, and Kim Woo-jin, who was standing still during the conversation, also concerned me. I was just about to leave, but unexpectedly, Cha Soo-yeon caught me.
"Wait!"
"Do you have anything to say?"
"It's not really like that. That's kind of ridiculous! Like last time. Do you leave when your business is over?"
As I stared blankly, wondering what to do, Cha Soo-yeon reached out to me with a frustrated expression.
"Give it to me."
"Give you what?"
"What do you think? Your cell phone!"
I was about to take out my phone involuntarily at the words she said proudly, but I finally came to my senses and shook my head.
"Well, giving it is a bit…"
"Are you saying you don't want to give me your number?"
"No, that's not it…"
"Then what?"
What was with you? It was scary.
"It's just the circumstances…"
"What circumstances?"
Even though she smiled awkwardly and stepped back, Cha Soo-yeon was persistent. The tenacious gaze made me have a cold sweat, and a stern voice came from behind.
"Go away. He doesn't want to give it to you."
Kim Woo-jin, who had been quiet until now, released his ability. Then Cha Soo-yeon noticed Kim Woo-jin standing behind me and wrinkled her brow.
"And who is that?"
"I'm—"
At Cha Soo-yeon's question, Kim Woo-jin glanced at me.
"—his f-friend."
"..."
If you were going to say something, be brazen about it. Why were you stuttering?