I stood there for a moment; in all honesty I shouldn't have to worry so much about this because we recently just met. Yet I couldn't control my urge to find out what was the matter. Perhaps I've been longing for people I can trust ever since I transmigrated here and made me more attached than I normally would.
Standing there, I was in a daze and glanced around me. It was confusing to say the least. Knowing Min-Ji, she wouldn't just randomly do this without an explanation.
While I was pondering about it, Lu Yi called out my name from afar holding a tray of food along with two plates in his hand, "Mu Wei!! I found us a seat, why don't we wait here for Min-Ji?"
I was awoken from my daze, and I turned around to the direction of the voice calling me out. I strode over to where the teenager was sat and glanced around us.
It doesn't seem like anything is out of the ordinary, everyone seems to be just fine, and the surroundings are not suspicious at all. Was I just overthinking too much of what I saw?
Mu Wei had doubts flowing in the back of his mind and decided not to ponder about it too much. He sat on the chair next to Lu Yi, grabbed a small amount of food, and placed it on the plate.
"So, any news about Min-Ji? I haven't seen her at all." Lu Yi glanced at Mu Wei curiously, hoping that the man might have some news about her.
Mu Wei, who was stabbing the meat with a fork, answered calmly, "No, I haven't seen her too." Sure, he might have seen her just now, but he didn't want to break the news to Lu Yi that their friend was ignoring them purposely. He just couldn't say that.
Throughout the meal, Lu Yi didn't talk a lot and focused on eating his food, probably noticing the indifference of Mu Wei right now and his interest of not having a conversation.
The white-haired man was lost in his thoughts and barely touched the food in his plate. Does this guild have more than meets the eye?
Min-Ji didn't seem like herself... Her eyes were a lot emptier and seemed like it was devoid of life.
As Mu Wei sat there, his mind replayed the last glance he caught of Min-Ji. Those lifeless eyes haunted him, nagging at the edges of his thoughts. Devoid of life. He mulled over the phrase. It wasn't just her eyes—it was her entire demeanor. The way she walked away from him earlier, her steps heavy yet purposeful, like she was carrying the weight of a secret too burdensome to share.
"Mu Wei?" Lu Yi's voice cut through the haze again.
"Hm?" Mu Wei looked up, realizing he had been absentmindedly stabbing at his food without eating any of it.
"You seem out of it." Lu Yi leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "Is something bothering you? If it's about Min-Ji, maybe we should just go look for her. Sitting here isn't helping anyone."
Mu Wei hesitated. His rational mind told him to agree with Lu Yi. Searching for Min-Ji might lead to some answers, but another part of him—the cautious part—warned him that rushing in blindly might not be the best idea. If something was indeed wrong, Min-Ji's behavior could have been a deliberate attempt to distance herself from them for their safety or someone might be behind the scenes watching.
"No." Mu Wei's voice came out more firmly than he expected. "Let's give her some space. If she wanted us to follow her, she would have said something. Min-Ji's not the type to act without reason."
Lu Yi raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. "If you say so…" he muttered, returning his attention to the now nearly empty plate in front of him.
The rest of the meal passed in relative silence, save for the clinking of utensils against plates and the low hum of voices from other tables around them. Mu Wei remained on edge, his senses attuned to any unusual movements or sounds in the bustling guild hall. It was unlike him to be so paranoid, but something about Min-Ji's earlier behavior had struck a chord deep within him.
Once Lu Yi finished his meal, he pushed his plate aside and stood up, stretching his arms above his head. "Well, I'm going to check out the quest board. We can't just sit around waiting all day." He paused, glancing at Mu Wei. "You coming?"
Mu Wei shook his head. "Not yet. I'll meet you there in a bit."
Lu Yi shrugged. "Suit yourself." With that, he turned and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Mu Wei alone with his thoughts once again.
As the white-haired man sat there, his gaze wandered to the large arched windows of the guild hall. The sunlight streaming through them cast a golden glow over the room, making everything seem warm and inviting. Yet, to Mu Wei, it all felt like a facade.
He thought back to the day he transmigrated into this world, how everything had seemed so surreal at first. The vibrant landscapes, the bustling cities, the diverse inhabitants—he had been fascinated by it all. But as time went on, he began to see the cracks in the surface. Beneath the beauty and excitement lay a world filled with danger, deceit, and hidden agendas.
And now, standing at the center of it all was Min-Ji, whose sudden change in behavior only served to remind him of how little he truly understood this world—or the people in it. How funny, he knows all too well everything here is fictional, yet for some reason he still gets scared of how anything could happen anytime.
Unable to sit still any longer, Mu Wei rose from his seat and made his way to the garden outside. The cool breeze outside was a welcome contrast to the stifling atmosphere of the cafeteria. He walked aimlessly for a while, his feet carrying him down the streets filled with flowers. As he got farther away, the lively chatter of the F- ranks that filled the air can no longer be heard.
His thoughts were still consumed by Min-Ji. What happened to her? What had caused such a drastic change in her demeanor? And, most importantly, why had she chosen to distance herself from them without explanation?
As he turned a corner, he spotted a familiar figure in the distance. At first, he thought he was imagining things, but as he drew closer, there was no mistaking her. Min-Ji stood at the end of the garden, her back to him. She seemed to be speaking to someone, though Mu Wei couldn't make out the other person from where he stood.
However, it was someone with a large figure, very similar to the guild master... Mu Wei snapped out of his thoughts and headed towards the direction.
"Min-Ji!" he called out, quickening his pace.
She stiffened at the sound of his voice but didn't turn around. Instead, she and the mysterious figure walked towards the shadow, suddenly disappearing from view.
Mu Wei broke into a run, his heart pounding in his chest. He reached the end of the garden and stopped abruptly, his eyes scanning the shadowy corridor. There was no sign of Min-Ji—or anyone else, for that matter.
The air was eerily quiet, the only sounds being the distant murmur of the F-ranks and the faint rustling of leaves in the wind. Mu Wei's instincts screamed that something was wrong.
"Min-Ji?" he called out again, his voice filled with caution.
No response. Okay, this was really weird. How did she manage to go through the shadow? Why was she running away? And who was that strange figure next to her?
As a sweat dripped down from his face, Mu Wei could feel goosebumps rise up. He thought back to the figure he saw and felt a sense of familiarity. Although they were dressed in a cloak and had a mask, he could see that the height was similar to the guild master.
His eyes darkened at this thought and put a note in his mind to research about the guild master. After all, he was the villain of this novel at some point. It wouldn't be wrong to assume he would be the one behind the scenes.