To Me, Only…

Jin-sang.

A peculiar person who had been coming to the Adventurer’s Guild for a month, asking to be accepted into a party despite not having a license.

A curious child who worked as a server in the morning and gathered herbs or promoted himself in the afternoon.

And strangely, he did this consistently for a month.

Cal and Rien saw Jin-sang as an oddball or a strange kid.

But somehow, I felt he was similar to me in how he was searching for companions.

Maybe that’s why.

The fact that such a Jin-sang came to my side.

I ended up bursting out with the sadness I had been bottling up alone.

The sadness I had accumulated all this time.

The loneliness I had accumulated all this time.

I sobbed and poured it all out to Jin-sang.

Jin-sang just listened to my story without saying anything.

He simply listened to my worries, my sadness, my loneliness, my anxiety, without saying a word.

Maybe it was because I kept spewing out what I had accumulated.

At some point, the crackling sound of my heart about to break could no longer be heard.

Instead, what came was embarrassment.

The embarrassment of having spilled everything I had accumulated.

Besides, Jin-sang wasn’t even that close to me.

I also felt sorry for making him listen to my complaints.

“Luna, aren’t you hungry?”

At that time, Jin-sang led me to Miriana’s house.

After that, everything progressed dizzyingly fast.

I was surprised by how luxurious and elegant Miriana’s house was.

I was awkward and secretly surprised again when I met the very beautiful Miriana.

How did Jin-sang come to know Miriana?

I heard she was his lifesaver, but I didn’t know the details.

I was happy to eat Orc Champion steak, which I hadn’t even thought of.

I was surprised when Jin-sang suddenly made strange exclamations.

As various things continued to happen.

Somehow, my sad and lonely heart had calmed down a lot.

But the most surprising thing happened next.

“Luna, please form a party with me.”

It was Jin-sang’s proposal to form a party.

Jin-sang said he needed me.

He said he wanted to form a party with me.

I was happy.

Really happy.

But I was anxious.

Because eventually Jin-sang would leave me too.

Because in the end, I’m just a hindrance.

So I tried to reject Jin-sang’s proposal.

But Jin-sang didn’t give up and told me.

That he needed me.

That only I would do.

While saying that, Jin-sang explained his circumstances and asked me to recall how he had been living for the past month.

Following his words, I recalled Jin-sang’s behavior until now and…

I thought that maybe Jin-sang really did need only me, enough to make me feel sympathetic toward him.

Jin-sang had never had anyone form a party with him.

He was only teased by Samurth, who had given me advice.

Occasionally, Bleks would approach Jin-sang and propose that he become a berserker.

And Jin-sang hated that proposal to the point of being really scared.

Even thinking about it again, Jin-sang was pitiful enough to evoke sympathy.

That’s why… Jin-sang needed me more.

The words that only I would do for Jin-sang became more and more believable.

And what reinforced this feeling was.

The arm wrestling match proposed by Miriana.

Jin-sang was weak.

Much weaker than I had thought.

Even considering that Jin-sang was F-rank, he was really… weak.

He was so weak that I thought he couldn’t properly hunt even a single goblin if left alone.

The more I felt Jin-sang’s weakness, the more I realized.

That Jin-sang needed me.

That only I would do for Jin-sang.

That for Jin-sang, who was weak and insisted on being a healer, and whom no one would form a party with, only I would do.

And no matter how much Jin-sang tried to get stronger, he would eventually be weaker than me, so he would always… need my help, I would always be needed.

Always… a companion who would have to stay together.

Besides, Jin-sang fervently told me.

That he needed me.

That even if we formed a party, he wouldn’t leave me.

That he didn’t even think about parting ways.

I was so happy to hear those words.

I liked those words so much.

Even though I might be abandoned again…

But because I wanted bonds again.

I formed a party with Jin-sang.

I went home feeling excited.

Even though I was so sad until just dinnertime.

I was already looking forward to tomorrow.

◈

The first party quest with Jin-sang was slime subjugation.

For a normal adventurer, it would be a quest done at the beginning and rarely after that.

But for me, who had parted ways with companions many times and met new ones, it was a familiar quest.

Whether he was happy to form a party with me.

Or happy to do a quest other than herb gathering.

He walked with light steps.

But since it would be a big deal if he became careless.

Having seen such scenes several times, I checked how well Jin-sang could handle the spear he said he bought for defense.

…Even putting it nicely, Jin-sang was a novice among novices.

I felt even more that Jin-sang needed me.

Since he shouldn’t get hurt under any circumstances, I taught him the basic spear techniques I knew, and Jin-sang learned eagerly.

He learned diligently and smiled at me, happy to see himself improving little by little.

That appearance overlapped with me as a child, learning the dance steps of the Moon Rabbit step by step…

It gave me a nostalgic feeling.

Sometimes Jin-sang would glance at my chest rather than my face.

When I pressed against him to correct his posture, he would unknowingly smile goofily.

Since Jin-sang was also a man.

Rather, such behavior that he couldn’t hide even if he tried to hide it as much as possible looked cute.

When I was still a beginner adventurer, I would have been surprised and embarrassed…

Is this what a former companion called the composure of someone older?

While teaching spear techniques, I could tell that Jin-sang really liked breasts.

I wanted to know more about Jin-sang.

I was curious about what else Jin-sang, who needed me, liked.

What kind of person he was.

Because I wanted us to get along better… and truly never part ways.

Jin-sang was cute as he looked at the slimes with shining eyes and found them fascinating.

Jin-sang was cute as he looked at me with gratitude when I said I would protect him if necessary.

Jin-sang was fresh and cute as he tried his best to thrust the spear again and again when he couldn’t pierce the core in one go.

Just like when Cal and Rien were beginner adventurers.

Like when I taught them one by one.

Thinking about that made me a little melancholic.

Jin-sang was full of curiosity.

He was curious even about higher-tier slimes, which other beginner adventurers wouldn’t even ask about.

I didn’t know that such curiosity would lead to such an accident.

“Kyaaaaaaaa! Lunaaaaaaaa!!!”

“Huh? Ky-kyaaaaaaaaa! Jin-saaaaaang!!!”

King Slime.

The slime that Jin-sang had cast Heal on evolved into a King Slime over time.

Jin-sang gradually moved to the top of the King Slime and then.

“Weugweguregundegu!!!”

Was swallowed into the King Slime.

A chill ran down my spine.

If this continues, Jin-sang will die.

Jin-sang, who needed me.

Jin-sang, who said he wouldn’t part ways with me.

A precious companion would leave this world without me.

I absolutely hated such a thing.

“Yiaaaaaaaaaah!!!”

I ran with all my might and slashed at the King Slime.

There was no room to use techniques.

I just quickly, randomly slashed and slashed and slashed and slashed and slashed at the King Slime.

I was able to subjugate the King Slime.

“Heck! Heck! Heup! Haak… J-Jin-sang! A-are you okay?”

I was able to get Jin-sang out from inside the King Slime.

“Slimes are scaryyyyyy! Uweeeeeeng!”

Jin-sang clung to me, crying because of the experience of being eaten by a slime, which he hadn’t expected.

Jin-sang’s behavior of clinging to me.

The fact that Jin-sang needed me became even more real.

I was secretly happy.

I wanted to show a more reliable image and be someone Jin-sang could depend on.

I wanted to make Jin-sang think that I was necessary to him.

That I was a precious companion.

Thud!

But despite such thoughts, my defective stamina was inevitable.

I ended up collapsing in front of Jin-sang as my stamina was depleted.

What if Jin-sang loses interest in me already.

Anxiety brought sadness, and tears wouldn’t stop.

Jin-sang was considerate of me and pretended to be tired, sitting down.

I was so grateful for such kindness from Jin-sang.

I sat down and talked with Jin-sang.

I asked him not to abandon me because I would try hard.

Fortunately, Jin-sang didn’t say he would abandon me, and instead was curious about my techniques.

I talked about my Dance of the Moon Rabbit.

As I spoke, my melancholy increased, and I kept talking about my own inadequacy.

I shouldn’t do this.

If I say such things, Jin-sang might try to leave me.

But Jin-sang praised me.

He praised me, saying my techniques were amazing and really fast.

And Jin-sang asked me.

Would I receive his magic?

He would cast magic that would instantly recover stamina.

Honestly, I didn’t believe it at first.

I had never heard of magic that restored stamina.

But if I didn’t believe Jin-sang and refused like this…

I was afraid Jin-sang would leave me.

And the words that I could continue using the Dance of the Moon Rabbit.

Even while being unbelievable, made me want to believe it at least once.

I received Jin-sang’s magic.

Like a lie… really.

For real, all my depleted stamina recovered at once.

I couldn’t believe it.

But it was true.

It was such a happy fact.

Before I knew it, I was so happy that I hugged Jin-sang.

I saw Jin-sang’s grinning face, but that didn’t matter.

Rather, I was so happy that I wanted to hug him over and over if Jin-sang liked it.

After that, again and again, many times.

I displayed my techniques while receiving Jin-sang’s magic.

All the techniques modeled after the seven dance steps I learned from the Chief.

Being able to use another technique immediately after getting tired from using one, as my stamina was restored right away.

Something I could never achieve alone, no matter how much I wanted it.

I didn’t have to feel the disappointment of not being able to use the next technique after using one.

Only the joy and refreshment of being able to use techniques as much as I wanted filled my heart.

And I came to realize.

It was the opposite.

It wasn’t that Jin-sang needed me.

More than Jin-sang needed me.

I needed Jin-sang.

For me, there was only Jin-sang.

Jin-sang, who restored my stamina again and again.

Jin-sang, who kept saying he needed me and didn’t want to part ways with me.

Jin-sang, who said we would be the ultimate combo.

Ah, Jin-sang.

Jin-sang.

Jin-sang.

I think so too.

I think I can move forward more if I’m with you.

We can become the ultimate combo together.

I… absolutely don’t want to part with Jin-sang either.

To me, there’s only… you.