episode_0365

(『If the North Star is visible, resentment reaches the skies more easily. Because then, you won’t lose your way.』)

(『Beware those who bear the cross.』)

(『For they are close to the North Star, yet full of resentment.』)

Resentment comes easily.

When the hand stretched out in hope fails to grasp anything lumps of bitterness pile up in the heart, as large as the hopes themselves.

“Ms. Eunha.”

In Ban Harin’s case,

she often resented herself for failing to protect someone precious.

……

(Haha… Just watch. I’ll pass the exam no matter what.)

In the past, during the E-rank promotion exam.

She couldn’t stop Eunha, who hid in the association bathroom, saying she’d lighten her body by removing her organs.

All she could do was guard the entrance.

(“Ban Harin, are you good with guns?”)

When she opened Eunha’s suitcase out of greed and regained her sight,

upon Eunha’s request to wait while she spoke to the supervisor,

she could do nothing but put a bullet in Eunha’s head.

(“Ban Harin… Can you grant me just one request?”)

(“Right heㅡre. Cut it off with a knife and throw it eastward as hard as you can.”)

When the outer wall of [Goryongsan Rift Zone] collapsed,

she had no choice but to silently comply with Eunha’s request to sever her own arm.

That version of herself—

how utterly detestable it was.

— You… really died?

— Let’s end it quickly. Dragging it out would just be tedious.

— ……I’m sorry.

Crunch—

But now,

she could only stand by and watch

as Eunha died in her place.

“……”

Creak—

『She has been safely escorted.』

Ban Harin’s ‘taxi’ arrived somewhere.

Stepping out silently, she began to walk away.

Fizz—

Through her [Observation]-skill-enhanced pupils, she saw Yang So-a snapping Eunha’s neck and leaving the park.

“Yang So-a…”

She remembered.

Staring intently at that face, she turned her head.

In the shadows of the park, she saw Eunha, her broken neck twisting back as she rose to her feet.

“…Why didn’t you kill her?”

‘No, Ms. Eunha. People die when their necks are broken.’

She reached out.

But she couldn’t touch her.

Because they lived in different worlds.

“……”

Withdrawing her hand, Ban Harin bit her lip.

Unconsciously,

she thought it felt like being trapped inside a mirror.

Joining the association to protect Eunha as a ‘Rare Hunter,’

even receiving the ‘Reverse Cross Hairpin’ after putting a bullet in Eunha’s head—

yet her hand, stretched toward the night sky, still couldn’t reach the North Star.

She wanted to protect Eunha.

Her only wish.

And so, her only resentment.

Layer after layer, stacking resentment born from that wish,

until ‘we’ drew closer to the North Star.

“……”

Grasping the ‘Cross Hairpin’ on her bangs, she wondered:

How could she reach Eunha?

How could she stay by her side?

How could she…

take Eunha’s pain as her own?

If I could take your place.

“Since you’re not dead, that’s great.”

“……”

“Since we’re at the park, wanna visit the old man?”

Her thoughts only grew heavier.

Without a word, Ban Harin took a step,

following Eunha’s footsteps in the real world.

One step.

Then another.

Drawing closer to her…

『Happiness for sale.』

That was when

she heard the voice.

……

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

……

“Whew… Maybe I should call it a day.”

Rewinding time slightly.

A few minutes before Eunha and Yang So-a arrived at [Euncheon Park].

The only daughter of the [Cheongryong Family] and a former debt collector—

Café employee Kang Nari.

She was finishing her ‘work’ at [Euncheon Park] and preparing to head home.

……

Plop—

Tying up her sapphire-blue hair neatly, she slumped onto a park bench and wiped away her sweat.

Exercising nonstop after her café shift had taken its toll.

“Huff…”

Drip, drip.

Sweat trickled down her face as she brushed it away with her right hand.

The skin her right hand passed over became instantly dry,

while the vanished droplets reappeared on her left hand, stretched behind the bench, and dripped onto the grass.

Her [Component Swap] skill—exchanging the composition of whatever her hands touched—

was always useful, whether brewing potions or in daily life.

Proud of her own talent, Kang Nari massaged her freshly dried cheeks.

“Haah… So peaceful…”

What was this feeling of being forgotten by everyone?

Lately, she alone seemed to bask in peace among her café coworkers.

But it was fine.

Enjoying the sunset, she quietly gazed at the autumn sky.

……

(Ms. Kang Nari. Won’t you join us as a comrade?)

The reason Kang Nari trained at [Euncheon Park]

started with Ban Harin’s persuasion.

(Comrade? Of what?)

(I’m introducing this to you without Ms. Eunha’s knowledge. Ban Harin, Team Leader of the [Rare Hunter Protection-Elimination Unit]’s 1st Team.)

Ban Harin explained.

Her work, and how the personnel assigned to protect Eunha had dwindled over the months.

All former ‘team members’ had vanished, leaving just her and ‘Mouse’ as a duo.

Thus, she seemed intent on recruiting Kang Nari.

(…But I belong to the Cheongryong Family. Is it alright for me to join the association?)

(We need someone willing to die for Ms. Eunha. Skills can be trained.)

(Alright. I’ll do it.)

And so began her training—about two months now.

After her café shifts, she kept meeting Ban Harin at [Euncheon Park] in secret.

For Kang Nari, just building stamina and reflexes should be enough to serve as a hunter.

So even now, with Ban Harin away, she ran until exhaustion overtook her.

(Besides training, is there anything else I should know?)

(…Your role is one of ignorance. Just leave it at that.)

(Huh?)

(Got a problem? You should be kneeling in gratitude that someone as bland as you gets any role at all…)

(What?)

(Just look around sometime. A crazy woman in a white dress staring at Ms. Eunha all day and a deranged mother-daughter duo are threatening our positions.)

(WHAT?)

(What.)

In the end, Ban Harin’s nonsense wrapped things up,

but the infuriating part was that she wasn’t wrong.

Sigh…

Finishing her workout, Kang Nari caught her breath.

She untied her blue hair and rose from the bench.

Personality, huh… But I’m busy brewing [Eun-Gang Potions]. With the others fetching decent prices at the association, I’ve been holed up at home making potions.

She did want to grow closer to Eunha.

But she was content for now.

Their morning greetings at the café,

her daily routine of brewing coffee—

something about making milk coffee while watching Eunha made it taste better.

(Ms. Eunbyul. Why are Ms. Eunha’s photos plastered all over your house?)

(Because I like her! Don’t you have any?)

(Uh…)

She didn’t need personality.

Some quirks were better kept hidden.

Drip.

Lost in thought, she must’ve bitten her nail too hard.

Blood trickled out.

“……”

Kang Nari walked away,

sucking on her bleeding finger.

…Still,

she was better off staying bland.

……

“Are you Kang Nari?”

Halt.

Just then, as she absentmindedly licked her finger and headed back to Eunbyul’s place—

she stopped at the unfamiliar voice.

“……”

“I’m from the Hunter Association. I came to speak with the brewer of the [Eun-Gang Potion].”

The quiet park.

A suited man blocking her path.

Kang Nari pulled her finger from her mouth and adjusted her damp workout clothes.

She was set to deliver this month’s [Eun-Gang Potion] next week—why was the association seeking her now?

She reluctantly listened.

“…Speak.”

“Ah, just a moment… Here’s my card.”

A pristine white business card from his pocket.

Glancing at it, Kang Nari frowned.

It wasn’t the association’s.

Instead, engraved on the back was the familiar Cheongryong crest.

“…Since when did the association partner with Cheongryong?”

“Desperate times.”

The man smiled faintly.

Crunch.

Dark iron spikes rose from the dirt behind her—his ‘skill,’ perhaps.

(The [Galaxy Potion] lab that promised to revolutionize the association withered away like rotting flesh. Even Go Young-in stepped down.)

“……”

(The Hunter Association no longer has the means to protect you, Ms. Kang Nari—evidenced by my posing as an envoy to find you.)

Nonsense.

But the association was in turmoil.

Her role was selling [Eun-Gang Potions] to Team Leader Go Young-in for Eunha’s sake.

But with Go Young-in gone, the association was no longer trustworthy.

Still…

That was for Eunha to decide, not strangers.

Squeezing her hands open and shut, Kang Nari studied the man.

Just useless talk so far.

“So?”

“Chairman Kang requests your return. It’s time to come ba—”

Snap!

No more listening.

With Eunha absent, she needn’t bother pretending.

Channeling mana, Kang Nari lunged.

Assuming her just another rookie potion brewer,

the man panicked, crossing his arms as his ‘skill’ activated.

Crunch!

Iron sand erupted like a shield between them.

(No problem. I can block this.)

Regaining composure,

he recalled being chosen for this mission for his unmatched defense.

Even if she’d trained in basic combat,

this attack should pose no threa—

CRACK!

But at that moment,

his iron sand barrier shattered as Kang Nari’s right hand seized his head.

Squelch.

[Component Swap].

A skill that exchanged whatever her hands touched.

The iron sand in her right hand traded places with the air in her left—

allowing her to reach past the vanished barrier

and grip his skull.

“Ghk…!”

“I told you. Eunha’s potions won’t go to Cheongryong.”

Crunch.

And that was it.

With the sound of something tearing,

the man’s body went limp.

Crunch.

Then, transferring whatever now in her left hand—

she shoved it crookedly back into his skull

before seating him on a nearby bench.

The silent park.

A suited man sat slack-jawed, eyes vacant at the autumn sky.

“Whew…”

Exhaling, Kang Nari turned away.

Ban Harin had insisted stamina and reflexes were all she needed.

Honestly? Not bad.

(Acted without thinking… Good thing Eunha wasn’t here. No need to fake fright.)

Brush, brush.

Casually dusting iron sand from her left hand,

she strode from the park without hesitation.

Step. Step.

Even armed with ‘skills,’ humans were fragile.

Just tweaking a few nerve bundles left them like this.

(Ms. Kang Nari. Are you okay?)

Memories surfaced—

of Eunha rushing to rescue her from kidnappers once,

bloodied as if from a great fall,

yet rising with a smile.

That was her first time

meeting someone who wouldn’t die no matter how battered.

Thump. Thump.

Someone she could handle freely.

Whose blood smelled sweet.

Was that when

this pounding heart began?

(Ban Harin. I really am better off staying bland.)

The Cheongryong bloodline was broken.

Realizing this anew, Kang Nari left the park.

At least now she had something to do.

Should she still deliver [Eun-Gang Potions] to the leaderless association?

Tomorrow—she’d ask Eunha at the café.

(Great, now I have a topic with Eunha.)

Where should the potions go now though…

A reliable ‘hospital’ would help. Did Eunha know any?

“Nyaa… nyaaah…”

Just then,

as she left—an odd moan reached her ears.

Startled, Kang Nari crept back, hiding behind a bush.

“Nyaaah… Sunbae… more…”

“Yeah, yeah.”

There she saw:

Ban Harin leading a pink-haired woman by the hand into the park.

Black suit.

An eyepatch over her right eye.

Unmistakably Ban Harin.

(Ban Harin… You said you were too sick to come to the café!)

Hand over her mouth, Kang Nari watched.

‘Ban Harin’ strolled with the pink puffball girl,

weary smile just like Eunha’s.

Like stumbling upon a friend’s affair,

Kang Nari gnawed her fingers like popcorn, heart racing.

Thump. Thump.

At first, she thought Eunha had disguised herself as Ban Harin to woo another girl.

But could Eunha disguise as others?

That marshmallow cow recognizable from behind even with her face hidden?

(Wow. Just wow.)

Gotta tell Ms. Eunbyul.

After watching ‘Ban Harin’ escort Yang So-a deeper into the park,

she slipped away and dashed home.

“Ah, hello.”

“……”

On the way out,

she passed a woman in white—Eunhong (紅?), the weirdo always watching Eunha at the café.

Drag.

The woman wheeled a suitcase identical to Eunha’s toward [Euncheon Park].

“That’s…”

“Rabbit’s request. Since someone’s banned from the apartments, she asked me to deliver it.”

“Ah, got it. Good luck!”

The park was unusually lively today.

Parting ways, Kang Nari jogged off with light steps.

The sun set on the evening’s events.

……

……

“Can’t we talk this out?”

Screech.

Back at [Euncheon Park],

now alone after Yang So-a left,

Eunha smiled as she addressed an unfamiliar aberration.

Rustle.

All signs of life had vanished.

The park stood silent.

Though sunset hadn’t yet fallen, not a single stroller remained.

Only the whisper of leaves in the occasional breeze brushed her ears.

Not even the chirp of insects.

Was this what it felt like to be abandoned by the world?

Screech.

The grating sound of a blade dragging along the ground.

Eunha stepped back from the approaching thing.

“…Ban Harin?… No, not her.”

An aberration she’d never seen.

Had new rules taken effect at [Euncheon Park]?

Hard to say.

『……』

Screech.

It resembled a spider egg.

A massive orb wrapped in silken threads—

large enough to barely fit two crouching people.

Screech.

And from this white ‘egg’ emerged

eight blade-tipped legs screeching toward Eunha.

Their ends were long, sharp swords, carving grooves into the dirt.

An aberration of grotesque form.

Yet inexplicably,

it reminded Eunha of Ban Harin.

No resemblance whatsoever—

this bizarre creature.

It couldn’t be.

Couldn’t possibly be Ban Harin.

Shaking her head, she dismissed the thought.

“Cough… Do you know [Princess Beetle]? I’m friends with her.”

『……』

“You don’t? My bad.”

No response. A foreigner, perhaps?

Leaving the [Black Book]’s suitcase at the café to play Ban Harin had been a mistake.

Smiling, Eunha turned and fled.

Convex mirrors scattered across the park reflected her figure.

……

……

You reached out.

And as always,

they pulled away with a smile.

(『Happiness for sale.』)

(…Does Ms. Eunha possess happiness too?)

(『Interested in a way for us all to live long?』)

Screech. Scrape.

Someone—

or something born from someone.

Still in its egg-like form,

it pursued the retreating figure.