CH 9

To briefly sum it up, it meant to get into a relationship with Yoon Seheon. That way, she’ll become an S-class and use her skills… Her head began throbbing.

Hara asked back while rubbing her forehead.

“Why must I date?”

[The constellation, ‘Cupid’ says there’s no such thing as a free lunch]

There’s no such thing as a free lunch, he says. Hara wondered if the other hunters that went through a second awakening also signed their contracts in this manner.

[The constellation, ‘Cupid’ responds with that may or may not be the case]

[The constellation, ‘Cupid’ asks if you’ve ever seen an S-class doing anything strange] 

A few of the S-class hunters that were called strange flashed through Hara’s head. It seems that they, like her, received a similar mission in order to awaken as an S-class.

Was this how constellations were supposed to be like? She suddenly recalled that Cupid also said that he was bored when they first conversed. 

Was this because of that? Was it something like they were bored while watching a mukbang, so they asked the BJ to carry out a mission? After completing the mission, they’ll send away sponsorship coupons or something similar. 

[T/N: mukbang: eating show; BJ: broadcast jockey.]

However, a quest is given instead of a mission here, and after completing the quest, they will undergo their second awakening as an S-class?

[The constellation, ‘Cupid’, giggles, saying weren’t you supposed to be smart?] 

Hara became composed.

In other words, the so-called S-class, was a super pig that was created by the gods out of boredom.

Although Cupid interrupted saying that wasn’t necessarily the case, Hara was deep in thought. 

Despite the lack of information regarding the constellations which made them hard to predict, thanks to Cupid’s assistance, she had a general idea. 

It was only then that Hara understood why he spoke angrily, saying that there isn’t any love in human’s lives these days. 

The constellation that she came into contact with was Cupid. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that everyone all over the world knows that he’s the god of love. 

Now that she thought about it, he was really talking about himself when he mentioned crossing the sea and going to the underworld. He was talking about Psyche going into the underworld for his sake.

[The constellation, ‘Cupid’, blushes]

Hara felt a little annoyed. She doesn’t know why. On the other hand, she understood the quest that she had received.

If he’s the god of love, wasn’t it natural of him to assign romance as a quest? He might have choked up even more when she said that things like dating weren’t even an option for her. 

But why did the other person have to be this guy?

Hara prayed to the constellation.

“I’m sorry, but can’t you change the partner?”

[The constellation, ‘Cupid’ says that the dice has been cast]

“You’re a Greek god, so how would you know about things like the dice has been cast?”

It was dumbfounding. It just had to be Yoon Seheon, someone that was a part of her dark history! 

Hara prayed several times, but the constellation wouldn’t relent. She eventually rubbed her face a few times and entered the negotiation phase. It’s because of the current situation. 

“Ah, please listen to me, Sir. Don’t you think I have to leave this place first in order to be in a relationship? But what am I right now? I’m E-class.”

This dungeon was B-class, and I’m E-class! Hara wielded her low grade like it was a weapon.

“If I suddenly say, ‘Yoon Seheon, if you don’t enter a relationship with me, we’ll both die here, so let’s date!’ during our first meeting, wouldn’t I be seen as a madwoman?”

In that case, wouldn’t the super pig that you’re trying to raise croak here? What do you think?

Hara was really desperate. But Cupid was still shameless.

[The constellation, ‘Cupid’ says that if it was a matter of life and death, wouldn’t he accept such an offer]  

“That only happens in the movies!”

Hara cried out desperately.

“Also, it’s more interesting to build a narrative and have a solid emotional line, even in dramas! Why do you think Produce 202 became so popular? It’s interesting because a narrative is built while voting for the trainees! What’s the fun of kissing and dating from the very first episode!”

Perhaps those words worked, as Cupid seemed to agonise for a moment. Eventually, the following message appeared.

[The constellation, ‘Cupid’ attempts to negotiate with the system]

Negotiation? Was negotiation possible? It was Hara’s first time knowing that negotiations with the system were possible. But the important thing was whether negotiations were possible.

When the next message popped up, Hara clenched her fist unknowingly.

[Adjusting the difficulty level of the quest…]

[For the convenience of the user ‘Kang Hara’, a temporary S-class Awakened state will be rewarded through a mini quest during the second awakening quest.]

And the quest that fell onto Hara was that.

[New quest: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step]

[You’ve met an attractive man…]

In other words, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, a relationship begins with a mutual introduction. Of course, just exchanging names was too simple, so there were more conditions.

[Quest Completion Requirement 1: Call each other’s names with the designated user, ’Yoon Seheon’]

[Quest Completion Requirement 2: Hold hands with the designated user, ‘Yoon Seheon’]

Calling by the name! Holding hands!

It seemed much simpler than entering a relationship from their first meeting. It’s not bad that she managed to gain this! 

* * *

However, the moment she saw the man’s expression as he looked at her, she realised that her way of doing it was mistaken.

Anyone could tell that he was treating her as an addle-brained person. 

As such, Hara quickly came up with an excuse.

‘Excuse me, I became an S-class while you were unconscious. But I’m not completely an S-class. You have to call my name so that I can reach out to you and become an S-class……’

There was no way she could say that. This wasn’t a matter of whether he’d understand or not. 

“Kyaararak!”

At this moment, the carnivorous rabbit howled and dug in the crevice of the rock formation. Seheon, whose skin was scratched open on the back of his arm, groaned. 

“Ugh—!”

Flustered, Hara tried to pull Seheon inwards, but it wasn’t easy to do when the space between the rock formation was too narrow. 

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

Although he spoke calmly, he didn’t look very good. It’s because once the rabbit spotted blood, it began screeching frenziedly. Each time it screeched, the rabbit’s mouth would be wide open and its sharp teeth shone.

The man’s forehead was covered with sweat. Although he wanted to look back, it didn’t seem like he could do it because the space between the rock formation was too narrow. 

“Let’s hold out like this—ugh.”

While Seheon was talking, the rabbit moved its claws again and lacerated his back. Hara became more anxious.

“Yoon Seheon, do you remember my name?”

“……what?”

“My name!”

If this man called her name, at least one quest would be fulfilled. 

Hara stole a glance at the outside surroundings that was behind the man’s shoulder. A couple more rabbits were loitering around. They probably heard that carnivorous rabbit’s frenzy.

Then, the man made a foolish face and gave an unexpected answer.

“What? I remember……”

No, how can he say that when his shoulder was lacerated?

However, Hara, who had to say, ‘Please call my name,’ in this situation, has become more sorrowful. It’s because the man probably wants to ask her that himself. 

How can you ask me to call you by your name when my shoulder is being torn by a rabbit? 

“……Please call me by my name!”

“……What?”

Of course it came out. Currently, she doesn’t have any sense of shame. Right now, she was just a crazy person. A madwoman… Hara chanted Buddhist scriptures before speaking again.

“Please call me by my name!”

The man’s expression became even odder.

“That… right now?”

“Yes! You still remember it, don’t you!”

Seheon’s expression now looked twice as strange as he did previously. To be exact, ‘The woman that I shoved inside this rock crevice because of a monster seems to be a madwoman,’ was written all over his face. 

Hara felt like crying. But there’s nothing she could do. 

Whether it’s you or me, we both have to get out of here now! She shouted again.

“Please! Just pretend that you’re saving someone and say it once.” 

Calling her by her name can save someone? The man’s absurd expression seemed to have that question written on it, but Hara confronted him firmly with a look saying, “It can save someone!”

Just then, the carnivorous rabbit howled again from behind, and Hara couldn’t help but grab and pull Seheon inwards out of fear that he’d be scratched again. At the same time, the distance between their faces became quite short. 

Seheon was startled.

“Kang, Hara-ssi?”

With that, a message appeared. 

[Quest Completion Requirement 1 has been fulfilled!]

[You can unlock one of your skills]

[Which skill would you like to choose?]

She’d already decided which skill to choose beforehand.

Hara tried to wave her fingers in the air while holding onto him, but it was difficult to press the system window because she was too close to Seheon.

Even if she wanted to push him away, she couldn’t do so due to the angered monster that was swinging its claws like that back there. In the end, Hara cried out.

“Just the thought of you makes me strong!”

[This skill is already unlocked. Please select a different skill]

But the system sent a message that Hara couldn’t understand. At the same time… 

“What?”

The man, who’d suddenly called someone by their name and received the lyrics of a song that was once popular instead of a response, asked back bewilderedly. 

All of a sudden, Hara became curious. Is there a skill that erases another person’s memory? Right now, she was kind of…… No, she was very embarrassed.