[ Like a Shrimp (1) ]
Phew, finally resolved another one. Now, all that’s left is to wrap up the contract and help with the awakening.
“This is so embarrassing, saying all this stuff I’m not used to. Hurry up and sign; I’ll awaken you.”
“Alright. Haha, that was so funny.”
“Don’t laugh.”
“Your neck’s all red, too!”
“You’re not so different, you know?”
Park Yerim giggled as she signed the contract. Once both signature lines were filled, the contract glowed faintly and its surface turned smooth, as if it had been laminated. Yerim, curious, started to touch the contract.
“Now it can’t be edited anymore, huh?”
“It shouldn’t be, anyway.”
I took the contract back and stored it in my inventory. With that, everything was ready.
“Alright, I’m going to use the awakening skill now.”
“Wait a second.”
She raised her hand, then sat up straight as if preparing for meditation. She took a deep breath.
“Will I awaken right away?”
“If you’re lucky. It can take up to a week at most.”
The Promising Talent Skill works instantly, but I set the expectation at a week just in case. Who knows if I’ll be able to apply the keyword immediately for the next person I help awaken?
“Okay, go ahead!”
She didn’t need to be so tense. I used the Promising Talent Skill to optimize and awaken Park Yerim. And soon enough…
“A message window just popped up! Mister! How do I check my rank?”
“Think about opening your status window. Or you can just say it out loud.”
“Status window! Oh? Whoa!”
Yerim’s mouth fell open, and her entire face looked like it was etched with the word “shock.”
Well, it’s no wonder. With S-rank stats and even an SS-rank skill, anyone would be surprised. Yerim, all excited, placed her hands on the table and—
“Mister! I’m an S—!”
-Crack!
Ugh? Did the table just break? Or did her hand go right through it? The thick tabletop had caved in, exactly in the shape of her hand. Incredible.
“Uh…”
“Don’t move!”
Damn it. Yuhyun did say that those ranked C or higher struggle to control their newly enhanced physical abilities. And Yerim is S-rank… This is bad.
“Right now, your strength is way beyond what it used to be, so don’t touch anything. Got it?”
“O-Okay.”
“Good. Let’s get out of here carefully. Move very slowly. Think of it like walking softly and silently, one step at a time.”
Yerim slowly and cautiously got up from her seat. Her movements were as precarious as walking on a tightrope. Watching her made me feel as uneasy as if I were standing in front of a child who could fall at any moment.
It was a relief that we were on the ground floor with no basement. Even if the floor collapsed, no one would get hurt.
“Slowly, one step at a time. That’s it, just like that.”
“I think I’m getting a little used to it.”
“Don’t rush it, though. Yuhyun said it takes a day to fully adapt.”
While keeping my eyes on her, I slid open the door. I put on my shoes first and then picked up Yerim’s sneakers. They were pretty worn out. They even looked too big for her. Can’t her uncle at least buy her new shoes instead of handing down used ones?
“Let me put them on for you, so lift your foot.”
“Okay. Uh… It feels a bit unstable to stand on one leg.”
“Then sit down carefully. Slowly—”
Ugh, she left a slight handprint on the floor. At least it was just a small dent, unlike the table. She giggled as I slipped her sneakers on.
“Isn’t this kind of exciting?”
“Exciting? More like terrifying.”
Why would this be exciting? After reminding her again not to touch anything, I headed to the counter. I’d need to pay for the table.
“Excuse me, I’d like to pay. Also, one of the tables got a bit damaged—”
“Ah, a fly!”
“No!”
-Crack
The edge of the dining table crumbled like a biscuit. Yerim let out a sheepish laugh.
“I always catch bugs in restaurants. It’s become a habit, haha.”
Don’t laugh. The employee behind the counter stared wide-eyed at the table, then at Yerim, then back at the table. I apologized and handed over my card.
“Please include the cost of the dining table and that seat’s table in the bill as well.”
Feel free to charge extra.
The journey back to Haeyeon Guild was relatively smooth. Sure, the headrest in the car’s front seat got smashed, and a paving stone cracked under Yerim’s foot when she stepped out, but as long as no one got hurt, it’s fine.
So, Yerim, please stop trying to get so close to me. I get that sudden changes might make you anxious, but if you grab me even once, my arm’s going to get crushed. My stats are F-rank, okay?
At Haeyeon Guild, I only informed Yuhyun about Park Yerim. It was better to keep it quiet until the Hunter Association could handle the rank assessment and the news was officially released. I didn’t want any unnecessary attention or trouble.
Kim Seonghan was on high alert, keeping an eye out so that no unlucky bystanders became victims, as we headed for the elevator. It was a huge relief that there weren’t many people in the lobby since it was a weekend evening. We bypassed the security check required to access floors beyond the third, thanks to Yuhyun’s prior notice.
“This is kind of exciting.”
As soon as the elevator doors closed, Yerim moved closer to me again.
“I told you to keep your distance. There’s nowhere for me to dodge here.”
“I won’t touch you. You think I can’t control that much?”
“You smashed the headrest to pieces. If there’d been someone in that seat, you’d have been a killer.”
At the word “killer,” Yerim’s lips curled into a pout. Maybe I’d been too harsh, but it was better to give her this kind of warning now rather than later. The difference between a non-awakened person and someone with S-rank stats was so vast that it was almost like they were from different species.
To prevent any accidents, she needed to constantly remind herself that she wasn’t ordinary anymore.
When we arrived at the guild leader’s office, Yuhyun was waiting alone. He greeted us with a businesslike smile.
“Welcome, Miss Park Yerim.”
“…Hello.”
Yerim greeted him awkwardly, bowing slightly. I didn’t think she was the shy type. What’s up with that?
“First, I’ll show you to the place where you’ll stay while you get used to your new abilities. Most people with S-rank stats adjust within a day. After that, you’ll be able to return to your usual routine, so there’s no need to worry.”
Yuhyun explained politely. It felt a bit unfamiliar seeing him like this. Considering the value of an S-class awakener, this was probably the proper way to handle things. Had I been too casual with Yerim?
“Please follow me.”
Yuhyun led the way out of the room. What should I do now? It’s about time to feed Peace. Should I go?
“Mister, why aren’t you coming?”
Yerim gestured for me to follow, glaring as if to say, “Are you coming or what?” Come to think of it, I did agree to be her guardian. I guess I should follow.
We took a different elevator this time, one that didn’t stop on floors 1 through 3, and descended to the basement. The lower floors housed training facilities for awakeners.
As we walked down a long corridor, Yuhyun continued to explain.
“Basements 2 and 3 are dedicated to training. However, for advanced combat training beyond A-rank, you’ll need to go to our training center in Gyeonggi Province for safety reasons. Especially with skills that have lethal potential, their use is strictly prohibited in urban areas.”
“…Sounds like there’s a lot I need to learn.”
“You’ll receive formal training after you register as an awakener. Until then, just be careful when using your skills.”
“Okay.”
Speaking of skills, I wonder what Yerim’s are. I’m curious.
“This is the fitness room where you’ll stay for the day.”
We arrived at a spacious room filled with various exercise equipment. The high ceiling and the walls and floors, which didn’t look like they were made of ordinary materials, caught my eye.
“You can use any of the equipment here without worrying about damaging it. Use it to get a feel for your new strength. The walls and floors are also designed to withstand the strength of an S-class at level 1. Does your strength stat exceed 100?”
“No, it’s 61.”
“That should be fine then.”
61? That’s three times my total stat. Fifteen times just in terms of strength. Having fifteen times the stats doesn’t mean the actual strength is fifteen times greater, but the difference is definitely insurmountable.
“The shower room and sleeping quarters are over there. Those facilities can also withstand damage, but please try to familiarize yourself with your strength before using them.”
“What if I need something?”
“You can request it using the phone in the sleeping quarters. If the phone breaks, press the emergency button next to the door.”
Yuhyun asked if she had any other questions and Yerim shook her head in response.
“Then let’s discuss the rest tomorrow after you’ve adapted to your new abilities.”
With that, Yuhyun turned to leave. Guess I should go feed Peace now. He’s probably waiting.
“Mister, where are you going?!”
As I started to turn, Yerim shouted at me. Where am I going?
“Home.”
“You’re just going to leave me here? After saying you’d take responsibility!”
She’s not wrong, but the way she said it was a bit… odd. Yuhyun, who had been about to leave, turned his head to look at me.
“Responsibility? Hyung?”
“I agreed to be her guardian.”
“Guardian?”
“She doesn’t have parents, and she doesn’t get along with her uncle. She doesn’t want anything to do with that household anymore.”
What’s wrong with that? But Yuhyun didn’t seem pleased.
“The guardians of minor awakeners are usually higher-ranked or similarly ranked awakeners. That’s the only way to control them. If she really needs a guardian, then I—”
“But I already agreed that Mister would be my guardian!”
Yerim cut Yuhyun off, her tone cold and sharp, reminiscent of the Ice Witch Park Yerim from both the past and the future. Why was she suddenly so sensitive?
“Miss Park Yerim, for the sake of your guardian’s safety, that can’t happen. There have been numerous cases where lower-ranked guardians without a familial bond have been assaulted by their charges.”
…I hadn’t thought of that. Managing a highly powerful, emotionally turbulent teenager wouldn’t be easy, would it?
The more I thought about it, the more daunting it seemed. I wondered if the contract’s clause that Yerim was supposed to protect me would be enough.
“I signed a contract to protect Mister. So there’s no issue with safety. Besides, I have no intention of hurting him in the first place.”
“Even so, whether hyung can properly fulfill the role of guardian is a separate issue. The huge difference in rank will bring up various other problems as well.”
“…I don’t care about any of that. But.”
Yerim glanced at me before continuing.
“If you don’t let Mister be my guardian, I won’t join Haeyeon Guild.”
…What? Wait a minute?
–TL Notes–
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