Yuhyun was reluctant, but in the end, he agreed to prepare the fire-attribute mana stone. It wasn’t something that could be postponed forever, and he was persuaded by the argument that if something were to go wrong, it would be better to be in a hospital. Should I add Black as well while I’m at it, into the Black Dragon’s heart? Just up to Black and that’s it. I don’t want to end up tattered like Diarma. My body wouldn’t be able to handle it anyway.

“…Grace, this is a bit much.”

– Beep!

The bluebird cried out loudly, as if protesting. Then Grace, that is, her main body, closely examined herself. As if the already flashy ear cuff wasn’t enough, another decorative chain had been added. If only it were limited to the ears, that would be one thing, but the ear cuff was connected with a long chain that reached down to her neck. It looked like a necklace suited for a Versailles Palace banquet.

Grace had spent nearly an hour crafting the intricate accessory. She’d poured in her preferences generously. Because I disliked it, she usually held back with just one or two small gemstones and a couple of chains, but occasionally, I let her go all out. Of course, only at home. But today, it was unusually flashy and took a lot of time and effort.

Was it because of the fight with Iryn? It seemed like she was trying to relieve stress.

‘It must’ve been Iryn who kept Grace from entering the mental realm.’

According to Yerim, the two had suddenly gotten into a fight. Grace still couldn’t speak well, and Iryn had completely clammed up, so the exact circumstances were unclear, but there wasn’t any particular reason Grace would have attacked first otherwise. That guy Iryn, he should’ve at least blocked the Black Dragon. No, if he had done that, Young Chaos wouldn’t have ended up teaching Yuhyun. And if Grace had been there, Yuhyun wouldn’t have hurt himself, and the Black Dragon wouldn’t have awakened. It was a close call, but in the end, things turned out well.

“Mister, you look amazing.”

Yerim, who was sitting in the chair next to the bed, said with a suppressed laugh. The corners of her mouth twitched uncontrollably. Just laugh already.

“Still, Grace is so nice that she doesn’t even ask for clothes that suit her. Right, Grace?”

– Beep.

Grace flicked the tip of her beak and slightly adjusted the ornate necklace. Then she flapped one wing, as if telling me to look at myself properly in the mirror. It really was dazzling.

– Beep?

– Chirp!

– Beep.

Grace and Chirp chirped back and forth as if discussing the accessory. Could they actually communicate? Even Belare was looking at Grace with quite some interest. Only Peace sat quietly under the bed, seemingly staying out of the commotion. Since I wasn’t feeling well, he didn’t even climb onto my lap. What a good boy.

“It would’ve looked really good if you kept the nails on.”

“If Yuhyun hadn’t removed mine, he was planning to keep his too. Letting him go around like that wouldn’t be right.”

It was fortunate that the staff at the high-level Hunter hospital were bound to confidentiality. Even if they weren’t, it still felt awkward to be wearing nail polish.

“They should at least let me watch TV.”

“You’re allowed to read and take walks.”

I’d been banned from watching news or Hunter-related programs until tomorrow since they thought it would just stress me out. Still worried even without watching.

“I need to attend the Peace doll release event.”

“They postponed it until after you’re discharged. You know they started construction on the cafe on the first floor of the building, right?”

“Yeah, I heard. They’re adding a doll shop next door, and a convenience store is supposed to open too. And a bank.”

“A bank?”

“Hunters carry a lot of cash, you know. They contacted me a while ago. There are other banks nearby, but it’s much more advantageous to have one inside the building.”

Even for me, the one that opens in the building is likely to become my main bank. I probably won’t have to go there much myself, but it’s still nice to have it close.

“When are you planning to go to Japan?”

“The sooner the better, so originally I was going to leave tomorrow. But then Mister got hospitalized.”

“You can still go. Or not. It’s really close, but I still feel uneasy sending you off alone.”

“I won’t be alone. The whole team’s coming. If you’re worried about Japan, what about when I go to the US or Europe or the Middle East later?”

“What?!”

What kind of thunderbolt is this?

“Yeah, why would you go there, Yerim? And the Middle East is still unsafe! There are so many Hunter-related conflicts too!”

“Not now. Later, when I’m an adult.”

Yerim said as she lightly tapped one foot against the leg of the chair.

“Even as an adult, there’s no need to go unless you have to.”

“I can go as much as I want, so why not? And it’s not like I’d be in any danger.”

“Still, but… maybe… is it because you want to be independent once you’re an adult?”

“Huh? No, not at all~”

Yerim shook her head vigorously.

“Quite the opposite, actually.”

“The opposite?”

“Yeah. Because I have a home I can always return to, I’ll go wherever I want. I’m going to do everything I want. And even if I cause trouble I can’t handle on my own, you’ll be on my side, right Mister?”

“Of course I will. Not just me—everyone, all of us, we’re on your side, Yerim.”

At my words, Yerim smiled wide enough to make dimples in her cheeks. It was truly a beautiful smile.

“Even if there’s a war?”

…The words were harsh, though.

“Y-yeah. Mister will do his best. But try to resolve things peacefully, if you can.”

“Yessir!”

Well… even Chief Song once wiped out a tank battalion. Isn’t that basically a small war?

“It’s nice to do what you want, but still, I already feel a bit lonely.”

“Aw, it won’t be much different than going into a dungeon. Flying there doesn’t even take a full day.”

Now that I thought about it, that was true. Dungeon raids could take over a week. Still, going abroad gave off the feeling of being really far away. I looked down at the hand mirror and then shifted my gaze back to Yerim. Yerim becoming an adult, huh.

‘It must feel very different.’

I’d seen it once already. But the Yerim I saw and the Yerim in front of me now were different. She’d grown strong on her own, was already a capable Hunter, but she’d definitely been more dried out. I’d only seen her on broadcasts a few times, but she never smiled as brightly as she did now.

Even if it hadn’t been me, even if her parents had just survived, she probably would’ve looked like this. Yerim tilted her head slightly.

“Is there something on my face?”

“Uh, cuteness?”

“…”

…What? Why.

“If it were Han Yuhyun, he’d have wagged his nonexistent tail and loved it, but I’m not Han Yuhyun, so. My apologies.”

Yerim bowed her head politely as she apologized. Was it really that weird? We chatted about random things like how Blue was super popular these days, when we were going to name the breeding center, and that I should update my socials. I was filming Chirp, Belare, and Grace for SNS when a visitor arrived. Even before the knock, Yerim was already frowning. No need to see who it was.

“We can’t block him since he owns the hospital. Isn’t our guild planning on building a hospital?”

“Sesung just bought an existing large hospital and added a Hunter-only ward. They also trained the existing doctors to be Hunter-friendly.”

It’s not easy to suddenly build a place of this scale. Having another Hunter hospital wouldn’t be a bad thing. It doesn’t have to be Haeyeon-owned, either.

There was no response, but the door opened. Seong Hyunjae walked in and placed the gift he brought on the table. One shopping bag—I didn’t know what was inside. The other…

“…Soy milk?”

Seong Hyunjae had brought soy milk. It was a pretty standard hospital gift, but still—Seong Hyunjae with soy milk? And it wasn’t even anything special, just a regular store-bought brand. Don’t tell me he bought it himself. I started to imagine Seong Hyunjae buying a case of soy milk from the convenience store in front of the hospital and quickly erased the thought. Why soy milk?

“Um… did Sesung Guild go into financial austerity because of rebuilding the guild building or something?”

“It seems Han Yujin’s tastes have become quite eccentric in a short time.”

What kind of nonsense… Ack! Grace!

“This isn’t me! Grace, hey, Grace!”

– Beep.

Grace tilted her tiny head, then vanished with a flutter. Playing dumb now? Meanwhile, Seong Hyunjae pulled something out of the shopping bag. He unwrapped a nicely packaged box, and what came out was—

“A gift.”

“…Yerim doesn’t wear makeup.”

It was makeup. Judging by the shape, probably a lipstick. What was that man planning, bringing something like this during a hospital visit? Flirting with Yerim? Did he think it was okay to mess around just because we were in a hospital and I might keel over from shock? I shot him a glare, filled with the will to slice his neck before mine if needed, and Seong Hyunjae said as he opened the lipstick,

“Of course, it’s a gift for Han Yujin.”

“…Yerim, don’t hang around perverts like him.”

Has he lost it? At my words, Seong Hyunjae looked genuinely wronged.

“Han Yujin was the one who—”

“Mister!”

Yerim suddenly shouted.

“These days, guys wear makeup too.”

“U-uh?”

“Since you’re hospitalized, your complexion’s bad. He probably brought it so your lips would look a bit brighter.”

Still, though. I did wear light makeup for broadcasts… Yerim stood up and checked the inside of the shopping bag.

“There’s more than just one. I’ll check which color suits you.”

“It’s fine…”

“A guy has to own at least one lip product to be considered young these days!”

…Even five years later, unless someone was a celeb, guys wearing lipstick wasn’t common. Though I rarely went to crowded places. Yerim took out several lipsticks and grabbed my hand. Then she started swiping them one by one on the back of my hand. Why the back of my hand and not my face?

“How is it?”

“How do I know…”

“I don’t really know either.”

Yeah, you have to try it on the face. She called Seong Hyunjae to come closer.

“Lower your head a bit. Keep your mouth closed. Should it be slightly open?”

She pressed a pink-toned lipstick firmly onto Seong Hyunjae’s lips. Then she and I stared at his made-up face.

“His face doesn’t help.”

“Right? That face would suit even charcoal lines drawn across it.”

“It’s kinda annoying.”

“You’ll look good, Mister. You will.”

“Yuhyun’s probably way better than me. Chief Song might suit it surprisingly well too, don’t you think?”

“What about Noah oppa? With bright red? Myungwoo oppa would look awkward, but it might still work.”

Noah would seriously look beautiful.

“Anyway, thank you for coming. I’ll enjoy the soy milk.”

“You’re welcome. It’s what I should do as your partner. Since you’re hospitalized, does that mean the promise from before is postponed?”

“No. I’ll contact you soon. I won’t be in the hospital for long.”

They only really help with recovery fatigue at the hospital. Still, with proper care, it’s better than being at home. Seong Hyunjae nodded and looked over at Yerim. He seemed to have something to say, but Yerim met his gaze like she was wondering why he was staring. She clearly had no intention of stepping out.

“Then I’ll be waiting.”

“Yes—wait, hold on a second!”

What the hell, he was about to just leave like that! Sure, it suited him, but still!

“Mister, the IV! The needle’s coming out!”

I grabbed Seong Hyunjae as he turned to leave and wiped the lipstick off his lips. Yuhyun too, and now this guy—do S-classes have their shame glands removed at birth or something? Why do they do the most ridiculous things like it’s nothing?

Around evening, I got a call from the Hunter Market representative. The watch I had ordered would be finished within a month or two.

[Normally, it would take a very long time due to the precision of the work, but one of the artisans happened to be an awakened individual with a related skill, so it’s been greatly expedited.]

A watch-making skill, huh. Maybe they awakened while working. Even so, there had been a lot of preorders, and I was told it usually takes nearly six months, but they were giving mine special priority to finish it sooner.

“I feel kind of bad for cutting in line.”

It was a luxury among luxuries that only a handful could buy, so I didn’t feel too guilty.

[They said if you’re thinking of gifting one to others as well, feel free to get in touch. People like Hunter Park Yerim, Hunter Yu Myungwoo, and Hunter Noah, for example.]

“Hunter Myungwoo isn’t an S-class. I’m not either, so I don’t meet the requirements.”

[They said it’s a courtesy among fellow artisans.]

They also hinted there might be a bit of brand competition involved. Like with Yuhyun, but apparently there was meaning in Yerim, Noah, and Myungwoo getting their first watches too. Something like “The watch most chosen by S-class Hunters!” Maybe that kind of thing.

Even though it was hospital food, dinner was served almost as well as a high-end restaurant. After I finished eating, I went for a walk in the indoor garden for some light exercise when Yuhyun appeared. My younger brother was visibly displeased and dismissed the high-rank Hunter who had been watching over me.

“Did you bring the mana stone?”

“…Yeah.”

“Relax that face a little. Let’s go to the room.”

I waved him forward and led the way, and my brother followed me with slumped shoulders. It was a look I’d seen now and then when I worked part-time at the animal hospital. Usually from large, gentle dogs cautiously watching their owner while dragging their heavy feet, tail tucked low. When they spun around and buried their heads into my legs like they wanted to be hidden—it was so cute. I wonder how they’re doing, Mongi, Cookie, Choco, Momo, Bori, Darongi, Baeksulgi, and ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) all the others.

We got to the hospital room, and I made sure to lock the door well. Someone might get the wrong idea. As I sat down on the bed, Yuhyun let out a sigh and took out the mana stone and the Ruler’s Sword from his inventory.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep