Ch. 63 - Absence

After killing the monster, I gathered the heroes. I decided to leave the unconscious heroes in the shade until they recovered.

It's a relief that everyone is safe, but I never expected Shin Chul-Min to lie there in such a ridiculous state. He was the bravest, stepping up first, only to be knocked out in a second.

Well... how should I put it? It's just... something. I didn't expect him to win, of course, but to be taken out in such a way...

I'm starting to worry about my investments in the Awakened Crime Division. I've gone all-in here; there's no way it's going to crash, right?

...No, it's just a temporary setback. It will rise eventually. Even if it dips in the short term, in the long run, it's a perfect upward trajectory!

"I know you're probably confused by my sudden appearance. Actually, I prepared for this encounter with the monster in advance through Ha-Yeon."

I explained the situation to the still-confused heroes. After listening, one of the heroes, still curious, couldn't resist asking:

"What exactly was that monster? It seemed like you knew about it and were prepared, but we've never seen that creature before."

"Oh... actually, I'm not sure myself."

"...What?"

The male hero who asked was stunned by how confidently I admitted my ignorance.

"I don't know the exact details, but I knew of its existence and how dangerous it was, so I prepared just in case. Consider yourselves lucky."

"I see... Understood. Anyway, thank you for saving us. Thanks to you, we're alive."

The heroes were suspicious but dismissed it as mere coincidence, as they expressed their gratitude to me. Meanwhile, the unconscious heroes began to regain consciousness and rise.

Finally, there was Shin Chul-Min, still lying there with his eyes closed. I approached him and knelt beside him.

He should be waking up soon, or else we can't move. Looks like I'll have to wake him up by force.

After a quick check, nothing seemed broken. He just passed out from the shock.

"Hey... is Shin Chul-Min in bad shape?"

A female hero, worried that something serious had happened, asked cautiously when she saw me silently looking down at Shin Chul-Min.

I immediately shook my head.

"No, he's fine. He'll wake up soon."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, because I'll wake him up."

"...What?"

The female hero looked at me as if wondering what I meant. I ignored her and placed my hand on Shin Chul-Min's stomach.

I gathered my magic power and released it all at once.

—BOOM!

"Ughhhh?!"

Shin Chul-Min's limp body convulsed like a fish and shot up into the air.

"Wha-what?! Ouch...! Why does my stomach hurt so much? Oh right, the monster! Where is the monster?!"

Still disoriented, Shin Chul-Min clutched his stomach and looked around frantically.

I pointed to Shin Chul-Min and gave the female hero a look that seemed to say, 'See?'

"Look, he woke up just fine, right?"

"...Yes, he did."

The female hero slowly backed away from me, sweating nervously. The other heroes were doing the same.

Their expressions had shifted from gratitude for saving their lives to fear, like the others.

…Although it looked like I woke him up with shock therapy, it wasn't bad for the body. I had deliberately controlled the power so it wouldn't harm him.

My magic is good for the body—it's like a healing touch.

Shin Chul-Min, still unable to grasp the situation, was getting an explanation from Baek Shin-Hwa. It would be nice if our Ha-yeon would get closer to Shin Chul-Min and talk to him like that.

But when I glanced over, Jung Ha-Yeon didn’t seem to care much about the two of them. She was just staring blankly at me.

That look was a little concerning, but I had things to say to the heroes now.

"Alright, everyone. Please pay attention."

At my words, all the heroes stopped what they were doing and looked at me.

"You need to defeat the monsters in this demon realm to seal the gate, right? But there might be more creatures like the rock monster we just faced."

Judging by the situation, there weren't many monsters left. If they were ordinary creatures, the heroes could handle them on their own, but another rock monster would be a different story.

"So, I'll accompany you while you take care of the remaining monsters. Let's finish this quickly so we can return. You might be okay for now, but I'm sure some of you are a little hurt, so you need to get treatment."

I decided to join the heroes on their expedition and finish the monster hunt swiftly. That would be better for the heroes, too.

Some of the heroes' faces stiffened at my decision to continue accompanying them. Reading their expressions, their thoughts seemed to be something like this:

'Oh, we're grateful that she's joining us to help... but what if we accidentally get on her nerves?'

They had the look of someone who had to work with a superior they didn’t like to be around. It was the same way I felt about the section chief.

The most obvious one was Baek Shin-Hwa.

"Wow, it took three punches for you to kill a monster, and then you used that fist on a person? How did Kim Min-Seok survive that?"

Baek Shin-Hwa, who once treated me with fear, was now speaking with admiration.

But there was also a hero who seemed delighted. One of them was Alice, who was shouting with a bright smile.

"Wow! It's so reassuring to have Ms. Hye-Rim join us!"

The other was Jung Ha-Yeon, who was approaching me.

"Thank you, Ms. Hye-Rim. Thanks to you, we can continue our expedition with peace of mind."

With a soft expression, Jung Ha-Yeon took my hand. Alice, who had been laughing, suddenly had a strange expression on her face.

There was something I had been curious about. Alice is one of the heroines in Shin Chul-Min's story. But from what I've seen, neither Jung Ha-Yeon nor Alice seems particularly conscious of Shin Chul-Min.

Baek Shin-Hwa also considers Shin Chul-Min a colleague, but she doesn’t look at him with any feelings beyond that... What's going on?

After Ms. Hye-Rim joined us, the expedition went very smoothly. No, it felt like driving on a highway rather than just going smoothly.

The moment we encountered a monster, even before we could prepare for battle, Ms. Hye-Rim would rush in and finish them off in an instant.

The battle never lasted even a minute. As soon as Ms. Hye-Rim swung her fist, the monsters fell without any resistance.

In fact, there were so many monsters trying to flee from Ms. Hye-Rim that it took more time to chase them down.

"Now, if we just finish exploring over there, the expedition will be over."

Pointing at the hill, Ms. Hye-Rim told the heroes to prepare to return.

It was as if Ms. Hye-Rim had a built-in navigation system, knowing exactly where all the monsters were. I was so curious about how I might have remembered Ms. Hye-Rim had magic that could locate monsters.

Despite having such magic, she's working at the Awakened Crime Division instead of being a hero. It's a shame.

We could spend more time together if she worked in the same place. That would surely help our relationship develop faster.

"Ms. Hye-Rim, you did a great job. Should I give you a shoulder massage?"

"Oh? It's okay."

"Don't be shy. I'll loosen your shoulders before the last battle."

Although Ms. Hye-Rim said it was fine, I began to massage her shoulders.

Being so close, I could smell Ms. Hye-Rim's shampoo. It wasn't an expensive one, probably just a regular one from the supermarket, but since it was Ms. Hye-Rim's scent, it felt like perfume.

It felt like a creepy thought, but maybe this is love. I've fallen hard.

...Still, what can I do? It's weirder not to like someone like her.

As I stayed close to Ms. Hye-Rim, I felt a heated gaze from behind. When I turned around, Alice was looking this way with an uncomfortable expression.

Alice, being an idol, can't openly express affection in front of others. So, unlike me, she can't actively approach Ms. Hye-Rim and show her feelings.

That's part of my strategy.

I get to enjoy this privilege even when others are around. So, I'll take the lead. I'll let Alice know—

That I love Ms. Hye-Rim.

"I've had enough of a massage, so let's get moving. I need to return quickly, too."

"Oh, right, you came here while working at the association, right? Are you going to be okay?"

"It's fine, as long as I get back before anyone notices."

The truth is, the Association owes Ms. Hye-Rim for saving the heroes, so I doubt they would dare criticize her, but I still feel worried.

From what I can see, it looks like Ms. Hye-Rim didn't even report her sudden departure.

To express those thoughts, Ms. Hye-Rim smiled and said:

"I had a feeling something like this might happen, so I asked Seo-Eun for a favor. So, don't worry, everything will be fine."

The Awakened Crime Division Team 5 Office is usually a place where no one visits except for the Team 5 members and Team Leader 1. However, today, someone was boldly stepping inside.

"Hey, Hye-Rim, could you check this for me?"

It was Lee Beom-Soo, the chief of the Awakened Crime Division and Shin Hye-Rim's superior.

Lee Beom-Soo was holding a document, looking for Shin Hye-Rim. Upon seeing him, Shin Hye-Rim, who was seated at the far end of the office, stood up.

"Yes, uh... What do you need me to check...?"

"You know, the thing I mentioned before. It's that."

"Oh, oh~. Th-that thing?"

Shin Hye-Rim nodded awkwardly, her expression stiff and uncomfortable.

"What’s wrong with you? You’re acting strangely, not like yourself. Are you feeling unwell or something?"

"M-my stomach hurts a bit. If you give me the documents, I'll check them after I come back from the bathroom."

"Is that so? Alright."

Beom-Soo handed her the documents and immediately left the office. Only after confirming that Beom-Soo had gone far away did Hye-Rim let out a sigh of relief and slump into her chair.

"Ah, why am I doing this?"

"Ms. Seo-Eun, where did the team leader suddenly disappear to?"

"I don’t know. I want to know too... I just hope she comes back soon."

Shin Hye-Rim... no, Yoo Seo-Eun, disguised as Shin Hye-Rim, frowned at Park Oh-Jin's question.

"All I was told was that if the Team Leader suddenly disappeared, I should take her place, disguised as her."

Yoo Seo-Eun wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, cursing Ms. Hye-Rim internally.

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