I Became The Rankers’ Number One Pick [EN]: Chapter 67

67.

“Eun-hee unnie [older sister or close female friend]. You’re here?”

– Yeah, Seo-ah. I’ve parked the car downstairs.

“Okay, I’ll be right down.”

Seo-ah took the elevator down to the first floor. As she walked through the lobby, she felt eyes glancing at her.

After hearing Soo-jung’s story, those gazes she hadn’t paid attention to before felt new. Within them, there would be simple curiosity, and beyond that, envy and jealousy.

‘Well, I can’t explain it to everyone….’

Seo-ah gracefully navigated through the attention and went outside.

As soon as Seo-ah came out, she heard a honk. Today, it was a round and cute red car. That must be expensive too.

Seo-ah approached the car and got into the passenger seat. They hadn’t met that long ago, but it was nice to see her again.

“Seo-ah!”

Baek Eun-hee hugged Seo-ah tightly from the driver’s seat.

“Ah, unnie. How have you been?”

“How have I been? I’ve been busy. And I missed you so much.”

“Ahaha… me too.”

“I picked the restaurant without asking, is that okay?”

Seo-ah fumbled with her seatbelt and replied.

“Of course, anything is fine.”

“Okay, let’s go then.”

As the cute red car hit the road, the surrounding cars gradually distanced themselves. The receding process was so visible to Seo-ah that it was truly amazing.

Without anything getting in their way, Seo-ah arrived at the Korean restaurant that Baek Eun-hee had reserved.

They entered the elegant traditional Korean house and were guided to their reserved room. As soon as they sat down, the table was filled with food, laden with dishes that looked like they would break the table legs.

Seo-ah wasn’t as surprised as before. Most Hunters ate a lot. She figured it was probably because they expended so much energy.

“A sudden gate outbreak. Seo-ah, you really have no luck.”

Baek Eun-hee, who quickly finished a piece of chicken, wiped her hands with a tissue and looked at Seo-ah with concern.

“That’s right, it’s my second time by accident.”

Seo-ah also picked up a piece of *tteokgalbi* [grilled short rib patties] with her chopsticks and nibbled on it. The sweet juice dripping from it was really delicious.

“At this rate, I’m anxious about leaving you alone….”

“Are you saying another sudden gate is about to open? If it’s that probable, I should buy a lottery ticket.”

Seo-ah shrugged her shoulders and took a big spoonful of rice and mixed it into the soup. Then, Baek Eun-hee tore off a large piece of salted dried corvina and placed it on Seo-ah’s rice bowl.

“It’s not just the gate I’m worried about… just… I don’t know, I get anxious when I can’t see you.”

Seo-ah didn’t refuse and put the thick piece of salted dried corvina on her spoon and put it in her mouth. The savory and nutty taste melted in her mouth.

Baek Eun-hee watched Seo-ah’s mouth fill with food with great satisfaction.

“I wish I could keep you by my side and protect you.”

Seo-ah’s diligently moving hand paused for a moment. Then, Baek Eun-hee waved her hand and made excuses.

“Ah, no. Seo-ah. I’m not trying to pressure you. Keep eating. I’m just saying it because I’m worried.”

Seo-ah chewed and swallowed the food in her mouth, then looked at Baek Eun-hee and smiled brightly.

“I know, unnie’s heart. I rely on you a lot and trust you.”

“Seo-ah….”

Baek Eun-hee looked at Seo-ah with a touched expression. Seo-ah rinsed her mouth with scorched rice water and rubbed her full stomach.

“Ah, I really ate well.”

“Why don’t you eat more?”

“I ate twice as much as usual today.”

“Really? Then I should ask them to bring dessert.”

“…….”

There was more?

The table was cleared, and *sujeonggwa* [cinnamon punch], fruit, Korean sweets, and rice cakes were served again. Seo-ah barely sipped the *sujeonggwa* and continued the conversation.

“…So Hunter Song Jin-ah came to heal Hunter Yoo Ji-an’s arm.”

“You saw Song Jin-ah?”

Baek Eun-hee looked very concerned.

“Yes, she did it alone at first, but it didn’t work out well… I helped her and it was successful.”

“I see… then Song Jin-ah must have known.”

Baek Eun-hee moved her lips as if she had a lot to say. Seo-ah told her what she was curious about without hesitation.

“Yes, and she offered me to join the Angel Guild.”

Clink.

Baek Eun-hee put down the *sujeonggwa* glass she was holding. Her dejected expression was unlike Baek Eun-hee.

“So… what did you say?”

That was because more than half of the domestic high-level healers and support-type Hunters belonged to the Angel Guild. The Angel Guild was famous for providing them with special support and protection.

If Seo-ah said she would go there, there was not much justification to stop her.

“But the Solar Guild Leader offered a weapon and suggested that instead of taking it as compensation for treating Hunter Yoo Ji-an, she should stop paying attention to me.”

“So, Song Jin-ah said she would?”

“Yes. The weapon must have been very precious. It’s similar to the dagger she had, but the color is different….”

Baek Eun-hee chuckled. When Seo-ah blinked, she waved her hand as if it was nothing.

“Ah, no. Okay. What Han Seok-hyun gave Song Jin-ah must be the Solar Tail. It’s a set with the Lunar Tail that Song Jin-ah has. Well, he gave her something great.”

“Right? The dagger was making a buzzing sound, it was really amazing.”

“Hahaha….”

Baek Eun-hee couldn’t hold back her laughter.

“Uh, unnie?”

Seo-ah called Baek Eun-hee in embarrassment, but Baek Eun-hee couldn’t stop laughing for a while.

She finally stopped laughing after shedding a few tears.

“Seo-ah, Song Jin-ah didn’t say anything separately about you, did she?”

“Yes, not much other than giving her a buff….”

“Okay. That’s probably it. If she really knew about you, she wouldn’t have chosen such a weapon. I would never.”

“B, but… they said it was a Legend grade.”

Then Baek Eun-hee shook her head firmly.

“It’s not just Legend grade, even if a Legend grade grandpa came, it wouldn’t compare to you.”

“…….”

Seo-ah had nothing to say and closed her mouth.

“Haha, how much will Song Jin-ah regret it later when she finds out the truth?”

Baek Eun-hee looked genuinely happy as she said that. Seo-ah carefully asked, looking at Baek Eun-hee.

“Um, it doesn’t seem like you have a good relationship.”

“Hmm, well… I can’t say it’s good? How annoying is she usually? Well, S-class Hunters don’t have good relationships with each other in general.”

Why was that? Well, the relationship between Cha Tae-woon, Yoo Ji-an, and Baek Eun-hee didn’t seem very good either.

“Will I be like that when I become an S-class?”

“That’s a big problem. No, it’s welcome if you don’t get along with anyone but me.”

Baek Eun-hee made a serious expression at the joke.

Seo-ah smiled awkwardly and picked up her coat, getting up from her seat. The dessert table was also cleared.

“It looks like we’ve eaten everything, let’s go now, unnie.”

“Huh? Ah, okay. Let’s go.”

Seo-ah stared blankly at Baek Eun-hee’s back as she left the door first.

Whenever she saw Baek Eun-hee, she felt relaxed and relieved. That’s why she liked her so much, but she also felt nervous because she felt like she was getting weaker.

It had already been a month since she started her Hunter life, but sometimes it still didn’t feel real.

Moreover, this reality of sitting face to face with an S-class Hunter, eating and chatting, sometimes felt like a dream.

“Seo-ah? What are you doing?”

“Ah, yes. Let’s go.”

Baek Eun-hee came back and took Seo-ah’s hand, leading her outside.

“Don’t think too much, Seo-ah.”

“Yes?”

“You have a terrifying mission. Focus on breaking that first. You have to live.”

“That’s right.”

The two got back in the car.

“Still, it’s a relief that I cleared one mission in the gate I went to with the Royal Guild. Now there’s only one mission left. I hope this is the last one….”

“I know, but what was the mission? Can’t you tell me now?”

“Ah, that’s….”

“I won’t tell anyone. To no one. Last time, I think you said it was a strange thing called touching a Hunter.”

Baek Eun-hee started the car and slowly drove off. As the red car went out onto the road, the other cars moved away like a tide again. It was an amazing sight to see again.

“That’s right, this time it was getting praised in the gate.”

“Getting praised? What is that? Did the system really suggest that? Isn’t there someone behind the system?”

“I don’t know either. What is the system anyway?”

“Hmm….”

From the moment the system and Hunters were born until now, all the people on Earth had been trying to figure it out, but they had not come up with a clear answer.

“There is definitely some kind of being. Whether it’s a god, a human, an alien, or something else….”

Baek Eun-hee paused for a moment before opening her mouth again.

“I think I only know that it’s asking us to become stronger.”

“What for?”

Baek Eun-hee couldn’t answer that question either. She just looked ahead with a thoughtful face.

After a moment of silence, Seo-ah brought up another story.

“By the way, the Solar Guild is going on a training camp next week. I think I’ll probably go too.”

“That’s right, our guild is going too. November is the season. Our training ground is not far from the Solar Guild.”

“Ah, really?”

“Yeah, really. The two guilds will have a team match. We’ve been doing it every year.”

“Oh. Wow….”

Baek Eun-hee glanced at Seo-ah, who was admiring, with an amused face.