I Became The Rankers’ Number One Pick [EN]: Chapter 125

125.

“Well, I feel relieved to have opened up like this.”

“I didn’t really do anything, but I’m glad you feel better.”

In truth, Seo-ah hadn’t provided any professional counseling. She had simply listened to him.

Hong Jin-soo seemed satisfied with just that.

Perhaps [Warm Sunlight] and [Silent Night] had also contributed to his satisfaction by stabilizing his mood.

“Then, I’ll be on my way.”

Seo-ah hurriedly got up to follow Hong Jin-soo.

“Just a moment…!”

How could she convey his wish without him noticing?

At Seo-ah’s call, Hong Jin-soo opened the door and turned around.

“Yes?”

“There’s a mosquito on your neck!”

“Yes? Where….”

Thwack-!

Swish.

“Uh, uh?”

There was no way there could be a mosquito in the middle of winter.

Nevertheless, she urgently improvised, shouting about a mosquito and lightly tapping him, but Hong Jin-soo fainted right then and there.

Park Seo-ah was taken aback, catching the collapsing Hong Jin-soo and staring down at him blankly.

‘Right, I’m an S-class.’

What felt like a light tap to Seo-ah was a powerful blow that made Hong Jin-soo faint.

Realizing once again how careful S-classes had to be, Seo-ah took out her phone.

“Um… Hunter Oh Hyun-soo? I think I caused an accident… I hit him. Yes? Ah, I didn’t… kill him!”

Even as she spoke to Oh Hyun-soo, Seo-ah cautiously placed her hand on his neck.

Thankfully, he was still breathing, and his pulse was fine.

“Whew….”

[Wish Granted for Hunter ‘Hong Jin-soo’: Skill ‘Treasure Hunt’]

‘Still, I granted his wish, so he’ll be happy when he wakes up… right?’

Seo-ah thought she should research a better way to convey wishes in the future.

Hong Jin-soo woke up soon after. Still, just in case, Oh Hyun-soo took him to the infirmary.

Hong Jin-soo didn’t seem to know why he had fainted in the first place, nor did he know that his wish had been granted.

Alone again, Seo-ah leisurely read the description of the new skill.

[Treasure Hunt: Discover items faster than anyone else and recognize their value.]

“Hmm….”

It wasn’t a bad support skill.

His concern was ‘money,’ and he was worried about item distribution, so it wasn’t strange that such a skill appeared.

“It would have been nice if I got an attack skill.”

But when she thought about it, it wasn’t bad.

Perhaps Seo-ah would be able to find elixirs better and faster in the upcoming raid.

“Save to slot 2.”

Since she knew she could delete it later, Seo-ah saved it without hesitation. She could always change it if a better skill came along.

Knock, knock-

“Come in…!”

After that, about two more people visited the counseling room.

However, after that, [Warm Sunlight] worked, but [Fairy of the Lamp] did not.

Perhaps it was because she didn’t know enough about the other person, or they didn’t properly express what they truly wanted.

Two days passed with that disappointment.

“Huh?”

Seo-ah heard her phone vibrate and answered the call.

It was Yoo Ji-an.

– Come to the Sun Guild office now.

“Now? Yes, I understand.”

Have they finally all gathered?

With a mix of tension and anticipation, Seo-ah hurriedly left the counseling room. As she went outside, Cha Tae-woon was waiting in front of a car.

“If you’re going to the Sun Guild, let’s go together.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

He said he would gather the S-classes, so Cha Tae-woon must be going too. Seo-ah got into the back seat of the car with Cha Tae-woon.

The car started, and soon an awkward silence fell. She needed to say something first.

“The, the gate.”

Hearing only the beginning of Seo-ah’s disjointed words, Cha Tae-woon answered on his own.

“I also have a personal curiosity. Everyone else is probably the same. We’ve always passively chosen the gates that appear, but this is the first time we’re opening one and going in ourselves.”

“I heard it’s very dangerous. Will we be okay?”

“Almost all of Korea’s S-classes are going. If we were to be annihilated there, you could consider the entire Earth to be in danger, haha.”

Cha Tae-woon said serious things as if they were jokes. Unable to laugh along, Seo-ah only fidgeted with her fingertips.

“Still, six people who would never have gathered are gathering thanks to Hunter Park Seo-ah.”

“Is that… so.”

Seo-ah stroked the back of her neck, looking embarrassed.

‘This has become too big….’

She had only wanted to find an elixir to save her brother, but a Korean S-class hunter dream team was created.

What was fortunate was that Seo-ah herself was now an S-class. Although she was at the bottom, it was a relief that she wouldn’t be unilaterally protected this time.

‘Yoo Ji-an, Baek Eun-hee, Cha Tae-woon, Song Jin-ah, me… six people? And who else is there?’

After thinking hard, Seo-ah managed to recall one person. It took her a while to remember because they rarely appeared in the media.

‘Love Guild, Choi Eun-kyul.’

Choi Eun-kyul was the only S-class mage in the country and the guild leader of the Love Guild.

She remembered him being a large, bear-like person when he appeared on the news once. Cha Tae-woon was also large, but if he was like a solid rock, Choi Eun-kyul was more like a cartoon character, Pooh [Winnie the Pooh] or a panda.

“If there are six people, does that include Hunter Choi Eun-kyul? What kind of person is he?”

“Yes, probably. Eun-kyul is….”

Judging by how he casually said ‘Eun-kyul is,’ he must be younger than she thought.

Cha Tae-woon was 29 years old, so if he was younger than that… Choi Eun-kyul had a rather mature appearance.

Because the person she saw on the news definitely had a face close to middle age.

“You’ll know when you see him in person. You might be a little surprised.”

She wondered what would be surprising, but instead of asking more, she decided to see for herself and judge.

On the way, she tried [Fairy of the Lamp] on Cha Tae-woon, but there was no reaction. There probably weren’t many clues about what he wanted.

The Association’s vehicle drove through Seoul and entered the underground parking lot of the Sun Guild.

It was both embarrassing and welcoming to come here so soon after leaving.

‘I should see Soo-jung later too.’

Cha Tae-woon and Seo-ah got out of the car and were about to go inside when he paused and took out his phone from his inside pocket.

“I’ll take this call for a moment. Please go in first.”

“Ah, yes. See you later.”

The position of the chairman of the Hunter Association must be busy.

Seo-ah turned around, glanced at Cha Tae-woon’s back as he answered the phone, and walked towards the underground elevator.

But then she discovered a sparkling light there.

Overcoming the glare, she looked closely, and the person there quickly turned their head.

The sparkling light was due to this person’s silver hair and lovely appearance.

“Oh….”

A face that looked very familiar was standing there.

“Oh… well.”

The man with a remarkably cute appearance opened his eyes wide and held out his hand.

“Hunter Park Seo-ah, right?”

Seo-ah looked at his hand with a dazed expression and lightly took it.

“Yes, that’s right… You are, well. Ah, Alex!”

As if that was the correct answer, Alex smiled slightly. It was a captivating smile that made those who saw it flutter.

“You know me.”

“How could I not? You are….”

Alex was a member of T-PLEX, the top male idol group in the country. But why was he here? This was the Sun Guild building.

“I’m Choi Eun-kyul. That’s my real name.”

“Choi… Eun-kyul? You’re Alex?”

Seo-ah jumped as if her eyes would pop out. That Alex was that Choi Eun-kyul! Then who was the person who appeared as Choi Eun-kyul on the news?

“Then, who was the person I saw on the news last time?”

“Ah, that’s my substitute. I usually don’t expose myself to the media, but it was so noisy back then… so I sent out my substitute. He’s my manager.”

“Ah….”

Well, that made sense.

Even Seo-ah, who was an ordinary person, was cautious about revealing her identity as an S-class hunter, so how much more careful would Alex, who was a celebrity, be?

By the way, Song Jin-ah last time, and Alex this time. Yoo Ji-an, Cha Tae-woon, Baek Eun-hee too… their appearances are all consistently outstanding.

Thinking that, Seo-ah felt like she was shrinking rapidly.

‘I, I’m also an S-class now….’

Standing among them, she felt like she wouldn’t even be seen.

Soon, the elevator arrived, and they stood side by side inside.

“I’m twenty years old, how old are you, Hunter Park Seo-ah? You look like you’re around the same age.”

“I’m twenty-one.”

“Ah, you’re older! Can I call you noona [term used by younger males to address older females]?”

Of course, he could. Just imagining him calling her noona with such a cute face made her heart feel satisfied.

“Of course.”

“Seo-ah noona, I’ve heard a lot about you. You’re very hot among the high-level hunters, you know?”

“Me?”

“They say that anyone who has received a buff from Seo-ah noona even once can’t forget the taste….”

“It’s… not that much.”

She guessed that the A-class hunters from the Royal Guild and the Sun Guild probably spread the rumors. Still, seeing that it hadn’t spread widely to the public, there must be a separate communication channel among the high-level hunters.

“Anyway, I’m looking forward to it. It’s been years since S-classes went to a gate together, since the Chinese gate before. I was too young back then, so I couldn’t join… so I have high expectations this time.”

“Ah, I see.”

Alex was twenty years old now, so he would have been a teenager a few years ago. Underage hunters weren’t usually sent on dangerous raids, so it would have been difficult for him to accompany them back then. That was no exception, even for S-classes. At least in Korea.

“We’ve arrived.”

Ding-dong, the elevator doors opened with a sound.

Yoo Ji-an and Baek Eun-hee, who had already arrived, were there.

“Welcome! Seo-ah!”

Baek Eun-hee raised her hand high, and Seo-ah smiled brightly at Baek Eun-hee.