Magical Hunter Girl Decorates the Dungeon! Episode 018
— — —
“I can take on guys up to the fourth grade.”
“…….”
When Iji was left speechless, Junseo read the room, gritted his teeth, and shouted.
“Five, no, even sixth graders, I can somehow—!”
“Don’t take them on! Forget it!”
“Did you want to fight?”
“That’s not it!”
“Then it’s fine.”
Junseo turned his body sharply.
“I’m actually fast at running, and I’m good at throwing balls. ……I won’t do anything stupid again.”
“Anything stupid?”
“I couldn’t do anything in the dungeon.”
‘Ah.’
Was he still hung up on that?
“I’ll show you I’m good at something sometime, for real.”
Toward the back of Junseo’s head, which looked almost desperate, Iji spoke honestly.
“I already saw it just now.”
“Huh?”
“When you blocked those scary older kids earlier. It was really cool.”
“…….”
“As cool as a middle schooler!”
It was the highest praise Iji could muster.
Junseo stopped in his tracks.
And he didn’t say a word.
‘……Did I say something wrong?’
Is it because of the sunset?
His neck did seem to have turned red.
‘Is he angry?’
Just as she started to feel restless, someone entered the alleyway.
“Junseo! It’s almost time for your academy, where did you go—.”
It was a tall man wearing a [Children’s Basketball Class] vest.
The man looked back and forth between Iji and Junseo, then stepped back and said.
“Junseo, you’re busy. Come by later. I didn’t see anything—”
“No! Coach, I’ll take the shuttle! ……Goodbye!”
Junseo ran past the alley without even looking back.
Does the fact that he said goodbye mean he wasn’t angry?
‘I really can’t tell.’
Meanwhile, the man called Coach chuckled and stood in front of Iji.
“Ahem. Are you a classmate of Junseo’s?”
“No. Just in the same class.”
Gratitude is one thing, but.
‘We aren’t friends.’
The coach smiled sheepishly and said.
“The basketball class shuttle is heading out this way. If you’re going to the main road, want a ride?”
“No, my house is nearby.”
“I see. Get home before the sun sets.”
Even so, the yellow van drove slowly behind her until Iji reached her apartment.
After the van left, Grandma Geum, who had been sitting on a bench, waved as if taking over a shift.
“You’re late again today. Did something happen?”
“Oh…….”
“If you met some bad older kids, Grandma will scold them for you.”
Grandma held up a sturdy fist.
Though it was likely a joke, Iji answered honestly.
“Actually, I did meet some scary older kids.”
“……Which bastards were they?”
“It’s okay, a boy from my class called the police and chased them away!”
Grandma Geum slowly lowered her fist.
“That boy has good timing.”
“I think he saw me on his way to the academy.”
“He’s got good eyes, too. Anyway, if anyone bullies you again, remember their faces and call me. Got it?”
“Yes!”
“And even if you get a boyfriend who likes you, call an adult.”
“Yes?”
“Go inside and have dinner. You can give my regards to your sister, right?”
“Yes!”
As Iji headed home energetically, she thought about what Grandma Geum had just said.
A boy who likes Iji?
‘Where would something like that exist?’
Even in kindergarten, and in the first grade.
Iji was always the ‘invisible kid’ to the boys.
‘The boys couldn’t even remember my name.’
That would be the same in the second grade, too.
If, just if, someone did like Iji—
‘Hmph, I’m a person who’s going to be busy with Hunter activities!’
— — —
* * *
“I was so surprised when you suddenly asked to get off, kid. Nothing happened, right?”
“No.”
“But that girl earlier…….”
The coach seemed to want to pry more from Junseo.
But the other students didn’t give the coach any breathing room.
“Hey, back seat! I told you not to eat snacks in the car!”
“I was just letting the chocolate melt in my mouth, sir! I didn’t eat it!”
“I’m watching you to see if you swallow even a drop of that!”
After escaping the coach’s radar.
Junseo chewed over what had happened earlier by himself.
Shin Iji.
A kid with so little presence that he hadn’t even memorized her name, even though a month had passed since the second grade started.
The first time he noticed her was at the basketball court in the Career Experience Center.
Whenever Junseo threw the ball, everyone always paid attention to him.
‘Wow, look at Junseo!’
‘He’s so cool!’
Even the instructors at the center were impressed.
However…….
‘It wasn’t Shin Iji.’
She had definitely been looking at Junseo, but how should he put it.
‘……An envious expression.’
That bothered him so much that he kept looking for Iji. Even the moment the dungeon appeared.
Then, before he knew it, he was inside the dungeon.
‘Shin Iji helped me so much…….’
To think Iji was a Hunter.
He must have misread her expression at the basketball court.
There’s no way an Awakened would envy Junseo.
And, after that, a pointless sense of stubbornness arose.
‘I feel like I only showed my stupid side in the dungeon.’
He wanted to show Iji his cool side at least once.
So he followed her when she went to the corner of the school, watching her surroundings.
He gave cool presentations during class.
He even downed his white milk every time without cocoa.
……He was mostly ignored.
But on the day he finally gave up on looking cool in front of Iji and was heading to basketball class.
To think he would accidentally save Iji from danger.
And even…….
‘It was really cool.’
To think he would hear those words.
But the most bewildering thing was something else.
‘Why am I so embarrassed?’
Far from feeling proud, his face was burning hot.
Even so, he wanted to hear that he was cool again.
What on earth is this feeling?
Junseo buried his face between his knees.
A moment later, the coach shouted.
“Kang Junseo! You’re not secretly eating something too, are you? Lift your head!”
“No! I, I’m not going to lift my head!”
— — —
* * *
A shooting star streaked across the blue sky.
The woman wearing a veil marveled.
“A magnificent trajectory. If the ancients had witnessed it, they would have lamented that a hero must have died somewhere.”
Across from her, a man with his hood pulled low replied.
“Do you miss humanity from the days when they believed in superstition?”
“Sometimes ignorance is more beautiful. Like the period when ‘we’ searched for the makings of a hero based solely on our own judgment.”
“Ah, I see. I, too, enjoyed the greatest joy as a Grimoire when a contractor I chose based only on their way with words left their name in history…….”
The man clicked his tongue and continued.
“They say modern Grimoires only go around looking for Awakened. And high-ranked ones at that.”
“Indeed. Why are they buried in a grading game that no one even knows who created?”
“Grimoires born after the Industrial Revolution have no sense of subjectivity…… no.”
The man cut himself off and chuckled.
“I almost let our lamentations be heard by a newborn.”
Almost simultaneously, a bell rang, and someone shouted.
“Silence in the library! Grimoire 1803 has returned to perform a record!”
Grimoire.
A general term for black magic books that were popular in early modern Europe.
It had become the term the members of the ‘Library of the World’ here used for themselves.
As everyone went quiet.
A boy with pale sky-blue hair walked across the carpet.
Behind his glasses, his jewel-like, beautiful eyes looked forward without shrinking under the gazes of the adults.
At the end of the carpet.
A woman with scarred, earth-colored skin welcomed Grimoire 1803.
“What have you come to record?”
“My contractor devised a unique way to use skills and succeeded in rescuing souls destroyed by a Dungeon Break!”
The answer was short compared to the proud report.
“I see.”
“The, the return of destroyed souls is an unprecedented event, and—”
“I am aware. I simply didn’t consider it an achievement worthy of leaving a separate word of admiration.”
Grimoire 1803’s eyebrows drooped slightly.
The scarred woman, the ‘First Book,’ said soothingly.
“They say a Grimoire’s purpose in life is to leave their contractor’s name in history. But that is not everyone’s duty.”
“…….”
“Spend your time more enjoyably. Isn’t that what’s appropriate for your age?”
“There is no need for you to take my age into account. I have devoted ten long years to learning!”
“Nine years and six months, surely. That is your age, after all.”
“…….”
“Are you so impatient that you’d round up? But calm yourself. As long as humanity exists, our time is eternal.”
With this, the audience in the name of recording ended.
Grimoire 1803 finished his greeting and turned away from the carpet.
An adult Grimoire spoke to him casually.
“Did you have fun playing?”
“I didn’t go to play.”
“Don’t be shy. Everyone knows you’ve been excited ever since you contracted with a peer! Do you only study together?”
“……I have no obligation to tell you.”
“Well, fine. Treasure your first contractor.”
The adult Grimoire chuckled as he turned away.
Grimoire 1803 headed to his bookshelf with his cheeks puffed out.
All Grimoires are equal, so why does everyone treat him like a child?
……But right now, what was bothering him most was a different thought.
‘Treasure my contractor?’
Of course I am!
Shin Iji.
I help her with whatever she wants. Iji is a diligent and clever contractor, so it’s rewarding to help her.
However…….
‘It seems like Iji only pays attention to useless new friends every time.’
It’s not that I’m jealous of trivial humans or anything!
‘Especially Kang Junseo. What is that guy?’
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