Please Give Me A Kiss, Healer! Chapter 127

“Uh-huh.”

Jiwoo hopped over the asphalt laid across the ground.

Ever since Heeseong took in a mole-type monster called “Dirt Rat” as one of their house guests, he had been studying road construction.

Apparently, he was planning a civil engineering project that would connect 〈Our House〉 all the way to the sea.

The C-rank 〈Our House〉 had grown even more over the past three years, developing into a huge mansion the size of an A-rank territory.

“Heeseong, your sister came all this way after so long, and…”

“Sorry, Sis. I’m busy right now!”

“Mm, okay.”

Jiwoo stood there blankly, staring at the back of Heeseong as he worked hard before turning away.

‘Maybe I came all this way for nothing. I could’ve just called him.’

Jiwoo wasn’t the only one who had changed over the years. Heeseong, who had once been nothing more than a young boy, had grown quickly and was now an Awakened who could take care of himself.

─ Landlord’s heregam? I filled the bath with warm watergam!

“Thanks, Gam98.”

Jiwoo took a relaxing bath in the large bathhouse prepared in the annex.

After changing into comfortable clothes, she summoned a Whitebird and took a lap around the safe zone.

─ Landowner, did you gain weightgam? You’re heaviergam.

How did it know…?

Maybe all those company dinners lately had finally caught up with her.

Jiwoo gloomily pinched her belly once before wrapping her arms around the Whitebird’s neck.

Once she climbed onto its back, she could see the entire safe zone, which had expanded endlessly.

“Whitebird31, should we go see the little Dollys? It’s been a while.”

─ You mean those dolphins? Hmm… Finegam.

Maybe it was because they were a bird and fish, after all. The Whitebird didn’t seem very happy about it, but it obediently took Jiwoo to the seaside.

─ Long time no see, Dol! I missed you, Dol!

“Our little Dollys, have you been doing well?”

─ Wheeeep! I have a present for you, Dol!

Because of the distance, Jiwoo only got to see the Black Dolphins about once every six months.

The Black Dolphins happily welcomed Jiwoo after such a long time and gave her a shell containing a pearl.

‘Hmm, should I ask Dongsik to have this made into something?’

Jiwoo stared at the pearl, which was about the size of her thumbnail, and thought for a moment.

Then she returned to 〈Our House〉 and headed to the very bottom floor of the mansion.

Downstairs, Dongsik was busy making potions.

─ Jiiwoo, you’re here! Those 100 potions over there are this week’s delivery!

“Really? You already made all of them?”

─ Ahem, what do you take this Dongsik for? I can whip up 100 boxes in a day. It’s nothing but fish food!

Recently, Dongsik’s potion-making efficiency had improved by leaps and bounds.

Thanks to that, the number of potions being delivered had increased from 100 a month at first to 100 a week.

‘The chairman did say he was considering exporting them overseas soon.’

At this production rate, they should be able to export potions without much trouble starting next year.

“Our amazing Dongsik. If you have some time, could you make this into something too?”

Jiwoo handed the pearl to Dongsik, who puffed out his short wings.

─ Dongsik is not a jeweler! Stop giving me things like this!

“Oh, no. What should I do, then? There’s no other craftsman in the safe zone as skilled as you. This is a disaster.”

─ Ahem, ahem. Just this once! Dongsik is great, after all!

…Hehehe. Just as planned.

After sweet-talking Dongsik into accepting the pearl, Jiwoo left it with him and took the portal.

“Phew, I’m exhausted. Should I rest for a bit before work?”

Back at her apartment, Jiwoo collapsed onto the sofa. She rolled around while watching TV, then opened the refrigerator.

“What? We’re out of beer?”

The last time Special Team 7 had come over, she had bought a whole case and stocked it in the fridge.

But after slowly drinking it over time, it seemed she had finally finished it all.

Jiwoo grabbed her padded jacket and scarf and headed out the front door.

‘Should I go to the Hunter-only supermarket for the first time in a while?’

Jiwoo passed through the playground of the abandoned apartment complex and entered an alley.

She hadn’t taken this route much lately, but strangely, it felt as familiar as a road she had walked every day.

‘This is the road Kangwoo and I used to walk together all the time.’

A cold wind swept past her, making her shiver. Jiwoo pulled her collar tighter and hurried along.

She thought of Kangwoo, who used to shop with her whenever they came to the supermarket.

On the way back, she remembered the times they had sat together waiting for the bus.

Looking up at the sunset-colored sky, she remembered the promises she had made with him.

‘You liar. You promised you’d come back as soon as possible.’

For the first year, Jiwoo waited desperately for Kangwoo. She kept thinking, He’ll come if I wait just a little longer. Maybe next month.

The following year, she slowly let go of some of that hope. He must be taking longer because he has a lot to do. Still, he’ll finish soon and come back. That’s what he promised.

There were times when it became too painful to endure, and she wanted to stop thinking about Kangwoo altogether. But even now, as she was nearing the end of three full years, he would suddenly come to mind in the middle of her everyday life.

She still missed him.

Very much.

Just as time continued to move forward, Jiwoo kept walking without stopping. Then, in front of a certain park, her steps came to a halt.

It was a park where she and Kangwoo used to take walks together.

‘This bench is still exactly the same.’

It had been three years, so she expected it to look at least a little worn. But it was still clean, without even a single patch of peeling paint.

Lost in memories, Jiwoo sat down on the bench. She habitually touched the hourglass hanging around her neck when something white drifted down from the sky and tickled the tip of her nose.

It was the first snow, a pure white snowflake.

Watching the snow melt away almost instantly, Jiwoo’s eyes grew red for no reason.

‘We promised we’d build a snowman together when winter came.’

It was already the third first snow since he had left.

By now, waiting for Kangwoo had become more than a habit.

It had become an instinct.

Jiwoo looked sadly up at the sky before brushing herself off and standing.

“Forget it. Nothing’s going to come from digging around like this. It’s not like Kangwoo’s going to come just because I do this.”

She needed to get home and rest if she wanted to be ready for the dungeon raid that night.

Jiwoo picked up the shopping basket she had set down and started walking again.

One, two, three.

After exactly three steps—

─ Meeeowww.

A cat let out a long cry.

A yellow tabby suddenly popped out from a neatly kept flower bed. It was a cat Jiwoo knew well.

“…Nabi? Oh my, oh my! Nabi! What happened? You’re alive?”

Jiwoo pulled an emergency cat treat from her pocket.

Jiwoo often fed Nabi and the other cats around the apartment complex.

It had already been several months since the last time she had seen Nabi and given her food.

Wasn’t that how life was for stray cats? When Nabi stopped appearing one day, Jiwoo had assumed she had already crossed the rainbow bridge.

“Nabi, you…! If you were alive, you could’ve at least shown me your face! No, wait. Never mind. As long as you’re alive, that’s all that matters.”

Overwhelmed with emotion, Jiwoo crouched down and reached toward Nabi. Just as her fingers touched the fluffy fur—

‘Jiwoo, don’t touch animals that live on the streets for a while.’

‘Huh?’

‘These narrow alleys are dangerous, so from now on, only go places where there are lots of people.’

‘Jiwoo, you have to remember what I just said.’

‘Not going to places where there aren’t any people?’

‘And don’t touch animals that live on the streets.’

‘Jiwoo, I told you animals living on the streets can be dangerous.’

‘Are you talking about rabies again? Come on, how common could that disease really be?’

‘Still, you can’t.’

Looking at the cat, Jiwoo suddenly remembered what Kangwoo had always told her.

Don’t touch animals that live on the streets.

‘Why am I suddenly remembering that now?’

Maybe her hand, which had barely stopped after getting her hopes up, had left her feeling unsatisfied. Nabi let out a long cry, as if asking for affection.

─ Meeeowwwwwww.

“Huh? Oh, okay.”

That had happened years ago. Why was she thinking about it now?

Jiwoo happily reached out again and stroked the fluffy cat’s head.

Nabi purred as she enjoyed the touch, then gently bit Jiwoo’s finger.

“Ow! What? You didn’t like that?”

─ Meow.

“Okay, okay. I won’t pet you anymore.”

Feeling a little embarrassed, Jiwoo pulled her hand back. But instead of walking away angrily as she expected, Nabi did something strange.

─ Meow.

She took one step forward with her soft, fluffy paw, then stopped.

─ Meow.

She took two steps, stopped again, and looked back at Jiwoo.

“Huh? Are you telling me to follow you?”

─ Meeeowwwwwwwwwwwww.