Please Give Me A Kiss, Healer! Chapter 43

Ji-woo’s eyes went wide.

Seriously, how could someone live eating only that much?

As if to prove the “three spoonfuls of rice” claim was real, Oh Nara had been picking at nothing but greens the whole time.

She was an A-rank healer, so Ji-woo thought she’d eat more, but apparently that wasn’t always the case.

Chewing and swallowing two pieces of eel sushi, Ji-woo asked,

“So how did you end up being assigned to Special Team 7, Nara?”

Even as a healer, an A-rank would be welcomed anywhere.

She could revive an awakened person who was on the brink of death with a single heal.

At the question, Oh Nara bit her lip tightly, then lowered her head.

“I, I had an accident before… so I couldn’t enter dungeons……”

“…Huh?”

A hunter who can’t enter dungeons?

That’s like a fish-shaped bun without red bean filling, or a steamed bun with no filling at all.

Oh Nara hurriedly added,

“O-of course, I can go in now. But when I get nervous, I freeze up and can’t do anything……”

“Ah, so that’s why you’re in Special Team 7……”

It was unfortunate, but Ji-woo finally understood the Blank Guild’s position.

An A-rank hunter was too valuable to let go.

But they couldn’t send someone who froze up under pressure into high-level dungeons either.

It would be rude to react with too much shock, so Ji-woo asked calmly,

“Are you going with us to the D-rank dungeon next week, Nara?”

“…Yes. Actually, this will be my first official raid in three years.”

Hmm, so the accident happened three years ago.

What on earth had happened that she still hesitated to enter dungeons even now?

Ji-woo wanted to hear more about it, but she quickly dropped the thought.

If she asked and brought back painful memories, it might hurt Nara.

She didn’t want to ruin the cheerful mood of Special Team 7.

Instead, Ji-woo suddenly jumped up from her seat.

“Ah, lunch break’s almost over already!”

At that, Shin Il-guk, who had been eating slowly like a bear, looked at her.

“What? There’s still a whole hour left……”

“Let’s hurry and go play table tennis! The last person there has to be on the same team alone!”

“Ji-woo, I’m done eating too! Let’s go together!”

 

 

 

****

 

 

 

Time passed, and the weekend before their first dungeon raid arrived.

The results of Hee-seong’s medical checkup from a few days ago came back.

The result: no health issues.

It was rare for dungeon sickness to be completely cured. It could’ve caused an uproar, but just as the guild leader promised, the hospital quietly covered it up.

“Alright, then shall we start getting ready!”

After lazily taking a nap until the afternoon, Ji-woo headed to the supermarket.

She was planning a celebration party for Hee-seong’s recovery.

“Today it’s beef. Let’s eat beef! Tons of lettuce and perilla leaves, lots and lots of gochujang!”

Soft, glossy slices of meat that melted in your mouth.

A perilla leaf piled high with green onions and plenty of raw garlic.

One spoon of savory ssamjang, and steaming rice rising with heat.

Just imagining it made her happy.

Ji-woo carefully checked freshness as she picked discounted items and finished shopping.

By the time she came out, it was already getting dark.

Hee-seong

When are you coming home, sis
Can I take Dongsik out of the bag?

From the beginning, Dongsik hadn’t always been sealed in doll form.

On the first day they moved into the new place, they let Dongsik roam freely.

But after he got into a fight with Hee-seong and turned the whole house into an ice field, he was put into doll form for a while as “time to reflect.”

‘Hmm, I guess it’s about time to let him out.’

Ding.

Right on cue, another message arrived.

Hee-seong

Hee-seong: Siiiis can I pleeeease take Dongsik out, pls pls pls??

Ji-woo sent a reply.

Not now. Later, when I get home.

Hee-seong

Oh, it’s okay? hngg

“This brat—if you’re going to do that, why even ask?”

To get home as fast as possible, Ji-woo turned into a narrow alley.

A middle-school-syndrome patient and a crazy penguin.

It was too anxiety-inducing to leave just the two of them home alone.

But about halfway to home—

At some point, Ji-woo kept feeling a presence behind her, like someone was following her.

‘…What is this? Am I imagining things?’

Suddenly, a breaking news segment she’d seen on the 9 p.m. news last night came to mind.

They’d said there had been several missing-person cases in this area recently.

‘No way. That kind of thing doesn’t happen that often.’

Ji-woo shook her head, brushing away the unease.

But as time passed, her awakened instincts began sounding stronger and stronger alarms.

Someone was definitely stepping in her footsteps from behind.

A dark evening, a secluded alley, broken streetlights, and an unknown presence.

Normally, it would’ve been a scary situation, but—

‘How dare you mess with a hunter!’

I’m an S-rank hunter!

Even if I’m only S-rank on paper and basically an E-rank healer!

Even if my stats are only a little better than a normal person’s!

‘I’ve got antennae, too!’

Ji-woo clenched the hand holding her grocery bag.

From between her hair, the antman antenna headband popped out.

The monstrous strength that let her lift up to 200 times her body weight!

“You bastard—taste my ten-ton punch!”

With her fist tightly clenched, Ji-woo whipped her head around.

And then she saw it.

The true identity of what had been trailing her all along.

Myaang.

“Oh—Nabi, it was you?”

Behind her was the yellow stray cat she’d occasionally fed before.

The cat meowed and padded toward Ji-woo.

‘What’s gotten into you, being this affectionate?’

Until now, it hadn’t even acknowledged her, even when she gave it churu treats.

Well, whatever. It’s so fluffy, cute, and lovable anyway!

Ji-woo’s guard melted away like snow in the sun.

Squatting down, she reached out toward the cat.

“Come here, good kitty……”

Just as her fingertips were about to touch the cat’s fluffy head—

Suddenly, a bright light burst out from around Ji-woo’s neck.

Kyaaak!

At the same time, the cat that had been approaching her bristled its tail and bolted away.

“W-what was that?”

Startled herself, Ji-woo tugged at her T-shirt and looked inside.

Under the shirt, the hourglass-shaped necklace around her neck was emitting a golden glow, vibrating faintly.

And as the light grew stronger—

A man appeared from around the corner of the alley.

His calm footsteps stopped in front of Ji-woo, who was still crouched down.

“…Gang-woo?”

“I’m here, Ji-woo.”

His shadowed eyes curved lazily as he looked at her.

At that moment, as if it were a lie, the necklace’s vibration stopped.

 

 

****

 

 

 

“Um, Seo Gang-woo.”

“…….”

“Gang-woo-ssi?”

“…Gang-woo.”

He stubbornly corrected how she addressed him.

Was he upset that she was trying to keep her distance? As if in protest, Gang-woo bit his red lips.

Unable to resist the temptation, Ji-woo quickly lowered her guard.

“Okay, Gang-woo. How did you get here? Weren’t you in Jeju?”

She’d definitely heard that the entire Emergency Disaster Team had gone there.

At that, the stiff corner of Gang-woo’s mouth slowly relaxed.

“I’m happy, Ji-woo. Were you waiting for me?”

“N-no, I wasn’t!”

Ji-woo flinched inwardly. It was true she’d been wondering how he was doing.

Waiting… yeah.

I was waiting for Gang-woo.

‘…Why was I waiting, though?’

We weren’t family, lovers, or even friends.

Unable to come up with a clear answer, Ji-woo felt momentarily confused.

“Ah—anyway. Did you just get back from Jeju? How did you know to come here?”

“I happened to be passing by nearby.”

It was a ridiculous excuse, but coming from his pretty lips, it somehow sounded convincing.

Like, well, if Gang-woo says so, then I guess that’s how it is~

“Ji-woo, don’t interact with living creatures on the street for a while.”

“Huh?”

“Narrow alleys like this are dangerous, so from now on, stick to places with lots of people.”

Gang-woo said something unexpectedly sensible. He picked up the grocery bag that had fallen to the ground, then extended his other hand toward Ji-woo.

“Ji-woo, your phone.”

“…My phone?”

“Yeah.”

Without really thinking, Ji-woo handed her phone to him.

Holding it, Gang-woo typed something in, then returned it to her.

“That’s my number. Save it.”

…What?

What is this perfectly normal number exchange?

In the 21st century, it’s normal for people to have personal phones.

But hearing the word “phone” come out of Gang-woo’s mouth felt oddly strange.

Like a fairy-tale character suddenly popping out into reality to star in a 4K TV commercial.

It felt unreal.

“Oh—Gang-woo! Give me the grocery bag. I’ll carry it.”

“…….”

At that, Gang-woo stared silently at Ji-woo.

Then, instead of the bag’s handle, he offered his own hand.

As if she’d suddenly gained mind-reading powers—

He didn’t say a word, but Ji-woo felt like she knew exactly what he meant.

‘Hold my hand and let’s go together.’