Please Give Me A Kiss, Healer! Chapter 44

“It’s dangerous, Ji-woo. I’ll walk you home.”

“I may not look it, but I’m an active-duty hunter who beats up monsters, you know?”

“Yeah—no.”

“What do you mean, no? Look, my hunter ID! An active healer, Do Ji-woo, officially certified by the Hunter Association!”

Ji-woo pulled her hunter ID out of her wallet and showed it to him.

Taking the card, Gang-woo couldn’t take his eyes off the ID photo.

“Cute… Ji-woo, when was this taken?”

“When I was twenty. Right after I awakened, at a neighborhood photo studio—hey, wait a second. Why are you putting it in your pocket? Give my hunter ID back!”

After a long bout of tug-of-war, Gang-woo’s stubbornness finally won.

The two of them chatted idly as they headed home.

Gang-woo said he’d been extremely busy lately with Emergency Disaster Team work.

Starting in Pohang, then Ulsan, Busan, and finally all the way to Jeju and Udo.

“Gang-woo, you’re not overworking yourself these days, are you?”

Ji-woo’s brows knit slightly.

‘Gang-woo has basically zero social experience.’

What if people were taking advantage of his naïveté and exploiting him?

What if he was enduring everything quietly, thinking it was just how things were supposed to be?

Ji-woo glanced at Gang-woo walking beside her.

He stubbornly refused to hand over the grocery bag, carrying it himself the whole way.

“Don’t carry heavy things, Ji-woo. I’m here,” he’d said.

No matter how SSS-rank he was, if he was this nice, people would definitely try to use him.

A strange sense of responsibility flared up. Ji-woo grew increasingly anxious.

“You should slack off a bit and work in moderation. If it feels like too much, you should whine about not being able to clear the dungeon—ah, right. An SSS-rank could never fail one.”

If a dungeon appeared that even an SSS-rank couldn’t clear, that day would be the end of humanity itself.

“Anyway, take it easy while you work. Okay?”

“Yeah. Take it easy.”

Gang-woo simply nodded, his beautiful eyes shining.

But Ji-woo didn’t know.

That on Hee-seong’s—admittedly distorted—list of Ji-woo’s ideal type were the following:

‘Someone passionate and devoted to their work.’

‘Someone who works hard with a strong sense of responsibility.’

…Those exact traits.

Before they knew it, the two of them had entered the apartment complex where Ji-woo lived.

“Ji-woo, you live here?”

“Yes.”

“That’s interesting. I’m moving here too.”

“Really? When?”

“Hmm, probably… tomorrow?”

“Wow! Which building? I live in Building 101!”

Gang-woo answered slowly.

“Ah, Building 101. …Yeah, I live in 101 too.”

In reality, Gang-woo was planning to start looking for an apartment in Building 101 from this very moment—one he could move into immediately.

“Wow, same apartment, same building? That’s amazing! How can such a coincidence even happen?”

“…Yeah, it really is amazing.”

It was destiny disguised as coincidence, but Gang-woo played dumb.

“Gang-woo, then which floor are you moving to? I’m on the 10th floor!”

“Ji-woo, do you usually give out your home address that easily to other people…?”

“Huh?”

“…Never mind.”

A sigh slipped from Gang-woo’s lips. There was still a long way to go if he was going to protect Ji-woo, who had a worrying lack of safety awareness.

They were passing by the apartment playground.

Some kids playing soccer must have kicked the ball wrong, because it came rolling to a stop in front of Gang-woo.

“Ji-woo, wait a moment.”

As Gang-woo smiled, faint dimples appeared.

Smiling dazzlingly, he picked up the ball and walked over to the kids.

It was too far to hear clearly, but he seemed to be saying something like, “This is a place where people walk by, so be careful.”

Watching Gang-woo pat the kids’ heads, Ji-woo scratched the back of her neck.

‘That side of him feels a bit unfamiliar.’

While they hadn’t seen each other, Gang-woo’s vibe had changed a lot.

She hadn’t noticed it when she first saw him in the dungeon, but now that she looked at him like this, he seemed almost like an ordinary civilian…

No—he’s way too handsome for that.

Anyway, the oddly immature aura he’d had when she first met him was gone now.

That feeling of someone blindly following her around, the reason she’d kept worrying about him—it was gone.

‘Now he kind of… feels like an oppa.’

Soon, Gang-woo returned, radiating the presence of an older man from every angle.

“Ji-woo.”

“…….”

“Ji-woo, what are you thinking about now?”

“…Ah! Yes.”

Ji-woo snapped back to her senses.

“Um… it’s pretty. I mean, the knit you’re wearing right now. The beige color looks really warm and cozy.”

“This?”

Gang-woo pointed at the sweater he was wearing, then set the grocery bag down on the ground.

And just like that, he started taking his top off—

“Eek! What are you doing?! Are you crazy?! Put your clothes back on, now!!”

Gang-woo froze mid-motion, arms crossed as he was about to pull it off.

“But Ji-woo, didn’t you want this sweater?”

“No! I don’t! I said no!”

It took quite a while for Ji-woo to calm down, her face burning red.

She took back what she’d said about him seeming like a normal person! Around Gang-woo, she couldn’t let her guard down for even a second.

“…You’re like a ticking time bomb.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing.”

 

 

****

 

 

 

The two of them had arrived at the front of Ji-woo’s building before they knew it.

Gang-woo, who insisted it was dangerous and escorted her all the way to the elevator, spoke up.

“Ji-woo, you have to remember what I said earlier.”

“About not going to places with no people?”

“And about not touching animals that live on the street.”

“Just cats?”

“Dogs too.”

At first, Ji-woo figured there must be some reason, but as the list of conditions kept growing, she tilted her head.

“Why? What’s so dangerous about them?”

After a moment of thought, Gang-woo answered.

“…Well, if you get bitten, you could get rabies.”

It was a reasonable explanation. Handing over the grocery bag, Gang-woo motioned with his hand.

“Go on inside, Ji-woo.”

“Yes. Thank you for walking me home.”

As Ji-woo pressed the elevator button, she glanced sideways at Gang-woo standing behind her.

“Gang-woo, aren’t you leaving?”

“Yeah. I’ll go after I see you go in.”

Goodness—this was overprotection on a whole new level.

It seemed pointless to argue since he probably wouldn’t listen anyway, so Ji-woo quickly gave up.

‘It’d be awkward to tell him to leave now that we’re already here.’

And besides, they’d finally met again after so long.

It wouldn’t be polite to send a guest away just like that.

Ji-woo made up her mind.

“Um… do you want to come in and eat some beef at my place…?”

Gang-woo visibly stiffened.

Startled by her own words, Ji-woo hurried to fix the misunderstanding.

“N-no! I don’t mean anything weird! Just beef! We’re having a p-party today to celebrate Hee-seong! He said he wanted to see you too, and Dong-sik is at our place as well, so…!”

“Ah.”

Gang-woo smiled faintly.

“Thanks, but it’s okay, Ji-woo. I still have something to take care of today.”

It was a clean, straightforward refusal.

Ji-woo’s eyes widened—she hadn’t expected him to say no.

‘That’s strange. Why do I feel like this?’

Why am I disappointed?

He’s busy. Of course he could refuse.

Fidgeting for a moment, Ji-woo soon put on an awkward smile.

“Oh, okay. Then get home safely. And good luck with moving tomorrow.”

“Yeah.”

Just then, the elevator arrived. Ji-woo bowed slightly and stepped inside.

And the doors began to close—

Bang!!

—when something suddenly fell onto the elevator floor.

“Are you okay?”

In an instant, Gang-woo pulled Ji-woo toward him and stepped back, holding her against his chest.

“I-I’m fine, but… what was that just now?”

She couldn’t see ahead because Gang-woo was blocking her view. Instead, a flashing system window appeared before her eyes.

System

Pet Skill [A Long Journey to Find the Master (F-rank)] has been activated.

Ji-woo clenched her fist.

If something like this notification had appeared, there was only one possible culprit.

—Juuuuuu!!

Dong-sik burst out of the elevator.

“Dong-sik, you little—! I told you never to use this skill! What if someone else sees you?!”

Shouting, Ji-woo grabbed Dong-sik by the wing.

But Dong-sik, who usually would have talked back shamelessly, was strangely subdued.

“Dong-sik, why are you—”

—Juu, it’s bad!! Hee-seong, Hee-seong!!

“What about Hee-seong?”

—He suddenly collapsed and won’t get up! Help!!

 

 

 

*****

 

 

 

The front door flew open, and the first thing Ji-woo saw was her younger brother collapsed on the floor.

“Hee-seong!!”

Ji-woo felt it viscerally—that when you’re too shocked, your mind really does go blank.

Wh-what do I do?

Should I call the hospital? 119?

“I-I need to call… where’s my phone? Ah…”

In a panic, Ji-woo fumbled through her pockets.

Her hands slipped again and again, dropping her phone, when a low voice calmed her.

“Ji-woo, it’s okay. He’ll be okay.”

Gang-woo firmly grasped Ji-woo’s trembling hand.

Then he placed that hand over Hee-seong’s lying hand.

“You can treat him now, Ji-woo.”