Please Give Me A Kiss, Healer! Chapter 46

However, when Ji-woo’s shoulders twitched, Kang-woo quickly added,

“Of course, I won’t do that.”

“…R-right?”

“Of course.”

He smiled gently, eyes curving softly.

“For now, Ji-woo, just follow your heart. Let’s start with what you can do right away.”

What I can do…

Ji-woo quietly repeated the words to herself.

In the meantime, Kang-woo draped a thin cardigan over her shoulders.

“For the Antmen, we’ll make them promise not to attack humans from now on.”

“Will the Antmen really keep that promise?”

“Don’t worry, Ji-woo. I’ll make sure they have no choice but to keep it.”

“…….”

Ji-woo grew curious about how he planned to do that, but decided not to ask.

 

 

 

****

 

 

And so, the next day.

─ Heave-ho, heave-ho!

─ Antmen~ gam-gam!

─ Today too~ gam-gam!

─ Working hard~ gam-gam!

A work song echoed through the ant nest.

The Antmen began working, sweat pouring off them.

And standing right in the middle of the worksite was Ji-woo.

“Hey! You’re too slow over there! Did I force you to do this, huh? What, you gonna keep slacking off? No candy for you!”

She was currently in full villain mode.

In her hands was a large basket, filled with one hundred strawberry-flavored lollipops.

Candy she had impulsively bought at the shop for a whopping three million won.

‘They even gave me mileage points because I bought so many.’

Three million won… for completely ordinary lollipops.

Ji-woo poured every bit of her three-million-won worth of resentment and rage onto the Antmen.

“Hey, you there! Gam112! I told you not to rest for more than three seconds! Remember—hammer a hundred times, then straighten your back once!”

To understand how such a horrific labor site came to be, we need to rewind about three hours earlier.

That morning, Ji-woo had rushed to the ant nest together with Kang-woo.

─ Welcome, gam……

The Antman’s flat face looked hollow and gaunt, like a ghost.

It seemed the food shortage was far more serious than expected.

Ji-woo immediately began persuading the Antmen’s leader, Gam124.

“To make a new passage out of the ant nest.”

“That she would take them somewhere new—somewhere they didn’t know.”

“Gam124, I know this isn’t an easy decision. But please, just trust me once—”

─ Do whatever you want, gam.

“Huh? Really?”

─ You’re human. You must have thought it through, gam.

“N-no, but this easily?”

Gam124 wiggled his antennae back and forth.

─ It’s do-or-die, gam. If we stay like this, we’ll all die anyway, gam.

“But you didn’t even hear the details—”

Gam124 picked his nose with an antenna.

─ If it weren’t for you, human, we’d have been exploited by the Ant Queen until the day we died, then turned into food, gam.

So, all of us trust you, gam.

That last sentence slipped straight into Ji-woo’s heart, without resistance.

‘Has anyone ever trusted me this much?’

Aside from her family—Hee-seong—or her pet Dong-sik, the only one was Kang-woo.

Kang-woo had encouraged her, saying, “This time too, everything Ji-woo does is right. Don’t worry, push forward.”

Thinking about it, maybe the reason she was especially soft toward Kang-woo was because of the boundless affection he showed her.

…Of course, his insane, people-enchanting looks also played a part.

‘Come to think of it, those abs I briefly saw yesterday at the playground when he almost took off his knit sweater were incredible too.’

How do you even make something like that?

Does he work out regularly?

‘You could probably hand-wash laundry on those abs.’

Ji-woo’s ears turned reddish.

Gam124 poked the blushing Ji-woo.

─ Human, what’s wrong all of a sudden, gam?

“Huh? O-oh! It’s nothing.”

─ You’re a strange human, gam. …But say, gam, maybe, gam.

“Hm?”

─ Did you bring candy again this time, gam?

─ Kieek, did he just say candy, gam?

─ Human, did you bring candy, gam?

The starving Antmen’s large eyes sparkled.

And so, on the foundation of the Antmen’s boundless trust—and a bit of candy—Ji-woo was given an armband.

〈Safety First!〉
〈Work in Teams of Two!〉

Banners were hung everywhere, and under Ji-woo’s command, a massive construction project began.

“All right! One candy per ant! Any gam-gam who slacks off only gets half a candy!”

─ Then if we work harder, do we get more candy, gam?

“Of course! You gam-gams hauling dirt over there—the first ten get double candy!”

This wasn’t candy you got every day!

A hundred huge lollipops!

The shop owner has gone crazy!

Blinded by the unprecedented benefits, the ants worked furiously, antennae flying.

Punching a new passage through the dirt walls was a massive undertaking, but it was familiar work for Ji-woo.

After all, she had experience as the server rank #1, 〈Mom’s Hand〉, back in the game Grand Rise—experience as a castle lord!

On top of that, the skills she’d picked up doing all kinds of construction-site grunt work!

And the blood, sweat, and tears carved into her bones while loading and unloading dungeon byproducts!

“Hey! You’re slow over there! Did I force you to do this? Huh? Keep slacking off and you get no candy!”

“No, you there! Gam112! I said no resting for more than three seconds! Remember—hammer a hundred times, then straighten your back once!”

“Ten-minute break! Team 3, done with digging, swap with Team 4—move!”

Ji-woo caught every slacking Antman and deployed manpower—or rather, gam-power—exactly where it was needed.

Of course, as with all things in life, dangerous moments sometimes happened during construction.

Gam89, who looked especially gaunt from prolonged hunger, was dragging a massive boulder downhill when he twisted his leg and dropped it.

─ Aah, gam! Watch out, gam!

The house-sized boulder rolled down the slope.

The Antmen following behind were moments away from being crushed to death.

“Hyaaaaah!”

Ji-woo appeared like a comet, shoving the rolling boulder aside. Antennae popped out from both sides of her head as she exerted her strength.

“Hey, Gam89! Are you hurt?”

─ Sob, sob, gam… thank you, gam.

─ I-is that really a human, gam? Th-that’s monster-level strength, gam!

“This is nothing. It’s all thanks to the antennae you gave me.”

─ That was just a souvenir, gam… Anyway, human, you saved our clan once again, gam!

─ Ji-woo really is our savior, gam!

─ Everyone gather, gam! Everybody dance party, gam!

The Antmen poured out, dancing around Ji-woo, then lifted her up and tossed her into the air.

Dizzy, Ji-woo saw a system window appear before her eyes.

[You have obtained a hidden title.]

System

Title: Idol of the Antmen

You were born to be loved by the Antmen!

Insect-type monsters will show absolute fondness toward you.

They may even hesitate, just once, before giving up a lollipop they’re already drooling all over—for your sake.

Effect: Affinity with all monsters +20

‘What on earth is this affinity even used for?’

Whether Ji-woo wanted it or not, the mysterious affinity kept piling up.

Steadily, relentlessly—like monthly credit card debt.

Before long, construction in the ant nest reached its final stage.

Heave-ho, heave-ho.

KWA-ANG, BANG BANG!

Under Ji-woo’s command, part of the ant nest wall collapsed.

And then—

“Ahem. Dong-sik, can you hear me?”

─ I hear you loud and clear, jjuu.

A familiar voice came from the air.

After the sealed-doll version, this time Dong-sik had become a walking walkie-talkie.

That morning, Ji-woo had pestered Dong-sik until she discovered several more pet skills.

One of them was ‘I Can Hear Your Voice’.

A skill that allowed communication with a distant pet.

It consumed a lot of mana, so it couldn’t be used for long, but thanks to it, Ji-woo could communicate with Dong-sik in the safe zone in real time.

“The ant nest side is done. How about over there?”

─ We just arrived here too, jjuu. Hee-seong’s complaining that we came too far, but ignore him, jjuu. …Hngyak! The portal’s opening now, jjuu!

At Dong-sik’s words, changes occurred in the ant nest where Ji-woo stood.

Paaaat!

A huge裂 crack emitting pure white light appeared in midair.

The rift writhed, swallowing its surroundings.

Once it grew large enough, a wing covered in shaggy black fur popped out.

Then Dong-sik poked his head out.

─ Jjuu, success! The valley area and the ant nest passage are connected!

Ji-woo also reached her hand into the rift Dong-sik had emerged from.

‘Mm, it’s working properly. Thank goodness.’

The portal Hee-seong had installed with his skill this time was meant to move all the Antmen to the safe zone.

Including the treasure vault’s contents, a large number needed to pass through at once, so wide spaces were required on both ends.

Of course, she wasn’t helping the Antmen for free.

‘Hehe, I’ll use land rent as an excuse and take a share of the treasure.’

Half the treasure—no, even one-tenth would make me rich! A billionaire!

I can buy candy whenever I want! Heehee, heeheehee!

Dreaming of the rosy future ahead, Ji-woo clenched her fist tightly.

She was just wondering when it would feel natural to bring it up—

When suddenly, from the opposite side, a large, warm hand grabbed her fist and pulled her in.

“Hyaaaaah!”

Ji-woo squeezed her eyes shut as she was sucked into the rift.

And then—thump—her head bumped into a solid chest.

Right in front of her, the man holding her in his arms smiled, his eyes curving beautifully.

“Ji-woo, weren’t you holding out your hand because you wanted a hug?”