Please Give Me A Kiss, Healer! Chapter 58

Jiwoo let out a sigh.

“We’ll have to find another way for that. Anyway, these guys are a no.”

“Why? You accepted the Antmen without any problem!”

“They’re different!”

The Antmen were already fully grown adults.

Over time, they’d built trust, and communication wasn’t an issue, so they could live like neighbors.

She called them guests, but honestly, if she just gave them land, the Antmen would do perfectly fine on their own.

But these baby birds?

‘They’re too young, can’t even communicate properly, and we don’t know how they’ll grow up.’

What if they grew into real monsters and threatened them?

What if they were beings that couldn’t coexist with humans?

“Heeseong, before they get any more used to people, take them back to where you found them. If you’re late, their mother won’t come back. You basically kidnapped perfectly fine babies!”

“…….”

Heeseong’s shoulders slumped, as if he knew he was in the wrong.

‘Ugh. Figures. I’m always the bad guy.’

It had always been like this.

Heeseong would cause trouble, then cry, and Jiwoo would be the one left to clean up the mess.

Jiwoo picked up the wooden basket with the baby birds inside.

She planned to return the whole basket to where they’d originally been.

But opposition came from an unexpected place.

— No way, nyak!

Dongsik, who had been silently watching, flapped his wings.

— We didn’t kidnap them, nyak!

“What?”

— They were abandoned! Shaking with no mom around! So I brought them back and fed them!

Dongsik snatched the basket and hugged it tightly.

— I’ll be their parent now, nyak.

“…You? Dongsik?”

— I’m a bird too, nyak. Since we’re both birds, I can take care of them.

“You’re not a bird, you’re a penguin—”

— Penguins are birds too, nyak! I’ll raise them, nyak! Sending them back is the same as telling them to die in the forest, nyak!

Jiwoo frowned after a brief pause.

Raise them? As if.

He was only twelve years old at best!

“Dongsik! You think throwing a tantrum will make this okay? Give me the basket, now!”

— No, nyak!

Beak twitching, Dongsik backed away with the basket.

His waddling steps must have woken them, because the birds started crying.

Peep! Peeep!

One of the little ones opened its tiny beak.

As soon as one cried loudly, the rest joined in.

Peeep!! Peep, peep!! Peeep! Peeeeep!!

That alone was enough to make her ears feel like they’d fall off—but to make things worse, the communicator strapped to Jiwoo’s thigh crackled to life.

[Hunter Do Jiwoo, where are you? Why haven’t you returned?]

[I-I’m coming right now! I’m really close!]

[But I hear bird noises nearby—]

Click.

Jiwoo hurriedly cut the connection.

There was no time to waste.

If she was late, the team waiting in the dungeon would start to get suspicious.

“Dongsik, we’ll talk later! And Do Heeseong, until I get back, you’re responsible for returning the birds.”

“…….”

“Answer me.”

“…Okay.”

Heeseong replied quietly.

From long experience, he knew there was no point arguing when his sister was like this.

Normally, Jiwoo was gentle and easygoing—but when it came to things like this, she was sharp as a blade.

Having resigned himself, Heeseong looked at Dongsik.

“…….”

— No way, nyak! I won’t send them away, nyak!

Clutching the baby birds protectively, Dongsik trembled with anxiety.

 

 

***

 

 

The evening sun slowly sank toward the horizon.

After using her skill to return to the dungeon, Jiwoo busily worked her brain.

‘What am I supposed to tell the team?’

More than thirty minutes had already passed—far too long to say she’d just gone to the bathroom.

All kinds of excuses spun around in her head. Jiwoo picked the most believable one.

“Right! I’ll just say I went too deep by mistake and got lost.”

Even if they found it suspicious, so what?

As long as I don’t bring anyone with me, there’s no way they’ll find out about the safe zone, right?

Jiwoo pushed through the thick bushes.

Before long, the campsite with a freshly lit fire came into view.

“Hunter Do Jiwoo, over here!”

Shin Ilguk, who was standing nearby, waved when he spotted her.

“Ilguk, why are you standing outside the camp?”

“You were gone for a long time, so I got worried and came out. But looking for you properly was a bit…”

Shin Ilguk trailed off.

When he actually tried to enter the bushes, Jiwoo’s voice—firmly telling him not to follow—came back to him.

What if he went looking and ended up in an awkward situation for both of them?

Because of that worry, he’d just been pacing around like a lost puppy.

Feeling sorry, Jiwoo’s eyes curved gently.

“Oh dear, you waited a long time, didn’t you? I’m sorry. Actually, I was just about to say that I—”

She was about to say she’d gotten lost.

Shin Ilguk carefully tapped her shoulder. Tap, tap. As if comforting her.

“You don’t have to explain. I’m sure it was very painful for you too, Hunter Do Jiwoo.”

“Huh? Painful how?”

Is being bad with directions that painful?

I mean, it’s inconvenient, sure, but—

“That’s not really something to be this serious about…?”

“Stay strong. I’ll always be cheering for you.”

“Th-thank you?”

She replied awkwardly. Shin Ilguk nodded.

“Don’t worry. With proper diet control and some medication, this is definitely something you can overcome—”

“Medication? For what symptoms? What kind of medicine would I even take?”

Is there medicine that stops you from getting lost?

And what’s with the diet control?

Omega-3 for memory or something?

When Jiwoo stayed silent for a moment, Shin Ilguk cleared his throat.

“There’s no need to be embarrassed. Constipation isn’t such a rare condition among modern people, Hunter Do Jiwoo. Hospitals are always open for patients.”

“…Pardon?”

W-what is he talking about?

Is this because I said I had to go to the bathroom earlier?

I don’t want to become ‘the constipation girl’ just to hide a skill!

‘Besides, Ilguk already thinks I’m a high-ranking hunter anyway!’

Panicking, Jiwoo waved her hands frantically.

“Ilguk, that’s not it. The truth is—”

She was just about to reveal what she’d been hiding.

Bweee! Bweee! Bweee!

A sharp warning alarm echoed through the forest.

“…Huh?”

“Hunter, isn’t that the alarm skill you set up earlier?”

“Yes, it is. Did skeletons show up again?”

Judging by how nonstop the alarm was, it didn’t seem like just one or two.

Jiwoo pulled out her staff, which she’d shrunk and kept on her.

The rest of Special Team 7 also moved to prepare for battle.

“Hunter Shin Ilguk, go protect the healers. The monsters will be more than enough for the two of us.”

Yoo Jaekyung took position, pulling out her whip.

But even after waiting, no monsters appeared.

Cha Taepyeong slammed his shield onto the ground with a thud.

“Did that alarm skill really work properly? Seems like we’re just making a fuss for nothing.”

“Wait a moment. I’ll check.”

Jiwoo used her search skill.

She scanned the surroundings, but there was nothing unusual around the campsite. Still, the piercing alarm kept blaring loudly.

‘Did the skill really malfunction? That’s never happened before.’

Frowning, Jiwoo reached for the clairvoyance goggles she was wearing.

As she lifted them up to take them off—

“…Ah.”

Jiwoo froze in place.

Because her vision was filled with countless monsters rushing in.

Far away, darkening the sunset sky.

 

 

***

 

 

“Run!”

“Snap out of it! If we stay here, we’ll all die!”

Jiwoo grabbed the panicking Onara and ran.

This wasn’t a situation where fighting was even an option—the numbers were impossible.

Once they confirmed the flying monsters filling the sky, the other team members followed.

Running at the front, Jiwoo shouted at the top of her lungs.

“There’s a cave nearby!!”

“What? Where?!”

“Across the suspension bridge, along the forest path!! Hurry!!”

The monsters that had looked like tiny dots grew larger and larger.

The team sprinted like mad, following Jiwoo.

Jiwoo had taken the lead, but little by little, the others began to catch up.

The biggest problem was Onara’s stamina.

“Huff— huff! Wait, I can’t breathe—”

Supporting another person while running quickly wore Jiwoo down too.

It would’ve been nice if someone could help, but the others were still too far away.

“Ah!”

Onara stumbled, her feet tangling, and fell. Jiwoo, who was holding her up, fell with her.

‘Ugh— my ankle…’

As she fell, Jiwoo’s ankle twisted outward.

It wasn’t bad enough that she couldn’t walk at all—but taking Onara with her any farther was impossible.