Chapter 14 - How to Manage Your Connection (4)

 

As Choi Soojung popped out of the air, Na Yuri clicked her tongue loud enough for anyone to hear.

 

“What’s wrong, Miss Soojung?”

 

“Ah, it’s nothing special. You’re going to the training room, right? I was also looking for someone to train with.”

 

This is 100% an excuse.

 

Choi Soojung smiled, turning her sharp pupils like a cat in this direction.

 

“…Training? You?”

 

“What’s wrong~? I always train hard too!”

 

Ahem! Clearing her throat, Choi Soojung landed her mid-air body.

 

“So, by the way, can I practice with you?”

 

Ah, as much as you want. New connections are always welcome!

 

‘I’ didn’t notice Choi Soojung’s hidden dark side at all, and I just gave an expression as if I was very happy to have a new friend who wanted to help me grow further.

 

“Of course! What is your name?”

 

“Choi Soojung!”

 

“Wait, Miss Nahyun! This person is…!”

 

The moment Yuri was about to object, Calmy, who had been silently listening to the conversation, added his words.

 

“The more colleagues we have, the better.”

 

He thought so. Indeed, a sincere child.

 

“Why? Sister, you just joined too. There is no problem if there is one more person.”

 

Scammer also added his words. Of course, there must have been a calculation that at this point he should get acquainted with Choi Soojung at this time.

 

Nice support, main characters!

 

Na Yuri couldn’t erase her uneasy expression. Yet in the end, she seemed to think it would be better to follow the majority decision, and reluctantly she accepted Choi Soojung.

 

Choi Soojung immediately snuggled up next to Scammer.

 

“I know your name too. You’re Na Yuhan, aren’t you?”

 

“Yeah. You said you were Choi Soojung, right?”

 

“Call me sweetly, like, cute Soojung~!”

 

“No, doing that as soon as we meet is a bit.”

 

Oooh, as expected, a heroine candidate. Is she already trying to appeal her charm like that just because she’s interested?

 

One of the heroines in the novel appeared sooner than expected. So should I also make my presence more appealing?

 

Of course not, I want a position like a sub-heroine among subs, but wouldn’t the current level be enough?

 

But I want to earn more meta points. There are a lot of things to take from Scammer.

 

…I can’t. I really don’t want to do this, but…

 

This is operation ‘Jealous Heroine’.

 

I composed myself while thinking of the rabbit-like little siblings at our orphanage.

 

“Excuse me, wouldn’t Yuhan feel burdened if you did that too much?”

 

Of course that can’t be true. Scammer is probably smiling and having fun on the inside.

 

Na Yuri snorted, hmph! and crossed her arms around me ostentatiously.

 

“Let them stick together and go by ourselves, Miss Nahyun and Sir Siwoo.”

 

“But still…”

 

I glanced at them and made it clear that ‘I’m paying attention to you’.

 

“Hoo? Hooooo?”

 

As if that appealed to Choi Soojung, she hugged Scammer with a mischievous smile.

 

Right, take him with you. Please.

 

…Ah, no, come to my senses.

 

I’m jealous now… I can’t get… Scammer’s love.  Anyway, it’s the concept of a heroine with a crush.

 

“Huah.”

 

Scammer hesitated with a red face. Ah, that must be great. A single-from-birth guy who has no tolerance for skinship shouldn’t be like this.

 

“Ah!”

 

‘I’ see that and raise my voice without realizing it.

 

Choi Soojung smiled round and round and waggled her tail as if to provoke me.

 

To think that I have to create a scene where I fight with another woman over a piece of trash like Scammer. Ha… It’s really painful…

 

“…”

 

The nice ‘me’ couldn’t bear to say anything more after seeing that, so I just lowered my head.

 

A reaction like this would be appropriate.

 

At that time, Calmy, who was walking forward, looked back at Choi Soojung and said.

 

“We’re on our way to training right now, so I hope you don’t do that too much. It looks like you joined for a different purpose.”

 

At those words, Choi Soojung laughed and raised both her hands.

 

“Alright, alright! It was a joke! Nahyun, I’m sorry!”

 

“No, you don’t need to apologize to me…”

 

“Eh, aren’t you and Yuhan dating?”

 

Choi Soojung said slyly,

 

“Who is dating who?”

 

Na Yuri exploded. Anyway, her ability to attract aggro is truly amazing.

 

I stopped Yuri, calmed her down, and soothed her when she tried to argue with her. By the time we arrived at the training center, my entire body was completely exhausted.

 

“Numbers 1 to 100 are individual training centers, and group training centers start after that. I reserved room 101.”

 

“Let’s go.”

 

“Yahoo~!”

 

“Let’s go, Miss Nahyun!”

 

I was the only one who was exhausted.

 

Only I suffered, only me. The main characters both just kept quiet. Don’t get along at a time like this, you bastards.

 

At the group training center we arrived at after going through a difficult time, I approached Scammer who was having a brief conversation with Choi Soojung.

 

“Mm, Yuhan! Shall we practice tag?”

 

Tag.

 

In this world, it means two people training together.

 

I walked up to Scammer, put my mouth to his ear, and whispered. I was deliberately glancing at Choi Soojung as if I was conscious of her.

 

“We’re going somewhere important today. I think it would be good to be prepared.”

 

“Ah, that’s right.”

 

For your information, Na Yuri was staring at Scammer from behind as if she was going to kill him.

 

I don’t know why the burning hell seems to be visible behind Yuri. I don’t know why her pupils are dilated. Calm down. Oho, loosen your fists.

 

However, Choi Soojung easily poured oil on it.

 

“What, what? You’re practicing together? As expected, you’re dating, right?”

 

“N-No!”

 

Scammer just remained silent and blushed. Just say something.

 

“No.”

 

At that time, a voice as cold as ice penetrated between us.

 

“Absolutely not.”

 

“Hmmm? Butㅡ”

 

“Even if the world ends, no.”

 

Thanks. I’ve been thinking so too.

 

Choi Soojung, who had been teasing me the whole time, opened her eyes wide and couldn’t reply in response, as if she was surprised that she had been pushed out by Yuri’s spirit.

 

Ah, Choi Soojung’s tail puffed up. Maybe it’s because she’s a mixed breed, so she has a bit of a cat-like side to her.

 

“Sister, are you jealous?”

 

Why are you making such a fuss about this serious situation again, you crazy scammer!

 

Na Yuri’s neck creaked and she slowly turned to look at Scammer.

 

I wish I could get out of here.

 

The flame that seemed to be extinguished was about to flare up again.

 

“The simulator is ready.”

 

Calmy intervened.

 

It was really nice timing! I lived thanks to his sincerity, which was qualitatively different from that of Scammer.

 

“Whewㅡ”

 

Na Yuri, took a deep breath and started walking seriously.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

We all shut up and followed her. There was no mood to rebel.

 

“First of all, we set it up as a 5-person simulation. The background is an extrude gate that appears in the city.”

 

I was impressed by Calmy’s melodiousness and how he calmly continued his briefing even after seeing that mess just now.

 

Anyway, the biggest strength of the training room is this simulation function.

 

It uses hallucination skills to allow practitioners to experience life-like experiences. Detailed situation settings are possible, and excellent artificial intelligence can even create unexpected situations.

 

So even if you can’t raise your level, it’s good to have a real-life experience… or so was seen on my tablet.

 

“Extrude type? Isn’t the difficulty level too high from the beginning? How about starting with a static form?”

 

In the meantime, Scammer seemed to want to practice the static hidden piece dungeon and suggested a static dungeon.

 

“Since the static type is rare, I think it’s better to get used to the extrude type from the beginning.”

 

Calmy takes those words seriously.

 

The two of them talking seriously was quite a sight.

 

Whatever it is, there is a calm-looking young man with black hair and blue eyes, and a young man with black hair and cat-like red eyes.

 

As revealed in the discussion between Scammer and Calmy, there are two main types of gates in this world.

 

A monster wave type ‘Extrude Gate’ where monsters pop out endlessly until the last one is killed.

 

‘Static Gate’, a dungeon where monsters can’t come out of the gate, but we invade the environment in which they live.

 

There are a lot of extrude gates, especially the closer you get to the ‘Tower’. As the risk is high, it’s also the main job and source of income for hunters.

 

A static gate is a gate that opens randomly and is sometimes called a ‘jackpot’ gate. Hunting there is easy because you can retreat at any time, and the rewards are generous.

 

The dungeon that Scammer and I will go to later also has a static gate.

 

According to the novel, Scammer plans to use the static gate’s ‘point of retreat’ to pull a trick.

 

Anyway, their discussion continued for quite a while. Na Yuri, who was just listening in silence, suddenly looked at me with concern.

 

“Miss Nahyun, are you going to be fine? I believe this is Miss Nahyun’s first time in a full-scale training room like this…”

 

I’m definitely at level 1, grade F with no simulation experience. I would be at a disadvantage compared to the rest of the awakened society who are accustomed to this type of simulation.

 

I smiled because I was glad that someone cared for me.

 

“The training center is a place to train, right? I’ll just try my best no matter what!”

 

Although your brother is just busy using the excuse that ‘it’ll be better to have a static one because it’s Kang Nahyun’s first time’ to gain the upper hand in the debate instead of worrying about me.

 

After all, their personalities are different. Even if I think about their previous personalities, I wonder how they’re siblings. Maybe Na Yuri took all the good genes from him?

 

“And we will continue to train together in the future. If I want to be helpful, I have to work hard from the beginning!”

 

As I expressed my will to her, I naturally imprinted on her that I was a regular member of this party.

 

In fact, even in the novel, members who trained together naturally became party members.

 

…It’s a bit miserable for me to have to attach myself to important people under the pretext of friendship, but I can’t help it.

 

I smiled brightly on purpose to erase the negative emotions flooding in.

 

At that time, I suddenly felt eyes on me and turned around to see Calmy looking this way.

 

When our eyes met, he nodded slightly as if greeting me and then turned his head again.

 

What?

 

“Miss Nahyun?”

 

“Yeah! I’m coming!”

 

I let go of the strange feeling of discomfort and turned my head back to Na Yuri.