SWNOVELXO Chapter 7
Episode 7: The Association and the Pure White Girl
It was when I opened the hideout door to set off for my residence.
Yerim called out to me from behind.
Yerim handed me a new identification card instead of Seoyoon.
Then she gave me a box with a “Handle with Care” sticker on it.
“Thanks! But what’s this all of a sudden? A parting gift? Are you secretly a tsundere or something? I might not like that…”
“It’s not a gift, you idiot! Eunbyul unnie told me to make it yesterday!… Um, it’s a potion that changes your face, so just keep that in mind.”
For reference, the potion’s name… apparently hasn’t been decided yet since it’s the first time she made it.
Even though Yerim and I don’t get along well, I was afraid she might have played a prank with the potion.
Nevertheless, her alchemy is undeniably top-notch.
After passing it to me, Yerim immediately closed the hideout door.
The way she slammed it made me feel somewhat rejected.
The potion I received was quite plentiful, filling an entire box.
All the potions were for changing to a new face.
Peeking into the box, I noticed a sticker that read “24 hours” attached to the potions.
This seems to indicate the duration… I have a drug dealer’s blessing that increases the potion’s duration tenfold.
It might be a D-rank skill, but I’ve been using it quite effectively for a while now.
‘This is quite useful…’
I checked the identification card, but nothing seemed to have changed.
However, the face looked a bit different.
This face looked unfamiliar.
Could it be that if I drink the potion, my face changes to this?
Did Yerim anticipate this and ask Seoyoon to make it that way?
It was a moment where I truly felt her alchemical abilities were remarkable.
I picked up the box and set off again for the residence Eunbyul had prepared.
**********
My residence wasn’t very far from the hideout.
**One hour on foot.**
Though, maybe a bit… far?
…
If only I had been provided with a car…
‘Logically speaking, where would there be a car in the middle of nature, especially in the forest?’
The association is located next to a large guild.
The reason I mention this is that this large guild is where my ex-girlfriend joined.
‘That damn girl…’
Anyway, I just had to turn the corner ahead, and my new home would be in sight.
After walking for an hour in the early morning, I was extremely tired.
I yawned as I turned the corner.
But right after I turned, I bumped into someone.
– Thud!
– Thud.
The person I collided with hit their head against my chest and fell to the ground.
“Ouch…”
She complained of pain without a single scream.
As if this sort of thing was second nature to her.
Her figure reflected under the streetlight had striking pure white hair and a chest area cut out to withstand the summer heat.
So, would she wear clothing without a cut-out in winter?
I began to develop a bit of dislike for the winter season.
Her outfit, predominantly white with a bit of black design, gave a comforting feeling to those who saw it.
And her clothing clung tightly around her abdomen, exposing her belly button and Y-zone.
Her fallen thigh revealed her white garter belt and snug white leggings… stockings? I wasn’t quite sure, but her leg’s curves stood out.
And her outer coat, which was white on the outside and black on the inside, was getting dirty.
The fabric hiding her underwear and the dress’s hidden parts was also clearly exposed.
“Um, are you okay?”
I set the box down and hurried to check on the person who fell.
“Yes, yes… I’m fine.”
She said she was fine but started feeling around the ground.
“Are you looking for this?”
I picked up her identification card and handed it to her.
It seemed she was affiliated with the association.
‘Oh no… It’d be troublesome if she sees me.’
Feeling guilty for looking at her ID without permission, I quickly returned it.
‘Should I have at least confirmed her name?’
“Ah, thank you… Um, I’m sorry, but could you help me find my smartphone that fell around here?”
I immediately picked up the fallen smartphone and returned it to her.
But what did she mean by her eyesight being uncomfortable?
Did she drop her glasses?
“Did you happen to drop your glasses as well?”
I asked her while handing back the smartphone.
“Ah… No, that doesn’t mean my eyes are uncomfortable… Actually, maybe it does?”
She stumbled over her words.
“I don’t usually wear glasses…”
She claimed she didn’t wear glasses.
‘… Then is it contact lenses?’
“It’s too TMI for you, but I was born visually impaired, so I’ve never seen.”
… Thank goodness. I was almost exposed to a member of the association right from the start.
Honestly, I was relieved she was blind.
“So, I’ve always been curious about the scenery of the outside world, and I walk around the streets every dawn.”
She seemed accustomed to bumping into me, having been blind.
But don’t blind people usually walk with something like a cane?
Aren’t there tactile guiding blocks in between the pavement blocks for that purpose?
So, I asked her about that.
“Um… don’t you usually carry a cane or something?”
“No, I have a much better sense of direction than others, so I don’t need a cane.”
She said she didn’t need a cane.
“I can walk around outside by myself and easily avoid obstacles like streetlights. But I tend to lose my sense of direction when I walk alone in the early morning, so I sometimes bump into things… this is the first time I’ve bumped into a person.”
Having a good sense of direction… that meant I could get caught staring at her chest right now.
So, I started looking into her eyes.
“Um… if it’s not too big of a bother, may I ask you something?”
“Yes. Ask me anything. I’ll answer as long as it’s not uncomfortable.”
Feeling at ease with her kind demeanor, I asked.
“Don’t visually impaired people usually wear sunglasses? Or is there a reason you keep your eyes closed…?”
“Yes. Most blind people do wear sunglasses. As for keeping my eyes closed, it makes no difference whether they’re open or closed; it’s just more comfortable to keep them closed.”
“Ah, I see…”
“But I am different from ordinary blind people.”
“Really? Then…?”
“It might get a little graphic, but… do you remember I mentioned I was born with a disability?”
“Yes.”
“… Actually, I’m not blind… I was born without eyes at all.”
“What?”
“Literally… I was born without eyeballs.”
Hearing that shocking revelation, I froze on the spot.
I was so stunned that I couldn’t move in this hot summer.
“… I guess that wrapped up your curiosity? I’ll be heading now… Oh, by the way, what’s your name?”
“…. …. Ah… Yes. I am Han Shiwoo.”
“I see… Han Shiwoo… that’s a nice name.”
With that, she turned her back and walked toward the association.
“Excuse me, just a moment… what’s your name?”
She paused when she heard me.
“Do some people not know me?”
“What?”
“I thought I was somewhat famous… I guess I need to work harder.”
“…”
“So, you helped me even though you didn’t know who I was…”
Why did her address change from “you” to “you” so suddenly? Didn’t she ask for my name?
She walked back toward the association.
I decided to use a skill to identify her.
‘King’s Insight activated.’
– Ding!
[Checking the other party’s information.]
[Information]
Name: Baek Harin (21)
Position: Healer
– Skills Held –
[Information unavailable.]
– Current Status –
Your emotion toward her: [Unknown].
[The difference in level between you and the being attempting to discern information is too great, so the current status cannot be precisely identified.]
==========
Her name is Baek Harin.
It was Harin.
But who exactly is Harin?
What does she do that there is such a large level difference between us?
After clearing a gate, I definitely leveled up from D to the lower tier of C.
Being in the lower tier of C doesn’t mean I’m high-level…
Then at the very least, she must be B-rank or higher.
I picked up my precious potion and the box containing my identification card from the ground and headed towards my studio apartment.
But if it’s near the association, the price must be quite high…
Is Eunbyul incredibly wealthy?
If she was active as a former S-rank hunter, it would be strange if she didn’t have money.
The profit margin for S-rank hunters is truly enormous.
As long as their reputation is maintained, just being affiliated with a group starts to fill their bank account with money.
I shook my head and dismissed those thoughts.
I opened the door of my studio apartment.
‘Wow, it’s cleaner inside than I expected!’
Grateful for the cleanliness of the studio, I plopped down onto the mattress in the corner.
Since I had to go to the association as a new employee tomorrow, I needed to recover from the fatigue of walking for an hour in the early morning.
I didn’t even need to try to fall asleep.
Because my eyelids felt as heavy as a ton truck, slowly closing.
And thus, I fell asleep in this suspiciously clean studio that had been abandoned for a long time.