Episode 6
…What is this?
The system window waited patiently as if to allow me time to process.
I read the sentence repeatedly before letting out a sharp, short sigh.
‘Is it another error?’
Don’t get my hopes up.
‘I die and come back to life, and suddenly I’m an S-class with special perks? It feels too real.’
I exhaled a weak breath and closed the window, convinced it was a glitch.
Right now, the priority was treating the man named Chil-deuk. I had no intention of staying under Cha Seo-hae’s terrifying gaze any longer than necessary.
‘Divine Grace.’
In an instant, a refreshing energy surged through my fingertips. Unlike the chilling aura of the room, the energy I emitted was a brilliant, shimmering gold.
But somehow…
‘Does the color seem deeper?’
I furrowed my brows, a strange sensation washing over me.
‘Was the skill effect always this large? It feels excessively sparkly compared to before.’
It wasn’t just my imagination. As a healer who operated skills almost daily due to the chronic shortage of personnel, there was no way I wouldn’t notice the change.
“U-Um, excuse me, Miss Hostage? I appreciate the healing, but…”
“Yes?”
“I think I’m already all better….”
“Already? That shouldn’t be possible.”
Healing usually worked best when treating hunters of a lower rank than oneself. However, judging by Chil-deuk’s skill management earlier, there was no way he was below a B-rank.
‘Besides, no matter how smoothly the healing goes, I shouldn’t be able to completely cure someone in mere seconds.’
“Do you want to see for yourself?”
Since I looked skeptical, he peeled back the bandage on his forehead.
“…It really is gone.”
“This was definitely the kind of wound that leaves a scar, but it’s been wiped clean. Thank you! Haha! Ha… Ha, ha…?”
His boisterous laughter died down as he realized neither I nor Cha Seo-hae were reacting.
“What the….”
“Get out.”
“Pardon?”
“I said, wait outside for a moment.”
“Huh…? Ah, yes. If you say so, I’ll go. Yes, sir.”
He was so compliant it made me wonder if he was the same man who had been nervously peeking through the rearview mirror earlier.
‘He should have spoken up like that in the car.’
I couldn’t read a single thing from him behind those sunglasses.
I snapped out of it as I watched Chil-deuk retreat.
‘Now isn’t the time for that.’
[Name: Moon Yeon-hee] [Awakening: Pope] [Class: Healer] [Rank: S] [Skills: Divine Grace / Divine Protection / Divine Blessing] [Traits: S-Class Perk Active (Additional buffs applied to each skill)]
[There are unread descriptions remaining.] [Some skills are locked.] [Skill Unlock Condition: ▶ An Unyielding Heart]
I opened the system window just in case. Everything had indeed changed.
‘So the window I saw right before I collapsed was this?’
“Did something change?”
I was about to read the unread descriptions when he spoke up unexpectedly, causing me to turn my head.
“Nothing in particular…”
My instinct to be wary made me jump to a denial. But then, a question burned in my mind, making me fall silent.
‘Is there even a need to hide this?’
My heart was pounding so hard from looking at the system window that I could barely steady myself.
An S-class healer? It was unbelievable.
On the other hand, my mind grew cold and clear. I realized that this S-class awakening was my only chance to stay alive.
I tapped my chest lightly and stole a glance at Cha Seo-hae.
The white partition curtain and his complexion were barely distinguishable.
‘He looks exhausted.’
He had been repeatedly rubbing his eyes back in the car as well.
‘I suppose a Guild Master has a lot on his plate.’
On top of that, he had received a “gift” from the Association that wasn’t much of a gift. The stress from that must have piled up. Perhaps Cha Seo-hae was squeezing out time he didn’t have just to be here.
‘Did they say Baekyang’s healer is A-class? He must have received healing before I woke up, but seeing how he still looks fatigued, he clearly hasn’t had enough.’
There are only three A-class healers in South Korea. I recalled hearing that one of them belonged to Baekyang. Most rumors about major guilds on the forums were just lies, but it would be strange for a place like Baekyang to be short on healers.
‘If I play my cards right, I might be able to get treated differently than before.’
I was done being the underdog.
I was sick of having my abilities exploited, and I was tired of being the only one anxious in a relationship.
‘Did I ever protest for a promotion? Or beg to be loved?’
I only joined because I wanted a stable job!
The more I thought about it, the more resentful I felt.
‘Maybe this is the first bit of luck I’ve ever had after a lifetime of misfortune.’
I finished my mental preparations. Now, all I had to do was say it. I cleared my throat to begin.
“Is that offer you mentioned earlier still valid?”
“So suddenly?”
Perhaps because I had been silent, he had closed his eyes in the interim. Cha Seo-hae reopened them and asked back.
I nodded, looking into his slightly unfocused eyes.
“Why the change of heart? I thought you were trying to go back to the Association.”
Cha Seo-hae stretched, perhaps to shake off the fatigue, slowly rotating his neck in a circle.
“You looked so happy to see Do Joo-yeon.”
“…I wasn’t that happy.”
“No?”
“……”
“Pretty sure you were.”
The way he smirked made it seem like he was retracting the offer, which made me anxious.
‘Even if he doesn’t know I’m S-class, a B-class shouldn’t be treated like this anywhere.’
Is he acting like this because Baekyang already has an A-class healer? Didn’t he make the offer because he thought the more healers, the better?
“How can I trust you when you were grinning ear-to-ear at Do Joo-yeon? I never know when you’ll stab me in the back.”
“No, I’m telling you, I wasn’t smiling like that. I was just surprised.”
I knew my answer was missing the point.
‘But it’s so unfair!’
Because of that, my voice kept coming out defensive.
“So, are you saying you won’t make the offer again?”
Cha Seo-hae didn’t answer. One of his cheeks puffed out as he rolled his tongue inside his mouth, a clear sign he was contemplating.
‘At least he’s thinking about it.’
As long as he wasn’t planning on taking it back entirely, I had a chance.
“You look like you’re lacking healing—are you sure you don’t need the offer?”
“What’s your angle?”
His voice was sharp, contrasting with his nonchalant expression.
‘So this is what it feels like to be suppressed by a voice alone,’ I thought, clenching my trembling hands.
“What I’m hearing is that you want to join the guild instead of going back to the Association. Is that right?”
Cha Seo-hae jerked his chin, prompting an answer.
The kidnapping had already happened.
I had no intention of going back, but even if I did, the blame would be pinned on me. From the moment I stepped out of the infirmary today, my chances of working with the Association on good terms were effectively over.
Bolstered by the system window that had corrected my rank to S, I nodded.
“Yes.”
“What brought on this change of heart?”
‘I should have accepted the offer in the car.’
I understood why he found it hard to trust me.
‘But he’s so scary….’
What good was his slight smirk?
‘Doesn’t he know he looks incredibly twisted when he smiles like that?’
His eyes were so piercing they felt like they’d haunt my dreams.
‘Just endure it a little longer.’
If I didn’t want to be the underdog, I had to be more assertive and hide my fear. Otherwise, he would keep pressuring me with that momentum.
“Revenge.”
“……”
“I want revenge.”
The words that tumbled out of my mouth in an attempt to provide a logical reason were surprisingly effective.
‘I must be that desperate.’
For it to come out so instinctively.
“Ah… Revenge.”
Cha Seo-hae didn’t seem to find it odd and accepted it easily.
“It’s a win-win. I don’t want to go back to the Association. If you can guarantee my safety from them, I’ll provide high-quality healing to the Baekyang Guild.”
“You didn’t hear something, did you?”
“Like what?”
I waited for his response, wondering what he meant.
Cha Seo-hae watched me in silence for a long time. It was a gaze that seemed determined to dig something out.
Having heard nothing from the Association, I met his eyes confidently.
“Fine.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll accept that proposal.”
Hearing the confirmation, the tension finally drained out of me. But this wasn’t enough. I reached out and grabbed his wrist.
“What now?”
He asked sharply, glancing between me and my hand on his wrist.
To be honest, I had grabbed him prepared to be shaken off. I could handle that level of reaction.
“A standard contract won’t do.”
“What?”
“I want a special clause added.”
As I expressed my firm intent, his eyes widened slightly. They soon returned to normal, and Cha Seo-hae’s lips curled into a lopsided grin.
“You really must have found something to back you up. You seemed so hesitant a moment ago.”
“So, are you accepting the special clause or not?”
“I have to. I’m curious to see what made you so bold all of a sudden.”
I blinked, surprised by how readily he agreed.
‘I thought he’d ask for a test heal first.’
If he had, I was planning to test my skills again anyway.
‘Should I just do it?’
He wouldn’t get mad if I healed him without permission, right? I’d never seen a hunter get angry about being healed.
I opened the system window to activate the skill.
At that moment, he stood up abruptly, and my arm was pulled up with him.
“What? Where are you going?”
“Now that we’ve talked, we’re going to write that contract. I need to hear what this special clause is.”
“Huh?”
Where were we going to write it?
‘Come to think of it, where am I?’
I had been so focused on survival that I hadn’t even wondered about my location until now.
“Wait a second. Where are we?”
“You were demanding special clauses without even knowing where you are?”
He looked at me as if I were absurd.
“Technically, since you haven’t signed the contract yet, you’re right in the middle of enemy territory.”
“What?”
“Man, I thought you were being quite daring because you knew the situation.”
I had been so close to the brink of death that I hadn’t noticed a thing.
“If anyone other than me was in this seat, you would have been in big trouble.”
“Is there anyone…?”
…more dangerous than you? I barely managed to swallow the thought.
“Than me?”
“…Never mind.”
“In enemy territory, and you only pick the most dangerous things to do.”
Deciding to stop teasing me, he rubbed his eyes and stood up fully.
“Let’s go.”
“Okay.”
I prepared to follow him before I lost the chance. I lifted the blanket to check if I was dressed properly.
‘Wait, who changed me into this hospital gown?’
I scanned the room for my clothes and shoes. They were nowhere to be seen.
‘Should I just wear these slippers?’
I was technically going to sign a contract…
After a moment of hesitation, I pointed at the slippers.
“I’m wearing these, okay?”
Standing by the door, he glanced at me and gave a curt nod.
I lowered my legs from the bed to slip them on.
“Ah, you’re injured.”
Why was he bringing that up now? I stopped and looked up.
‘His voice sounds ominous….’
That playful tone I thought was gone was definitely back. I braced myself, scowling, worried he was about to say something weird.
“Want me to carry you?”
