Chapter 20: A Very Aggressive Form of Caretaking

Seo-Yeon looked down at the defeated, sprawling form of her protégé and softened. With a small, triumphant chuckle, she reached down and offered a hand.

Ran looked at the hand, then at the ceiling, and let out a long, dramatic sigh that sounded like a balloon slowly leaking air. She grinned—a weary, "you win, you monster" kind of grin—and gripped Seo-Yeon’s hand.

With a firm tug, Seo-Yeon hauled Ran back to her feet.

Now, here is the thing about fighting B-rank monsters and being slammed into the ground like a damp dishcloth: clothes take a beating. Ran’s sleek black tactical top had been fighting a losing battle against the laws of physics for the last ten minutes.

As Ran stood up and brushed herself off, the final, overworked thread of her top gave up on life.

RIIIIIP.

The fabric split wide open. Then, with a distinct, mechanical CLICK, the clasp of her sports bra—which had been holding back an absolute tidal wave of biological ambition—snapped under the pressure.

Time slowed down.

For a split second, there was a magnificent, gravity-defying bounce. Two mountains of a completely different variety suddenly liberated themselves from their fabric prison, leaping into the open air right in front of Seo-Yeon’s face.

Seo-Yeon froze. Her grey eyes widened until they were practically dinner plates. She stared. She didn't blink. She didn't breathe. Her brain, which could calculate a thousand combat vectors per second, suddenly crashed. A "404 Error: Logic Not Found" message flashed across her consciousness.

Seo-Yeon was the leader. She was the master. She was the older one. But as she stared at the sheer, overwhelming scale of the situation before her, a crushing realization hit her.

She had won the fight, but she had lost the war. She had been out-scaled. Out-volumed. Out-everythinged.

“EEEEEKKKKKK!!”

The silence of the cave was shattered by a scream so high-pitched it probably alerted every monster in a five-mile radius. Ran’s face turned a shade of red that made her hair look pale. With a sound of pure, shy panic—a sort of strangled “Hyuu-ee!”—she collapsed back into a seated position, crossing her arms over her chest in a desperate attempt to recreate the bra that had betrayed her.

Her scream echoed through the cavern, bouncing off the crystals in a symphony of sheer embarrassment.

Amidst the chaos, a muffled sound erupted from Seo-Yeon’s pants.

A loud, obnoxious K-pop ringtone dance track.

Seo-Yeon jumped a foot in the air, finally snapping out of her trance. She scrambled to pull out her phone, her face still a mixture of shock and a weird, existential crisis about her own proportions.

...

Meanwhile, back at the apartment...

Ethan was currently experiencing a state of being that could only be described as "Human Puddle."

He was sprawled across his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Beside him sat an empty bowl of soul-crushing, bland porridge and an empty glass of medicine that tasted like liquid chalk and regret.

The beautiful blue sky was still there, mocking him with its clarity.

He didn't move. He couldn't move. He was currently in a committed relationship with his mattress, and they were very happy together.

What is life? he asked himself, his voice a raspy, pathetic whisper. Why do I do this? I fight monsters for a living, and yet I am currently being defeated by a microscopic germ that decided my sinuses were a great place to build a luxury condo.

He shifted slightly, his head feeling like it was being used as a percussion instrument by a very enthusiastic drummer.

I could be a farmer, he mused sarcastically. I could grow organic radishes. Radishes don't give you a fever. Radishes don't require you to dodge lightning-breathing lizards. Radishes just… sit there. Being radishes. God, I want to be a radish.

He closed his eyes, imagining a world where the only Gate he had to deal with was the one to the refrigerator.

I’m a Hunter, he groaned into his pillow. A defender of humanity. A pillar of strength. And here I am, smelling like chicken broth and shivering under a blanket because a breeze touched my toe. Truly, I am the apex predator of the bedroom.

Ethan was currently in the middle of a very intense spiritual dialogue with his mattress when the doorbell rang.

DING-DONG.

He didn't move. He simply blinked slowly. The apartment was silent—his sister, Mia, had vanished into the city to retrieve some notebook from a friend, likely leaving a trail of chaos in her wake. He was alone. He was sick. He was a potato. And potatoes do not answer doors.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

The knocking wasn't just a request; it was an aggressive demand. It was the kind of knocking that suggested the person on the other side was either a debt collector or someone who had seen a spider in the hallway and needed immediate emotional support.

With a sigh that sounded like a balloon slowly leaking air, Ethan pushed himself up. Every joint in his body screamed in a language he didn't want to learn. He staggered forward, one hand plastered against the wall for stability, dragging his feet in a rhythmic shuff-shuff-shuff sound.

“After this,” he muttered, his voice a raspy, sarcastic croak, “I am getting out of this tight-ass shoebox of an apartment. I’ll move to a place where the walls don't smell like old laundry and the doorbell doesn't exist. A hermit’s cave. Yes. A cave with high-speed internet.”

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

“FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS LAZY!” Ethan hissed, finally reaching the door. He didn't even check the peephole. He just swung the door open, ready to unleash a torrent of mockery on his sister. “Listen, you brat! You have a key! Why are you playing ‘Guess Who’ with the door instead of just—!”

The words died in his throat.

Standing there was not a bratty teenage sister. It was the woman with the grey eyes. The Guild Leader of the Crimson Scale.

Ethan froze. His brain, currently operating on the processing power of a 1998 calculator, struggled to connect the dots. “Umm... wait... you’re that woman. The one who saved me from the... the tall-giraffe-looking thug on the street?”

He blinked, looking past her at the empty hallway. “Did you get the wrong address? Because unless you’re selling luxury mattresses for people who hate their lives, I think you’ve made a tactical error in navigation.”

Seeing her confused expression, Ethan decided the best course of action was the one he excelled at: avoiding effort. “Since you’re clearly lost, let me help you find the exit.”

SLAM!

He shot the door shut with a speed that almost tore his shoulder from its socket.

THUD.

The door didn't close. A single, slender hand had appeared out of nowhere, stopping the heavy wood effortlessly. It was like trying to close a door against a reinforced steel pillar disguised as a human finger.

Ethan stared at the hand. Then he looked up at her. “Umm... what... do you want?”

Seo-Yeon didn't look like a Guild Leader right now. She looked like she had just stepped out of a "Street-Wear Fashion for Slayers" catalog. She was rocking a cropped black hoodie that dared to exist, paired with baggy cargo pants that could probably hide a small army of goblins. It was a look that screamed 'I can kick your ass, but I also enjoy a good latte.'

“I heard you were sick,” she said, her tone a strange mix of commanding and nurturing. She lifted a plastic bag, the contents rattling. “So I thought I’d stop by. I brought ingredients for soup. Although,” she paused, glancing at the bag, “I’m not entirely sure what kind of soup this makes. Some of the labels are in a language I don't recognize.”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “Heard... from who exactly? I’ve been hiding in this room like a professional hermit. I haven't spoken to a human being in forty-eight hours, unless you count the fly.”

Seo-Yeon’s brain momentarily short-circuited. She hadn't actually planned the 'how' of the information gathering—she had just used her guild's vast network of spies to find a random E-Rank with an interesting aura.

“Um—forget about that! It’s nothing!” she blurted out, her composed facade slipping for a second. She quickly recovered, tapping her chest with an air of regained authority. “Since I’m already here, I thought it was the perfect time to introduce myself properly. You caught my attention, and frankly, I want you to join my guild. I am the Guild Master of the Crimson Scale, Seo-Yeon.”

Ethan didn't even let her finish the sentence. “No thanks.”

SLAM!

He tried the door again. Again, Seo-Yeon’s hand acted like a pneumatic brake, stopping the door instantly. This time, she didn't wait for an invitation. She simply pushed the door open and marched inside, her cargo pants swishing with every confident step.

“Since the promising rookie I have my eye on is sick, I need to be extra careful to gain his trust,” she declared, ignoring the fact that she had just broken into his house.

As she walked past him, her mind flashed back to the 'Masterclass' tips given to her by her Vice Guild Master.

“Listen, Guild Master,” the Vice Guild Master had said with a grave expression. “Men are simple creatures. Be straightforward, show dominance, but don't rely on raw power. Use the 'Soft Approach.' Be caring. Wear something that says 'I'm an adult' but also 'I'm approachable.' A soft, nurturing vibe is the key to their hearts. This is your chance while he's sick and vulnerable!”

Seo-Yeon looked back at Ethan, who was currently staring at her with the expression of a man who wished he were a rock.

Is it working? she wondered. Do I look nurturing? Or do I look like I’m about to annex his living room?

---

Author's Note:

Thank you so much for reading the last chapter of this novel...

...

...AHHHHH! Did I get you?! Hahaha, did you actually believe that?! 😂

Gotcha! We’re not done yet!

On a real note though, thank you all so much! We officially reached Chapter 20! 🎉

Writing this hasn't been completely easy, but it hasn't been super hard either—mostly, I'm just lazy! 😅 But seeing you guys read, comment, and enjoy the story keeps me going.

Thank you all for sticking around and supporting this crazy journey. Big things are coming, so stay tuned for the next chapter! ❤️