[CTY: Ohhh right Im Tae]
[Me: Don’t call me that]
[CTY: Im Tae haha]
[CTY: Jehee was the first news story again today ^-^b She totally dominated public broadcast]
[CTY: Did you see it?]
[Me: Yeah]
[DumbJehee: Ah..]
[DumbJehee: It’s nothing much T_T]
[DumbJehee: I feel like they’re praising me too much just for being S-Class..]
[CTY: No way it’s actually too mild;;;]
[CTY: Are they discriminating because we’re a small guild? Damn these Hunter reporters secretly discriminate a lot, I’m telling you;]
[CTY: But no matter how much they discriminate, what can they even do? Everyone will eventually acknowledge how awesome our mentee is. I guarantee it.]
[DumbJehee: ㅠㅠ Don’t tease me…]
Soon after, an emoticon of a trembling puppy appeared in the chat window.
Jehee uses the small puppy emoticon often these days, and it was cute every time I saw it.
…Actually, I was the one who gifted it to her.
Because it looked so much like Jehee.
If the fur color were a little darker, it would honestly be Jung Jehee herself.
Jehee is cuter, no, they can’t even be compared.
Anyway, seeing her use the emoticon that resembles her, which I gifted her, diluted my longing a little.
And another thing that helped was the ‘news’ Cha Taeyang mentioned.
[Five small to mid-sized guilds, including the ‘Sun’ Guild, successfully cleared the Dungeon on their first attempt, and what’s more, all members returned alive! This is the first case in the country where a large-scale Dungeon was cleared on the initial attempt through cooperation between smaller guilds!]
[The rating of the Dungeon is currently being determined based on the video filmed inside. Even if the final rating is confirmed to be the minimum predicted rank, B-Class, this case is still surprising….]
I’ve been thinking lately that Jehee is a genius.
This was based on facts, not just because I was so blindly in love.
[The guild being hailed as the top contributor in this raid is, as expected, the ‘Sun’ Guild. Among them, ‘Hunter Jung Jehee,’ the major rookie recruited by the ‘Sun’ Guild, is being singled out as the MVP.]
[Hunter Jung Jehee, who was once called the ‘Miracle Child’ after being dragged into a Gate during childhood but miraculously survived, had to spend a long time in the hospital due to side effects. However, she showed a second miracle by fully recovering her body through Awakening, becoming a source of hope for Gate victims worldwide.]
[In addition, heartwarming stories of her helping those in need, known through social media, are drawing attention. Hunter Jung Jehee, who named ‘Hunter Gray Coat’ as the person she respects most, recently topped a media poll as the ‘Hunter whose future actions are most anticipated,’ sharing her popularity with ‘Gray Coat,’ who ranked second….]
Ever since Jehee opened a closed Gate at the scene I visited with my father, back when she was still in a wheelchair, I had expected Jehee would someday become the center of attention in the Hunter world.
But this exceeded my expectations.
She had only just started her activities as a Hunter, but by consecutively clearing notable Dungeons and becoming the subject of heartwarming stories, discussions about Hunter Jung Jehee are everywhere these days—on TV, internet broadcasts, newspapers, and communities.
I can even hear people talking about Jehee just walking down the street.
The Dungeons Jehee cleared, the monsters Jehee defeated, the rewards Jehee obtained, the people Jehee saved, the clothes Jehee wore… everything about Jehee was the center of attention.
In particular, videos showing Jehee’s exploits were spreading rapidly, shared by countless people—so much that watching them all day wouldn’t be enough.
‘Her movements are flawless. It’s hard to believe she’s a person who hasn’t been a formal Hunter for even a year. Jung Jehee, seriously. She’s amazing.’
She had always been the type to become noticeably more skilled after just a month or two, but Jehee’s growth in the past few months was so rapid that it startled even me, who has known her for a long time.
As a result, Cha Taeyang has proven to be a good mentor.
Perhaps the best for Jehee.
Not only was his teaching ability and the connection with the Sun Guild, whose disposition matched Jehee’s well, beneficial, but his qualities as a guild master were also a boon for Jehee.
He could have been jealous of a mentee with higher potential than himself, but instead, as soon as Jehee started generating buzz, he quickly took a step back and directed the spotlight onto Jehee.
And this was even though Jehee was not yet formally affiliated with the ‘Sun’ Guild.
‘What are you talking about? I’m not doing it because of your sponsorship money. It’s great if my mentee does well.’
‘I’ve received too much attention up until now, and I’m sick of it, it’s exhausting! I figured it was time for me to rest, so it worked out well.’
‘People love heroes. It was the same with ‘Gray Coat.’ Especially someone like Jehee, who went through tough times and then grew up so quickly and succeeded—it’s inspiring to watch.’
‘Everyone loves this kind of story. A story of human triumph!’
I wondered if he was doing it intentionally because of the sponsorship money I sent, but apparently not.
I can’t look into his heart, but given Cha Taeyang’s foolishly honest personality, he was probably sincere.
‘…It’s a good thing I didn’t become her mentor.’
I doubt Jehee could have grown this fast if ‘Gray Coat’ had stubbornly insisted on taking the mentor position.
Honestly, I wouldn’t have been a good mentor.
I’m not skilled at teaching others, and more importantly… I didn’t truly want Jehee to grow enough to stand on her own.
The moment I learned she was S-Class, my first thought was to clear dangerous Dungeons before her official debut, and I actually acted on it.
So, even if Jehee grew somewhat, I wouldn’t have taken her to dangerous Dungeons, and letting her build her career alone would have been even less conceivable.
In the first place, despite living together for a long time and being close, all I had taught Jehee was kissing, self-pleasure, and sex.
Even those were less about teaching Jehee and more about satisfying my own desires.
All of this must be fate.
Meeting a good teacher, having trustworthy colleagues by her side.
And… gradually drifting apart from someone who had been a friend for so long as she started her social life.
“…I should buy a physical newspaper.”
Considering how often I buy them these days, maybe I should just subscribe.
Which newspaper company takes good pictures of Hunter scenes?
I also need to buy an album to scrapbook Jehee’s photos and articles.
While thinking these thoughts, I got dressed and was about to leave the house, but then stopped in front of Jehee’s room.
‘My Older Brother is a good person.’
About two weeks after Jehee left our house, Jehee’s younger siblings stormed into the house.
With a flushed face and tears welling up in her eyes, Jehee’s younger sister, Jung Eunseo, seethed like this:
‘You’ll regret it! Do you think you can find someone better than our Older Brother? Our Older Brother is kind, handsome, tall, slender, has the perseverance and initiative to get his diploma through the GED even during long-term hospitalization, and he’s an S-Class Hunter! And our family’s money… we don’t have much right now, but we will in the future! Do you think people like him are common in this world?’
It was a ridiculous thing to say.
I, more than anyone, knew that she couldn’t find someone better than Jehee.
Putting aside the conditions, he was ‘Jung Jehee.’
My one and only childhood friend in this world.
I’ve spent over twenty years focused only on him.
My foolish, pure devotion is not over yet.
How could anyone dare to surpass such a Jung Jehee?
I also didn’t think I could ever love anyone else instead of Jehee.
Not even a tiny bit.
‘Can anyone else even interfere between you two in the first place? Even if it were possible, it would be rude to that other person! They’d only ever be second place! Just date each other, the first-place people! Why won’t you date, seriously!’
‘Eunseo. The older brothers have already finished their talk. It’s not our place to interfere.’
As Jung Eunseo’s excitement grew, looking ready to leap forward and grab me by the collar, Jung Eunyul, who was standing beside her, held her back.
But even he was somewhat distant from taking my side.
Even though he was the one who usually stood opposite his twin and took my side.
Well, it couldn’t be helped.
Jung Eunyul probably thought the same as Jung Eunseo.
Since he’s quick-witted, he must have realized my feelings long ago.
No, anyone who knows both me and Jehee would know.
Literally ‘everyone’ except the person involved.
Of course, the fact that Jehee is the only one who doesn’t realize how much affection is being poured out for all the world to see is also a part of his charm and cuteness.
‘No! Just say something! What is the problem! At least let us know the reason!’
Even with Jung Eunyul intervening, Jung Eunseo couldn’t easily calm down.
She was so angry that she even shook off Jung Eunyul, leaving him clearly flustered.
‘E-Eunseo, Eunryul!’
‘…Ugh.’
But even Jung Eunseo quickly backed down and lowered her guard when Jehee ran over, startled.
Just like me, Jehee’s family is also completely helpless when it comes to Jehee.
It was natural since Jehee is so cute, kind, and admirable.
…And those family members also owe Jehee a debt.
