Chapter 27 – Starfruits

When I opened my eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling loomed above me.

‘Did things work out? Judging by the fact that I’m still here, it seems I managed to pull through.’

As I tried to touch my throbbing forehead with my hand, I felt a foreign sensation on my arm. A yellow liquid was dripping from a bag attached to a long stand.

I survived.

[Current friends: 3]
【Would you like to receive a reward?】

‘Reward? That’s not important right now.’

I pushed the status window out of sight, lay down comfortably on the blanket, and closed my eyes. I crossed my legs and settled into the most relaxed position, as if I were in my own bedroom.

‘Finally, I’m free…!’

The realization that I had momentarily escaped the grasp of the World Tree made me feel elated.

‘I need to enjoy my newfound freedom as soon as possible.’

I exhaled as evenly as possible, savoring the tranquility.

Although I missed having a cell phone, my private room was equipped with everything from a TV to a laptop. It was a space intended for me, the hero of this fantastical adventure.

– Hmph.

I turned on the TV and repeatedly pressed the remote control, searching for an entertaining program to watch.

‘Wooden Challenge… The Carpenter I Know… Annoying Tree Whelp. Seriously, does this world have a fixation with the character for wood in every name?’

However, the content was strangely captivating, so I settled on a suitable program and grabbed a banana from the table. As I peeled away the skin and placed the banana in my mouth, the sweet, tender fruit was gently chewed.

– We watch it a lot.
– Do you know how the action goes?
– Wood-yahoo!

“I can’t believe this. Heh heh heh.”

TV. Fruit. A comfortable position. Is happiness really that complicated? For me, leisure was the fruit of pleasure.

As I enjoyed this delightful break, the door suddenly swung open.

“…”

My eyes met with a nurse who entered the room. Dressed in her pristine nurse’s uniform, she blushed slightly upon seeing my disheveled state.

“Um, patient, your clothes…”
“What? Oh, when did they slip like this?”

Perhaps because I was lost in thought, my hospital gown had become untidy, exposing the lower part of my collarbone. I adjusted my clothes and straightened my appearance, thinking to myself:

‘But why is the nurse so embarrassed? Hasn’t she seen a man’s naked body several times in her career?’

It’s peculiar how some people blush at the sight of my face. Wait, my face? I unconsciously reached out to touch my face and realized that the mask I had been wearing had come off.

“Excuse me, do you know where the mask I was wearing is?”
“Yes? Oh, if you look under the table, I put it in the drawer.”
“Thank you, sister.”

As I smiled and expressed my gratitude, the nurse’s fingers twitched while gripping the cart. Her neck area quivered once, as if swallowing saliva.

I took the mask out of the drawer and put it on.
Charm decreases by 2.

“Ah…”

A self-serving sigh escaped from the nurse who saw me wearing the mask. She brought a hand to her mouth, cleared her throat, and then wheeled the treatment cart towards me.

“I’ll be doing a blood test. Please give me your arm.”
“Alright.”

The nurse, holding the syringe to draw blood, grasped my arm.

“It stings.”

She lowered her head, glanced at the scale on the syringe, and uttered softly.

“Since you’re awake, the vice president will arrive shortly.”
“If it’s the vice president, is it the Korean Hunter Association?”
“Yes.”

The nurse calmly replied as she withdrew the syringe. It wasn’t apparent from afar, but a considerable amount of magical power flowed within her.

You are no ordinary person. Realizing that I had managed to secure a nurse of this caliber made me appreciate the extent of my accomplishments.

“Then, dear patient, please rest well.”

The nurse bowed once and exited the room.

* * * * *

A few hours later.

As I caressed my stomach, filled with fruit, and waged a battle against drowsiness, a knock sounded from the door.

-I’m coming in~

An impossibly carefree voice. It was a boisterous voice I had heard somewhere before.

“Yap!”

The door opened and a snow-white palm appeared.
Vigorously shaking her palm without revealing her face, she spoke in that same exceedingly casual tone.

“Recognize me?”
“… Who are you?”
“Come on~ Between us?”

Her palm retreated, and her face peeked out.

Yellow hair tinged with orange at the tips, and yellow, star-shaped eyes. It was a distinctive appearance one would never forget if they had seen it before.

‘Strange, I don’t recognize this face.’

However, the vivacious quality of the voice was so oddly familiar that, with arms crossed, I searched my memory for an answer.

Now that I think about it, there was someone with a voice like that.

“…A friend of the teacher?”
“Ding dong dang~ Hunter Name Fruits. Starfruits, my name is Star. I’m also the Vice President of the Korean Hunter Association!”
“Ah, yes. I’m Lee Si-heon.”
“I’ve heard about you. They say you’re that audacious kid? The one who slapped Lee Seong-Han’s cheek when he was stepping on our tail.”

She was a boisterous woman.
Each of her movements was exaggerated, but given her appearance, it didn’t come across as ridiculous at all.
Star approached me as I sat on the bed, swaying, and slyly brought her face close to mine, just inches from my nose.

Her large eyes narrowed like crescent moons, and her face tensed.

“So? Are you really the one who solved this case?”

As if demanding the truth, she nodded her head nervously.

“Really?”

Byul relaxed her facial muscles and embraced my head tightly with a bewildered expression.

“Thank you~”

I didn’t say anything. The sensation of her pressed chest was so incredible that I could feel it through the mask.

Forget the Penultimate Rule.

“It’s fortunate that Se-Young’s partner has such abilities. Se-Young can be really scary when angry~ What if something had happened to you? I would have been devastated.”

“Is that so? Please, sit here for now. Your legs must be tired.”

“Wow, so considerate!”

Byul, seated in the chair, lifted the corners of her mouth.

At that moment, I sensed things were about to become troublesome.

“So? How did you meet Se-Young?”

“…”

I had raped her due to circumstances, but somehow we clicked, and we’ve been seeing each other ever since.

I couldn’t bring myself to utter those words, which could be concisely explained in a single sentence.

“Is that question really necessary?”
“Of course~ The girl who rejected all incoming marriage proposals ended up kneeling before me because of one man.”
“…Did she really kneel?”
“Do you want to know how she asked?”

I was secretly curious, but I shook my head. I decided not to listen, fearing I would feel genuinely sorry if I heard the truth.
Thank you, Se-Young. I’ll repay this debt twofold someday.

-Swish. Swish.

The star peeled a banana on the table and nibbled on it. Her nonchalant demeanor reminded me of Gu-seul when we first met.

“Anyway, thanks. The association will compensate for this.”

Compensation?
As soon as I heard those words, my mouth felt like a waterfall.

“I didn’t do it for a reward, but I won’t hesitate if you offer one. It would be great if it’s mainly magical power or something that helps with training. Or even sufficient armor.”
“Pfft, hahaha.”

She burst into laughter at my words, grinning and clutching her belly.
Byul, who had been laughing for quite a while, finally agreed with what I said, wiping her tears with her index finger.

“Alright, I’ll consider it favorably. We have our reputation to uphold, so the rewards will be substantial.”
“Thank you very much.”
“Hehehe.”

Who would refuse an opportunity to grow stronger?
I didn’t even make an effort, yet a tantalizing prize rolled in on its own. I wasn’t one to keep my mouth shut in front of a prepared feast.

– Munch munch.

Byul peeled another banana and put it in her mouth, taking her time to savor it. One bite, two bites, three bites. Having finished the banana, she licked her index finger.

– Slurp.

Byul, having once flashed an alluring smile, spoke to me in a deliberately serious voice.

“Now, to the matter at hand. I have a favor to ask of you.”

I raised my eyebrows at Byul’s words.

“Lee Seong-Han’s hideout, you see. Do you know anything about the driftwood that was in the basement of the 42nd Branch?”
“The 42nd Branch?”
“Oh, you don’t know that yet?”

Byul kindly shared some confidential information on the spot.

An organization aiming to annihilate the World Tree, Flower. And dozens of pseudo-groups derived from Flower.
It was said that the pseudo-group to which Lee Seong-Han belonged played a role in providing some funding to Flower.

“Lee Seong-Han moved too openly, so I noticed quickly, but I can’t catch him just by noticing.”
“Is that so? If it’s the World Tree, shouldn’t it be something that can be dealt with right away?”
“…The current world is one where the World Tree cannot wield its full power.”

That is new information.

I marveled inwardly and asked her in return.

“Is it really okay to tell me about this?”
“Why not? Since you’re Se-Young and we’re paired, I’m sharing with you.”

As her tone grew playful again and she giggled, I feigned seriousness and shuddered.

That’s too much – Byul puffed her cheeks, took a breath, and continued.

“Well, anyway, coming back to the topic, do you know anything about the driftwood?”
“If you mean the tree I saw earlier, honestly, I don’t know much about it.”
“Really? It seemed to be calling out to you, though.”

Driftwood calling for me?
As I tilted my head, Byul’s eyes widened.

“You truly didn’t know anything?”
“No. What about it?”
“It’s fine! What I’m asking is something different. So, um… What I want you to do is talk to the driftwood in the basement of this building.”
“Talk to it?”
“Yes. It won’t converse with me at all. It seemed to be strangely seeking you out.”

This sounds like quite a bothersome task.

The star, noticing my lower part decaying, began to tempt me.

“There aren’t many opportunities to converse with driftwood, right? Especially since you have an affinity with wood spirits and trees, you’ll definitely be able to communicate with them.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“Don’t you want to try? Talking to driftwood.”

I genuinely don’t want to.
As I kept my mouth shut without saying a word, the star widened her eyes and stepped back as if the sky had collapsed.

“…Could it be? You really don’t want to?”
“What’s there to like?”
“That’s strange. I’ve heard that humans always include talking to driftwood in their bucket lists.”

This world is absurd.
As I was cursing inwardly, the star cautiously spoke to me.

“Would you do it if I offered you something?”
“What could you possibly offer?”

She held up one finger.

“…One million won?”
“It’s ten million won.”

I closed my mouth, remained silent for a while, and then cracked a smile.

“What’s impossible? Shiba, let’s go immediately.”
“Wow, Si-heon! Is he a newcomer?”

Star praised me with a voice choked with emotion.
In the end, money was the ultimate.