Within Academy City's only Association branch, Mei Lin found herself busily going through countless documents.
"How many days has it been of document work?"
Although she'd spent half the day taking care of documents, a whole pile was still on top of the table. Mei Lin sighed and spoke to her Pocket.Yôur favorite stories at novel35.com
"Check the passing list."
She'd concluded she would rather check the hologram than keep looking at documentsthere was also a subject she was interested in.
"Subject, Shin YuSung."
[Shin YuSung - Pass list]
[Tower Floor 2 Clear]
[Hidden Stage Found (Room of Time)]
[Hidden Stage Challenge (Room of Time)]
[Hidden Stage Clear (Room of Time)]
[Reward: Trait Fortify]
Mei Lin looked at the hologram with a blank expression.
"Huh?" Her eyes widened. "A h-hidden stage?"
Mei Lin gulped at YuSungs unreal achievement. She was in charge of the Academy City's hunter branch, so it was weird for her to get so surprised, but YuSung's record was that shocking.
"He really found the hidden stage and cleared it? On the first day?"
Based on the record, Shin YuSung had cleared the 2nd floor and fulfilled the conditions for the hidden stage to appear. That in itself was already impressive.
"Is something like this even possible?"
The problem was that hed challenged and cleared the hidden stage without even a hint of fear.
Gulp.
Just who was he?
'As expected, he's Korea's peak No, he's soon going to be even more than that.'
Mei Lein glanced at the documents she was tired of looking at and stood up.
YuSung was still a 1st-year student, yet he'd cleared a hidden stage and obtained a Trait fortification as a reward.
'I'm going to inform the Association President.'
The documents weren't as important as what YuSung had done.
* * *
Gaon's hallways had a clean beige and white design.
Tap, tap.
Shin YuSung looked around as he walked down the hallway and frequently overheard conversations he had no interest in.
It started with a TV drama she'd been watching with Lee SuHyun. The male protagonist gave a diamond ring to the female protagonist.
[Sniff, Mr. TaeSoo! I]
[She's so happy to have received a ring? Her life was at risk because of him To be honest, I can't understand why they're dating,] Kim EunAh said, an uninterested expression on her face as she saw the female protagonist crying in the mans arms.
Lee SuHyun sighed. [Miss, of course she'd like it. It isn't the gift that's important but the feelings behind it.]
Lee SuHyun took a glimpse at Kim EunAh and shook her head. [Miss, you have too much money, so you probably wouldnt feel the sincerity behind something like a diamond ring, but]
[Sincerity?] EunAh asked back with uninterest.
[Then what would you consider a sincere gift?] SuHyun said as if it was just in passing. She had already figured out Kim EunAh's thoughts.
[In your case, miss, wouldnt it be something handmade? Like chocolate or a scarf, for example.]
Her situation was a result of having been deceived by that. Kim EunAh looked at the chocolate box with a serious expression on her face.
"Did I go too far? No matter how much I think about it, I feel like chocolate is too weird."
Although it wasn't Valentine's Day, chocolate was usually given to someone you liked of the opposite gender.
'I felt bad for not being there, so I wanted to give him a present'
She hadnt found it weird when shed been preparing it. The chocolate was shaped like a caricature of YuSungs face. It was supposed to be a friendship gift.
When she imagined giving it to him, she couldn't help but feel her heart tickle.
'What should I say as I hand it to him? It would be weird to give it to him out of the blue. He might misunderstand things'
While Kim EunAh had fallen into thought, the club's door opened.
"EunAh, so you were here." YuSung greeted her like always.
EunAh was surprised and hid the box.
"Huh? I I also just got here!"
As she hid the box, she couldn't help but think that her actions were weirder.
'Why am I afraid of giving a box of chocolates?'
She bit her lips at the embarrassment she was feeling.
"You went to the Tower, right?" EunAh asked.
"Yes. It was easy because it was just the 2nd floor," Shin YuSung replied while grabbing banana milk from the fridge.
He sat on the sofa and told her what he'd experienced. "I plan to clear up to the 5th floor because you cannot activate the warp before that and clear it with the party from there. Of course, we must also prepare for the next International Competition match"
"Really? Well, I guess it will be okay. They say that even rank 3 or 4 hunters can clear up to the 5th floor" EunAh was still looking at him cautiously.
She was thinking about when to give him what she'd prepared so it wasn't weird. It was a nerve-wracking moment.
Tap.
Kim EunAh placed the box of chocolates on YuSung's knees.