บท 140: Chapter 140
"I apologize for last time," she said.
"Why are you apologizing?"
"I got upset at you for something you had no hand in."
Was she talking about the tense atmosphere between them in the coach's office after the assault incident involving her sister?
"Don't worry about it," JiHan nonchalantly replied. "It was out of concern for your little sister, so I understand."
"I'm thankful that you can look at it like that, but… err…" She hesitated for a moment. "I'm sorry for asking this, but could you come with me to visit Yuri at the hospital at least once?"
"You want me to visit her?"
"Yes. She just regained consciousness and has been quite depressed at the thought that she ruined the match against Russia…"
"What? But didn't she see the result?"
"W-well… Of course…"
YeonJu was well aware of her younger sister's status as the most successful actress of the 21st century. Unfortunately, her success was more due to her beauty than her acting skills.
She thought JiHan would readily accept her proposal because her sister was usually so popular among men, but…
"I'm sorry, but I have to level up today," JiHan said.
"A-ah… Is that so…?" YeonJu was taken aback by his outright refusal.
Sae-ah stepped forward in frustration and said, "Uncle, you can play a game after you return! She got put in the hospital after specifically trying to see you."
"It's not like I invited her. If we go to the hospital, you and Akari will have to come along as well."
"Is that so? I think we would just be unnecessary baggage."
"Y-you'd never be baggage!" YeonJu quickly said. "It's okay! I'll go prepare a limousine!" She realized Sae-ah was the key. "Sae-ah, why don't you come as well?"
"Me? I don't think Yuri will welcome me…"
"That's not the case at all! She's spoken about you quite often as someone worthy of taking my place!"
"Ahh." Sae-ah waved her hands. "How could I possibly take your place…? That's nonsense!"
In the absence of the Sword King, YeonJu was recognized as South Korea's strongest player. As someone who was just a Silver, Sae-ah wouldn't dare compare herself to the other woman.
"Sae-ah, you're also an Archer, right? If it's okay with you, I could give you some advice on the way…"
"R-really?" Sae-ah's eyes sparkled as she looked at JiHan. "Uncle…"
It was like a dream come true for the Archer she admired most to be giving her advice. How could she let such an opportunity go?
'Oh, my…' YeonJu had chosen the correct target.
JiHan nodded. "Just saying hello and logging into the game would be okay, right?"
"O-of course!" Color returned to YeonJu's face. "I would be extremely grateful to you. I'll go call the limo!"
* * *
During their limo ride…
"Sae-ah, using an aim correction item is fine. Putting it on and then taking it off to compare is a great help."
"Ah, I see! I was really curious about that…!"
YeonJu and Sae-ah spoke as if they'd known each other for a long time, and it seemed they couldn't run out of things to talk about as YeonJu shared all sorts of Archer tips in a sort of thanks for the other girl's help with JiHan.
'I guess this was worth it,' JiHan thought as he recalled what he knew of YeonJu from his past life. She had an SS-rank Gift called 'Focused Snipe', and her abilities were more team-oriented than individual.
'She significantly increases the precision and damage done by allies after she hits a target.'
What characterized Korean Archers was their ability to incapacitate opposing players one at a time with the help of YeonJu's Gift.
'That's why Korea's situation worsened a lot after she died in the Space League.'
It had been another case of the elves killing one of humanity's most talented players in a Space League match.
'Death inside the games could be solved with enough GP, but…'
The World Battle Net Association had fallen for a carefully laid elf trap and lost all of their top players in a single match during the first year. That single match was partly to blame for Earth's downward spiral in the rankings afterward.
'You won't die this time, YeonJu.'
He'd already experienced it once and wasn't about to let the world fall for the same trap twice. As he was thinking about how he would deal with it when the time came, the car arrived at the hospital.
"We've arrived."
YeonJu called Yuri's manager. "What's Yuri doing? Is she sleeping? Ah, she was watching the game? Yes. Tell her I'll be up soon with a guest."
She ended the call. "Shall we go?"
When they exited the car, almost a dozen bodyguards stepped from nearby cars and started to follow them.
"You employ a lot of people," JiHan observed.
"I can't live a normal life without my bodyguards. Unlike you, I don't have Force."
As YeonJu said, everyone focused on them as soon as they entered the hospital.
"Woah, it's Ha YeonJu… She looks even more heavenly in person."
"She's with Sung JiHan! His niece is also here!"
"What? Why would they be here?"
"I want to get an autograph… Do you think she'll give me an autograph?"
"The bodyguards won't let you get close."
Though they were in an exclusive VIP hospital, onlookers quickly gathered, doctors and nurses included.
"I wouldn't be able to do anything but sign autographs nonstop if it weren't for my bodyguards," she said.
JiHan nodded. He'd seen similar scenes during his past life in the United States.
'Fans were even more aggressive back then.'
Dungeons threatened the world back then, so players were both stars and national-level defensive measures. Sometimes, not even the bodyguards were enough to stop some people from getting through for an autograph or selfie.
If he compared it to back then, the attention they received in the hospital was pretty mild.
"YeonJu? E-eh? Mr. S-Sung…?!"
Outside Yuri's VIP hospital room, her manager was startled to see the people YeonJu brought with her. Especially since she'd been screaming in excitement at JiHan's plays on television not long before. She'd never expected to see the player in person.
"Wait. Shh." YeonJu smiled and covered the manager's mouth. "He's here to surprise her."
"Ah…!"
The manager hesitated but soon waved her hands. "Y-you can't do that!"
"Yuri isn't wearing any makeup…!" She whispered into YeonJu's ear.
"So what? What's wrong with her bare face?"
"How can you ask that? How could a fan meet a star without any makeup?! I'll go in first!" The manager yelled before leaving them outside the room.
- Wh-what? The guest is Mr. Sung?!
- Yes! Stand up!
- My sister should have told me this beforehand!
JiHan heard their surprised shouts through the door. "It seems like it's going to take a while," he said.
"Huh… Can you hear what they're talking about?"
"Yes. I have good ears."
"Ah, well. You're a Warrior… Seriously. I think Yuri's bare face looks prettier. I don't know why she's exaggerating so much." YeonJu couldn't understand a fan's emotions and tilted her head in confusion.
After ten minutes passed with the door remaining firmly shut, JiHan sighed and said, "Should I come back after playing a game?"
"Ah. W-wait a moment! I'll go check!" YeonJu hurriedly entered the room and began to yell.
- Hey! Yuri! He's waiting! What kind of rude attitude is this?
- O-okay. I'm almost done! I just need to apply some lipstick!
- Ahh. You're a patient… You could have just stayed normal. Why put on such heavy makeup?!
- It must be nice to have good skin just because you're a Battle Net player! Ordinary people have no choice!
"Hmm… Uncle," Sae-ah said, "now I can also hear."
"I wouldn't have come here if it weren't for you."
"Hehe, thanks. YeonJu gave me all sorts of good tips."
Soon enough, YeonJu came out with a tired expression. "JiHan, I'm really sorry. Please, come in."
It was finally time to enter.
Yuri stood up from the bed and gave them a deep bow as soon as they walked through the doorway. Despite wearing a hospital gown, she looked as beautiful as she would in a TV commercial, thanks to her makeup.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Sung."
"Hey, you! You're still a patient. Why are you standing?!"
"There's no way I'd meet Mr. Sung while lying down. As the vice-manager of 'The First', 'Downglass', I just couldn't do that!'"
"Wh-what… Vice-manager?"
"Ah… Yuri is 'Downglass'?"
Thanks to their active role in 'The First' fan club, a certain 'Downglass' has risen to become the vice-manager of the group. Though the characters of her name could be translated as 'Downglass', nobody had put two and two together.
"Yes. I'm Ha Yuri. I work a bit in the entertainment industry. Aah… I'm glad I was hit. I can't believe I'm meeting you like this… To think you'd come to visit me at the hospital! Earlier, you said you'd go level up, so I was waiting for you to start streaming. I thought it was weird that you hadn't started yet! I could die now without any regrets!"
She seemed able to control her excitement at first but then started spewing words without stopping.
"Please, lie down for now. You might collapse at this rate," JiHan said.
"How could I do that in your presence…?!"
"I'll move you…"
Swoosh—
JiHan stretched out his hand, and Yuri's body gently floated to the bed.
Her face flushed as she seemed to enjoy the situation. "Wow! Force! I didn't think I would get to experience it firsthand! Sister! This isn't a dream, right?"
"Ahh. I wish it were." YeonJu sighed and covered Yuri with a blanket.
JiHan looked at her and decided to stick to the purpose of the visit. "Are you okay? I heard you suffered an accident because of me."
"No, it isn't your fault! The accident happened because that guy tried to get me drunk. Mr. Sung, it isn't your fault at all! Also, I'm fully healed."
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him. "I feel like my head cleared up after meeting you in person. I feel like all my troubles are gone, and I feel like I could fly across the sky."
"Isn't that dangerous…?" Sae-ah murmured.
"Ah! Sae-ah! I'm also subscribed to your channel!"
Whether she heard Sae-ah or not, Yuri clapped her hands.
"Yes?"
"I told my sister that a super rookie capable of threatening her position appeared!"
"Ah, but I'm not that great…"
"No. My eyes are precise!" She confidently pointed to her eyes. "I also have a somewhat useful Gift!"
"Yuri! What are you talking about?!" YeonJu quickly tried to silence her.
'A Gift?' JiHan took a step toward Yuri. He'd originally only planned on a brief greeting before taking his leave, but her words piqued his interest.
"A Gift… Are you talking about a supporting Gift?"
"Yes. Ubh—!"
"Hey! Yuri! You said you wouldn't talk about that!"
"Mr. Sung is the exception! I have the ability to 'Identify'!"
Despite her sister's attempt to stop her, Yuri ended up spilling the beans.
JiHan looked at her in disbelief. She had the 'Identify' Gift?
'Isn't that a vague ability?' He thought it was just an ability that allowed one to see the hidden descriptions of items. Compared to HaYeon's 'Nurture' or Shizuru's 'Edit', it seemed significantly less valuable.
"I can gauge a player's potential with my ability!"
Ariel, who was standing alongside Akari in the back, sent him a message.
[Master, didn't you say nobody had that Gift?]
'That's what I thought.'
[If she can discern a player's potential, it must be at least B-rank.]
'Really?' People with B-rank supporting Gifts were rare.
JiHan's eyes shone. 'This is why a person needs to be kind.'
Was karma rewarding him for his deeds? He felt glad he'd decided to visit and gave Yuri a scrutinizing look.
"Hehe…" Unaware of JiHan's thoughts, she smiled back at him.
"Did you suddenly go dumb…?" YeonJu asked, unable to bear the odd atmosphere anymore.
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