Chapter 19- connections and hajin?

hmmm~

'such a nice day~' I thought as I sat on a bench with my arms spread out on the bench's top. I was dozing off, barely able to keep myself from sleeping. How could you not feel like that when the weather is so good. It was perfect.

"arin! there you are!"- shouted lang, as he ran towards me.

"lang? what are you doing here?" -I said, as i got up from the bench.

"Paine told me about what happened."

"So?, that doesn't explain why you're here." As i said that Paine came shouting as she jumped and started hugging me. Well it was more like strangling me.

"Let go of him Paine."- Lang said as he pulled her away from me.

"what? Am i not supposed to get, at least a small payback for him ditching me?"- Paine asked as she was being pulled away from lang.

"anyways what's up with you and chae nayun-nim???"- she continued.

"Wow~ how respectful paine~."

"Of course! She's the great goddess!!." Paine remarked, as she felt really proud of herself.

" well, I bumped into her somewhere and she started chasing me since then."

"WHAT!!?!?!?" - both lang and Paine shouted in sync.

"Shhh, I'm right here so stop shouting."

"Explain what you mean Arin crestaine?!." Paine and lang whispered.

"hmm, where should I start from.... "

I slowly explained everything to them about, when I was in hospital and how I bumped into chae nayun there. I made sure to leave eun-woo out of the conversation because it's too bothersome to explain everything and, I'm sure he wouldn't want me talking behind his back.

"...and she left, fuming because I wouldn't answer. Then after sometime you guys came. That's it."

"...."

Both Kim lang and paine were silent. They were so flabbergasted by what I said, they just stood there.

"Hello? Earth to you guys"- I said as I waved my hand in front of their face.

"DID YOU ASK FOR HER NUMBER!!!!"

"HOW COULD YOU BE SO RUDE TOWARDS HER?!??"

Lang and Paine shouted together. It was even more louder than before.

"I told you to keep it down!!!!"- I whisper shouted.

"Did you ask for her number??" - Lang repeated his question in a low voice, just like i said.

"Stop being weird lang!!. Why would I do that? If I do that it'll be the same thing as accepting that i AM a stalker. Which, I'm not!" - I replied being very angry at lang.

"Forget about lang, answer me! Why were you so rude to 'archery goddess' "

"...archery goddess?"

"ya archery goddess!, It's a nick name given by her followers, because of how good she is in handling bow and arrow."

I frowned a little as they continued showering praises and explaining about chae nayun.

'Is she that great?'- I thought as I listened to their rambling. From the readers perspective, chae nayun is just another ally of hajin who, maybe is the female lead. Of course there's still boss, Rachel and yeonha.

Thought I'd rather not ship yeonha with hajin since I like their sibling/friends like relationship.

Then it hit me as, I realized that, I am not reading the novel but, am in the novel. These characters and their backgrounds, all of them is reality for everyone.

The characters perspective this world is 'real'. all the emotions they feel, all the people they lose. all the happy moments they have. every single being feels everything and not only that but, even after the completion of the novel, their lives wont stop.

"arin?"- lian and paine ask in unison.

haaaaah, snap out of it arin. you prepared for this all these years. you can't just act on your emotions and put yourself in danger. Besides, what I was thinking is not even related to chae nayun.....

I guess I need to prepare for it again.

(A/N: 'it' is the negative thoughts that arin has, to remind herself that she needs to be strong. It's not that necessary to know this but, it's a thing she does. It's part of her character and her past.)

"I'm fine you both, just... a little tired..." - I said sounding exhausted. I wasn't that exhausted but, I wanted to leave early. Before leaving, I saw paine and lian's faces. They looked really worried and concern. It was nice seeing them worried.

unnecessary thought but, now that I think of it, they make a nice couple.

I couldn't bother doing anything else, I immediately went to sleep. as much as love webtoons, sometimes sleep is just better.

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[Thursday hunting club's orientation]

Ugh, I don't wanna go. Fortunately, I discovered a new fact that could help this situation!. Yesterday night, after having a lot of rest, I talked to lang.

....FLASH BACK....

* hmmm, haaaaa*

I took deep breaths and exhaled as I was meditating.

"heuk, HAA, hyah!"

kim lang was making weird noises as he was practicing in the training room hitting a very durable test dummy.

"stop making weird noises lang."- I said as I took a break from meditating.

"why don't you meditate somewhere else?, cause I'm not stopping any second now."

"I would have done that but, I'm sick of seeing my plain wall after meditating and, Every time I'm midway in the meditation, I can't help but get distracted."- I grumbled to lang as he continued hitting the dummy but this time without any weird noises.

"I'm kinda touched." - I said as I saw him hitting the dummy.

"what? you said something?"- lang stopped to take a break as he asked me.

"hmm? no, I didn't. but now that I think of it, I do want to say something."

"say what?"- he asked me as he sat beside me.

"Do you think the club president will do something if I miss a few classes and orientations?"- I asked lang. I didn't want to go to the Thursday's hunting club orientation. partially because chae nayun was going to be there and partially because I wanted to use my sword more.

"It's not compulsory to go to orientations. missing classes, that's definitely a big no. but why even take that club if you don't wanna go?" - lang told me as if it was a fact everyone knows.

I knew you can't miss classes but, the fact the you don't have to go to orientations was a bit surprising.

'But, C said I'll get a punishment if I avoid it. ' I thought as, I thanked lang before happily running off to my dorms.

...END OF FLASH BACK....

heh, I can't wait to use my sword.

"that'll will be 170,000 won!"- a female portal worker interrupted my thoughts, as she held a seal in her hand.

"yes." - I said as I gave her my card.

"are you sure you don't want to use your cube cadet card arin-nim?"- the portal worker said as she stamped a seal on my wrist.

I came in and out of the cube many times before to use my sword. and while doing so, I've become familiarized with miss Jeong, a portal worker. she knows that I'm a cube cadet and is always here when I'm using the portal. Feels weird that she's always here but, I won't question things.

"yes, I'm sure. you do know that you've asked that question twice, every time I come here, Miss Jeong."

"am I not allowed to? I'm just ask them because i wonder why, you won't use your cube cadet card when you can go to Gangwondo Wonju for free, 6 times a month, instead of paying every time."- she answered with a smile before giving my ID card back.

"Thank you." -I smiled and said as I refrained from answering.

"Yes, have a safe trip, arin crestaine-nim."

I gave her a smile before leaving for the portal.

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