Returnee's S-Rank Management Guide

Crisis in Jeju Island (1)

When Shin Ah-yeon brought up the idea to Park Jung-woo of going sightseeing together, it was half impulsive.

It was because she recalled how she'd felt strangely miffed when she heard that Jung-woo and Lee Soo-ah had gone to the baseball stadium together, just the two of them.

On top of that, Soo-ah would talk about her time at the baseball stadium with Jung-woo at every opportunity.

After they started living together at the mansion, she did it even more often.

Thanks to that, Shin Ah-yeon came to know exactly what Jung-woo had said to Soo-ah at the baseball stadium back then.

And also exactly how those words helped Soo-ah to become S-rank.

'It's good that she's become brighter, but she's also gotten a lot chattier.'

To be precise, she especially tended to be like that when talking about Jung-woo.

Naive as she was, Shin Ah-yeon hadn't the faintest clue why Soo-ah was acting like that, but something about it kept nagging at her.

Even she herself didn't know why it bothered her.

Maybe it was just that Soo-ah kept bragging about hanging out with Jung-woo, and it had sparked some needless competitive spirit in her.

'Should I not have asked him to go?'

They'd gone out just the two of them plenty of times before, but most times it had been for work-related reasons.

This was the first time she'd called him out just to hang out for fun like this.

"So, where do you want to go?"

"......"

Even when asked where she wanted to go, Shin Ah-yeon couldn't really think of anything in Jeju Island.

'I know the Neople headquarters is here, but.......'

She'd looked it up once in case she ever wanted to set it on fire someday, but it didn't seem like somewhere you'd go for fun.

It wasn't as if she liked baseball like Soo-ah, or had the kind of personality that liked going out—so she really couldn't think of anywhere to go together.

As she got lost deep in thought, Jung-woo seemed to notice and spoke up.

"If you can't think of anything, should we just go to a PC bang or something?"

"Th-that doesn't really seem right. Let me just take five minutes to think it over."

To go to a PC bang after coming all the way to Jeju Island—even thinking about it felt wrong.

If they did, even she herself would feel like something had gone terribly awry.

If she went through with that, Jung-woo would just think of her as a mere 'game addict', that much was obvious.

"Ah! Th-th-th-that! There's a Hunter Society Museum in Jeju! How about we go there?"

Miraculously, she remembered an advertisement she'd seen on the display board at the airport.

It was the newly opened Hunter Society Museum in Jeju.

It was supposedly the biggest in Korea, with tons to see.

"...... It'll probably be boring though?"

Jung-woo's worried tone made Shin Ah-yeon bristle for no reason.

"That's such a prejudice, you know? Do you think I'm just a girl who plays games all day? I go to museums sometimes for culture and all that."

"If that's what you want, then I don't mind......."

Jung-woo nodded reluctantly.

No matter how much he thought about it, he didn't seem to be looking forward to it, but if she wanted to go, what could he do?

"I've already rented a car, so should we use that to get around?"

"Sounds good!"

Praising her own brilliant mind for thinking of the Hunter Society Museum, Shin Ah-yeon answered energetically.

It was a half-impulsive invitation, but she decided that using this opportunity to remind Jung-woo that she was a "great mage" who also possessed culture wasn't a bad thing.

***

'This is so boring.'

Only ten minutes after entering the Hunter Society Museum, Shin Ah-yeon was already exhausted.

There was definitely a lot to see.

More than a hundred years ago, when the first gate appeared.

The first place in Korea where a gate opened was right in Jeju Island.

Granted, after the gate appeared in Jeju, it only took a day or two for gates and dungeons to occur nationwide, but still, "the first in Korea" was true.

The museum used all kinds of videos and exhibits to show this history, proof that a lot of money had gone into it.

The problem was, Shin Ah-yeon already knew, or even had memorized, nearly everything on display.

'It's all because I'm too smart.......'

She hadn't earned the "great mage" title for nothing.

Especially when it came to knowledge about the emergence of the Awakener and their history, she knew everything.

She could have a debate with a professor from any famous university and not lose.

'It's all because of Mirae Guild.'

Her previous agency, Mirae Guild, hadn't sent her to variety or entertainment programs much.

Mostly, she'd gone on current-affairs programs and broadcasts related to magic.

Documentaries or educational shows were the main focus, so she couldn't help but to know all the related knowledge.

'I want to go somewhere else, though.'

But actually saying that out loud wasn't so easy.

Especially since Jung-woo was looking at the exhibits with such a serious face.

Shin Ah-yeon found herself idly watching Jung-woo's face.

'What's so interesting about all that?'

Rather than looking at the boring museum content, it was more fun just watching Jung-woo enjoy himself.

So, as she trailed behind Jung-woo while they walked around the museum for quite a while, Jung-woo eventually seemed to notice her gaze and spoke with an apologetic face.

"Oh, was I focusing too much by myself? If it's boring, should we leave?"

"No, I'm fine."

Naturally, Shin Ah-yeon shook her head.

To be honest, the boredom she'd felt had vanished by now.

She actually thought, "Just wandering around like this isn't so bad."

"Oh, right. Apparently they sell sodas you can only get at the museum, over there. Want to buy some? My treat."

"Really? Well in that case, thank you!"

Their throats were dry after all that walking, so they entered a small café in the museum and ordered drinks. The prices were astronomical, as befit a tourist spot, but since they were supposedly only sold at the museum, they let it slide.

"What the heck, there are two flavors."

"Why? Want to try both?"

"You never know when we'll come here again, so I wanted to try both while I'm here."

"Then just buy both."

"It's too much to drink two by myself."

Jung-woo thought for a moment at Shin Ah-yeon's words, then said nonchalantly,

"Then why don't you order two different flavors, and we just share?"

"What?!"

Shin Ah-yeon was so startled.

How could he say such a thing so easily, when there's a clear distinction between men and women?

"What's so surprising? You'll just use your own straw anyway."

"Oh."

Was he a genius?

"Uh, uhm. Then I'll order two, like that."

Needlessly flustered, Shin Ah-yeon ordered two drinks at the café.

One was "Awakener Flavor Ade," the other was "Hunter Flavor Ade" — neither looked particularly tasty, but the names made her more curious.

"Huh, it's just melon flavor."

Shin Ah-yeon took a sip of the Hunter Flavor Ade and grumbled.

It tasted like melon with something extra added, but it was still just melon flavor soda.

Unfortunately, Shin Ah-yeon wasn't a fan of melon flavor, so she didn't really like it.

"This one's apple flavored and pretty good. Want to try?"

"Sure, I bought it, didn't I, hand it over."

Shin Ah-yeon pulled her straw out of her own drink to put it into Jung-woo's ade—but then... she hesitated.

'But isn't this weird, in its own way?'

She could tell herself there was nothing wrong with using her own straw, but now that she was suddenly aware of it, she felt shy.

'Who knew inserting a straw into someone else's drink would be so hard?'

She felt like she was being overly conservative.

But what if her saliva was on the straw?

Besides, it was the drink that Jung-woo had just sipped from, after all.

"What are you doing? Should I do it for you?"

As Shin Ah-yeon hesitated, Jung-woo snatched the straw from her hand and stuck it into his apple-flavored ade, then held it out.

"Here."

"......."

Shin Ah-yeon felt a strange emotion at Jung-woo's utterly casual attitude.

For some reason, her pride felt wounded and she suddenly felt pouty.

Swamped with such complicated feelings, Shin Ah-yeon took the offered ade and, with her free hand, started lightly punching Jung-woo's side.

"What was that for? Suddenly hitting me?"

It hadn't been very hard, so Jung-woo just looked at Shin Ah-yeon in confusion.

Of course, Shin Ah-yeon ignored his question and just took a sip through the straw in Jung-woo's ade.

'...... It's sweet.'

That strong apple flavor—maybe that's why it felt that way.

The cold drink hit her, clearing her head.

For some reason, her actions just now felt even more embarrassing.

"So... what's so interesting about the museum, anyway?"

So she deliberately changed the subject.

If she didn't, she felt like she'd keep doing weird things.

"Well..."

At Shin Ah-yeon's question, Jung-woo became serious again.

"It's not that it's interesting, it's just something bothers me."

"Something bothers you?"

It was a strange thing to say.

This kind of gate or Awakener history was so familiar to Shin Ah-yeon.

She couldn't think of anything in the displays that might be bothering him.

"Do you know where monsters from gates and dungeons come from?"

With that introduction, Jung-woo spoke calmly.

Where do monsters come from?

It was still an unsolved mystery—even in modern times.

Some said they appeared from unknown dimensions.

Others claimed they occurred naturally.

Still others, from a theological perspective, said they were God's punishment on humanity.

"Monsters are generally creatures living in the Demon Realm."

"The Demon Realm? So it's related to that demon you mentioned before?"

"That's right. Dungeons are, in fact, places where the land of the Demon Realm invades and erodes this world. In a way, you could say all dungeons are erosive dungeons. The only difference is in how it happens."

Honestly, it was a hard-to-believe explanation.

But since it was Jung-woo saying it, it had to be true.

And that meant he'd gotten that knowledge from "another world."

"... So all the monsters and dungeons appearing today are the demons' doing? But until recently, I'd only heard of the demons from you."

"It just took time."

"Time?"

"Oh, right. Do you know why Awakener are born?"

At Jung-woo's question, Shin Ah-yeon nodded.

Awakeners tended to be born, or awaken, near areas where gates or dungeons had appeared.

Some awakened later in life, while others were born awakened.

It wasn't only possible if someone's parents were Awakener.

Of course, the occurrence was rare, so more varied cases had to be considered—but these had become almost common sense.

"That's possible because the places where dungeons or gates appeared end up containing traces of 'erosion'. It's like the soil becomes a bit similar to that of the Demon Realm. Awakener are born through that influence."

"So the soil becomes similar to that of the Demon Realm? Does that mean...you're talking about that timing...?"

Shin Ah-yeon, as quick as ever, immediately understood what Jung-woo was getting at.

The more the earth is eroded, the more its soil becomes like that of the Demon Realm—and if only recently the demons had begun to show themselves—

She now understood why Jung-woo had considered the demons his enemies for so long.

"Hm, it's about time I told you this, too."

Jung-woo had been through all this once before.

Though it had happened in another world, not Earth.

And in that other world, Jung-woo had faced the demons to the end.

"The reason the demons are showing up lately is simple. It just now finally became an environment where nothing would hinder them."

"You mean, until now the world wasn't like the Demon Realm enough, so they couldn't cross over?"

"That's right."

"Then the reason the demons appeared on Earth is... It's that, isn't it?"

"That's right."

Jung-woo didn't bother saying more, but Shin Ah-yeon could figure out the rest.

The real reason the demons was starting to show up.

Their ultimate goal.

'Terraforming...?'

The demons' aim was slowly transforming Earth's environment to match the Demon Realm's.

Gates and dungeons—all part of the preparatory process.

The problem was, even knowing that, there was no good way to stop it.

With modern technology, there was no way to prevent gates or similar occurrences.

And even if they could, by now the resources only available in those places had become too important for people to want to stop it.

"Well, there's no need to get too serious. Actually, stopping them is surprisingly simple."

"How?"

"You just have to kill their king. The weird part is, their king was killed just three years ago, okay? As far as I know, right now the demons shouldn't even be able to produce a Demon King. There's no way they overcame that in three years. So I was looking at all the museum exhibits to see if there was anything I missed, but I didn't find much."

"The king of the demons...what do they call him? Demon King?"

"That's what they call him in the other world."

Jung-woo spoke as if it was nothing at all, and Shin Ah-yeon quietly felt relieved.

Then she was startled by how damp her palm felt.

'Ah, right. The ade!'

She'd forgotten about her drink during the conversation, so the ice had melted, making her hand all wet.

And this wasn't even her drink, but Jung-woo's.

"Ah, the ice is all melted in this. Is it okay?"

"That's true for yours too, so whatever."

Shin Ah-yeon swapped hers for Jung-woo's ade and took another sip through the straw.

Having received so much information at once, her throat was dry for no reason.

'... Wait a second.'

And, she only realized too late.

'The straw I'm using right now...isn't this Jung-woo oppa's?'

Just as Shin Ah-yeon had put her straw in Jung-woo's ade and taken a sip, Jung-woo had put his own straw in Shin Ah-yeon's ade.

Caught up in the conversation, she hadn't thought to swap the straws back, and had simply swapped the drinks.

Realizing this, Shin Ah-yeon let out a low groan without even realizing it.

"Uuugh."

"What's wrong now? Ah, are you worrying too much about the demons? I told you, you don't need to worry so much about that."

Jung-woo seemed to think her groan was due to her concern about the demons.

But in Shin Ah-yeon's mind, the grand talk of terraforming and such had long since been forgotten.

'What do I do.'

Should she say right now that the straws got mixed up?

But she'd already taken a sip with the straw.

Wouldn't it just be even more embarrassing to mention it now?

'Yeah, probably.'

Shin Ah-yeon glanced at Jung-woo, then stared blankly at the straw sticking out of her ade.

It was just a straw, after all.

Jung-woo didn't seem to care—wasn't she making a big deal out of nothing?

'.......'

Shin Ah-yeon, very quietly, touched her lips to the straw and took a sip.

The now lukewarm ade trickled down her throat.

'...... It's sweet.'

She normally disliked melon flavor, but for some reason it tasted sweet now.

She didn't know why.

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