I Became an NPC That Rankers Are Obsessed Over

Was it because I swung it countless times?

The handle of the longsword was tattered.

Sticky beads of sweat dripped from my shoulders.

The drops were absorbed into the training room floor.

This place was the Hunter Association’s fitness training room.

Ever since I became an S-rank Hunter, I always trained here.

If I practiced outside, strange people would always show up, pestering me for autographs and photos.

“—.”

My phone rang.

I took it out of my jacket and checked the message.

「Come to the store at midnight tonight.」

It was Sun-ye.

What could she possibly want to meet about at midnight?

I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand and finished training.

Then, I walked through the association’s hallway toward the shower room.

This organization was oddly particular about shower rooms, assigning them by Hunter rank.

To differentiate it, the S-rank shower room was located on the top floor of the association’s building.

Well, at least I could enjoy a great view of Seoul while showering, so it wasn’t bad.

But having to take the elevator up was still a hassle.

「4th floor.」

The elevator stopped on the 4th floor.

A woman with her hair tied to one side and a bald man got on.

Between their legs stood a small boy.

The boy, pale and gloomy, stared straight up at me.

But when he saw the cloudiness in my eyes, he got scared and quickly lowered his head.

“Coming from training, Anna?”

The woman spoke while staring straight ahead.

I didn’t respond to her.

I’d never seen her before, and she wasn’t even looking at me when she spoke.

“…”

“I’m an assemblywoman from the association.”

A faint floral scent emanated from the woman.

It wasn’t artificial but rich and natural.

The smell tickled my nose, so I briefly covered it with the back of my hand.

“And lately, I’ve been running a guild as a hobby.”

The woman glanced at me with her hands clasped behind her back.

It was then I realized why she wasn’t making eye contact with me.

Like me, her sclerae were streaked with black, mixing with the whites, making her eyes look dead.

“You recently became an S-rank Hunter and ranked 30th right away. That’s impressive.”

“Rankings mean nothing to me.”

“I know. You’re cold about everything. That’s why I like you even more.”

Her bangs swayed as she spoke.

Her murky eyes stared at me as if seeing through me.

I didn’t back down and stared right back at her.

Beads of sweat on my abs trickled down.

We said nothing, simply staring at each other until the sweat fully soaked into my waistband.

「10th floor.」

The elevator doors opened.

I ignored her and stepped out of the elevator.

But the woman and her companions leisurely followed me out.

She even approached the entrance to the shower room.

“Only S-ranks are allowed here.”

I pointed at the letter “S” on the wall with my finger.

“Oh dear, what should I do? I’m not a Hunter…”

She smiled faintly, feigning regret.

But I could tell.

This woman didn’t care about rank, just like me.

“What’s in it for me if I let you in?”

“What’s in it for you?”

For the first time, she dropped her formal tone and echoed my words.

“Yes. What matters most to me is the benefit.”

“Of course there is. Everyone who follows me is here because of that very ‘benefit.’”

She patted the shoulders of the bald man and the boy standing next to her.

“If you help me, you’ll learn about the dreadful future that lies ahead.”

The future…?

My brow furrowed slightly.

Her unexpected words made me grimace.

I’d never heard of such a reward before.

“I don’t believe in vague nonsense like that. If you’ve heard of me, you should’ve known that much.”

“I do know. You’re thorough and only invest in clear matters.”

She pinched the collar of her shirt as if it were stifling her.

Then, loosening her neckline, she continued.

“But the more pragmatic a person is, the more they must prepare for the future.”

Her loosened shirt revealed slightly more of her collarbone.

But my resolve hardened even further as I turned away from her.

“Take that ridiculous pitch and tell it to the brat clinging to your leg.”

I couldn’t believe her. She wasn’t some gypsy fortune teller.

Without a second glance, I headed straight into the shower room.

I needed to be spotless before meeting Sun-ye later.

“…”

Even after I went inside, the woman didn’t leave immediately.

Her clouded eyes remained fixed on the shower room’s direction.

The bald man with her asked her a question.

“What’s so special about a weak-looking girl like that that you’re hanging around her?”

He crossed his arms, holding the elevator door open.

In the time they had come up, the elevator had already returned to the 1st floor.

“She’s the sixth. That child is a once-in-a-lifetime talent.”

The woman murmured with half-closed eyes.

“Even if ten kids with your level of skill fought her, they wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“Ha, what a joke.”

The man scoffed loudly, irritated by her words.

The woman shifted the topic as if to calm him.

“So, did you finish off all the unaffiliated Hunters? I told you to sweep through Sindorim.”

“I haven’t gone there yet. There’s a Wyvern nest in that area. I plan to wait until people show up to hunt it.”

“And then you’ll pick off the exhausted ones after the fight?”

The man smirked and nodded.

The woman raised a finger, seemingly impressed by his strategy.

“That’s a brilliant idea. You’re learning quickly.”

The bald man coughed awkwardly at her praise.

Then she made him an offer.

“Next time, take the eighth along with you.”

“This little kid? What a hassle…”

She gently nudged the child toward the man.

The boy hesitantly moved toward him.

“More hands make the work lighter, don’t they?”

The woman smiled faintly.

Her smile made the man reluctantly agree.

“Fine…”

The woman’s braided hair swayed.

She sniffed the steam wafting out of the shower room.

“It smells nice. A fragrant soap scent.”

Feeling warm, she fanned herself and tugged at her collar.

A tattoo on her collarbone was revealed.

「01.」

—

Near midnight.

After leaving the association building, I headed to the bar where Sun-ye was supposed to be.

At night, most people stayed home due to safety concerns.

You could tell if a place was occupied just by whether the windows were lit.

But oddly, the shop Sun-ye had asked me to come to was dark.

Feeling uneasy, I cautiously grabbed the door handle.

As expected, the inside of the shop was pitch black.

It was deathly silent, entirely unlike the lively atmosphere typical of Sun-ye.

I rested my hand on my waist.

Moving soundlessly, I stepped further inside.

“Sun-ye?”

I called out softly.

But there was no response.

Before I knew it, I’d reached the counter.

Still not seeing her, I pulled out my phone.

In the dark shop, only the faint glow of the phone screen lit the space.

I slowly dialed Sun-ye’s number.

“010…”

It was around the fifth digit when it happened.

“Boo!”

Someone suddenly popped up from behind the counter.

Startled, I nearly reached for my weapon.

But I stopped just short of drawing my blade.

It was the girl I’d been searching for, Sun-ye, popping up from beneath the counter.

“Surprised?”

Her face glowed faintly in the phone light.

But my expression didn’t change.

“Yeah. I almost cut you in half.”

Even my grim remark didn’t faze her.

Instead, she replied confidently.

“But you wouldn’t, would you?”

She smiled mischievously as if she already knew everything about me.

Does she think she has nine lives or something…

“So, why’d you call me out here at this hour?”

“No reason. It’s been a while since we spent time together.”

When I asked, Sun-ye fidgeted shyly, twisting her body.

“I’ve been busy.”

I avoided her gaze.

Seeing this, her face followed mine like a puppy chasing attention.

“How was your day?”

“It was just the same as usual. Training, hunting monsters when they appear, finishing the hunt, then going home.”

“That sounds tough.”

She made a tired face as if imagining my daily routine.

In response, I asked her a perfunctory question.

“How about you? Isn’t it hard pouring drinks at the bar every day?”

It’s hard to believe that someone who was once a standout at the facility now does this kind of work.

She managed to survive there for four years, so she could probably become an S-rank Hunter if she tried.

Why would she choose to serve people instead?

“Not at all. I like it now.”

Sun-ye rested her chin on her hand and gazed at me.

Her eyes, unlike mine, were clear and sparkling.

“I find joy in serving people a drink and seeing how that drink comforts them.”

Joy…

I let the word roll around in my mouth for a moment.

“And today, I’m expecting the best guest of my life.”

As I tried to grasp the meaning of the word “joy,” she pulled out a hidden glass.

A tall, transparent glass.

Under the moonlight, the glass sparkled like an enchanted elixir.

“I told you, I don’t drink alcohol.”

“But… I worked so hard to prepare this for you…”

She looked up at me with the most pitiful expression.

Being shorter than me, she often made that face whenever things didn’t go her way.

“Ha…”

I shook my head, resigned.

If I refused, she’d sulk all day.

Not wanting to deal with that, I gestured for her to do as she pleased.

“You won’t regret this.”

She began pulling out cocktail ingredients she had prepared in advance.

It was as if she’d known I’d eventually agree.

What a cunning little puppy.

That puppy focused intently on the ingredients in her hands.

In a shaker filled with ice…

She added one ounce of clear vodka.

One ounce of fragrant peach liqueur.

Five milliliters of blue curaçao.

And a splash of golden apple juice.

She then gave the shaker a light rhythmic shake.

The chilled shaker, now frosted, rested against the glass.

Finally, a stream of blue moonlight poured slowly into the glass.

Grade: ★★★★☆ (???)
Effect: Increases all the target’s stats by 2.

Information: A flawless aquamarine.
As beautiful as the blue hues of the sea.

Although Anna has never swum before, this color of the sea feels incredibly familiar to her.
It’s a taste so impactful it feels like regaining something once lost.

“Aquamarine is March’s birthstone.”

Sun-ye spoke softly as she slid the glass toward me.

“And we escaped the facility on March 14.”

The blue waves inside the glass swayed gently.

“That day, I felt like we were reborn.”

Sun-ye clasped her hands together politely and stared at the aquamarine, just as I did.

“You said you don’t even remember when your birthday is. So how about we decide our birthday is in March from now on?”

The moment I heard her words, I looked away from the aquamarine.

I stared directly at Sun-ye.

She was smiling.

But for some reason, her smile felt sad to me.

That sadness unknowingly made me agree to her suggestion.

“Alright.”

I lifted the glass slowly.

Carefully, I sipped the blue sea.

A sweet apple fragrance filled my mouth.

It was a calm, aromatic flavor that paired perfectly with the late night.

By the time I had emptied half the glass…

Sun-ye approached me slowly.

Her eyes mirrored the gentle waves of the aquamarine.

Perhaps because of that ebb and flow, my chest began to tremble slightly.

I tried to blame the feeling on the strong drink.

But soon, the trembling became impossible to ignore.

Because…

Sun-ye kissed me.

“…”

The aquamarine that lingered on my lips stained her as well.

The beautiful girl who had just turned twenty half-closed her eyes and whispered to me.

“Happy birthday, Anna.”