M E M O R I Z E (MEMORIZE)

When I opened my eyes, I noticed the warm rays of sunlight in the room, but the air was still cold. I massaged my temples for a while, touched my body and got up from the bed. The resplendent rays of the sun shone in the room through the window. In the past, I would have complained about fatigue; however, since my resistance and magic were both high, a few injuries and fatigue were healed through self-recovery.

I shook my head once and looked around the room. I turned my gaze to my body and took care of the bruising. An Hyun was so tired that he was still asleep, as though he didn’t care what happened to the world. The other man, Shin Sang Yong, lay next to him. His eyes were still shut tight. His unconsciousness was probably due to the anesthesia which was injected by the spider. But, its effects were likely to disappear within a day. I cracked my knuckles and stretched my hands.

When I looked out the window, I saw that the sun had already risen brilliantly into the sky, brightening up the entire world. It was a sunny day, would be a nice day for a picnic. I opened the door to the next room and heard the sound of four people breathing out. I put my arms in the pocket and then went out of the room.  It was a sunny day, which would be nice for a picnic. I came out of my room and opened the door to the adjacent room, and I heard the sound of four people breathing softly. I stuffed my hands into my pockets and went out of the room.

When I went down the creaky wooden stairs, I saw the lobby of the rustic inn. There wasn’t a single player visible. The movement will deepen as the Golden Lion Clan will go to the expedition to the Steel Ranges. Those idiots. I spoke out and sat down.

Go Yeon-Ju was sleeping while sitting in a chair in the kitchen. I saw her lift her head slightly when she heard me sit down. If you’re a user who has already been in the 10th level, It is useless to pretend to be asleep when it is so obvious that you heard me coming down the stairs.

**It wasn’t that**. Go Yeon-Ju’s swollen eyes were still closed. There were indeed a lot of players at the inn yesterday. If she really had enough strength, she wouldn’t be this tired. What happened? Although I was curious, curiosity wasn’t a part of my job description, so I just settled for a light greeting.

“Good Morning.”

“Yes… Good… Morning…”

She placed her hand over her mouth and yawned while replying my greeting. Her peculiar attire and smooth legs caught my ear, but I turned my face to the menu with a grim feeling. I wanted a simple breakfast, so I immediately placed an order.

“Today, I want a simple A course…”

“Ah, hmm… hmm. Sure, it’ll take some time to prepare it.”

“I don’t know what’s going on. Anyway, just give me what you made yesterday.”

“Love you…”

Although, in her favor, her expression of relief on her face seemed heartfelt, the additional words at the end were too audible.

“You must have had a lot to do yesterday,” I mentioned.

“Don’t remind me. It was hectic yesterday and today will be no different. This place was crowded from dusk till dawn. There were also a couple of drunk guys who were making a racket, so I kicked them out one after another; I took their money and took back the food, too, so I’m really tired, and my body is really stiff.

As she spoke, she rested her ass firmly on the chair opposite me, seemingly waiting for me to continue the conversation. I laughed. This is a price I had to pay. I suddenly felt immense respect for the players who were in here yesterday. Please, lower body… don’t cause me any trouble…

But why on earth did she sit across from me? I wish I could get my meal soon. Nevertheless, she remained right in front of me, and soon, many players will start coming in-some, with the intention to flirt.

No. If she didn’t want all that attention, she wouldn’t wear clothes like these. Her chest was already exposed, and her robe only seemed content covering up the places before the upper part of her thighs. Did she enjoy being such a tease? I couldn’t get the image out of my head, and the question almost came out of my mouth, but I swallowed my curiosity back down, in the ed. I didn’t say anything else, shrugged my shoulders and took out a cigar.

When Go Yeon-Ju saw my nonchalant reaction, she narrowed her eyes, pouted her lips and spoke in a disgruntled tone.

“Oh. Acting like that… don’t you want to talk to me?”

“Huh? I have been talking to you, haven’t I? I just thought I heard something.”

“I good at reading the mood. Do you want me to quickly go and bring your food?”

“Ah, no.”

When she heard my answer, Go Yeon-Ju got up from her chair, bickering. Although the kind smile remained on my face as I watched her stand up, beads of sweat dripped down my forehead.

“Yesterday, you were equally as cold. Hmm. Do you think I’d do this with just anyone?”

“Yesterday, I was a little tired…”

Her face grew sullen and her nostrils flared. I really had nothing else to say to her.

“That bad, huh? Fine. The innkeeper will bring your meal soon.”

“Don’t misunderstand. But please warm the food a little.”

“That’s wonderful. It looks like you’ve waited to a lot for it.”

She mumbled, hoping that I’d hear, and turned away swiftly. She started walking to the kitchen in a teasing manner; 1st step, a little pause; 2nd step, a longer pause; 3rd step, 4th step… I watched her back silently and recalled everything that happened since the start of the year. Soon, a pleasant fragrance seemed to waft from the innkeeper who was swaggered with every step.

I didn’t fall for it and looked away. She smiled at that and watched me smoke my cigar.

“Mr. Su Hyun, don’t you see a lot of things that don’t seem right?”

“Yeah?”

“If a woman says those exact words, wouldn’t you consider it a little sketchy?”

“…Let’s start with the food.”

That response betrayed her expectations, causing her to roll her eyes. With a few quick strides, she narrowed the distance between us. I wasn’t ready to succumb to her wishes, but I was ready to repel all her advances. Suddenly, she reached for my cigar.

“Aht.”

“The Decent-Lady Inn is a no smoking area, customer.”

“That’s not what I saw when I came in yesterday. Almost everyone I saw was smoking.”

She smiled at my rebuttal.

“It’s smoking in the morning that isn’t allowed, Mr customer.”

“… this is too much.”

I let out a sigh and removed the cigar from my mouth. When I looked at her, she shrugged. When I looked away, her attitude changed and her smile turned sly.

“Mhmm. This is the owner’s wish. Good luck, Mr. customer.”

She let out a seductive breath on my cheek and swaggered into the kitchen. As I watched her strut towards the kitchen, I pulled out another cigar. However, she didn’t stop me this time.

*

Bread, soup and meat stew. A simple A course. It is literally simple. What else would anyone want to eat in the morning? Although it was simple, it was just right for this time of the day. I stuffed a spoonful of the meat stew into my mouth and chewed. The delicious taste of the meat made me smile. Yesterday, all I could think about was getting some rest, but today was a new day.

Go Yeon-Ju rested her head on her hand and tapped her cheek with her forefinger. I looked over and saw her reading something with intense concentration. I looked away. I wasn’t proud that I didn’t know much about her, but I did realize that she loved challenging me; I was her favorite opponent. Then again, did I ever say that I liked it? I always felt better when I knew a lot more about someone.

“Chik Chik…..”

Suddenly, as I read the day’s newsletter, I heard the sound of a tongue clicking. **She also seemed to be reading the news reported about the Gold Lion Clan. In other words, she shared the same thoughts that I did. As I drank the Kimchi soup, I bowed my head in thought, thinking that recruitment into the clan might begin soon. At that moment, sounds of footsteps echoed from the staircase.

Tak. Tak. Tak. Tak.

It was the sound of someone coming down the stairs. Usually, when An Hyun and Yoo-Jung came down the stairs, they don’t make such sounds. And the sound of An Sol coming down the stairs is a little more cautious than this; uneasy but modest and graceful steps. The sounds players made while coming down the stairs differed, especially wizards.

As I listened to the footsteps, it suddenly ceased. I waited for the owner to come down the stairs, and when they did, I gestured at them with my left hand to come over. She hesitated for a moment, but she noticed my gesture, she came over straight away.

I felt her approach and stand just behind me, before greeting with a subtle tone.

“You are awake. Is your body alright?”

“… I don’t have much strength but it’s okay. Then…”

“Hmm. My party and I rescued you from the dungeon.”

The voice I heard was pure. Naturally, this was the female wizard who we rescued from the dungeon. I pointed at a chair in front of me, and she sat down on the designated chair with her head bowed.

“Thank you for saving me. I am Jung Ha Yeon, a second-year player. I have a regular wizard job.”

She settled for thanking me first, before revealing her name and her job. That was unlike the normal greeting etiquette; however, my first impression of her wasn’t bad, and I gazed at her for a few moments.

The beauty stared back at me with a blank expression. Honestly, although An Sol, Yoo-Jung and Kim Han Byul were all very pretty and charming, Jung Ha Yeon wasn’t only a beauty, she also had a unique charm about her.

Piercing, Innocent deep-set eyes, and a short hair which didn’t reach her shoulder. She looked intelligent and exuded elegance. She was exactly like Kim Han Byul, but also had a bit of An Sol and Yoo-Jung in her. If I were to take her to the University OT, she would be voted the number 1 beauty amongst the seniors.

“I’m Kim So Hyun, and I’ve been a player for 0 years. Inspection class.”

Upon hearing my introduction, Jung Ha Yeon’s eyes widened. However, she recovered briefly and nodded, waiting for me to lead the conversation.

The more we conversed the more her confidence grew until she was had a soft smile on her face. We both had questions for each other. But, I decided to go ahead and answer her un-asked question, first, in a calm voice; it was the first piece of information that she needed to know.

“Yesterday, our party rescued you from the dungeon and brought you here. If we didn’t, it would have taken 2 to 3 days for you to recover. I’m sure you will feel even better once you’ve had something to eat.”

“You’re nice. Thank you… Thank you.”

I called Go Yeon Jun over and ordered another A course meal. This one took a little more time than the previous meal, which took even less than five minutes, to get served. It shouldn’t have taken long, after all, it was the food left over from yesterday. I smiled slightly when her meal was served.

When I started to eat again, she also picked up her spoon. She hesitated for a while, but her hunger took over, and she quickly gobbled up some soup from her bowl and a bottle of water.

“I’m sorry… May I ask what happened to the others?”

“Well, of course. I’ll tell you everything, but after you finish eating….”

I deliberately turned around, feeling sorry. Once she had eaten a bit of her meal, I revealed to her that the archers and priests were all turned to pieces. Her younger sister, Jung Ji Yeon, became the mother of the monsters. She was pregnant and tired. I only made the revelations out of a keen consideration for her. It was a shocking news to deliver, especially while she was eating.

It wouldn’t have been hard for her to piece together what had happened, after all, she had been in the Hall Plane for two years already. Her face turned ashen and tears flowed down her face. I tried to comfort her.

“Don’t cry. The monster was destroyed, and there is still one person who made it, albeit still unconscious…”

I was barely able to say that as I was aware of the real situation. Jung Ha Yeon nodded and wiped her tears.

I gazed at her with a sad expression and shook my head. She silently listened to everything else I said without anymore outbursts, but distraught was visible in her eyes.

For a while, there was silence at out our table. Jung Ha Yeon had stopped eating as if she wasn’t hungry or her appetite had vanished. She just stared at the dish in silence. She kept her head down, and I gazed at her, deciding it was time to speak.