I Became a Raid Boss

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Thud

“Ah, damn.”

The man grimaced.

“I haven’t even finished half of it yet.”

Thinking positively, at least I’ve made half of it.

…That can’t be it.

The sole of his sneaker harshly crushed a cigarette butt.

Should I light one more?

The man’s hand rummaged through the cigarette pack.

“Just a moment….”

It seemed like there were still a few sticks left when he came to the smoking area.

The answer lay at his feet.

Countless cigarette butts scattered on the floor.

The number had easily surpassed five, so it was hardly surprising that there were no cigarettes left in the pack.

Only then did the man snap back to reality.

If it had been his usual pace, he would have had enough to last for several days.

Going out to buy cigarettes felt bothersome, especially since the price had just gone up, leaving his wallet hanging in precarious balance.

The man put the last remaining stick of tobacco in his mouth.

Tick, tick!

They say that on days like this, nothing goes right, and despite repeatedly flicking his lighter, a flame refused to appear.

Just as irritation boiled to the top of his head—

Whoosh—

The flame ignited, fueled by the man’s anger.

At last, the man successfully lit his cigarette and took a deep breath.

As the nicotine seeped deep into his lungs, he finally felt his head clear.

With a clearer mind, he reached for his phone, which he had set aside for a moment.

“Ugh, idiots.”

Why are there so many morons in the world?

The man chuckled to himself as he scrolled through the comments on his post.

What was there to hide?

The man, currently with a cigarette in his mouth, was, in fact, the writer of the piece about streamer J, Joanie, and her cousin.

It had been barely a day since he posted it, yet it had attracted a staggering number of comments, even without counting his replies.

This was by far the most heated reaction he had ever received for any of his posts.

Of course, not all comments were kind.

Some came merely to see what the fuss was about, while others labeled him a criminal.

“Criminal, my foot.”

As if taking a simple photo could be a crime.

Even if they used that against him, he could just say he was photographing the scenery.

A declaration of stalking?

That could easily be dismissed as just a joke.

The reason the man used a VPN to post was simply his habit, not out of fear.

“Even so, it’s frustrating.”

He had shared his curiosity, only for people to call it fabricated, or for them to say the evidence was flimsy.

At that moment, the man felt as if he could understand the struggles of the noble.

He had thought it didn’t matter whether people believed him or not, but now that he was being labeled a liar, he felt overwhelmingly uncomfortable.

Spit.

The man spat out the filter he had been chewing and flicked the butt to the ground.

‘Evidence? If they want evidence so badly, I can show them some.’

If he presented solid proof, those who slandered him would have no choice but to stop.

And he would bask in victory while laughing at the ones fleeing with their tails between their legs.

The man tossed the empty cigarette pack into the trash and left the smoking area.

His steps were brisk, filled with a noble mission to reveal the truth to everyone.

“Hey, student! How can you just leave your cigarette butt behind?! Hurry up and pick it up!”

“I-I’m sorry…!”

“People like you ruin the reputation of smokers. You get that?”

He almost turned to leave, but at the stern rebuke from an uncle smoking nearby, he turned back to pick up the butt he had discarded.

“Damn, old man….”

He swallowed the words he couldn’t say out loud.

*

Ding dong ding dong!

“…Ugh.”

Ding dong!

I pulled the blanket up to my head, but the insistent doorbell pierced through my ears.

…Who in the world rings someone’s doorbell at such an early hour?

“Technically, it’s not exactly early.”

“Does that even matter?!”

“Pfft… Why not just get up? Sleeping too much isn’t good for you.”

“I don’t want to…”

I could get up if I really wanted to, but is there any reason to?

Ignoring the gentle patting on my back, I burrowed further into the blanket.

“Ugh. At this rate, who knows if someone might carry you away. If it were Kana, she might know she was being taken but still just sleep through it, saying she’d rather sleep because it’s a hassle.”

That might be true.

To be precise, it’s not so much that I wouldn’t mind being carried away, but more that I was confident I could return just fine.

Anyway.

As I wallowed in the soft cocoon of warmth without making an effort to wake up, I sensed Da-eun’s presence drifting further away.

It seemed she was heading off to check who was at the relentless doorbell.

“…”

I tried to keep my eyes closed, attempting to drift back towards sleep.

“Ugh…”

Though the doorbell that had tormented me finally ceased, the drowsiness that had fled didn’t return.

In and out.

Caught at the crossroads, I finally peeked my head out from under the blanket.

That was essentially a declaration of surrender.

I wanted to sleep more, but since I wasn’t sleepy, what could I do?

Though forcibly pulled into reality by an unwelcome guest, that didn’t give me a reason to get out of bed.

As I had just said, there was nothing to do outside, so lying around in bed felt vastly superior.

All of a sudden—

“Kana~”

The slightly closed door cracked open, revealing a familiar face.

“Are you sleeping~?”

“No.”

“Yeah! You sure look like it.”

“…?”

What kind of conversation is this?

I was so bewildered that I forgot I was rolling around on the spacious bed, staring at Da-eun, who approached me with a languid grin.

She flopped down on the edge of the bed.

The bed shook lightly with her movement.

Da-eun rarely spoke, simply looking down at me with a smile.

“Who was it?”

In the end, I was the first to break the silence.

“It was a guest.”

“…What guest rings the bell like that?”

Unless it was a loan shark come to collect a debt or something.

Slightly pouty, Da-eun once again let out a soft laugh and reached out.

Her long fingers brushed aside the pink hair that tickled my eyes.

“That guest wants to see Kana. Do you want to meet them?”

“A guest? Me?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Who are they?”

“That’s a secret!”

“Huh?”

“If I tell you in advance, it wouldn’t be fun!”

“…”

Is this some kind of bizarre…

“Hey, stop with the bad words!”

“Why is this a bad word?”

Anyway.

There’s no way a complete stranger would come to see me, and they must know someone else, so they have to be someone familiar.

If they’re visiting at such an early hour—

“Is it my aunt?”

“Hmm~ Who knows? Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t.”

“Why can’t you just say yes or no?”

Da-eun replied evasively, and I shifted to sit up against the headboard.

“Do as you like.”

There’s no way Da-eun brought someone strange along.

With a somewhat lukewarm permission, I got ready to greet the guest.

To be honest, my preparation consisted simply of sitting up from lying down.

Da-eun grinned upon receiving my permission.

“Did you hear that? Come in!”

As the slightly open door swung completely open, I turned to Da-eun.

“You said it was a guest.”

“It is a guest, right?”

“A guest, no. A guest guy.”

“Technically, if we’re nitpicking, it’s a guest girl.”

The guest, no, the girl came closer to the bed.

She looked as if she was about to sit down but suddenly remembered she was dressed to go out and opted to plop down on the floor instead, appearing a bit awkward.

I stared at the silver hair lower than my line of sight and tossed out a question.

“Why are you here so early in the morning?”

“You haven’t been to the gymnasium in a while.”

“A while?”

I began counting on my fingers.

No matter how many times I counted, my folded fingers didn’t connect with the other hand.

“It’s not like it’s been that long, right?”

“A few days is quite a while.”

“Oh, right.”

Yuki was always like this.

On the surface, she appeared perfectly fine, but once you talked to her, you felt like there was a screw loose somewhere.

I slid down from leaning against the bed and burrowed into my blanket.

“What are you doing in front of a guest like that!”

“You admitted she wasn’t a guest.”

“Still!”

“Ugh…”

—I was pulled out of the blanket by Da-eun, who reached in under my armpits.

“Looks like you’re like this most of the time.”

“Well… it’s not always like this. Kana tends to be weak in the mornings, so she only acts like this in the morning.”

“Why are you so kind all of a sudden?”

“Because you’re acting like such a prick after being pulled from your sleep.”

“Stop explaining every little thing.”

What kind of ruckus was this happening in the morning?

The peaceful morning was already long gone, and all that preoccupied my mind was ‘how to end this ruckus quickly.’

“So, you found me because I didn’t come for a few days?”

“Of course, if someone goes missing for days without a word, you’d have to check up on them.”

“…Did I not say anything?”

“You didn’t.”

Yuki stated matter-of-factly.

Da-eun scratched her head awkwardly.

“Come to think of it, I didn’t tell Yuki…”

“Not like you had a duty to say it.”

“Still, if you abruptly cut contact, it’s disconcerting, so it’s some sort of duty, I suppose.”

“Hmm.”

“And you’re the person who knows our situation the best, plus you are used to these kinds of issues, so it would’ve been good if you’d provided some insights.”

“Not very reassuring, but… alright.”

There was no need for her to persuade me.

Then again, Da-eun was someone more familiar with socializing than I was, so she had a point.

Upon receiving my tacit approval, Da-eun explained to Yuki why I had to take a break for a few days.

To be honest, the reason for staying holed up at home for a few days was more than that.

“Ah, I see.”

Yuki nodded after hearing the full story.

“Well, in that case, it’s understandable.”

“Have you experienced anything similar, Yuki?”

“Yeah. Quite a bit.”

She didn’t openly showcase her information, but neither did she hide it completely, so naturally, stalker types gravitated towards her.

“That’s interesting. I only did 24-hour non-communication hunting broadcasts, yet I still get those types.”

“Those people don’t think they can just get close to streamers. It’s been said that some do it out of a superiority complex, feeling like they can manipulate famous people.”

“Heh.”

“So, when that happens, how do you usually deal with it, Yuki?”

“My methods aren’t really helpful.”

“Eh?”

Yuki kindly replied to Da-eun, who tilted her head in confusion.

“I resolve it through a fight.”

“…Eh?”

“To be precise, I handle it through sparring. Whenever I find stalkers, I call them into the ring, and if I win, I tell them I’ll do what they want.”

…What kind of simplistic and stupid solution is this?

But that solution struck me as very Yuki-like, leaving both Da-eun and me speechless as we exchanged incredulous glances.

Da-eun was the first to speak up.

“What if you lose?”

“I’ve never lost.”

“So what if you do lose? Those people won’t ask for normal demands…”

“They have to accept it. The world of competition is harsh.”

“Seriously?”

Da-eun belted out, her words filled with genuine incredulity as she turned her head sharply away.

“Don’t tell me you think like Yuki too, Kana?”

“Not a chance.”

Why on earth would I gamble with those shady creeps?

I’d just knock them away.

After hearing my answer, Da-eun nodded.

“Got it. This isn’t a situation to leave to Kana.”

“So I’m staying quiet.”

Of course, I knew my values were somewhat misaligned with those of this world.

So, I understood that I might seem irresponsible, but I was completely entrusting Da-eun.

I just answered when asked, had no intention of stepping in.

“And if they keep sticking around after I refuse to fight or if they persist even after a loss?”

“Well, the latter is pretty rare. After getting beaten in the ring, most of them run off with their tails between their legs. If they don’t keep their promise, though, I can get help from authorities. The same applies when I refuse a fight.”

“Shouldn’t that be the other way around?”

“Well, in any case, isn’t it good to have resolved it?”

“Eh, not quite.”

Yuki frowned at Da-eun’s resolute denial, and Da-eun sighed.

“I can’t believe I thought this would help.”

“I told you, didn’t I?”

“Not very reassuring.”

“Yeah. I should’ve listened. Our Kana wouldn’t say something wrong, right?”

“Not quite.”

“Hmm, wait a second. Are you teasing me?”

“Hehe.”

As I subtly avoided her gaze, Da-eun caught on to my intentions and pulled me into a hug.

Her innocent smile clearly indicated that she was brushing aside the conversation.

“So, are you going to hide at home until it all blows over?”

“Not quite hiding, but I’m planning to limit going out as much as possible. I don’t want to give them any reason to latch onto me.”

“Should I help you out?”

“No, thanks.”

“Eh.”

Once again, Yuki was turned down flat, her expression drooping in a way that seemed oddly envious as she looked at us.

“If you’re driving around, maybe you won’t have any trouble. They say there’s always a chance, though.”

“It probably won’t happen overnight.”

“Yeah, I think so too. But, you know, having this opportunity to spend time with Kana like this isn’t such a bad deal. Lately, Kana’s been busy, and we haven’t been able to chill like this. Right, Kana?”

“I feel like I’ve been relaxing just fine.”

“I’ll give you chocolate, okay?”

“Okay. I think so too.”

“That’s bribery.”

Yuki grumbled, having witnessed a blatant act of bribery without any intention of hiding it.

Then she presented another solution.

“Or how about staying at our house until everything’s sorted?”

“Not really…”

This suggestion didn’t quite sit well with me.

It was an opinion that didn’t resonate with either Da-eun or myself.

“They say if you leave home, it’s all hardships.”

“You know that saying?”

“…”

“Hehe… Sorry, it was just a joke. Don’t growl at me.”

“I wasn’t growling.”

As if I were a beast or something in that sense.

“You might not be a beast, but you’re definitely a cat. Kana-nyang!”

Suddenly something was placed on my head.

Though I couldn’t see it, it wasn’t hard to guess what it was.

It was definitely the hood of the pajamas I was wearing.

“Yuki, look at Kana! Isn’t she cute?”

“O….”

“What do you mean by ‘o…’?”

I shook my head vigorously, trying to throw off Da-eun’s hand.

Along with that, I tossed away whatever rebellious garment it was.

“Ah, but it was cute…”

“What does it even matter?”

I was forced to wear it, and now it felt more like a negotiation than a true choice, and I just couldn’t handle it.

Unlike what I thought, it was rather comfortable, though.

“If you really want to train, find me in Silia. I might humor you a few times.”

“Hmm… It’s unfortunate, but it can’t be helped.”

I thought she would be tenacious about sticking around, but surprisingly, Yuki accepted it without much fight.

Was she experienced in something similar?

Anyway, there wasn’t much need to say anything further.

“Now that you’ve come all this way, let’s get you to train a bit.”

“Okay.”

“Wait, wait! The homeowner is listening right here. What are you two doing? Are you trying to mess up my house?!”

“Don’t worry. I don’t plan any fighting or anything like that.”

I, too, wouldn’t want to turn my place into a mess.

“Like when you first came here.”

“…Ugh. Can we just forget about that yet?”

It was getting quite tiresome to keep rehashing that.

Da-eun’s face clearly reflected her thoughts about that.

For the unreasonable price I paid for messing up someone else’s head.

With a scoff, I raised myself.

Even if I didn’t disturb others, I didn’t want to cause ruckus while resting in bed.

“Da-eun, you come too.”

“…Me? Me too?”

“Do you have something else to do?”

“Not really, but…”

“Then hurry up.”

“I wanted to cuddle with Kana all day today… but you ruined it!”

“Was that my fault?”

Ignoring the ruckus behind me, I stepped out into the living room first.

In any case, it seemed for the time being, we needed to keep living inside the house as Da-eun said.

It felt slightly suffocating, but it couldn’t be helped.

-However, the situation unfolded a bit differently than we expected.