Chapter 57
I made a mistake.
Without thinking too much, I expressed my gratitude, and whoosh, Pururu’s real name slipped out!
Pururu seemed flustered, posted a question mark in the chat, and went silent for a while.
【Mysticism】─
But not really. I called it out completely thoughtlessly…
I’m just as flustered right now.
I accidentally revealed Pururu’s identity with my own mouth, but as I said earlier, it was just a slip-up and the situation was too sudden.
“I was supposed to prepare myself and reveal it slowly…”
…Well, since I’ve already blurted it out, there’s no helping it.
You can’t put spilled water back into the container!
I decided to push forward after calling her name.
“Dan-bi, why are you silent?”
Did she get surprised by the sudden situation and exit the broadcast?
I checked the assistant list just in case.
“Looks like she hasn’t left.”
Pururu was still on the assistant list.
She was probably just contemplating how to overcome this situation.
After about 30 seconds, Pururu’s chat finally popped up.
It was unexpected.
Honestly, I thought she would deny it at first.
Like, “I’m not Dan-bi!” in that style.
But who would have guessed she’d admit it so readily?
If that’s the case, then why on earth did she hide her identity all this time?
“I recognized you right away from the drawing. Your art style is too distinctive!”
“What reasons?”
“What do you mean by that?”
A laugh escaped me at her unexpected reasoning.
I wondered if there was some big reason for it, but she’d kept it secret simply out of worry about not being remembered.
Such a girl with unnecessary concerns.
“Why would I forget you? We were in the same class, it’s not like I’d forget!”
Of course, I don’t remember all of them.
It’s been over nine years since we graduated!
“If we weren’t really close, I might forget you.”
“Even so, if I heard your name or saw your face, I’d at least remember a bit!”
“Who’s that?”
“No way, I had zero connection with her. Not remembering someone whose name I heard means we hardly talked at school.”
Her analogy was a bit weird.
Unlike with Min Joo-hyun, I had quite a bit of overlap with Seo Dan-bi.
Though we hadn’t kept in touch much after graduation, and hadn’t contacted each other since I traveled to the other world…
We shared a common hobby of drawing back in school, which meant we spent a lot of time drawing together during breaks.
There’s no way those memories would fade in just nine years’ time.
“I’m telling you, you’re different from her. We were way closer than that!”
“……..”
“……..”
“I thought we were pretty close back in school, but you didn’t think so. I’m quite disappointed.”
But honestly, I didn’t think we were that close.
From an objective standpoint, we weren’t that close at all.
What I just said was merely teasing her.
She’d hidden her identity for so long; it was warranting some teasing!
*
Just for the record, Pururu was actually pretty.
At least by my standards.
I didn’t notice it from afar, but up close, her features were very distinct.
She didn’t stand out back in school since she didn’t bother with looks, but if she had made an effort, she would have been quite popular.
Anyway.
My old classmate Seo Dan-bi, reunited after a long time.
I asked her how she’d been and, feeling glad, chatted about various things.
Then, suddenly, the other assistants started to grill Pururu with questions.
“Just… she loved to draw, was ordinary, and had a quiet personality.”
“I guess she changed as she got older.”
Starting from what kind of person Pururu was, the assistants kept showering her with questions.
Then suddenly, an unexpected one popped up.
“Well, I don’t think that’s true. We just had a common hobby, and we were friends. I never felt like Dan-bi liked me.”
I didn’t. Just a friend.
Before I could even answer, Pururu typed first.
“Dan-bi, let’s not discuss that.”
“Nothing to be sorry about.”
The lively chat suddenly dulled.
Out of the blue, the atmosphere turned awkward.
To lift the mood, I decided to switch the topic.
As I pondered what to bring up, it suddenly struck me about the invitation tickets I had forgotten.
“…Ah, right! I haven’t used the invitation tickets yet.”
Originally, I planned to gather a few more before using them, but I decided to just use one now since it popped into my mind.
At least this should help divert the assistants’ curiosity about my past!
I gently petted the Melody Fox sleeping on my lap and used ten low-level invitation tickets.
[Kyurolorong.]
[Low-Level Support Request]
▷Holding invitation tickets: 10
「You have called an Assistant.」
「You used 10 low-level invitation tickets.」
「The method of requesting support is determined randomly.」
「The request method has been decided.」
「Requesting support from someone connected to Kang Geon.」
「Determining breadth of connection.」
「The breadth of connection has been determined.」
「We’re not talking about just brushing elbows? NO! Just locking eyes is enough!」
「Sending a letter to someone who has made eye contact with Kang Geon.」
「Randomly generating invitation phrase.」
====================
Somebody help me!
The labyrinth explorer ‘Kang Geon’ has requested assistance!
If you want to assist Kang Geon, hurry up and put this letter in your mouth and swallow it!
※If you do not open this letter and consume it within 3 hours, it will disappear and Kang Geon’s request for support will be canceled!
====================
「10 letters have been generated.」
「The letters will be sent across the dimensions.」
“Hmm…”
【Mysticism】─
“I think I’ll just take a nap.”
I decided to erase the memory of just having used the invitation tickets.