Chapter 23:
“Wow, Mr. Baek Joo-won. You look great even in training clothes.”
It was just a standard uniform provided by the Center, but on Baek Joo-won, it looked like a model posing for a magazine shoot.
He must work out regularly; his physique was impressive. Broad shoulders, a toned torso, well-defined arms, and long legs.
Seo Jae-yi unconsciously scanned his figure, outlined by the training clothes.
“Your gaze is rather disrespectful.”
Baek Joo-won subtly shielded his body. However, instead of averting her eyes, Seo Jae-yi presented the bouquet, which she had crafted with Airok’s coaching.
“Here’s today’s bribe.”
“Are you saying I’ll let you watch quietly if I take this?”
“You’re very perceptive, Mr. Baek Joo-won.”
Instead of answering, Baek Joo-won accepted the bouquet with a solemn expression.
“Huh?”
He was surprised by the bouquet’s appearance, which was different from what he had expected.
“Did you buy this?”
“I’m a flower shop owner; why would I buy a bouquet?”
“Then you made this yourself?”
“Yes!”
“Strange. This can’t be right. It shouldn’t look this decent.”
Baek Joo-won scrutinized the bouquet with a serious expression.
The bouquet hadn’t undergone a dramatic improvement. However, the arrangement of the purple flowers and the deep green eucalyptus leaves didn’t look bad, and the pale yellow wrapping paper complemented the flowers without being overwhelming.
While the slightly crumpled wrapping paper and the loosely tied ribbon weren’t perfect, it wasn’t as disastrous as her previous attempts, the kind that made him want to flee.
“Is it… not good?”
“No. This is the best bouquet I’ve received from you so far.”
Seo Jae-yi, who had been slightly nervous, beamed at his words.
“That’s a relief! I thought it might be too subtle, but a new employee at my flower shop helped me improve it.”
“Really? I’d like to thank that employee.”
Seo Jae-yi sighed in relief.
Logi, thank you so much. I’ll buy you something delicious today.
“You hired an employee even though your shop has no customers?”
“Ah! I’m starting a new business, and he’s quite knowledgeable in that area.”
“A new business?”
What other business could there be besides selling flowers at a flower shop? Seo Jae-yi grinned at Baek Joo-won’s puzzled expression.
“Curious? I can tell you if you come to my shop. Haeil Guild is right next door, so you can also take a look at the building.”
It was the opportunistic smile of someone who wanted to kill two birds with one stone.
“No, I’m suddenly not curious anymore.”
However, Baek Joo-won was strong.
Seo Jae-yi was slightly dejected, her attempt thwarted by his firm refusal.
“Are you done talking?”
The training instructor, who had been checking the firearms, approached them. Baek Joo-won, suppressing a smile at Seo Jae-yi’s dejected expression, nodded.
“Then let’s begin the training.”
Disappointed but unwilling to miss Baek Joo-won’s firearms training, Seo Jae-yi quietly followed them.
“Let’s start with the most basic one.”
The instructor picked up a Glock first. Although Baek Joo-won had already learned about it during the theoretical training, the instructor demonstrated its usage once more.
It was Baek Joo-won’s turn to practice.
He had said he had never used a gun before, but he held it without hesitation, despite his somewhat awkward posture. Most people were apprehensive when holding a gun for the first time, but he seemed unconcerned.
Baek Joo-won, wearing noise-canceling headphones and holding the Glock, looked incredibly handsome.
Even Seo Jae-yi, who wasn’t usually swayed by appearances, felt compelled to favor him.
But that thought only lasted until he started shooting.
Bang, bang!
“…”
Seo Jae-yi’s expression, which had been filled with amusement, gradually turned strange as the gunshots echoed.
Bang.
Baek Joo-won fired five shots and removed his headphones. The target, which had been far away, moved closer.
“Your accuracy is good.”
He was quite skilled for a beginner. Considering he was stateless and hadn’t served in the military, it was impressive.
But…
“Wow, Mr. Baek Joo-won, your posture is so strange, but you’re strangely good at shooting!”
Seo Jae-yi blurted out without filtering her words. The instructor, who had been trying to find a way to comment without hurting Baek Joo-won’s feelings, gaped at her bluntness.
“I-it’s his first time, so his posture is still a bit awkward. He’ll get better with practice.”
The instructor hurriedly tried to salvage the situation.
He wasn’t lying. Baek Joo-won’s posture was quite clumsy… well, to be honest, it was strange. But it would improve with practice.
“That’s true. But he’s strangely good at it. Well, posture doesn’t really matter. Everyone has their own style. It’s fine.”
Seo Jae-yi smiled and patted Baek Joo-won’s back. It was unclear if she was comforting him or teasing him.
“Ms. Seo Jae-yi, the effect of your bribe ended with that scan earlier.”
“You’re good at shooting even though it’s your first time! You’ll be hitting bullseyes soon. You might become the best shooter among Guides.”
Seo Jae-yi’s attitude changed instantly. She beamed at him, giving him two thumbs up.
To handle the infamous Firestarter so easily… The instructor looked at Baek Joo-won with admiration.
“Why don’t you try shooting, Ms. Seo Jae-yi? I’m curious to see how you do it.”
“Me?”
“Think of it as demonstrating for a beginner.”
“Uh, well…”
Seo Jae-yi glanced at the instructor, who also seemed a bit flustered by Baek Joo-won’s sudden request.
“Sure, why not? Give me a moment. The Guide version is too light for Espers.”
Before the instructor could object, Seo Jae-yi retrieved an Esper-grade firearm. It was the same Glock Baek Joo-won was using.
“Is the Esper version heavier?”
“Much heavier. Of course, the Guide version is also heavier than civilian guns because it’s designed for monsters, but Espers need even more weight. It’s hard to aim if it’s too light.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Don’t try to lift it even if you’re curious, unless it’s an emergency. You might injure your wrist.”
Seo Jae-yi moved away from Baek Joo-won, who was looking at the Esper-grade gun with interest.
“You handle it easily with one hand, even though it’s that heavy.”
“I might look like this, but I’m an S-rank. Watch closely. I’ll show you the true power of an S-rank.”
She had never properly demonstrated her skills in front of Baek Joo-won, and it had been bothering her.
She had only shown him her clumsy side; now she would show him how cool she could be!
Seo Jae-yi entered the shooting booth and put on the noise-canceling headphones. After confirming that Baek Joo-won and the instructor outside were also wearing headphones, she pressed the red button. A metal target, not a paper one, rose up.
Bang!
Before Baek Joo-won could even react, a deafening roar, incomparable to his own shots, erupted. The headphones couldn’t completely block the sound.
Baek Joo-won stared at Seo Jae-yi with wide eyes.
Her posture wasn’t perfect like the instructor’s. She was holding the gun with one hand, and even that grip was loose. She seemed to be shooting haphazardly, just like her messy, loosely tied hair.
But Baek Joo-won couldn’t tear his gaze away from her.
She was smiling brightly, just like she had at the flower shop.
Bang!
After firing five shots, Seo Jae-yi finally lowered the gun and removed her headphones. A smile still lingered on her lips as she looked at the target.
“How was that? Do I look like an S-rank Esper now?”
Despite firing five shots, there was only one mark on the target. And it was a hole, clean through the metal. She had fired all five shots at the same spot, creating a hole.
Baek Joo-won chuckled.
“I asked for a demonstration, and you’re showing off.”
“Demonstrations are the instructor’s job. My job is to show off.”
“Why?”
“I’m showing you how capable I am. So you’ll know that you’ll be safe with me. I’ll protect you, no matter what.”
Guns weren’t Seo Jae-yi’s primary weapon. Yet, she had pierced a metal target with just five shots. Well, technically, it was three shots, but still. She was that powerful.
Seo Jae-yi grinned and pointed at the target.
“How about it? Don’t you feel reassured now?”
“You’re still trying to sell yourself even in this situation. Your opportunistic skills are impressive.”
Baek Joo-won finally laughed at her relentless attempts.
What made her constant sales pitches less annoying than others was that she wasn’t forcing him; she was simply demonstrating her abilities.
If it was intentional, she was a shrewd businesswoman. And if it wasn’t intentional… then it was a bit scary.
“I’m not a salesperson for nothing.”
Seo Jae-yi clenched her fist at his positive reaction.
If she continued to showcase her abilities like this, she could further reassure him.
‘Now that he’s completed the practical training, he’ll be going on dungeon practice runs, right?’
The training wasn’t truly complete until they had actual dungeon experience. So he would be going soon.
‘Hmm, he’ll need custom equipment, right?’
Seo Jae-yi discreetly scanned Baek Joo-won again.
Guns, combat gear… He would perform better with specialized equipment, so she needed to look into it.
This could be the key to maximizing his favorability and completely erasing her terrible first impression!
‘Huh?’
As she clenched her fist, she felt a gaze upon her. It wasn’t Baek Joo-won, who was talking to the instructor. Then who?
Seo Jae-yi looked around and spotted someone standing inside the transparent observation window above the training room.
‘He’s here again.’
It was Kwon Yi-soo.