HFS 34

[Guild] Jimni: Wow~ Congratulations to the guild’s first couple!

[Guild] Tiramisush: Be happy…

[Guild] Heekkom: Congratulations~ Have a beautiful relationship haha

[Guild] Seohee1: Thank you^^

[Guild] Ittorang: Thanks haha

[Guild] Ittorang: Let’s go get the items.

Since they’d be receiving breakup consolations in five minutes anyway, Lee Cheong-hyeon played along and approached the Cupid NPC to start a conversation. Along with congratulations on becoming a couple, they received plenty of gifts including costume sets, effect skin exchange vouchers, actions, and consumable items.

Among them, Lee Cheong-hyeon tried on the effect skin he was most curious about first and used a skill. Whether designed to match his class concept or not, pitch-black heart-shaped effects that looked like they were melting flowed out. Though surprised by the difference from his expectation of pink heart effects, he grew to like it the more he looked at it.

From Seo Hee-won beside him, who was also trying out skills, sparkly gold hearts appeared. The effect skins seemed more elaborate than expected. While at it, he tried on the new costume he received. It was a large shirt with white socks, and red hearts floated gently above the head. The clean and pretty design made it clear why Tiramisush had coveted it.

[Guild] Ittorang: I like everything?

[Guild] Ittorang: Thanks. Seohee1.

[Guild] Seohee1: Hmm…doesn’t seem like you’re very thankful to me.

A somehow familiar situation unfolded.

[Guild] Ittorang: What do you mean hahaha I was going to use the server chat.

[Guild] Seohee1: I didn’t ask you to do that.

[Guild] Seohee1: But since you insist, I guess I have no other choice.

After saying that, Seo Hee-won fired off a server chat message first, before Lee Cheong-hyeon could type anything.

[Server] Seohee1: Everyone shut up, my boyfriend has something to say.

[Server] Blue: ?

[Server] Kyaaksae: Who picks up and carries around something like that?

[Server] Million: Ah…I want to escape.

[Server] Yong-i: Is he hacked?

[Server] Dograngfry: Look at the way he talks, that’s definitely Seohee1 himself.

Lee Cheong-hyeon held his forehead because of Seo Hee-won who instantly drew server-wide aggro. He never dreamed that his teasing from the past would come back like this.

[Server] Ittorang: [Platinum Couple Ring] Seohee1 gave me a ring ^/^ Thank you, honey♥

Since anything he said would be embarrassing anyway, Lee Cheong-hyeon closed his eyes tight and showed off the ring. This should satisfy Seohee1. It was the price he paid for not being able to stop teasing Seo Hee-won because the reactions were fun, even though he knew it wouldn’t do any good to provoke him unnecessarily. Other users who didn’t understand the situation began to pity Lee Cheong-hyeon.

[Server] Kongnim: What kind of blackmail led to this ㅠㅠ

[Server] Ace: Is it just me or does the couple ring look like shackles.

[Server] mohey: They say if a DPS does too much damage, they get enslaved by Seohee1 ㄷㄷ

[Server] Doomsaldan: The National Association of Doom Dealers strongly demands the immediate release of our king.

[Server] Horyeong: Please don’t abandon him. Stay together for a long time.

Regardless of public opinion, Seo Hee-won changed into the Fall in Love costume he just received. When he walked over to Lee Cheong-hyeon in that state, the two characters stood side by side wearing the same clothes, looking like a couple to anyone who saw them.

[Guild] Itthorang: Are you satisfied now?

[Guild] Seohee1: lol lol lol

[Guild] Seohee1: Yes.

[Guild] Seohee1: Now let’s go everywhere together.

[Guild] Itthorang: Why…?

Seo Hee-won’s sudden words gave Lee Cheong-hyeon an ominous feeling.

[Guild] Seohee1: We need to get a couple’s experience points.

[Guild] Seohee1: We have to do daily quests together and run dungeons together every day.

[Guild] Seohee1: Contact me when you log into the game.

[Guild] Seohee1: Why aren’t you answering?

[Guild] Seohee1: Don’t tell me you were planning to just break up?

Lee Cheong-hyeon, who had of course planned to just get the couple items and break up, was at a loss for words. Thinking about it, it had been suspicious from the start. Offering gifts for free without any reason, a similar method used in voice phishing scams belatedly came to mind. It seemed like Seo Hee-won had planned to catch someone with the word “free” and then drag them around like a pet for experience buffs.

I shouldn’t have been so attracted to freebies! No, if I had been just a little less quick. If only I had delayed by just a little, Tiramisush would have been caught!

Lee Cheong-hyeon blamed himself for not noticing this impure intention.

[Guild] Seohee1: If hyung says we’re breaking up, I’ll have to find another couple?

[Guild] Seohee1: I can buy another couple’s ring.

[Guild] Seohee1: But after writing in server chat, how would people see me if I find a new relationship within 5 minutes?

[Guild] Seohee1: What would happen to my image?

Your image isn’t that good to begin with…

Overwhelmed by Seo Hee-won’s aggressive push, Lee Cheong-hyeon made a timid protest contrary to his inner thoughts.

[Guild] Ittorang: But you said it was free…

[Guild] Seohee1: I never said I would break up.

[Guild] Seohee1: Will you take responsibility if rumors spread that our guild changes couples twice a day?

[Guild] Seohee1: Don’t you know that the guild master’s image is the guild’s image?

By that logic, our guild was already a bad-mannered guild from the moment it was created!

Even as Lee Cheong-hyeon was struggling with what to do, Seo Hee-won continued without pause.

[Guild] Seohee1: Answer quickly.

[Guild] Seohee1: Don’t tell me you really planned to take the items and run?

[Guild] Seohee1: How shameless?

[Guild] Itthorang: What are you talking about, honey haha

[Guild] Itthorang: Why would I break up with you?

Damn it!

Lee Cheong-hyeon had no other choice but to give the answer Seo Hee-won wanted. Insisting on breaking up in this situation would also look strange. If this was karma, he had to accept his fate.

Seo Hee-won, who had been acting like a blackmailer, finally quieted down. Lee Cheong-hyeon, who faced having to run daily dungeons several times over just to save some money, belatedly regretted his decision, but it was too late.

[Guild] Tiramisush: Being slow was a blessing~ ㅇㅅㅇ~

As Tiramisush left to find another couple and other guild members went off to do their own tasks, only Lee Cheong-hyeon and Seo Hee-won remained.

[Guild] Seohee1: Let’s run dungeons now.

[Guild] Ittorang: Okay…

[Guild] Seohee1: We can run all the dungeons, do daily quests, and then do the battle tournament.

[Guild] Seohee1: Right?

[Guild] Ittorang: Yeah…

[Guild] Ittorang: But I only run a few essential dungeons.

[Guild] Seohee1: From today, we run all of them.

[Guild] Ittorang: Okay…

[Guild] Seohee1: Let’s start with the Peaceful Forest.

With a glum face, Lee Cheong-hyeon trudged after Seo Hee-won. The good news was that clearing a dungeon took much less time with the two of them together. Of course, overall it took longer than just running the necessary dungeons, but time seemed to fly by as they ran dungeons while using voice chat.

Furthermore, having Seo Hee-won, a healer, made running dungeons much easier. In Biz of God, health potions didn’t restore health immediately but gradually filled up the health bar, so recovering health was a hassle when soloing dungeons.

Lee Cheong-hyeon, who had a class with particularly low health, found this time quite tedious, but thanks to Seo Hee-won who provided heals consistently without being asked, he could fly through dungeons without any delays. Though Seo Hee-won wouldn’t heal until Lee Cheong-hyeon’s health dropped below half, it increased his damage output, inevitably speeding up mob killing.

Even the dungeons he had grown sick of running daily felt like a whole new world when progressing quickly with a reliable healer. Lee Cheong-hyeon felt like he finally had the dedicated healer he had always dreamed of. Seeing the increased experience and gold income, Lee Cheong-hyeon actually started to feel motivated. Noticing Lee Cheong-hyeon’s noticeably brighter voice, Seo Hee-won boasted, “Don’t you think you should be nice to me?”

“As if that’s new. I’ve always wanted to be nice to you.”

When Lee Cheong-hyeon brazenly insisted, he heard a sound of laughter as if Seo Hee-won couldn’t believe it. After that, Lee Cheong-hyeon and Seo Hee-won, now a couple, really stuck together every day. There was just one day when their schedules didn’t match and Lee Cheong-hyeon ran daily dungeons alone, but without Seo Hee-won, managing his health was a hassle and it wasn’t fun doing it alone.

Feeling Seo Hee-won’s absence strongly, Lee Cheong-hyeon ran dungeons with Seo Hee-won even if it meant cutting into his early morning sleep when their schedules didn’t seem to match. Now, if anyone suggested breaking up, it would be Lee Cheong-hyeon who would feel regretful.

* * *

During the battle tournament season where the law of the jungle ruled, there were five battles just on the way to do daily quests. A fighter who was battling Lee Cheong-hyeon started to flee when facing death. As Lee Cheong-hyeon pursued, the opponent fighter hastily typed in the chat.

[General] Ttangbo: Hyungnim

[General] Ttangbo: Wait.

[General] Ttangbo: Spare me just once.

[General] Ttangbo: I’m a fan.

[General] Ttangbo: I started a Doom Dealer after seeing your Holy War plays.

[General] Ttangbo: For real, your nickname is Ittorang.

Somehow, he had been standing far away but came straight toward Lee Cheong-hyeon as soon as he saw him, he had recognized him and approached. Ttangbo had attacked first so Lee Cheong-hyeon responded, but in the end, it turned out to be a twisted expression of fan admiration.