That Face Is the Problem - vanish into fiction

That morning, at exactly ten o’clock, Seo Da-sol pressed the doorbell of Jeong Jae-gyeong’s apartment as usual. Today, he planned to test the “Ring of Communication” during a simulated training session with the other team members.

However, when Jae-gyeong opened the door, his face looked almost like that of a grim reaper. The area under his eyes was dark, his eyes bloodshot, and his complexion extremely pale.

“Are… you okay?”

Even Da-sol seemed a little worried, surprised by Jae-gyeong’s appearance. Not wanting to admit that he had stayed up all night watching Da-sol’s videos, Jae-gyeong simply nodded.

“Y-Yes… I’m fine…”

When he was younger, he could run dungeons all night without looking like this. Now, approaching his late twenties, his body could not keep up. Despite feeling slightly dizzy, Jae-gyeong opened his eyes wide, entering a heightened state of alertness.

“Really, I’m fine, so don’t worry!”

“Ah… really?”

Da-sol did not look entirely convinced, but he also had no intention of letting Jae-gyeong rest.

Together, they headed toward the training guild’s simulation room. Members who had received notice the previous day and joined today were Yoo Ri-na, Lee Hyun, and Kim Ye-jin.

“You know the guild master and Jin Jeong-eon Hunter can’t come today because they were called to a Hunter Management Bureau meeting, right?”

Ye-jin, already dressed in her combat uniform, checked her weapons as she spoke. Jae-gyeong nodded. Ye-jin looked at him and was surprised.

“Oh, Jae-gyeong Hunter. Didn’t sleep at all? You look really tired. Are you sure you can handle today’s training?”

“I’m fine… ha-ha…”

To anyone looking, it was obvious that Jae-gyeong had not slept a wink. Still, the simulation would not take long, and this time Jae-gyeong would focus on testing the item instead of attacking, so there would be no major issues.

“Da-sol, after training yesterday, I practiced the flame projectile alone. Will you watch me later?”

“I am a healer. What would it matter if I watched?”

“But still. We are partners.”

“Ah, yes.”

Jae-gyeong glanced at Lee Hyun. Being closer and seeing him more often, Lee Hyun seemed very friendly toward Da-sol. He clearly wanted to get closer but did not cross any boundaries. Innocent, straightforward, and still young, it made sense why Da-sol got along with him easily.

“Shall we start the simulated training?”

For this session, Ye-jin would take the lead. The rest of the team knew the purpose was mainly for Da-sol and Jae-gyeong to test the item, so Ye-jin and Ri-na would guide the dungeon. Lee Hyun would remain as the escort hunter, coordinating with Da-sol.

“We should pick a dungeon with some distance between us, right?”

Ye-jin asked as she put on the VR equipment and selected a dungeon.

“Yes… somewhere like the Mirror Dungeon would be good… the Underground Prison Dungeon is fine too…”

“Oh, Underground Prison Dungeon… memories. That Hamdol was really cute back then. If we choose that dungeon, will Hamdol appear as a hologram?”

Ri-na leaned toward Ye-jin and asked.

“But that dungeon is too difficult for just us. I think B or C rank would be better. The purpose is just item testing and coordination.”

“I agree.”

After some thought, Ye-jin chose a Fire Dungeon. It was a B-rank dungeon with members placed apart from each other.

“Lee Hyun Hunter should be fine with the Fire Dungeon too. Shall we go with this?”

“Yes!”

“Okay~”

They soon entered the simulated dungeon.

***

As soon as Jae-gyeong found himself alone in the dungeon, he brought the ring to his mouth.

“Da-sol, can you hear me?”

The gem’s color changed, and within moments, he felt a vibration and received Da-sol’s reply.

– I can hear you clearly.

“This really works well…”

– Well, I should work, considering what you paid.

Jae-gyeong laughed at Da-sol’s blunt mumble. The habit of saying such things directly into the ring seemed endearing.

“I think after this item test, we can trust it and use it in real situations.”

He spoke to the ring, still standing at the dungeon’s starting point. Not rushing was partly because Ye-jin and Ri-na were taking charge of the dungeon, but mostly because he was completely absorbed in the feeling of talking one-on-one with Da-sol.

I think so too. Let’s try it inside the dungeon, then see if it works outside too. I am curious about that as well.

“Ah… yes…!”

Could this really be like a phone call? Jae-gyeong’s face flushed. He quickly set his expression into a straight line, thinking not to let himself enjoy something like this. Otherwise, it would feel like he liked Da-sol.