Time slipped by unnoticed, and suddenly it was September.

  This meant I had been keeping my distance from Si-hyun for over a month.

  I had grown accustomed to going on Expeditions using the Hunter Matching App.

  Though my monthly earnings were only about one-third of Si-hyun's level, I was genuinely working hard.

  During this period, Si-hyun often suggested meeting up, but I turned down every request.

  Sorry, Si-hyun.

  But lately, I kept calling out your name while masturbating...

  I had become completely unrestrained recently.

  Most teams I encountered through the Hunter Matching App had issues, and the stress kept piling up.

  Yet there was no other way to release this pressure.

  In such situations, the easiest and most convenient at-home solution was masturbation.

  So I fully immersed myself in relieving stress through masturbation.

  The problem was that every time I masturbated, I couldn't help calling out Si-hyun's name.

  After doing something so shameful, I felt even more embarrassed to face Si-hyun, which is why I rejected all his meeting requests.

  Perhaps due to frequent masturbation, I had recently become more comfortable in this female body than I ever was as a man.

  -

  This morning I woke up to another flood of messages from Si-hyun.

  All about wanting to meet.

  After some hesitation, I replied with just one brief sentence:

  No.

  Unfortunately, today I had to meet someone I really didn't want to see.

  The day had come to meet Yoo Mi-ro.

  She had somehow gotten my contact information and suddenly messaged saying she wanted to meet.

  I wanted to refuse, but her threat scared me into compliance.

  "If you dare refuse, I'll tell all our classmates you turned into a woman"

  Those words forced me to agree through gritted teeth.

  While searching through my closet to get ready, I noticed the clothing positions had subtly changed.

  The skirts and dresses I often wore on dates with Si-hyun were pushed to the back, while comfortable clothes were placed in front.

  Since I didn't need to see Si-hyun anymore, I gradually ended up wearing only comfortable outfits.

  This time I chose comfortable jeans, a thin T-shirt, and a cardigan.

  "Will it be too hot?"

  I couldn't even be bothered with makeup. Though my scars would show, I decided not to care anymore.

  Still, I brought a small bag when I left.

  I soon arrived at the café where we agreed to meet.

  Entering the shop, I noticed a strangely empty corner.

  There sat an exceptionally conspicuous person, Yoo Mi-ro.

  Simply put, she was a beautiful girl.

  After ordering coffee, I sat across from her.

  "What did you want to see me about?"

  Yoo Mi-ro studied me carefully before showing a peculiar smile.

  "You've changed?"

  She called me out suddenly just to say "you've changed"? What was her real purpose?

  "So what's this actually about?"

  I naturally crossed my legs and folded my arms.

  "Haven't you been seeing Seong Si-hyun lately?"

  Suddenly bringing up Si-hyun?

  This irritated me.

  Weren't you the one who told me to stay away from Si-hyun? What did you mean by bringing this up now?

  "Didn't you tell me to stay away from Si-hyun?"

  Yoo Mi-ro sighed at my cold attitude and rubbed her temples.

  "So you haven't seen him since that day?"

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  "That's right, is there a problem?"

  Of course Si-hyun often asked to meet, but I always refused.

  Yoo Mi-ro seemed to fall deep into thought.

  "I didn't expect you to take it so seriously..."

  "So what's this about?"

  "Would you like to try modeling?"

  This proposal made me doubt my hearing.

  Of all things, modeling?

  As a third-generation chaebol heiress, Yoo Mi-ro said she was learning the family business while attending university.

  While handling the clothing division, she was struggling to find a satisfactory model for their autumn new product advertisements.

  The idea suddenly struck me, so I arranged this meeting.

  To be honest, I'm not very tall, can I really be a model?

  Wouldn't Si-hyun be more suitable?

  "Wouldn't you rather have Si-hyun than me?"

  "Huh? Of course Si-hyun is invited too."

  What? Si-hyun is coming too?

  I panicked instantly, having been turning down Si-hyun's invitations lately.

  If I take this job, I'll have to see Si-hyun, 111what should I do?

  After some internal debate, I reached a conclusion:

  Maybe this is an opportunity?

  "Not interested? I was going to pay 300,000 won."

  300,000? That's equivalent to four shifts of my part-time job!

  I did feel guilty about always rejecting Si-hyun, so maybe meeting him this time would be fine.

  "Hmph, hmph! It's not about the money."

  "So you accept? Here."

  She handed me a business card with her name and the photography studio address.

  "Be there by 10 AM on the weekend. Do well and there's a bonus."

  A... a bonus too?

  As expected of a chaebol heiress! So. Cool.

  I'm definitely not yielding because of the money!

  "Nothing else, right?"

  "Yeah. Don't worry, I won't reveal your secret."

  She forced me here with threats, made me worry something was wrong, and it turned out to just be a modeling gig. Honestly, it was confusing at first, but thinking about it now, the offer seems worth appreciating.

  Anyway, I'll get to see Si-hyun too, so I agreed.

  I absolutely didn't agree because of the money.

  -

  With four full days until the weekend, I planned an Expedition.

  This time I really need to get matched with a reliable team. But the matched team's chatroom was unusually quiet.

  When I checked, I found there were two girls in the team.

  Including me, all three matched members were female.

  Worry immediately washed over me.

  The thought of meeting them at the Gate tomorrow felt overwhelming.

  Girls always look at me with sharp eyes.

  Should I call it jealousy?

  But thinking about it, everyone has shabby gear while I'm well-equipped, so their reaction is understandable.

  This happens every time I team up,I'm used to it by now.

  As I entered the Gate, I sincerely hoped nothing would go wrong with this team and we could finish safely.

  My illusions shattered the moment we encountered Monsters.

  Only me and another girl with a hammer could fight at close range.

  The other two members had Lightning Ability and Gravity Ability, awkward offensive Abilities that couldn't deliver much power.

  The Lightning Ability User struggled to control her attack range, and the damage was weak.

  The Gravity Ability User could only immobilize the Monsters at best.

  In the end, it was just me with my Strength Enhancement Ability and the hammer girl doing all the heavy lifting.

  Fortunately, the Wolfhound Monsters appearing in the Gate were few and weak, a small mercy.

  "Over here! Come finish them!"

  The member holding three Wolfhound Monsters with gravity shouted.

  Damn, I'm still fighting four over here. The hammer girl gave me a look and went to assist.

  I could solve this instantly if I used Mana, but I'd definitely get talked about, maybe even get stuck with all the work, such a dilemma.

  But I'll have to use it if things get critical.

  While I was focused on the Monsters, one injured Wolfhound Monster broke through.

  The Beast lunged at the Lightning Ability User in the back row, the worst possible scenario.

  The surprised Lightning Ability User panicked and started releasing her Ability indiscriminately.

  I saw the lightning forming an all-directional attack in my peripheral vision.

  This attack didn’t distinguish friend from foe, even our Teammates became targets.

  At the critical moment, I threw my Spear backhanded to redirect the lightning, then charged forward and took down the remaining Wolfhound Monsters with Mana-enhanced punches.

  After dodging the attack, I scanned the surroundings. The scene was pure chaos.

  Two others hit directly by the lightning had lost control of their bladders and collapsed.

  Lucky, I guess? The Wolfhound Monsters trapped by gravity were also caught in the attack range, twitching on the ground.

  The Ability User who released the lightning wasn’t much better off, apparently overusing her Ability left her conscious but unresponsive.

  “Ha, what the hell is this.”

  The curse slipped out. Yet another classic case of friendly fire, right before my eyes.

  I decided to finish off the Wolfhound Monsters still breathing first.

  Then I started cleaning up the mess.

  I moved each unconscious Teammate, checking if they were still breathing.

  Fortunately, all had minor injuries. Everyone would be fine.

  The awakened Teammates immediately started arguing.

  “This happened because the front line let Monsters through!”

  “If you can’t even handle one Monster alone, why even enter a Gate?!”

  “Exactly! At least I can restrain Monsters. You can’t control the field or deal damage, you’re just dead weight!”

  The Lightning Ability User tried to pin the blame on me for the Monsters slipping through, but thankfully the others spoke up for me. What a petty girl, shifting responsibility like that.

  The party disbanded just three hours after entering the Gate.

  The rewards were meager, but with trust shattered, continuing the Expedition was impossible.

  Thankfully the Lightning Ability User lacked real power, if she’d been stronger, someone might have died. Their reaction was understandable.

  Even while disbanding, they still divided the spoils.

  I agreed to the split to avoid conflict. Today’s earnings: just twenty thousand won.

  I secretly left the Lightning Ability User a negative review on the matching app: “Attacks Teammates.”

  I never usually do this, but this time I couldn’t hold back.

  After spacing out downtown for a few minutes, the pitiful earnings gnawed at me.

  Better to venture alone than suffer in a party like that, with that resolve, I returned to the Gate.

  Screw teamwork!

  Fueled by frustration from that garbage team, I charged into the Gate and went on a rampage.

  I fully unleashed my long-suppressed power, hunting freely in the Otherworld while carefully avoiding dangers.

  I’d worried the Wolfhound Monsters might track by scent like Kobolds, but it was a false alarm.

  Thanks to that, I could cut loose without restraint.

  Strike fast in combat, rest fully during breaks, after about six hours of hunting, the Magic Stones I’d collected already exceeded what the previous team gathered together by one and a half times.

  “Ha, I’m better off alone.”

  I’d avoided solo runs fearing the risks, yet I’d repeatedly witnessed Teammates targeting me.

  Maybe going solo was actually safer.

  Plus, with my strength, I could probably handle a D-Rank Gate alone, that thought began to surface.

  Useless worries cluttered my mind.

  I already had enough to worry about meeting Si-hyun this weekend, and now this.

  No wonder skilled people prefer stable teams.

  I finally understood: those using this matching app are the leftovers, the half-competent.

  Finding a fixed team weighed heavily on my mind. Someone as socially awkward as me could never form a permanent party.

  -

  After returning to the city, I decided to exchange the Magic Stone and head home.

  The pressure felt noticeably lighter than usual on the way back.

  Was it because fighting alone felt more comfortable?

  To feel secure about solo hunting, I needed to test my actual Ability.

  I scheduled an appointment at the Hunter Management Department for a weekend Ability test.

  -

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