011 – Nymph Inoi #11
Inoi had become quite adept at turning on the computer.
Manipulating the “squirrel,” Inoi raised her finger like an eagle stalking its prey and began to tap on the keyboard.
Tap, tap-tap.
Her incredible typing speed of 20 keystrokes per minute finally left some letters in the search bar.
“The owner of this house is looking at this…! This Inoi has found evidence of Nymphs after reducing her sleep last night…!”
Finally, Inoi explained something with pride as if she had discovered something monumental. When I leaned in to look at the monitor, a map of “Illinois,” located in the Midwest of America, appeared.
“What is this?”
“Hehe, Illinois… it is certainly a name like a Nymph, just like this Inoi…!”
The state of Illinois in America.
And the Nymph Inoi from the creek water.
If I were to say it resembled something, the name was similar.
“Our Nymphs are named according to the season they are born…! Nymphs born in spring are given names ending in -ris or -s, like Doris or Aris…!”
“Really?”
“And Nymphs born in summer and autumn traditionally have names ending in -noi, like this Inoi…! Of course, Nymphs born in summer also have the freedom to name themselves….”
It seemed Inoi wanted to explain something but was sweating due to a lack of vocabulary. She wasn’t the best teacher, but I was a fast learner.
“I see. So, the likelihood of this ‘Illinois’ being the name of a Nymph born in summer or autumn is high?”
“Indeed, the owner of the house understands quickly…!”
Inoi’s chest puffed out with pride.
However, it seemed she did not realize that Illinois was not the name of a Nymph but a place name.
I decided to kindly explain it to Inoi.
“This is not a Nymph’s name, but the name of a land. It’s like the name given to a region, like Athens in Greece, so it has no relation to Nymphs.”
“Th-that cannot be true…! This is certainly a name that unmistakably belongs to a Nymph…! It is evidence that Nymphs exist in this land…! Illinois is definitely a Nymph…!”
It seemed that Inoi wanted to deny reality.
It must have been quite sad for her, considering the name resembled her sister’s but wasn’t quite the same.
“This Inoi definitely thought Illinois would be a Nymph from the creek water with orange hair…. The fact that it isn’t a Nymph’s name is very disappointing….”
Soon, Inoi got up from the chair in front of the computer desk and crawled into the bedcovers. She seemed greatly heartbroken.
When someone who is usually cheerful and bright loses their spirit, the atmosphere tends to become much colder. I decided to make spaghetti for the dejected Inoi.
Making spaghetti was as easy as whipping up a cheap instant noodle dish.
I put some water and a pinch of salt in the pot, added a few drops of olive oil, and waited for it to boil.
Bubbling.
When the water began to boil, I tossed the noodles into the pot and simultaneously poured olive oil into a frying pan, adding milk and a bit of cheddar cheese, sautéing it until it became saucy.
Sizzle.
I boiled the noodles for about 8 minutes. After taking them out, I poured the noodles into the frying pan and stir-fried them with the sauce I was preparing.
“It’s done. Inoi, dinner is ready.”
“This Inoi isn’t particularly hungry…! But the smell of olive oil reminds me of home…. I suppose I should have just one bite considering the owner’s effort…!”
Inoi got up unsteadily from the bed and sat down at a small table. She awkwardly used a fork to taste the spaghetti and was taken aback.
“It’s very delicious…!”
“Right?”
With ramen soup and milk, I could easily mimic a cream pasta sauce. It was a skill I had acquired while living frugally as a D Rank Hunter.
Pasta was easy to make, like instant noodles, and quite nutritious, so I often ate it. If I got tired of it, I would sometimes add ketchup to the noodles.
Soon, Inoi finished her serving of pasta in a flash.
“This Inoi feels very good now that she’s full…! I think I will gather my strength and try this internet thing again…!”
Chomp-chomp.
Having finished her meal, Inoi sat in front of the computer.
And she began searching for “Nymph” on the internet again.
Was she planning to start all over from the beginning?
The fact that she was not giving up and trying hard was truly impressive.
I cheered her on while sitting nearby, looking at my phone.
There were many missed videos to catch up on in the past few days.
I had three videos from “Kira,” who had just ranked up to S Rank 30.
“Hello everyone, today’s video is an unboxing of the ‘Golden Badge’ and ‘S Rank Exclusive Artifact’ I earned by achieving S Rank. The box looks tactical like this…. Oh, is this made of pure gold?”
So envious.
When one officially becomes an S Rank Awakened, they even get exclusive items made from extremely rare minerals.
Like a “Room Temperature Superconducting Blade.”
I suddenly wondered how far I could go now that the curse had been lifted.
They said practical experience was crucial from C Rank onward.
That was when I thought of it.
Bark-bark!
I heard barking from somewhere.
The window of my one-room apartment rattled.
I opened the window to see what it was, and in dashed a brown-furred squirrel into my house.
It was the squirrel that Inoi had clipped some tail fur off of recently.
“How did it find its way here?”
It was quite a sight.
The squirrel was bouncing around on the furniture in the house, then quickly zipped into the pocket of my tracksuit that I was wearing.
As I was flustered, Inoi said.
“Animals can recognize Nymph-friendly people…! A squirrel following someone like this is new for this Inoi…. We might be able to train it if we’re lucky…!”
Train an animal?
I liked cute animals.
But training one was a different story.
To train an animal meant to take on responsibility. How sad would it be if a beloved pet died?
“By the way, squirrels live for 120 years…!”
“…..”
It seemed like it would outlive me.
Still hesitant to make a decision, Inoi continued.
“Also, squirrels are expert hunters…! They are very skilled at finding herbs and mushrooms, so shamans who tame them are all excellent herbalists…!”
“Really?”
I remembered that there were often fissures that could be entered by C Rank and above that resembled “forests” or “fields.”
If I could take this squirrel along, would I be able to obtain rare herbs that are hard to find? Thinking like that didn’t sound too bad.
After all, the squirrel had come into the house and showed no sign of wanting to leave.
Inoi kept talking.
“Also, squirrels are very good at catching insects…. They chased out all the cockroaches that appeared in the house last night…!”
“Is that so? Then from today on, your name will be Kkungkkungi.”
-Bark-bark…!
# # #
The day after I gained a new family member, Kkungkkungi, I was preparing to meet Yu Ara.
I had plans to have dinner with Yu Ara, a B Rank healthcare worker.
“This Inoi will watch over the house quietly with Kkungkkungi…! The owner of the house should go out without any worries…!”
I thought about treating Inoi to a delicious meal, but she announced that today she would indeed keep the house safe. I mean, while it would be more convenient for me not to take her out…
Would it really be okay?
It felt uneasy for me leaving Inoi alone at home.
“Inoi, don’t touch the stove carelessly. Also, if you get bored, click here and watch some videos on MTube.”
Was this how parents feel when they give their kids tablets and let them watch videos?
I showed Inoi how to watch videos, worried she might get bored or cause some trouble alone.
Anyway.
With that, I left for Yu Ara’s healthcare facility a bit earlier than dinner time. As I thought about it, I realized I hadn’t even asked for her phone number.
Vrooooom!
I heard an incredibly loud engine noise from somewhere.
“What’s that?”
Turning my head, a sleek black sports car zoomed into the healthcare facility’s parking lot.
A public facility and a sports car.
Could there be a more mismatched combination than this? Just as I thought this, the door opened, and someone wearing sunglasses stepped out of the car.
Soon, whispers spread among those drawn to the sports car.
“Is that Lee Joon-Hun?”
“The heir of Osa Pharmaceuticals?”
Lee Joon-Hun?
It was a name I had heard before.
After all, he was one of only three S Rank Hunters in our country.
Of course, he was more famous as a chaebol heir than an S Rank Hunter. Good-looking and tall, with a lot of money. How could a person be so perfect?
Life is so unfair!
Was there really any flaw? Maybe something like a 3cm defect?
“Excuse me, if it’s not too much trouble, could I get your autograph?”
“I’m a fan!”
People rushed toward Lee Joon-Hun.
Honestly, I also felt like joining them to get an autograph.
He was a chaebol heir, after all.
I remembered that I had entered the same fissure as him once before, and thought that if I played my cards right, he might even give me a check because of our past connection.
Having gained a new family member in Kkungkkungi, I wanted to move to a bigger place too.
“Everyone, I’m sorry, but I have a busy schedule today.”
Whoosh.
The S Rank Awakened Lee Joon-Hun dashed into the public facility.
What could be so urgent?
Well, it was only natural for S Ranks to be busy.
I thought that it was a fascinating encounter as I looked at the magnificent sports car with a sense of envy before heading to Yu Ara’s workplace.
She said her shift would end at 6.
Just as I was thinking that, I knocked on the break room door of the healthcare worker.
“—I can’t tonight. I have an appointment. I’m off work now. Please leave.”
“—Just five minutes. Recent checkups take only five minutes!”
Voices from inside sounded quite urgent.
