This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 522

A long time had passed since we had all gathered together like this, even though I had seen each of them separately many times.

Just sitting around together for a meal brought an unexpected level of joy.

It felt as if just being there made my mood soar.

And it seemed I wasn’t the only one who felt this way; the atmosphere was lively throughout the meal.

Thanks to this, I could truly enjoy the feeling of being home without having to worry about anyone’s gaze.

“By the way, Bora, are you going to start your series again?”

“Uh? Um… I can’t just keep taking breaks forever, right?”

“Well, that’s true.”

Bora hadn’t been slacking off; she had shown more dedication than any other mangaka on the same site. So, it wasn’t likely the platform would criticize her for taking a break, but as a mangaka, it was a profession that relied on people’s attention.

It would be to her advantage to come back while people still missed her work rather than resting too long.

“So, are you going to continue what you were drawing before?”

“Uh… Probably, though I might start with a few short stories to regain my senses from when I was serializing before.”

“Short stories?”

“Yeah, I heard the site is planning to do some kind of event gathering authors.”

An event? Was it a short story collection or something?

From Bora’s words, it definitely seemed like that.

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation. After all, a short story drawn by Bora, who had become known as “the Divine Painter” among people, was something every manga fan would naturally look forward to.

“So, what kind of story are you planning for the short ones?”

“Um… That’s a secret.”

What? Just a moment ago, she was acting as if she would reveal everything, and now she’s suddenly shutting down?

I must have had a slightly dumbfounded expression because Bora seemed to notice.

“But… if you tell me in advance, it wouldn’t be fun.”

Bora added with an awkward smile.

After having a lighthearted chat with Bora, I shifted my focus towards my senior.

“How about you, Senior?”

“Huh, me?”

“Is there anything special going on with you?”

“Me? Well… it’s always the same.”

Was it that there was nothing noteworthy like Bora?

I didn’t think that was necessarily a bad thing. Given that the Senior was a Hero, for her, a “special” day would basically mean some incident or accident, right?

But always the same, huh?

That probably meant the Association was managing to continue its tightrope walk even in a precarious situation.

“Oh, by the way. How’s the situation with the Association these days?”

“Well… It’s similar to before.”

“So at least it hasn’t gotten worse?”

“Well, yeah.”

It was quite a mysterious organization.

When the black smoke had billowed from the building that the Association used as its headquarters, many people had gathered to say it was basically the end for them. But who could have imagined how long they would last after having lost people’s trust and getting robbed by Another Ones?

“It wouldn’t have been strange if they had collapsed long ago…”

Despite that, they’re still holding on; this must truly be a testament to the Association’s resilience.

“And the atmosphere on-site?”

“Uh… It’s not bad. Things felt a bit heavy before, but recently, there’s a vibe of ‘let’s give it our all!'”

Even the atmosphere on-site isn’t bad?

That was a noteworthy aspect.

In some ways, it meant that those who are usually sensitive to the atmosphere had suddenly changed their attitudes, suggesting they had picked up on something.

The issue was what that something was… had something happened while I was stuck in the hospital?

“Why? Did something happen?”

I asked, curious as it might come in handy, but unfortunately, the answer was there hadn’t been anything particularly noteworthy.

Yet at some point, the atmosphere had changed.

Had everyone working on-site suddenly experienced some kind of collective awakening?

As the old saying goes, you never know what’s in store for people, and it might actually be true; however, it was more plausible that something occurred among those working in the field that my Senior just didn’t pick up on.

Though they worked in the same field, maybe the Senior just hadn’t been in the loop since she’s a Hero.

That could very well be the case.

It’s a common fact that everyone associated with the Association knows about the distance between the Heroes and the staff members.

Sure, the Senior must have seen them as coworkers, but their thoughts could be quite different.

So maybe they just kept their discussions to themselves and didn’t share anything with the Senior.

At that moment, I had speculated just this much, no more, no less.

Originally, I was planning to enjoy the LA galbi I made with a nice cold beer, but since I suggested we hold off just for today, I ended up with a dry mouth.

Instead, my Senior began gulping down various beverages she had brought back when she got home, and after a while, she excused herself to go to the bathroom, leaving the table.

Around the same time, Yoonseo returned from another bathroom trip.

“What were you two chatting about?”

When I got back from the bathroom, I found myself in a deep conversation with my Senior, and it seemed fleeting curiosity sparked in Chae-rim’s eyes.

Chae-rim, wearing a curious expression, asked.

Yoonseo’s face, returning from the bathroom at the same time, looked quite similar.

“Oh, it’s nothing much… I was just wondering what the current atmosphere is like on-site.”

“The atmosphere? Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

“I thought it might be useful to know in advance.”

“And?”

“Yeah…?”

“The atmosphere on-site. What’s it like?”

Since Chae-rim had usually been away from the site, it seemed she was also secretly curious.

Chae-rim’s gaze flitted between me and my Senior.

“The atmosphere had been quite heavy not long ago, but lately, it seems to be better.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Right, Senior?”

“Uh, well… it might just be my impression.”

Since it was Chae-rim, my Senior probably felt hesitant to assert it outright.

Unlike how she had been speaking with me earlier, my Senior seemed to leave room for interpretation, but Chae-rim didn’t seem to mind.

She was too busy being overjoyed.

Without stating it outright, maybe Chae-rim had also been concerned about the atmosphere.

In her position, she surely had to be concerned.

After all, the core supporters of Chae-rim were none other than those working on-site.

So she would feel the need to appease any dissatisfaction among them; yet, before Chae-rim could even act, the atmosphere had improved on its own.

That must have made Chae-rim feel like she had found a 50,000 won note while strolling down the street.

That’s why she seemed so happy.

I hadn’t intended to pose that question to my Senior with that kind of intention, but it turned out well in the end.

“Oh, by the way, Sis.”

“Huh?”

“When do I start working?”

Since the discharge issue, which had been quite a headache for me, was finally resolved, I had figured the same must have been settled regarding my work.

“Ah… that?”

Somehow, Chae-rim’s responses seemed ominously off.

Her consistently proud demeanor didn’t match her current tendency to avoid my gaze.

“Uh… probably from tomorrow?”

What?