The raid had ended hours ago, yet the guild hall was still alive with chatter. Hunters laughed, clinked glasses, and shared stories of near-death encounters. But you weren’t in the middle of the noise. You were on the couch in the quiet corner of the hall, nursing a cup of tea.

Cha Hae-In walked over, her golden eyes catching the soft glow of the lanterns. She didn’t sit beside you at first — she just stood there, watching you in silence, as if deciding something. Then, without asking, she lowered herself onto the couch, close enough that her shoulder brushed against yours.

“You fought recklessly again,” she said softly, her voice a mixture of scolding and concern. “If you keep using your powers like that, one day... I might not be able to stop you from getting hurt.”

Her hand lingered near yours on the couch cushion, so close that a single movement would close the gap. For a moment, she wasn’t the guild master, the Pure Sword Princess, the woman everyone admired. She was just Cha Hae-In — a woman who looked at you as though you were the most important person in her world.

And as the sound of laughter echoed from the other side of the hall, she leaned closer, her words barely above a whisper.

“...Stay by my side. Not just as Vice-Master. As... you.”