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Old Friends Starting Today

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That slightly stooped man who looked like hes been worn down by the vicissitudes of life had an acquisition failed skill that was no less than SS-Rank!

It was obvious just from looking at the name that it was a special skill related to production. Wow, even 5 years later, not even one person came out with an equipment production skill. To think that I would see that here.

Special skills were already normally rare, and after the Awakening Centers were made, they completely disappeared[1]. This was because the Awakening Centers Awakening method was to battle in a virtual reality. Later, virtual realities for healer use were made, but that was it.

This was why Awakened People from the Awakening Center had 70% combat skills, and 29% healing skills. The remaining 1% were also mostly combat-assistance skills, and special skills were about one in a million.

Anyways, awesome! Seriously awesome!

If I raise that person, there was that issue of having to say that damned keyword, but it was too much of as waste to give up. First, thinking we should introduce ourselves to each other, I was going to go chase after the man going the opposite direction.

Tap.

The scruff of my neck grabbed. That guy Sunghan, treating me like some puppy[2], lightly picked me up and pulled me away, and said in a displeased voice.

Youre trying to go somewhere again. Without saying anything.

I had to report on this too? It felt like I was a 5-year-old who came out to buy groceries with his mom.

Its just I thought I saw someone I know. I was going to go say hello.

So let me go. Sunghan let me go, telling me that I should tell him beforehand, and while that was happening, the SS skill acquisition failed man got that much further away.

No, wait up.

Hey! Myeongwoo!

I yelled hard. Yoo Myeongwoo, who was about the turn around the corner, stopped and turned his head.

I put on an extremely pleased expression and walked over to him in big strides.

Youre Myeongwoo, right? Yoo Myeongwoo. Its been so long!

As I made a fuss and pretended I knew him, Yoo Myeongwoo was taken aback and searched my face. Of course, even if he looked, he wouldnt know me. This was our very first meeting.

Um who were you. Im sorry, but I cant remember well

Its okay. I dont remember you either.

You dont remember? Han Yoojin, Yoojin.

Sorry. I really dont remember.

Its been too long, so it makes sense. I wasnt sure either. Have you been well all this time? Did you also Awaken?

As I spoke, lightly hitting Yoo Myeongwoos shoulder, he put on a bashful expression.

Yeah. F-Rank, though.

Stats and skills both?

My skills are E but not enough to go into a dungeon. I just came to get the subsidy at least.

A weak smile flickered across Yoo Myeongwoos face. Even just looking, it seemed like he was in tough circumstances.

Im FE too! But we still get Hunter licenses. Its a lot better than FF.

I whispered the last part. At my words, Yoo Myeongwoo showed a slightly brighter smile.

Since youre FE, you must have requested a basics program?

At my question, he shook his head.

No. I didnt. The training expenses are free but they said I had to pay boarding costs every week The basics program doesnt give out subsidies, and with my abilities, I dont think Ill be able to attack any dungeons, so I might as well use the time to job-hunt.

I thought of me before the regression. If it werent for my debts, I might have also given up and run around the job front unremarkably. Since going and attacking a dungeon with only E-Rank buff skills was a really stupid thing to do.

So I sold the Haeyeon Guild Leader and got party members. It was definitely a scam, and my reputation definitely hit rock bottom. Back then, rather than helping out, I cursed out Yoohyun a lot, saying I would turn him away.

Lets self-reflect. I shouldnt do that again but rather, even now I was still constantly lying. This is okay because its to help us get along!

Still, its a waste. Do you want to get training with me at my guild?

Hm? Your guild-.

Han Yoojin-ssi.

Kim Sunghan, who was silently standing a bit apart from us, cut in with a frown. Yoo Myeongwoo, who had only just noticed him, shrunk his neck like a frightened turtle.

Only guild members can receive rookie Hunter training.

Ah[3], cant you stick in just one little person[4]. And his personality is good. Kind and really good with his hands.

Youre like this because you dont know, but this guy was really awesome. He was a completely genuine person, but I couldnt explain.

But-.

Then Ill ask Yoohyun, and if he says no, Ill give up.

As soon as I took out my cell phone, Kim Sunghan was floored.

Hes busy!

If he doesnt pick up the phone, then later-.

[What is it? Did you finish the Awakened Person registration?]

Yoohyun picked up the phone after just two rings. It was fast.

Yeah. I finished. I bought contracts too. But can you let my friend participate in Haeyeon Guilds rookie Hunter training?

[Friend? Besides that, let him receive Hunter training?]

Wouldnt receiving it be better? Just in case.

[Hmm. Okay. Ill send out word. Youre coming right back, right?]

Some guy completely shook down my house so where else would I go.

Yoohyun laughed. Dont laugh, you brat. If you broke even one cup, Ill file for compensation or rather, Ive already gotten a billion won.

Its fine, right?

I looked up at Kim Sunghan after hanging up the phone. His unhappy expression was obvious but he didnt say anything and stepped back a couple of steps.

Say, Haeyeon Guilds Guild Leader, how do you

Hes my dongsaeng.

Yoo Myeongwoos eyes were full of awe and envy. Our Yoohyun is pretty impressive, huh, haha.

If you complete the Guild, not Association, rookie training, its a lot easier to get party members. For F-Rank beginner dungeons, stats and skills are about the same so experience is the most important. What initial skills did you get?

Whetstone. It gives 2% more sharpness to weapons that have blades.

So its a weapon buff skill. Its definitely vague. Still, you can endure up to D-Rank with equipment. Should I lend you one?

If you plastered C-Rank equipment on yourself, F-Ranks could go around E-Rank dungeons. I was also F-Rank, but Ive been to even D-Rank dungeons. Though I was nearly killed by the Lauchtas.

But its hard to cover dungeons starting from C-Rank with just equipment.

E-equipment?

Yoo Myeongwoo had an astonished expression. Well, for Hunter equipment, even F-Ranks went for hundreds of thousands of won. To depend on equipment, you had to wear one that was higher than your own rank, and then you could beat a dungeon as easy as breathing[5].

For example, I spent several hundred millions to buy equipment.

It was obvious that readily lending something like that was shocking. I put on my kindest smile with all my might.

I cant go into dungeons often anyways. But isnt it a waste to leave it unused? Im just lending you something thats idle so dont worry about it.

But I dont even remember you well

You really dont have to worry! And youre a good guy. A really good guy.

He was a talent whose skill was so so good that it had two Ss. If Yoo Myeongwoos skills were discovered, then would a few equipment be a problem; if he waved a contract filled with all sorts of conditions, the whole world would come running.

At least, I think you definitely have enough value to receive this kind of treatment, so just accept it. Theres nothing bad about it, right?

R-Really

It looked like Yoo Myeongwoos two eyes were squinting when,

Plop plop[6]

Large drops of tears[7] fell. Uh, oh[8]?

Really, I am someone with value?

T-thats right. I do think that.

Uhheuheuk-![9]

Yoo Myeongwoo started to cry as if a swelling dam had burst. He wailed as he made hitching noises.

W-what do I do? Should I comfort him?

A lot must have built up all this time.

As I clumsily patted his stooped back, he let out a sob and suddenly pulled me over to hug me.

Hey, hey. Calm down a little. It was really embarrassing.

With a plop, a paper cup fell from a vending machine. Then coffee filled the cup. I took out the coffee and looked at Yoo Myeongwoo who was sipping coix seed tea.

His face was wretched.

Of course, both his eyes were blood-shot, and not just his face but even his nape was red with heat. His appearance, caked with tear tracks, looked like that of a begger who was completely beat up and chased out, but his expression looked a lot more refreshed.

Have you calmed down a little now?

Sitting on a bench next to the vending machine, he bashfully nodded his head. I took a sip of coffee as I sat down next to him on the bench. What use is there to be able to tell the difference between coffee bean varieties, vending machine coffee was the best.

I won a lot of awards when I was young, remember?

Yoo Myeongwoo opened his mouth, while looking at someone taking a walk behind the Association building. The weather was quite nice.

Like you said, I was really good with my hands.

Yeah, I know. The best.

If the talent was good enough to get a SS-Rank production skill, then it definitely was.

But its useless for living. When I was young, people would say youre doing great, but when my head got a little bigger, theyd say to stop playing around and study. And that I have to do well on tests, and go to a good college, and get a good job. There was no time for the talent I got praised for, and such.

He continued in a calm voice.

If my familys circumstances were better off, I mightve been able to find a path using my talent. But there was no breathing room. I didnt have a talent for studying, and after going to a so-so college, I just had a lot of debt. College branded[10], grades branded. After that, I found I didnt have anywhere to go.

With his sigh, there was a bitter taste in my mouth.

I also knew it well, that. Even before Awakened People and Hunters appeared, the world also had ranks. They didnt openly hand out S to F, but ranks were assigned as soon as you were born.

The so-called gold spoon and dirt spoon[11]. Just like Awakening stat ranks, you were different from the start.

Of course, there were people born into a poor family who made their own fortunes. But the majority stayed the same. Even if you tried, you wouldnt be able to rise much and most had to stop.

Would initial skills be talents?

If the circumstances dont measure up, a talent doesnt bloom in the end.

Like how everyone pushes you to study and divides you in ranks[12], the Awakening Center would also push you toward combat or healing and choose ranks. In the end, even SS-Rank skills like Yoo Myeongwoos in front of me would be buried and disappear.

As a Hunter, F-Rank, to society, F-Rank.

Ah, I want to crack open a bottle of soju[13]~.

Its been a long time since my parents divorced, and Im a useless bum. Do you know how I Awakened? I was trying to kill myself.

Yoo Myeongwoo giggled. It was more serious than Id thought.

I was cutting my wrist with a knife when I Awakened. Ah, Ill get a million won. With that thought, I felt relieved.

A million won. It wasnt a little, but it wasnt a lot either. It was an amount that would disappear through living expenses in a couple of months if you didnt have a decent job.

I wonder what happened to the Yoo Myeongwoo before my regression. Only briefly happy after getting the million won, as an F-Rank with assistance skills that he couldnt go around a dungeon properly with, just how much longer would he have survived?

With the million won, I can eat properly for once. And after that I didnt really think of anything so I was just going to let things happen on its own. But you told me.

He said while crumpling the empty paper cup.

That I have value. That I should continue living, that a path is set out for me, that I deserve a hand held out, that I have kind of value, so its okay.

With that, he might cry again. I uselessly cleared my throat. I was just trying to hit jackpot but now I was starting to feel ashamed.

I dont act like that with just anyone. I was like that because youre really a great guy.

Thanks. Really.

Yoo Myeongwoo rubbed away tears that were starting to form again with his fist. The atmosphere was quite good. If it wasnt now, another good opportunity might not appear.

Fine, lets do this.

Our lives were sort of miserable. Mine wasnt smooth either. After my parents passed, trying to survive with my dongsaeng, I had to quit school. Still, my dongsaeng was lucky to Awaken as S-Rank, but Im a lowly F-Rank. To tell you the truth, I was re~ally jealous of my dongsaeng.

As I was talking, I unconsciously bared my heart.

Still. Other people sneer at you saying that you ruined your life. We dont have to put ourselves down as well, right? Its hard enough to live when you have confidence, if youre timid then you get into trouble[14].

If your mind becomes a mess because your life is a mess, youll fall lower than rock bottom. Just by throwing out my inferiority complex, my life changed a lot.

Is there any need to break our necks looking up? Just live thinking Im actually amazing, others just dont recognize it. And loving yourself. I love this amazing me!

Rather than meaninglessly working hard for nothing[15], a mental victory is better. Smiling exaggeratedly, I looked at Yoo Myeongwoo.

Yoo Myeongwoo, I love you too, my friend!

That guy laughed and I laughed. A Messaged Window popped up.

[Awakened Person Yoo Myeongwoo has been influenced by the keyword!]

[1] lit. as if the seed has dried up

[2] , = dog, = (lit.) offspring but remember how its also an insult? Yeah, also means something like son of a bitch

[3] the actual sound is ey-ee (or like the letter a) which is a sound you make when youre (often playfully) refuting something. Theres no eng equivalent that I can think of, but the sound itself sounds like ey which has a different meaning in eng, so I just replaced it with something else

[4] the actual word means something like someone who isnt involved but keeps on inserting themselves but thats a little awkward to put in so I just used a similar eng phrase one little person. Ok I know theyre not that similar but I did my best.

[5] lit. several hundreds to more than a thousand [times] lightly

[6] too-deuk in krn

[7] lit. tears like chicken droppings

[8] uh-ra = a sound thats used in situations like what do we have here/oh?/huh?

[9] crying noises

[10] in the old days, people who did something bad were branded somewhere obvious (I think on their face?) as punishment and to let other people know they are bad. Hes referring to that.

[11] gold spoon refers to what is called silver spoon in eng (as in born with a silver spoon in ones mouth) and you can guess what dirt spoon would mean, then

[12] in korea, at least up to my parents gen, idk about now, schools would rank their students according to their grades (as in, the best student is 1, 2nd best is 2, etc.)

[13] Korean rice wine/alcohol, though nowadays its also made with non-rice starches.

[14] lit. roll in mud

[15] lit. digging the ground