Your Girlfriend Was Amazing

Chapter 34: How Clichéd Can This Get?

How Clichéd Can This Get?

[Yoo Soojin]  Taeyang, you have a field trip to the gate today?  Be careful and don't get hurt! ❤️🐶

[So Yoomin]  Taeyang♥ㅠ♥ I really wanted to go with you…  I'm so sad I can't see you today 😿💔

The moment I stepped onto the bus headed for the gate, messages flooded my phone as if they'd coordinated their timing. They seemed to anticipate that I'd be busy getting ready in the morning, making it difficult for me to respond.

Soojin might be familiar with this, but how does Yoomin nail the timing so precisely? With different entry times for each gate, it's not something you can guess easily.

Is it because witches are fundamentally different?

[Yoo Soojin]  No worries, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.  If there's a way I can help, I will!

Replying to Soojin first wasn't a conscious choice; I simply have a habit of responding to messages in the order they come in.

"Who are you texting?"

"I see…"

Minsoo, seated next to me, suddenly looked up. Honestly, I had no plans to accompany him; there was neither a need nor a reason to do so. The idea of pairing up was more of a gate-specific arrangement. My goal was simply to travel comfortably on my own.

Why did he wait for me?

The image of him waving goodbye at the dormitory gate remains vivid in my mind. I couldn't fathom why he would wait for me, especially since he wasn't even engaging in much conversation—just occasional remarks here and there.

"Why did you wait for me?"

"Well, um, we talked yesterday… and you mentioned helping with my love life… so, yeah…"

I opted to tune out, fearing he'd ramble on indefinitely. After reading Yoomin's message, I knew I couldn't afford to delay my response. When it comes to handling messages from women, that takes precedence over entertaining nonsense.

[So Yoomin]  Really? ♥!  Can I visit your dorm tomorrow?  If you say no, I'll just barge in.Contact me after the gate is over!  ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥😻

To sever the Yoomin-Minsoo entanglement, a few more breadcrumbs are in order. Meeting prepared is actually beneficial; there's nothing wrong with that.

Now, that's hardly the issue…

Kim Minsoo has been fixated on his phone for quite some time. When he's silent, he's ignorable, but these occasional furtive glances are irritating.

"Minsoo, if you've got something on your mind, spit it out."

"Ah, well, it's been five hours since I last messaged Yoomin, and she still hasn't replied… Maybe she's busy with the gate?"

Each time he speaks, his sentences drag on. Listening to him is emotionally draining.

"Yoomin must be busy too, I guess…"

"Maybe? I thought I'd resolved any misunderstandings. I was transparent about my counseling session with Instructor Ryu, even apologized, and Yoomin accepted it. Yet, it's been five hours with no contact. She did mention going to bed at precisely 11:27 PM yesterday… Then, I wanted to hear her voice around 5 AM, so—"

"Minsoo."

"Yes?"

"I'm on the verge of nausea. Could you keep it zipped until we reach our destination?"

"Uh, yeah, sure! I was thinking along those lines too!"

Listening any further, and I might've hemorrhaged from my ears. It's almost sad how oblivious Minsoo is to Yoomin's text game. I even toyed with the idea of subtly sabotaging their dynamic during this bus ride.

Conversing with Kim Minsoo in this cramped setting borders on lunacy. His words are like a spray of saliva, and I'm contemplating ways to dodge his verbal projectiles.

Why does he and that fat author keep overlapping in my thoughts? Even though I wanted to see the good in him, I just couldn't. I know his personality is his creation, but do they have to look alike too?

Would this guy morph into that fatass if he gains weight and wears glasses?

It's a logical query, but I opt not to entertain it. My immediate aim is pinpointing Minsoo's potential heroines. The class roster that Instructor Kim Sukgu provided is inconclusive in identifying any beauties.

Sure, he showed some photos, but placing faith in them is a fool's errand. The art of photo editing can work wonders—or deception. I've met someone who looked like Greek gods in snapshots, only to flee at the sight of a burger.

[The next stop is XX, XX.]

"Let's get off here, Taeyang!"

"Yeah, convenient that it's close by."

"True. Last year, we had to trek all the way to Jeju Island. Seems we're in luck this time."

The nature of gates and dungeons is fundamentally different. A dungeon assimilates the surrounding landscape, effectively creating its own domain—it's essentially terraforming. A gate, conversely, materializes seemingly out of nowhere, as if it dropped from the sky.

Both erase the surrounding terrain, but how they do it varies. Dungeons morph the landscape, while gates merely introduce a rift. Once cleared, a gate vanishes, but a dungeon persists. While there are other distinctions, these are the most notable.

"But last year, it was a dungeon, wasn't it?"

"Indeed… That must have yielded a haul."

In the short term, a gate that spares its surroundings might seem beneficial. Yet, long-term gains from a dungeon, with its diverse resources, would be far more advantageous.

"Serving as interim instructors—it's thrilling yet nerve-wracking. Honestly, Taeyang, after sparring with you, I've been contemplating…"

Minsoo launched into a verbose monologue as we stepped off the bus, detailing everything from sparring feedback to his grasp of weaponry and my punching technique. I felt tempted to stuff my fist down his throat to shut him up.

He didn't strike me as this talkative…

He'd been concealing his true nature. What initially seemed like stoic silence turned out to be a façade. Since volunteering for relationship advice, he's been a fountain of words.

"I feel like my moves are too predictable when I use a sword… Anyway, just looking at your weapon case, I can tell you're packing something major… Isn't it heavy? The case is huge… And you carry it around like it's nothing with just one hand…"

"Minsoo, can we pick up the pace? We're the fill-in instructors; let's act like it."

"Right-o, lead the way!"

The gate and the bus stop were miles apart. Lucky us, it appeared in a spot far from the civilian crowd, and wouldn't you know it, an F-grade gate to boot.

Hmm, intriguing… Can't put my finger on it yet, but something's fishy… Time will tell.

A massive rift, towering over even the tallest trees, loomed ahead.

++++++++++++

"Ah, you're here."

"Hello, Instructor Sukgu."

"Sure, feel free to speak comfortably since you'll be acting as instructors too."

"Yes."

Kim Sukgu had arrived well before sunrise, and sweat beads already adorned his forehead. Maybe it was his bald head acting like a mirror, but each glint of light felt like a laser beam aimed directly at my retinas.

"Taeyang, as I explained before, you'll be looking after the students from behind, while Minsoo will be on the frontline."

Just as I was about to go over the safety precautions for the gate, which Sukgu had discussed yesterday, a bunch of people with ‘Hunter' practically stamped on their foreheads appeared out of nowhere.

"Oh, this is Minjoon, the team leader who'll be assisting us on the gate tour."

"Hello, I'm Lee Minjoon, the team leader. Pleasure to meet you."

An F-rank gate or not, it's still a gate. I get that when you're playing with unknowns, better to have too many safety nets than too few. Victory Academy didn't skimp; they brought in a team of seasoned hunters just for good measure.

But still, to call an entire team…

I recalled Baek Taeyang's memories mentioning these guys. Media darlings, these ones. Minjoon's squad might be a bunch of lightweights individually, but together, they're like an A-team taking down A-rank monsters. Putting them in an F-rank gate is like bringing a tank to a knife fight.

But they're all men…

From the team leader down to the grunts, a sausage fest. After a bit of chitchat, they seemed alright.

When's Minsoo's fan club rolling in? There's about thirty minutes left until the assembly time.

I'd spot any harem-worthy faces instantly, so I kept my eyes peeled.

"So, Student Baek Taeyang, right?"

"Yes, feel free to keep it casual, team leader."

"Got it. Why's your weapon case so massive, though? What's in there?"

"Just various things."

"Ah, keeping it a secret, huh? Good strategy. Concealing one's true abilities is crucial."

Minsoo and I were surrounded by Minjoon's team and bombarded with questions. It was clear they were trying to size us up, believing we were hot prospects, hence the interim instructor roles.

They sprinkled in some sly compliments and tried to play the "wise elder," doling out advice. If I were some ordinary student, I'd be kowtowing and playing their game, but that's not me.

"Well, yeah… But even if it's just an F-rank gate, Instructor Sukgu is really thorough."

"Caution is never a bad thing. I actually think all hunters could learn a thing or two from his approach."

As soon as the introductions were done, Kim Sukgu glued himself to the gate. He busied himself with a multitude of machines connected to it, analyzing them non-stop. His main worry seemed to be the potential for the gate's rank to change, thereby ramping up the difficulty.

"Oh? Taeyang, the kids are here," Minjoon alerted me. I turned to see a group of students with various shades of black hair appearing from over the hill.

Found her.

Among the sea of dark-haired students, a dazzling blonde stood out. Her intricately rolled bun, haughty demeanor, and upscale clothing made her impossible to miss. It was as if she was announcing, ‘I'm the next heroine!'

After a childhood friend and a teacher, it's now the turn of the rich young lady archetype. While Yoomin also appeared well-off, this girl exuded a different level of opulence.

"Good! The chance of this gate fluctuating is zero," Sukgu declared, his face lighting up as if concluding his thorough analysis.

"What are your thoughts, Team Leader Minjoon?" I inquired, ready to validate the hypothesis I'd formed at the bus stop.

"I'm on the same page as Instructor Sukgu. With no fluctuations in this F-rank gate, everyone should be safe. We'll ensure that," Minjoon affirmed with confidence.

How amusing.

An F-rank gate with no chance of change. A future harem member in the form of a wealthy young lady. Kim Minsoo, our protagonist boasting the [Hero] trait. And let's not forget the A-rank hunter team on standby for any eventuality.

It's all too predictable. Even someone like me, who hasn't read many novels, can see where this is going.

Is it going to be that straightforward?

F-rank gates always change; Mr. Double Chin would never let that slide.

There aren't many ways to connect the wealthy young lady and the pitiful character. The easiest route is to employ the "suspension bridge effect," and this F-rank gate provides the perfect backdrop.

"Taeyang, see that blonde girl over there? She's the daughter of Yoomin's rival group leader."

"Ah, figures…"

The stage is set so neatly, even outlining a main heroine and her rival. Her destiny to enter Kim Minsoo's harem is set in stone.

How clichéd can this get?

Every love story follows a script. That is, until Baek Taeyang swoops in and takes it all away.