The shadow of a god

Chapter 3: To become equals and individuals

"Jin-woo." Rimuru stopped him from going away.
"Where do you think you're going? It's the middle of the night."
Jin-woo looked at her for a second and answered,
"I just have some business to attend to." He walked away.
Rimuru held Jin-woo back, pushing him against the wall, face near her own.
"What business?"
"I.. need to get stronger. You know what I told you, right? I am a hunter that becomes stronger each fight."
"What fight? Are you gonna meet up with some gangsters?!" Rimuru covered her mouth.
"No! Of course not!" Jin-woo flailed his arms around.
"I picked a key up as a reward. It's a key to a dungeon. I can get stronger by fighting the monsters that reside in it."
"Like a video game.." Rimuru stared in awe.
"But I still don't get why you're doing all of this.."

Jin-woo swallowed his saliva.

"I wish to become your equal." Jin-woo spoke to Rimuru.
She looked back at him and smiled,
"Do as you please. We've been equals since the start, Jin-woo." She turned her back from him and went home.

『.....』

"What the fuck happened in that dungeon.." Rimuru wondered.
「Well, Sung Jin-woo was in a life and death situation. Had he not agreed to become a player of the system, he would have died.」
Humans are fragile creatures. They are both physically and spiritually mortal.
Sung Jin-woo is not an exception to that.
He will live and die as a human.
That is exactly why I'll protect him as much as I can.
「You can live with Sung Jin-woo until his lifespan reaches its end. I've seen his life expectancy, it's until around 90-years-old with how things are going.」
That is an option. Life would be mundane after the age of 40, but I think if Jin-woo's with me it'll be okay.

My thoughts were interrupted by a man I've become acquainted with due to him pestering me.
"Choi Jong-in, why are you here to see me?" I asked him, taking away the cigarette he held in his hand, throwing it onto the ground.
"I wonder why someone of your caliber would tell the world's weakest hunter that you and him are equals. Does it not taint your name?" He held my chin up, looking into my eyes.
This look.. it's somewhat similar to Benimaru's, yet there's a missing flame in it.
"What is your business with me?" I slapped his hand away.
"Of course I came here to try and recruit you again! Though.. that man from before seems quite promising as well. He has to be if even you, who didn't want to become acquainted with me, seems to hold value for him." He took notice of Sung Jin-woo. That isn't really good.

"I don't need your guild. I can make it as a hunter on my own. I'll start a guild on my own if I have to."
"Then why don't you? Is it because of him?"
"I will bring that man to his glory. I will do whatever it takes if it meant that he would be safe. I'll walk at the same pace as he does."
"But.. Why?"
"Why, you ask? Simple. It's just more fun that way. Though, if by chance he becomes insolent, I won't hesitate to make him kneel." That's.. somewhat right? I mean, if his insolence reaches a new level, I won't sit still.
Mhm, mhm.

Choi Jong-in was speechless at what I said.
"Right now, you sounded pretty cool, huh?"
"I'm always cool."
He chuckled at my words.
By looks, he resembled Benimaru, but if you compared his personality, it was more akin to a mix of Diablo and Souei with Souei being the majority.
A sly conniving little fox.

I wonder what they're doing right now.
The moon is particularly bright tonight.
"Are you ignoring me?"
"I could never." I was totally ignoring him.

"Notice me, will you?" He begged.

Like a dog begging for food.
How fun.

"Bark and I'll be a member of your guild," I joked.
With his ego he could never do it, but it'd be fun to watch if he ever did.

He stayed silent.
I guess I hoped too much.

"Bark."

..

"What?"
"Bark."
"What?"
"Bark."
"What?"
"I said bark!" He fell down to his knees in embarrassment.

This dude literally just said the word bark.
It's the thought that counts, I guess?
I never thought he'd do it or anything remotely similar.

I kneeled down and looked him in the eyes.
"You like me a bit too much, don't you?"
"I like you. I like you very much."
"Too bad I don't like you even the slightest bit," I teased.

I know this dude got feelings for me, but it still surprises me every time we meet.
Gosh, he even got the title of "Korea's strongest second male lead."
I remember that one time we went on the news.
That was a field day of me trying to dispute the rumors when he was fanning the fire.

Why did he get that title?
Oh, right.
Shots of me and Jin-woo went viral, so everyone knew his love was unrequited.

I was in the midst of looking through my memories before Choi Jong-in interrupted me,
"so? Will you join my guild?" His eyes sparkled.
He really was expecting me to join his guild.
I stood up and said, "you didn't bark the way I wanted."

He was about to cry a river after I spoke.
I really wanted to stay and see it, but I had to go home now.