As Im Haneul rubbed her head, trying to recover from the fall, her gaze fixated on Yoru’s bare upper body. It wasn’t the first time she had seen a muscular NPC, but something about Yoru made the situation feel... more personal. His skin glistened slightly from the sunlight, his muscles flexed as he breathed, and she couldn’t help but notice the intricate, ominous markings near his right collarbone.
The same markings she had glimpsed in brief flashes before, yet never paid much attention to. Now, seeing them so clearly, her curiosity spiked.
“Uh... sorry,” Haneul managed, her face flushing even deeper as she averted her gaze. She had just fallen out of the sky, practically into his lap, and now she couldn’t stop staring.
Yoru, still in shock at the sudden intrusion, blinked a few times, clearly trying to process the situation. After a brief pause, his expression shifted back into his usual calm demeanor.
"...You okay?" Yoru asked, folding his arms across his chest. His voice had a gruff, but oddly soft, quality to it that made Haneul feel even more embarrassed about her clumsy entrance.
“I—uh, yeah, I’m fine,” she stammered. “Sorry for... dropping in like that.”
Yoru raised an eyebrow, clearly not impressed. "Dropping in? You practically crashed."
Haneul could only nod sheepishly, trying to hide her flustered state. She quickly got to her feet, brushing the dirt off her robes as if the motion would help her recover some dignity.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt... whatever it was you were doing,” she added awkwardly, finally stealing a glance back at him. He still hadn’t put his shirt back on, and now that she noticed, his skin bore not just the demonic mark but also several small scars. Evidence of a life lived on the edge. It only made him more intimidating.
Yoru gave a nonchalant shrug. "It's not a big deal. Just didn’t expect anyone to fall out of the sky in the middle of my... relaxation."
The word 'relaxation' was somehow both amusing and strange, considering how serious he looked. Still, Haneul could feel the weight of her curiosity pressing on her. The markings on his collarbone—it wasn’t something you saw on an ordinary NPC, not even in a game world like this.
Unable to contain herself any longer, she blurted out, “That mark... on your collarbone. Is it—Is it something special?”
Yoru’s eyes darkened almost instantly, his calm expression hardening. He instinctively reached up to touch the mark, his fingers brushing the skin there as if he were suddenly aware of its presence.
"You shouldn't ask about that," he said in a low, clipped tone, his demeanor shifting to something more guarded.
Haneul immediately regretted asking, the tension between them growing thick. “Oh—right, sorry! I didn’t mean to pry, I just...”
Yoru sighed, rubbing his temple. He seemed to debate something internally before he spoke again, this time with a hint of resignation in his voice. “It’s not something I like talking about. Let’s just say... it’s a reminder of something I’d rather not dwell on.”
Haneul could sense that pushing the subject any further would be a mistake. She quickly changed the topic. “I, uh, actually came here to see you. Well, not like this, I mean—properly. I wanted to ask you some things.”
Yoru raised an eyebrow again, this time with genuine curiosity. "You wanted to see me?"
Haneul nodded quickly, feeling a little more at ease now that the tension was lifting. “Yes. I’ve been hearing a lot about you lately—about how strong you are, about what happened with the owl-bear. And, well, I was wondering if I could... maybe learn something from you?”
Yoru looked at her, studying her for a long moment. His expression softened slightly, and he uncrossed his arms. “You want to learn from me? What exactly do you think I could teach you?”
Haneul bit her lip, hesitating for a moment. "I know I'm not much of a fighter... I'm more into magic, really. But I've seen how you handle yourself in combat, and I thought... maybe I could pick up some skills to help me survive longer out here. You seem to know this place inside out."
Yoru’s gaze remained fixed on her, unreadable. For a moment, Haneul wondered if he was going to turn her down or worse—mock her for even asking. But then, to her surprise, he let out a low chuckle.
"You’re serious about this?" he asked, his voice lighter than before.
Haneul nodded, her face determined. "Yes. I know it might seem strange, but I’ve been watching how things are going in this world, and... I think I need to be stronger if I want to survive here. You’re probably the strongest person I’ve met so far."
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Yoru exhaled slowly, looking off into the distance as if weighing the decision in his mind. Finally, he turned back to her and gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. “Alright. I’ll teach you. But don’t expect it to be easy.”
Haneul’s eyes widened in surprise and excitement. “Really? You’ll teach me?”
“Don’t get too excited,” Yoru warned, his tone still serious. “I’m not the kind of teacher who’s going to go easy on you. If you want to learn from me, you’d better be ready to work hard.”
Haneul grinned, despite herself. “I can handle it.”
Yoru sighed again, though this time there was a hint of amusement in his expression. “Fine. We’ll start tomorrow. For now, get out of here before someone else falls out of the sky.”
Haneul laughed awkwardly, finally beginning to relax. She turned to leave, but not before glancing back at Yoru one more time, still marveling at the strange turn of events.
As she made her way back through the forest, her heart raced with excitement. She had a feeling that training with Yoru was going to be an experience unlike anything she had gone through before.
Still, there was that nagging curiosity about his mark. What kind of secret was Yoru hiding? And how much of it would he be willing to reveal?
For now, though, she was just grateful that she had survived the fall—and even more grateful for the opportunity that had come with it.