The sun was shining brightly today, and even the birds outside seemed to be singing just for me.
I stood by the window, humming quietly to myself as I watched the sunlight spill across the street, feeling as though I'd stepped straight into one of those princess movies I'd watched as a child. Everything seemed so peaceful, so wonderful, and it was all because Han Jinhyuk had agreed to go on a date with me.
I covered my cheeks with both hands, unable to suppress the smile spreading across my face. Just thinking about it made my heart flutter, and even after everything that had happened yesterday, I still couldn't quite believe it.
Han Jinhyuk.
The Han Jinhyuk.
One of the most famous hunters in Korea had agreed to go on a date with someone like me!
I pressed a hand against my chest, feeling my heart beat so fast that I wondered if something was wrong with me.
"Calm down, Elena..."
I took several deep breaths, hoping to settle my racing heart, but it was no use. The more I thought about our plans for the evening, the more excited I became, and I couldn't stop the corners of my mouth from curling upward.
However, just as I was about to lose myself in another daydream, a sudden thought crossed my mind.
Wait a minute.
How did someone as famous as Han Jinhyuk even have this much free time?
I tilted my head, trying to recall the countless times I'd seen him appear in the news, whether it was during dungeon raids, guild meetings, or interviews about the latest hunter-related incidents. Someone of his caliber should've been incredibly busy, especially considering that he was the strongest hunter in the country.
So how had he managed to agree to meet me without so much as a second thought?
Could it be...
My eyes widened as a rather outrageous possibility entered my mind.
No, that couldn't be right.
Was Han Jinhyuk deliberately overworking himself so he could find an excuse to visit my café every day, only to put off his responsibilities and spend time with me?
I immediately shook my head, trying to dispel the thought before it could take root.
That was ridiculous! Why would someone like him go that far just to spend time with me? It wasn't as though we were particularly close, and although he'd been a regular at my café, that didn't necessarily mean anything.
"...Right?"
I stared out the window for a moment, as though the passing pedestrians might somehow provide me with an answer, before finally deciding to abandon the idea altogether.
Whatever the reason, Han Jinhyuk had agreed to go out with me, and that was all that mattered.
Besides, I had more important things to worry about.
Like what I was going to wear tonight.
I turned toward my closet, only to freeze at the sight before me.
The closet was completely empty.
Well... Not technically empty. The clothes that were supposed to be hanging inside were currently scattered across my bed, draped over my chair, piled on the floor, and even thrown onto the couch.
I stared at the mess in disbelief.
How was this even possible? How could I own so many clothes and still have absolutely nothing to wear?
I picked up a dress from the bed, holding it against myself as I examined it in front of the mirror. Too formal. I looked like I was about to attend a wedding rather than go on a date. I tossed it aside and reached for another outfit, only to decide that it was far too casual.
One by one, I went through my clothes, growing increasingly frustrated with each rejected outfit until I finally stepped back and stared at the mess surrounding me.
This was ridiculous.
After nearly an hour of trying on clothes, I was no closer to making a decision than when I'd started.
Just what was I supposed to wear?!
With a defeated sigh, I sank onto the edge of my bed, only for my eyes to land on a skirt lying among the pile of clothes.
A skirt should be fine, right?
I vaguely remembered reading something on an online dating forum a while ago. According to one of the posts, wearing a skirt on a first date could leave a better impression.
I picked it up and held it against myself, studying my reflection in the mirror.
"Okay." I nodded firmly. "This is it."
Then I hesitated.
Was it too plain? Should I wear something prettier instead? Maybe I should try pairing it with a different blouse, or perhaps a dress would be better after all...
My gaze slowly drifted toward the bed, where the mountain of rejected clothes seemed to mock me for even considering another change.
"...No." I shook my head firmly. "Let's not overthink this."
I'd already spent an entire hour choosing an outfit, and if I kept going at this rate, I'd probably end up changing my mind until it was time to leave.
Besides, it wasn't as though I needed to impress him that much.
It was just a date.
A date with Han Jinhyuk.
I froze.
Then, with a small groan, I buried my face in the skirt.
Why was even thinking about his name enough to make me nervous?!
·•—–٠✤٠—–•·
I stood in front of a random store, checking my hair in my phone's camera. Somehow, my heart was beating louder than the cars passing by.
I was so nervous it felt suffocating, but in a strangely good way.
"You're here early."
Han Jinhyuk appeared out of nowhere, making me flinch at his sudden appearance.
To be precise, I was almost half an hour early. I'd gotten ready so far ahead of time that I'd even had to stop by a pharmacy to get something for my nerves.
"I-I had some free time," I replied, my voice shaking.
Wow.
He was really handsome.
His outfit was simple and formal, but somehow, it still screamed expensive. Just how much money did a hunter of his caliber make?
It suddenly dawned on me that he was extremely rich. He must've been to more than a few fancy restaurants.
Would he even like the places I'd picked?
"So, where are we going?"
I smiled awkwardly. Should I just find another restaurant instead, somewhere more suited to his status? But wouldn't places like that usually require an advance booking or something?
I rarely ate out since I could cook for myself, so I had no idea what kind of restaurants were considered suitable for someone like Han Jinhyuk. For all I knew, the fancier places required reservations weeks in advance, and it was a little too late to start worrying about that now.
Ugh, forget it! Let's just stick to the plan.
Besides, he'd said he could eat anything, so it wasn't as though I needed to find some luxurious restaurant just to impress him.
With that thought in mind, I led the way toward the restaurant I'd picked out, occasionally glancing at the man walking beside me. I was still a little nervous about the whole thing, but seeing him quietly follow along somehow made me feel better.
Everything was going well.
A little too well, perhaps, because I was just beginning to relax when something strange happened.
Before I could even ask what was wrong, Han Jinhyuk suddenly stepped in front of me and pulled me into his arms, wrapping himself around me as though he were shielding me from an incoming attack.
"W-Wait..."
My mind went completely blank. I wasn't ready for this...!
For a brief moment, I forgot where we were and what we were doing, my face heating up as I found myself pressed against his chest. Was this really happening? Was Han Jinhyuk actually hugging me?
My heart nearly leaped out of my chest.
Then I noticed the look on his face.
He wasn't looking at me. His gaze was fixed on something behind me, his expression suddenly turning cold and serious.
Before I could turn around to see what had happened, the ground beneath our feet began to tremble.
A strange pressure descended upon the street, making the hairs on my arms stand on end. People nearby began shouting as the air in front of us twisted and distorted, forming a massive, swirling rift that seemed to tear straight through reality.
I knew that sight all too well.
A dungeon was forming right in front of us. And judging by the way Han Jinhyuk had instinctively shielded me, this wasn't an ordinary occurrence.
My heart sank as the realization finally hit me.
Of all the days for a dungeon to appear, why did it have to be today?
Today, of all days!
My first date with Han Jinhyuk, and we'd barely made it halfway to the restaurant before getting caught up in a dungeon.
I stared at the swirling rift, then slowly looked up at the man still holding me protectively in his arms.
...My date was ruined.
And to make matters worse, we were now trapped inside a dungeon.
"Stay close to me."
Han Jinhyuk frowned as he summoned a sword from his inventory, his gaze sweeping across our surroundings. I followed his line of sight, expecting monsters to emerge from the shadows at any moment, but strangely enough, there wasn't a single one in sight.
"Are we really inside a dungeon?" I asked hesitantly.
"Yes. This is definitely an S-rank dungeon, but..."
"But?"
"I don't sense any monsters."
Was that even possible? I'd always thought dungeons were filled with monsters, so a dungeon without any should mean it was safe, right?
At least, that was what I thought until I reached out and touched the wall beside me.
Something shifted beneath my fingertips.
"Watch out!"
Before I could even react, Han Jinhyuk swung his sword, slicing through an arrow that shot straight toward me. The sharp sound of metal rang through the air, and I stumbled backward, losing my balance and landing hard on the floor.
"W-w-what..."
My heart pounded as I stared at the broken arrow lying beside me.
"Don't touch anything." Han Jinhyuk's voice was stern as he extended a hand to help me up. "This isn't a regular dungeon. There are traps everywhere."
"W-what do you mean? But there aren't any monsters..."
"It's a special type of dungeon. The only way to escape is to solve its mystery."
I stared at him blankly.
Solve its mystery?
What was he talking about? I barely knew anything about dungeons beyond what I'd seen on the news, so I couldn't understand half of what he was saying.
All I knew was that I'd somehow ended up inside an S-rank dungeon, surrounded by deadly traps, with absolutely no idea how to get out.
I bit my lip, desperately trying to hold back my tears.
This was a disaster.
I'd spent the entire morning picking out an outfit, worrying about where to take him, and trying to calm my nerves because I was going on a date with Han Jinhyuk, only for everything to go horribly wrong before we'd even reached the restaurant.
And now, instead of enjoying a nice dinner with him, I was trapped inside a dungeon where a single wrong move could get me killed.
I was going to die.
I was definitely going to die!
...I should've chosen a different day.
"Elena?" Han Jinhyuk looked down at me, his brows furrowing slightly. "Are you okay?"
I didn't know why, but I found myself shaking my head.
"I don't want to die..." I choked out, tears welling up in my eyes. "I haven't even bought myself a house or gotten a pet yet! I want to visit different countries and enjoy a nice vacation, too! I haven't done any of those things!"
Han Jinhyuk said nothing as I continued sobbing and whining, gently stroking my hair as though I were a child who needed comforting.
I buried my face against his chest, suddenly remembering something even more tragic.
I hadn't even gotten a proper hair treatment lately. My hair was probably a complete mess right now!
"Nothing is going right today," I wailed.
First, I'd spent the entire morning preparing for our date, only to end up trapped inside an S-rank dungeon before we could even reach the restaurant. And now, I was probably going to die before I could even buy my own house!
What kind of life was this?
"Believe it or not, I'm the strongest hunter in the world." Han Jinhyuk continued stroking my hair. "I can at least protect you."
I slowly lifted my head and stared at him in confusion.
Who didn't know he was the strongest hunter in Korea?
"I know... But can even the strongest hunter survive an S-rank dungeon alone?" The question slipped out before I could stop myself.
Han Jinhyuk fell silent for a moment.
Oh, no.
Had I said something I shouldn't have?
I immediately shut my mouth, deciding that now probably wasn't the best time to question the abilities of the person who was supposed to keep me alive.
Besides, he wasn't called the strongest hunter for no reason, right?
I decided to trust him.
At least, I hoped I wouldn't regret it.
Just then, a blue screen appeared before my eyes.
『 Welcome to the Nightmare Dungeon, where all your memories come to life! 』
『 To clear the dungeon, you must escape each memory until the final scene! 』
I stared at the notification, reading it several times to make sure I hadn't misunderstood anything.
Nightmare Dungeon? A dungeon where all my memories came to life? What...?
I glanced at Han Jinhyuk and noticed that he was also looking at something in front of him. Since he seemed to be reading the air itself, I assumed he was seeing the same notification.
"The mission doesn't seem too difficult," I murmured.
All we had to do was follow a path, right? Surely that couldn't be too difficult, even for someone like me.
"It seems that way," Han Jinhyuk replied, his expression remaining serious. "But don't let your guard down. It's not an S-rank dungeon for no reason."
I nodded obediently, deciding that I would follow his instructions to the letter.
Then, I turned my gaze toward the path ahead.
It stretched into the darkness, its end impossible to make out, while the silence surrounding us felt strangely oppressive.
I swallowed nervously. I hope we'll be okay.