#i'll also transfer this to ao3

[manawari]

Count On Me

two.

            "Can't you heal a little faster?!"

            "I'm trying!"

            "Hurry up!"

            Ju-hee gritted her teeth as she pushed more of her mana into healing the hunter's severe wound on his leg. The others were already fighting the boss. She could see some of them had been wounded too, yet kept on fighting instead of seeking for her aid, which made her feel useless on her role as a healer. Most of the hunters were way too stubborn and viewed her as a hindrance, and only then to mmon her for help was when they got hurt in a vital part.

            Ju-hee never understood them. In her first raids, the hunters never treated her like she was a hindrance. At this point, she would've handed over her resignation to Baek Yoon-ho, but since her payroll was bigger than the ones she had received, Ju-hee decided to endure it for a little longer.

            And besides, her family was also satisfied with the amount she had sent them.

            Ju-hee drew her arm across her forehead as she got up while the hunter joined the battle for the finishing blow, judging how the monster had gotten less powerful than the first time she had seen it. This time, Hee-jin was the one who took the wheel and while the hunters were holding the monster down, she drew her staff in front of the face and blasted a deep hole through the skull.

            Green ichor splattered on the ground and even landed upon some of the hunters' bodies. Hee-jin panted. Ju-hee sighed in relief, yet held herself back from rushing to the hunters — the sight was a bit disturbing for her and a small part of her feared that it might get back up.

            *slash!*

            Or not.

            Kim Chul shouted in victory as he proped his foot on the decapitated head of the beast, raising his sword. The rest of the hunters, including the healer, just stared at him deadpanned.

            "Why is that lunatic not fired?" Ju-hee heard Hee-jin mutter.

            Once the dungeon was cleared, the hunting party left the mining team to bring the deceased monsters from the dungeon and returned to the building. The hunters celebrated with yet another successful raid as Ahn Sang-min began to hand each of them an envelope that contained today's payment. Baek Yoon-ho was off to spar with the other guild masters at the gym, thus leaving the chief of the 2nd Division Management Department in his stead.

            Ju-hee opened her envelope to take a peek on her salary. Her eyes lit up. Next to her, Hee-jin was giggling at the amount she got, along with the rest, who rejoiced at their money.

            "Hey, Ju-hee! Let's go somewhere!" Hee-jin beamed.

            "Go where?" Ju-hee raised an eyebrow.

            "Eat! I know a place around the block. It's been quite some time since I've last gone there." The mage tugged her arm. "Come on!"

            Ju-hee let out a chuckle. "Okay!"

            Despite the age difference, Hee-jin acted as if she was around Ju-hee's age, or Ju-hee acting like she was in the same age as Hee-jin. The B-Rank mage still remained the only person Ju-hee had gotten along in the guild other than Yoon-ho, who made sure to check on her as long as he was around.

            Ju-hee wondered if her skills as a healer were truly that effective to make the guild master want her officially recruited in his guild.

            However, she still hadn't made her decision. It had been a week since she made an agreement with Yoon-ho. If she got herself almost killed or found herself in an imminent danger, she'd retire for good — Ju-hee reminded herself of that every morning and every night.

            "Dear? How are you doing?"

            Ju-hee smiled at her mother's voice. "I'm doing great, mom! It feels relieving to hear your voice."

            "Well, you can always come home once you get the chance. I assume that everything is treating you well?"

            "Yes, mom. Guild Master Baek is very kind to me. He's not as intimidating as you see in the television, he is a great man."

            "If that's the case, I am happy that you're working in a healthy environment. I tried not to worry too much since I know you are working hard as a healer and still won't quit."

            Ju-hee bit her bottom lip. She hadn't told her mother that she was supposed to retire. "Y— yes. And I don't think I can quit yet. I like to help people and keep them alive as much as I can."

            Something inside of her pinched.

            Keep people alive? Many had already died in front of her eyes. . .

            "Alright. Take care, okay? Love you, sweetheart!"

            "I love you too, mom."

            Once the line was cut, Ju-hee let out a deep sigh. She tucked her phone to her chest. No one in her family knew about the most traumatic thing had happened to her, but it wasn't as if Ju-hee was going to tell them. They were already worried about her well-being. And she didn't wish to get them worry more, knowing that she almost lost her life.

            She promised them that she'd be fine.

            And besides, Ju-hee still wanted to help the hunters regardless of her desire to retire. She believed all of them had families to reach out to just like hers.

            The door clacked open.

            Hee-jin stepped out, now clad in her casual attire of a white blouse and black skinny jeans with a pair of leather brown boots. Her mage uniform was kept inside of the paper bag she held in her wrist. "Ready to go?" She asked the healer.

            Ju-hee nodded her head and smiled.

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            Byung-gyu shoved his hooded armor into his rucksack. Sirens blared in the background as some miners barked out commands to the others before entering the dungeon. The rest of the hunters had gotten out and were regaining their strength after a strenuous battle with the monsters. As he drank on his water bottle, a finger tapped his shoulder.

            "As promised, Min."

            Byung-gyu looked over and saw a brown envelope. His lips curled into a broad grin. "Thanks, hyung!"

            Choi Jong-in nudged his glasses on his temple with his finger and cleared his throat. "You know. . . If you joined my guild, you'll get a higher income since you're an S-Rank. The spot is always open." His lips was curved into a grin.

            "Is this about your goal on having two S-Ranks under your guild? Sorry, hyung, but you know that I don't like being officially involved in a guild." Byung-gyu shrugged.

            "But if you changed your mind—"

            "Nope!"

            "Oh, come on—"

            Byung-gyu laughed. "You really want to make things go in your way, huh? No wonder why you and Yoon-ho are always at each other's throats."

            "Not always," scoffed Jong-in. "Anyways, I'll call you again or tell me if you're free for our next raid."

            "Yes, sir!" 

            The hunter rolled his eyes and went away. Jong-in had been frequently asking him to join the Hunters Guild due to Byung-gyu's skills as an S-Rank healer, as well as the only one in the country, but Byung-gyu refused like he usually did when he got similar offers. Min Byung-gyu knew the risks if he pursued being a healer in a guild: the fame, the attention, the possibility of no longer taking a break, having to witness hunters die, and the potential call of death.

            He didn't want that.

            Sure, he wanted to help and protect people, but in his own way.

            Yoon-ho understood his reasons, which was why he was the only guild master who never offered him to join. Byung-gyu still wanted to live a normal life amidst getting himself involved with gates.

            Byung-gyu placed his money inside of his bag and zipped it closed. Several of the corpses had been brought out and miners carried out bags of diamonds taken from the inside of the gate. Such things always cost an immense fortune, not even an average person would be able to afford products from magical beasts. Byung-gyu threw his backpack over his shoulder and began to walk away.

            "H— Healer Min!"

            He stopped on his tracks. Byung-gyu diverted his gaze to his back and saw one of the Hunters Guild members running toward him. "Healer Han?" He said.

            Han Se-mi panted for a little before she fixed her posture and cleared her throat. "Are you, uh, going home already?"

            "I guess so," Byung-gyu shrugged. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

            "Uhm— no! Not really!" Se-mi's cheeks flushed. "It's just, uh. . . Are you free for today? I was hoping that you could join us for dinner."

            Byung-gyu let out a smile. "I'm afraid I can't. I have a show to catch up on and I can't miss another episode."

            "Oh, I see," Se-mi nodded. Though, she seemed she was trying to restrain her frown.

            "Maybe next time? I will try to allot some of my time for you guys." Byung-gyu suggested.

            It made the healer's eyes lit up. "Okay!"

            Byung-gyu nodded and continued his way, unaware of the wave Se-mi had given him when he had his back turned to her. Even though he only joined occasionally, the whole guild was fond of him as much as how Jong-in constantly asked him to be a healer in his guild.

            Turning on the ignition in his motorcycle, Byung-gyu placed his helmet over his head and drove away from the area. The lights reflected across the clear window of his helmet in a flickering speed. Unlike most riders, Byung-gyu preferred not to dash between two vehicles, only then if there was a wide space between them for him to come through. He was not in a hurry to come home anyway. Just because he was a healer and could heal himself didn't mean he must be reckless.

            The traffic light turned red and Byung-gyu pressed the clutch to reduce his motorcycle's speed and maneuvered his foot on the ground to halt the vehicle in the middle of the road. The car behind him stopped as well. As he waited for the pedestrians to cross the lane, he looked at the buildings on each side of the road.

            Seeing the vendors and restaurants reminded him that he hadn't bought any dinner yet. Byung-gyu knew he still had some ingredients in his fridge, but then he remembered that he had some money from the raid, he thought that he should treat himself.

            When the signal turned green, Byung-gyu activated the engines again and this time, he took a turn instead of going straight. He drove his motorcycle to the front of the ramen restaurant and parked it next to the pavement. He turned it off and removed his keys to walk toward the door, pushing it with extra strength to allow himself inside.

            Smells of fresh seafood and vegetables danced in the air. Customers dined in the tables around the area, each having indulging in various noodles from the menu. Byung-gyu made his way to one of the three lines and ended up standing behind a young woman, whom he suddenly sensed something about her. She looked rather familiar. Craning his head to the side, Byung-gyu received the sideview of the woman's face.

            "Ms. Lee?"

            She met his gaze with her blue eyes and instantly drew a sharp gasp in surprise. Byung-gyu laughed.

            "Nice to see you here," he said.

            "Er, same here? I mean—" Ju-hee cleared her throat to speak properly. "Likewise, Mr. Min. It's been quite a while since I've seen you in the guild."

            "I'm a freelancer, remember? I don't work in one guild for too long." Byung-gyu replied. "For instance, I just came from raiding a dungeon with the Hunters Guild. You know that guild, right?"

            She nodded. "It's known as the most powerful guild in the country."

            "Exactly. The guild master had already paid me for my service, so I thought I should buy something." Byung-gyu shrugged. "So, how are you doing at the White Tiger Guild?"

            "I'm fine, thank you," said Ju-hee. Then, she took a step forward when the customer in the front left the counter. "The hunters are still stubborn though. They refuse to be healed unless they feel like they're going to die from their wound."

            Byung-gyu scoffed. "They must be forgetting that you are a healer, not a necromancer. You won't be able to help them anymore if they die."

            Suddenly, Ju-hee fell silent. The S-Rank's heart clenched at his choice of words.

            "Oh, sorry! I must've said something bad." Byung-gyu apologized. "I just—"

            "Don't worry about it!" Ju-hee cut him off. "You are right, Mr. Min. A healer's job is to help someone as long as they're still alive."

            "Are you sure? My words might've hit a certain spot."

            She chuckled. "You don't have to be concerned any longer. If anything, you had just given me a reality check since I got too deep on the problem I have with some of the hunters."

            "Is it always like this? You know, I can just talk to hyu—"

            "No!" Ju-hee exclaimed. Then, she flushed at the volume of her voice. "Y— you don't have to. Really. I can just learn how to deal with them."

            Byung-gyu nodded. "If you say so. . . "

            "Next please!"

            Ju-hee noticed the other people in front of her had disappeared, which meant it was her turn. She took several steps forward and met the cashier, she looked down on the menu plastered on the counter and began to scroll through her options.

            "I'll have the crab and seaweed one but with less onions. And oh! The ramyeon too with tofu instead of kimchi." Ju-hee said as she moved her finger across the surface to point her desired food.

            Byung-gyu whistled in amusement. "Wow! Today's raid must've stressed you hard that made you order two noodles. I didn't know you have a large appetite, Ms. Lee."

            "I have someone with me."

            "Oh."

            The cashier snorted before clearing her throat. "Which drinks shall I add, ma'am?"

            "Just iced tea, please," Ju-hee nodded.

            Byung-gyu watched her walk away and his gaze followed her until he spotted her return to the table she shared with none other than Park Hee-jin, who was also a member in the White Tiger Guild. The two immediately got into a conversation which Byung-gyu was unable to make out of.

            It appeared that the B-Rank healer was not entirely alone after all.

            Hee-jin was one of the friendliest people he knew. She joked and bickered around her fellow hunters, yet was soft and kind to those whom she believed to deserve it. It was expected that the new healer would get along with her.

            "Sir?"

            "Hm? Ah, yes!" Byung-gyu snapped back to reality and glanced down on the menu. "I will have—"

            The next day, he showed up at the White Tiger Guild. Byung-gyu had received a call from Yoon-ho that his powers as an S-Rank healer was needed for the guild's raid in the A-Rank gate. It had exploded next to a hospital where the association sent a couple of healers to the check on the amount of people who got hurt, especially the patients. Fortunately, the dungeon hadn't wrecked half of the building, only a portion that destroyed six floors, but everyone were still told to leave.

            A few people had their lives taken away during the explosion. They were set down on the parking lot, covered in blankets. The sight was aching to the heart, it almost made him not want to continue joining the raid. Byung-gyu hated it when gates appeared in such populous places.

            It was the reason why he sent his family away from Seoul and bought a house in a safer location far from the city where dungeons wouldn't appear.

            He couldn't bear having them to become victims of a dungeon break.

            After parking his motorcycle in the corner of the lot, Byung-gyu rushed to the A-Rank gate where the hunters must've been waiting for him. This time, he wore his silver armor underneath a red hooded jacket, topped with a brown one for extra protection against whichever climate kept within the gate. His mace clung on the strap on his back. He also had on a pair of brown pants with black combat boots. The S-Rank healer pushed through the crowd, evading the urge to glance at the victims, until he saw Yoon-ho.

            "Byung-gyu! Just in time." The hunter said. "I apologize if I might have disturbed you."

            "No worries, hyung. You guys needed my help." Byung-gyu said. He glanced up to the gate, it was tremendous and had a thick black outline, radiating a strong mana. It sent shivers on his spine. "So. . . Shall we go in?"

            Yoon-ho nodded, and shouted at the hunters in front of him. "Let's move!"

            The guild began to step through the portal. Passing through it brought prinkles on his bare hands. A-Rank gates were different than other dungeons, Byung-gyu had encountered them a lot, but it didn't stop him from feeling a tinge of uneasiness in his veins.

            The portal disappeared the moment the last hunter set foot in the dungeon. The twigs crunched beneath their feet. Tall trees towered over them, branches whispering through the wind, and the atmosphere was subtly cold in their fingertips. Byung-gyu inhaled the air and smelled a petrichor scent, figuring it must've rained in the dungeon or they were perhaps in a rainforest.

            Forest.

            There could be many potential enemies the hunters might encounter. Gigantic lizards, hybrid serpents, furry beasts alike, and monsters that have wings. Usually, only S-Rank hunters and stronger guilds were able to take on A-Rank gates, and sometimes the Knights Guild too. It must take a lot of manpower to conquer the dungeon. And by this, many would summon the S-Rank healer, considering how his buff skills were needed more than anything.

            "Let's start walking. We don't have to wait for the enemies to attack us first." Yoon-ho commanded. He went forward and led his group deeper into the wilderness. His black clothing embraced his frame firmly, showing his built physique — it was suitable for someone like him to survive in such a place.

            "Be sure to watch out for the trees!" The guild master exclaimed. "Someone could shoot from any hiding places. Protect the healers too."

            "I'll be fine, hyung. I will just heal myself if anything." Byung-gyu shrugged.

            Yoon-ho flashed him a disapproving glare. "Real funny, Byung-gyu."

            "What? I'm just trying to ease the pressure here. You guys don't have to protect me!"

            "Ha ha," Yoon-ho rolled his eyes. "Anyways, I need two A-Ranks with me."

            "Me!"

            "I am, Mr. Baek!"

            "Pick me!"

            "Not you, Kim Chul. You'll be the one in charge here." Yoon-ho said. "Moon! Kim! You two are with me."

            Kim Chul frowned and grumbled under his breath. The chosen hunters stepped forward and made their way on each side of their guild leader.

            "We'll search for the boss monster while the rest of you can stay here, fight if the monsters attack, and once we found the boss, we'll alert you as possible as we can." Yoon-ho explained.

            "Good luck out there, hyung!" Byung-gyu said.

            Yoon-ho grinned. "You too, Healer Min."

            Byung-gyu rolled his eyes at the formality, yet nodded and watched them disappear into the woods.

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            Ju-hee was feeling anxious.

            It was her first time entering an A-Rank gate. Hee-jin had told her about her experiences with such a high-ranked gate; it was terrifying and dangerous, and nobody was able to get out unless the boss monster had been defeated. A lot of hunters, even healers, had died in A-Rank gates. Upon hearing the last statement, shivers clawed the underneath of Ju-hee's skin, not because of the climate in the dungeon.

After Yoon-ho declared his commands, the hunters were left in their circle. Kim Chul was in charge. And a few moments later, the assigned leader ordered the group to start walking instead of waiting for Yoon-ho's return. Ju-hee found herself close to Hee-jin as usual. The mage reassured her that she wouldn't be severely harmed, though Ju-hee reckoned otherwise.

Luck was never in her favor.

If fate was going to be cruel, she'd find herself in the midst of excruciating pain for not being careful. Or worse, having a lack of awareness in her surroundings. Ju-hee would have to spend her own mana into herself rather than others.

"Seems like we're not in the enemy's territory yet," said Hee-jin. "If the night falls, we'll have to find somewhere safe to rest. Time works differently in A-Rank gates than the real world."

"What if we take more than two days here?" Ju-hee asked.

Hee-jin huffed. "Trust our guild master! He can transform into his white tiger form and blend into the wild. It's like he's in his own environment. Mr. Baek will return soon."

"Okay," Ju-hee nodded. "But I do hope we—"

*thud!*

The group stopped their feet. The air collapsed in a deafening silence. Ju-hee glanced over and suddenly. . . Something gripped the air in her lungs tight. And her hands grew pale.

On the ground was a hunter. He was laying on his pool of blood and his arm was detached from his body.

She first let out a piercing shriek.