Chapter 40

Kwon Mi-ae woke up earlier than usual and took a shower to quickly clear her mind. After washing up, she did a simple makeup and pondered over what to wear. Since she was meeting the guild master, Arang, one-on-one for a guild gathering, she wanted to make a good first impression. She chose slightly oversized clothes to hide her tall and large frame. After checking herself in the mirror, she put on socks to hide her unattractive feet. The socks didn’t match her outfit, but she didn’t care and smiled. The reason? Right in front of her was a pair of socks identical to hers, but much smaller. And next to them were cute, small shoes that matched the socks’ size. The pink canvas shoes looked neat and adorable. If she were as small and cute as others, she would’ve loved to wear them. With a happy smile, she carefully packed the socks and shoes, double-checked everything, and was fully prepared for the gathering.

“Socks, gloves, shoes… let’s see…” She checked her phone for the notes she made while wondering what Arang might need during her hospital stay. Satisfied, she left her apartment.

‘Who would’ve thought we’d have an offline meeting so soon?’ Kwon Mi-ae had attended offline meetings before while playing Leore. She had joined guilds, cleared raids, and even drank and hung out with party members. All were good memories, so she was excited when she joined the [Munchkin Cat] guild, hoping for another offline gathering. With Arang included, there were 12 guild members, and she thought it would be fun if they all met. She expected the guild gathering to happen naturally after playing together for a long time, but suddenly, a notice about the gathering popped up. Of course, she immediately agreed and rushed to tell Arang.

However, the sudden gathering was hard for working adults to schedule, especially since it was on a weekday during maintenance hours, from morning to evening. But Kwon Mi-ae, currently working as a track coach, had a flexible schedule with no major competitions in August, so she could attend without worry. The problem was that out of the 12 guild members, only Arang and she agreed to the gathering. At first, she thought it might be canceled, but Arang casually suggested, “Should we just meet the two of us?” Kwon Mi-ae was surprised but excited.

She was thrilled to meet Arang, who embodied the ultimate image she had always admired. Despite being only 15, Arang looked like a character straight out of a manga—small, cute, and adorable. But she wasn’t just pretty. Watching her field boss clear videos on YouTube was awe-inspiring. Her overwhelming physical skills and confident demeanor, along with her slight smile revealing her fangs, were iconic. Kwon Mi-ae had lost count of how many times she watched those videos.

Kwon Mi-ae checked her phone again to confirm the bus she needed to take to Seoul Asan Hospital. As she rode the bus, she thought about Arang.

Seoul Asan Hospital. If you asked anyone to name the largest and most famous hospital in Korea, they’d say Seoul Asan Hospital. Kwon Mi-ae was shocked to hear Arang was hospitalized there, but she was determined to make their time together fun. ‘I’ll have so much fun with Arang. Plus, we had that promise… to touch her feet as long as she’s okay with it… hehehe.’ She couldn’t even imagine how cute Arang would be in real life. ‘Since Arang is in a private room, we won’t have to worry about others and can have fun freely.’ Though an only child, Kwon Mi-ae had many younger cousins and was confident in entertaining kids. She couldn’t wait to meet Arang.

Arriving at Seoul Asan Hospital, Kwon Mi-ae was overwhelmed by its size—it was bigger than most universities. The entrance alone was imposing, with countless people and ambulances constantly coming and going, reminding her this was Korea’s top hospital. She entered the emergency room and the building next to it. The busy reception area was packed with people waiting, each with their own reasons for being there. Kwon Mi-ae checked her phone for the details she had discussed with Arang. ‘She said not to take a number but to talk to the staff directly…’ Even though it was a weekday morning, the hospital was so crowded that the staff seemed too busy, and she felt awkward cutting in line. So, she approached a nearby security guard.

“Hello.”

“Hello. Is there a problem?”

Relieved by the guard’s friendly tone, Kwon Mi-ae spoke up. “I’m here to visit a patient, but I’m not sure where to go…”

“You don’t know where the patient is admitted? We don’t have the authority to share that information. You’ll need to ask the patient directly. Even if you’re family or close, we can’t disclose patient details.”

“But the staff here said they’d kindly guide me if I asked.”

The guard nodded in understanding. “Are you here to visit Arang?”

“Yes! I’m here to visit Arang.”

“Understood. Wait here for a moment. I’ll contact the responsible staff.”

Soon, Kim Hyesun, Arang’s attending doctor, arrived. “Hello. Are you here to visit Arang?”

“Hello! I’m here to have fun with Arang today!”

“That’s great! Arang will be so happy. Follow me.”

As they walked, Kim Hyesun asked, “Are you a guild member?”

“Ah, yes! How did you know?”

“Arang proudly mentioned creating a guild and even talked about this gathering. She’s really looking forward to it.”

“Really? Arang’s looking forward to it too…!” Kwon Mi-ae felt even happier knowing Arang was excited too.

Kim Hyesun didn’t explain Arang’s condition, not out of laziness but because she knew Arang well and understood her involvement in Leore. She had even attended Arang Arang meetings and watched Arang play the game. Since Arang was now in a positive mindset and no longer sad about her condition, Kim Hyesun assumed the guild members already knew. So, she only gave Kwon Mi-ae some precautions, mainly about sanitizing before entering the building.

“Wow… this place is different from the other buildings.”

“Yes. And you must carry this.” Kwon Mi-ae received a small remote-like pager and a name tag necklace.

“What’s this?”

“The name tag is common, but this is a pager. If anything happens, press this button, and we’ll be alerted immediately.”

“Ah… got it…!”

“Don’t be too nervous.”

After receiving the instructions, Kwon Mi-ae, with a pounding heart, stood alone in front of the lounge where Arang was waiting. She quickly opened the door.

“Arang! I’m here!”

In the lounge, Arang, waiting for [Arang’s Foot Wipe], looked up at the bright and cheerful voice and greeted [Arang’s Foot Wipe] with a big smile. Of course, Arang’s face hadn’t changed.