Ranker's Return

-Wow, wouldn’t this slap the faces of other singers?

-The talent is endless.

-Is this a song for Reina?

-It seems so. In fact, it should be considered a proposal.

-Is this the famous using a fling as a shield? He calls it a fling, but he is even proposing.

Those who heard Hyeonu’s song the first time were just busy admiring it. It was because Hyeonu’s skills were beyond imagination. Then the old video was thrust into the spotlight and the number of viewers went up like crazy. It was the same video when Hyeonu went to a karaoke room with the former Crescent Moon players and showed off his cool high notes.

“The romanticist of the century, are you here?”

Yeongchan was giggling at the comments on Hyeonu’s video when the door of the officetel opened. He waved at Hyeonu who entered.

“Don’t make a fuss because I’m tired. I exercised my lower body today.”

Hyeonu dropped the duffel bag on his shoulder onto the floor of the living room and lay down on the sofa.

“It has been a while since the video was posted. Are you still watching it?”

Hyeonu frowned when he saw the laptop screen that Yeongchan was looking at and clicked his tongue. This video wasn’t even a video that had been posted a few days ago. It was a video that had been uploaded for a long time.

“It has only been a month. I’m going to be concerned about it for another year.”

Yeongchan looked like a villain.

“By the way, why did you come home early today? Weren’t you originally supposed to come back in a few hours?”

“I have an appointment.”

“An appointment? What appointment?” Yeongchan asked with wide eyes.

Ever since Hyeonu’s trip to the island, his time with Reina had increased significantly. In particular, dating after exercising was a daily routine. Such a Hyeonu had an appointment.

‘I can’t believe it...’

Hyeonu shook his head at Yeongchan’s suspicious gaze.

“It isn’t what you are thinking.”

The reason why Hyeonu came home so quickly was because Reina wanted to.

“I am meeting her in Arena. I’m going to Bung Bung Island today.”

Reina wanted to go to Bung Bung Island a bit faster. Hyeonu fully understood this feeling. He felt the same way as Reina.

‘Tang-E is showing his girlfriend... how can I not be in a hurry?’

Tang-E’s girlfriend—it was a chance to meet the existence that had been shrouded in mystery.

“Bung Bung Island? I want to go there as well.”

“You can’t go. Find it yourself.”

Hyeonu smiled mischievously and ran into the room.

***

“You came.”

Hyeonu waved at Reina, who was walking in the distance.

“How did you get here so quickly?” Reina asked while looking at Hyeonu, who had arrived much earlier. She left before Hyeonu, but she arrived at the meeting place later than Hyeonu because she got lost on the road.

“I have this guy.”

Hyeonu gestured with his chin toward Tang-E, who was sitting on his shoulder. Among Tang-E’s buffs, there was one that dramatically increased his movement speed.

“I also haven’t forgotten the road yet.”

The place where the two of them met was the High Elf Forest in the Hejin Great Mountain Range. Both of them had graduated from this field a long time ago. Normally, it was natural that he wouldn’t remember the way. However, Hyeonu had traveled back and forth between Bung Bung Island many times, so he still remembered some of the geography of the Hejin Great Mountain Range.

“Do you remember? We met here.”

“Here?”

Reina was lost in thought at Hyeonu’s question.

‘Have we ever met in the High Elf Forest?’

She recalled the memories. It was quite a while ago, but Reina remembered it clearly.

“Back then, why did you say you wanted to look around?”

“You remember. It was due to Bung Bung Island. There is a path to Bung Bung Island in this forest.”

Hyeonu smiled, took Reina’s hand, and led her. The two of them strolled through the High Elf Forest as if it was a walk. The monsters that appeared in this place posed no threat to the two of them.

“They don’t even understand the atmosphere...”

“That’s right, Brother. Don’t they have any sense?”

Tang-E and Gom-E would occasionally destroy every monster before Hyeonu and Reina could step out. After walking for a long time, they finally found the waterfall that created a huge splash.

“It is here.”

Hyeonu stopped in front of a familiar waterfall and looked at Reina.

“This is the path that leads to Bung Bung Island?”

Reina looked very surprised. She once searched through the entire High Elf Forest with her teammates from the New York Warriors. Naturally, she had been to the waterfall in front of her many times. However, no monsters appeared here and they didn’t find anything at the waterfall, so they hadn’t paid much attention to it.

“I wouldn’t have found it if I didn’t know something.”

Hyeonu walked straight toward the waterfall. Then a message window appeared in front of his eyes.

[Are you sure you want to enter Bung Bung Island?]

“I will enter.”

***

‘Wow, it is so beautiful.’

Reina inwardly exclaimed the moment she arrived at Bung Bung Island and was busy looking around. The deep green forest and the white rapids flowing through it took her attention.

“Is it pretty?” Hyeonu approached Reina and talked to her.

“It is really beautiful. It is one of the best things I’ve ever seen in my life,” Reina was busy looking around as she answered Hyeonu’s question.

Hyeonu looked at Reina’s appearance with satisfaction and carefully whispered to Tang-E, “Tang-E, we will be looking around. Would you like to bring your friend to introduce her to us?”

“I know, Master dude. I will come at the proper time.”

Tang-E nodded vigorously and disappeared into the forest.

Hyeonu watched Tang-E disappear before approaching Reina and holding her hand. Reina was taken aback by the sudden warmth from her hand. Then she smiled deeply.

***

“Brother, let’s go together.”

Gom-E flew leisurely in the air as he chased Tang-E through the forest.

“Little brother, why did you follow me? You should stay there.”

Tang-E stopped walking as he turned his head and saw Gom-E.

“Groan, how can I stay there?” Gom-E snorted with a sullen expression.

“That is true. It is hard to see, little brother.”

Tang-E could fully understand Gom-E’s heart.

“Then let’s go together. I will introduce you to my girlfriend.”

“Ohh, I finally get to see her?”

Gom-E’s eyes widened and he clapped his paws together.

“Follow me, little brother.”

Tang-E stroked Gom-E’s head and ran incomparably faster than before.

“Let’s go together, Brother.”

***

Leah, a bear with pure white fur like an ice cap, sat on a large rock and stared somewhere.

‘When will he come today?’

Leah was waiting for her own cute sweetheart.

Rustle. Just then, the sound of stepping on grass was clearly heard.

“Tang-E?”

Leah reflexively turned her head in the direction the sound had come from.

“Tang-E has come.”

A bear with golden fur, Tang-E, emerged from the bushes.

“Tang-E!” Leah got up from the rock when she found Tang-E and approached him. At this moment, there was once again a rustling sound from the bushes and something appeared again.

“Huh?”

Leah’s eyes widened when she saw a purple bear who looked exactly the same as Tang-E. The purple bear bowed as soon as he saw Leah.

“Sister, say hello. This is my little brother, Gom-E.”

“Little brother? Did you have a little brother?” Leah asked with a face that seemed to be wondering what Tang-E was talking about. As far as she knew, Hugo and Manong had only one child, Tang-E.

“He isn’t my actual little brother. There is no blood relationship, but we are brothers.”

Tang-E shook his head with a determined expression that was rarely seen.

“That’s right, Brother and I are siblings.”

Gom-E nodded several times with an emotional expression.

“Yes, then that is what you are. My name is Leah. I am Tang-E’s close older sister.”

“Older sister? Brother said that you are his girlfriend...”

Gom-E cocked his head.

An older sister and a girlfriend—there was a big gap between the two words. These words never meant the same thing at all.

“His girlfriend?”

Leah’s expression stiffened. Tang-E had never said anything like that to her before. He just always called her ‘Sister.’ Of course, he occasionally said things with strange nuances.

‘So I was upset...’

She never dreamed he would speak this way in other places.

“That’s right, I’m a dear older sister, but I’m also his girlfriend.”

Leah smiled brightly at Gom-E.

“Ah! Is that so?” Gom-E nodded like he understood.

Then Tang-E opened his mouth, “As I said before, I will introduce you to Master today.”

“Master? Did your master come with you?”

Leah’s eyes widened once again. She had been surprised too many times in this short moment.

“Yes, Master is on Bung Bung Island with his girlfriend.”

“By the way, she is Master’s girlfriend, right? I don’t remember hearing that word either.”

Gom-E questioned Tang-E’s words. It had been a while since Hyeonu and Reina started going around together, but he never heard such nuances.

“It will be fine soon. Both of them are still a bit awkward. They just need to be a bit courageous.”

Tang-E had talked to Hyeonu and Reina separately. He knew better than anyone what the two of them were feeling. They had a relationship that would be completed with just a few opportunities.

“We have to go now. Master will be waiting.”

“Yes, let’s go, Tang-E.”

Tang-E and Leah held their paws together and moved slowly. Gom-E floated in the air and flew leisurely.

***

‘When are they coming?’

Hyeonu sighed as he waited for Tang-E, who hadn’t returned. Tang-E seemed to always be on time, but now he showed no signs of returning for more than an hour.

‘Has he not found his girlfriend?’

Otherwise, there was no way that Tang-E wouldn’t return.

‘Or maybe she didn’t exist from the beginning...’

Hyeonu’s mouth twitched. He looked as if he had caught a weakness.

“Master dude.”

At this moment, Tang-E’s loud voice was heard.

“Uh, you came?” Hyeonu greeted Tang-E with a smile.

‘Huh? There is one?’

There were two more bears behind Tang-E. One was Gom-E, Hyeonu’s magic spirit, and the other was a white bear he had never seen before.

“This is my girlfriend, Leah. Say hello,” Tang-E introduced Leah, the white bear, to Hyeonu.

“Hello, I am Gang Hyeonu. I’m traveling the continent with Tang-E,” Hyeonu greeted Leah politely. Leah was a member of the Marionette Bears before she was Tang-E’s girlfriend.

“Hello. My name is Leah. Thank you for taking good care of our Tang-E,” Leah greeted him politely, just as Hyeonu had done.

“Is that your...?”

Leah’s eyes shifted to Reina, who was standing next to Hyeonu.

“I...”

Reina received Leah’s gaze and tried to introduce herself, but Leah interrupted her before she could continue.

“You are Hyeonu’s girlfriend, right? I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Leah’s eyes curved in a half moon shape.