Did I hear that right?

No—wait. Yeah. I definitely did.

She was still smiling. Blinking like she just dropped the greatest proposal of all time. And worst of all—she was waiting for my answer.

Like she hadn’t just screamed her offer into the night market.

Like half the people here weren’t already side-eyeing us.

Holy shit, this was embarrassing.

Not for her.

For me.

Because now I looked like the guy casually hanging out with the loudest person in existence. I bet some people were already assuming we were close.

God, please let no one I know be here.

I inhaled. Exhaled. Nobody seemed to recognize me. Thank you, universe.

"So—uhm… you know… that was sudden but, uh…" She twirled a lock of her hair awkwardly. "I don’t want you to think I’m crazy, but I actually feel like you’d be a great addition to the party."

Yeah, sure. Because nothing screams normal like yelling a job offer in public.

I squinted at her, half-wondering if she was raised in some kind of shouting family—like maybe dinner conversations at their house were just screamed across the table.

"PASS THE SALT, DEAR."

"I LOVE THIS SOUP, MOM."

"GRANDPA DIED."

Absolutely terrifying.

I sighed, glancing at the pile of posters still in her bag. I gestured toward them. "Let me see one."

She nodded eagerly and—because she was clearly on something—handed me four.

Four.

I stared down at the stack.

"You know, one would’ve been fine."

"Oh! Sorry, habit!"

Of course it was.

I skimmed the poster. Looked simple enough—straightforward recruitment for an F-Rank dungeon raid.

"So, you said the party has six members?"

"No—no, actually, we have five right now… which is why we’re looking for a sixth."

I leaned back, resting my chin on my hand. "Why ask a summoner, though? You could’ve found a better Awakener."

It wasn’t just curiosity. It was suspicion.

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Everyone knew summoners were practically extinct—and the few who did exist were considered useless. Yet here she was, acting like she’d just struck gold.

That? Suspicious as hell.

Raine exhaled, crouching slightly as she scratched the back of her head. "Honestly?"

I arched a brow. "Yeah, honesty would be great."

"Most Awakeners I offered the job to wanted high pay, and… well, we can’t afford that. So I had to reject them. There are truly greedy ones out there."

That… actually made sense.

"And you think I’m any different?" I shot back.

She hesitated. Her hand stilled.

Then, with absolute conviction—

"Because you have that heart!"

She fucking shouted again.

In the middle of this goddamn food stall.

I clenched my fist.

GODDAMN IT, WOMAN, I SWEAR TO EVERY GOD ABOVE, DO YOU NOT HAVE A VOLUME SETTING?!

I wanted to slam my head against the table. Hell, maybe even punch it.

"Heart to save people?" I managed, forcing my voice to stay calm.

She nodded. "Yeah! And I thought you’d be a great addition to the group… hmm… actually, that’s all I had to say."

This girl was unbelievable.

Raine locked eyes with me. "So… you interested?"

"Honestly, I wa—" Before I could finish, a voice cut through.

"Uh—Manager?"

Soft-spoken. Hesitant.

I turned, same as Raine. A kid stood there. Well—not a kid, but a teen. A few inches shorter than me, bundled up in layers of jackets that made him look way bulkier than he probably was. Dark brown hair, green eyes. Gloves—or maybe hand wraps? Hard to tell.

And a belt. One stacked with way too many pouches.

Potions.

He had potions on him. A walking pharmacy.

Raine’s whole tone shifted. "Oi, Kai—what are you doing here?"

Now she sounded more like a grumpy older brother than a guild manager.

He rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish. "I was just checking on you. No—actually, I followed you."

Raine squinted. "For?"

"uh..just in case."

Huh.

So they were close. But not exactly friends. More like… employer and employee.

Oh, right. He called her ‘Manager.’ So this guy was guild staff.

Or maybe another recruit of her.

"How did you even find me here?" Raine asked, arms crossed.

Kai shrugged. "Uh… I already told you, didn’t I? I just followed you. You know, just in case things got rough. Just in case."

I blinked.

…Just in case?

JUST IN CASE?

Bro, how many times was he gonna say just in case like he was some kind of budget Batman? What was next? "I train in the shadows… just in case." "I put on three jackets… just in case." "I brush my teeth six times a day… JUST. IN. CASE."

"You drove all the way here?" Raine asked, exasperated.

Kai nodded. "Yes. Yes. I apologize. My instinct was telling me it was dangerous to let you wander around this area alone."

I mean… fair.

Not that he was wrong—she was almost fully harassed by some street-rat earlier. Thankfully, Ruk handled that situation before I embarrassed myself even further.

Then Kai turned to me.

Like, suddenly.

His brows furrowed. Okay, yeah—he was just as confused about me as I was about him.

"Oh! I almost forgot." Raine gestured toward him. "This is Kai."

Kai gave me a stiff little wave, awkward as hell. "Hey, uh… so, yeah. Who are you?"

"I'm Ethan. Pleasure to meet you, Kai."

I reached out for a handshake, and—timing it right—he took it. Firm enough.

Then he glanced between me and Raine. Eyebrows raised.

"You two on a date or… uh, something?"

Oh, hell no.

Before I could shut that down myself, Raine shot him the most serious look.

"No."

Zero hesitation. Flat. Absolute.

"I’m actually trying to recruit him," she clarified. "And then you came… uh, just in time."

Kai nodded, slow as hell. "Ohhh… I see… so not a date. My bad. Apologies for assuming. Bad of me."

He cleared his throat, glancing between us again.

"Ehem… can I join you two, though?" One hand rested on his back, the other scratching at his nose.

"Suit yourself," Raine said with a shrug. "Want me to order for you?"

He waved her off. "No, I, uh—just had dinner, actually. Just in case."

Just in case.

OF COURSE.

This guy was really committed to his just in case lifestyle.

I exhaled.

Then—

"So. Have you made your decision?"

Raine’s gaze locked onto me. Kai had barely settled into his seat before she brought it up again.

I leaned back, rubbing the back of my neck.

How should I put this?

Dungeons were dangerous. I knew that firsthand. I’d been thrown into one—left for dead. I didn’t expect to survive, but I did. Barely. Thanks to Ruk.

And that? That was the risk.

But the reward?

Loot. Experience. Growth. Connections.

And honestly? I needed the experience. I was behind compared to most Awakeners. If I wanted to survive this new hellhole of a world, I had to adapt.

Then there was the whole team thing.

Technically, I’d been in a group before.

Didn’t count.

That was betrayal.

So, the question was—could I trust these people?

Or would they leave me for dead the moment things got bad?

Honestly? Didn’t matter. I was here for opportunity. Even if that meant playing along.

"Wouldn't adding a summoner to your party be a crazy move?" I said, leaning back slightly.

Kai, now seated across from me beside Raine, blinked. Then he looked at her. Then at me.

"Wait… uh… did I hear that right?" His brows furrowed. "A summoner? You??" He pointed at me.

I considered repeating myself, but Raine cut in before I could.

"Wouldn’t that be a great addition, Kai?" She arched an eyebrow at him, challenging.

Kai opened his mouth—probably to argue—but she didn’t let him.

"Besides, I saw his summon in action. He’s gonna be useful!" She bumped her arm against his shoulder, like she was trying to physically shove logic into him.

Man, what an awkward situation to be in.

Kai’s reaction? Expected.

Surprise? Sure. Disbelief? Absolutely. But disgust? No. And honestly, that was rare. Most people looked at summoners the way you’d look at mold growing on bread—an unfortunate reality, best thrown out immediately..

These two were different.

Yeah, they reacted when they found out I was a summoner. But it wasn’t disgust. It wasn’t the usual "oh great, dead weight" look I was used to.

It was just… surprise.

Kai, still processing, tilted his head.

"So… you’re actually a summoner? Just in case I didn’t hear that right."

I nodded. "I am."

He stared at me for a second. Then, to my complete and utter confusion—he smiled.

Not a smirk. Not an awkward, forced grin. Just a real, casual, genuine smile.

Like he’d just accepted it. No second-guessing. No judgment.

And honestly?

That felt… better than I expected.