I Became a Raid Boss

Joanie’s expectations were beautifully…

No, they were terribly off.

“Kana, dinner….”

“Not eating.”

“Ah, so you’re not eating…? Okay, got it.”

Even at dinner time.

“Kana… I want to lie down too, can you move just a little…?”

“….”

“…Ahahaha, suddenly I want to sleep in my sleeping bag. I’ll sleep in the sleeping bag!”

Even when sleeping.

“Did you two sleep well? …Oh, Kana is still sleeping?”

“Yeah…”

When morning came and Selin stopped by, Kana was still buried in the blankets, not peeking out.

It had already been two days since Joanie started waiting, thinking it would clear up eventually.

Kana, who thought it would clear up in a few hours at worst, felt like the summer monsoon, showing no signs of budging even after two nights had passed.

At least if it were just a bad mood, that would be lucky.

Kana hadn’t eaten for two days, not to mention not going to the bathroom, and she hadn’t peeked her face out from the blankets even once.

If the blanket hadn’t been occasionally puffing up and then sinking down, Joanie would have definitely suspected Kana was dead.

‘How can a person be like this?’

To stay motionless under a blanket for days.

Joanie was now feeling beyond worry to wonder.

In fact, she had tried to lift the blanket off Kana at one point.

‘Kanaa~’

‘Don’t.’

‘…Okay.’

It was thwarted by Kana’s eerily perceptive and chilly warning.

“What on earth happened to make her like this?”

The audience’s opinion leaned more towards the ‘Kana is going through puberty theory.’

– Does it make sense to stay like this for days, even if it’s puberty?

– Puberty varies for everyone.

– Maybe it’s a bit intense for her.

– A bit.

– Shouldn’t we at least feed her…? She’s been starving for several days.

“Seriously, I want to feed her…. But what do I do when she’s like this.”

Joanie’s gaze landed on Kana, who was still under the blanket.

At this point, she was starting to think of Kana as part of the blanket, like a turtle.

Kana… Kanaria… turtle….

She pondered whether to call her Kabu or Kana-buk.

– Both sound terrible;

– Hahaha

– Host, when you have a baby later, please go to a naming service for help!

“Hey, you all should show us how to create names!”

– We’re not naming anything though??

– Is that us? Why?

– Three sacred items ㄷㄷ

– Just sounds ridiculous…

…those annoying brats!

‘…Wasn’t it kind of cute?’

Kana-buk… that might actually be cute.

Imagining Kana, with only her head and arms poking out of a blanket shell, made Joanie’s lips melt into a grin.

– Don’t think weird thoughts again.

– Police officer! There’s a pervert here!

– The polar bear is crying today.

“…Ugh, not that! Don’t make innocent polar bears cry!”

She only thinks of Kana as a little sister, someone she cherishes, not in that way.

No need to get banned, so just a warning will do.

Joanie moved her fingers to seal the mouths of her environmentalist friends worried about the polar bear’s well-being.

– Someone’s dead!

– Kyaaa!

– Give me back my friend!!

“If you don’t want to end up like them, be on your best behavior.”

She waved her fingers in a threatening manner.

‘By the way, I feel like I should do something about this….’

She’s like a vigilant cat that hisses at the slightest touch…

Just a few minutes ago, she thought of Kana as a turtle, but now… hmm, a cat.

Joanie slapped her palm down.

“What about ‘Kanya’? Like mixing Kana and a cat. It’s not too different from the original name, but it sounds cute, doesn’t it?”

This time, the audience’s reactions weren’t too bad.

– Isn’t ‘Kannaa’ okay too? If you read it quickly, it feels a bit like ‘Kanya.’

– Anything’s better than Kabu, right? Haha

– The sound is good, but explaining it is a bit lame.

– So what are we going to do about it?

“Oh right.”

At one viewer’s sharp comment, Joanie’s mind returned to the moment.

Whether it’s a turtle or a cat, that’s not what matters right now.

She thought to ask Selin, wondering if she might know something.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t know what happened in the prayer room…”

Selin bowed her head apologetically, causing Joanie to bow her head in return.

With no sharp ideas coming to mind and no one to help her, Joanie could only let out a frustrated sigh as the collective intelligence yielded only unsatisfactory ideas.

‘…Did I really meet a god or something?’

How frustrating could it be to think that?

It was such a ridiculous thought that she pushed it to a corner of her mind.

Buzzing.

Suddenly, Joanie turned her head to the window.

Contrary to her feelings, the faces of the people passing outside were filled with excitement and joy.

Even the usually calm atmosphere of the convent was noticeably uplifted today.

Well, it couldn’t be helped.

“It sounds fun….”

Beyond the Holy Kingdom, the great festival of the Ardina Continent.

The descent festival had begun.

Since she heard about the festival, Joanie had been waiting for this day.

Feeling disappointed was inevitable for Joanie, who had been eagerly waiting to hold Kana’s hand and enjoy the festival together.

While staring out the window, lost in thought, Joanie suddenly shouted.

“…No! It’s too early to give up!”

Back when Kana was known as the Gravekeeper, did she ever think they would become this close?

Of course, she had made efforts to get closer, but they were equally in the dark back then.

If she had given up back then, tired from not seeing results and settled for just being able to communicate, she wouldn’t be traveling with Kana or sharing the same room like this.

The results were achieved through persistence and tenacity.

‘Dealing with it is something I’ve gotten used to since I was young!’

With her fists clenched, Joanie’s eyes blazed with determination.

While it’s nice to get let out to process her emotions, sometimes it helps when someone pulls you out.

Resolving herself, she took one step, then another toward the bed.

“…Kana, I’ll apologize in advance.”

Leaving those short words behind, Joanie lifted the blanket.

Swoosh!

At that moment, a sudden chill overwhelmed her, and she quickly turned her body.

That split-second decision saved her life.

Flap!

Whoosh!

“…!”

The flapping blanket pieces and the hot sensation on her cheek made Joanie realize what had just happened.

The blanket she had dropped fell to the ground, and the Kana, who had been curled up inside it, now pointed a sword at Joanie with cold eyes.

“I said, don’t.”

The voice was colder than when they first met… even colder than then.

If she hadn’t turned, that sword would have surely struck her.

Imagining the trajectory of the sword made Joanie’s hair stand on end.

Until now, no matter how much Joanie annoyed her, Kana had only used light playful attacks or verbal threats common among friends.

But what Kana just did was clearly a hostile attack filled with intent to kill.

“Anyway, you guys ────”

“…Huh?”

Her small lips continued to move, but no sound came out.

More accurately, sounds were there, but they didn’t register as words.

In this incomprehensible situation, Joanie’s widened eyes scanned the chat window.

– ㄷㄷㄷㄷ

– Bad Kana;;

– Did we nearly just die?

– Didn’t even see the attack coming;

– PTSD from raids hits hard.

However, the chat window merely discussed Kana’s recent attack.

Even though enough time had passed for Kana’s words to reach the stream and for feedback to come back.

“…So that’s how it was.”

Kana, who had been mumbling with her lips, sensed something strange and stopped talking, scratching her neck in irritation as she felt the choker on her fingertips and lowered her hand.

“Playing with you ends here.”

“What do you mean…?”

Playing with her?

Joanie’s mind turned blank due to shock.

She wasn’t surprised by the notion that Kana thought of their time together as play.

She understood that the words implied severing their relationship.

Thus, regaining her senses quickly, Joanie realized the seriousness of the situation.

Half embarrassed and half earnest, Joanie spoke to Kana.

Saying something like this could become a black history engraved in her life, causing years of suffering.

But she knew through experience that it was better to be honest than to feel embarrassed at a time like this.

“…If I hurt you in any way, could you please tell me? I know saying it directly might be shy, but I hope you’ll let me know. I like you so much, Kana, I don’t want us to part like this.”

People often say words they don’t mean when emotions surge.

This is a phenomenon that transcends age and gender, but for those of a younger age, they’re more prone to be swept away by their emotions.

Kana must feel that way too.

“….”

Did her words resonate? Kana silently bit her lips.

If she continued like that, her lips would surely get chapped….

Joanie thought carelessly.

After a long silence, Kana, who had been glaring at Joanie, gradually softened her gaze.

At the same time, the sword pointed at Joanie fell to the ground, and the tense atmosphere was lifted.

However, it wasn’t completely gone yet.

– Can she do this? Can she do this? Can she do this? Can she do this?

– Super-Duper Joanie

– Calming down kids is the hardest thing in the world…

– This should get the Approval Association’s nod.

– Does the Approval Association look like Jor-su?

– I want to eat Jor-su.

– Not that!

Kana’s change sent the chat into a whirlwind.

“…No. No.”

“…?”

Kana muttered something incomprehensible.

Before Joanie could express her confusion, Kana’s lips opened.

“…I’m sorry for saying I was playing with you.”

“Um… it’s alright. You did play with me, I did bother you quite a lot.”

“….”

Kana looked at Joanie with a complicated expression before turning serious again.

“But I genuinely don’t want to associate anymore.”

“…Why won’t you tell me?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Um, I see?”

‘Not’ telling her instead of ‘can’t’ tell her.

In the midst of it all, Joanie caught the hint that could turn Kana’s heart and noted it.

“Then I guess we have to part ways here. …I was planning to wander around the Holy Kingdom, but what will you do after we part?”

“…I don’t know.”

Kana stammered, genuinely at a loss.

“…Maybe hunt snakes?”

“Hunt snakes?”

Was she planning to become a land miner?

Though she wanted to ask, Joanie instinctively realized the time given to them was limited.

In fact, looking at Kana’s vacant gaze, it was clear to anyone perceptive.

So instead of asking about Kana’s vague answer, Joanie said something different.

“Then could you go on one last date with me? The descent festival starts today, and I wanted to go with you, but I didn’t make any plans. It’s lonely to go alone, and I would regret it too much if I didn’t get to see it…. So, just one day, please accompany me, okay?”

“….”

With a nervous heart, Joanie stared intently at Kana’s lips.

Finally, the tiny pink lips parted.

“…Alright.”

Phew—

Though it wasn’t an enthusiastic agreement, Joanie sighed in relief as she received it nonetheless.

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