Chapter 47 – Yuna’s Jealousy

The guild hall that night was alive with noise and celebration. Adventurers filled the wooden tables, laughing and boasting about the successful ogre-clearing mission. But among all the chatter, only one name seemed to echo louder than the rest:

“Gino! Gino!”

Everywhere Zareen looked, someone was praising the blond swordsman.

“He cut down two ogres in a single swing!”

“I swear I saw sparks fly when his sword hit. I’ve never seen anything like it!”

“With him around, who needs two parties? One is enough!”

Zareen sat quietly at the corner table, absently spinning his empty cup in his hand.

Across from him, Gino leaned back on the chair with a grin that was equal parts smug and friendly. “That face of yours, Zareen… it’s exactly the same as when you lost to me at the academy.”

Zareen’s head snapped up. “Hey! That wasn’t my fault. You cheated by using that stamina recovery trick!”

“Cheated?” Gino’s laugh rang out like a bell. “That’s called being smart.”

Zareen let out a small huff, pretending to be annoyed, but eventually a reluctant smile tugged at his lips. No matter how irritating Gino could be, their exchanges felt natural. The rivalry between them had never truly faded—it had only been waiting for the right time to flare back to life.

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### Yuna’s Gaze

On the other side of the table, Yuna sat still, her chin resting on one gloved hand as she watched the two of them banter.

Her face remained as calm and unreadable as ever, but her eyes… her eyes were sharper than usual, as if something hard and unspoken glinted behind them.

*Why do they look so… comfortable with each other?* she wondered. *They’re just teasing and provoking each other, yet it feels like they share something no one else can touch.*

Sari, who sat beside Yuna, noticed immediately. She nudged Yuna’s arm playfully.

“Hey, look at them,” she whispered with a mischievous grin. “They look like an old married couple bickering over breakfast.”

Yuna’s head snapped toward her. “No.” Her voice was flat, but there was an edge of coldness that wasn’t usually there.

“Ohhh…” Sari smirked, lowering her voice. “Are you jealous?”

Yuna didn’t answer. Instead, she looked away, exhaling slowly through her nose. But her hands tightened into fists on her lap, leather gloves creaking softly.

---

### Rival Talk

“Zareen,” Gino said suddenly, his grin fading into something more serious. “If you get careless, this world will swallow you whole. Don’t rely too much on your buffs and heals. You need to be able to stand on your own feet too.”

Zareen blinked, taken aback by the shift in tone. For a moment, he simply stared at his rival, then slowly nodded. “I know… but I’m not like you. I chose the support path.”

“And that’s exactly why I want to see how far you can push that path,” Gino replied, his grin returning but this time edged with challenge. “I want to see if you can bend fate with it.”

Zareen couldn’t help but feel his blood stir. There was something about the way Gino said it—it wasn’t just a taunt. It was a dare, a push to grow stronger.

Across the table, Yuna’s eyes narrowed slightly. She kept her silence, but inside, something twisted.

*Why does he talk like that only to Zareen? Why does it feel like he sees only him… as if no one else matters?*

---

### The Hall Grows Louder

The celebration around them grew rowdier as more ale was poured. Doni had fallen asleep on the table, his cheek smudged with sauce, occasionally mumbling incoherently in his dreams. Sari had migrated closer to the guild counter, shamelessly flirting with the barmaid just to see her flustered expression.

Zareen finally stood, stretching his sore shoulders. “I think I’ll turn in for the night.”

Gino stood as well, brushing off his coat. “Tomorrow then—we’ll see who finishes the next mission faster.”

Zareen grinned despite himself. “Don’t regret it when I beat you.”

They exchanged a brief but intense look before both of them broke into quiet laughter.

---

### Yuna’s Silence

From behind them, Yuna rose to her feet as well. Her movements were graceful, almost too calm, but her eyes followed the two men as they left the hall together.

The flicker of the guild’s lanterns cast shadows across her face, making her expression difficult to read.

But in her chest, she could feel it—an unfamiliar tightness.

*Why does it feel like there’s a wall between me and them?* she thought, her jaw tightening. *Why do I feel… left out?*

She turned away, heading for the stairs without another word.

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### A Quiet Room, A Quiet Storm

Later that night, when the guild hall had gone quiet, Yuna stood alone in the hallway outside their rooms. She leaned against the wooden wall, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword, her expression clouded.

She had never cared about other people’s relationships. She had always kept her emotions in check, locked away behind discipline and focus.

But tonight, something had shifted.

*Zareen… why does your bond with Gino feel so natural?* she thought, staring at the floor. *Why do I feel like I’m… losing something, even though I never claimed it in the first place?*

The question stayed with her long after the torches burned low.