I Became an NPC That Rankers Are Obsessed Over

“…”

It’s been a while.

When was the last time I woke up so comfortably?

I move my body to get up.

But my body feels too stiff to move.

It’s probably because I fought two high-rankers last night.

Considering the fatal injuries all over my body, it’s understandable.

“—!”

However, I soon realized that the reason my body is uncomfortable isn’t because of the fight.

Most of the wounds had already healed.

What’s constricting me isn’t pain, but ‘something.’

I lower my head to see what it is.

Is it Sun-ye?

No.

There’s no way she’d be here.

It’s the bartender.

The petite bartender with short hair.

She’s nestled in my arms, breathing softly.

Every time she exhales, her soft skin brushes against my thighs.

Wasn’t her name Si-ho?

Her resemblance to Sun-ye makes my eyebrows furrow involuntarily.

Did she bring me to her home after finding me injured?

She’s probably up to something.

She must want to use me to gain some kind of benefit.

Disgusting.

That disgust spurred me to think about pushing her away and standing up.

But that thought quickly vanished.

It’s because I noticed something in her hand.

A squirrel-character band.

It looks just like her as she holds it while sleeping.

My hand unconsciously reached for her face.

I touched the lips that were playing with her hair.

I carefully removed a strand of hair stuck to her lips.

As I did, Si-ho’s nose twitched as if sniffing something.

Did she catch the scent of my hand that quickly?

She resembled a small animal.

“—?”

Her sniffing nose came closer.

And then, her small, plump lips touched my finger.

Her pointed canine teeth playfully nibbled at my finger.

Her moist saliva thoroughly soaked my fingerprint.

The sensation made me involuntarily furrow my brows.

Feeling flustered, I twisted my body.

That movement made Si-ho’s body curl up as well.

Perhaps because of that, her closed brown eyes opened faintly.

The small girl made a peculiar sound as she exhaled.

Her chest brushed against my bra.

Thanks to that, I could fully feel the rhythm of her breathing.

Soon, Si-ho looked up at me.

With thin, dazed eyes as if she were intoxicated.

But she wasn’t under the influence of any drugs.

Her pupils widened in disbelief at her situation, realizing she was in my arms.

*

It’s warm.

I relished the warmth and soft texture enveloping my entire body.

I let out a deep breath, savoring the sweet sleep I hadn’t had in a long time.

Every time I did, the fragrant scent of soap tickled my nose.

That scent made my teeth itch.

I wanted to bite into that soap.

I opened my eyes slightly.

What immediately came into view was someone’s finger.

And I was nibbling on it.

The vivid texture made my pupils grow wide in shock.

I looked up at the owner of the finger.

A white-haired killer was staring down at me with a baffled expression.

Moreover, my body was pressed against hers, our chests rubbing against each other.

I had a fit and bolted upright from the bed.

Anna let out a short sigh.

“You really do go all out, don’t you.”

She spoke nonchalantly.

Had Anna been watching me snuggled in her arms the entire time?

Just the thought made my face burn.

“D-Don’t misunderstand. I was just trying to check your injuries. But then you suddenly hugged me.”

Though I was the one caught off guard, my voice stammered.

At times like this, I found my own body to be frustratingly uncooperative.

“What nonsense is that? Me hugging you? Don’t be disgusting. You must’ve clung to me while I was asleep.”

Anna pulled up the stretched strap of her tank top with her shoulder.

She then wandered around as if looking for her clothes.

“No, you were mumbling some weird woman’s name…”

At the mention of a woman’s name, she abruptly stopped.

She stared at me with a somewhat serious gaze.

Anna’s eyes were still as murky as lye.

“I never did such a thing.”

Her expression seemed to warn me that if I mentioned that name again, she’d kill me.

Intimidated by her murderous aura, I closed my mouth tightly.

“Where did you hide my jacket? Did you steal everything that was inside?”

“What do you take me for… I soaked it in the bathtub to get rid of the blood. Your scary belongings are in the kitchen.”

I pointed towards the bathroom with my finger.

She immediately headed for the bathtub.

Then she came out, holding her soaked jacket, and walked leisurely.

Drops of blood that hadn’t fully rinsed off dripped onto the floorboards.

Anna didn’t care and checked her equipment left in the kitchen.

A dagger, glass bottles filled with strange liquids, smoke grenade cases, and so on.

Anna carefully packed her belongings.

Then she staggered towards the sink.

She began wrapping the dagger with newspapers spread out in the kitchen.

At least she seemed aware that openly carrying a knife in the streets was dangerous.

“That jacket… Let me dry it with the dryer. If you walk around with it like that, the Association Patrol will arrest you immediately.”

“It’s none of your business.”

“You’re leaving my house. How is it not my business? If you’re going to leave quietly, then do it properly.”

I scolded her indifferently, as if talking to a younger sibling.

Anna, much like a little sister, didn’t seem to listen to me.

“One hour should be enough to dry it completely.”

Was it because of her staggering figure? I spoke unconsciously.

“…”

The sound of crumpling newspaper stopped.

Anna stared intently at the memo I had stuck to the sink.

Soon, she asked.

“What’s your purpose?”

Caught off guard by her sudden question, I fiddled with my hair.

“What purpose.”

“Most people run away in fear when they see me. So why are you doing all this useless kindness for me?”

For some reason, Anna’s pronunciation seemed to have improved.

She tore off the memo and held it out to me.

The memo contained the recipe for a Black Velvet.

“That’s…”

I hesitated for a moment.

Then I decided to tell the truth.

There was no reason to hide it.

“Because I don’t want to see people dying in front of me anymore.”

“That’s ridiculous. I’ve already killed dozens in front of you.”

“Someone like me is also a bit reckless.”

Anna threw the memo to the ground and strode towards me.

She grabbed my hair and pulled me closer to her.

“With just a flick of my hand, I could kill someone like you in an instant.”

“But you won’t.”

I looked up at her with narrowed eyes.

Then a faint ripple appeared in Anna’s usually calm pupils.

“…”

Someone seemed to come to her mind.

Just like how I saw Ji-soo noona in her collapsed figure.

Anna eventually let go of her hand powerlessly.

Then, she slumped into a chair at the kitchen table.

“You’ve thought well.”

I immediately put her jacket into the dryer.

And then I looked at her blankly.

“Is that tank top okay? Should I lend you some clothes…”

“Shut up and just spin that.”

Anna cut me off abruptly.

“Yes…”

I pressed the dryer button with my lips tightly shut.

In the quiet house, only the sound of the dryer echoed.

How should I pass the time while it spins?

It’s unbearably awkward.

I glanced back at Anna.

She seemed lost in thought, propping her chin on her hand.

Should I make her some food?

But I also need to head to the inn soon.

“Would you like to have some food before you leave?”

I cautiously asked Anna.

She silently shook her head.

Having no choice, I poured oil into the wok alone.

Then, I took onions and eggs out of the fridge.

These were precious ingredients I bought with the money I earned.

Seeing this, Anna spoke with a frustrated expression.

“Do you have a death wish? I told you I’m not eating.”

“What nonsense are you talking about alone? I’m the one eating.”

I replied indifferently to her.

Anna let out a short cough and turned her gaze away.

I chuckled quietly to myself.

That’s exactly what I was aiming for.

Does she think she’s the only one who can mess with people?

The smell of frying onions and eggs began to waft up.

The savory aroma made my mouth water.

And it wasn’t just me.

Though she tried to hide it, Anna’s gaze gradually shifted toward the sizzling smell.

Enjoying her reaction, I happily stirred with the chopsticks.

What if I added some spam to this?

I opened the ham can with a satisfying click.

Then, I sliced the pale meat generously and sprinkled it over the wok.

The once simple onion aroma was now enhanced by the addition of meat.

The rich flavor danced on my tongue.

This was it.

To complete this masterpiece, I added cold rice.

The aroma of toasted rice reached its peak.

Using a wooden spatula, I worked hard to break apart the hard rice.

Then I started stir-frying it slowly.

Once the grains became translucent, I finished it off with seasoning.

I sprinkled some pepper to complete the dish.

Grade: ★★★☆

Effect: Restores 50% of the eater’s energy.

Info: A simple fried rice dish made with ingredients found at home.

Who wouldn’t know that simple ingredients can still make something delicious?

“—.”

Humming a tune, I placed the bowl on the table.

The fried rice, fluffy and golden, was neatly plated in a clean bowl.

I tucked the falling strands of hair behind my ear.

Then, using my free hand, I scooped a spoonful and began to eat happily.

Anna stared intently at me munching.

“This is… an inefficient dish. It takes time to make and is full of carbs.”

“That’s why an incompetent person like me is eating it alone. You just sit there and wait quietly.”

I closed my eyes and shook my head gleefully.

Not knowing this taste, how pitiful for you, killer lady.

Anna let out a short sigh and pulled something from her pocket.

A plain, unmarked protein bar.

She bit into it expressionlessly.

It was so hard that I could hear her teeth clashing from here.

Was she chewing on metal or something?

I wondered if one had to go to such lengths to become a ranker.

Watching her, I felt my throat get dry.

Thanks to that, I remembered the cola in the fridge.

I got up without hesitation and opened the fridge door.

Then, I felt a strange sensation behind me.

I immediately turned my head sharply.

And I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Anna was leaning in close to the fried rice, staring at it.

She looked like a zoo leopard eyeing a spectator’s snacks.

“What… are you doing?”

I asked, smiling slyly.

Anna cleared her throat.

“Nothing. I was just observing a dish I’ve never seen before.”

“This isn’t just a lump of carbs. As you can see, it’s rich in protein with eggs and ham.”

I smiled and returned to my seat.

Then, I carefully slid the bowl toward her.

“How about it? Want to try some?”

“…”

Like a tamer kindly offering, I urged her.

The beast let out a small sigh, seeming to consider for a moment.

Then, as if making a decision, she glared at me sharply.

“I’m curious, so I’ll have just a taste.”

Pride, huh…

I was about to fetch a new spoon.

But Anna quickly grabbed the one I had been using and took a slow bite.

I watched her intently.

Soon, the dish I had made entered her red lips.

She chewed suspiciously.

Then, her furrowed brows straightened, and she immediately took another spoonful.

Eventually, Anna held the bowl and ate the fried rice with a calm expression.

I even poured her a glass of cola.

The killer who spoke about carbs immediately gulped down the sugary cola.

I found her brazenness oddly endearing and smirked.

While eating, Anna focused entirely on the food without saying a word.

“—.”

The sound of the dryer finishing echoed.

Anna stood up promptly and headed to the dryer.

She grabbed her jacket and walked straight to the door, despite the cold weather.

I didn’t understand why she was in such a rush.

“Already leaving? You’ve finished eating?”

I asked with my messy hair.

But Anna said nothing.

She simply climbed onto the balcony railing.

The killer leaped into the air without hesitation.

My eyes widened in shock.

This was the third floor…

I dashed outside without even putting on proper clothes.

Looking down, I searched for Anna, who should have fallen to the first floor.

She was already far away.

As expected of someone called a ranker, falling from the third floor didn’t seem to faze her.

I watched her run toward the apartment entrance from afar.

She looked like an animal leaving after finishing its business.

I shook my head automatically.

Seriously, what kind of person is she?

Don’t expect me to help her next time.

Feeling hollow, I returned to my house.

The savory aroma of fried rice lingered in the small room.

Still a bit hungry, I checked the bowl to see if she had left any food.

The bowl was completely clean.