I'm a Healer But My Butt is Busy - Ch21

The system determined that I hadn’t done it on purpose and gave me a failure reward. Watching that happen, Graham finally grabbed the back of his neck and collapsed.

Startled that he might die like this and stop giving me EXP, I hurried over and cast a heal on him.

“Are you okay?”

“Urgh…”

I carried the groaning Graham back to his bed, and Dia pushed at my back.

“Hyung, I think it would be better for Grandpa’s health if you weren’t in his sight right now.”

“I’ll at least finish the laundry and dishes before I go.”

So I can get the EXP.

“…All the clothes you washed got torn, so the ones we’re wearing now are the only ones left. And you broke all the dishes yesterday, so that was the last of them.”

“Oh, really? Then should we go shopping together later?”

At my shameless reply, Dia’s eyes widened in disbelief before he burst into laughter.

[Dia’s favorability has slightly increased. His hostility toward Chilbong is fading.]

Maybe we’d grown attached over time, because Dia’s favorability had been steadily rising, and the sharp edge he sometimes showed had started to dull.

On the other hand, Graham’s favorability had long since dropped past zero… and gone deep into the negatives.

“We’re out of money right now… Ah! Today’s the day our sponsor is coming. Should we wait and go out together after that?”

A sponsor? So there’s another sucker besides me? Now I’m curious.

Knock knock.

“Is anyone here?”

“Ah, they must be here!”

Let’s see what kind of sucker this is.

Unable to hide his excitement, Dia ran straight to the door.

“Mr. Sponsor, it’s been so long since your last vis—!”

“I came in their place today.”

“Aww, does that mean Sponsor-nim couldn’t come?”

“They’ve been busy lately. I don’t think they’ll be able to make it this time.”

The nickname CuteDealer matched the look perfectly—flashy and cute to the extreme. A white blouse covered in frills, a pink ribbon around the neck, and even pink pumpkin pants to match.

Where do you even get pumpkin pants like that? It was a bit much, but with the long brown hair, big eyes, and pale skin, there was really nothing to criticize.

Well, except for the fact that he was a man.

At first I thought he was a female player, but when I noticed how tall he was and the prominent Adam’s apple, I realized he was male. If this weren’t a VR game, he’d definitely be pulling full-on catfishing, so my first impression of him wasn’t great.

“Looks like you have a guest.”

Why are you staring at me like that? What, are you into men too?

“Ah, CuteDealer, it’s been a while. I’ve got nothing to offer you, but at least have a cup of tea.”

Wait, when did this old man get up? He was just moaning like he was on death’s door a second ago. And tea? He’s offering tea? He never even gave me a glass of water.

“You may leave now.”

Graham shot me a displeased look, then put on a kind smile, probably because there was a guest watching.

What a sly old fox.

“No. I promised Dia I’d go shopping with him, so I’ll wait.”

When I refused to take the hint and sat down stubbornly in a chair, I heard Graham grind his teeth.

What do you want me to do about it? I really did promise Dia.

“Here, please take this.”

CuteDealer—ugh, why does a grown man have a nickname like that? Just hearing the word cute made my stomach churn. Anyway, the catfish handed Graham a sack and then sipped the tea Graham had served him.

Maybe he thought I wouldn’t notice, but he kept sneaking glances at my face out of the corner of his eye.

Ah, that’s getting a little annoying.

“Ohhh, isn’t this mandragora? Something so rare. Thank you. I must personally pass my gratitude along to the sponsor.”

How much is all that worth?

Inside the sack were not only mandragora, but all sorts of rare herbs, expensive potions, and even several pieces of platinum.

“Your health isn’t good, Graham-nim, so please don’t push yourself.”

“I’m only doing this because I’m grateful.”

“If you insist, then I’ll convey your thanks to the sponsor personally.”

So money really is everything, huh. When he was making me work like a dog, calling me like a son, where was that attitude? But now that it’s some sponsor with deep pockets, he can barely contain himself.

Damn. What a filthy capitalist world.

I got so sick of looking at that scene that I went outside to dig up potatoes in the field until their conversation was over. As I walked toward the field with a hoe in hand, I heard the door click open and sensed someone following me.

Dia?

I turned around, but the person walking toward me was unexpected.

It was the catfish, CuteDealer.

What now, did he chase after me to ask for my contact info? Guess it’s because I’m handsome after all.

But he wasn’t my type. No, not even close. Besides, he gave off the vibe of someone who’d scam men left and right while pretending to be cute.

“…Are you Chilbong, by any chance?”

Huh? He knows me?

“Can’t you see the nickname over my head?”

Oops, did I make it too obvious that I disliked him? Even so, the catfish gave a shy smile and held out his hand.

“It’s nice to finally meet you in person after only hearing about you. I’m CuteDealer—please call me Gwi-Dil.”

Gwi-Dil? Feels like I’ve seen that nickname before…. Where was it? Then, like a lightbulb going off in my head, it hit me.

“BJ Gwi-Dil!”

Gwi-Dil was a famous streamer who broadcasted Tisiphone gameplay.

“Ah, are you a fan of mine?”

When I recognized him, Gwi-Dil asked if I was his fan, scratching his flushed cheek with one finger. He looked so obviously pleased and embarrassed that it created an atmosphere where saying no felt awkward.

But I’m not the type to spare someone’s feelings.

“No, you uploaded my video without permission.”

Embarrassed by his own misunderstanding, Gwi-Dil lowered his head, his ears turning red too.

“Mm, that was rude of me.”

“I sent you a message a while ago. Why haven’t you taken my video down?”

“…I got permission from the main person in the video.”

The main person in the video? Not me?

“Don’t tell me… Harusari?”

Gwi-Dil nodded.

Ah, that attention-seeking bastard! He can show himself all he wants, but why drag me into it?!

Wait… could it be that he set this whole thing up on purpose just to get me into Sunday Guild? If that’s true, that’s seriously creepy.

“Look, then at least blur my face, or change the title or something. ‘Sunday Guild Rookie’? I’m not even a Sunday Guild member.”

“But you’re going to join soon anyway, aren’t you?”

“Huh? Join where?”

“Sunday Guild.”

He thinks I’m joining Sunday Guild too?

“Damn it… just how far has this nonsense rumor spread?”

This is driving me crazy. If I want to run dungeons, I really need the rumors to stop spreading.

Even if Sunday Guild didn’t make an official statement, I decided I’d clear things up myself as much as I could.

“It’s just a false rumor. More importantly, how could I even get into a guild that only rankers can join? I don’t know anyone in Sunday Guild.”

You have to admit that makes sense, right? Wait, how many subscribers did he have again? A little over three million, I think.

If I revealed on Gwi-Dil’s broadcast that I wasn’t a Sunday Guild member, then fewer people would keep misunderstanding. My voice naturally softened.

“I’ll explain in detail. Let’s sit over there and talk.”

I guided Gwi-Dil to the wooden table behind the cabin. Then I passionately explained how everything so far had been the result of coincidence and misunderstanding.

“…You mean the reason you got close to the Acling leader was because you wanted to lie down quickly?”

“Yes. I’m a coward, so it was too scary. I thought I’d feel better if I died quickly, so I moved recklessly. The fact that Harusari stepped in at that moment was just luck.”

“That’s not what I heard.”

Gwi-Dil muttered to himself, still looking confused.

No, I’m telling you, what I’m saying is the truth! I’m literally telling you myself it’s not like that!

It was so frustrating I wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him, but I pressed both hands down onto my thighs and endured it.

“Do you not want to join Sunday Guild?”

Of course not.

“No. I’m not skilled enough to join a guild ranked eleventh.”

“Even if the guild master himself offered?”

I deliberately left out the part where Harusari had already made me an offer.

“No. I still wouldn’t.”

“But why? It’s ranked eleventh.”

“It’s not about the ranking. Mm… I just don’t like getting involved with people.”

At my firm answer, Gwi-Dil’s gaze drifted elsewhere. Not like he was looking at something specific—more like he was organizing his thoughts.

If I’d said this much, then he must understand by now that the rumor about me joining Sunday Guild was false, right? I silently prayed he’d spread my explanation through his channel.

“…Then why are you here, doing this?”

No—where did that come from all of a sudden? We were talking about the guild.