Extra Pages: The Author's Odyssey

Darkness descending on the snowy mountain marked the end of the hunting club's event.

Emma and I obtained the first-place and fourth-place flags. The first place flag rewarded a one-time all-you-want-eat coupon at Nova City's largest hotel, and the fourth place flag rewarded a VR gaming set worth 3 million C.

Many would think that the fourth prize is better than the first one but they are wrong.

To eat at the finest restaurant in Nova City is a big deal because one meal costs about 5 million C.

The differences are evident between the both prizes...

Anyway, All the prizes were fantastic as expected of gifts from active Heroes.

Emm and I returned to the cabin, where a warm barbeque party was waiting. Other crew members who just come back greeted us with smiles.

"Wow, you got the first-place flag!? I'm jealous!"

The crew leader Joseph, saw the flag in my hand and exclaimed. Other crew members also sent looks of envy, to which I made a bitter smile.

"Now, let's eat."

The barbeque party started. Crew members put meat on the grill. The sizzling sound was pleasant to hear, to say the least, but these kids were terrible at grilling. Realizing that they were just teenagers, I stepped up.

"I'll handle the grilling. You guys can rest."

As the designated grill master, I took charge of cooking the meat to perfection, expertly flipping and seasoning each piece to bring out its full flavour.

The scent of the sizzling meat filled the air, mingling with the crisp mountain breeze and creating an atmosphere of warmth and camaraderie.

As I worked, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at being able to contribute to the festivities. It was a small gesture, but one that brought joy to my fellow crew members and strengthened the bonds of friendship between us.

'It's also the way for me to get my reputation correct.' I couldn't help but smile at that thought.

They didn't outright say but I could tell that my presence was here not that welcoming.

Well, it's not like I can blame for that, for the last five months I didn't attend the hunting crew and when I decided to attend it was time for the crew through a party.

I hope with this I can strengthen the bond between my crew

The barbeque party continued for 20 minutes. Because I did a great job on the grilling duty, everyone saw me more favourably.

"The original plan was to go out for a night hunt... but let's just rest since we're full."

The crew leader made his decision.

"Team 1 will use Cabin A. Team 2 will use Cabin B."

The 18 club members split into two separate cabins. Emma and I were assigned to Cabin A.

The cabin was surprisingly big. The first floor had three rooms and a large living room, while the second floor had six rooms, with each person having their room.

After unpacking our belongings, we met in the living room, where we began to play Mafia as a group bonding game.

But every time Emma became the mafia, she was killed in the first town vote. When she took important citizen roles like the doctor or the cop, the mafia killed her on the first or second night. Even when she was a normal citizen, she was killed relatively fast. It wasn't anyone's fault but her own.

She was simply terrible at the game because she didn't know how to hide her emotions.

"...Ah, I haven't laughed that hard in some time."

Now, the game had ended and everyone had gone to sleep. I left the cabin and sat down on a bench outside and looked at the starry night sky, feeling a sense of peace wash over me. The crisp mountain air filled my lungs, invigorating me as I gazed up at the twinkling stars above.

In moments like these, surrounded by the quiet beauty of nature, I couldn't help but find myself at peace, At this time I forgot about all the worries I had.

I took a deep breath, letting the tranquillity of the moment wash over me, banishing any lingering doubts or worries from my mind.

"Are you lonely or something? Why are you smiling like that? It's creepy."

My short peaceful time eventually came to an end as I heard Emma's voice.

"W-What! Where are you!?"

"Above you, idiot."

I immediately looked up. Emma was peeking her head out from the second-floor window. Since when was she there?

"What's there to creepy about my smile? Look's like you don't know but many girls have fallen for my smile."

I replied to Emma as I showed her my smile.

"Now you acting like a creepy person, I got goosebumps all over my body."

Emma covered her chest with both of her hands shuddering as I said those words.

My face instantly froze.

'Damn, this girl.'

My eyes twitched as I gritted my teeth.

Emma smirked as she saw my reaction and continued teasing me, her playful demeanor evident even in the dim light of the night. Despite her antics, I couldn't help but feel a sense of amusement at her antics, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips.

"Alright, alright, you win," I conceded, shaking my head in mock defeat. "I'll stop with the creepy smiles."

Emma laughed, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she leaned against the window sill. "Good, because I don't think I can handle any more of your creepy smiles tonight."

With a chuckle, I stood up from the bench and stretched, feeling the tension in my muscles ease as I moved. "Well, I guess it's time to head back inside. It's getting late, and I'm sure everyone else is already asleep."

As I turned to head back towards the cabin, Emma called out to me, her voice soft but sincere. "Hey, thanks for grilling tonight. It really made the party special."

I paused, turning to face her with a warm smile. "No problem, Emma.

With that I turned my back and walked towards my cabin room.

'Well, all peaceful time is over, from tomorrow it's going to be all the same for me '

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