"Hello to you too," Penn said with an easy-going smile. “Would you like to join me?"

"If you don't mind," the mystery Hunter returned the smile and sat across from Penn without hesitation. "I came for my nightly coffee and spotted my new Guide."

"Haha, I also needed a good wake-up with the amount of training being drilled into me," Penn joked. "My name's Penn Jennson. May I ask the name of the mystery Hunter and my new neighbor?"

"Nathan, I'm a striker class," He gave a slight smirk as he sipped his coffee, his cold brown eyes never leaving Penn's face.

"It's nice to put a name to the face," Penn nodded. They both felt quiet as they drank their coffee, so Penn decided to watch the flowing river outside. The silence wasn't awkward but comfortable because he wasn't alone, and it wasn't someone targeting him for being a Guide. "Oh, I didn't get a chance to ask since we had such a short session. Are you an S-rank?"

"Oh ho!" Nathan laughed, unexpecting of the question. "How did you know?"

"When you left, it felt like I gave you no guiding at all. I heard that usually, with a class difference, I should feel quite drained - but that just felt like you restrained the guiding itself."

"Hmm, good guess," Nathan nodded, dimples showing with his broad smile. "I didn't wish to overwhelm you on my first visit, and like I mentioned, I just needed a top-up. My other assigned Guide couldn't quite meet the standard. I had a quick mission last night, and I can't go without receiving full guidance."

"Then I'm happy I could help," Penn readjusted in his chair as he reached for the croissant he had bought earlier. "How's the Guide? The mana depletion rebound must have been uncomfortable."

"Hmm," Nathan hummed, his unfocused eyes shifted to the window with a mysterious smile. "They got what they wanted out of it."

"That's good, I guess…" Penn furred his brows, tilting his head to the side. Nathan met his eyes, which crinkled at the edges.

"Were the lectures that tiring and long?" Nathan asked. "You look a little beat-up for a Guide."

"Thankfully, it's more than just lectures. Like we talked about last time, I do have fighter sub-class skills. They designated me as a 'Battle Guide' due to this. I have to do physical training every day, such as spar sessions with other hunters."

"A Battle Guide? Sounds useful," Nathan replied slowly as if trying to hold back his smile. "We could use more Guide's in the field, but it's difficult when we have to expend so much manpower to protect them while trying to close dungeons."

"Hopefully, others awaken such skills as time goes on, and awakened ones evolve," Penn agreed. "I'm thankful that I can use my military experience while not getting stuck assigned behind a desk. I know Guides are essential to awakened being able to complete dungeons - but for me personally, going from active combat to sitting all day fills me with more anxiety than anything."

"That's commendable of you. I like your mindset. I actually enjoy being in dungeons and letting loose," Nathan smiled while closing his eyes as if reliving an enjoyable memory. 

"Hmm, I wouldn't say I enjoy combat. I would just rather use my skills when I can help," Penn mulled over his words, sipping his coffee as he looked out the window. Nathan continued to watch him and licked his lips before sipping the last of his coffee.

"You're just my type," Nathan finally responded, a cool look played on his face. "Please take care of me well in the future, dear Battle Guide."

"We'll see after our match test," Penn poked at him, then laughed when Nathan gave a seated bow over his empty cup.

"If you're finished, let me walk you home," Nathan commented, gathering his cup as he stood up. Penn glanced at his phone. Seeing that it was past nine p.m., Penn agreed and cleaned his cup and plate, dropping off the dishes at the counter on the way out. They walked back along the riverside.

"Have you had a chance to dip your toes in with the Garra yet?" Nathan asked, reminding Penn of his embarrassing moment for mistaking them for minnows. 

"I have not," Penn shook his head, turning his head away from the creek in embarrassment. Nathan laughed at the reaction. 

"Would you like to try? It's a pretty humid night and a great chance to cool off," Nathan nodded, showing he was not in a hurry. Penn shook his head no. 

"I appreciate the offer, but that's not something I'm really into. I've never been one for spas, either. Not the biggest fan of strangers touching me," Penn apologetically smiled. Nathan tilted his head towards the water and gave a sad smile.

"What a shame," Nathan shrugged, his eyes narrowing. "Oh, trying to avoid going for coffee if you see that barista. They commit heinous crimes against those coffee beans."

"Ah, so it was burnt… I just assumed it was some unique flavor that Hunters preferred," Penn mumbled. Nathan's laughter roared, echoing off the water and rocks around them. 

"No, Hunters don't have specific tastebuds from fighting in Dungeons." Nathan jokingly wiped fake tears from his eyes. Penn quickened his pace, doing his best to hide his red face. Nathan followed behind him, whistling as he pretended not to notice anything. Penn was thankful, but at the same time, it only embarrassed him more.

"Thank you for walking me here," Penn nodded as they stopped in front of the well-illuminated building. Nathan smiled.

"It was of no problem. I know you're ex-military, but you are still a civilian. Going up against Hunters who don't care for the rules can be a common occurrence, especially when they spot a Guide to their liking. Partnered Hunters should do this much for their Guides."

"Ah, that's right… I may have some subskills, but they don't make me stronger or faster like other Hunters…"

"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to discourage you or put you down!" Nethan stepped forward, his face filled with worry. Penn waved it off.

"I'd rather you be honest and straight with me than curtsey around me with pleasantries," Penn turned back and smiled at Nathan in appreciation. Nathan clicked his tongue.

"Straight… yeah," his face remained stoic as he looked at Penn. "You should head up to get enough sleep for your training tomorrow. Have a good night, Penn."

"Thank you, Nathan. Have a good night as well," Penn waved as he entered the building. Nathan watched as he entered. Penn turned back once before sliding his keycard, saw Nathan still watching him, and gave a small wave. Nathan waved back but didn't budge. As he entered the apartment, he was met with a breeze.

"Oh, did I leave the balcony open?" Penn mumbled to himself. He walked over and shut the glass door, pulling shut the curtains as he did so. After chewing on his inner cheek while lost in thought, he turned to his bed, stripping down to his boxers. He climbed onto the bere bed and pulled up the one unbacked quilt over his body. 

A familiar smell crossed his senses as he let sleep overtake his body. It enveloped him as if someone was lying next to him in bed. He couldn't fight the exhaustion as he tried to find the place where he knew the smell, but all he knew was that the strongest smell came from his pillow. It was the scent of sea salt and musk. 

***

Penn couldn't sit still during the entire lecture on Guides, bonding, and the dangers of addition to full-contact guiding. His encounter with Nathan was pleasant, and he enjoyed meeting a neighbor he could meet with now and then. But something inside kept nudging him, making him feel unsettled. Even though he slept deeply the entire night, he thought he had the least restful night he'd experienced in a long while. 

Images kept flashing through his mind during the night, but he could recall none of it by the time he woke up. All he knew was that he felt nauseous whenever he tried to think of it. His fidgeting in his chair caught Daniel's attention.

"Everything okay?" he leaned over and whispered. Penn flinched, then nodded.

"Yes, just the subject matter bothered me."

"Ah, with the addition to full-contact guiding, and why don't they recommend sexual guidance officially? It can be a heavy subject for those new to the field…" Daniel whispered with a frown on his face. He reached over and patted Penn's back in comfort. "Don't worry. The schedule after today is pretty short for you. No physical training today due to arranging a new instructor, and the match tests we had set up for today got re-arranged to just one Hunter."

"Just one?" Penn looked up, confused.

"He's a bit of a special case. An S-rank… Honestly, he's the crazy one we mentioned previously, so I'm a little worried about how it will go. But at least you get to go home early after that," Daniel reassured Penn with a small smile, but he had a worried expression as soon as he turned away.

"Thank you," Penn replied, looking back at the lecture screen as the instructor discussed violence against Guides and illegal establishments.