The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

"Doesn't seem like you're planning to buy anything today…"

At the counter of the OnlyYoung Gangnam branch, Yoo Hana pouted slightly as she glanced at the entrance.

It was another regular day at her part-time job.

From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., she worked diligently as always.

She woke up groggily in the morning, washed up, and came to the store. After that, it was a busy day of cleaning floors, organizing inventory, and handling payments.

A perfectly ordinary routine.

However, today, time seemed to drag unbearably.

She occasionally enjoyed observing the attractive men and women visiting the store and chatting with her coworkers. Still, every time she checked her phone, it felt like the clock had stopped.

It wasn’t until the day was almost over that she realized something.

She had been subconsciously waiting for a certain customer she had seen recently.

‘What am I doing? This is so silly!’

It was a peculiar man, looking to be in his 40s, who had swept through the makeup section during his last visit.

For someone like Yoo Hana, there was no reason to think about him.

And yet…

She couldn’t help but feel curious.

The reason?

‘I feel like he'll look different again.’

Despite only seeing him twice, she noticed he seemed slightly more polished the second time.

Not just in a vague sense; his face and physique genuinely appeared to have changed.

Even if he had undergone plastic surgery, such dramatic transformation in less than a week seemed nearly impossible.

So Yoo Hana found herself wanting to confirm his appearance one more time.

But as the clock edged toward the end of her shift, she sighed.

“Guess it’s not happening today…”

The man she’d been hoping to see hadn’t shown up.

With her shift nearly over, she started wrapping up her tasks, tidying the shelves.

And just then, the door opened, and a customer walked in.

It was a last-minute visitor near closing time.

Suppressing a groan, she forced a bright smile and straightened up.

"Welcome to OnlyYoung…!"

But her greeting trailed off.

"Let me know if you’re looking for something spe—uh… uh?!"

Her words caught in her throat.

A crisp white shirt, tailored slacks, and a faint whiff of cologne carried on the breeze.

The man who had just walked in was none other than the peculiar customer she had been waiting for.

But once again, he had changed.

Last time, his unkempt hair had made him look scruffy. Now, his hair was neatly styled, with a sharp cut and subtle waves from a perm.

Furthermore, his face had transformed.

While he previously resembled a gorilla more than a human—with scars, acne marks, and a perpetually gruff expression—he now looked, if not handsome, at least… pleasant.

His ordinary, clean-cut appearance might go unnoticed in a crowd, but to Yoo Hana, who had seen his initial state, it was nothing short of astonishing.

"Is something wrong?"

The man—Kang Hyunsoo—seemed completely unaware of her shock.

Noticing her frozen expression, he tilted his head quizzically.

Suddenly, their eyes met.

Caught off guard by his sharp, glimmering gaze, Yoo Hana stammered as she tried to recover.

"Ah—uh—um, you’re the customer who bought cologne last time, right?"

"Yes, that’s right."

"Wow, your hairstyle’s changed! It really suits you! I almost didn’t recognize you!"

"Oh, uh… thank you."

Despite her sudden burst of enthusiasm, Kang Hyunsoo scratched his cheek awkwardly, unused to such compliments about his appearance.

What’s more:

‘So she was this lively even back then. I thought she’d be struggling during this time, but it seems I was worried for nothing.’

In his past life, Yoo Hana was going through a tough period at this point. Yet, her cheerful demeanor now showed no hint of hardship.

She looked like an average 20-year-old—bright and full of life.

However, internally, things weren’t quite so calm for her.

"Please let me know if you need anything!"

While she cheerfully returned to the counter, she was in turmoil on the inside.

‘What the heck? He looks even better than last time! How is this happening?!’

Her heart raced as she cast discreet glances toward the shelves, where Kang Hyunsoo was browsing.

‘Seriously, what’s his secret? How does he keep getting better looking?!’

It wasn’t infatuation or an illusion; the man truly appeared to be improving with each encounter.

When she first saw him, she had been startled by how unattractive he was. Now, he looked entirely normal—perhaps even somewhat appealing.

Her curiosity grew.

As she stole glances, debating how to start a conversation, her train of thought was interrupted by an unwelcome presence.

A drunken man staggered into the store, reeking of alcohol.

"Hey, get me some cigarettes," he slurred.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Grab some smokes and ring them up."

Tossing his card onto the counter, he jabbed a finger at her.

His face was flushed, and the overpowering stench of alcohol filled the air.

"Sorry, sir, but we don’t sell cigarettes here. There’s a convenience store just next door; maybe you could try there?"

Though her voice trembled, Yoo Hana politely explained.

But instead of leaving, the man grew belligerent.

"What did you just say? If you don’t have any, then go buy some yourself!"

He jabbed his finger at her again, raising his voice.

Yoo Hana shrank back, her eyes wide and fearful.

And just as the situation seemed to escalate, a low, commanding voice cut through the tension.

"Hey, get lost."

Standing behind the drunkard, Kang Hyunsoo glared down at him with a chilling intensity.

"What’d you just—ugh!"@@novelbin@@

The drunk turned around, ready to lash out, but his words died in his throat.

Hyunsoo towered over him, his sharp features and fierce scowl radiating menace.

"Leave. Now."

The man instinctively recoiled, his bravado crumbling under the weight of Hyunsoo’s glare.

"A-ah… Sorry, I thought this was a convenience store…"

Mumbling excuses, the drunk hurriedly grabbed his card and fled the store.

Yoo Hana, still trembling, bowed deeply to Hyunsoo.

"Th-thank you so much! I don’t know what I would have done…!"

"Don’t mention it. People like that are everywhere these days. Try not to let it get to you."

"Yes! Thank you again! Let me quickly ring up your items!"

Eager to express her gratitude, she grabbed the items Hyunsoo had chosen and began scanning them at the register.

But as she processed the items, she noticed something unusual.

"Huh? These are all sunscreen?"

Hyunsoo had cleared out the shelf, buying every single bottle of sunscreen available.

"Well… I’m heading into a dungeon with harsh sunlight. Without sunscreen, I’d risk severe burns."

"A dungeon? Are you a hunter?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"Wow! Hunters are so cool! What’s your name? You must be really famous!"

She gazed at him with wide, admiring eyes, as if meeting a celebrity.

Hyunsoo hesitated, unused to such attention, but replied calmly.

"Kang Hyunsoo. Just a low-ranked hunter, really."

"Even so! Hunters fight monsters to protect us, right? I think that’s amazing!"

"Thank you for saying that."

Their exchange continued as Yoo Hana cheerfully scanned the remaining items.

After finishing the transaction, Hyunsoo grabbed his bag of sunscreen and prepared to leave.

"Today must’ve been stressful. Try to rest well. Take care."

With that, he walked out, disappearing into the busy streets.

Left alone in the quiet store, Yoo Hana softly repeated his words to herself.

"‘Face it head-on, overcome it, and you’ll grow stronger… even if you’re afraid.’"

Looking toward the door where Hyunsoo had exited, her eyes sparkled with newfound determination.

***

‘Did I go overboard?’

Standing on the busy streets near Gangnam Station, I glanced back at the OnlyYoung store I had just left, scratching the back of my head.

The little speech I gave Yoo Hana.

Honestly, I could have just paid for my items and walked out.

After all, I had already dealt with the troublemaker and left a good impression.

But…

I couldn’t ignore the urge to say something encouraging.

‘I know she’s struggling with dungeon break trauma. How could I just ignore that?’

Yoo Hana herself had talked about it in an interview in my previous life.

She had admitted that her trauma from a dungeon break held her back from resuming her hunter activities for a long time.

The truth is, she’s already awakened.

While it isn’t widely known yet, Yoo Hana had awakened during the early days of the Great Upheaval and had been involved in various activities.

Her level is likely in the high 100s.

By today’s standards, that might seem low, but back then, she was considered a top-tier combatant.

Yet here she was, working part-time at a beauty store instead of hunting.

And the reason?

It all stemmed from the Seoul Station S-Class Dungeon Break.

She had lost her comrades there.

These were people she had fought alongside since the early days of the Great Upheaval, and as someone with healing abilities, the guilt weighed on her even more heavily.

The aftermath of her absence was a tremendous loss to Korea’s hunter community.

‘If she hadn’t taken that break… she probably would’ve been the world’s top healer.’

Yoo Hana’s potential was undeniable. Even after taking years off, she came back and still rose to become a globally renowned support hunter.

If she had continued hunting without a break, her growth would have been unfathomable.

‘If I can help her overcome it sooner, that would be ideal…’

From a purely strategic perspective, recruiting Yoo Hana immediately and tackling dungeons together would be the smart move.

But I wasn’t planning to do that.

First, healing trauma isn’t something I can just fix for her.

And second, I wasn’t ready to get close to anyone.

Not yet.

Even now, the betrayal I experienced in my previous life still haunted me.

‘Still, it’s not entirely out of the question.’

Maybe not now, but if Yoo Hana eventually overcame her trauma, we could potentially form a party.

While I could handle low-tier dungeons below A-Class on my own, tackling S-Class dungeons or higher solo would be an entirely different story.

But for that to happen…

“I need to grow stronger. Fast.”

To surpass where I was in my past life and do it even faster, I already knew the path forward.

As I walked, I came to a halt in front of a building with a large sign:

<Korean Item Exchange – Gangnam Branch>

I didn’t hesitate. I stepped inside.

“Hello, how can I assist you today?”

“Do you have the Cloak of the Volcano in stock?”

“Yes, we currently have ten listings. The lowest price is 70 million won.”

“I’ll take it.”

After swiftly completing the transaction, I headed straight for Bucheon.

<Bucheon Station Hunting Grounds>

Standing in front of the entrance, I pulled out the newly purchased cloak.

“Alright, let’s get started.”

Fwoooosh!

I stepped into the dungeon, where the third hidden piece awaited.