The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become-Chapter 90: A New Challenge (9)

‘What should I do?! It’s my first date, first date!’

In front of the New World Department Store in Gangnam,

Yuhana, feeling an unexpected wave of shyness, covered her mouth and hopped up and down.

Earlier, during her call with Kang Hyunsoo,

Yuhana had been asked to help him shop.

He needed new clothes since his had been torn during recent raids, and he wondered if she could help him pick out some new outfits.

- Of course, of course! I’ll definitely help you, Hyunsoo oppa!

Yuhana eagerly agreed.

She was confident in beauty and fashion, and more than that, she wanted to repay Hyunsoo for everything he’d done for her.

Over the past few years, Yuhana had been devastated by her inability to find any allies, which led her to quit her life as a hunter.

The hunters she’d worked with during the early days of the Great Transformation, including those from the Hunter Bureau and major guilds, had encouraged her to return to the hunter life, but Yuhana had refused, feeling guilty about the comrades she had lost and the trauma she still carried.

Instead, she lived a normal life, balancing her studies and part-time jobs.

But then, a small change happened.

Kang Hyunsoo.

He had come into the OnlyYoung store where she was working part-time, and that was when everything changed for her.

At first, she thought he was strange for buying so many women’s beauty products.

But he wasn’t strange at all.

Kang Hyunsoo was just a hunter who had recently started paying attention to his appearance, and by coincidence, they ended up competing in a tournament together after he had come to a short-term job at Jaewon University.

That was when Yuhana’s life started moving again.

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Although she hadn’t completely overcome her trauma, seeing Hyunsoo overcome challenges on his own without needing her help gave her the courage to try again.

After that, Yuhana resumed her hunter life.

She quit her part-time job and focused on raids.

Along the way, she met Han Sungbin and Jin Seoyun—two famous figures from the Samcheon Guild—and joined them in raids.

It felt like winning the lottery for someone like Yuhana, who had always been a bit of a fangirl.

Seeing handsome ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) and beautiful people made her feel good, and now she was raiding alongside rising stars like Han Sungbin and Jin Seoyun—it felt like a dream come true.

However, despite all the good things in her life, there was one thing that still made her sad.

‘I want to raid more with Hyunsoo oppa...’

That was the one thing she wished for the most.

They had raided together during the recent B-rank Open Dungeon, but before that, whenever she asked, he always replied that he was busy and would do it next time.

It wasn’t just about the raids.

She had also tried to ask him out for meals, coffee, or training sessions, but there never seemed to be a window to spend time with him.

When they first shared contact info, Yuhana had worried about how Hyunsoo might respond, but now she felt like it was the opposite—she was the one eagerly waiting for him.

‘Am I really falling for him? Every time I see him, he looks more handsome. Especially when he’s fighting, sometimes he feels like the most handsome person in the world...’

It was the first time she’d ever felt this way.

Yuhana was waiting outside the department store, filled with excitement, eager to see how much more handsome Hyunsoo had become.

Before long,

“Oh, you’re already here. You weren’t waiting too long, were you?”

Kang Hyunsoo approached.

With his tall figure, distinct features, and clear skin, he no longer resembled the unattractive, gorilla-like person Yuhana had once seen.

Yuhana looked up at him and smiled.

“No, I just got here! Hehe!”

“Good to hear. Let’s go inside. It’s nothing complicated, just need you to look at the clothes I’m trying on and give me your opinion.”

“Yes, oppa! I’ll do my best to help!”

Yuhana clenched her fist with sparkling eyes, determined to assist him.

Hyunsoo had sought her out, and she was determined to repay him.

And as she saw the determination in Yuhana, Hyunsoo thought to himself,

‘Alright, let’s begin.’

It was his first time shopping with a woman. He had met Seo Jieun in his past life, but their interactions had been limited to buying luxury items and having receipts billed, not shopping together.

Shopping with the opposite sex was a first.

Although this was just helping him pick out clothes and not technically a date, it still felt like a new challenge for Hyunsoo.

The beginning wasn’t bad.

He didn’t feel overly nervous or jittery. Moreover, the Harmony trait seemed to be showing positive results.

[Beauty Trait: Harmony (A)]

The outfit and environment blend slightly.Total Score: 6/10When they entered the department store together, the Harmony score jumped from 4 to 6 points.

‘The space affects the score too. The fluctuations are significant. This is something to keep in mind.’

While his outfit stayed the same, the change in the environment had caused the score to improve.

Now, it seemed like adjusting the outfit to match the environment of the dungeon would be a good strategy, but that wasn’t something he could aim for right away.

For now, the goal was simply to reach a Harmony score of 10.

Hyunsoo led Yuhana toward the formal wear section.

This was the same place he had visited with Han Sungbin before, where he had increased his Appearance Power by +5 and completed an auxiliary beauty quest.

Since that had worked last time, he hoped it would work again.

“Can I try on these clothes?”

“Of course, sir. If you need any size, just let me know, and I’ll bring them right over.”

Hyunsoo selected a few outfits and entered the fitting room, trying on each one the staff brought to him.

The response was positive.

“These suits look great on you! You look amazing, sir!”

“Wow! You look so good! From a sophisticated vibe to a dignified one... it’s all so stylish, Hyunsoo oppa!”

The staff complimented him, and Yuhana clapped her hands, admiring him enthusiastically.

But then—

Hmm... Master, you haven’t reached 9 points yet.

[Beauty Trait: Harmony (A)]

The clean surroundings and traditional outfit blend well, but the outfit is a bit too basic and plain.Total Score: 7/10The score went up to 7, but it still hadn’t reached the desired 9.

Even though the suit suited him well and matched the store’s atmosphere, the score didn’t climb beyond 7.

And while Yuhana praised him, it didn’t seem to meet the standard for praise as defined by the quest requirements.

The strategy had failed.

‘Looks like I need a new approach.’

“We’ll buy this and that. Please wrap them up. I’ll go check out a few other things in the meantime.”

“Yes, take your time, sir!”

Hyunsoo purchased the clothes that had scored 8 points, left them at the store, and headed with Yuhana to another shop.

Although he failed to complete the quest, an 8-point score was no small feat, and it had raised his Appearance Power by over 7, making it worthwhile.

“Hmm... Hyunsoo oppa, try this on here!”

Yuhana tugged Hyunsoo’s hand as they wandered through the department store, trying on various clothes.

From casual brands to luxury labels.

He tried on street fashion with jeans, athletic styles with joggers and shorts, and even dressier looks with slacks and a jacket.

But—

[Total Score: 6/10]

[Total Score: 5/10]

[.......]

[Total Score: 4/10]

The results were the same.

He visited more than 10 stores and tried on over 50 outfits, but not a single one reached 10 points.

In fact, this time, his scores were even lower than when he tried on suits at the first store.

“Let me look around a bit more.”

“Sure, take your time, sir!”

With no other option, Hyunsoo set out to try other styles.

He found a few outfits he liked and even bought some, but without hitting that 10-point total, it was all for nothing.

It had already been over four hours of shopping.

Hyunsoo, glancing at Yuhana walking beside him, carefully asked,

“Are you tired? This shopping is taking longer than expected.”

“I’m fine! It’s fun! It feels like I’m dressing up a doll, hehe! It’s refreshing to shop together instead of raiding!”

At first, Hyunsoo thought it might have been just a polite comment, but it didn’t seem that way.

Yuhana’s face was beaming with a smile.

She didn’t even look tired, and when Hyunsoo bought her the shoes she had been eyeing with a few side glances, she became even more energized.

Meanwhile—

Phew... didn’t think it would take this long... Shopping really isn’t easy...

Swallow, being male, seemed obviously exhausted.

His dark circles were visible, extending beyond his sunglasses.

Hyunsoo couldn’t help but smile as he saw Swallow lying flat, flying lazily through the air.

However, the brief moment of amusement was fleeting, as he soon snapped back to reality.

‘Maybe the department store isn’t working? Should I try wearing the 9-point clothes and head somewhere else?’

Since nothing at the department store had reached a 10, it seemed like a good idea to change into the higher-scoring outfits and try a different location.

“Yuhana, how about we go somewhere other than the department store now?”

But just as he was about to make the move to change locations,

“Hmm? That brand...”

Yuhana, almost in a trance, suddenly walked into a store.

Hyunsoo tilted his head in confusion before following her inside.

“Do you know this brand?”

“Do you know Hunter Baek Jinnam?”

“Baek Jinnam?”

- Sounds like that lazy hunter who only evaluates others' fashion instead of raiding, Master.

Lazy Baek Jinnam.

Hyunsoo recalled the nickname he had given to this particular hunter in his past life.

Baek Jinnam, a level 400+ mid-tier hunter, had skill but was infamous for mocking others’ fashion and posture rather than engaging in raids.

Although he wasn’t likely to run into him right now, just thinking about him made Hyunsoo frown.

Noticing his reaction, Yuhana quickly tried to explain, assuming he didn’t know who Baek Jinnam was.

“Oh, Hunter Baek Jinnam is someone who’s been gaining attention lately. This brand was launched by him. The clothes have a bit of a ‘hero protagonist’ vibe to them!”

“Ah... So, he’s a fashion brand owner.”

“Yes, exactly! Hehe.”

Hyunsoo now realized why hunters would quietly accept fashion critiques from Baek Jinnam in their previous life.

After a few raids, he had lost interest in him, but this was new information.

Still, knowing more about him didn’t change Hyunsoo’s impression.

Given the fact that the brand's creator was the same person, the clothes still seemed somewhat lackluster.

But Yuhana, unaware of this background, remained unbiased.

“Try this on, oppa! It’ll look great on you!”

Yuhana rushed to bring a coat from the display in the center of the store and handed it to Hyunsoo with a smile.

“Sure, let’s go for it.”

What harm could the clothes do?

‘Well, it’s probably going to be a 1 or 2-point score.’

Hyunsoo shrugged, casually slipping on the coat over his suit without putting his arms through the sleeves.

It was clear that the score was likely to be low.

But when he donned Baek Jinnam’s coat—

[You have completed Auxiliary Beauty Quest 15.]

Achieve a total Harmony score of 10/10 by receiving praise from someone of the opposite gender.[Rewards:]

Beauty Skill: Rapid Change (S)Beauty Trait: Multi-Wardrobe (S)To his surprise, the coat felt like it was custom-tailored to his body, hugging him perfectly as though it had been made for him.

Not only had the quest been completed, but two S-rank rewards appeared.

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