The Author's POV

"I wonder what will happen when I combine the two together."

Melissa cheerfully hummed as she mixed a couple of herbs in a small pot.

The situation would've frightened any normal person, and they would've frantically tried to find an escape from this strange planet, but…

Melissa was different.

Her attachment to earth was quite frankly nonexistent. Neither she nor her family liked each other.

Her staff didn't like her, and she didn't like them.

…maybe there were her friends there, but could she really even call them friends? Maybe? Well, it didn't matter.

At the end of the day, what Melissa cared for the most was research.

The way she presented herself made it seem as though she was troubled with all the work she was doing, which was true. There was no doubt that she was overworked, but it did not mean, however, that she disliked what she was doing.

In fact, she loved it.

Trying new things and proving her father wrong was a lifelong passion of hers that she would never trade for anything else.

Just thinking of his salty face...

"Yeah, I love research~"

The fact that she found herself on a new planet, with its new vegetation and surroundings, only served to arouse her excitement.

Thinking about all the different combinations she could make by extracting the essence of the different plants around her…

"Mhmhm~ Isn't this the best?"

Stirring the pot in front of her, Melissa's smile grew wider.

Rustle—!

The sound of rustling caught Melissa's attention. Her head snapped to the direction where the sound originated.

The space surrounding her started to distort, allowing her to get a clear sight of what lay beyond the barrier she set up.

"Who's there!?"

She raised her voice and stood up. A series of different cards and spheres appeared in her hand.

Mana circulated from out of her body, covering the area around her.

'Shit, how is it possible for my barrier to have been found out?'

It must be noted that she set up an extremely high barrier. It was something she had paid a lot of money for since she was planning to leave the human realm to collect samples of different plants.

Who would've thought it would come in so handy. In any case, Melissa's expression turned extremely solemn as she understood that for someone or something to have already seen through its camouflage, that person was extremely skilled.

"Hold on."

It was at that moment that Melissa heard a familiar voice coming from the distance as she lowered her hands a little.

Right then, Melissa was able to catch a glimpse of a familiar figure who was looking at her strangely.

"Kevin?"

Spotting the figure, Melissa immediately recognized him.

Well, it wasn't that hard. There weren't that many people as handsome as him.

Maybe Jin.

…and definitely not Ren.

Although he did seem to have become a lot more handsome than in the past.

Not that Melissa would openly admit it.

would make if she admitted which facts made her stomach

"Melissa, let me in."

around her, Melissa

answer immediately. Instead, she squinted her eyes and carefully observed

"Hmm…"

"Melissa?"

face tightened when she heard

uses whenever he talks with

"Eh?"

Kevin's face as

doing? And what does

has to do

as her

"…So?"

foot began to tap on

if the person outside was

her excitement about her circumstance, she was not stupid enough to invite anyone who

never

answer me within the next

impatient as she

"Ugh."

face grimaced

"P..pushhover.."

didn't

her hand behind her ear, Melissa leaned her body forward. Her hair fell toward her right

fists tightly before he glared in her direction

okay? Ren's nickname for me

"…Sounds about right."

and pressed a button. Immediately after that, the barrier around her tent quickly started to disappear and Kevin was finally able to come

out of her tent,

any idea about what's going

she wanted to know the

quite happy with the fact that there was hope for her

discoveries to

situation, and now that it was solved, she

thoughts, scratching the

"…About that."

of Kevin's sudden strange behavior, Melissa's head snapped to face

wryly smiled when he saw

yourself here, I

***

Bang—

stumbling on the floor, I felt

do you think you're doing with all the

a kick on my ribs

Bang—

"Ukh."

gasped for air. The pain…it was

breathed for air, I made sure to breathe in a

going to get beat up, I

felt something hard smash against the

and

Bang—!

"Khhh."

with the person next

"Akh!"

hair, I was suddenly dragged out of

a burning sensation in my eyes as I was pulled by my hair out

it wasn't

Thud—

smashed against the

here. If I see you pull any shit like

coming from the hallway, and

that the darkness returned and my eyes were once again

my cheeks. The sudden contact with the light had

sudden scenario confirmed one thing for