Unfortunately, Min Hwiseong did not accept my request.
“There will be many programs at the exchange meeting where you pair with a member of the opposite sex. Thus, for smooth proceedings, I do not think we can do as you suggest, Gyeonu.”
“Then I'll pair with Haneul. She's very shy around strangers.”
“But surely you cannot live your life maintaining narrow relationships only with those you already know. In the future, when you all truly become adults, become Hunters, you will be called to many such occasions. In a way, today may serve as experience for that time.”
“But….”
“Above all.”
“….”
“The exchange meeting is intended to deepen bonds with those you do not normally associate with. Yet if you only mingle with those you've known from the start, it goes against the purpose. Moreover, if we did as you said, Arin and Jiwan would end up paired together. What do you think would happen then? People might get the impression that those of the same clan only stick together, that the Mado Min clan is ostracizing them. As the host of the exchange meeting, that is something that must not happen. So I hope you will understand, Gyeonu.”
The answer Min Hwiseong conveyed as a refusal was sound reasoning, yet also speculation.
There was plenty one could refute, had one tried.
But defying him to enforce my will was not something I could do.
I had to consider the authority of the head of the Mado Min clan, and the potential to worsen relations between clans.
Furthermore, this was the main house of the Mado Min clan, and an exchange meeting hosted by the Mado Min clan.
Min Hwiseong's authority was all the greater.
I was merely an invited guest, so I had no choice but to agree reluctantly.
“…Yes, I understand.”
“Yes, I am sorry I cannot accommodate you. But cannot the four of you go around together, and only split into pairs when it is time to pair up?”
“Yes….”
“Then I shall see you at the exchange meeting. Enjoy yourself until then.”
Min Hwiseong patted my shoulder as if to cheer me on, then left.
In the end, we had to attend the exchange meeting in pairs as he had advised: me and Min Arin, Yeon Haneul and Min Jiwan.
‘What is this….’
The exchange meeting hall was packed with peers of solid backgrounds.
There were many enrolled in the same Academy, or whom I knew by acquaintance through the Singeom Doga.
While exchanging greetings with them, I followed Min Arin around to meet those connected to her.
To be exact, even when she stood still, people flocked to her.
The same applied to Min Jiwan and Yeon Haneul.
Crowds had gathered around the two of them to the point that one could not approach.
‘At this rate, there's no way we can stick together.’
Min Hwiseong had lied to me.
Of course, I hadn't believed him from the start.
It was obvious that people mainly belonging to magic great houses would show interest in Min Arin and Min Jiwan of the Mado Min clan, which stood at the pinnacle of the magic system.
Having inwardly planned to enjoy the party quietly in a corner with Yeon Haneul, I couldn't help but be dissatisfied.
Above all.
‘He probably intends to somehow pair me with Arin, and Haneul with Min Jiwan.’
I could guess Min Hwiseong's scheme.
He was surely trying to use Min Arin and Min Jiwan to draw me and Yeon Haneul in as people of the Mado Min clan.
It was a way of thinking thoroughly befitting one from a prestigious family.
‘Too blatant….’
I frowned.
Had I known Min Hwiseong harbored such intentions, I would never have attended the exchange meeting.
It was not simply an occasion to deepen friendship, so it was extremely uncomfortable.
Moreover, the attendees today might spread misunderstandings about our relationships.
No, it was highly likely they would.
That I and Min Arin, and Yeon Haneul and Min Jiwan, were meeting because we held romantic interest in one another.
‘Dating rumors are fatal for people from prestigious families…. Even if you deny them, the damage to one's image is severe, and sometimes you get swept along by the surrounding flow and end up unintentionally acknowledging the rumors as fact…. If it were at least an unofficial gathering, that would be one thing, but it's an official occasion, so good grief….’
Especially, such rumors caused more problems for women than for men.
The evaluations rendered in the world of prestigious families negatively affected the search for a marriage partner later on.
For example, one could think of it as a blemish such as a dating scandal and what one's past dating history was like.
Truth or falsehood didn't matter.
In the world of prestigious families, if many people believed it to be true, it was treated as truth.
Because of that, I couldn't help but worry that Yeon Haneul might be undeservedly caught up in something.
Of course, it wasn't as if there would be no one to take responsibility if she received negative evaluations, but….
‘Still, I hate the thought of Haneul being wrongly criticized by others….’
What I disliked, I simply disliked.
I wished for Yeon Haneul not to get hurt.
Meanwhile, Min Arin was equally anxious.
‘She must have noticed too…. Is she following along because it's the clan's order?’
In a way, the one who could suffer more from dating rumors than Yeon Haneul was Min Arin herself.
As a direct descendant of the Mado Min clan, she was more than enough to become gossip that piqued people's interest.
Yet she didn't seem worried; rather, she seemed to enjoy taking me around.
I couldn't understand it.
“Aren't you worried?”
“About what?”
“What do you think? What we're doing right now. Being swayed by the clan's political interests.”
“….”
I asked Min Arin.
Then she, who had been drinking champagne, replied as if it were no big deal.
“I wondered what you were suddenly talking about…. If you enjoy the rights of one born to a prestigious family, you must pay the price accordingly. Devoting yourself to the clan, sacrificing for it. You know that it's our duty, being born into a prestigious family. I will follow the clan's orders.”
“Even if your heart doesn't want to?”
“O-of course. But… why? Do you hate it? Is it… not to your liking?”
“Being swayed against my will is what I detest. You have pride too, so you should know. In that regard, the clan takes priority for you, it seems.”
“I-I have a heart too! I don't like being swayed against my will either! But because I'm from a prestigious family, I've made a reasonable compromise! So….”
“So?”
“Well… I've known you for a while, we're in the same Academy, same class, same age, our clans are of equal standing… and we seem to get along well enough…. So rather than being paired with someone I don't know, it would be better if it were you… Well, isn't that a compromise I could make?”
“….”
Min Arin stammered, her yellow eyes darting about as if flustered.
She downed the remaining champagne in her glass in one go.
Not satisfied with that, she found a new glass and emptied it again.
I hurriedly stopped her before she could repeat the action.
“Don't overdrink when you're a lightweight. You'll pass out.”
“This side of you is so cowardly…. You really….”
“What about me is cowardly?”
“Not knowing is even more cowardly!”
“What on earth don't I know….”
“Anyway! What about you? Can't you compromise reasonably too?”
“There may be people who live that way… but I don't want to compromise. Because if I compromise, I'll keep regretting it.”
“….”
Resigning oneself to reality, lowering one's standards, and living through reasonable compromise.
One lifetime of that in my previous life was more than enough.
Having retained the memories of my previous life, I never wanted to compromise.
I wanted to live as my heart led me.
I reined in my emotions and spoke.
“So don't compromise either, and live as you want to.”
“…Do you think I'm compromising because I want to? You're so annoying…. Always going on about Yeon Haneul, not an ounce of tact…. Coward. Really, really, really irritating.”
Min Arin scrunched up her face.
Her face grew redder and she huffed.
It seemed the champagne she had drunk in quick succession moments ago was making her tipsy.
I forced her to drink water to sober her up.
“What are you going to do if you make a scene at the exchange meeting your clan is hosting? Drink the water quickly.”
“Really, Do Gyeonu… you're a bastard. Shaking me up like this again….”
“What do you mean, shaking you?”
Min Arin was acting drunk.
I used magic to dispel her intoxication so she wouldn't become completely insensible, and had to coax and soothe her.
Meanwhile, I looked for Yeon Haneul.
‘At this rate, before any strange rumors spread, I need to get Haneul out of here….’
I decided to look after Min Arin and head to join Yeon Haneul among the crowd.
It was then that Min Hwiseong took the podium and gave a speech, drawing everyone's attention.
“Thank you all so much for coming to the Mado Min clan's exchange meeting. As the host, I am relieved to see everyone harmoniously deepening their friendships. Then let me keep the introduction brief…. The thing is, to liven things up, we have prepared a light game on behalf of the clan. I hope you will all hear the explanation.”
* * *
She had learned the etiquette of prestigious families as a liberal arts course at the Academy.
The reason being, if one truly aimed to become a Hunter, it was judged beneficial to familiarize oneself with those with whom one would have close relations.
Above all, she greatly wanted to understand the world in which Do Gyeonu lived.
She had studied hard enough to receive an A+ in her first semester, and yet.
‘I still have a long way to go to catch up….’
Reality was not easy.
The etiquette was not ingrained in her body, so it felt awkward and clumsy.
Compared to those attending the exchange meeting, she felt unnatural and crude.
Of course, it was not right to compare herself to those who had been educated since childhood.
Even so, she couldn't help but lose confidence and feel intimidated.
Especially.
“Don't Gyeonu and Arin look like they suit each other well like that?”
“….”
Watching Do Gyeonu and Min Arin deal with people without tension made her realize anew.
That the world she lived in and the world of those from prestigious families were this different.
Even though there had been progress in their relationship recently when she kissed Do Gyeonu's cheek, it was a gap that could never be closed.
Yeon Haneul, who had been following the two with her eyes from afar, could not readily deny the words Min Jiwan had offered.
“Is… that so….”
Even though she had anticipated the Mado Min clan's intention to entangle Do Gyeonu and Min Arin.
Yeon Haneul only passively displayed an attitude of disagreement.
It was because one side of her heart was agreeing.
That perhaps Min Arin was the one who suited Do Gyeonu.
Not herself.
‘I hate it, really.’
If she thought about it casually, it was nothing, yet she herself was easily disheartened.
Every factor that obstructed her relationship with Do Gyeonu.
She wanted to eliminate them all, if only she could.
A shadow fell over Yeon Haneul's face.
It was then that Min Hwiseong's voice from the podium woke her from her thoughts.
“Thank you all so much for coming to the Mado Min clan's exchange meeting. As the host, I am relieved to see everyone harmoniously deepening their friendships. Then let me keep the introduction brief…. The thing is, to liven things up, we have prepared a light game on behalf of the clan. I hope you will all hear the explanation.”
Min Hwiseong explained the game.
Then he lifted a certain box high so that others could see.
“I intend to give this Artifact to the person who achieves the highest score. It is a treasure of the Mado Min clan. To explain its detailed effects….”
“….”
Inside the box was a golden brooch modeled after a single wing.
The moment Yeon Haneul laid eyes on the brooch and heard its information, she reacted.
Perking her rabbit ears, she immediately stepped forward to participate in the game.
‘That will help Gyeonu. I have to get it no matter what.’
This was no time to be gloomy.
A rabbit burrow could always be dug later.
So she decided to compose herself and focus on the game.
Yeon Haneul made her resolve.
* * *
The brooch Min Hwiseong had put up as the prize for winning the game contained an effect that assisted casting.
Furthermore, it also had the effect of reducing mana consumption and increasing power, limited to magic of the 5th tier and below.
It was an Artifact that anyone capable of handling magic would covet.
I was no exception.
‘The Mado Min clan must be feeling generous. Are they showing off that they're in a position to put forth such a treasure? Or do they believe they'll win….’
Whichever it was, it was undoubtedly a game worth participating in.
Even so, I decided to set aside my regret and give up on participating.
‘It's a game disadvantageous to those who cannot fly. What can I do.’
The gist of the game was to toss balls marked with points into hoops floating in the sky, and whoever scored the highest within the time limit won.
People without flight abilities like me had to give up from the start.
So I dropped out early and decided to watch Yeon Haneul and Min Arin.
*I didn't know Haneul would participate too.... Well, I suppose even Haneul is greedy for the Mado Min family’s treasure.*
Yeon Haneul was someone who, under normal circumstances, disliked stepping in front of people and standing out.
So from my perspective, it was inevitably a bit unexpected that she would try to join the game.
*Good luck.*
At any rate, I decided to wish her the best.
If only to strengthen our forces, I hoped that at least one of Yeon Haneul or Min Arin would get their hands on the brooch.
It was then that my smartphone rang.
"It's Hanbyeol."
A call from Gang Hanbyeol.
It seemed something had happened.
There was a high chance it was another summer vacation episode like the one not long ago.
I stepped away to take the call.
["Hello? Gyeonu, do you have time right now? Can we talk for a bit?"]
"I'm free. It's fine, so tell me."
["Well, you see...."]
My prediction was spot on.
The reason Gang Hanbyeol had called me was related to the game's story.
*It's the Broker Arrest Episode.*
The enemy in this episode was a group of brokers who made cash-strapped students sign slave contracts using their futures as collateral, then sold them off to affiliated clans for a pittance or exploited them.
Gang Hanbyeol had stumbled upon them by chance and gradually come to realize their true nature, growing furious in the process.
*The one who provided that opportunity was the bodyguard Hunter of Han Junpyo—the boss of this episode. I think her name was Gu Seoyeon....*
She was someone who, in her naive student days, had been deceived by Han Junpyo's honeyed words and signed a slave contract.
Though it hadn't been her intention, she had also committed crimes while being manipulated by Han Junpyo.
Yet even she had a conscience.
She took on the role of warning Gang Hanbyeol not to be deceived by Han Junpyo as she herself had been in the past, while simultaneously hoping for salvation and providing information on the broker group.
*And the gist of the episode is Hanbyeol deciding to help Gu Seoyeon and capturing the broker group together with Gwon Boram, Shield, and Sword.*
Afterward, Gu Seoyeon—having been saved by Gang Hanbyeol—confessed to all her crimes and went to prison.
The sentence was not a heavy one.
Because being deceived by Han Junpyo was taken into account as a mitigating factor, she received a relatively light punishment.
The episode concluded with Gang Hanbyeol going to visit her as she greeted him with a bright face, finally freed from her slave contract and finding a new life.
And through this episode.
*Hanbyeol joins Shield.*
Through everything he had experienced, Gang Hanbyeol learned of the dark side of Academy City and burned with a sense of justice.
That was when Gwon Boram proposed that he join Shield.
Having recalled the flow of the game, I could gauge the state of mind he must be in right now.
*At this point in time... he must have gotten an earful from the Warden. Told not to interfere anymore in the joint operations carried out by Shield and Sword.*
Criminal incidents in Academy City fell under the jurisdiction of Shield and Sword.
It was a domain that Gang Hanbyeol, being nothing more than an academy student, should not interfere in.
It was different from the cases we had encountered spontaneously until now, or the times when we had pitched in to help because Shield and Sword were short-handed.
["Senior Boram said they'd handle it themselves, so I shouldn't get involved anymore and should just go back to my daily life... but what should I do?"]
That was why Gang Hanbyeol was hesitating.
I smiled bitterly.
"Hanbyeol, what do you want to do? Do you want to leave everything to the Warden, Shield, and Sword like this? Even that person you said you wanted to save?"
["...."]
In the game, Gang Hanbyeol's worries lasted only a brief moment.
Unable to turn a blind eye to someone in distress, he steeled his resolve and went to find Gwon Boram.
So I was inwardly surprised.
Because Gang Hanbyeol wasn't making the decision alone, but was seeking my advice.
*So he trusts me that much.*
It was embarrassing, yet strangely satisfying.
I did my best to hide my emotions as I spoke.
"Hanbyeol, do what you want. That's the right answer."
["Do what I want?"]
"Yeah. Do you want to save that person?"
["...Yeah. I want to save her."]
"Then the answer is settled. Don't lie to your heart. Rather than regretting it later, live as your heart tells you. Don't give up, and don't compromise."
["Hearing you say that, I guess I have to. Thanks, Gyeonu."]
"What's there to thank for something like this? When it's over, let me know how it went."
["Got it! Of course!"]
Gang Hanbyeol laughed cheerfully.
I found myself smiling at the sound coming through the phone.
Inwardly, I cheered for him to resolve this episode safely as well.
He would do fine even without my worry.
After briefly catching up, we ended the call.
Shortly after, the game began.
I had become the childhood friend of the mid-boss