Gang Hanbyeol and I exchanged greetings with Yu Gaeul, flustered at the unexpected reunion.
In the meantime, Yu Noeul, who seemed to have grasped the situation, asked in a tone laced with curiosity.
“Gyeonu and Hanbyeol, you two know Gaeul?”
Yu Noeul tilted her head, her long hair draping down.
Before we could open our mouths, Yu Gaeul answered as if it were no big deal.
“I happened to meet them when I came to take the entrance exam. We ran into each other while walking around the grounds.”
“Hmm… I see. So you ended up running into each other by chance. What a fascinating coincidence. How unexpected?”
“Yes, you think so too, unni? I was so surprised when I realized later that the person who’d asked for directions was Senior Gyeonu.”
“….”
Yu Noeul and Yu Gaeul exchanged meaningful glances and conversation, as if probing each other’s intentions.
Stuck between them in a state of half-exclusion, Gang Hanbyeol and I had to stand there awkwardly, reading the room.
Unable to bear the atmosphere any longer, I opened my mouth.
“Then, Instructor Noeul, how do you know Gaeul?”
“Oh my. Gyeonu, calling her ‘Gaeul’? For someone you only met briefly at the entrance exam, you sound awfully close…. You aren’t interested in her, are you? What about Haneul?”
“Huh? Is that how it is? Senior Gyeonu, you’re interested in me? But… I’m sorry, senior. You are attractive as a member of the opposite sex, but I have a taste for bad boys. I also prefer getting to know someone slowly rather than rushing into a relationship before even knowing each other. So I’ll have to reject your confession. Ah, but if you ask to start as friends… then I’m not sure about that.”
As if they had caught wind of something.
Yu Noeul and Yu Gaeul ganged up on me at once, teasing me.
As they did, the way their eyes curved downward at the corners and they covered their lips with their hands while laughing was strangely similar.
‘These people….’
I hadn’t even said anything, yet having been suddenly and absurdly dumped out of nowhere, I was left dumbfounded.
I gently bit the inside of my cheek, revealing my displeasure.
“Please stop joking around…. So you’re not going to tell me?”
“Are you getting annoyed at me right now? *Sniff*… To think I have to receive this kind of treatment from a student I teach, could my teaching method be wrong….”
“Senior, even if you want me that much, a person’s heart—moreover, feelings of affection—can’t be easily changed. So let’s take it slow and get to know each other….”
“Ah, forget it. I’ll never show interest in you again, Instructor. Same to you, Yu Gaeul. We’re leaving.”
“Gaeul and I are cousins. Is that enough? Don’t be mad.”
“Yes, that’s right. She’s my cousin. So don’t sulk, senior.”
They should have said so from the start.
As I turned to leave the staff room, caught by both of their hands, I let out an obvious sigh.
Only now did it seem possible to have a conversation.
“No wonder your names were similar; it turns out you’re cousins. And Instructor, you were from the Jameong Yu Clan as well.”
“That was before I left the clan. Now, just think of me as Yu Noeul, regardless of clan background. But you’re not very surprised?”
“I had a hunch.”
I lightly shrugged my shoulders.
I was inwardly surprised to realize Yu Noeul’s identity, but that was all. It wasn’t shockingly surprising. Their similar appearances and atmospheres, being in the same intelligence line, the same surname, the ‘eul’ at the end of their names, and so on. Although it wasn’t revealed in the game, clues existed to infer her relationship with Yu Gaeul.
‘So in my past life, posts often appeared in the community speculating whether the two were blood related…. Now that I know the truth, I do feel somewhat smug.’
Setting aside the rising sense of satisfaction, I continued the conversation.
“How did you end up leaving the clan?”
“Hmm… I have a duty of confidentiality so I can’t go into detail, but I just wanted to be free. I’m sure you’ve experienced it too, Gyeonu, but clans oppress their members for the glory of the clan, don’t they? The clan I was in was especially like that. And….”
“And?”
“There were many things that hurt my heart. Because of the clan’s nature, because of the intelligence line’s nature.”
“….”
“So I wanted to be free, and I wanted to do what I wanted to do, which is why I left the clan. It just so happened that I was injured during a mission to the point where it was difficult to continue my Hunter life. I was lucky. The clan let me go easily. That’s why, Gaeul-ah.”
“Yes, unni… no, Instructor.”
Yu Noeul let out a bitter smile with a face that seemed to reminisce about the past.
She placed a candy in each of our hands.
She also gave Yu Gaeul some advice.
“You can call me comfortably in private. Anyway, although I know I have no right to say this, if it becomes too hard to endure, you can throw everything away and run away. I just don’t want you to overdo it. If you need help, come to me anytime. Understood?”
“…Yes. Thank you for worrying about me. I really mean it. I’ll keep it in mind.”
Yu Gaeul nodded heavily.
Then she pressed her lips tightly shut, as if lost in thought.
The atmosphere was sinking.
I changed the subject to liven up the mood.
“Are you fully recovered from your injuries now?”
“Yeah, I’m all healed. There are aftereffects, though. Don’t worry about it.”
“I wasn’t worried.”
“What? Aren’t you going too far? The class representative shouldn’t be like this. The instructor is so sad. *Sniff sniff.*”
“Then cry.”
“*Sigh*… Gyeonu is so cruel to me. I think I can finally understand Instructor Yena’s feelings.”
“But was becoming an instructor what you wanted to do?”
“…Yeah. Having only done dark things, I wanted to work in a bright place. I wanted to teach someone, too. That’s why I became an instructor.”
Yu Noeul brushed her hair back.
The smile she wore afterward was deeply memorable.
* * *
A short while ago, as she became able to control mana more adeptly.
Whenever Go Eunbi focused during combat, she occasionally experienced a strange phenomenon.
At certain moments, red circles would appear around her opponent’s body.
As if pointing out weak points.
Indeed, every arrow she fired toward those circles resulted in a critical hit.
Having heard this story, Do Gyeonu explained it to her one day.
―Congratulations, you’ve awakened your Gift.
―Gift? Me? Really!?
A mana characteristic unique to every person—the Gift.
Go Eunbi, who had until now failed to get a grasp on her Gift, couldn’t help but be overjoyed.
To the point that she had expressed her emotions with her whole body, completely elated at the time.
On the other hand, she was curious.
―Then what kind of Gift is it? Since I know how and in what situations it manifests, it would be best to get an accurate examination, right? Luckily, the Academy has examination facilities too.
―That is the surest method. Instead, you’ll have to report your Gift information to the Hunter Association, though. If you don’t like that, you have no choice but to find out independently through Gift-related books. But… I think I know what your Gift is.
―Wow, really? What is it, what is it?
―I remember hearing about a Gift that has the exact same phenomenon you described. That Gift… I think it’s called Critical Point.
―Critical Point…. So that’s my Gift.
―Still, just in case, look into it separately later. I could be wrong.
―Yeah, I should. I’ll have to research how to handle my Gift too. So I can use it whenever I want. Right now, the situations where it activates are limited. It seems I can’t see them starting from Rank 3.
―Hmm… I think it might be related to your mana control ability. You said your mana control ability improved around the time you first awakened your Gift.
―That makes sense. I’ll keep that in mind.
―Anyway, work hard.
And so.
Since that conversation with Do Gyeonu.
Go Eunbi had been training day after day to master her Gift.
The same was true now.
‘Focus. Focus.’
Wednesday, 6th and 7th periods.
Second Year Archery Line class, Practical Hunting (Intermediate) I.
Having entered a Gate with sprawling grasslands, Go Eunbi hid in the bushes and watched her prey.
A Rank 2 monster reminiscent of a temperamental bison—the Sweat Bison.
Having finished preparing her bow, she waited for the right moment.
Soon.
‘I see them.’
Red circles appeared on the creature.
Three in total.
Having calmly steadied her breathing, Go Eunbi fired her bow at one of them.
*Twang!*
The arrow flew free from the bowstring.
The arrow lodged precisely in the spot Go Eunbi had aimed for, dealing the creature a critical blow.
As a result, the creature’s body swayed before collapsing to the ground.
“Yes! Nice one.”
Go Eunbi pumped her fist.
* * *
Two weeks had already passed since the new school year and semester began.
My friends and I were gradually adapting to our new life.
At the same time, the circumstances surrounding us were progressing steadily according to the game’s developments.
For example….
Gang Hanbyeol had finally become entangled with Ham Minju of the Tangung Ham Clan.
Having gone through their first meeting event, he had poured out complaints at a drinking gathering.
―Hey, listen to me. Did I really do something so wrong? A junior asked me to spar to learn a thing or two, so I suggested we put some artefacts on the line while we were at it. The junior agreed too. But then some girl—wolf princess or wild dog princess or whatever—shows up and says sparring with artefacts on the line without prior notice is illegal! And then she gave me penalty points! What the hell, why only me? Everyone else spars on the spot without reporting too! It’s just a light-hearted spar; who goes through the bothersome process of reporting it?
That day, Gang Hanbyeol downed drink after drink, seeking our sympathy.
We empathized with him as friends, as he wished.
Truthfully, there was room for agreement.
Because in practice, sparring that didn’t require notarization was being conducted freely among students.
Thus, Ham Minju’s handling of the situation—handing out penalty points indiscriminately for not following proper procedure—couldn’t help but invite some resentment.
Moreover, she was a first-year who had just enrolled….
According to Go Eunbi, who was famous for being well-connected, complaints about her were spreading by word of mouth.
―The prevailing opinion is that she’s too strict and inflexible. I heard that even third-year seniors seem to have it out for her. Since she’s from the Tangung Ham Clan, they aren’t showing open hostility for now, but it looked like they’d jump at the chance if they caught even a single fault.
―She must be quite the temperamental one. Or rather, a tiresome type? She’s only just enrolled and she’s already making enemies. Well, it’s none of my business. I should worry about my grades instead.
―I’ve seen her once too. She stands out because she walks around with a wolf familiar. But, um… she seemed too upright.
Min Arin, Lisa, and other friends added their own words about Ham Minju.
Then, while listening quietly, I stealthily changed the subject.
―So did you actually get the penalty points?
―No, I argued that I wouldn’t accept them. And like you said, I told her I’d apply for an official sparring match, so let’s have a proper round. I’d wager my demonic sword, and she’d wager the wolves she raises.
―Hanbyeol-ah….
―And you know what she said?
―…What did she say?
―She said they aren’t artefacts, they’re her friends, so she can’t accept a spar with her friends as the wager. And then she looked at me with contempt, you know? Treating me like some bandit.
―….
―Right. Luckily, the penalty points were resolved. I asked Senior Dasom for a favor, and she said she’d handle it. According to Senior Dasom, a lot of people like me got penalty points from her out of nowhere, so it’s a headache.
…Honestly, at that moment, my friends and I couldn’t take Gang Hanbyeol’s side.
Instead, we simply nodded along.
It might be self-praise, but I think we’re quite kind for understanding his quirks.
Meanwhile, Yeon Haneul was another person who had an awkward relationship with Ham Minju.
―Sorry. I’ll apologize on her behalf as a student council member. But Minju isn’t a bad kid. She’s thorough in her work… maybe too thorough, you could say. We’re also trying to help Minju adjust properly right now.
Because Ham Minju had once caught Yeon Haneul and me kissing during the entrance exam period.
As fate would have it, Yeon Haneul met her often as a student council member, so the two seemed uncomfortable around each other.
―Ugh… this is all your fault. I’m so embarrassed I can’t even look her in the face.
It couldn’t be helped that Yeon Haneul blamed me.
I felt sorry for her.
Given the situation, Gang Hanbyeol and Yeon Haneul shared similar wishes regarding Ham Minju.
―I wish I didn’t have to see her face.
―I want to get involved with her as little as possible.
But very unfortunately.
The game’s plot was not kind to either of them.
Because….
“Oh? Seniors, you were active in this club too? That’s great. I was interested in this club and came to attend the trial orientation, so I can just join now. We must really have a connection, running into each other like this by chance. Anyway, please look after me kindly as your club junior! And this is Ham Minju of the Tangung Ham Clan, who’ll be joining with me. She’s my childhood friend.”
“What? I only said I’d attend the trial orientation, I never said I’d join!?”
“….”
Because Yu Gaeul and Ham Minju had joined the Mystery Exploration Club.
While Gang Hanbyeol and Yeon Haneul stood dumbfounded, I smiled bitterly.
I had become the childhood friend of a mid-boss.