Ugeumdong, Uneundong, Udongdong.
Born at the same time on the same day, they could tell what each other was thinking through sheer instinct.
To that extent, they understood one another well, and their interests aligned perfectly.
“I’m going to be a Hunter when I grow up.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
“Me too!”
Becoming Hunters.
Having somehow come to share the same dream, they made a pact to achieve it together.
However, unlike they had imagined, Hunter was not a profession easily attained, and above all, it required a great deal of money.
“What do we have to do to become Hunters?”
“First, you have to be able to handle mana. You also need to know how to handle weapons.”
“I saw a swordsmanship hall nearby! We can learn there!”
First, to become Hunters, they needed the basic qualifications of a Hunter.
For that, tuition was required.
If they had been from a prestigious family, their clan would naturally have equipped them with the basics, but for the triplets, who were not from such a background, there was no other way.
“What about after that? How do we get a Hunter’s license?”
“You have to get into Academy City.”
“They say you can only obtain a Hunter’s license after graduating from a High Academy there.”
Next, to be recognized as a legitimate Hunter, one had to possess a license.
The method of obtaining the license differed depending on age.
Those who had not graduated from high school had to graduate from Academy City’s three-year High Academy.
Elementary and Middle Academies were not applicable.
However, no matter which academy they chose, the semester tuition was exorbitant.
“Even the cheapest academy in Academy City is ten million won per semester….”
“But I don’t want to go to a place like that.”
“Look here, the dormitory fee is separate.”
Furthermore, Academy City had a high cost of living.
Living in that city for more than a year required a considerable sum as well.
Even if they attended an academy with cheap tuition, it would cost at least sixty million won.
“….”
For three people, at least a hundred and eighty million won.
If they took into account living expenses, dormitory fees, device maintenance costs, and various other expenses in Academy City on top of that….
Even the naive triplets knew that they could easily ruin their family if they weren’t careful.
So they turned their eyes to sponsorship.
“Look here! They say talented people get sponsored. If we get sponsored, we won’t have to worry about money!”
“Then let’s find a place that sponsors us.”
“Come to think of it, the Instructor once said the swordsmanship hall provides sponsorship! In the name of the Divine Sword Do Family.”
That was the only way.
The triplets decided to try their hardest to catch the eye of the Divine Sword Do Family.
At that moment, an opportunity arrived just in time.
“You want to receive sponsorship?”
A boy who introduced himself as Do Gyeonu’s cousin had heard the news and approached them.
He then promised them sponsorship.
But there was a condition.
“You go to the same school as Gyeonu? Then you’ll probably have a lot to do with him.”
“….”
“You know what I mean, right?”
Mess with Do Gyeonu of the Divine Sword Do Family.
They couldn’t possibly not know what he meant.
“Th-then will you sponsor us?”
“Of course. I’ll talk it over with my dad.”
“Really?”
“We believe you.”
The triplets accepted the offer.
They could not have refused from the start.
Because the moment they refused his offer, they would be cast out immediately.
On the other hand, they had also unconsciously disliked Do Gyeonu.
“He’s a member of the Divine Sword Do Family?”
“A crybaby, a coward…. How can someone like that be from the Divine Sword Do Family?”
“He’s pathetic, annoying, frustrating.”
The Do Gyeonu they saw at the swordsmanship hall always wore an expression that made him look like he hated swinging his sword.
Unlike themselves, he swung his sword unpleasantly, as if he had been dragged there against his will.
And that wasn’t all.
Every time he sparred, he tended to be frightened; if he accidentally hit his opponent, he would be so sorry and at a loss that he wouldn’t know what to do, and if he got hit, he would sometimes even cry.
“I don’t like him. I can’t accept him.”
“I agree.”
“Me too.”
Do Gyeonu received attention from the instructors simply because he was from the Divine Sword Do Family, enjoyed a plentiful environment free of charge, and learned the Complete Form of the Suwang-ryu as if it were only natural.
To the triplets, his very existence was enough to make them feel a relative sense of deprivation.
Because of that, they did not hesitate to bully him.
“Do Gyeonu! Let’s spar later!”
“Go ahead and get our wooden swords ready!”
“Warm up so you don’t get hurt!”
Of course, they knew to keep it within bounds.
“You know? We have to keep it moderate.”
“If we mess up, we might get caught.”
“Then let’s stop here for today.”
Even if Do Gyeonu did not think of resisting and endured it foolishly and silently, he was still a member of the Divine Sword Do Family.
They mustn’t forget that.
If problems arose later for no reason, they could suffer great misfortune.
They could not completely trust Do Gyeonu’s cousin, who had promised the sponsorship, nor could they be sure how far he would protect them.
So, to a degree that did not cross the line.
The triplets bullied Do Gyeonu while gauging the cousin’s mood.
They had been scheming about how to provoke him today as well, but….
“Kuhk!”
“Next.”
“….”
Something… something was different today.
Uneundong and Udongdong couldn’t help but doubt their eyes.
The spar between Ugeumdong and Do Gyeonu had ended the moment it began.
Before Ugeumdong could even do anything, he was struck by Do Gyeonu’s sword, lost his grip, and allowed the follow-up attack.
Once on the hand, once on the chest.
The sequence flowed so smoothly that it looked like a single movement.
“Next. Who’s next?”
“Ah…. M-me.”
At first, they dismissed it as a fluke.
They thought Ugeumdong had made a brief mistake.
Uneundong went out with that thought and immediately ended up in the same state.
“…!”
“Next.”
When he came to his senses, he was sprawled on the floor looking up at the ceiling.
His sword was far away.
“Kuhk!”
Thud!
While he was spacing out for a moment.
Someone collapsed beside him.
It was Udongdong.
‘Hey, you too?’
‘Yeah, me too.’
Their eyes met.
Their gazes told each other.
That they couldn’t understand the situation.
But looking at Do Gyeonu staring down at them, they had to acknowledge it.
“You weren’t planning to end this in one round, were you? What are you doing? Hurry up and pick up your sword and stand.”
Do Gyeonu seemed somehow changed.
“It’s still a while before class starts. I’ll keep you company until then. Like always.”
They felt like they saw a different figure behind his back than usual.
Not a rabbit trembling in fear, but a rabbit with flashing red eyes.
No, it was a lion.
“If you don’t think you can do it alone, the three of you can all rush me at once.”
“….”
That lion was smiling.
* * *
It wasn’t that I was particularly weak.
I was simply afraid that I might swing my sword wrong and hurt my opponent.
So I just let them push me around, never thinking of resisting.
‘Slow, sluggish. Weaker than I thought.’
Fragile, as if they would break with a single hit.
That’s how they looked in my eyes.
Weak, feeble, and timid in temperament—I could not swing my sword.
But after awakening to my past life, I realized.
That the human body is not as fragile as I had thought.
It was just my delusion.
“…Keck!”
“The one who just fell, hurry up and pick up your sword and come back in.”
“….”
Arms don’t break when you strike them.
Shoulders don’t shatter when you hit them.
They don’t die even if you strike their throat.
Human vitality is surprisingly tenacious.
‘I was really pathetic.’
Whining and utterly pathetic.
I chewed over my previous self inwardly and spoke to the guys sprawled on the floor.
“Let’s go another round. Get up.”
“Ugh….”
The guys groaned.
Holding their backs and rolling on the floor, unable to get up—it seemed quite painful.
But it was none of my concern.
This much wouldn’t kill them.
Besides, they were characters who appeared even in the game.
“Stop whining and get up.”
“….”
“Or shall we do it while you’re like that?”
Extras who were prominent enough to bear the ill-fitting epithet Kerberos as a trio.
‘But in the end, they’re just guys who mess with Ganghanbyeol and get beaten up for it.’
Such people wouldn’t be knocked out by just a few rounds of sparring.
Even if their hands were swollen to the point that they could hardly grip their swords, they should still have the strength to hold one.
I forced them to their feet.
“Y-you, why are you really doing this to us? Are you crazy!?”
“Yeah, stop it now!”
“We were wrong!”
“Take your stance.”
The guys shouted in desperate tones.
I ignored their words and took my stance.
At this, the guys grimaced and gripped their swords awkwardly.
Their stances were full of openings.
A ferocious charging stance.
In that case, a basic stance was sufficient.
The moment their momentum wavered, I stepped forward.
The sword, which had been kept horizontal to the ground, moved from inside the arm outward.
The horizontally drawn trajectory simultaneously deflected their swords.
“I told you we’d go at it like a real fight, right?”
“…!”
And I didn’t stop there.
I kicked the triplets in the abdomen with one foot.
The guys who had been screaming from the pain in their hands now couldn’t even make a proper sound and were sent flying far away.
“Kkuhk….”
“M-my hand! My haaand…!”
“Uhk….”
“Shall we go another round?”
I wondered how many rounds this made.
I gave up counting in the middle, so I didn’t know.
I met eyes with the triplets and asked for their opinion.
They shook their heads violently.
“St-stop! We were wrong!”
“Why would I stop?”
“….”
“Weren’t you guys doing this to me?”
If they had any conscience, they’d know.
That they were receiving the exact same treatment they had been giving me.
That’s why they couldn’t properly retort.
The best they could come up with was….
“D-do you think you’ll be safe like this?”
“Yeah! Do you think you can get away with this!? Think carefully!”
“Are you doing this because you don’t know who’s behind us?”
“….”
It was truly a nonsensical threat.
They still didn’t seem to grasp the situation.
It was so absurd that I laughed.
I snickered at them and decided to wake them up to reality.
“Who exactly is behind you? Ah, maybe my cousin?”
“….”
“Do you think he’ll protect you or something?”
These guys were sorely mistaken.
My cousin, Do Seungu.
He incited these guys simply because they had value as tools, and for no other reason.
Pawns that could be ruthlessly discarded the moment they became obstacles.
Their worth was only that much.
“Even if I sink my teeth into this matter, do you really think he’ll protect you?”
“….”
“If it were me, I’d want to avoid getting tangled up in this, so I’d cut my losses at an appropriate point.”
Deep down, they probably knew too.
I decided to offer one piece of advice to them, who couldn’t answer.
“And it seems you’ve forgotten, but I’m also a member of the Do Family.”
“….”
“It’ll hurt my pride, but if I cling to the clan crying and begging, removing your names from the sponsorship list is no difficult task.”
“…!”
“You didn’t think he could do it but I couldn’t, did you? That’s impossible.”
People who know one thing but not two.
I clicked my tongue loudly.
It was then.
“You punks! What do you think you’re doing right now!”
“….”
Class time had arrived before they knew it.
The swordsmanship instructor who had entered the training hall immediately understood the situation and was approaching while yelling.
“I must have told you countless times not to spar without permission. And yet you were fighting under the guise of sparring!?”
“….”
“Do Gyeonu, you are from the Do Family, and instead of setting an example….”
“They picked the fight first.”
“What?”
“Then should I have just stood there and endured it while they picked on me? While being a member of the Do Family, as the Instructor said?”
“….”
“That wouldn’t do. Right? Since the Instructor also learned the Do Family’s swordsmanship, you should know.”
The instructor glared at me.
But when I brought up the family name, the instructor’s face was colored with fluster.
As one who taught the Do Family’s swordsmanship, he could not openly refute the clan’s spirit.
Especially in front of me, a member of the clan.
In the end, the instructor averted his gaze from me and turned on the triplets.
“Did you really start the fight?”
“….”
If the triplets strongly denied it here, the situation would become troublesome.
The instructor, who had implicitly been threatened by me, might fly into a rage and scold me.
But I could be confident that wouldn’t happen.
‘If they have any brains, they won’t try to screw me over.’
It was the difference in position between them and me that I had shown them just moments ago.
Therefore, I waited for their answer without any worry.
Soon, they opened their mouths.
My prediction was not off.
“We picked the fight first!”
“That’s right! We cursed at him!”
“Gyeonu didn’t do anything wrong!”
“…What?”
Look at that.
I snickered as I looked at the instructor, who was stunned by the unexpected answer.
* * *
The next day, I headed to school.
Even though there was a lot of time before school started, Yeon Haneul had already arrived.
‘Looks like she gets here early like me.’
Yeon Haneul was reading a book, bathed in the morning sunlight filtering through the window.
Her pale yet blue hair sparkled along with the dust particles floating around her in the light.
It was a very mystical sight.
“Hello?”
“…!”
I, who had been blankly watching that sight for a moment, approached Yeon Haneul.
When I put my bag down at the seat and greeted her, she who had been practically buried in her book twitched her rabbit ears.
“…Hello.”
As if pulling her face out of a rabbit hole, she lifted her head from her book and opened her mouth timidly.
And then she went back to reading her book.
While stealing glances at me.
I Became the Childhood Friend of a Mid-Boss.