I won't challenge her again until I have a chance.
“550 meters versus 900 meters. Does that mean I won?”
Then I looked at Chae Nayun. Her eyes, glaring at me, were already brimming with tears.
Right now, Chae Nayun was unable to contain her own anger. With her personality, she should have lunged at me the moment I brought up her brother, but she must have been afraid it would look like she was throwing a tantrum after losing the bet.
“I just got lucky.”
I gave a small laugh, walked up to Chae Nayun, and held out my hand. Her face twisted properly then. She did not shake my hand.
“What do you want?”
Instead, Chae Nayun spoke curtly.
She was surprisingly cool about admitting defeat. I smiled.
“Nothing. I don’t want anything.”
In any case, even if I forced her to put down the bow here, it would only leave her in despair. Unless she put the bow down of her own will, unless she shook off her lingering attachment to archery and her fear of close combat by herself, Chae Nayun would never reach the heights as a swordsman either.
And that fear, that trauma, Chae Nayun was more than capable of overcoming. What had always nourished Chae Nayun was frustration, defeat, and anger. That should be no different now.
“Just think about it yourself. What talent is. What the hell talent even means.”
I said, sweeping my hair back. Maybe because I’d concentrated so hard, my hand came away damp with sweat.
I was about to turn away when I suddenly remembered the bow in my hand.
“Oh, I’m taking this bow.”
A Korean traditional bow. Even the cheapest ones cost several million won.
But Chae Nayun did not look back at me. Her shoulders were faintly trembling. It seemed she was crying soundlessly, trying not to show it.
Without another word, I turned around and left the archery practice range, where only the sound of the wind brushed through the silence.
* * *
At the same time, on the top floor of a luxury hotel on the outskirts of Seoul.
“Boss, are you really going to do it? You don’t have to go yourself.”
In front of the vanity on the penthouse floor, which glittered with lavish furniture, Jane asked worriedly.
“Yes.”
Boss nodded.
“I’ll go and see for myself.”
“...Sigh. You’ve gone and gotten fixated on something weird again.”
Boss’s will was truly firm.
Left with no choice, Jane emitted her magic power. That magic power covered Boss’s face, beginning to layer an entirely different shape over it.
Jane’s Gift could also be applied to another target within a radius of ten kilometers. Thus, Jane changed Boss’s face and build. It was the appearance of the “cadet” she had prepared in advance.
“Then should we wait in the nearby sea?”
After finishing the procedure, Jane muttered while needlessly gauging Boss’s reaction.
“Jane, are you afraid?”
“It’s not that I’m afraid. You know too, Boss. That crazy bitch Yun Seung-a might come.”
To say Yun Seung-a and Jane were sworn enemies was not enough. If Yun Seung-a happened to come as an overseer for this exam, Jane wasn’t confident.
Confident that she could leave Yun Seung-a alive.
“I lost that ring because of that bitch. If I meet her again, I don’t think I’ll be able to hold back this time.”
Boss stared quietly at Jane, then nodded.
“Then wait nearby.”
“...Fine. And this. It’s the profile of the cadet you’ll be disguising yourself as. Memorize it moderately well.”
Jane handed Boss a thick stack of documents. As part of her Gift, Jane could imitate even the habits of the target whose appearance she had copied, but that did not apply to Boss.
Boss slowly read through the documents containing the cadet’s information, as if chewing over every word.
“You’re good at acting, right, Boss?”
“Of course.”
“...Right.”
There were now three weeks left until the final exam.
The End
When Chae Nayun lightly broke through 200 meters, the spectators applauded.
She really did shoot well. Kim Suho felt the same as he watched. He looked around at the archers watching nearby. Perhaps because it was an archery duel, there were about ten cadets with bows on their backs.
“Chae Nayun’s stance is really good.”
“She’s been doing it for a long time.”
“Still, how is there not a single wasted movement?”
They began their own commentary. Kim Suho, Shin Jonghak, Lee Yeonghan, and Yoo Yeonha, who did not know much about archery, naturally pricked up their ears toward them.
At that moment, Kim Hajin shot an arrow. Kim Hajin’s first shot missed completely.
“What the hell? That guy’s form is doomed from the start.”
Kim Suho kept his ears on them while his eyes remained on the duel.
At 200 meters, Kim Hajin missed twice in a row.
“Hey. I guess that guy really didn’t practice.”
“No, that last one still had the right angle. He missed on purpose.”
“Huh? Why on purpose?”
“How would I know?”
Then Kim Hajin’s third arrow flew. The arrow pierced the target precisely.
“See? I told you. He missed on purpose.”
“So why?”
“I told you I don’t know, damn it.”
...Kim Suho continued watching the duel for now.
“But I’ve never seen him at the practice range.”
Then one cadet spoke.
Archer cadets used not only the shooting range but also this separate archery practice range.
Usually, they practiced archery using magic power at the shooting range, and actual archery at the practice range. Also, since the practice ranges available to first-years were limited, most of the archers knew each other by sight.
“Have you seen him?”
“I haven’t either.”
“Maybe he came at night?”
“I use it every night. From midnight to three in the morning.”
Listening to their conversation, Kim Suho was dumbfounded. Could it be that he really hadn’t practiced at all...?
And yet, for that to be true, Kim Hajin’s archery was far too sharp and fast. Like a living beast, his arrow seemed to bare its fangs, seize the target, and tear into it.
The archers also continued debating and discussing that mysterious result.
Their mouths, which had been moving like machine guns, began to slow around 400 meters. No matter how they thought about it, it was because Kim Hajin was shooting too well.
One cadet said just a single sentence.
“...If they get to 450 meters, that’s my personal best.”
But Kim Hajin easily surpassed even 450 meters. The noisy spectator seats gradually lowered in volume, and in proportion, the sound of gulping became more frequent.
“Oh. Chae Nayun missed.”
Then at 500 meters, Chae Nayun failed once. But Kim Hajin succeeded in one shot.
It was the same at the next distance, 550 meters. When Chae Nayun failed twice, Kim Suho sensed Chae Nayun’s defeat.
Now came 600 meters, which would be the last.
All of a sudden, Kim Hajin said something to Chae Nayun. But they were too far away, and he could not hear it clearly. Left with no choice, Kim Suho focused magic power into his ears.
—With your bow, forget avenging your brother. You won’t even be able to kill a single Djinn properly.
In an instant, Kim Suho’s face crumpled.
“No, that’s...”
Was that the reason? In the end, Chae Nayun failed at 600 meters.
Afterward, Chae Nayun glared fiercely at Kim Hajin, but Kim Hajin merely ignored her and focused on archery.
“Whoa, what the hell is that!”
In that instant, the archers exclaimed in admiration. The technique of hitting 600 meters, 650 meters, and 700 meters all at once was truly a trick, or perhaps art. But even that was not enough for Kim Hajin, and he continued to move forward. Kim Suho looked at him with conflicted eyes.
‘As expected. He doesn’t disappoint.’
On the other hand, Yoo Yeonha watched Kim Hajin with great satisfaction. It was exactly as she had expected.
However, that was probably only a very small part of the strength Kim Hajin was hiding. She found herself newly curious as to just how much power that man was concealing.
“...What the hell is he?”
“I don’t know either.”
“It must be an aptitude Gift.”
An unknown archer offered a sharp opinion. Yoo Yeonha also pricked up her ears at those words.
An aptitude Gift. Literally, a Gift for aptitude.
Though it was not as eye-catching and flashy as Kim Suho’s or Shin Jonghak’s Gifts, it granted perfect mastery over that particular “aptitude.” In cases where someone possessed such an aptitude Gift, they often had one more Gift on top of it.
In other words, aptitude Gifts usually had the nature of a “plus alpha,” making them extremely rare and valuable.
“Then you can’t beat him in pure archery. Maybe if you used magic power too.”
“But that guy uses a gun, doesn’t he? I heard it’s widely considered the best among gun-related Gifts.”
“Maybe his aptitude Gift is the bow, and his other Gift is a gun. Maybe they’re intertwined like that?”
“Wow. Then if both had been for the bow, he’d have been insane, right?”
“That would be unfair. If that were the case, he’d practically be the next Jin Seyeon.”
Because that somehow sounded plausible, the archers accepted it. For reference, Jin Seyeon was one of the highest-ranked Heroes in South Korea, known as the Bow God.
Just then, Kim Hajin hit the final 900-meter target and turned around. When their eyes met his, the archers who had been chattering busily froze slightly.
“...”
In that silence, Kim Hajin passed through the spectators. Kim Suho stared at Kim Hajin as he brushed past. Kim Hajin also met his eyes. Kim Hajin was expressionless.
Soon, Kim Hajin had completely passed Kim Suho, and Kim Suho looked at Chae Nayun, who remained alone in the large lane.
Kim Suho walked toward her.
“Nayun.”
Chae Nayun’s body flinched. Kim Suho stood at an appropriate distance from her and chose the words that might comfort her, at least a little.
“Well, I heard from the others that it was an aptitude Gift—”
“Enough.”
But Chae Nayun cut him off.
“I’m not... in the mood to talk right now. And whether it’s an aptitude Gift or whatever, it still means there’s a difference in talent.”
“Nayun. Don’t take it so—”
“Go.”
Chae Nayun did not turn around until the end.
“...All right.”
Left with no choice, Kim Suho went back.
However, there was a man watching the rejected Kim Suho with great satisfaction.
“Haha. You should know your place. Move.”
Shin Jonghak sneered at him and tried to step forward himself. But Yoo Yeonha carefully caught Shin Jonghak by the sleeve.
“Jonghak. I don’t think you should go right now.”
“No. I’m different.”
Despite Yoo Yeonha’s attempt to stop him, he walked confidently and approached right behind Chae Nayun.
“Chae Nayun. What you—”
“I said go!”
At Chae Nayun’s shout, which rang out like thunder, Shin Jonghak jumped in surprise.
“Ch-Chae, Chae Nayun? I’m not Kim Suho, I’m Shin Jonghak...”
With a slightly dazed expression, he placed a hand on Chae Nayun’s shoulder. Chae Nayun slapped it away hard.
“I told you to go! Get lost!”
“...Huh? Uh, uh... uh. Uhh.”
As if his soul had left his body, Shin Jonghak staggered backward.
“I told you, didn’t I?”
“...”
When Shin Jonghak returned to Yoo Yeonha with a devastated expression, Chae Nayun was already running off toward the distant forest.
Yoo Yeonha watched her back with a pleased expression. As expected, she’s running away after getting utterly crushed. How refreshing.
But apart from the heat in her heart, her cold reason was building its design.
The most effective method for drawing someone into one’s network.
Help them when they are struggling.
Chae Nayun was someone who proudly occupied “Grade 1” on Yoo Yeonha’s networking management list. Being a fourth-generation chaebol alone made her Grade 1, but that conglomerate was even one that did not operate a guild. In other words, she was the best possible connection who could even be brought into Yoo Yeonha’s own guild.
“...Don’t worry and just wait. I’ll calm her down properly.”
Yoo Yeonha subtly followed after Chae Nayun.
* * *
Before long, Yoo Yeonha found Chae Nayun crouched in the forest. Chae Nayun had buried her face between her knees, her body trembling.
“Nayun?”
At those words, Chae Nayun flinched. But there was no further response. Yoo Yeonha quietly sat beside her. Chae Nayun awkwardly shuffled away to the side.
“...”
Yoo Yeonha remained still. She merely showed, from time to time, that she was there beside Chae Nayun, and waited endlessly.
That wait was quite long.
Until the wind blew, the fallen leaves dropped, and before long the mountain began to grow dark.
Perhaps they stayed like that for about thirty minutes.
At last, Chae Nayun lifted her face. She sniffled and wiped the corners of her eyes.
“Yoo Yeonha.”
Then she called Yoo Yeonha’s name. Yoo Yeonha replied with a perfectly natural, gentle voice.
“Yeah?”
In the stillness of the forest, Chae Nayun opened her mouth.
“You guys... didn’t hear it?”
“Hear what?”
“He... brought up my brother.”
“...Really? We were too far away to hear.”
Even Yu Yeonha was surprised. To Chae Nayun, her older brother was a true reverse scale. It was something she took care not to bring up even by mistake, and yet...
“Yeah. That bastard... Haa. This is the second time.”
Chae Nayun couldn’t even bring herself to continue. Shame and rage were mixed together, making it feel as though her insides were burning. She wanted to spit it all out, to chase after him and punish him somehow, but she had been defeated so miserably that she had no strength to do so.
“Hmm...”
Seeing Chae Nayun like that, Yu Yeonha lightly scratched the back of her neck. If things had come to this, the matter had become quite complicated.
Yu Yeonha disliked Chae Nayun, but apart from that, she was undeniably someone Yu Yeonha wanted to bring over to her side. However, the same was true for Kim Hajin. Moreover, Kim Hajin was practically the benefactor who had saved her life...
In that case, rather than choosing which one of the two to give up, it would be better to first make their relationship even slightly more amicable.
More importantly, why did that person have to say something like that?
“Haa.”
After letting out a sigh, Yu Yeonha began to think carefully about what she should say.
And exactly three minutes later, a fairly decent idea came to mind.
Ahem, ahem. Clearing her throat, Yu Yeonha cautiously began.
“...That can happen.”
“What?”
“Your brother is alive, isn’t he?”
“...What kind of crazy bullshit is that?”
Chae Nayun glared at her as if she would grab her by the collar at any moment. Yu Yeonha calmly met that aggressive gaze and quietly continued.
“Do you know this? People who have similar wounds feel a sense of kinship with each other.”
Rustle, rustle. The leaves in the forest trembled.
Chae Nayun stared at Yu Yeonha, still full of doubt. Soon, Yu Yeonha continued.
“But when the wounds are similar yet differ in depth... in other words, if the side that clearly seems to be suffering less than me whines about being in pain, the side with the deeper wound might find it unpleasant.”
Yu Yeonha recalled the text she had received from Yu Jinhyeok three days ago.
[I’ll begin, niece. But there seems to be something about that Kim Hajin. Keep that in mind.]
‘There seems to be something about him.’
From that meaningful sentence, Yu Yeonha gained a certain degree of confidence in the hypothesis she had formed. Kim Hajin’s parents had indeed been murdered by someone, and Kim Hajin was searching for the murderer—or the “group”—that had ruined from the very beginning the life he should have lived happily with his parents.
“What are you talking about? I...”
“That person is an orphan. Probably for a reason similar to yours.”
“...What?”
Chae Nayun asked back, her eyes widening.
It was the reaction she had expected. Chae Nayun had no interest whatsoever in other people’s pasts. Perhaps it could be called a defense mechanism. If she dug into someone else’s past, her own past might also be dug up.
“I knew you didn’t know. The kids bullied him over that, didn’t they?”
Even so, Chae Nayun looked as though she had had no idea at all. To begin with, it was something Chae Nayun couldn’t even imagine. From her perspective, people who mocked others for losing their family should not exist in this world.
Chae Nayun swallowed hard and asked.
“And he still endured it?”
“...That’s all you’re curious about?”
Yu Yeonha frowned as if she were fed up.
“Kim Hajin was teased like that because of you. Because you had Jonghak do it.”
“T-That’s...”
“Nayun.”
Yu Yeonha took a breath, then continued.
“...A painful past isn’t something that belongs only to you.”
At that moment, Chae Nayun’s face went blank.
Chae Nayun suddenly recalled that day. The day she had talked to Shin Jonghak because Kim Hajin had brought up her older brother.
The bad rumors and bullying surrounding Kim Hajin had begun that day. She had been the source, and she had also been the one who did not stop it. That had been intentional, with no room for denial.
But to think those thugs had actually dragged out even that kind of past...
“Hu, ahem.”
Chae Nayun’s face looked as if her soul had left her body.
Yu Yeonha covered the laughter that was about to slip out with a cough and stood up. This was enough. Stepping in any further, consuming more time and emotion than this, did not suit her nature.