Chapter 192: B-Rank Hunter (2)

Eun & Ok Co., Ltd. Seoul Gangdong District Branch.

“Checking headcount. Everyone line up in two rows.”

The 3rd-year students from Gangdong District Hunter High School, out for a rare outdoor training session, were now preparing for their end-of-day roll call from the company.

“Hey, wanna stop by a cafe on the way home today?”

“Where? If it’s the one in front of the station, I’m in. Their croffles are the best there.”

“Let’s go there then. Heeyoung’s coming too.”

“I like that cafe because the part-time worker Oppa is so handsome.”

“For real, keke. Ah~ I wanna have sex.”

“Don’t say that so loud, you fucking idiot.”

“Hey, cut the background noise.”

As with all outdoor learning, it was typical for high school students to become easily lax in an unfamiliar environment. If it’s hard to control students even in the controlled space of a classroom, how much more so in an unfamiliar external environment? Especially for 3rd-year students on the verge of graduation.

The supervising teacher from Hunter High School, Na Miyeon, who was leading the students, didn’t have any particular expectations either. She was just relieved that no students had gotten injured during the practical training.

Of course, since most of the students would qualify as D-Class Hunters around this time next year and join companies, it would actually be strange for them to get hurt fighting Classless monsters. Some kids who chose career paths in other fields instead of using their awakened abilities for hunting didn’t participate in the training.

Most of the kids here would become official D-Class Hunters for Eun & Ok Co., Ltd. in about three months. Occasionally, kids who showed exceptional talent from the start were already scouted by foundations with favorable terms, but overall, this batch’s graduation rate wasn’t bad, even considering that.

“Good work on the training today. Don’t get distracted on your way home and head straight back~.”

“…Yes~.”

“And if anyone wants additional training, stay behind. We can use the facilities for about two more hours~.”

“……”

“Look at them, they only get quiet when it’s like this.”

Giggles could be heard among the students, and Teacher Na Miyeon ended the roll call without any particular emotion. She hadn’t really expected anyone to volunteer to stay for extra classes anyway.

After sending the students off, just as she was about to head back to the school herself, she heard a student’s voice calling her from behind.

“Teacher Miyeon-ssi!”

Her head turned towards the energetic voice, one that most teachers at Hunter High School would likely recognize, to find its owner.

“Yes, Jin-ah. What is it?”

“Seon-ah and I are staying for extra training, where should we do it?”

“…You and Seon-ah? Really?”

“Yes!”

Seeing Han Jin-ah answer with her usual energetic voice and Han Seon-ah nodding beside her, Na Miyeon asked again, sounding surprised.

“You two have been really diligent lately? You seemed to be attending the night supplementary training diligently too.”

“Yes! Since graduation is just around the corner, we want to work hard before joining the company!”

“We need to reach a level where we can catch D-Class monsters as soon as possible.”

The twins of Hunter High School, Han Jin-ah and Han Seon-ah. Until now, they were just ordinary students without anything particularly standing out, but for the past few days, a strong desire seemed to emanate from the two of them. Usually, for Beast-Type Awakeners, their growth limits are clear, so most tend to settle for reality without much effort. Although it was right before graduation, the sight of the two suddenly bursting with motivation felt quite unexpected to her as their teacher.

‘Come to think of it, their older sister was Han Min-ah.’

Han Min-ah, who, despite being a Beast-Type Awakener, had risen to A-Class Hunter status, recognized for her numerous application techniques and diligence. They hadn’t stood out much until now, but it seemed blood really couldn’t be denied.

“Alright. Since your resolution is for D-Class monsters, I’ll let you experience a D-Class dungeon today as a special treat.”

“Awesome!”

“Will that be okay?”

“If it gets dangerous or too many monsters appear, I’ll handle it, so you two just focus on fighting the D-Class monsters.”

“Yes!”

“Thank you, Teacher Na Miyeon.”

Leaving behind students who don’t try, but doing her best to guide students who want to improve. That was the educational policy of Teacher Na Miyeon of Hunter High School.

“D-Class… Ten D-Class monsters….”

“…I hope the day comes soon when Taekyung Oraboni officially recognizes me as a Hunter.”

However, she couldn’t possibly imagine the sinister desires lurking behind the students’ ambition, desires far darker than anyone else’s.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

After finishing my warm-up, skill test, and hunt at the Union, I stepped outside. It was already past 4 PM. Even though it wasn’t even early evening yet, the fact that it was starting to get dark made me feel that the days were getting shorter and the year-end was approaching. And vaguely, I started thinking about what I had accomplished this year.

As late as February this year, I was visiting my old school every day, desperately trying to achieve an Awakening. From March to June, for about three months, I lost all motivation and lived like a corpse holed up at home. Yet now, as the year draws to a close, I’ve somehow become a B-Class Hunter, and what’s more, I’ve even prepared to transfer to a company as an affiliated Hunter.

It was truly tremendous progress, so much so that even I found it hard to believe it happened in just half a year. Of course, the details about the transfer are still uncertain, but it didn’t matter even if it didn’t work out. Because it was an undeniable fact that I had grown far more than my past self, who had remained stagnant. Even if I couldn’t join a company, my growth, step by step like this, wouldn’t be hindered. Furthermore, in order to achieve my ultimate goal, a company was merely a stepping stone anyway. It was just a matter of whether I took the planned path a little faster, or ended up on an unexpected road and walked a bit slower.

Still, right now, my personal desire was strongest to join a company. Setting aside all other reasons, the most important point was that three of the women I was involved with belonged to companies.

Kang Hye-eun, Cha Yuri, and Han Min-ah.

Coincidentally, those three were part of ‘Sky Blue Shield,’ led by Hye-eun, so naturally, my current goal had to be to join Sky Blue Shield. Due to my goal of rapidly advancing in rank and the circumstance of not wanting to be discovered as a male Hunter. I had mostly gone on expeditions alone until now. After all, the true thrill of a Hunter’s life was forming a party with comrades, coordinating attacks, and taking down powerful monsters.

The experience of temporarily forming a group with Sihee and Eunbyul at the seaside villa to hunt a Kraken. If asked to go through it again, I’d obviously refuse, but at least the exhilaration of that party hunt was undeniably real. That’s why I couldn’t help but want to transfer my affiliation to a company as soon as possible and dedicate myself to the activities of Sky Blue Shield.

If it was a party including Hye-eun, Yuri, and Min-ah, at least I wouldn’t be ostracized for being male. I was a bit worried about someone named Cheon Jihee, whom I haven’t met yet, but if I could get the consent of three out of the four of them, she probably wouldn’t object strongly.

…If necessary, I’d even use my good looks to squeeze my way in. Of course, I didn’t particularly want to be caught openly flirting with another woman in front of Hye-eun or the others, so I planned to keep that as a last resort if possible. Of course, this is all assuming the plan to join the company works out.

Regarding this matter, I’ll definitely need Eunyoung Noona’s help. A single letter of recommendation from Han Min-ah wouldn’t be enough to turn ‘Union Hunter Kim Sungchul’ into ‘Company Hunter Sung Taekyung’. I had to tell Eunyoung Noona and Hye-eun about my promotion to B-Class Hunter anyway, so this was a perfect opportunity to bring it up.

I called her, thinking we could have dinner together to celebrate my promotion. After a few rings, Eunyoung Noona’s voice came through the receiver.

“Yes, my son. What’s up?”

“Noona, are you perhaps free this evening?”

“…F-Free?”

As soon as Eunyoung Noona heard my words, her voice on the other end became overtly flustered.

“Noona?”

“Ah, y-yes. I am free, but…”

“But?”

“W-Wouldn’t it be better to think of Hye-eun before thinking of that Ahjumma…? You guys haven’t met in a few days because you were busy, right?”

I wondered why she was so flustered, but it seemed she thought I had called with a different intention. Well, lately, whenever I met Eunyoung Noona, regardless of the intermediate steps, it often led to sex in the end.

“Ah, I wasn’t asking about that.”

“Oh, r-really?! Oh, this Ahjumma is so shameless….”

“Something celebratory just happened, so I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner together at your place, if you have time. Of course, with Hye-eun too.”

“Oh, i-is that so?! Haha, ha….”

“I’m about to buy some drinks and food on my way, is that okay?”

“O-Of course, it’s fine! W-Well then, this Ahjumma will prepare dinner too, so come over slowly, my son~.”

“Okay~.”

I never expected her to immediately jump to that conclusion upon hearing my question about dinner. Even if she didn’t show it outwardly, it seemed Eunyoung Noona had completely started thinking that way about me.

“…It’s been a while, so maybe that wouldn’t be bad either.”

Originally, I had planned to meet Hye-eun and Eunyoung Noona for celebratory drinks about my promotion and just inquire about the method of transferring to a company while maintaining my Union career. But I could already vaguely guess that it wouldn’t end with just that.