Chapter 55

As I obediently stepped inside, Eun-namu walked straight to the bed and plopped down.

A brief silence followed.

After the recent run and the sudden sight of a woman’s body, the room felt oddly hot.

Ah, it’s just that the air conditioner wasn’t on.

“How much did you see?”

As I casually reached for the remote to turn on the air conditioner, Eun-namu spoke up.

I flinched, put the remote down, and opened my mouth.

“I didn’t see anything.”

“If you didn’t see anything, you wouldn’t have reacted like that.”

With her usual lazy smile, Eun-namu propped her elbow on her knee and rested her chin on her hand.

She stared at me intently, like a wolf pondering how to cook its prey.

“First, I get what you’re misunderstanding. I wear the band because of my complex.”

“…Complex?”

“I have more female hormones than the average male.”

Eun-namu naturally shifted the conversation.

“So, I’m shorter than most men, and my voice tone is a bit higher. The biggest issue is my chest.”

As she spoke, she casually tapped her chest, which she had flattened with the band.

“It’s gynecomastia. It started growing recently, and now it’s like this. I was scheduled for surgery, but I awakened as a Hunter. Hunter surgeries are more complicated, and you need a Hunter registration, so it got a bit tangled.”

Her lie flowed out naturally, as if she had prepared it in advance.

If I hadn’t heard about it from Baeksan, I would have believed her, given how serious her expression was.

If only I hadn’t noticed her face was slightly redder than usual.

“I’m not a woman, so don’t worry.”

That meant the issue I was concerned about wouldn’t happen.

Eun-namu seemed to want to hide her gender from me, and if that was the case, it wasn’t hard to let it slide.

No, it was definitely in my best interest to let it slide.

I didn’t want to hear any more about how the victim’s tears were evidence.

“If you don’t believe me, want to touch? If I were a woman, I wouldn’t let you.”

“I believe you without touching.”

How far are you trying to push someone into the abyss?

As I preemptively blocked her, she chuckled softly and then released her chin.

“But if you like men, that’s a problem. Could you like me?”

“Don’t worry. I don’t really like men. It’s just a means of survival for me.”

“Survival?”

Eun-namu looked curious, but I didn’t elaborate.

It was all in the past now, and explaining would be too complicated.

“By the way, have you already washed up?”

“Ah.”

I checked the time and quickly got up.

As I grabbed a towel, I suddenly remembered and turned to Eun-namu.

“Why don’t we wash together?”

Her lazy smile made it hard to tell how much of it was a joke.

“No, not like that. Next time, I’ll knock. If you want to change clothes, let me know. If it’s a complex, it might bother you.”

That way, I might keep my sanity.

“Ahaha, thank you. Ha-chan, you’re so kind.”

Besides, if it were the lower part, that excuse wouldn’t work.

“Really, no matter what you do, the one who gets involved will get involved.”

Baeksan’s lament echoed quietly in the room.

—

A man was walking down the hallway.

Dressed in the Hunter Training Academy instructor’s uniform, he looked every bit the nobleman.

Seollsan Iri, Ha Seo-ho.

He hated being called by his nickname, but he was an S-class Hunter known throughout South Korea.

Seo-ho, who had come to the Hunter Training Academy as a temporary instructor to repay a favor to Ha-chan, was heading to his afternoon class.

Suddenly, his long strides came to a halt.

“Come out.”

“Ahaha, Seollsan Iri, don’t glare like that, it’s scary.”

At that moment, someone emerged from what should have been just a wall.

Her wavy, purple hair was styled like two buns, and her eyes, barely visible under her bangs, gave off a unique vibe.

“Long time no see. How have you been?”

“Get lost.”

“Oh my, boo-hoo, you hurt my feelings.”

Despite her cute appearance, her masculine tone didn’t match her playful pout, startling Seo-ho.

“What’s wrong? Between us. We’re rivals from the same batch, after all.”

“I left JMC.”

“Ahaha, I heard. There are restrictions both here and abroad, right? Does Seollsan Iri know anything about it?”

“I don’t know.”

Seo-ho thought of the silver-haired Association President but dismissed it.

There was no reason to answer her.

Josia, an S-class Hunter like him, with the strange nickname “Imoogi.”

Unlike Seo-ho, she enjoyed being called Imoogi, a perverse preference.

They had graduated from the Hunter Training Academy in the same batch and were high school classmates, but their relationship was more like a curse.

“Why are you here?”

“Eh, why so cold? We’re bound by fate. Of course, I came to see Seollsan Iri!”

“Stop talking nonsense. You wouldn’t move for something like that. If you call me Seollsan Iri one more time, you’ll spend your life frozen in ice.”

Josia looked hurt by Seo-ho’s words, but she quickly recovered and smirked.

“Right. I was wondering why Ha Seo-ho suddenly came to the Hunter Training Academy.”

She stepped closer to Seo-ho.

“There’s something here, isn’t there? Something that caught Ha Seo-ho’s interest.”

Seo-ho tilted his head as he faced Josia’s smirk.

“What?”

“Stop pretending. You can’t fool my eyes.”

Though her eyes weren’t visible.

Josia straightened her back and spoke.

“Keep pretending, and I’ll find out on my own~ No complaints later.”

As she turned to leave, Seo-ho frowned deeply.

Most of Josia’s actions were annoying.

Especially since she had a rivalry complex, anything related to him was worse.

So, it was clear she had followed him to the academy.

‘It’s a nuisance to Brother Ha-chan.’

Realizing this, Seo-ho reached out and grabbed Josia’s shoulder.

She turned back with a smirk, but flinched slightly as Seo-ho’s cold hand touched her.

“Listen carefully, Josia.”

Seo-ho glared at her with utmost seriousness.

“I came to the academy this term because I owe someone a favor. If you cause any trouble for that person.”

His cold eyes glinted with a deep warning.

“I won’t let you off.”

“…”

Josia remained silent, perhaps because Seo-ho’s warning was sincere.

As Seo-ho released her shoulder and walked away, Josia rubbed the spot he had touched.

Her eyes remained fixed on Seo-ho’s retreating figure.

—

After the commotion with Eun-namu, we headed straight to the training room.

The afternoon class was about output testing and assessing awakened abilities.

This process would determine our final rank and the abilities we had awakened.

Ji-eun and Si-ho must have gone through this process at the juvenile academy to receive their abilities and ranks.

‘Juveniles have to attend the academy again once they become adults.’

The branch I’m attending now is for adults.

Juveniles, both mentally and physically immature, needed more caution, and legal matters were too complex for them.

Thus, the juvenile academy mainly focused on reminding them of the dangers of their abilities.

It’s fortunate that the country has established such laws.

“Everyone, please line up properly!”

“Yes, you can proceed to the next station.”

Instructors were managing the trainees everywhere.

With all the trainees for this term gathered, the training room was quite chaotic.

In the distance, Seo-ho was doing the same.

But he seemed to be looking around, as if something was bothering him.

Why is he like that?

“How much do you think you’ll get?”

Thinking her voice might not be heard over the noise, Eun-namu leaned close to my ear to ask.

I flinched at the sudden closeness but answered, trying to think of her as a man.

“I expect it to be a complete mess.”

“Really? I think you’ll do well.”

“No, probably not.”

To be precise, it shouldn’t be good.

I glanced at Baeksan, and he nodded as if agreeing with my thoughts.

“Your output would blow up the tester.”

If the tester exploded, who knows what kind of chaos would ensue? We can’t let that happen.

Seo-ho is already a headache; if something like that happened, it would only draw more attention.

‘The academy should be a quiet place. I didn’t become a Hunter through normal channels anyway.’

At the academy, newbies with high outputs often get attention, appearing in interviews and articles.

Just look at Seo-ho, who made headlines as an S-class prospect.

If I were to blow up the tester?

It would be an absolute disaster.

And the country would try to use me as a new S-class Hunter.

But what’s the reality?

I can barely handle 0.1% of my output, and my true output would exhaust me in two shots.

I’m a glass cannon.

Even if the country has high expectations, I can’t meet them.

It’s better if no one knows about me.

‘I’ll control it as much as possible.’

That’s why I’ve been practicing controlling my aura for this day.

Watch this, my true 0.1%.

“Next.”

Just then, the voice calling the next person came.

Finally, it was my turn.

“Name?”

“Kang Ha-chan.”

“Born on March 4th?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

The instructor checked his tablet and pointed to the tester where I could place my hand.

“Please place your hand here and exert your maximum power.”

Hearing that, I carefully placed my hand on the tester.

‘Here goes.’

I focused all my energy, controlling my aura as precisely as possible.

It felt like my entire body was trembling with the refined aura.

And at that moment.

[ F-rank. ]

The fruit of my efforts appeared.

F-rank.

The lowest rank among Hunters!

I’m the lowest!

“F-rank. Don’t be too disheartened. Hunters continue to grow.”

“Yes!”

“?”

As I cheered with joy, the instructor looked at me strangely and pointed to the waiting area for those who had completed the test.

I followed the instructor’s direction and walked away with a thrilled expression.

“You’re the only one who’d be happy with an F-rank.”

“If I didn’t control it, it would explode. Plus, I managed my aura perfectly. Of course, I’m happy.”

Baeksan gave me a nonchalant look.

“Hey, F-rank.”

Just then, someone called out to me from behind.

“Are you talking to me?”

My name is F, Ha-chan.

Ignoring Baeksan’s look as if I were crazy, I turned around with an excited expression.

There stood a menacing-looking man.

“Yeah, you.”

Who are you?