Beep.
Even on the way to the snack shop, the marveling never stopped.
Couldn't I just live here forever?
The fact that I was already a second-year — with only two years left at the Academy — filled me with melancholy.
When there are so many pretty, adorable girls here...
How was I supposed to leave this place?
Everyone's looks were so extraordinary that I half-wondered whether this was really an Academy for gathering and training Awakeners, or a school for raising idols. Of course, Tania, Adele, and I stood out even among them.
I arrived at the snack shop still grinning at my reflection in a hand mirror.
But then...
"Ah..."
There were so many people.
"Tania, Adele. Maybe we should come back lat—"
And in that moment, I witnessed a miracle.
The human tide parted like the Red Sea, carving a path straight through.
I stood there wide-eyed in shock, while Adele behind me drawled as if it were nothing special:
"Elysia. Aren't you going?"
Only then did I snap out of it and follow Tania — who was looking back at me one step ahead — into the snack shop.
"Eli, are you sure that's enough?"
Tania held out her bread with a worried look, offering, "Want some of mine?"
I pushed her bread away and took a bite of the triangle kimbap in my hand.
"Yeah. This is fine for me."
Triangle kimbap is delicious, okay?
Though honestly, I'm only eating this because I'm broke.
Even the bread Tania was eating right now cost a fortune. If I bought that bread even a few times, I'd end up on the streets. Still, snatching food from a kid felt a little wrong.
Tania took a tiny nibble of her bread with a dejected look and chewed it slowly. She looked so much like a hamster that I just sat there watching, until she flushed red to the tips of her ears and whipped her head away.
When I turned, Adele was also chewing her bread and staring straight at me.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Just looking, she said.
Well, I am extraordinarily pretty. A face that brightens your day just by looking at it — I suppose it couldn't be helped.
I stuffed the rest of the triangle kimbap into my mouth.
I really do need to find a job, though.
There was more to do than I'd expected. I had to earn money while attending the Academy, and cleanly eliminate anything that would get in the protagonists' way.
So what if I found a job that let me earn money AND clear out obstacles at the same time?
Like an assassin...
A sexy, beautiful girl assassin, soaring across rooftops under a brilliantly shining moon, snatching the lives of the wicked!
I was briefly tempted, but quickly shook my head. Just because I wanted it didn't mean commissions would suddenly start rolling in asking, "Could you take this bastard out for me?"
As I pondered whether there was something similar, a good idea struck me. It wasn't exactly becoming a sexy assassin, but it was close enough.
Any Awakener could accept commissions from the Association. Of course, each commission had a level restriction — you could only take ones your level allowed. That applied even to Awakeners who hadn't joined a guild yet.
Meaning even I, an Academy student, could proudly accept commissions from the Association!
This is it!
The money from completing commissions wouldn't be small, so I wouldn't have to worry about making ends meet.
Was it because it was the first day?
There hadn't been much to do at the Academy today. Just the entrance ceremony, then heading to our assigned classrooms and introducing ourselves to our classmates.
I'd wanted to be in the same class as Tania and Adele...
Coincidentally, I alone had been placed in a different class. Which meant, naturally, I didn't know a single person in my class...
It was just the first day. Yeah — there was no way not a single person would come talk to me. And if that wasn't it, maybe I was just so pretty that people found it hard to approach me.
Either way, the fact that the only people I'd talked to today were Tania and Adele was a little sad.
Hiss.
The bus had arrived without me noticing; its doors opened, and students heading home boarded one by one.
Beep. Beep.
I'd arrived at the stop early, so there weren't many people ahead of me — I boarded quickly.
Beep—.
The cheerful sound of a transit card tapping rang out, and I lifted my gaze to find an empty seat. Being an Academy commute bus, the interior was practically empty aside from the people who'd been standing ahead of me.
I made my way to one of my favorite spots — the very back seat — and thought.
First, I'd go to the Association and pick up a commission. Going home only to head back out again would be a hassle, so better to finish a commission and then head back.
Beep.
The sound of another student's transit card followed, ringing in my ears.
Who should I take care of today?
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The people who'd been standing behind me started tapping their cards and boarding as well.
Ideally, I should eliminate the ones who become active the soonest, right? And among those, how many could I handle with my current strength?
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
The transit card beeps rang out in a steady rhythm.
I remembered every single person I'd cleaned up so far. Even if I'd had no choice but to eliminate them because they interfered with the protagonists' actions...
They were all "characters" I loved.
Choi Jaepil, Daven, Kim Doyoon, Choi Hanyul, Capros, David, Sarina, Lee Jaebin, Hyun Changwoo, Park Jaehyun, Aryun, Park Minsu, Kim Seonghyeon, Irison, Noil, Choi Yoonseo, Kim Jongwook, Kim Hansu, Im Eunha, Trion, Lee Hyunsu, Peria, Lee Dohyun, Vail, Ruina, Shin Juhyun, Park Jeongwoo, Owl, Yoon Damin, Choi Minsung, Gale, Gulas, Vain, Han Jinseong, Kim Siwoo, Arcel, Kim Minchan, Park Chanhyeong, Choi Jaemin, Lee Mandeuk...
Was it Kim Mandeuk?
Anyway.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Once more, the transit card beeps rang out in succession.
In a steady rhythm. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beeeep—!
"...Ah."
Startled by the suddenly different sound, I came to my senses and spotted a man fretting in front of a terminal announcing, "Insufficient balance."
I glanced out the window and found the scenery had changed. Apparently the bus had started moving while I was lost in those somewhat pleasant memories.
Come to think of it, even for a large bus, there was no way that many people could board. Indeed, there weren't many people inside. Some of those beeps must have been from people getting off at stops.
So... where am I?
Studying the scenery outside... I spotted the Association building in the distance.
"...The Association?"
Hiss—!
The fretting man must have pulled out another card from his wallet and tapped it, because the doors closed and the bus started moving.
"W-wait! I haven't gotten off yet...!"
I cried out in vain, but sadly, a bus already in motion showed no signs of stopping.
The kind of building that comes to mind when you picture an adventurer's guild in a fantasy game.
...I looked up at a scaled-up version of that and muttered to myself.
"So this is the Association..."
In the end, I'd ridden to the next stop, gotten off, retraced my steps, and now stood inside the Association building.
Inside, countless Awakeners moved freely about. And among them, the ones in familiar uniforms projecting an air of authority were the Association's own Awakeners.
No matter how many times I'd re-read How to Become a Hero, knowing the layout of a building I'd never actually entered was another matter. Better to just grab someone and ask than wander around lost.
Conveniently, an Association staff member was standing nearby like a guard, so I went over and spoke to him.
"Excuse me."
"Yes! ...Y-yes?"
The staff member who'd answered so solemnly took one look at me, startled, and flushed slightly.
"Where do I go to accept Association commissions?"
"Ah, um... I'll show you the way myself!"
"No need. You look busy — just directions are fine."
"Ah... Go up to the second floor and keep walking left. You'll see it right away."
I gave a slight bow of thanks to the staff member, who looked somehow disappointed, then turned and headed up to the second floor.
Just as he'd said, walking straight left revealed a room lined with countless kiosks.
Accepting commissions via kiosk was something I already knew from How to Become a Hero, so it wasn't particularly surprising. Well, this wasn't a fantasy world — it was modern times. Of course there wouldn't be bounty posters on a wall that you tore off and brought to a receptionist like in an adventurer's guild.
Spotting a kiosk freed up by an Awakener who'd just taken a commission and left, I quickly claimed it.
When I touched the kiosk, a window appeared asking me to enter my Awakener Code — something every Awakener was required to obtain. I'd memorized my Awakener Code from using it so often, so I entered it without hesitation.
Once the code was entered, a prompt appeared asking me to select a type among commissions matching my level. Aside from the bounty hunting commissions I was after, there were all sorts of unusual jobs. Which made sense — not every Awakener was a combat type.
When I clicked on bounty hunting, an informational notice appeared.
Depending on the villain's crimes and strength, the bounty on targets of the same level could vary wildly. The top priority for an Awakener accepting a bounty commission was capturing the target alive. Unless dealing with a particularly heinous criminal, commissions rarely called for immediate execution.
Of course, "top priority" was really just another way of saying "if possible." The Association put Awakeners' safety first, after all. If you got into danger and died because you couldn't properly fight back while fixated on capturing them alive — wouldn't that be tragic?
That's why a clause had been added: villains who'd committed crimes above a certain threshold could also be killed. However, killing them meant you'd only receive half the reward...
Reading that notice, I smiled faintly.
Even if you captured a villain alive, they usually got released sooner or later. To keep them from interfering with the protagonists, it was better to finish things for good, wasn't it?