Anonymous Post! The Event Was a Roaring Success.
After about an hour of intense basic physical training, it was time for a short break.
“Ah, so Chan-ho, you mostly hunt up north, huh? Isn’t it dangerous there these days? I heard it’s chaos because of those tree strangler ghosts.”
“Just run from those. The real scary ones are glass crows or glowmountain beasts—”
“Whoa, I actually came to learn sniper marksmanship, but this workout’s got me sweating and feeling great.”
“Right? I was skeptical too, but it’s that classic ancient martial arts core qi training. For us, it’s like core muscle work—”
The trainees chattered away boisterously with their partners. And weaving through them strode Namgoong Haryeong, her eyes blazing like actual flames—a glare that made even me flinch for a second.
“Lady Renea, do you want to become a full-time employee?”
“Huh? Yes, this lady does!”
I grabbed Renea on her way to hand out water to the crowd, and she beamed back innocently. A pang of guilt hit me, like I was tricking elders into buying jade bed mats or kimchi refrigerators. But locking eyes with Namgoong Haryeong—who looked ready to draw a sword if she had one on her hip—I shoved Renea forward.
“Eek?!”
“Go handle a customer complaint. First trial to becoming a full-timer.”
“President Kim Juseon.”
She’d closed the distance, pressing down on my name like stamping it into the ground. Seeing her hold back made me feel oddly sorry.
“Ahem.”
I cleared my throat and turned away, but Renea cleverly jumped in, raising both hands to shield me.
“The president isn’t feeling well right now! This lady will resolve the complaint!”
“Sister, you know how long I’ve waited for this time.”
“Of course! You slaved over lesson plans with this lady till dawn! And didn’t you devour every page of Love Invasion that this lady recommended?!”
Look at that idiotically sunny smile. Is it because she’s an elf that the world looks so bright to her? Is that why her own marriage prospects are so dim, yet she’s job-hunting like this?
“Then explain, sister—this outfit I’m wearing, prancing like a monkey in front of twenty couples?”
“Uh, uh...?”
Seems Renea hadn’t even registered it. She just thought teaching hard was cool? Actually, none of the trainees were mocking Namgoong Haryeong. They listened intently, with respect. It was just the huge gap in status. And with partners right there, no guys were eyeing her anyway.
“Uh, uh... President, you’ll have to handle this one?”
In the end, she tugged my lapels, sealing her fate for full-time status.
“Ahem. Miss Namgoong Haryeong. I know. You’re frustrated.”
“Frustrated? Did you say frustrated? If watching twenty potential lovers flirt and grind against each other right in front of me is just ‘frustrated’—! Fine, sure. I’ll show you something great today.”
“...”
“Body-Sword Unity—.”
A chill ran through me, like a sword being drawn from nowhere. I urgently grabbed her wrist.
“O-okay! I get it!”
After the break, I stood beside Namgoong Haryeong in the gym, changed into spare gym clothes I’d borrowed.
“Now, we’ll get into the real instruction. Hunters rely heavily on abilities and gear, so when it gets close-range or unexpected, your stance crumbles easily—or so I’ve heard.”
That’s why, unless you have truly overwhelming awakened powers, hunting’s like factory work. Avoid danger altogether. Variables always pop up, of course.
“Hunters who stand in front?”
Over half raised hands. Her lecture drew frontline types, naturally.
“Good. Even without qi manipulation, master basic breathing, rhythm, and distance sense, and you won’t get hurt at least. President, watch me.”
I turned to face her. She grabbed my arm and pulled me close—chest-to-chest distance. I startled a bit, but Haryeong continued calmly, like she noticed nothing.
“Distance control with the opponent. Sounds too obvious, right? Laughable even. But most can’t do it properly—you’ll see once you hear me out.”
“Redefine distance. It’s a numbers game. Opponent’s feet: 1 point. Waist: 1 point. Shoulder: 1 point. Sounds tricky now, but it’ll stick with practice. If they don’t twist their waist? Subtract a point—”
The lecture continued. Couples checked each other’s stances, felt muscle flow by touch, matched strides facing off. Thanks to Haryeong’s bold demos, natural skinship flowed among trainees.
“Haryeong, you’re a great teacher. First day or not, we could make this a regular event.”
“...”
“What?”
She stared at me, admiring the practicing pairs. Seemed she had words, so I asked—and she closed in like she’d been waiting.
“Father trained you for exactly seven days, right?”
“Yeah, a full week of hell.”
“And you absorbed the Cheongryeongdan well?”
“He said my body took to it fine.”
I shrugged, and suddenly she was kneading my shoulder, chest—full-on groping. I panicked at the harassment, but her face was dead serious.
“Hmm.”
“...”
Reacting would be weirder, so I endured. But her touch grew firmer, oddly.
“...What’re you checking?”
Her hand hit my side, and I finally asked. She answered nonchalantly.
“Thought your body bulked up fast.”
“Does it take this long?”
“Stopped checking at first, but no reaction, so I took the chance to grope more. Surprisingly solid build, good muscles?”
“...”
I sidled back to dodge the spinster radar. She smacked her lips, then asked again.
“By chance, do you get violent when drunk, or force group dinners aggressively—?”
“...”
The next morning.
“Heh heh heh heh.”
I’d come in early, glued to the hunter community boards. My grin wouldn’t fade.
“Kuh ha ha ha!”
Always the same. Rumors breed rumors. Tails chase tails.
Meracle stories flooded the hunter community—not stopping at that little bubble.
“Y-yes. Uh, n-no. No second round scheduled yet—”
Kim Yang’s phone was scorching from early calls. Hunters inquiring about round two of Dating’s Real Combat Too now that Namgoong Haryeong was confirmed. Some hounded next instructor. Total smash hit inside and out.
“Y-yes.”
Click.
“Ha ha ha ha ha!”
I couldn’t hold back as she hung up. Inquiries and memberships surging meaningfully.
“May’s ours! TowerMix? WeddingCo? RoyalMatch?! Scram! Meracle’s the king!”
I pumped my fist and yelled. Kim Yang plugged her ears, annoyed. But I couldn’t help it.
We’d chased others’ tails despite efforts. This May event? We’d lead—no doubt.
“Think they can catch up?!”
I shrugged at her back; she grumbled instantly.
“S-sit! W-work!”
“Okay, okay.”
I plopped grinning, but excitement lingered. Today: Azure Wind Lord Paeng Sorin as instructor. Mouse strayed from Excel to community.
“Y-you wanna d-die?”
“...”
“W-work. D-do it.”
Death glare with axe eyes.
“I’m the boss, Kim Yang.”
“S-so? M-market r-research? Th-that bullshit?”
“Nah. Boss gets to slack when he wants.”
“F-for r-real. M-makes me mad.”
Boss is busiest, true. But authority shuts employees up.
“Q-quit. S-someday.”
“...Don’t say scary shit.”
Can’t quit. Hiring’s hell. Part-timer on payroll makes it worse.
Hunter and matchmaking communities? Reactions sweet as last dessert. Mouse glued.
“Huh?”
Fresh post title hooked me; clicked instantly.