Junior Park I-rae
Somehow, she knew. Seong Ye-han scowled at his smartphone, which felt like it was literally on fire. In all his life, he'd never received this many messages. And every single one was from unknown numbers. Personnel from such-and-such guild. Please pass along our contact info.A reporter from whatever news outlet. Requesting an interview.High school classmate so-and-so. Let's catch up.Academy classmate—do you remember me? And so on. He was freshly appreciating the terror of spam as he tore his eyes away from the phone.
He didn't have many people he could even call friends to begin with. Honestly speaking, maybe just one. Most of his connections from Hunter Academy and the two years scraping by as an E-rank had fizzled out. The only one who'd kept in steady contact was this one junior. The weird girl who'd said she wouldn't meet him until she hit A-rank... When he'd asked why, she'd said something like, If I see your face, I won't be able to hold back, and it'll cause trouble for you, senior. And she'd begged him to wait for her... He had no idea what kind of "trouble" she meant or what he was supposed to wait for.
Could this be that "fish tank" thing he'd heard about? He pretended to have an epiphany, but no matter how he thought about it, there was no way this was some managed harem play. Fish a tank like that, and they'd get pissed, rip the net, and bolt.
Come to think of it, she'd said she was probably hitting A-rank in this exam too. Maybe she'd been in that testing hall back then... Beep-boop. The sound snapped Seong Ye-han out of his reverie. His phone was on silent by default, so this was the one exception ringing through. A message from his junior, Park I-rae.
She must've heard the news about him too. It had been so damn loud, and it still was—no way she hadn't. Finally, his junior wanted to meet face-to-face. Had she actually made A-rank? Or was she just curious about her E-rank senior jumping straight to S-rank overnight? Either way, it had been ages since he'd seen her. How much had she changed?
Back in academy days, when he was down in the dumps over his ex, she'd been the only one to stick by him. Even after he graduated, they'd kept in touch for a while... until around when she was graduating. When he was crawling at the bottom as an E-rank awakener and she suddenly said no more face-to-face, it hit him hard. But she must've had her reasons. Now, saying she'd distanced herself just because of his rank didn't add up—her words and actions never matched like that.
Besides, her daily beep-boops had been a real balm for his loneliness. She'd always end with please wait for me, so now he could finally unravel the mystery. Seong Ye-han gladly accepted her invite.
What would she look like after a year? Still his cute junior? Or a full-fledged warrior woman? Grinning with eager anticipation, Seong Ye-han sent the reply.
Park I-rae. A promising new A-rank awakener. High school senior that winter—first awakening. Hit A-rank just a year after graduating Hunter Academy... Normally, she'd be called a genius, make waves in the media with her solid scores. But unfortunately, the world right now was too obsessed with an issue that made A-rank look like chump change.
The emergence of a new S-rank. Seong Ye-han... Park I-rae's senior. The man she loved.
The day Park I-rae first met him was when she was utterly worn out from Hunter Academy life in every way. She'd never even dreamed of becoming a hunter or awakener. And not just because the odds of awakening were so low.
Like every kid, she'd fantasized about awakening young. But born frail and sickly, Park I-rae had never imagined herself as one—not even a speck. Walking ten minutes to school was torture; hunters were from another world.
So she'd been the quiet top student, breezing through elementary and middle school. She figured high school would be the same—decent grades, nothing flashy. Then college, desk job with minimal physical strain, meet a nice guy, marry, live ordinarily.
But right before graduation, one December day, thud-whump—she awakened. Woke up one morning with a clear head and light body. Eyelids that always felt like lead were featherweight. The lukewarm blood in her veins felt totally replaced by something hot and new. Vitality she'd never known. Is this what a living person's body feels like?
"Wha...?" Awakening. The feeling was... honestly bewildering. She'd been a good student with a plan tailored to her health—minimal labor. But awakening shredded it all.
Awakened folks had to attend Hunter Academy mandatory—two years of hunter training and brutal drills. Only then freedom. Whatever her plans, two years of youth down the drain. Her precious prime. Even E-ranks were monster-slaying powerhouses compared to normals, so nationally it made sense. But for blood-boiling Park I-rae? Fuck that.
And it pissed her off more because she'd already finished her college entrance exams as a senior. If she'd awakened even a month—or two—earlier... Human nature to think that.
One silver lining: her frail body toughened up beyond her male peers'. The new vitality thrilled her at first. But only briefly. Now she had to survive in the awakeners' world, not the scholars'. Bodies over brains. Uncharted territory for her.
March rolled in. She entered Hunter Academy in a foul mood, and it was a hellhole as expected. A 19-year-old who'd barely walked suddenly healthy and athletic? No flying high. She plummeted to the bottom fast.
The curriculum was awakener baseline. And by those standards, Park I-rae was subpar in every way.
"Fuck..." She hadn't asked for this, yet classmates treated her like a nuisance, avoiding her. Guys who'd flunked out studying now strutted on punches—it grated. Sweat-soaked sticky clothes daily. Nose-clogging dirt. Lingering earth smell post-shower. Pounding heart after intense workouts, stabbing lungs—fucking awful. Dry mouth from ragged breaths, burning muscles, throbbing swells... All shit.
No quitting allowed, so pure grit. I didn't choose this... One day, flunking training again, trudging dorm-ward in gloom. Dorms west side, looping the massive field—long walk. Pre-awakening her would've taxi'd; now, doable. Awakening's sole perk. And curse. If you're gonna buff me, buff harder...
Late-night runners soured her mood. Die, you gym freaks. She stomped on.
Suddenly, hot sweat-stink from the distant field. She quickened, desperate to escape the misery.
Dusk. Sleep evaded Park I-rae that night. Dinner coffee? But her tough awakener body metabolized caffeine instantly... Tossing, she got up. Fresh air walk might help.
Starlit night. Early summer, still cool. Low humidity—perfect stroll. Aimless under streetlights, she soon paralleled the day's field.
"Huff—huff—"
One guy still lapping the track this late. Academy had night owls, but this mad dash? Something up? Park I-rae sat on a roadside bench, watching. Sweat wafting even from afar.
"Hey~"
Summer night magic? She did something out-of-character. The runner heard, stopped, scanned—spotted her on the bench, tilted head.
That was Park I-rae and Seong Ye-han's first meeting.