058. The Chairwoman is Confused

After Choi A-ram crumpled so anticlimactically, we wrapped her up meticulously so she could be handed over to the Hunter Management Bureau without delay.

'She's weaker than a regular person now anyway, so there's no real need to go that far.......'

She was swaddled head to toe like a mummy, with only holes for her nose and mouth.

But they'd run out of bandages, so they couldn't quite finish wrapping her head, and her completely bald scalp gleamed.

Right after we finished dealing with Choi ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠A-ram.

The upperclassmen swarmed around us.

"Thank you so much!"

"We survived thanks to you. If it weren't for you guys, I don't know what would've happened to us......."

"That bitch Choi A-ram pulling a stunt like this, haah. As upperclassmen, we're utterly ashamed."

"If you hadn't blocked that for me earlier, I seriously......."

Kang Do-hee and Shin Se-hee, who were used to scenes like this, accepted their thanks naturally.

Lee Yu-ri and Im Ga-eul, apparently not accustomed to this kind of gratitude, wore awkward expressions.

'Gotta get used to this too. There's so much more to milk going forward.'

I was nodding to myself as I watched them from behind.

Then one of the upperclassmen approached me and spoke.

"Hey."

"Yes?"

"I saw you swinging your sword earlier. It was seriously impressive. What's your name, first-year?"

'I didn't jump directly into the rescue, so I figured they wouldn't come to me.......'

But apparently, someone had been watching me even in all that chaos.

"Jin—."

Just as I was about ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to answer, feeling a little proud.

"Hey, I'd like to thank you personally—could I maybe get your number?"

Another upperclassman cut in from behind.

"Uh, that's a bit......."

Rumble—

As if everyone had just been waiting for an opening, starting with her—

"That, that damn bitch cut in line!"

"Hey! Stop pushing!!!"

"Ah, shit!"

Even the upperclassmen who had been thanking the other party members spun around, their eyes flashing, and rushed toward me.

"Thank you! If you hadn't stopped Choi A-ram, we'd all have been finished!"

"Uh, hey! I noticed your party doesn't have a Healer—do you maybe not need a Healer!?"

"You're a Damage Dealer too, right? I'm also a sword-wielding Damage Dealer—could I perhaps get some personal instruction?"

"Hey, you asking a junior for sword lessons—!"

"If a hunter's good with a sword, they're the senior! What does age matter!"

"Sllurp! Wipe the drool off your mouth before you talk, you bitch!"

"Look who's talking!"

Murmur—

Close to several hundred women had surrounded me alone.

It felt like being a celebrity mobbed by reporters, minus the cameras.

There was something seriously dangerous in their eyes.

They weren't even my classmates—they were upperclassmen, so they had no reservations, which made it worse.

I felt more threatened than I had facing Choi A-ram when she began to demonize.

"Uh, um......."

Overwhelmed by the pressure, I took a slight step back—

"Seniors. That's enough."

"Stop it. Can't you see our party leader's uncomfortable?!"

"Heh heh, seniors. If you keep this up, things might get really uncomfortable, you know?"

"Gyaaah—! Ow, that hurts!!!"

Kang Do-hee stepped in first, wedging herself between me and the upperclassmen.

Then the utterly reliable Lee Yu-ri shielded my body with her shield.

Shin Se-hee, too, poked at an upperclassman's wound with her finger and threatened her in a low voice.

"......Eek."

"......Hng."

"Urgh—!"

Having just witnessed them obliterate a monster horde right before their eyes,

the upperclassmen had no choice but to pull back, clicking their tongues in disappointment.

Stagger—

Amidst all this, one woman approached me, clutching her stomach.

A woman with short black hair and a fierce look.

'Huh? Isn't that the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠upperclasswoman who was rude to Lee Yu-ri this morning?'

She must have gotten caught up in the mayhem too.

I frowned.

Noticing my displeasure, Kang Do-hee held out an arm to block her path.

"Don't come closer. Sunbae."

The woman glanced at Kang Do-hee and spoke.

"No, I have something to say to him personally. Fine—if it bothers you, I won't get any closer."

"Kang Do-hee, hold on."

I lowered Kang Do-hee's arm and stepped forward.

"Sunbae, you have something to say to me?"

The short-haired upperclasswoman stared at me for a moment, then abruptly bowed her head.

"I'm sorry."

"......For what?"

"For speaking to you rudely this morning. And for raising my hand to you—I apologize for that as well."

She offered her apology straight, without any excuses.

"And thank you for saving us."

I watched her for a moment and thought it over.

'Hmm, well, seeing how she's come to apologize and thank me, she doesn't seem like total trash.'

But I couldn't just accept it right away.

My being angry at this woman was partly about how she'd treated me, sure, but the core reason was a bit different.

"Yes. I'll accept your apology to me. Then, what about her?"

I placed my hand on Lee Yu-ri's shoulder in front of me.

"Huh......!? If you're the one getting the apology, I-I'm fine though?"

"No. I can't stand seeing my party members get insulted."

The short-haired woman looked squarely at Lee Yu-ri and nodded.

"......Right. I see."

Her head dipped again.

"I'm sorry. I apologize for dismissing you as a first-year, and for trying to drag you into my party without your consent."

Lee Yu-ri scratched her cheek and nodded.

"Uh, um....... It's okay. The reason I was angry was actually because she put her hands on him. Well, since the person involved seems to have forgiven you....... I don't really have anything else to say either. I'll accept the apology."

And finally.

Im Ga-eul, who had been beaming behind me with the face of a mom watching a youth drama.

I grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward.

"Eh, eh......!?"

She stumbled forward, flustered.

"H-hoobae!?"

"You might not have heard, sunbae, but you were insulted too. Like I just said, I can't stand seeing my party members get insulted."

"I-I'm not even officially in the party yet......."

"Sllurp—!"

Im Ga-eul seemed to think this wasn't quite right, but she stepped forward anyway.

"Im Ga-eul."

"Yeah, Su-hyeon."

"I'm sorr—."

"No, you know what, I don't need an apology after all."

Im Ga-eul grabbed Kim Su-hyeon by the shoulders.

"Back then, it was true that I was a burden on the party. My lacking ability put the whole party at a disadvantage. And you did your best back then."

"......."

"So, it's fine."

Im Ga-eul gave her shoulder a light pat, then turned her back without a hint of lingering attachment.

And Kim Su-hyeon's trembling eyes followed that back.

"You sure you're okay with that? That upperclasswoman earlier......."

Im Ga-eul cut me off breezily and nodded.

"Yeah. It's true that Su-hyeon has a look that makes her easy to misunderstand. But she's not a bad person. I've known Su-hyeon for quite a while, you know?"

"......."

When I stared at her, Im Ga-eul started stammering out excuses.

"W-well, of course, she is a bit heavy-handed! Her fists do the talking! She curses like a sailor! And she's so stubborn she doesn't listen to anyone one bit......!"

"Hm."

"And right now, deep down, she absolutely hates admitting this, and by tomorrow her pride will be so bruised over what happened today that she'll be snapping at everyone......!"

"Uh, sunbae?"

"She was so excited about the new students coming in this year! The reason she got penalty points and was sent on gate training was all because she skipped class secretly and went outside the academy to look after the new students, and she got caught!"

"......Just curse at her instead."

"......S-so then, I don't have to get a separate apology from Su-hyeon, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠right?"

"Yeah."

Kim Su-hyeon trembled, her face flushed with shame and deeply bowed.

"Waaah— Great! Su-hyeon! Right!?"

Im Ga-eul spun around and spoke to her in a bright voice.

"......Piss off."

What came back was a curse.

"Why!?"

Somehow, I felt like I understood why Kim Su-hyeon had come to harbor resentment toward Im Ga-eul.

* * *

The tallest building in the academy.

The main building's clock tower, top floor.

Chairwoman Rina was lost in thought, tapping the desk—tap, tap.

Lately, she had been living with a strange sensation.

It had begun at this cohort's academy entrance ceremony.

Ever since, no matter what she did or where she went, a déjà vu would wash over her, as if she had experienced this reality somewhere before.

But it was merely a feeling of familiarity.

It wasn't an ability to know the future.

At first, she thought it might be a sign of her magic evolving further and her precognitive abilities blossoming, but she shook her head.

Magic was, after all, an application of Mana.

This phenomenon was just that—a phenomenon. There wasn't a trace of Mana in it.

Her keen mind was capable of detecting traces of Mana even within a sensation.

'Perhaps the cause of my body's failure to grow, and that inexplicable imperative that I "must not step forward," are connected to this déjà vu.'

Tap—

Tap—

Her tapping fingers gradually quickened.

'But lately, the instances where this unpleasant sensation vanishes have been increasing.......'

In her mind, something she almost-but-not-quite understood flickered—an image of black hair.

That was when.

BANG—!

The door to the Chairwoman's Office flew open and an instructor rushed in with an urgent face.

"Chairwoman! An academy cadet has become a Demonized Human!"

"......What!?"

Rina's eyes flew wide with a startled expression.

But what had startled her was not the fact that a cadet had become a Demonized Human.

'That was definitely...... something that happens around the weekend.......'

Huh?

She felt something strange for a moment, but the odd confusion was erased from her mind in an instant.

Her face hardened, and she asked the instructor:

"Casualties?"

"Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of several cadets, there were no casualties! And we've also successfully secured the Demonized Human student!"

"Oh, is that so."

"Yes! It's a stroke of fortune!"

"Then for now, contact the Hunter Management Bureau and hand the Demonized Human cadet over to the department responsible for Demonized Humans. And I'll need to summon the cadets who resolved the situation."

Chairwoman Rina felt a deep sense of pride welling up in her chest, for reasons she couldn't explain.

As if she had been expecting things to turn out this way all along.

"So, who are the cadets who resolved the matter?"

She asked, her voice full of satisfaction.

"The newly admitted Cadet Jin Yu-ha, and four others!"

"......Jin Yu-ha? That name surfaces here again......?"

Though it should have been a cause for celebration, Rina's brows slowly drew together.

'Haah! I was already regretting promising that Subspace Tattoo back then......! Why did I have to get all worked up!'

She, who had promised a Subspace Tattoo over nothing more than winning a sparring match among cadets.

No matter how much she'd landed a blow on the Hunter Management Bureau over the Male Quota System issue.

Back then, she had clearly been possessed by something.

'No, I mean, of course I'm grateful they dealt with the Demonized Human! But I'm saying, leave some breathing room between achievements!'

Just how much would be milked out of this now. And just how much Seol-hee would torment her over it.

A stifled sigh rose from within.

"For now, bring them here."