092. Hunter Management Bureau (1)

Hunter Management Bureau, Director's Office.

"Chiefy! Chiefy! Did you see this!?"

A girl with odd-colored eyes waved her phone at a blue-haired woman sitting with her arms crossed on the desk.

"......You're being disruptive. Ji So-yeon. I told you to be quiet in the Director's office."

"But it's so boring everywhere else."

"And I'm the Director, not 'Chiefy.'"

The woman called the Director, Kim Ji-won, rebuked her in a cold voice,

but the odd-eyed girl, Ji So-yeon, continued without lowering her energy.

"No, no. Look at this, I'm telling you! Fighting Dog and Cheonhwa, they're only first-years but they've already formed a party!"

"Well, those two were always promising prospects......."

"But the surprising thing is! This guy! Passing over both of them, this boy is the party leader! And on top of that, Cheonhwa said he's stronger than both herself and Fighting Dog!"

"Hm? Stronger? A boy?"

Only then did a glimmer of interest appear on the blue-haired woman's face.

"Yeah, yeah! Look at this!"

Ji So-yeon zoomed in on the photo she was looking at and shoved it toward her.

"He's super hot right now! They say he's good-looking!"

Kim Ji-won, the Director of the Hunter Management Bureau, narrowed her eyes at the black-haired boy on the screen, a sense of déjà vu telling her she'd seen him somewhere before.

"I kind of want to see him in person....... Do you think he's good-looking in real life? Or is it just the photo?"

"Tch, stop wasting your energy on pointless things."

"Now that you mention it, today's the day they report back from the Demonized Human Extermination Squad at Velvet Academy, right? Ah, I should contact Seol-hee!"

"Ji So-yeon! You, again, doing whatever you......! You're calling Baek Seol-hee here!?"

So flustered was she that Kim Ji-won uncrossed her arms and hurriedly tried to stop her,

but Ji So-yeon hid her phone and stuck out her tongue.

"Already sent it, tee-hee. Think Seol-hee can bring him? I hope she does—!"

Haaah—

Kim Ji-won leaned back in her chair and let out a sigh.

"If the Slaughter-Crazed Bitch is coming....... I'll have to tell the Demonized Human Surveillance Team to suspend their schedule and keep their heads down. They probably still haven't gotten over the aftermath from last time......."

Then, suddenly.

'Wait a moment. Come to think of it, the face that came up in those two recent Demonized Human cases....... And that boy's face just now......!?'

Kim Ji-won belatedly realized the source of her déjà vu and her eyes flew wide open.

* * *

"N-next...... page. Please...... turn to it......."

The weekend passed, Monday came again, and here I was in Instructor Yoo Mi-ra's 「Basic Monster Understanding」 class.

It was a class for the entire first year. Meaning, all my party members were attending together,

but Kang Do-hee sat far off by herself.

She wasn't so much as glancing my way.

'I guess I did go a bit overboard yesterday.'

Kang Do-hee was so fiercely protective of her personal space that it was hard to get close without pushing in a little.

So I'd deliberately crossed the line a bit, but who knew that kind of scene would suddenly come on TV.

— It's only natural to save a party member when they're in danger.

The scene of me reaching out my hand to the male quota students in crisis.

— Oh, don't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠get the wrong idea!

— Oh yeah?

— Th-this is a video from the Demonized Human, oh yeah, I mean the misunderstanding incident that was forwarded to me before! I checked it a while ago and turned off the TV and left it, but it seems the video I'd left playing was still there! L-let go! So I can turn off the screen! Ah, I said let go!!!!

Kang Do-hee floundered in my grip, babbling out all sorts of excuses.

I got a little carried away because it was a side of the puppy I rarely ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠got to see.

— It's only natural to save a party member when they're in danger.

On top of that, the video was on repeat.

After I'd pummeled those male cadets about thirty times and saved the quota guys about thirty times,

I finally let her go around the time Kang Do-hee was begging me to please release her.

'Whew, why did she have to swing her fists around so viciously.'

I seriously almost died.

I was still sore even after using a Healing Potion.

I rubbed the back of my neck and looked ahead at Instructor Yoo Mi-ra, who was conducting the lesson.

For some reason, she looked extremely cowed.

"......So, what I mean is. You can only touch this monster...... tw-twice. Because you, you all only have two hands! Ahahahaha......."

Even though she just tried a moderately witty line, her voice was so deflated that the mood was ice-cold.

My eyes suddenly met the instructor's, who was wearing a tearful expression.

She flinched in surprise and averted her gaze.

'What's with her?'

"......N-next page! The, the characteristic of the Giant Monster you're currently viewing is......!"

This was boring because I already knew it all.

Well, it's because they're all monsters I've seen every day in the game.

If you read through the Velvetsra Giant Monster list on Namu Wiki about ten times, you reach the point where you can rattle this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stuff off with your eyes closed.

"Are you bored?"

As I was doodling and zoning out, Shin Se-hee whispered softly from beside me.

"Mmm, a little, I guess....... It's all stuff I already know."

"Fufu, I thought so. But hang in there a little longer. There isn't much class time left."

I stared blankly at Shin Se-hee for a moment, then asked her something I'd gotten curious about.

"Now that you mention it, your name got a bit of exposure during this Utopia Party activity. Has the Shin Family said anything about it?"

"It's fine. The Shin Family never really liked me getting the spotlight in the first place."

"Hm?"

"The family's position from the start was that my older sister alone was sufficient. The place I have, I clawed out for myself through sheer desperation."

"Ah."

"But now that I've stepped back into a management role for Utopia, I'm in a position where I've taken a step back. So my family is under the mistaken impression that my sister brought me to heel. And that the Utopia Party is now Shin Su-yeon's possession."

"I see."

I nodded.

Shin Se-hee suddenly looked apologetic.

"Um....... Related to that, there's something I should apologize to you for, Jin Yu-ha."

"......Apologize? If my family mistakenly thinks our party belongs to Shin Su-yeon, that's fine."

"No, it's....... This time, your name got out as the Utopia Party leader, didn't it?"

"Yeah."

"So, in the Shin Family, there's been talk going around that you, Jin Yu-ha, are....... My sister's future husband who will marry into her family."

"Marry into her family?"

Me? To Shin Su-yeon?

When I shot her a questioning look, Shin Se-hee continued her explanation.

"Well......."

According to her, the Shin Family seemed to have unilaterally jumped to the conclusion that I was the man Shin Su-yeon had her eye on.

And so, even me, a man, being the party leader,

was considered groundwork to build up a certain track record so I wouldn't be looked down on later, when I entered into marriage with Shin Su-yeon, an S-Rank Hunter.

"I'm sorry....... That bothers you, right?"

Shin Se-hee spoke in a cowed voice.

'This is getting more interesting than I thought.'

"Nah. It's nothing. If they keep misunderstanding like that, it's actually more convenient for our side."

"Excuse me?"

"The Shin Family. In the end, you're planning to swallow it whole yourself, aren't you?"

I looked at Shin Se-hee and smiled.

"......Yes, I'm currently preparing things step by step beneath the surface."

"Then for us, it's more convenient to be known as Shin Su-yeon's party during that time. The Shin Family won't make any pointless interventions that way, right?"

"Thank you for saying that."

"Call me in when it's time to clean house at the Shin Family later. I'll cooperate."

At that, Shin Se-hee's lips trembled as she stared straight at me.

Shin Se-hee pressed her lips tight together as if holding something back.

"......Thank you. Jin Yu-ha."

"By the way, what's that Shin Su-yeon up to these days?"

I'd only asked as light small talk, but her expression suddenly brightened into a sunny smile.

That rapid shift in expression gave me chills, Se-hee.

But, our Se-hee, she was definitely smiling, so why did I feel such a creepy sensation?

"......Do you really want to know? For you, Jin Yu-ha, there's nothing I couldn't tell you......."

Shin Se-hee spoke in a low voice.

Somehow, I got the feeling that if I said yes here, I'd be dragged into somewhere deep.

Like a basement, for example.

"......No, never mind. I'm sure you'll handle it well on your own."

I answered, subtly avoiding her eyes.

A wise man, after all, does not draw near to dangerous things. Mm.

And soon, the class came to an end.

"Th, that's all for today! G-good work, everyone! I-I have an urgent matter to attend to, so I'll be going!"

Instructor Yoo Mi-ra.......

Had you ordered Coupang delivery or something?

She was sprinting away after having transformed her feet entirely into their Giant Monster form.

* * *

Craaack─

"Aaaagh—!"

The second class of the day.

My major class, Instructor Baek Seol-hee's 「Basic Swordsmanship Class」.

After finishing yet another swordsmanship lesson of a difficulty that could hardly be called basic,

I was learning grappling as an extra session.

Two legs pressing down on my body. And my arm, caught tight between them.

Commonly known as an armbar.

No matter how I tried to escape, my arm, held so solidly, had no intention of slipping free.

"Aaaagh, aaack!!!!"

I was still far from matching the instructor in raw strength, and with Baek Seol-hee putting her full body weight into bending my arm,

it felt like my elbow was about to snap backward and tear off.

Tap tap tap!!

In the end, unable to endure, I tapped her thigh three times.

"Ugh—"

Is this thing broken?

I examined the spot where I'd been caught moments before and rubbed my elbow.

"Jin Yu-ha."

When I turned my head, Baek Seol-hee was looking down at me.

"......Yes?"

I answered, cautiously inching my body backward as if on guard.

"After today's class, I plan to visit the Hunter Management Bureau. Would you like to come with me?"

"......The Hunter Management Bureau?"

"Yes."

Huh? Suddenly the Hunter Management Bureau?

That's a place you only go in the game when you're suspected of being a Demonized Human, or to get a reward after finishing a chapter.

"What for?"

"Mm, I'll be visiting on personal business, but there's someone there who wants to see you."

'They suddenly called for me there?'

Hmm, I'd thought the tutorial boss subjugation matter had been settled by getting a reward from Chairwoman Rina. Was it because this was reality and not the game?

I mulled it over for a moment before asking in a serious voice.

"......Are they calling me in this time because I subjugated a Demonized Human? Or is it about the earlier business when I was mistaken for a Demonized Human?"

At that, Baek Seol-hee's eyebrow twitched.

As expected, there seemed to be something to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it.

"No. A former classmate of mine there saw you trending online and said that if possible, I should bring you by because she wanted to see you."

"......."

I looked at Baek Seol-hee with a sullen expression.

"Now that I think about it, that did happen. The Hunter Management Bureau might be an uncomfortable place for you. I briefly forgot because I have a lot of personal matters going on."

That hadn't even been that long ago.

That stung a little.

"Well, I won't force you if you don't want to go. However, it would still be good for you to meet this person at least once......."

'This person? Is there someone at the Hunter Management Bureau who could be helpful?'

"......Mmm, fine, I'll go check it out. Whatever."

And so, I ended up going to the Hunter Management Bureau with my Instructor.