Scolding the S-Rank Hunter for the First Time
The first angry voice to ever leave my mouth was directed at the one and only S-rank hunter.
As it echoed through the hall, Chaerin finally turned to look at me, a beat too late.
"...Yuna?"
I'd only ever raised my voice at Chaerin once before. Even that had been during the bus accident, just to snap her out of her daze.
But today, I was mad at her for a completely different reason. Her behavior right now was blatantly wrong.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
At my sharp question, Chaerin's eyes wavered in confusion. She had no idea why I was pissed.
"...Yuna, why are you mad?"
"Look around you. You're the one who turned the entrance ceremony into this."
Attacking Shin Jieun, smashing the metal chair, threatening the teacher and the other kids. All of it crossed a line I couldn't tolerate.
Chaerin was destined to become a full-blown delinquent in the future. I knew she wouldn't hesitate to do far worse than this.
But that was the future. It hadn't happened yet.
At least, the Chaerin I knew wouldn't pull something like this.
Chaerin's gaze shifted to Shin Jieun. The girl was crawling on the floor, terrified out of her mind.
Chaerin glared at her coldly and opened her mouth. "Yuna, you don't get it, but that girl..."
"I know. She was just trying to use me to get in good with you."
Chaerin flinched at my words.
She must've thought that going out into the world first made her seem more mature, quicker on the uptake than me. Sorry, but not in front of me.
"Even if that's true, it doesn't justify this. All she did was give me a chocolate."
If Shin Jieun had pure malice in her heart, I wouldn't have chewed Chaerin out. But she was just a kid handing out chocolate to make connections, like all the adults yammered on about.
There was no reason for her to get treated like this.
"And the same goes for the rest of the class. And the teachers."
Sure, some of them might have ulterior motives toward Chaerin. But not everyone.
If she wrote the whole world off like that, she'd never connect with anyone.
"I don't know what you've been through these past few months."
She'd been cagey even with me.
"But that doesn't give you the right to yell at people and threaten them."
With great power comes great responsibility. Even if it's power you never asked for.
No one can live alone. We all have to share the burden to survive together.
"What you're doing right now is wrong. This isn't the Chaerin I know."
"..."
Chaerin's lips trembled.
It was the first time we'd ever clashed like this, so it was only natural.
And maybe that's why she looked like she might shatter at any moment under my scolding.
"You don't know everything about me, Yuna."
She realized her mistake the second the words left her mouth and flinched again.
...Even I felt a sting from that.
Chaerin was my precious best friend, after all.
Seeing my face, she parted her lips, realizing she'd hurt me.
But relationships are built on wounds like that. Just like growing pains in puberty.
Knowing that, I managed a gentle smile.
"That's exactly why."
I was sure this would only make our bond stronger.
"That's why I want to know more about you. What happened to you, what you're thinking. Why you acted out like this today."
I reached out and took her hand in mine.
She was trembling faintly, scared I'd push her away.
"You stayed by my side when I was hurting."
I held it like it was the most precious thing in the world.
"So I want to be by your side when you're struggling, or sad, or angry, or happy."
Tears welled up in Chaerin's eyes. Looking up at her, I smiled.
Our heights had changed so much since kindergarten. But our eyes still met the same way they had under that play blanket.
"That's why I'll try to understand you. And if you're wrong, I'll call you out. Because I'm your best friend."
Chaerin fell silent. Instead, she slowly bowed her head.
She'd understand my sincerity.
"...Sorry."
She apologized.
"You don't need to apologize to me."
Chaerin let out a resigned sigh and turned her gaze to Shin Jieun on the floor.
"Sorry."
"Ah, uh, u-uh, i-it's, it's okay."
Shin Jieun accepted the apology through sobs, her face still pale with fear. This was probably her limit for now. I'd talk to her later.
Chaerin casually plopped down in the chair next to the broken one. We were short one seat now, but whatever. As long as she'd calmed down, it was a relief.
No one else here could've stopped her anyway.
"Ahem, um, teachers, please take that student to the nurse's office, and let's continue the entrance ceremony."
The principal picked up on the cue and quietly resumed, bringing things to a close.
With the situation finally sorted, I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding.
Sorry, Shin Jieun, but I took her empty seat. Glancing sideways, I saw Chaerin sitting there, arms crossed, silent. She looked unsure how to face me after seeing me mad for the first time. Best to let the awkwardness pass.
'Thanks for staying put, my puppets.'
Maybe because the situation had been one wrong move from exploding with Chaerin on edge. I thanked them for not bursting out of the workshop door.
As I caught my breath, it hit me: every eye in the room was on me.
Students, teachers—all staring.
Ah.
I was the one who reined in the uncontrollable Chaerin.
I didn't need to think hard to know what that meant to everyone else.
Mom. I think my school life is screwed.
I really needed to fix this habit of acting before thinking when I got flustered. Another regret I couldn't dodge today.
We finished the entrance ceremony without further incident and followed the teacher's lead to our classrooms.
Surprisingly, Chaerin and I got split up.
'Whoa, didn't see that coming.'
The school knew about our relationship. No way they'd separate us on purpose.
'...Or did they?'
Class assignments were random anyway. Maybe they were just following protocol.
I was worried about Chaerin in her state, but we'd be sharing a dorm room. Priority picks were allowed for that, so at least we had that.
Stepping into Class 1, I felt the stares pouring in from all sides. I wanted to shrink into the floor.
Kids, my bad. Can you stop staring already?
And it wasn't just that.
My eyes subtly scanned the class.
These kids... why did so many of them seem like future troublemakers?
This world was built on hunter web novels. Where there was power, there were villains.
A few of those future villains caught my eye.
Ugh... isn't the villain ratio in our class a bit high?
The protagonist doesn't really shine until high school.
And that high school isn't some ordinary one.
An artificial island built through global cooperation for the growing wave of young hunters: Academy City Enpeltaun.
The hunter academy we'd enter next year, its first intake. That's where the protagonist makes their mark.
If things had gone as planned for me.
I would've awakened as a non-hunter and gone into the support track.
But now that I was a hunter, I'd end up in the hunter track for sure.
'The academy city was brand new when the protagonist starts acting up.'
That year especially saw a flood of young S-ranks—like an awakening parade. Tons of powerhouses.
Naturally, factions wormed their way in, sparking all sorts of incidents.
And the main villains driving those events? The ones who'd be called Axion.
'...Three of them are in our class?'
Diagonal front-left: Hwa Yeonhwa of Axion Envy.
And two others, a guy and a girl. Three core members of the group that shakes the world—in our class.
I was breaking into a cold sweat from the complicated mess of feelings when the teacher walked in.
A man who looked thoroughly worn by life. Unkempt beard, ponytail. He reeked of "uncle" vibes.
Hands in his pockets, he scanned the room, our eyes met, then he looked away and tapped his tablet.
Moments later, his name appeared on the board.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Park Sungu, your homeroom teacher for the next three years."
Hunter Middle School assigned the same homeroom teacher for three years to prevent incidents. Staffing shortages made rotations tricky.
"Teacher, teacher, what's your rank?!"
A kid shot their hand up with a classic childlike question.
"B-rank."
The most common hunter rank. The class looked disappointed.
Especially one girl. "Would we really learn anything from a B-rank?"
Her polite words came with a sly smile. Pale skin, white hair. A kind, caring face—but devoid of real emotion.
A-rank hunter Seo Harin. She'd hit S-rank later with an extra awakening. Pride of Axion.
That budding arrogance and haughtiness. She screamed spoiled young lady.
But the first thing that popped into my head seeing her was:
'Ugh, the exhibitionist slut.'
Her debut scene: strolling naked through a park at night in Academy City.