Chapter 22
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Taming the Academy's Problem Child
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Hunter Academy is hell.
"Cadet No. 124, Han Yu-jin?"
To be precise, it's hell if you lack talent.
"Yes."
"Here are the results of your Supernatural Ability utilization evaluation from this circuit test. Yu-jin, well... You need to step up your game."
The instructor, a stern-looking man with glasses, scolded me.
"...Yes."
"It seems like you're not putting in enough effort, Cadet Yu-jin. Your mana aptitude is quite good... but you haven't grown at all compared to the start of the semester."
He pretended to evaluate me objectively, but mockery laced his voice.
"Understood."
"Out of 125 cadets evaluated, you ranked 120th... Considering that the five below you awakened less than a month ago... this is a deeply disappointing result."
Despite calling it disappointing, the man smirked with vicious pleasure at tearing into me.
"...I'm sorry."
"You don't owe me an apology. It's your parents who pay the tuition... no, the nation's expectations you need to live up to, right?"
'Fucking bastard.' He scratched at my wounds under the guise of a slip-up. He knew exactly what he was doing—he'd made the same "mistake" more than ten times before.
"Well, preaching won't help anyway, so do better next time. Return to your seat for now."
I tried to focus on the lesson as I went back, but those words lingered in my mind.
I felt even more pathetic for not uttering a single retort.
If only I had real skill. If only I could nurture my talent.
I wouldn't have to endure wounds from scum like him.
...If only I had a father.
Negative thoughts chained together endlessly.
'No, Han Yu-jin. Don't get weak.'
I shook myself and tried to concentrate, but whispers from around me drifted in.
"That's her? The one on special scholarship who's been scraping the bottom for months?"
"Ugh, last mock eval, she got scared of a low-grade monster and ran—couldn't even fight."
It wasn't fear; my ability couldn't damage it yet, so I lured it into a trap.
"Combat and theory both a mess, how'd she snag a scholarship?"
"She's that superhuman support national scholar."
"Ha! How'd a loser like her get that?"
"Her aptitude scores were high at admission, but at this rate, she'll lose the scholarship and have to consider dropping out."
'I can hear you, you assholes...' I tried to let it slide, but their sneers dragged on.
"Fuck, shouldn't we investigate the recommender? Looks like she traded favors."
"Hey, idiot, she can hear you... shut up."
"So what? Am I wrong? One spot wasted on her means someone else got bumped."
"People get pushed down the priority list just to coddle a talentless orphan bitch!"
The rationality I'd barely held back shattered in my head.
"Hey."
"Hey, behind you...!"
"You... know... shit?!"
I grabbed the fire extinguisher from the back of the classroom and smashed it down on the cadet badmouthing me.
With all my strength, one word at a time.
A sharp clang! echoed through the room as the 4kg extinguisher crumpled pathetically.
"You'll be suspended for three months."
The disciplinary instructor notified me flatly of my punishment.
"What? That's... too harsh, isn't it?" My mentor, Na-eun unnie, defended me desperately.
"No, it's actually lenient."
The instructor's voice was firm.
"The other cadet has physical enhancement abilities, so he didn't get hurt much. If it had been a mental-type, it could've been serious injuries."
"I knew that when I hit him..." I grumbled, and unnie snapped at me.
"Quiet! Yu-jin! Sir, she says this, but she's reflecting deeply."
'...Not really.'
I didn't feel sorry for that jerk at all, but watching unnie fret here because of me hurt.
Unnie was always on my side. We started distant when assigned as mentor-mentee, but she became dearer than family.
...Especially since I had no family.
'I'm the one who screwed up, so why call Na-eun unnie...'
"It's already decided. There were even complaints we handled the assault too lightly. No further objections."
The instructor scowled tiredly and bluntly showed us the door.
"Sigh... If there's no other way... fine." Unnie trudged out, dejected.
"Uh, Cadet Yu-jin? Use this suspension to reflect deeply."
"...Yes."
I replied, then flipped him off behind his back and muttered.
"Eat shit... Ow!"
"Wanna get yelled at?"
...Unnie caught me.
"Sorry, unnie..."
"Let's go, Yu-jin... Got a place to stay?"
"Hm... Subway? F-rank dungeon?"
She bonked my grinning head and offered her place for a bit.
"Thanks, unnie..."
I couldn't use the dorms during suspension, so housing was a real worry.
...Another debt to unnie. One I couldn't repay yet.
I loaded my trunk and hopped in the passenger seat.
Unnie slumped her head on the wheel with a sigh the moment she sat.
"What do I do! Really... I can't go on...!"
"Unnie, don't worry too much. Academy? I was gonna drop out anyway..." She got madder at my excuse.
"You brat! Forgot all our hard work so far? How hard I tried!"
"I know you did... But no results yet? Maybe this path isn't for me." I confessed meekly.
"Don't say that! I found someone to help you."
"...Help me?" I tilted my head, and unnie beamed.
"Yeah, reliable guy. Train hard for three months. He might turn you around completely."
"Pfft... As if." Seeing my doubt, unnie fussed.
"If I'd known the teacher sooner, this suspension wouldn't have happened..."
"Unnie..." Her self-blame tugged at my heart.
"No time to waste—let's greet him now."
"Now?"
"Yeah, he said early counseling leads to better changes."
She smiled brightly. Her smile lifted my mood too.
"Well, since you insist, unnie, I'll meet him..."
She grinned "good choice" and drove, ruffling my hair.
"Eek, ruining my hair! Stop~" I giggled, leaning into it.
"Hehe! No more trouble, maybe."
"Trouble... Couldn't help it..."
Chatting idly en route, the path felt familiar.
"So, where's the counseling office? Near your place?"
"My place."
"Huh? Oh, heading that way?"
"No, my place is the counseling office."
"What? What do you mean?"
I panicked, but unnie replied casually, nonchalant as ever.
"Well, actually... Teacher's using our house right now."
"?"
What...?
"I owed him, so offering the house repays a bit."
Her benefactor? Living together? Like roommates? Her place isn't that big...
My head filled with questions.
"Uh... unnie, just to check, the teacher... is a woman, right?"
Her answer dashed my hopes.
"? No, a man."
"What?! Unnie, are you crazy?!" I yelled, stunned.
"Why yell out of nowhere! I'm driving!"
"This calls for yelling! You... living with a guy?!" She looked baffled, explaining patiently.
"Not living together... He's just using my place temporarily."
Like it was the most obvious thing.
"Unnie... your boyfriend...?"
"Oh, that."
She said "that" so dismissively.
"?...That?"
...She used to adore her boyfriend...
"Yeah, broke up."
"Oh, sorry. Didn't know... Must hurt..."
That explained her change—heartbreak made her reckless, shacking up with anyone.
'Poor unnie...'
As her little sister, I couldn't let her stray.
"Unnie, snap out of it! Heartbroken doesn't mean live with random guys!"
She replied oddly.
"Not at all? Not that heartbroken."
"But you two were so lovey-dovey!"
"Yeah, we were..." She paused, reminiscing, then dropped a bomb.
"Hehe, looking back, no idea why I got so close to 'that'."
"Unnie..."
I remembered their goosebump-inducingly sweet couple vibe—no cracks.
Definitely, some weird guy bewitched her.
"This because of the teacher now?"
"Not 'because'—thanks to him."
Worse than I thought. Heavy gaslighting; she spouted nonsense like it was normal.
"...Unnie, let's meet him quick."
'Whoever you are... messing with unnie like this? You're done!'
Looks like I'd resort to violence twice today.