The Unfortunate Grouping (2)
Fuck... What the hell is this? I couldn't wrap my head around the situation at all.
In the original flow of events, Kim Jihun and I should have ended up in the same group. Han Yuri? She hadn't even existed in my first-year academy life before.
Don't tell me they rigged the results?
Both Lee Seol and Han Yuri had enough influence to twist the group draw to their liking. But that didn't add up either.
If it had been Lee Seol in the group with me, I could have confirmed she carried memories from her past life. She would have taken some kind of action. But this was Han Yuri. Until now she hadn't shown any unusual behavior and had followed the exact same route as the previous round.
I had no way of knowing if this was pure coincidence or if Han Yuri had deliberately changed it.
While I chewed on my lip, Kim Jihun grinned and clapped me on the shoulder.
"Whoa! That's life for you, isn't it?"
"Shut up. My head's pounding right now."
"Yeah, I get it. Teamed up with Han Yuri of all people—what shitty luck. They say she was ranked number one back in hunter high school for people nobody wanted on their team. Tsk... Well, what can you do? For every winner there's a loser! Kahahaha!"
I wanted to smack that annoying smirking face, but I didn't have the energy for it right now.
Looking around, the reactions were split down the middle. Some kids were glowing with joy, others drowning in despair. There were generally two ways to enter the Academy: graduating from hunter specialized high school and riding the escalator in, or taking the entrance exam like me and Kim Jihun. It was only natural that the kids who'd been grinding since high school held the advantage. They openly looked down on late entrants, calling us mutts.
The white ring on their left index finger was proof they'd graduated from that specialized school. That was how they separated the first-tier from the second-tier.
They even split us into separate groups during orientation.
The noisy ones chatting away were mostly first-tier. The ones quietly observing the situation after just enrolling were second-tier.
"Ha... This is driving me insane. Our team's got two pieces of trash."
"Ugh... How did it come to this... Hang in there. At least we've only got one."
The fact that they could say it out loud like that made any further explanation unnecessary.
Anyway.
I need a way out of this.
To claim the opportunities and rewards hidden in the Academy, group activities were essential. Solo play was nearly impossible. That left only one option—switching groups.
"Hey, Jihun. You've made some friends, right?"
"Yeah. The office raid crew. Didn't I mention them?"
"Introduce me."
"Out of nowhere? Sure, whatever."
Complaining to the professors would be pointless anyway. They'd just parrot the same crap about fairness and equality. A trade, though—that was different. If the parties involved agreed to swap, what could the school possibly do about it?
But.
"Ah, Group Two? Isn't that the one with Han Yuri? Sorry, I can't switch with you."
"Group Two... I'm not really comfortable with Han Yuri..."
"She's a total lone wolf. The rumor that she refuses to work with teams has already spread like wildfire through the second-tier. Why the hell would anyone join that group?"
Every attempt was a failure. If it had been Lee Seol, these same guys would have rolled their eyes and nodded in a heartbeat.
Fuck. Fuck. It was checkmate. A complete dead end.
If I stayed here any longer I'd lose my mind from sheer frustration. For the sake of my mental health, I needed to get outside.
"I'm heading out first."
"Huh? Aren't you going to talk with your team?"
"I should, but I'll catch you later."
It hadn't even been ten minutes since the draw, yet Han Yuri was already nowhere to be seen. True to her reputation as the queen of doing things her own way.
The reason I felt so uneasy was simple. Once a group was decided, you had to live together for an entire year. Literally sharing everything—joys, sorrows, the works. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say you spent twenty-four hours a day in each other's space.
This was exactly why that bastard Jihun had declared he'd drop out if he got stuck in a mixed-gender group. Wouldn't it be a problem for men and women to sleep in the same room? Any issue that arose meant immediate expulsion. No exceptions.
Hunter work often required sharing tents or living spaces, so causing trouble even here would kill any chance of a proper career.
"Sigh..."
I lay down on the grass in the plaza and stared at the sky. Whether it knew how I felt or not, it was painfully blue.
Should I just drop out?
But I quickly shook my head. In a few months, she would arrive at the Academy. The one I'd been forced to cut ties with so unfairly in the first round.
I have to endure at least until then.
Since it had come to this, I might as well try to think positively. Han Yuri was ranked second among first-years. If I used her properly, I could sweep up all the opportunities and rewards I'd been planning to abandon.
The only problem was the timing of her awakening as a witch...
From what I remembered, after her father's funeral her contact with me had increased dramatically. Just thinking about that time made me want to die. Who knows what possessed me, but I'd stayed with her all night while she cried over her father's body.
For a daddy's girl like her, that was probably the trigger.
In other words, if I was careful around that period, there was no reason for her to develop an obsession with me.
Living together is going to be absolute hell... but I only need to endure one year.
Just close my eyes and grind through one year of bullshit. After one year of that, I could return to those happy days. To the times when I walked the streets with the woman who truly understood me and loved me.
While I lay there with my eyes closed, I suddenly felt a cold sensation against my left cheek. When I opened my eyes, an unfamiliar girl was holding out a drink. She had brown bobbed hair and a pretty way of smiling with her eyes.
"What are you doing here? Meditating?"
"Not meditating..."
What should I say? After a brief moment of hesitation, I decided to keep it simple since it was too much trouble.
"I'm doing photosynthesis."
"Pfft. Photosynthesis? What kind of plant are you? That's such a funny way to say it."
Without hesitation, she sat down right beside me. When I gave her a puzzled look, she asked with a surprised expression.
"Wait, you don't know who I am?"
"Sorry. I'm not great at remembering names."
"Ah, that's a little disappointing. Not even knowing the name of the person you'll be working with from now on. Can someone like that really be the group leader?"
Working together? Group leader?
Oh... So this must be Choi Ahyeon.
Since she wasn't in my memories, she probably hadn't been particularly outstanding in the previous round either.
"That's disappointing? I've known about you since the entrance exam. Mr. Dead Last."
"..."
She was right. Back then I hadn't been particularly attached to hunter work. It was more like if it worked out, fine—if not, whatever.
"I remember because I ranked right above you. After the test I went to talk to you, but you were chatting with your friend."
"Ah. Jihun?"
"Yeah! The sporty-looking guy with the crew cut."
Sporty-looking. The way she packaged his ugly mug like that showed she had a pretty good personality.
"Anyway, as a gesture for our future teamwork. Here!"
"Thanks. I'll enjoy it."
It was Zico—my favorite drink. Had she heard it from Jihun? I had no idea how she knew my preference, but I'd gratefully accept it.
I emptied the can in one refreshing go and stood up.
"I'm heading to the dorm now. What about you?"
"What kind of question is that? If the needle goes, the thread follows! Let's go right now!"
The Academy ran on a strict ranking system. High ranks received hotel-like rooms and meals. Low ranks got places barely better than slums. Hunter ranks ran from F to S, and first-years were naturally mostly F-rank. Choi Ahyeon and I crossed the Academy grounds toward the most remote area.
The place we arrived at was truly a spectacle.
"Wow... This is pretty bad..."
"I agree completely."
The building looked so flimsy it could collapse at any moment. Paint was peeling everywhere, and plenty of windows were broken.
"Let's go in."
"Yeah."
Creak. The rusty front door opened with a groan. The moment we stepped inside, all kinds of noise flooded out.
"Kyahahahak! Kiyoooot!"
"To the moon! Let's ride the limit!"
The soundproofing was nonexistent, so everything inside was clearly audible. And then—
"Kuh! That bitch is so fucking loose! How many dozens of guys have you spread your legs for! Ugh! I'm coming!"
"Ahng! Oppa! Outside! They said today is a dangerous day!"
"Then get pregnant! Fuck it, I'll take responsibility!"
Cringeworthy sex noises between men and women drifted out here and there. Thanks to that, an awkward current flowed between us.
"..."
"...It's a complete mess."
"Haha. Yeah. I didn't expect it to be this bad."
Seeing her scratch her reddened cheeks in embarrassment, it was clearly more than a little mortifying for her. We should move along quickly.
Our room was at the very end of the top floor. First-year F-rank. The absolute bottom of the hierarchy.
When we finally reached the room and turned the doorknob, the door opened with a long, drawn-out creak. What we saw was a woman studying with the sunset behind her. It was Han Yuri.
Her beauty that could rival a Miss Korea contestant combined with that dreamlike atmosphere left us momentarily speechless.
"Wow... She's seriously beautiful."
Had she heard Choi Ahyeon's words? Han Yuri looked at us like we were insects. Then her eyes met mine. Her contempt-filled pupils trembled violently. She whipped her gaze away and plugged earphones into her ears, making it clear she had zero intention of talking.
"Um, hey Yuri? We're here now?"
"..."
Complete and utter ignoring.
Choi Ahyeon scratched her cheek awkwardly.
"Hmm. Being ignored so blatantly just makes me want to rise to the challenge... Let's head in, Seonghyun."
"Yeah."
Despite the blatant dismissal that would have offended most people, Choi Ahyeon entered the room with a face full of determination instead.
The room was about the size of a studio apartment with one bathroom. The window frame had gaps wide enough for cold wind to whistle through. This was supposed to be the dormitory of Korea's top Academy. Really...
I can only laugh bitterly.
Choi Ahyeon seemed fascinated by everything and went off to explore the hallway after looking around the room. Meanwhile, I stared down at the back of Han Yuri's head.
One year...
Just imagining it made it hard to breathe. I'd originally planned to use her to clear high-difficulty dungeons, but I doubted she'd follow my orders. In the previous round, the story of Han Yuri not exchanging a single word with her group members for an entire year was so famous that everyone knew it. It looked like it would be the same this time.
For today I'll just sleep and start dealing with it tomorrow...
I turned to grab some bedding, but from behind came the sound of a chair crashing over. At the same time, a spine-chilling sensation washed over me. Turning my head would be too slow. Relying purely on instinct, I reached back and seized a slender wrist.
But the dagger that broke through my grip still reached right in front of my throat.
"What the hell are you doing, you bastard...?!"
A voice like jade beads rolling across a silver tray. But—
"What the hell are you doing?!"
A shout filled with pure terror rang out.