Take Off Your Clothes for Tutoring?
“You're saying you're going to tutor academy students one-on-one?”
“That's right.”
“Will that actually make money?”
Tutoring academy cadets, of all things. Unless you were on another level entirely, they wouldn't even give you the time of day.
And for good reason.
These were cadets from the Korean Hunter Academy, home to the cream of the crop among Korea's awakeners. The pride and confidence they had in their skills weren't the sort of thing just anyone could overcome.
“You were a student there too, sunbae. You'll pull your hair out dealing with them.”
Ruthless meritocracy. In hunter society, if you didn't have the skills, even graduates were looked down on like a joke.
Starting a business with just a Korean Academy diploma seemed downright reckless.
“Doesn't being from the number one hunter guild, Daesung Guild, give it some pull?”
“Did it work for you?”
No answer.
Obviously. He'd been turned down.
“Ahem. But it's a business with real potential.”
Jeong Bong-sik cleared his throat awkwardly and changed the subject.
“Be straight with me, sunbae.”
“About what?”
“You came to recruit me for my credentials, right?”
“……”
Our eyes met, and he looked away.
“Ahem!”
He couldn't quite meet my gaze, coughing pointlessly as he propped his elbows on the table.
“Fine. Yeah, I came for that title. Top graduate of the Korean Hunter Academy. With that alone, you could corner the entire tutoring market……”
“You know that's impossible, sunbae.”
“……”
“The association stripped my license. They erased my academy graduation records and even my hunter history. What good is it now? And you saw it happen yourself.”
It was the price of going up against Daesung, the industry giant.
I'd lost everything I'd poured my life into, but I had no regrets. Even if I could go back, I'd make the same choice.
Bong-sik sunbae, who'd been staring at me silently, lowered his voice.
“Just between us. Honestly, that title the association wiped? It doesn't mean squat for tutoring. Villain charges only stick if you're caught invading dungeons or using powers on civilians or other awakeners. We're just guiding lost kids onto the straight and narrow. What's there to worry about?”
He wasn't wrong.
The association labeled you a villain for unauthorized dungeon entries with forbidden powers or harming awakeners or civilians. Tutoring didn't fall into that.
But.
“Teaching kids isn't my thing.”
Especially not the prideful hunter types. I had no interest in pointless emotional tug-of-war.
“It's money. Who cares about tastes?”
“You know I'm not the type to bend for cash.”
“Haa, you really won't do it?”
“If a kid worth teaching shows up, maybe. Otherwise, no.”
“So if there's a kid worth teaching, you'll do it?”
“Yeah.”
The reason teaching kids wasn't my thing was simple. Seeing ones who couldn't grasp the basics made my blood boil.
Even after ten explanations, hardly any got it right. I didn't have the patience to drill it into them.
But.
Kids who can digest one explanation on the spot? That's different.
At least I wouldn't have to repeat myself. No stress, so worth a shot.
Bong-sik sunbae tapped his fingers on the table, then asked.
“Then come check it out with me, just once. There's a kid good enough to hook you.”
“You're persistent, sunbae.”
“Salesmen have to be. Gotta keep coming back twenty times after ten rejections.”
Wait, salesman?
“You weren't planning to dump the teaching on me, were you?”
“Hey! Just a figure of speech. Ahem. You think I'd leave it all to you? I'm running a business here.”
“Anyway, you're saying there's a good kid?”
“Of course. I told you, we're already in business. We've got a solid team of tutors. But there's one kid our teachers can't handle. Smart as hell, but doesn't cooperate with the instructors much…… Hey, I'm not done talking.”
“I told you, I won't teach kids who don't listen.”
“She takes notes like a pro. Sharp kid.”
“Theory's her problem?”
“More like practicals.”
The most annoying case. Brains full of knowledge that doesn't translate to real combat. And they rarely absorb teacher advice.
Why? Arrogance—they think their way is best.
“You gonna live off grudges forever?”
“……”
“Get revenge. Daesung screwed you over. You gonna just stew here? The great Kim Siu?”
“Watch it, Bong-sik sunbae.”
“Figure of speech. Bluntly, you didn't do shit wrong. It was all them. You didn't even kill anyone.”
I didn't answer.
Couldn't.
The oath with Daesung. I'd sworn silence on the matter in exchange for dropping the lawsuits and making it all disappear.
“Anyway, imagine your students becoming the world's best. Daesung comes crawling to scout them, you cut a deal, and boom—old grudges settled.”
Bong-sik sunbae's words sparked something.
If my students topped the charts, like he said?
That could be my weapon.
I only had passives. No decent actives was a weakness, but mine boosted growth.
Until now, surrounded by untrustworthy people, I'd only used it on myself.
But link it to students, make them strong, and their success becomes my arsenal.
Steer them to guilds that can check Daesung, not join it.
Revenge against Daesung? Possible someday.
My mistake before was charging in as lone Kim Siu.
But as a group force? Worth a shot.
“I'll cover travel fees. Don't like it, walk away. Deal?”
“How much?”
“Two million won.”
“Generous for one session.”
“We make bank.”
“If I hate it, I'll bail right there, business or not.”
“Fine by me. If you say no, I gotta refund her anyway.”
The amount didn't matter. Getting paid that much did.
“Alright.”
“Good. Meet after work tomorrow.”
“Sure.”
Deal done, Bong-sik sunbae stood. I took the next customer.
“Appraisals here!”
An ordinary day.
Nothing special.
Way more stable and low-pressure than diving into dungeons as a hunter.
But the pay? Lacking.
Even topping the appraiser game, salaried life had limits. Barely matched a C-rank hunter's income.
It grated.
Appraising sometimes dredged up active hunter days, sprinting through dungeons.
Not just the money. The thrill and tension of blood-soaked battlefields—irreplaceable.
Sunbaes who'd started earlier said it.
Dungeons are drugs. Once you taste it, you can't quit.
Didn't get it then. Now? Kinda did.
“Fuck, craving a smoke.”
Quit when I left hunting. Memories hit.
Ding-dong!
Quitting bell rang. I grabbed my bag and stood.
“Good work.”
“Huh? Leaving already? Lots of customers asking for Siu today.”
Team lead eyed overtime. Not today. Two-million-won side gig.
“Done?”
“You got nothing? Kept you waiting thirty minutes.”
“Busy man, me.”
I slid into Bong-sik sunbae's car.
“Fancy foreign ride. You really rake it in, sunbae.”
“Told ya.”
Smooth handling as we headed to meet his star tutoring pupil.
Just chit-chat from shotgun.
But the house? Shabby for someone paying two mil per visit.
“Here.”
“Doesn't scream loaded.”
“My bleed-out special.”
“How much she pay?”
“Five hundred thou per semester per kid.”
“Steep.”
“Cheap compared to academy tuition.”
True. Academy fees topped twenty mil per semester. Scholarships for top kids, but others? Headache money.
Graduate, though? Golden path. Worth investing.
“Rich awakener brats your main target?”
“Mostly.”
Bong-sik grinned.
“Some not.”
“Meaning?”
“Top students get discounts. Scholarship vibe. We're grooming legends.”
“This one too?”
“Nah. Practicals suck, remember?”
Sounded rougher than expected.
“Let's meet her.”
“After ya.”
Ding-dong.
-Who is it?
“Yoo Ara-ssi, tutoring time.”
-Ah…… Is it that guy from last time? He sucked.
“Brought a new teacher. Skills guaranteed.”
Silence, then door opened.
A young woman with skin like porcelain. Black hair tied back to her waist, tired eyes on us.
All-nighter studying? Exhausted.
Academy standard. Brutal schedule overwhelmed even awakeners.
Or grades stressing her out.
One thing clear: even drained, she was strikingly beautiful. Must be popular at academy.
Those amber eyes shone brightest.
“This is the new tutor……?”
“Haha, yep. Here to teach our Ara. As for creds……”
Bong-sik glanced at me, then.
“Top graduate, Korean Hunter Academy.”
Yoo Ara's face changed.
“Top…… graduate?”
Disbelieving, so Bong-sik pulled papers.
My old top-grad cert.
“Academy seal's right there, huh? Haha, solid teacher.”
“Ah……”
She leaned in; he pocketed it quick.
“Anyway, teacher, assess her quick and push today's lesson.”
“Bong-sik…… I mean, Director, you sticking around?”
“Meeting nearby. Call when done.”
He mimed a phone wave, shut the door.
Thud.
Just me and the student.
“Top grad sunbae, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Why not hunt then……?”
“Complications.”
“Ah……”
Awkward air.
“Forget that. I'm here to teach, so focus.”
“Y-yes.”
Followed her lead to her room.
Tiny place: one room, living area. Likely parents' setup for academy commute.
Austere for a solo girl.
Room packed with awakener, hunter, dungeon books. Dead serious about hunting.
“Report said strong theory, weak practicals. Right?”
“Yes. Theory's near perfect……”
“Practicals?”
“Failing.”
Tricky.
Theory's 30% at academy. Nail it, but fail practicals? Still flunk.
So Yoo Ara wasn't just theory-smart.
She's one bad test from flunking out.
“Already failed once?”
“Yes.”
“Repeating this year, next……”
“Can't.”
“Why?”
“Already repeated once. Fail again, expelled.”
Shame flushed her face. Explains the pricey tutoring.
Expulsion? Doomed.
Korean Hunter Academy: cutthroat. Four regular exams yearly; miss benchmarks, fail. Two fails? Repeat. Academy creed: only the strong survive.
Second repeat? Booted, no mercy.
Better expel flunkers than let 'em die in dungeons.
“I cannot fail this time. That's why the expensive tutors…… I can't crumble here. I have to become a hunter.”
Desperation in her voice.
But desperation doesn't fix skills.
“Practicals failing means you'll flunk again.”
“That's why I hired you pros. You can help.”
Bong-sik sunbae. “Worth grooming,” my ass. Total dud. No wonder the fat fee.
“That desperate? Willing to do anything?”
“Yes. All in on this.”
“All in, huh……”
Fine then.
Let's see how far that resolve goes.
“Alright, take off your clothes first.”