Shadows of Betrayal
During the time Lee Kang-san was active in Korea, Shin Seo-ah was part of his party as a somewhat questionable B-rank supporter for an S-rank team. The reason a B-rank hunter like her back then could party with an S-rank like Lee Kang-san was simple: she was the girlfriend of one of the party's A-rank dealers.
And not even a month later, she broke up with him and started dating another guy in the party. She kept switching men like that. Every time, the previous party member would end up a wreck and leave, only for a new one to join soon after. No one knew exactly what she did to them. But one thing was certain—the departing members had eyes that weren't quite right, like they weren't in their right minds.
Shin Seo-ah even hit on Lee Kang-san, who was S-rank himself. But he knew her true nature and turned her down, eventually leaving the changed party behind. He went looking for his old comrades he'd trusted and relied on, but they had either quit hunting or become shells of themselves. Some had even taken their own lives.
Shocked by the tragic news about his brothers-in-arms, he headed straight to America. A lot happened along the way. Even after he left for the States, rumors about Shin Seo-ah reached him periodically. And three years ago, he witnessed her smash through the River Gate as monsters poured out, earning her the title of River Gate's Guardian Saint.
He knew the boyfriend by her side back then was Shadow Mask. No telling how many that made for her. Her success always had a man beside her. And once he outlived his usefulness—or a better one appeared—she'd upgrade without a second thought. He'd thought maybe she'd finally come to her senses since things lasted a good while with Shadow Mask, but the end was the same.
No, even worse. She'd become an irredeemable criminal, forced out of hunting. Lee Kang-san didn't believe the claims that Shadow Mask had killed his comrades inside a dungeon.
Something must have happened.
Something he didn't know about. Lee Kang-san didn't know much about Shadow Mask either. Not his face under the mask, not his real name. They'd only met once, during the River Gate incident. It was brief, but he didn't peg him as the kind of villain who'd stab a fellow fighter in the back.
If anything, the knife-in-the-back type was more like Shin Seo-ah.
She'd do anything for her own success.
Lee Kang-san despised Shin Seo-ah's opportunistic side. No, he hated it. He wanted to vent more, but this was a public setting. He was here as Saint Guild's representative, not as the hunter Lee Kang-san.
"Enough pointless talk. Let's get to the point. Saint Guild claims eight shares out of ten for the S-rank dungeon's material rewards and mana stone mining rights."
"Don't talk nonsense."
The hellish negotiations kicked off.
Beep!
Finishing my workout, I wiped the sweat from my brow and turned off the TV. The last image was Saint Guild's Lee Kang-san in his massive armor and Shin Seo-ah in sleek leather armor, mace in one hand.
Shin Seo-ah. My ex who betrayed me and defected to Daesung was now a core hunter there, thriving.
"She's everywhere on TV these days."
Leading the charge at Daesung's forefront had turned her into a household name. From River Gate's Guardian Saint, she'd become Korea's Guardian Saint and one of the nation's top hunters.
Her courtroom testimony flashed in my mind, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
"Haa..."
Her lies had tightened around my neck, leading to my defeat in court. The more past memories surfaced, the hotter my thirst for revenge against Daesung burned.
What I'd wanted was to smash the unfair treatment hunters faced and ensure they got what they deserved.
I was an idiot.
Too weak to fight openly, yet I showed my hostility outright. I should've kept the knife hidden until I could assassinate the enemy perfectly.
One failure taught me how to fight giants. There'd be no second.
"Shin Seo-ah... Sorry, but you picked the wrong side."
I loosened my tense muscles and resumed my workout.
"Daesung..."
Yoo Ara trudged homeward, her lips twitching as she desperately held back a grin.
"Don't overthink it. Just forget it. Daesung's interest is fleeting. It'll vanish like wind if I can't maintain this power. So..."
In the end, it boiled down to studying harder under Tutor Siu. He was the reason she was who she was now. She could never forget that Kim Siu had saved her when she was at rock bottom.
She had to repay that debt. He'd said two years, but now she wanted to stay longer. Maybe even permanently?
"Gotta brag to Tutor. 'Daesung scouted me, and I turned 'em down.'"
Bet he'd love that. Who wouldn't, having someone Daesung wanted right by their side?
"Maybe he'll even reward me?"
Just imagining it lifted her spirits.
"Hmm~ hmm~ hmm~."
She hummed a tune, steps light, shoulders bouncing like a ballerina on pointe.
"Unnie, something good happen?"
"......"
And just like that, her good mood iced over at Lee Hye-ri's appearance.
"You still here?"
"Yeah, waiting to talk to you, unnie."
Yoo Ara faced her. The department mate who'd stolen her Tutor Siu. Technically, he wasn't hers, as Hye-ri would say—they were just tutor and student, same as her and Kim Siu.
But I started first.
She knew in her head that Hye-ri had her reasons too. That she was desperate to learn from him, driven to switch to tank with fierce determination. And that she and Kim Siu weren't in anything special yet.
But head and heart didn't always align. Like now.
Simple reason: images of Hye-ri getting the same intimate lessons kept popping up.
"What'd you wanna say?"
"Sorry."
Hye-ri apologized out of the blue.
"Sorry for what?"
Her words came out prickly despite herself.
"For going to the tutor without telling you. I was desperate too. Felt like I'd never be recognized as a tank at this rate."
"...So?"
"You wouldn't spill, so I tailed you. Saw you getting lessons from him."
Yoo Ara's face flushed at Hye-ri's words.
"Y-you s-saw th-that?!"
"Yeah."
"F-for real?"
"Saw it all."
Her head spun. What exactly? Naked massage from tutor? All the stuff they did? Sniffing his scent while clinging? The part where she came while pretending it hurt? Or peeing herself outside? If not that, then...
Not that. Please not that...
"Unnie! Unnie!"
Yoo Ara snapped out as Hye-ri shook her.
"Ah, yeah?"
"Don't worry. Didn't see much. Just that you were undressed? That's it."
She saw. She saw everything. I'm done for, shipped off to marriage market. Shame made her tremble.
Yet amid the tremors, a weird thrill coursed through Yoo Ara.
"You saw that and still wanted lessons from tutor? Why?"
"'Cause your skills exploded, unnie. Insanely."
"That's the reason? Only that? Not 'he's hot' or 'one look and I fell hard' or 'can't stop thinking about him so I had to go'? Nothing like that?"
"That sounded a bit biased, don't you think?"
Yoo Ara shook her head at Hye-ri's retort.
"Forget I said that."
"I was purely interested in Tutor Siu's abilities. Nothing else."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Nothing like what you're worrying about happened between us."
"Nothing happened?"
"My curriculum's a bit different."
"...Different how?"
"Yeah. No undressing during my lessons. So relax."
"......"
"But I'm sorry for going behind your back. Can you forgive me?"
Yoo Ara eyed Hye-ri's outstretched hand. Now calling her unnie every time. Probably felt bad, that's why.
Haa, unnie my ass. What a mess.
She should've been the bigger person as the elder, but made her junior apologize. Plus, without Hye-ri, Yoo Ara would struggle too. Dropped into A-Class mid-semester with their own cliques, their only real allies were each other.
Apologizing this much... Fine, forgive her. Be the magnanimous big sis.
"Okay. Sorry too. Acted childish for an unnie."
Yoo Ara clasped Hye-ri's hand. Not full peace, though. With Hye-ri taking lessons from Tutor Siu, hair-pulling fights might happen someday.
But not now. Yoo Ara believed that.
That morning, after clashing with Yoo Ara, Lee Hye-ri pondered deeply. Why the overreaction? The sharpness?
Does Ara like Tutor?
If so, her anger made sense. Ara's lessons were... like that. Stripping and surrendering to a man's hands. Easy to misunderstand if Hye-ri was getting the same.
Hence the jealousy.
Hye-ri decided to lie to Yoo Ara. Well, not a total lie.
No undressing during lessons.
Discipline was a separate category. Technically true.
Ara was essential to her too. Fellow D-Class transfer, same tutor, same boat. And she'd understood Hye-ri taking tank role in the second exam.
In the academy, Yoo Ara was her only reliable backup when unleashing tank potential.
I need unnie right now too.
Until she secured her spot. Hye-ri apologized with dark ulterior motives.
Plus.
Can't let unnie monopolize Tutor Siu.
She was jealous too.
"Mina! Long time no see."
"Hey, good to see you. Vacation treat you well?"
Han Mi-na returned to the academy for the new semester after ages away. Idol life or not, she was a cadet. Couldn't skip classes.
Her edge over other celebs? Stunning looks plus A-Class second-year promise as a hunter.
To keep that title, she had to attend and ace classes. Post-graduation, academy time would ease up.
But for now...
Her agency knew this was her selling point and accommodated—no heavy schedule during term.
Classes ran late today too. Second-year schedules were brutal.
"Haa, wanna crash at home and sleep like a log."
Heading home alone, Han Mi-na spotted two girls facing off at a corner.
Yoo Ara and Lee Hye-ri.
Academy famous. Rumors reached second-years: Yoo Ara's insane growth, Hye-ri's swift dealer pivot. Killer combo.
But their vibe was tense, like a taut rubber band ready to snap.
She meant to pass, but then:
"I was purely interested in Tutor Siu's abilities. Nothing else."
Familiar name. Siu? That convenience store guy resistant to hypnosis? His name was Kim Siu too.
Han Mi-na froze, eavesdropping.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Nothing like what you're worrying about happened between us."
"Nothing happened?"
"My curriculum's a bit different."
"...Different how?"
"Yeah. No undressing during my lessons. So relax."
Oh? Undressing? During lessons? Wait, is that guy a total perv?!