Reunion with Celebrity Han Mi-na
Jeong Bong-sik sat in his office, letting out a heavy sigh.
“Haa.”
There was one reason for it.
“Man, what a shame. Such a damn shame……”
Jeong Bong-sik was watching a video. It was footage of Class A's end-of-month evaluation, sent to him by one of the academy students under his company's care.
And in that video was Yoo Ara, fighting on equal footing with Baek Han-beom.
“How the hell did he pull that off?”
Bong-sik muttered as he stared at Yoo Ara on the screen. Just a few months ago, she had been a repeating student on the verge of failing everything.
Not only him, but every tutor in his company had washed their hands of her.
-This kid has no potential.
-It's over. She just won't grow.
-She'll probably get expelled from the academy after repeating again this time.
That's why he'd gone to Kim Siu. He'd seen it back when they partied together—the way that guy insanely boosted his party members' skills.
Jeong Bong-sik himself had benefited to some extent. It was just a simple tip, but that one piece of advice had led to massive growth for him. Thanks to it, he'd made a name for himself as a hunter and climbed to his current position.
He hadn't gotten direct help after Shin Seo-ah stabbed him in the back and broke up the party, but still.
So he'd hoped Kim Siu could at least pull Yoo Ara out of repeating. The guy had that kind of skill.
But.
“Straight to first in her year and into Class A……”
It was absurd growth. In just six months. No, even less if you really thought about it.
Was there anyone in academy history who'd jumped from Class D to Class A in that short time?
'No, never.'
Kim Siu hadn't just saved Yoo Ara from repeating when everyone said she was hopeless—he'd gotten her promoted to Class A. And not only that, he'd made her capable of going toe-to-toe with Baek Han-beom, the ace of Class A.
It was one or the other. Either every tutor in his company, himself included, were blind idiots who couldn't spot a star student. Or Kim Siu had some freakish talent for awakening potential.
He was jealous.
Not of Yoo Ara. Of Kim Siu, who had turned her into that.
So he'd tried recruiting him, even dangling Daesung as a veiled threat……
'It didn't work at all.'
Of course not. If threats like that worked on him, he'd already be under Daesung by now. It had been a slip from his anxiety.
Remembering the look on Kim Siu's face when Daesung's name came up……
“Haa, really such a shame. What a shame.”
If he'd been a bit smarter about pulling Kim Siu into the company, Yoo Ara's explosive promotion would've been his agency's achievement.
He swallowed hard.
The tutoring service Bong-sik ran had four levels. Basic courses for students stuck in Class D. General courses for low-tier Class C and top-tier Class D students. Advanced courses for top-tier Class C and low-tier Class B students. And finally, elite courses for top-tier Class B students.
Fees varied wildly by level, as did the curriculum and instructors.
Why no Class A? Students who made it that far didn't need tutoring. They had private sessions or hunters from guilds they'd already been scouted by coming in for real combat training.
This tutoring business wasn't aimed at Class A from the start. Regular instructors had their limits.
But if Kim Siu had been on board? Even Class A students might've been learning under his agency's roof.
Of course, things were going well so far. In just a year and a half, he had over a hundred students across the whole grade taking basic and general courses. Quarterly, that was massive revenue.
Twenty in advanced, ten in elite.
When elite students hit Class A, Bong-sik advertised it big time. Which student got promoted. Which signed with a famous guild.
Word spread among the students. They were adults, sure, but still students. Who had the cash for tutoring? Their parents were footing the bill.
He knew they had their own parent communities too. Desperate for their kids' success. He let the word-of-mouth spread. It was free marketing.
If Kim Siu had been his instructor, he'd be swimming in success right now.
“Should I try contacting him one more time?”
Bong-sik thought as he picked up his phone.
“Arghhh!!!”
Finishing training, I screamed as I shot up from my spot.
It had been a while since I'd trained like it was real combat. To test out the first S-rank skill I'd acquired: Mobility Strike.
“All smashed to bits.”
I muttered, eyeing the training equipment shattered by my fist.
The power of Mobility Strike from Lee Hye-ri was straight-up destructive. Mana-reinforced gear crumbled under one punch.
This was new. No matter how hard I hit before, nothing broke like this.
“Telekinesis was good too, but……”
This was no joke. The lightness when activating Mobility Strike, the explosive force on launch, the destructive power on punches or swings—it felt totally different from telekinesis's spellcasting vibe.
“When I eventually fight Daesung, this skill'll come in handy.”
I'd burned one use on testing, but the data was solid. Plus.
“Having two or more skills gives its own merits.”
Usage limits aside, it opened up varied combat styles. Dodge fast with Mobility Strike, then hit the spot they attacked with telekinesis. Or intercept at range without backing off……
B-rank and below hunters would be easy pickings. The issue was real powerhouses……
“Teaching multiple students should cover it.”
I stretched my sore muscles, wrapping up today's session.
“Grab some dinner at the convenience store on the way home.”
Too lazy to cook. I'd burned all my remaining energy on training—now it was home and crash.
“Whew, fixing this'll cost a pretty penny.”
As a hunter, smashing dozens meant nothing to my wallet—I earned more than enough. Not so now. Had to be careful with practice from here on.
I finished cleaning up and headed home.
“Didja see that girl who just passed? Killer body.”
“Those tits…… caught me off guard staring.”
“Isn't she a celeb? Sunglasses and mask.”
“Nah, what would a celeb be doing in this neighborhood?”
I overheard some guys talking. Brushed it off, passed them, and aimed for the convenience store.
“Excuse me. Wait up.”
A unfamiliar woman's voice called.
“Hey! Didn't you hear? Excuse me!”
Well, familiar, but the forceful tone was new. The owner I knew spoke all meek and crawling.
“Excuse me!”
I finally turned. A woman in sunglasses and a mask stood there, arms crossed, staring.
Familiar shades and a mask covering over half her face and still too big.
Han Mi-na.
'Different vibe from usual.'
This was the celebrity Han Mi-na from TV.
People change in moments for all sorts of reasons. But for Han Mi-na, only one came to mind.
Her ability: Hypnosis.
She was here in front of me as self-hypnotized celebrity Han Mi-na.
'Didn't expect her to show up as the celebrity version.'
I figured she'd hide her idol side to the end. The real deal coming herself was a surprise.
One of two reasons for this. Either total confidence her power made me forget her completely. Or she was desperate enough to seek me out.
No way to know her mind yet—I'd have to find out now.
“Who are you?”
Her face was super familiar, but I played dumb.
She'd think I was hypnotized and forgotten her.
“You don't know me?”
“No clue.”
Her drastic change had me honestly shocked. Same person?
“Really? You must…… I'm more famous than you think.”
Clack, clack. She approached, removing her sunglasses and mask.
Confident eyes, seductive smile that drew people in.
“H-Han Mi-na? No way, the real Han Mi-na?”
I feigned shock, yelling.
“Nice to meet you. Kim Siu, right?”
“Yeah, but how do you know me?”
“Ah……”
She faltered at my question, clamping her mouth shut.
Didn't think this far?
“Oh, uh, actually, I'm friends with Yoo Ara.”
“Ara?”
“Yeah.”
Bit different from what Ara said. She just seemed like a same-year with no real connection.
But no need to doubt here. Whether she and Ara were actually close didn't matter now.
What mattered: why she came.
“Something happen to Ara?”
“No, nothing like that…… Actually, it's more my problem than hers.”
“Your problem, Mi-na?”
“Yes.”
A problem bad enough for a huge celeb like her to seek out a tutor like me?
Meant she was really on the edge.
Wasn't she killing it at the academy and in showbiz?
Where was the issue?
“I heard you're a skilled tutor. Mind if I sit in on a lesson? See how you teach?”
“Sit in?”
“Yeah. My growth's been stagnant lately.”
“……”
I caught the meaning behind “stagnant growth” and shut my mouth for a beat.
'She knows I taught Ara, emphasizes their connection, and drops “stagnant growth” on purpose.'
Simple. She wanted to learn from me.
Grow her ability.
Windfall from an unexpected direction.
Just like I wanted her hypnosis, she wanted me.
I had to teach her, no matter her current level or potential.
But.
“Sorry.”
“Huh?”
“Sorry, but I can't decide on letting people observe students' lessons on my own.”
Couldn't show. Not Yoo Ara's, not Lee Hye-ri's.
“B-But……”
“It's a privacy issue for the students.”
“P-Privacy?”
“Yeah. Super sensitive stuff, showing it to outsiders.”
“Oh, r-right, yeah. Sensitive……”
Hunters had a saying: don't show your skills even to party members.
Reveal strengths and weaknesses, you bare your whole hand.
Especially Hye-ri, freshly learning Cheonryu Swordsmanship—extra touchy.
Ara would refuse flat-out. She'd been in a bad mood lately, wouldn't want outsiders in her sessions.
So I refused.
Best shot at recruiting Han Mi-na, but trust with my students was on the line.
“S-So you can't show me?”
“Yeah, sorry. Even for you, Han Mi-na, no dice.”
“Th-Then what if I get permission from the students themselves?”
Figured it wouldn't work, so hypnotize the kids?
“That won't work either.”
“Y-Yeah, figured……”
I nailed it shut for her. Couldn't let her hypnotize my students.
'I can resist hypnosis, but can't guarantee the others can.'
I had to hold the reins in this negotiation.
I set the rules, give permission—secure the high ground.
Misunderstanding? Han Mi-na flushed, seeming to convince herself.
“Got it. N-No other way then. I'll head out. Bye.”
She bowed quick and bolted.
Shame. I could've let her observe right then. Ara might hate it, but convincing her wouldn't be hard.
'Just allowing it is no fun.'
She needed to squirm a bit.
Celebrity Han Mi-na. How often had she been rejected in life?
Not much. Even less after getting hypnosis.
That's why I refused. To make her more desperate.
'If she wasn't desperate, she wouldn't have come back to me.'
Even thinking hypnosis wiped her memory, seeking out someone who'd seen her real face under the mask wasn't easy.
Missing the chance to snag her now sucked, but……
'The desperate one digs the well.'
When she felt desperate, I'd approach her.
To leverage that……
'Need Ara.'
Only one connection to Han Mi-na among my contacts: her.
'Pervert, pervert, total king pervert!'
He said he couldn't show. Must have something to hide, that's why.
No way he's actually stripping the kids and doing filthy stuff, right?
How lewd does it have to be that he won't show?
Thought about hypnotizing him to ask.
But radio schedule tonight. Hypnotize now, can't make it.
Plenty of chances. Didn't need answers from that guy anyway.
“Tomorrow, go to Yoo Ara and ask.”
Han Mi-na steeled her resolve.