Episode 2: Take off your clothes
"Tutoring?"
"Are you saying you want to teach Academy students one-on-one?"
"That's right."
"Will that even make money?"
Tutoring, of all things, and for Academy cadets at that.
Unless they were at a certain level, they wouldn't even look at me.
And that made sense.
The opponents were cadets from the Korea Hunter Academy, known as the best among all Awakened in Korea.
The pride and confidence they had in their skills were of a kind that couldn't be overcome easily.
"Sunbae, you were a student there, so you know. You'll pull your hair out dealing with those kids."
A vicious meritocracy.
In the Hunter society, if you didn't have the skills, even graduates were looked down upon.
It seemed like a reckless business to start with nothing but the title of a Korea Academy graduate.
"Wouldn't it still work if I'm from the Daesung Guild, the number one Hunter guild?"
"So, did it work?"
There was no answer.
Obviously.
They got rejected.
"Ahem. But it's a business with enough potential."
Bong-sik, who had cleared his throat, changed the subject.
"Be honest, Sunbae."
"About what?"
"You came to recruit me because you're eyeing my title, right?"
"......."
When he met my eyes, he looked away.
"Ahem!"
Unable to meet my eyes in the end, he coughed for no reason and rested his elbows on the table.
"Yeah. I came because I needed that title. Valedictorian of the Korea Hunter Academy. If nothing else, with just that, we could sweep up all the tutoring business......."
"You know that's impossible, Sunbae."
"......."
"The Association stripped me of my qualifications. My status as a Korea Academy graduate, my record of having been a Hunter—it was all erased, so what's the point now? And you saw it yourself, Sunbae, my title disappearing."
It was the price of clashing with Daesung, the number one company in the industry.
I lost everything I had dedicated my life to achieving, but I have no regrets.
Even if I went back, I would have made the same choice.
Bong-sik, who had been watching me silently, lowered his voice.
"Let's talk between us. Honestly, doesn't that title the Association erased mean nothing for tutoring? Most of the time, being labeled a Villain only happens when you enter dungeons or use your abilities against civilians. If anything, we're trying to help lost children get on the right path. What's there to be ashamed of?"
He wasn't wrong.
The criteria the Association uses to classify someone as a Villain is when they enter a dungeon with forbidden abilities or inflict harm on Awakened or civilians.
But there's no chance of that happening with tutoring.
However.
"Teaching kids isn't my cup of tea."
Especially arrogant Hunters.
I don't want to get into pointless emotional fights.
"Are you really going to be picky about your tastes when it comes to making money?"
"You know I'm not the type to move around just for money."
"Haa, are you really not going to do it?"
"If I find a kid worth teaching, maybe. Otherwise, I won't do it."
"So you'll do it if there's a kid worth teaching?"
"Yes."
The reason I said teaching kids wasn't my cup of tea was simple.
It's because I get angry when I see guys who can't understand the basics.
It's rare to find someone who understands properly even after being told ten times.
I didn't have the patience to make such guys understand.
However.
'Kids who digest things immediately when you tell them once are different.'
At least they don't make me repeat the same thing.
Since I wouldn't be stressed, it's worth meeting them at least once.
Bong-sik tapped his fingers and asked me.
"Then let's go together just once. There's a kid good enough to pique your interest."
"You're really persistent, Sunbae."
"A salesman has to be persistent. You need the guts to visit twenty times even if you get rejected ten times."
Wait, a salesman?
"Don't tell me you intended to leave the teaching of the kids entirely to me?"
"Ahem! That's just a figure of speech. Ahem, ahem. Do you really think I'd leave it all to you? I'm a guy who's supposed to be running a business."
"Anyway, are you saying there's a decent kid?"
"Of course. I told you before. I'm already running the business. We have quite a few teachers on our team. But there's one friend that the teachers say is hard to handle. The kid is smart, but doesn't cooperate well with the teacher....... Uh, I haven't finished talking yet."
"I told you. I have no intention of teaching kids who don't listen."
"If you look at her notes, she's smart."
"Is the practical part the problem?"
"That's about it."
That's the most annoying case.
Kids who have a lot in their heads so they know a lot, but can't apply it in real combat.
The problem is that they often can't digest the teacher's advice well either.
Why?
Because of the arrogance of thinking their own way is right.
"How long are you going to live just feeling bitter?"
"......."
"You have to take revenge. You've been wronged by Daesung, are you just going to spend your time here feeling bitter like this? The great Kim Si-woo?"
"Bong-sik Sunbae, watch your mouth."
"It's just a figure of speech. Frankly, you didn't do anything wrong. It was all them, and you didn't even kill anyone."
I didn't answer.
No, I couldn't answer.
It was because of the pledge with Daesung.
A pledge not to open my mouth about that matter.
The pledge I made in exchange for dropping the lawsuit and making it as if it never happened.
"Anyway, think about it. If the kids you raise become the best in the world. Daesung will make a deal with you to scout your students, and then you might be able to resolve the bad blood that's built up, right?"
My head flashed at Bong-sik's words.
If the student I taught becomes the best, just like he said?
'Couldn't that also be my weapon?'
I'm someone who only had passive skills.
I have the disadvantage of not having any useful active skills, but my skill is one that assists growth.
Until now, I only used it for myself because there was no one around I could trust.
But if I use this skill on students and make them strong, the existence of the disciples who grew because of me will become my weapon.
If I get such people recruited into guilds that can keep Daesung or Taesan in check, rather than them.
Wouldn't revenge against Daesung be possible someday?
The mistake I made when I stood against Daesung was that I charged in as an individual named Kim Si-woo.
But what if I become a group that is equivalent to that, rather than an individual, and charge at those bastards?
'It's worth a try.'
"I'll pay for the business trip. You can refuse if you don't like it after doing it. How about it?"
"How much will you pay?"
"Two million won."
"That's a lot for a single business trip."
"I told you, we make a lot of money."
"If I really don't like it, I'll walk out on your business and everything right there."
"Doesn't matter. If you say you can't do it, I have to spit back the money I received from that friend."
The amount of money wasn't important.
It was important that I was receiving a price worth that much.
"Understood."
"Good. Then let's see each other after work tomorrow."
"Let's do that."
Bong-sik, who finished the deal, stood up from his seat.
I also took the next customer.
"I'll take the appraisal!"
It was an ordinary daily life.
A daily life with nothing special.
It was a much more stable and less burdensome job than when I entered dungeons to live as a Hunter.
However, the earnings were quite disappointing.
No matter how much I was at the top of the appraisal industry, how much could a salaryman earn?
It was barely enough to compare my income to a C-rank Hunter.
Even if the income was disappointing, it was too disappointing.
While doing appraisals, I often remembered my active days when I ran around inside dungeons.
It wasn't just because of the money.
The thrill and tension felt on the bloody battlefield were things I couldn't feel anywhere else.
Seniors who started as Hunters before me had said this.
'Dungeons are a drug. Once you taste the dungeon, you can't escape it.'
I didn't know what it meant, but these days, I sometimes think I'm starting to understand.
"I really want a fucking cigarette."
I thought of the cigarettes I had quit after stopping Hunter work.
Ring-ring!
The bell signaling the end of work rang.
I immediately packed my bag and stood up from my seat.
"Good work."
"Huh? Leaving work already? There are still a lot of customers looking for Si-woo-ssi today."
The team leader seemed to secretly want me to work overtime.
But it was impossible today.
I had a 2 million won side job.
"Are you done?"
"Don't you have work, Sunbae? Waiting for 30 minutes already."
"I'm a busy person, you know."
I got into Bong-sik's car.
"Isn't this a pretty expensive foreign car? Your earnings must be really good, Sunbae."
"I told you I earn quite a bit."
Feeling Bong-sik's smooth handling, I moved to meet the smart tutoring student he mentioned.
Although all I did was chat with Bong-sik in the passenger seat.
The place we arrived at was a somewhat shabby house to be seen as the home of someone who hires a tutor expensive enough to pay 2 million won for a business trip.
"This is it."
"It doesn't look like they have enough money to pay 2 million won for a business trip."
"That's because I gave a bleeding-heart service."
"How much is it?"
"Five million won per semester, per person."
"The price is huge."
"It's on the cheap side if you think about the Academy tuition."
Well, the Academy tuition exceeds 20 million won per semester.
Students with good grades get scholarships, but what about those who don't?
A place where you have to pay a dizzying amount of money just to attend.
But if you graduate from the Academy like that, your life is on a smooth track, so it was worth investing.
"The children of wealthy Awakened must be the main target."
"For the most part?"
Bong-sik smiled and said.
"Of course, there are kids who aren't."
"What do you mean?"
"We charge less tuition for kids with good grades. It's a bit of a scholarship concept. We're raising such amazing kids. It's that kind of concept."
"Is this friend also such a target?"
"No. I told you. Her practicals are a mess."
I thought the student's condition might not be as good as I thought.
"Let's meet her first."
"Let's go."
Ding-dong.
-Who is it?
"Yoo Ara student, it's for the tutoring."
-Ah....... By any chance, is it that person from last time? That person wasn't very good.
"I brought a new teacher. The skills are certain."
A moment of silence followed, and soon the door opened.
The person who opened the door was a woman with youthful skin.
She, who had tied her waist-length black hair back, was looking at us with tired eyes.
Did she study all night?
She was exhausted.
It's something every Academy cadet has.
Vicious fatigue.
No matter how much of an Awakened one is, Academy classes were too tight to keep up with.
That must be the reason.
Or maybe she became hysterical because of her grades.
One thing was certain.
Even though she was exhausted, her appearance was noticeably beautiful.
She must have been quite popular within the Academy.
Those brown eyes that shone brightly amidst her beauty were impressive.
"Is this person the new tutoring teacher......?"
"Haha, that's right. The teacher who will teach our student Ara. To introduce some representative history......."
Bong-sik glanced at me for a moment and opened his mouth.
"He's a former valedictorian of the Korea Hunter Academy."
At that one word, Yoo Ara's expression changed.
"Valedictorian......graduate?"
At the look of disbelief, Bong-sik took out a document.
It was the valedictorian graduation certificate I had received in the past.
"The Academy seal is clearly stamped here, right? Haha, he's a very reliable teacher."
"Ah......."
As Yoo Ara made a gesture to examine it closely, Bong-sik quickly put the document into his chest.
"Now, then, I'd like the teacher to briefly grasp student Yoo Ara's condition and move forward with the progress today."
"Bong-sik......no, where will the Representative be?"
"I have someone to meet right in front of here. Please give me a call when you're done."
Bong-sik, who made a phone shape with his hand and shook it, closed the door and went out.
Thud.
So I was left alone with the student.
"You're a Sunbae who graduated as valedictorian?"
"That's right."
"But why aren't you doing Hunter work......."
"There are various circumstances."
"Ah......."
An awkward atmosphere continued.
"Let's set aside circumstances and such, I came to teach a student now, so let's focus on that."
"Ah, yes."
I was guided by Yoo Ara and entered her room.
It was a small house with one room and a living room.
It must have been a self-sufficient house prepared separately by her family to commute to the Korea Academy.
It was desolate for a house where a woman lives alone.
The room was full of numerous books about Awakened, Hunters, and dungeons.
I could feel how sincere she was about Hunters.
"I received a report that you are strong in written exams and weak in practicals, is that correct?"
"Yes, that's right. My written scores are almost perfect, but......."
"And practicals?"
"I'm failing."
This was troublesome.
The weight of written exams at the Hunter Academy is 30 percent.
No matter how perfect you get on the written exam, if your practicals are failing, you can't escape a failing grade.
So the student named Yoo Ara in front of me right now is not just a student who is good at written exams.
'She's a kid on the verge of expulsion.'
"You've already failed once, right?"
"Yes."
"Then you'll be held back this year and next year......."
"That's not possible."
"Why?"
"I've already been held back once. If I fail here, I'm expelled."
Yoo Ara's face turned red with shame.
I wondered why she applied for tutoring with expensive money.
Expulsion.
This is hopeless.
The Korea Hunter Academy was famous for being a cruel competitive society.
Students who did not meet the standard in the regular exams, which are held a total of 4 times a year, received failing grades, and students who received failing grades twice a year were all held back.
It was because of the Korea Academy's school tradition that only the strong can survive.
It was famous for ruthlessly expelling students who had been held back once if they were held back again.
'They chose to kick them out rather than have failing students die in dungeons.'
"I absolutely cannot fail this time. That's why I even applied for expensive tutoring....... I can't collapse here. I absolutely must become a Hunter."
I could feel desperation in her voice.
But being desperate doesn't solve everything.
"But if your practicals are failing, you won't be able to avoid failing this time either."
"That's why I spent a lot of money to find teachers. You can help me."
Bong-sik Sunbae.
You said she was a kid worth raising.
This is a total bust.
No wonder the business trip fee was expensive.
"Are you that desperate? Enough to do anything?"
"Yes. I've bet everything on this."
"Bet everything, huh......."
If that's the case.
Let's see how far her resolve goes.
"Then, first, why don't you take off your clothes?"