Chapter 44
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Meeting (3)
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After the meeting with Hong Yu-ra.
I'd been lost in deep thought, but realizing these were issues I couldn't resolve right away, I headed back to the training ground.
The team members didn't pry into my situation—whether out of consideration or not—and thanks to that, I was able to shake off the distractions and focus on work again...
"Han-na."
"......"
"Han-na?"
"Yes, yes!?"
"Want to talk for a sec?"
"...?"
I'd carved out time during Bang Han-na's feedback session. Gauging her reaction, I casually brought it up, pretending I had no idea what was going on.
"You've seemed lost in thought since earlier... Something bothering you?"
At that.
Bang Han-na flinched as if I'd hit a nerve, then waved her hands emphatically, denying it.
"N-No!? Nothing like that!"
A strong denial often signals the opposite.
Anyone could see she was troubled.
'Is it Seo-won?'
I already knew Bang Han-na harbored a subtle inferiority complex toward Jin Seo-won.
She'd improved a lot lately, but it looked like Jin Seo-won's skills had shocked her all over again.
'...Better to play dumb here.'
"Yeah? Glad to hear it."
I smoothly changed the subject, glanced around to let a pause settle, then snuck a look at Bang Han-na before cutting to the chase.
"Han-na. How about bunking with Seo-won for just two weeks?"
That instant.
"......Pardon?"
Bang Han-na blinked blankly, like she hadn't processed it.
I kept the momentum, rattling off the reasons for the campout in a rush.
"Like I said before, you and Seo-won absolutely need to sync up. You remember, right?"
"Uh... yeah, I do..."
"So here's my idea: you two camp together to build that teamwork."
"...C-camp...?"
"Yeah. I thought about including Na-rae at first, but she doesn't need it right now."
In truth, a campout was an extreme prescription.
It could skyrocket their teamwork—or crash it spectacularly.
No need to drag Kim Na-rae into the mix when she had no issues.
"We'll cover the lodging and basics completely, of course. Planning to get a place where you only share the living room to keep things comfy."
"Uh..."
"Just two weeks. Bail anytime if it's awkward. Not gonna force it and wreck your dynamic."
"Hmm..."
Flustered by the out-of-the-blue pitch, Bang Han-na's reaction was lukewarm, like my words weren't fully landing...
'Need something with more punch.'
I mulled over a convincer for a moment, then whipped out my phone to sell the lodging perks.
"Wanna peek at the rooms first?"
"...S-suddenly?"
"Took pics just in case. Oh, and it's the same apartment as mine—know the area like the back of my hand."
"......Pardon?"
Their spot was in my building.
Petty friction between them was inevitable—someone had to play referee.
"Remember my place? Exact same layout..."
"No, wait...! The lodging's in the same building as yours...?"
"Kinda."
"N-Not that...! D-Do you, like, drop by...? N-Not that I mind! Just... more team bonding? Or whatever...!"
Bang Han-na, subtly hopeful.
To live up to it, I nodded with full confidence, rattling off the full service list.
"Obviously! Homemade dinners every weekday night. Pick the menu when we shop. No big errands? I'll drive you to and from work. Personal stuff? Car and help provided. Solid deal, right?"
Gulp—
The offer clearly tempted her; she swallowed hard, blinked her big eyes in disbelief, and asked tentatively.
"...R-really?"
"Yeah."
"F-For real? You'll actually do it?"
"Don't trust me?"
"N-No, it's not that...! Won't it be too much trouble for you...?"
"Psh. If this is trouble, I'm no producer."
After a few more confirmations, she finally seemed sold—eyes sparkling as she declared.
"I'll do the campout...!"
Felt like ulterior motives...
'Eh, good's good.'
Either way, it was heading positive—no sweat.
A little later.
I'd squeezed out some afternoon time to drop by Sejin Guild headquarters, where I was in a meeting with Lee Hye-ri and the rest about producing Black Rose.
"Our team's sitting at about 870,000 points—2nd place. Queens hasn't touched a gate lately, so the goal is to narrow the gap as much as possible before the Witch's Castle raid locks in."
Hunter team rankings were determined by total achievement points from public contributions.
They reset every season on August 1st, and current 1st-place Queens was hovering just over a million.
"Says three gates scheduled before Witch's Castle... That right?"
"Two A-ranks and one S-rank—three total."
"Hm... Feels packed. Can't shift any post-Castle?"
Im Dae-seop, Black Rose's producer, looked a bit strained.
He'd been with them nearly a decade and explained the situation politely, honorifics and all, even to someone as young as me.
"I'd love to, but the team really wants 1st at Witch's Castle."
"Hmm..."
I could totally get where Black Rose was coming from.
Longtime toppers until Queens showed up—stuck in perennial 2nd ever since.
At their peak ages now, missing 1st could mean never sniffing it again.
Sure, their foundation was rock-solid, but...
Beating Queens, who weren't even at full prime yet? Tough sell.
Still.
"I get the sentiment, but this feels too all-in without backup. Even snagging 1st at the Castle, Queens won't sleep on it—you'd be burning lifespan after that."
Competition was brutal.
Black Rose itched for a 10,000-point lead at the Castle,
but Queens resuming gates would flip that in no time.
"Witch's Castle isn't your average S-gate—even full health is iffy. Better talk the members down."
That's when.
"Then convince 'em yourself."
Lee Hye-ri, who'd been quietly observing, jumped in.
"Come on in."
She beckoned from outside.
Whoosh—
The door flew open, drawing all eyes to her,
"Excuse me."
I was caught off-guard by her unannounced entrance.
'Gong In-na!'
Black Rose's leader and S-rank hunter, Gong In-na.
Her signature black bob swaying as she entered, she greeted the Sejin folks, then spotted me—surprised but polite.
"Heard you were here, so I dropped by. Not intruding, am I?"
"No such thing. Glad you came."
And just like that, Gong In-na joined the meeting.
"Where were we?"
"Uh, talking our schedule..."
Im Dae-seop recapped while sneaking glances at me, emphasizing the tightness...
"...I see."
Gong In-na shot me a sidelong look, clearly irked at the critique of their plan.
That moment.
"On that note, Do Ji-hyeok producer has something to say. Let's hear it?"
Lee Hye-ri smoothly steered, intervening.
Meaning: if you hate the schedule, convince them yourself.
'Bring it.'
"...As you heard, I see this schedule as overreach. Even conserving stamina for the Castle feels tight."
I met Gong In-na's eyes directly.
"Not questioning Black Rose's chops—this is about post-Castle sustainability. You know Witch's Castle is brutal. No point stacking risks pre-major event."
Gong In-na's brow furrowed in annoyance, firing back deliberately.
"You know our goal, right?"
"Yep. 1st place."
"Then you know better than anyone the grind for it?"
True enough.
Few knew hunter team rankings like I did.
But.
That's why I couldn't sign off.
"One question, then. How bad do you want that 1st?"
"What..."
Gong In-na trailed off, not grasping the angle.
I pressed on, weighing Black Rose's real odds of ending the season on top.
"Black Rose finishing 1st? Slim. Cheonhwa's dumbly sidelining Queens now, but one gate a week and they coast to 1st easy."
No comeback this time.
Too obvious.
"That's why I'm asking: cling to 1st for a week with max effort, or go all-in to end the season there?"
"...Obviously end the season in 1st."
Gong In-na wanted it bad,
and I figured I'd sealed the deal, opening casually.
"Then quit the stubbornness and follow the front office."
"...What?"
"Take Im Dae-seop producer here. Decade steering Black Rose, bending pride to ask my help for 1st."
Producer's like a sports coach.
Incumbent coach begging another for aid? Rare humility.
"Producer calls it impossible. Front office backs him. Right?"
"...Can't argue that..."
With Im's nod secured, I fixed Gong In-na and dropped it.
"There you go."
But...
"...So what now?"
Gong In-na balled her fists, glaring daggers, frustration boiling.
"Chance staring us down—sit on it? How?!"
She craved 1st.
Top 0.1% S-rank already, helming near-unbeatable 2nd team—yet summit hunger burned.
"Might never get another shot! Gotta do something...!"
Maybe that's why.
Gong In-na's raw ambition for the top...
Shone blindingly in my eyes.
"That's why I'm here. To put Black Rose in 1st."
"Hey...!"
"And you're missing something... I didn't say ditch 1st. Just tweak the schedule."
"...!"
Ignoring Lee Hye-ri's stifled chuckle, I met Gong In-na's stunned gaze and declared boldly.
"I'll make you 1st. Guaranteed."
"Th-that..."
Gong In-na and Im Dae-seop gawked, disbelieving,
as I flashed a cheeky grin their way.
"Meeting resumed?"