Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Han Yoo-jung (5)
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With a heart full of unease, I called out Han Yoo-jung's name from afar and ran toward her.
Strangers' gazes turned toward me.
I pushed past them and planted myself in front of Han Yoo-jung.
"Who...?"
A girl about Han Yoo-jung's age stepped forward cautiously and spoke.
"Hello! I'm Yoo-jung's friend."
"Pardon?"
"I'm Lee Ji-hye!"
Han Yoo-jung's friend?
I furrowed my brow, and from behind me, Han Yoo-jung tugged lightly at my suit sleeve.
She nodded, so without thinking, I asked,
"You had a friend?"
"Mister..."
Han Yoo-jung shot me a hurt look.
Oh no.
I glanced at Lee Ji-hye and the man, then whispered an excuse in a small voice.
"No, I mean, you don't go to school... and you've never gone out to meet friends."
"I did finish middle school."
"Ah. A middle school friend?"
"...Yeah."
Her response somehow felt half-hearted.
She didn't seem glad at all.
Lee Ji-hye flashed a friendly smile and said,
"Yoo-jung and I are middle school classmates. I never imagined we'd run into each other here. I was really bummed when you suddenly stopped coming to school and cut off contact."
Thinking about the timing, it must have been because of the Heavenly Killing Star.
I hesitated between casual and polite speech, then opened my mouth.
"I see. You two must have been close."
She's out in society now.
With a manager-looking guy by her side, she seemed like a promising prospect with high expectations.
Since this wasn't a private meeting introduced by Han Yoo-jung, polite speech felt right.
"Yes, we were really close."
Lee Ji-hye answered confidently, then turned to Han Yoo-jung with a sly smile tugging at her lips.
"Yoo-jung, you awakened too?"
"Yeah."
"Looks like you're pretty impressive since you've got a manager. What ability?"
"......"
"Too sudden? Sorry. Oh, so that's why you cut off contact and vanished back in middle school! It was because you awakened, right?"
"No."
"Not that? When did you awaken then?"
"A month ago."
Lee Ji-hye's warm smile twisted into a sneer for a split second before returning to normal.
It was a smile that plainly screamed, I win.
And Han Yoo-jung's dry responses...
Are they really friends?
It felt just like watching Lee Ji-ah and Han Ye-rim talk.
The atmosphere was that chilly.
"Actually, I awakened right after you disappeared. Turns out I had more talent than I thought. I joined a mid-tier guild in just a year and prepped to become a hunter, you know."
"Congrats."
"But I've been preparing for a year, and you've only been awakened a month..."
Lee Ji-hye paused thoughtfully, then chuckled.
"Think of this as a good experience and aim for next time."
"Sure."
"Oh, wanna see my weapon? The guild sponsored it since I'm taking the qualification exam..."
Lee Ji-hye pulled out her gear to show off to Han Yoo-jung.
She kept babbling on and on with her bragging.
Han Yoo-jung crossed her arms, looking annoyed. As she made her dislike obvious, Lee Ji-hye's voice grew even more lively.
Watching that, I clicked my tongue.
So that's what it was.
There's always that one type.
The kind who puts others down to boast about themselves.
When they meet an old friend after a long time and realize they're doing worse, they splash around like fish in water.
Now I understood why Han Yoo-jung had been reluctant. She must have known it'd turn out like this the moment their eyes met.
The first qualification exam will begin shortly. All examinees, please take your seats.
The announcement played.
Lee Ji-hye and Han Yoo-jung stopped talking and started walking.
Right, I forgot to give her this.
"Yoo-jung!"
Han Yoo-jung, who had been walking away, turned back.
I rummaged through the bag and hurried over.
I quickly shoved bread and milk into her hands.
"I got the stuff you usually like. You always make sure to eat breakfast when you wake up, but you just rushed out today getting ready to go out."
"......"
"Do what you need to, but don't get nervous. Remember what I said at the center? I won't be disappointed."
"...Okay."
"Good."
Han Yoo-jung bowed her head slightly. Lee Ji-hye clung to her side, chattering away.
As I headed back to my seat, the man suddenly spoke up. The one who'd been standing by Lee Ji-hye like a loyal retainer until just now.
"Hello? I'm Choi Dae-hyun from Aksan Guild."
"Ah, hello. I'm Kim Hyun-woo."
The man pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it over.
I bowed and took it, but he stared at me blankly.
Realizing what he meant, I scratched the back of my head awkwardly and made an excuse.
"Ahaha... Sorry. I don't have business cards yet..."
"Oh. You're not a manager?"
"...I am a manager."
The man let out a hollow laugh.
My ears burned red hearing that. I should've handed him one first. Even I thought it was ridiculous. What kind of manager doesn't have business cards?
"So, which guild are you with?"
"Pardon?"
"Your guild name. Since you don't have a card."
"......"
Han Ye-rim was forming a guild today. Nothing was set in stone yet. I couldn't even answer with a guild name.
As I fumbled for words, the man eyed me suspiciously.
"Are you trying to scam kids right now or something?"
"...No, it's not like that. The guild hasn't been formed yet."
The man's face twisted in a scowl, his attitude shifting completely. He treated me like I wasn't even a fellow manager, looking down on me.
I licked my dry lips, debating whether to speak up.
If I mentioned Lee Ji-ah's name here, would this guy's attitude change?
I stopped myself, disgusted by the thought.
You pathetic bastard.
Nothing to sell, so you're trying to peddle Lee Ji-ah's name like this?
Acting all smart on your own.
I recalled waking up at dawn to get ready, just to avoid being looked down on.
It had all been pointless.
I roughly tousled my slicked-back, waxed hair. I took off my non-prescription glasses and shoved them into my pocket.
Arms crossed, I looked around.
Managers who were neatly dressed without overdoing it. Their relaxed confidence came naturally. Most were from major guilds.
"Haha."
Suddenly, I just looked pathetic.
The conversation with the man had made it crystal clear.
In the end, we were just rookies in the hunter industry. It wasn't about how I presented myself. What mattered was the guild backing me and the status of its hunters.
"...?"
In the distance, among the examinees, my eyes met Han Yoo-jung's. She stared at me blankly. Why does she look so down?
I forced a smile and waved.
Han Yoo-jung, who'd been standing there for a while, waved back awkwardly.
The Heavenly Killing Star resets its killing intent based on Mondays.
From Monday to Saturday, the killing intent grows stronger over time, then explodes uncontrollably starting Sunday.
By the time she came to her senses, her hands were already stained with blood.
Thankfully, Kim Hyun-woo's ability had prevented such tragedies. But as a trade-off, any unreset killing intent amplified even more. Next Monday's intent was always stronger than the previous one.
Today was Friday.
"We did a mock test internally at the guild last time, and I ranked pretty stably in the top."
Lee Ji-hye bragged. Han Yoo-jung ignored her and tried to steady her mind and body.
Ever since distancing herself from Kim Hyun-woo, guilt had gripped her entire body.
It wasn't murder she wanted. It was the Heavenly Killing Star. She knew that. But Han Yoo-jung couldn't free herself from the guilt.
Because in the end, she was the one in control.
'If I weren't here... those people wouldn't have died, right?'
Kim Hyun-woo's ability diluted not just the Heavenly Killing Star, but the guilt as well.
That was why Han Yoo-jung stubbornly refused to leave his side.
"There are three exams total: first, second, and third. The second exam will be scheduled later for those who pass the first. The first exam involves hunting monsters in a random field while competing against other examinees..."
The examiner explained with a stern face.
It was basic knowledge for anyone aspiring to be a hunter, so everyone listened boredly.
In Han Yoo-jung's eyes, Hyun-woo's face appeared clearly.
And even the conversation he'd had with the manager.
She could easily guess why his shoulders slumped like that, why his face looked so dejected.
Hyun-woo had waved.
Han Yoo-jung had waved back awkwardly.
"......"
Han Yoo-jung tore open the bag and bit into the bread. Her throat felt clogged, so she gulped down the milk. Beside her, Lee Ji-hye sneered.
"Hey, your manager is so incompetent. Bread and milk for an exam?"
"......"
"My manager took me to a hotel restaurant yesterday to wish me luck."
Mister bought me meat too. And dessert.
Something welled up from her throat. Han Yoo-jung bit her lip hard. She took a deep breath to calm herself.
The first adult she'd met in society was the Association President. An old man overflowing with desire to exploit a 16-year-old girl however he could.
That made Hyun-woo stand out even more in comparison.
Unlike the Association President, who treated her only as a tool for murder, Hyun-woo treated her like any girl her age.
If it's too hard... you can give up midway. It's okay.
He was an adult worth respecting. That's how Han Yoo-jung saw Hyun-woo.
So when Hyun-woo was ignored by Lee Ji-hye and her manager, the first emotion Han Yoo-jung felt was irritation.
Anyone would feel the same.
When someone close to you gets dissed by strangers—or worse, people you know—it's impossible not to get heated.
Normally, that would have been it.
"Isn't your guild too much? Sending a total newbie who awakened just a month ago to the exam hall?"
The Heavenly Killing Star hadn't reset for the past two months. The killing intent kept building. This week was even worse than last.
She steadied her mind and body out of habit, keeping her emotions hidden. But despite her efforts, negative feelings squirmed and threatened to burst out.
Violent fantasies filled her head.
"You might not know since you've only been awakened a month. There are a lot of ghost guilds that target naive kids."
Han Yoo-jung shoved the rest of the bread into her mouth. She pounded her chest and chugged the milk. A few drops trickled from the empty carton.
She stuck out her tongue to catch them all, then crumpled the carton in her fist.
"It's inevitable compared to my manager. Still, it's a mid-tier guild where I am."
She tried to hold back anyway.
She tried, but it wasn't working.
"Ask your guild to switch your manager. He looks fine but no sense—bread? At least get coffee."
Han Yoo-jung let go of the thread in her heart.
A faint killing intent leaked out. The examinees shivered and scratched their necks.
She called out to Lee Ji-hye, who was yapping like a snitch.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
Lee Ji-hye, meeting Han Yoo-jung's eyes, instinctively stepped back.
Under the bright light, Han Yoo-jung's red irises blazed like fireworks.
She murmured lowly,
"Shut up and stay quiet before I rip your mouth open. Don't chirp in my ear."
Killing intent rippled thickly in Han Yoo-jung's eyes.
The girl thought to herself.
That her emotions flaring up for a moment was the Heavenly Killing Star's fault.
Either way, it was all because of the Heavenly Killing Star.