Selling the Items

It was a cool morning filled with birdsong. Like always, I finished my workout at the gym and headed back to the dormitory. The crisp dawn air left me feeling refreshed and alert. My gym clothes were soaked through with sweat, so the moment I stepped inside my room I peeled off my top. As soon as I dropped onto the bed, Lens spoke up.

"Huh?"

Lens scratched the top of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his camera head and gave me a slow once-over. I answered with a casual shrug. Guess it just meant I'd grown a little. Come to think of it, there was still plenty of room left to grow. I hadn't spent any of the points I'd stockpiled.

I pressed two fingers to my temple and pulled up my status window.

Just as I'd expected, I'd saved up quite a lot. Spending it all would let me raise at least three stats. The question was which ones to pick…

"Hmm."

After a brief moment of thought, I tapped the window without hesitation.

I immediately checked my broadcaster profile.

They'd gone up a lot compared to before. Especially noticeable was the fact that both my Agility and Charm had broken past six. I figured it was smart to raise them while I still had points to spare.

"Not bad at all."

I stood up and walked into the bathroom that only had a sink and toilet. When I glanced at the mirror while washing my face, the change was obvious. I looked… more charming, somehow. My overall physique had improved dramatically too. The sharp six-pack and the cleanly split muscles in my arms and legs caught the eye immediately.

"Hup!"

I struck a silly bodybuilder pose in the mirror, then immediately dropped it. I wasn't used to this kind of thing. Next I lifted my damp bangs, staring at my reflection. Lately I'd been feeling like I should do something with my hairstyle… but for today I just washed it and roughly dried it off.

After toweling my hair dry, I returned to the room. The moment I tried to put on the school uniform I'd ironed the night before, a small problem appeared.

"Huh? What the…?"

The uniform had become too small. My height must have increased; both the ankles and wrists were clearly exposed. I barely managed to squeeze into the shirt and scratched my head.

"Guess I need to buy a new uniform?"

I'd bought it one size larger to account for growth spurts, yet here we were. With no other choice, I stepped out into the hallway still wearing the shrunken uniform. I had to leave the top buttons completely undone.

The first floor of Citizen Hall had a shared cafeteria where you could eat breakfast. Today's menu was Korean-style: doenjang soup, stir-fried pork, and kimchi. I sat at a table and picked up my spoon. It was early, so almost no one was around, yet the students who were already eating kept giving me uncomfortable looks.

What's with these guys…

That was when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I turned it on and saw a message from my sister.

My sister had practically raised me like her own son. That was probably why she'd been so against me coming to Raven Academy. I'd always wanted to stop relying on her. After all, this place covered tuition, food, and dormitory fees completely. …Still, this uniform had been a gift from her.

I set my spoon down with a soft clack and stood up. Shouldering my bag and stepping outside the dormitory, the morning sunlight stung my eyes. Either way, I was heading to the academy again today. To become a professional hunter who could earn a lot of money.

Raven Academy was still wrapped in a chaotic atmosphere. Two students had died, after all. In front of Class 2's hallway stood framed portraits of the deceased surrounded by piles of white chrysanthemums. Classmates and upperclassmen alike had all come by to pay their respects.

In truth, we were all students aiming to become hunters. Any one of us could die at any time. I'd heard that many seniors had already lost their lives. The only reason their deaths weren't officially acknowledged was because they were hunter cadets. A death waiver was mandatory just to enroll here, after all.

We ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠always told ourselves we were living close to death, yet at heart we were still just young students. Class 2 kids knelt before the portraits, shedding tears. Among them were a few familiar faces. If monsters and evil spirits didn't exist in this world, none of this would have happened. We would have been attending an ordinary high school, taking ordinary classes.

"Hey, you!"

That was when several male students from Class 2 blocked my path. They glared at me.

"This isn't a place for a coward like you."

…Coward?

"Get lost already, you spineless bastard!"

"Watching your friends get killed right in front of you and running away all by yourself…"

At that moment, everyone nearby began murmuring while looking at me. They had the same eyes as the students I'd seen in the cafeteria earlier. It seemed strange rumors about me and that incident had spread. They were painting me as a coward who had simply watched his friends die.

Right then, someone stepped in front of me.

"You guys!"

A refreshing citrus scent brushed past my nose. The girl who appeared, waving her wavy hair, was none other than Ju Si-eun, the popular idol of Class 2. She immediately began scolding them.

"That's incredibly rude to Yeonjun! Don't you know that Chae-yeon only survived because of him?"

"S-Si-eun…!"

"I know everyone is on edge right now… but that doesn't mean you can just call someone a coward! Besides, Yeonjun is…!"

When the normally gentle Ju Si-eun raised her voice in anger, the boys didn't know what to do and began backing away. That made sense. Her position in Class 2 was practically untouchable. In the end they made excuses.

"We just heard it from the other kids…!"

"Y-yeah, that's right!"

Wait, who exactly told them?

Before the boys could leave, I asked.

"Hey! Who started spreading that story?"

They gave me a hint by glancing sideways and pointing behind them. I turned my head in the direction their eyes indicated. My gaze narrowed. So it was that guy after all.

…Jo Min-hyuk.

There stood Seo Geon-woo's lackey, Jo Min-hyuk, smiling as he looked this way. He flashed me a cold smirk before slipping back into the classroom. I didn't know why, but it seemed I'd been marked by a troublesome bastard. The rumor had probably already spread quite far.

That was when I heard a girl's voice.

"Yeonjun?"

It was Ju Si-eun speaking to me. She twisted her body shyly, struggling to get the words out.

"So… no matter what anyone says about you, I won't pay any attention to it…"

I looked down at her. Suddenly I remembered the day I first met Ju Si-eun. She had approached me first, offered me a potion, and introduced herself. Even now, the potion she gave me was tucked safely in my pocket. So this time, I answered her sincerely.

"Yeah. Thanks."

At that moment her face turned bright red like a ripe tomato. Without saying another word, she fled into the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠classroom.

What was that about?

That was when the little squirt Oh Ha-yul appeared.

"Did you turn into a bear or something?"

"…What?"

Anyway, I shooed Oh Ha-yul away and entered my own classroom. The moment I set my bag down and sat, every student's eyes turned toward me. I wasn't sure if it was because of the rumors, but it didn't really matter. Especially not when Kim Jeong-a, the vice class president, plopped down right behind me like she'd been waiting for it. She was staring at my face so intensely it felt burdensome.

Ahem. Well then. Thinking back on yesterday, Kim Jeong-a had helped me get out of the police investigation without much trouble. And she was the only one who had witnessed me killing Professor Lee Jun-gyeom. I had no idea what she was thinking right now. She might even see me as a murderer. Still, after that event I felt like I'd realized something. To make that realization count, I needed to grow even more.

I pulled the red key from my pocket. It was the reward from the mission I'd received after defeating the Crystal Queen. It seemed like the right time to use this A-rank key.

That was when my smartphone vibrated again. This time it was a message from Mystic Auction.

A user had expressed interest in purchasing the "Queen's Crystal" that someone had posted earlier. There was no reason to refuse. I immediately sent a reply.

After school, District 3 of Unlimited was packed with people. I sat inside a café lined with roadside trees, waiting for someone. I'd ordered an iced Americano. Slurp. It was about time for them to show up…

After waiting another ten minutes, I saw a black sedan pull up outside the window. I turned my gaze toward it.