Don't Casually Eat Things Off the Ground
This is the worst…
When Lua opened her eyes, she was once again lying on the infirmary bed.
She looked absolutely wretched. Being hauled onto a stretcher had left her clothes—gown and all—in complete disarray, her hair a wild tangle, her body sprawled in a pose that could have passed for a corpse at a crime scene.
I really tried to pull myself together…
The moment she recalled what had happened right before she blacked out, thick tears welled in Lua's eyes.
It had been too much after all. People said you couldn't fix a person, didn't they? There was no way someone who'd spent more than a decade as a shut-in could change overnight.
"Why… do I always end up like this…"
Lua sat up weakly. She straightened her clothes, then washed her mouth and hair at the sink installed in the infirmary.
She looked a little better on the outside, but the gloom refused to lift.
Somewhere to hide… I need somewhere to hide.
In the end, Lua crawled back under the desk. Only once she was tucked into that rabbit-hole of a space—cramped and dark—did her heart finally settle and her mind start working again.
"Ugh."
After that little performance at the entrance ceremony, her school life from here on out was painfully easy to predict.
—Hey! It's the teacher who threw up at the entrance ceremony!
—Pfft! What kind of school nurse is that?
—Gross…
"Aaaagh."
She could already picture the students staring at her with cold eyes, each of them tossing out a cutting remark. It was only her imagination, but reality probably wouldn't be much different.
At this point, she almost felt like she was committing a crime against the original Han Lua. Of all people, it had to be someone like her who got transmigrated in and completely trashed the woman's image…
Knock, knock, knock.
"?!"
A knock sounded from the door. Startled, Lua smacked her head against the underside of the desk.
"Ow!"
The yelp slipped out before she could stop it.
"Teacher? Are you all right?"
Apparently it had carried through the door, because the visitor strode straight into the infirmary.
"Hup—!"
Lua clamped both hands over her mouth like a child fleeing a monster. If she just stayed quiet, maybe whoever it was would leave on their own. She hated strangers.
"Huh? I'm sure I heard a voice."
It was a soft, gentle girl's voice. The unidentified student muttered to herself as she took a few steps deeper into the room. Lua held her breath with desperate intensity, even trying to silence the pounding of her own heart.
"Hmm…"
After a brief hesitation, there came a rustling sound. And then—
Plink!
Something dropped right in front of Lua's eyes under the desk. A small, round candy wrapped in plastic.
Scotch candy…
It was the kind she used to buy by the whole tin for her studio apartment and nibble whenever she got bored. People said only old folks liked them, but what was she supposed to do when they tasted this good?
Snatch.
Lua's hand reached out and grabbed the candy before she even thought about it. She peeled off the wrapper, set it on her tongue, and a familiar sweetness flooded her mouth.
It's delicious!
The corners of her mouth lifted on their own. She'd already been drained from throwing up earlier; a candy that topped up her sugar was basically a shot of pure vitality.
Plink!
Another one dropped a little farther away. Without a second thought, Lua edged out from under the desk just enough to snatch it up and pop it into her mouth.
Banana flavor… my absolute favorite…
Before she knew it, her whole face had gone soft and blissful. Happiness really wasn't that far away after all.
Plink!
A blue candy landed one step farther still. She couldn't let that one get away. It was just out of easy reach, so Lua shuffled forward in a crouch, still hunched low.
The instant her fingers closed around the candy—
"—Gotcha!"
"Waaah!"
Someone who'd come up behind her slipped their hands under Lua's arms and hoisted her clean off the floor. So that was it—a wicked, cunning scheme to lure her out from under the desk. Using innocent Scotch candy as bait? This was the work of a truly heinous mastermind.
"L-Let go of meee!"
"Hehe. Operation success!"
The potential kidnapper laughed as she set Lua down on the infirmary floor. Only when Lua turned around could she finally take in her visitor's appearance.
It was a girl in the academy uniform.
A full head taller than Lua, average height, with a cute bob. Big, round eyes that called to mind a large dog, paired with a gently drooping gaze. True to her model-student image, her only accessory was a single red hairpin holding back her bangs.
On the green nametag that marked her as a second-year was written the name Han Sua.
Ah. So it's Han Sua.
Of course Lua knew her. In the game, she'd been the tutorial character right at the very beginning.
A freshly enrolled protagonist would follow their mentor Sua around the academy, learning the game's systems and locations. That was more or less the full extent of her role in the story, but her kind, generous personality had made her a favorite among players for an early-game character. In the community, people usually called her "Mama" or "Nuna."
And one more important fact.
Lua and Sua are sisters.
It was a bit of lore that didn't get much attention since both of them were early-game characters, but Lua remembered it right away. That was why the dialogue in the infirmary changed slightly if the protagonist recruited Sua as a companion.
So this closeness that went well beyond a normal student–teacher distance came from that special relationship—they were sisters.
"Are you feeling okay? I was worried, so I came to check on you."
Sua bent at the waist to peer at Lua's face. Lua looked away, awkward and uncomfortable, but Sua stubbornly kept assessing her condition.
"I-I-I'm f-fine, ah."
"Your face is a total mess. Come on, look at me."
Sua pulled out a handkerchief and wiped Lua's face, then straightened her shirt and vest. A pleasant scent clung to her—something calming. Even for someone as terrified of people as Lua, it was enough to let her guard down a little.
"Next time things get hard, call me, okay? I'll help however I can."
"Mm-hmm."
"There we go. All done. My cute big sister."
Sua let her go with a bright smile and pressed another Scotch candy into her hand.
Sua Mama…
It felt like her shattered heart was being put back together. Lua pretended nothing was wrong and fought back the tears that threatened to spill.
"Actually, there's one more thing I came for."
As she spoke, Sua took out her phone. A messenger screen lit up.
"Teacher Park Sihyeok from Basic Swordsmanship asked me to check on you and bring you over if you were okay."
"Wh-Where to?"
"There's a first test for the freshmen, and apparently regulations say the school nurse has to stand by for emergencies."
The inevitable first exam event of the academy. It was also the part where the protagonist of Hunter Hunting Academy started to really shine.
"Couldn't I just… pretend I'm here…?"
"You need some fresh air too!"
She really, truly did not want to go, but Lua followed Sua out of the infirmary anyway. Pushing back too hard might only invite even more trouble.
It's just emergency standby. I'll sit there until it's over…
In her hands was an emergency treatment kit. She had a recovery skill, so she didn't actually need it—but showing up empty-handed would look halfhearted, wouldn't it?
"Yeah, over there."
As they stepped out through the building's main entrance, Sua pointed toward the athletic field.
On the artificial turf, about a hundred freshmen sat in neat rows. Every one of them wore the same blue PE uniform.
Ugh… I hate being outside…
For an indoor creature like Lua, this was not a welcome place.
"Ah! Nurse! Over here!"
Hunter Park Sihyeok, standing in front of the freshmen, raised a hand. As he'd been introduced at the entrance ceremony, he was the teacher in charge of Basic Swordsmanship. In the game, where you never actually needed to take classes, he'd just been a simple NPC.
"Feeling any better?"
"Y-Yes. I'm fine."
"Then don't push yourself—just stand by over there for me. It's a hassle, but regulations are regulations, right?"
Park Sihyeok winked and pointed to a bench. Lua bobbed her head in a bow and went to sit down.
"Sua, mind giving me a hand?"
"Yes!"
Sua answered brightly and set about helping with the exam preparations at Park Sihyeok's request. She threw herself into everything with such diligence that her reputation among the teachers was excellent. The freshmen watched their upperclassman with open admiration.
Lua, on the other hand—
"Hey, that's the nurse from earlier…"
"No way. If that were me, I wouldn't even show my face outside."
"If you're pretty enough, even puking gets a free pass, I guess."
"Dude, are you a pedo?"
—her reviews were far less kind. Snickers and whispers rippled through the freshmen.
Just kill me already…
"All right, everyone, eyes front!"
Clap!
Thankfully, Supervisor Park Sihyeok drew everyone's attention.
"We will now begin the first test."
"……!"
A strangely heated energy rolled through the freshmen. Anyone who'd made it into Felix Academy was already someone with talent and skills to spare. They were itching to show off what they could do in a brand-new environment.
"This test will sort all of you into three classes. Beginner class, thirty students. Intermediate class, thirty. Advanced class, thirty. You'll receive instruction suited to your level. Depending on which class you're in, your dorm rooms and the school facilities you can use will differ as well."
There was a reason Felix Academy had become the greatest hunter academy in the world.
It constantly pushed its students into competition, wringing every last drop of potential out of them.
"Whoa… that's harsh…"
The blatant declaration of unequal treatment drew grumbles from the students.
"A single drop of sweat shed at school stands in for a drop of blood shed inside a gate."
"……"
The freshmen had no choice but to shut their mouths. Being a hunter meant risking your life every single time. Without this kind of pressure, even those who made it as pro hunters would simply die to the monsters inside the gates.
Then one student shot a hand straight up.
"Supervisor, three classes is ninety people. Where do the other ten go?"
"Good question."
Supervisor Park Sihyeok grinned as he answered.
"The top ten will be assigned to the Special Class. An elite few who receive lessons and assignments tailored to their individual abilities. They also get first priority on every benefit the school provides—including a dedicated dormitory."
"Whoa…"
The freshmen licked their lips. In that instant, the Special Class settled into every mind as the goal.
"That said, don't get too worked up about it! Classes reshuffle once a semester, so a mistake or two won't matter. All right—everyone, on your feet!"
At the supervisor's command, the seated freshmen stood and began brushing artificial turf off their PE uniforms or shaking out stiff muscles. A peculiar tension hung in the air.
"Loosen up. This is actually going to be fun."
Park Sihyeok stepped on a button at his feet, and something rose from various points across the artificial turf field: thick white punching bags, each about the size of a person.
"One per person. Grab one and stand in front of it."
Seeming to get the idea, the freshmen drew their weapons and took positions before the bags.
"What you need to do is simple."
Park Sihyeok gave the bag in front of him a few light taps with his own sword.
"Treat the punching bag in front of you like a monster—and show me what you've got."