Clash of Obsessions
With her arms crossed, Yoo Hee-won replayed Han Min-ha’s activities over the past few weeks in her mind. The girl had trained like a complete lunatic. She followed Professor Kyo’s deranged training methods without a single word of complaint, endured countless beatings at Yoo Hee-won’s own hands, and still refused to give up. Yoo Hee-won knew she was aiming to deliver a standout performance in the end-of-semester evaluation and flip her lagging rankings in one decisive stroke. That was why she had pushed herself so hard.
But why Song Do-yun, of all people? Song Do-yun stood near the top even among the upperclassmen, and Han Min-ha could not possibly be ignorant of that fact. There were plenty of other brainless upperclassmen to choose from, so there had to be a specific reason she had named Song Do-yun. The faculty would never have been insane enough to pit a lower-class student against an upper-class ace on their own, which meant Han Min-ha herself must have requested the matchup. Hmm… let’s see… That bitch Song Do-yun must have been secretly tormenting Han Min-ha behind her back. Because Han Min-ha kept sticking close to her, Song Do-yun had probably flown into a jealous rage at the thought of her “girl” being stolen and decided to vent it all at once. And Han Min-ha, in turn, was seizing this chance to deliver proper payback against the girl who had harassed her based on nothing but baseless misunderstanding. So that was it—Han Min-ha planned to climb into the upper class while simultaneously stabbing Song Do-yun in the back. And she intended to do it during the PVP Combat Evaluation, with broadcasting stations and hero agencies watching? Yoo Hee-won had assumed she was an idiot whose brain had migrated entirely into her chest, but it seemed that assessment had been wrong. Or else… had Professor Kyo orchestrated the entire thing from the shadows? Without telling her? The situation was growing deliciously interesting. Yoo Hee-won’s devilish smile stretched even wider.
“Why did she insist on fighting you? Did something happen between you two?”
Yoo Hee-won asked with feigned ignorance, probing despite having already guessed the truth. Song Do-yun offered no reply. Her face had gone rigid as stone—not from fear, but from overwhelming humiliation and fury.
At first she had wondered if she had misread the bracket, but no. Han Min-ha…? She had named her as her opponent? Why? Ah, of course. It was because of the favor she had asked. The request to stop chasing after Hee-won and yield her to the one who had confessed first. Had that angered her so much? Had she truly wanted to steal Hee-won that badly? Fine. She understood now. She had planned to let it slide since the girl had grown quiet lately, but if she wanted to act out this badly, then there was no need to hold back. She would crush her thoroughly—grind every bone in her body to dust so that such foolish thoughts would never enter her mind again. Hee-won was going to be her bride. She would propose the moment they graduated, and she had already chosen their honeymoon destination. No one could take her away.
Yoo Hee-won simply watched with amusement as Song Do-yun bit down on her lip hard enough to draw blood.
The day of the end-of-semester evaluation arrived. From early morning, the academy’s main gate suffered severe traffic congestion from the flood of vehicles. Broadcasting stations, press outlets, Management Bureau officials, staff from hero agencies, and even a number of active heroes had all poured in at once to observe the PVP Combat Evaluation.
Because such a large crowd was gathering, Defense Brigade troops and academy faculty rushed about to screen for possible undesirables and carry out strict entry procedures. The freshmen’s PVP Combat Evaluation was an event that drew massive public attention, after all.
I sat with the other professors in the evaluation seats of the General Combat Training Ground. The venue was a circular colosseum resembling a dome baseball stadium, with a wide rectangular combat area in the center where students could fight freely. Today, Han Min-ha would battle Song Do-yun there.
The stands were packed with academy students and other observers, while ambulances and professors specializing in recovery, regeneration, and healing waited near the exits in case of emergencies. Anyone seriously injured during the evaluation would be rushed straight to the Academy Clinic. The presence of so many medical personnel made it clear just how brutal these matches were. With everyone’s eyes on them, it was only natural that students would risk their lives for a chance to rocket into stardom.
Once all the faculty were in position and the external observers had taken their seats, the evaluation began. As the names of the participants appeared on the massive electronic board, the students emerged from the waiting area. Dozens of broadcast cameras swiveled to follow them, and headhunters scribbled furiously in notebooks and on their phones.
This was Graford Academy—the world’s premier hero training institution—where freshmen would unleash every technique they had learned over the semester in unrestricted combat. The fierce scouting process to unearth unpolished gems had begun. Any student who caught their eye would receive priority scouting offers upon graduation. Whether they chose public duty under the Management Bureau or joined a private agency as a sidekick or contractor, their future options would widen dramatically.
The first duel began. The arena vibrated violently from the shockwaves of aura and various techniques. Though they were only freshmen, the selected students possessed formidable power. We professors observed their fights with meticulous care, filling out evaluation sheets, and stepped in to mediate whenever a match grew dangerously violent. The upperclassmen in the stands cheered for their favorites, clapped, and gasped in admiration, raising the excitement, while Management Bureau and agency officials watched the students’ potential with sharp, appraising eyes.
A few active heroes sat in the very front row of the stands. Some I recognized; others were new faces. The unfamiliar ones had probably debuted while I had lost my memories. One of the heroes made eye contact with me and waved cheerfully. So he had come to watch too. Must be free these days. Since I was on duty, however, I limited my response to a slight nod, reluctant to engage in personal interaction during the evaluation.
The duels continued. In the meantime, the ambulance made several trips back and forth to the clinic. The hero aspirants’ competitive spirit far exceeded imagination—especially with headhunters and Management Bureau officials watching, the fights grew exceptionally savage.
“I expected it, but it really is intense,” Professor Jin Se-yeong whispered, clicking her tongue.
“It’s practically their debut match, after all.”
“That’s true, but… ha… Min-ha is up next. Will she really be all right?”
VS
SONG DO-YUN
The name Han Min-ha appeared in large letters on the electronic board. Had it already come to this? The matchup had drawn the full attention of both faculty and students. It pitted the freshman who had fainted during the basic evaluation against the upperclass ace Song Do-yun. The medical staff waiting near the exit began moving busily the moment they saw the board. The faculty had already warned them in advance because the official rankings showed a massive gap in ability. Whether the one carried off in that ambulance would be Han Min-ha or Song Do-yun remained to be seen.
But one thing was certain: the more desperate of the two right now was Han Min-ha.
Han Min-ha. Give it your best shot. A hero is someone who learns to fly when pushed off a cliff.
In the waiting room, Song Do-yun and Han Min-ha did not exchange a single word. Song Do-yun deliberately ignored her, and although Han Min-ha stole occasional glances, she apparently had no desire to speak. Still, both had plenty to think about in silence.
Song Do-yun was, of course, contemplating exactly how to trample Han Min-ha in the most miserable way possible. Han Min-ha, on the other hand, kept repeating Professor Kyo’s special training instructions in her head.
Soon the internal speakers called their names.
“Good luck, Do-yun!”
“Go get her!”
The upperclassmen each tossed Song Do-yun a word of encouragement. She and Han Min-ha walked side by side down the corridor.
“Han Min-ha.”
Song Do-yun stopped near the end of the hallway.
“I clearly warned you. Maybe your low intelligence made it hard to understand? Is that it?”
At Song Do-yun’s provocation, Han Min-ha offered no reply.
“I know exactly why you’re doing this. It’s because of Hee-won, isn’t it? You have feelings for her, and I’m in the way. So you’re trying to remove me.”
Song Do-yun curled the corner of her mouth in a sneer.
“I’ll praise your courage. However, no matter how you challenge me, the outcome is already decided. You can never defeat me, and you can never take Hee-won away.”
Han Min-ha kept her lips pressed tightly together, showing no intention of engaging in a verbal fight.
“Hee-won is mine. From the day she first enrolled until now. She loves me too. There was never any room for a filthy slut like you to butt in. So—”
“Haa…”
At the end of Song Do-yun’s speech, Han Min-ha let out a trembling sigh. Then, with a tense expression, she looked at her and finally spoke.
“I… ii…”
She stammered as though struggling to get the words out.
“I… i…”
Song Do-yun gazed at her with contempt. But that expression did not last long—because of the words Han Min-ha barely managed to spit out next.
“Shut up, you lesbian bitch.”