Chapter 19: The One Who Should Have Won

Ho-bin Yu’s insides boiled. He should have been basking in admiration and envy after “flattening” Seong Ji-woo, yet all the spotlight was still on Ji-woo. No one had asked him anything, but Ho-bin loudly grumbled anyway, just to be heard.

“Bullshit. What nonsense is this? Ji-woo’s been saying forever that he’d apply to the System. Like he wouldn’t put it in?”

Ji-woo turned his head and looked at Ho-bin with a displeased expression, as if noticing him for the first time. Ho-bin smirked arrogantly, staring down at him, waiting—desperate—for Ji-woo to admit defeat.

The classroom fell silent. Everyone held their breath and waited to see how Ji-woo would respond. But instead of speaking, Ji-woo simply looked away. His silence seemed to confirm his defeat.

“What? Seriously? Ji-woo didn’t get in? Why?”

“No way… Did Ho-bin really beat Ji-woo?”

“Ji-woo not getting in doesn’t make sense!”

BANG! BANG!

The homeroom teacher slammed the attendance book on the desk.

“Ji-woo said he wasn’t applying to the System. That’s the truth, so quiet down. And why are you all so obsessed with other people’s business? Mind your own. And Ho-bin—why are you still standing? Sit down and stop showing off.”

The overheated atmosphere cooled in an instant.

“…I knew it.”

Hye-rin muttered under her breath. She had always known Ho-bin had a talent for digging his own grave and making a fool of himself, but she didn’t expect him to showcase that “talent” to this extent.

“Doesn’t he feel embarrassed…?”

Why did he flaunt his inferiority complex toward Ji-woo so openly? They weren’t some ancestral enemy families. It was baffling.

Still, the consistency was impressive. Three years straight of this behavior was almost admirable. Stubbornness like that wasn’t easy—though clearly he had zero talent in growth or learning.

The students exchanged looks. Some were suppressing laughter; others were feeling secondhand embarrassment on Ho-bin’s behalf.

“Damn it…”

Ho-bin muttered a curse and sat down, loudly shaking his desk on purpose. Even then, Ji-woo did not spare him a single glance.

“Anyway, I hope you all go and return safely without getting hurt. There won’t be teachers taking care of you out there. You handle your own responsibilities. Got it? In six months, you’ll be working for real, so treat this as training. If I hear you messed up, I’ll come after you myself.”

“Yes!”

“You’re only good at answering, huh? Excited to leave school, aren’t you?”

The summer vacation internship in junior year was practically a major event. The earlier commotion was quickly forgotten as the classroom filled with chatter and excitement again.

Only Ji-woo remained indifferent. From experience in his past life, he already knew: being a Hunter never fulfilled the fantasies people had. It was uglier, crueler, and more horrific than anyone imagined. A brutal hierarchy, merciless meritocracy, superiors who crushed you with pressure, and hyenas who would do anything for results. The System faithfully followed the toxic rules of Hunter society.

A rigid chain of command. Endless drills and military-style discipline. Ji-woo still shuddered at the thought.

‘Well, it’s the perfect place for someone like Ho-bin who loves hierarchy.’

The teacher wrapped up homeroom.

“I won’t talk long. Tomorrow isn’t vacation yet—we have the closing ceremony. Don’t oversleep. Pack up after the ceremony and you can leave. So stop getting worked up already.”

“Yes!”

“All right, go back to your dorms.”

It had been a while since they went home with the sun still up. Not that “home” meant anything—only the dorms awaited. Ji-woo grabbed his bag to head back when a classmate awkwardly approached him.

“Um… Ji-woo.”

“Hm?”

“Can I ask… why you didn’t apply to the System?”

Looking at the kids lingering and peeking at him, Ji-woo figured this one had been sent as the spokesperson. He had no reason to hide anything.

“Oh, I’m not going to be a Hunter.”

“What?”

The others stared at him, shocked.

“Why!”

The shy kid suddenly shouted like someone completely different.

‘Whoa.’

Ji-woo flinched back in surprise.

“Yeah, why!”

The rest joined in, voices raised. Ji-woo wondered when they’d become so invested in his career.

“Just… because?”

“…Wow.”

Hye-rin let out a laugh of disbelief. One student beside her was so shocked their mouth hung open. She clicked her tongue.

“You’re full. That’s what it is.”

“Dinner is coming up, so yeah—I’m kinda hungry.”

Ji-woo joked lightly.

“Oh my god. What was that rotten joke?”

“….”

“Anyway, sure, it’s annoying and your talent going to waste sucks, but… if that’s your choice. Still, you’re not changing teams next semester. I’m gonna ride on your back, build my résumé, and get into a top guild.”

She didn’t need to “ride” him anyway. In the future, she would become the legendary right hand of Helios’ Guild Master and maybe even the Guild Master herself—if the world didn’t end last time.

“Don’t worry. With or without me, you’ll get into a good guild.”

“You’re complimenting me? Wow. Thanks. So what guild did you apply to? I tried to check but the font was too tiny. Guess my eyes are aging.”

“Me? Knocker.”

“Oh, so it wasn’t the font—you just put down a ridiculous guild so I didn’t notice.”

Knocker was a crafting guild, not a raid guild. They had never been on the ranking board, but were well known among Hunters. In the future, nearly all Korean Hunters would use Knocker weapons. Not yet though—maybe in five years. For now, they were practically a baby guild, so Hye-rin’s reaction made sense.

Ji-woo, having been a Hunter once, knew just how incredible their craftsmanship would become.

“Why there?”

“Oh, I’m gonna open a weapons shop.”

“You? A weapons dealer?”

“Yeah. Sounds like I’d be pretty good at it, right?”

“….”

Hye-rin frowned, clearly thinking he wouldn’t be. Ji-woo continued excitedly.

“I’ll get rich selling weapons. Then I’ll blow money like there’s no tomorrow and live however I want.”

“What? Seriously?”

Workaholic Hye-rin couldn’t relate at all, but Yun-jae nodded passionately.

“Right? Being a rich bum is the best.”

Unfortunately for him, he was doomed to chase Hye-rin around as a Hunter due to his crush. He never said it outright, but everything about him screamed “I like Hye-rin.” And his crush was bound to be long and painful.

In Ji-woo’s past life, Hye-rin had briefly dated another high-ranking Hunter—not Yun-jae. Yun-jae stayed faithfully by her side for years, only to end up heartbroken.

There was only one way to ease his pain: end the long crush and actually date her. He’d never confess at this rate, so Ji-woo encouraged him.

“No, Yun-jae—you suit being a Hunter better.”

“Me? Really? No one’s ever told me that.”

Hye-rin scoffed.

“Him? Isn’t he too flimsy?”

“Not all Hunters are muscleheads. Yun-jae can do what you can’t.”

“What can’t I do?”

“Intelligence play.”

Yun-jae looked deeply moved. He grabbed Ji-woo’s hands.

“When you open your shop, I’m only buying your weapons.”

Ji-woo declared proudly:

“See? I definitely have talent for business!”

He puffed up, claiming he already had a lifelong customer. Another friend awkwardly chimed in:

“M-me too! I want to use your weapons too!”

“See? Two customers already, and I haven’t even opened!”

Ji-woo looked smug. Hye-rin looked exasperated.

“Fine. You’re amazing. Anyway, heading back to the dorm now?”

“Huh? Well… I’ve got nothing else to do.”

“Then eat with us. It’s just cafeteria food, but still.”

“Sure.”

Ji-woo accepted casually.

Cafeteria

Hye-rin looked at the steaming tray.

“I was sick of this yesterday, but thinking we won’t have it for two months… it feels weirdly sad.”

“By the way, which guild were you two assigned to again?”

Ji-woo poked at his bulgogi.

“Both of us are going to Selene.”

Selene was a mid-high tier guild, ranking roughly in the top 10, and practically a sister guild to Helios. Their guild masters had known each other since childhood—kind of like Yun-jae and Hye-rin.

Both guilds were powerful enough to not need corporate sponsors. They were big names.

Ji-woo thought for a moment.

“You still share a building with Helios, right?”

“Yeah. Why? Interested? You sure know a lot.”

“Well… I did want to be a Hunter once.”

“True, you did talk about that till last winter.”

“Anyway, if the cafeterias are shared with Helios, the food’s gonna be good. You’ll love it.”

Ji-woo remembered Hye-rin bragging endlessly about their guild cafeteria in his past life. He visited once and it really was hotel-level delicious. They even tried recruiting him through his stomach.

“I’m really looking forward to it.”

Yun-jae shook his head like he was used to her.

“Oh, right. Hui-ro’s grades went up a ton this time.”

The news brightened Ji-woo’s face.

“Yeah. He went up by 177 ranks.”

He emphasized “one hundred seventy-seven.”

“With the power I saw from him, being in the top ten wouldn’t be weird…”

“Huh? No. He said it was all theory score. His practical wasn’t that great.”

Ji-woo relayed what Hui-ro told him. Yun-jae tilted his head.

“Really? That’s not what I heard…”