Chapter 44: The Recommendation

Special Class Cafe.

Juju seated Himari at a window table and returned with their drinks on a tray.

“Here’s your mango smoothie.”

“Thank you, Juju.”

Juju placed her own drink on the table and sat opposite Himari. Himari eyed the thick, brown drink in front of Juju.

“Is that… coffee?”

“No, it’s protein. I have to drink one every day.”

Protein shakes were sold at the cafe for Hunter aspirants who prioritized physical strength. It was a particularly popular drink among those in tank positions, like Juju.

“Can’t you drink coffee because it’s bitter, Juju?”

Himari asked, seemingly pleased. Come to think of it, Himari had once mentioned that she couldn’t stand coffee after trying it with Suah.

“Ah, that’s not it. I’m allergic to caffeine.”

“Is that so?”

“If I drink coffee, I get hives. Hehe.”

Juju took a long gulp of her protein shake, savoring the familiar taste, and then put the glass down.

“So, about what you said earlier. What do you mean?”

About getting closer to Ruah. Juju thought it would be safer to discuss this somewhere other than the infirmary, where Ruah’s return was uncertain.

“Exactly what I said. I want to… get closer to Teacher.”

“Hmm… I see.”

Juju sipped her drink and pondered.

‘Now that she mentions it, Himari does seem to keep her distance from Teacher.’

Juju also knew about Himari’s self-proclaimed role as the ‘moon.’ Himari had explained that it was a unique bond between teacher and student.

But despite that, there was indeed a distance between them.

“Actually, something happened a few days ago.”

Himari told Juju about her father’s visit to the Academy to take her back, and how Ruah had stopped him. Juju’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Teacher… even used Battoujutsu?”

“Yes. She was so… cool and dependable…”

Himari blushed slightly.

“I fell in lo… ”

“Lo?”

“…I came to like Teacher even more.”

Himari pressed the smoothie glass against her cheek to cool down the heat rising in her face. She was too embarrassed to honestly admit her love and changed her words.

“I had no idea that happened…”

Juju nodded. Now she understood why Himari had suddenly asked for her advice.

“So, you want to get closer to the cool and dependable Teacher, right?”

“Yes, exactly!”

“Then I’ll help you! Because you’re my friend!”

“…! Thank you, Juju!”

Juju smiled, seeing Himari’s relieved expression.

‘The way she talks, I’d believe her even if she said it was love, not just respect.’

Himari sipped her smoothie and thought to herself.

‘With Juju’s help, I’ll close the distance with Teacher and confess my feelings!’

“First, we need to figure out what Teacher likes.”

Juju lowered her voice conspiratorially, as if devising a plan.

“To do that, it’s best to spend more time together.”

Meanwhile, in the chairman’s office.

Ruah straightened up, feeling a pang of guilt.

Come to think of it, from the chairman’s perspective, it might seem strange that Hoshikawa Toshio, who had visited to protest and take Himari back, suddenly changed his mind.

“W-Well… I persuaded him, and he listened.”

“What was your reason for intervening, Teacher Han Ruah?”

“W-Well… I have a personal connection with Himari, and, um, she didn’t really want to go back, so I thought it would be nice if I could help her, even in a small way…”

Chairman Pyo Younghan quietly observed Ruah as she stammered and rambled.

‘He’s not angry, but his gaze is sharp.’

Ruah shrank back nervously. As expected of a seasoned Hunter, he seemed to have the ability to see through people with just his gaze.

“…You said you persuaded him, the Head of the Hoshikawa Family?”

“Y-Yes.”

“How did you persuade him?”

Ruah gulped.

‘Can I tell him that I showed him my Battoujutsu?’

Ruah’s acquisition of the [Hoshikawa-ryu Battoujutsu] was a result of her knowledge of the game’s progression. If she told Chairman Pyo the truth, she would have to come up with another excuse for how she learned the skill, and if the lies continued to pile up, she might eventually get caught.

“—Haha, relax, Teacher Han. This is starting to feel like an interrogation.”

Chairman Pyo leaned back in his chair with a hearty laugh, interrupting Ruah’s anxious thoughts.

“Y-Yes?”

“I’m quite grateful to you, Teacher Han. You did something I couldn’t.”

“Something you couldn’t do…?”

“Convincing student Hoshikawa Himari to stay.”

The chairman took a sip of his drink and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.

“She’s too valuable a talent to let go. She’s maintained the top rank since enrollment, hasn’t she? So I feel like I owe you one, Teacher Han.”

“Oh, no, you don’t have to think that way.”

“Of course, I had my own methods in mind…”

As he spoke, Chairman Pyo fiddled with a card-like object on the corner of his table. It had a familiar face on it and a string attached, like a necklace…

‘Huh?’

Ruah’s eyes widened.

It was Hunter Park Haengsin’s Academy ID card. Why was it here?

‘Did Chairman Pyo also know that Hoshikawa Toshio was behind it? Then why didn’t he stop Himari before she was about to leave? Or did I intervene before he could?’

Various thoughts raced through Ruah’s mind.

However, she couldn’t discern Chairman Pyo’s intentions or thoughts hidden behind his friendly smile.

“Anyway, I was just curious. You don’t have to worry about it too much.”

“O-Okay…”

Ruah chose her words carefully.

“I showed the Head of the Family Himari’s desire to stay here. My sincerity seemed to have reached him, and he changed his mind.”

“I see.”

Chairman Pyo smiled at Ruah.

“You’re surprisingly eloquent, Teacher Han Ruah. It wouldn’t have been easy to persuade Hoshikawa Toshio with words…”

“Well, yes.”

—Clink!

After emptying his drink and placing the bottle on the table, Chairman Pyo stood up. Only then did Ruah take in the surroundings of the chairman’s office.

One wall was covered with certificates of appreciation, plaques, and trophies. On the opposite wall, various macabre decorations were displayed, such as monster skulls and severed horns.

In contrast, potted plants lined the windowsill, and documents were piled high on his desk.

But what stood out the most was a sword displayed in a glass case on the wall behind his desk. Ruah guessed it was the weapon Chairman Pyo used during his active days.

“I’ve been finding things rather curious since the beginning of this year.”

Chairman Pyo said, rummaging through his desk drawer.

“We’ve never had so many strange incidents in a single year, and every time, Teacher Han Ruah has been present at the scene. What a coincidence.”

“…”

“The Gate incident at the beginning of the semester, the monster research class, the Sports Festival… every time, Teacher Han Ruah was at the center of it all, wasn’t she?”

Although he spoke casually, Ruah found it suspicious as well.

‘Come to think of it, I was the cause of all three incidents.’

She had directly intervened in the Gate incident to ensure the main story proceeded as planned, and the monster research class and Sports Festival incidents were the result of her actions snowballing.

“Th-That’s true.”

“I regret that such incidents occurred during an otherwise peaceful school life… Ah, found it.”

Chairman Pyo returned to the table with a document.

“But at the same time, it’s also true that the incidents were resolved thanks to you every time.”

“Y-Yes.”

“I assume you’ve observed the students closely during these incidents. Haven’t you?”

“What… do you mean…?”

“Exactly what I said. Sitting in this position, I don’t get to meet the students often. I only see their talents and struggles through documents.”

The chairman turned the document on the table towards Ruah and slid it over.

“So I’d like to entrust this matter to Teacher Han Ruah, who has been observing the students.”

‘Nick’s Brothers’ Guild Korea Branch Sponsored Scholarship Camp Guide

“Scholarship Camp…”

———————————–

<The Guild ‘Nick’s Brothers’ is selecting scholarship recipients.>
<Eligibility: Any first-year student currently enrolled in a Hunter Academy in South Korea.>
<Selection Process: One student will be selected after a 2-night, 3-day selection camp involving task completion and interviews.>
<Support: One year of Academy tuition fees.>

———————————–

Ruah’s eyes lit up.

‘It’s the main story!’

This was the episode where the protagonist, having gained attention by winning the Sports Festival, began to make a name for themselves.

Of course, the process wouldn’t be smooth. The protagonist would place second in the selection camp but would be selected as the scholarship recipient after the first-place winner was disqualified for cheating.

The episode concluded with the protagonist winning a duel against the disgruntled first-place winner.

“So what role would I…?”

“Each school selects one representative student to participate in the camp, and they need a supervising teacher. Someone who can also act as a coach and medic, and I believe Teacher Han Ruah is the perfect fit.”

In the game, a disposable NPC teacher accompanied the students, and it seemed Ruah was taking on that role.

“So, do you have any students you’d like to recommend? ‘Nick’s Brothers’ may not be a large guild, but it’s a well-established one, so it would be nice if a student from our school received the scholarship.”

“Hmm…”

Ruah carefully considered her options.

Who would be the most suitable candidate to ensure the protagonist-less selection camp proceeded according to the game’s story?

‘And the final duel with the first-place winner is quite difficult…’

“I think…”

Ruah carefully spoke the name of a student. The student she would coach, heal, and fight alongside for the next two nights and three days.

“Student Yoo Juju would be suitable.”