TL: SHW
9:30 AM.
This is the ti when the day begins at the Pilot High School.
As ti passed in this place, a kind of routine started to form.
Following that routine, a morning assembly was taking place in the largest living room of the villa.
Usually, it was for announcing which teacher would be teaching today’s class, but today was a little different. Kim Chae-min looked around at the kids and smiled brightly.
“Right now, Teacher Woo’s younger sibling is here with us."
The appearance of Woo I-rok, the ‘Mini-’, caused quite a stir among the kids.
"A younger sibling?"
“Teacher has a sibling too?”
"How old are they?"
“Is it a younger brother or a younger sister?”
So noisy.
If it were up to , I would’ve shouted, “Are you here to play around? Do you think my personal life is so kind of joke?”
But this is a space where such hierarchies don’t exist. What were the usual questions for kids that age? I should consider myself lucky that they're only asking about siblings rather than first loves.
Still, it wasn’t good for my nerves, especially since I hadn’t been able to sleep properly for several days. A headache started to creep in. As I pressed lightly against my temples, Kim Chae-min looked at with a worried expression.
I knew she was being considerate of . However, I couldn’t just leave everything to Kim Chae-min, so I dropped my hand from my forehead and cald the kids down.
“He’s ten years old, and he’s my younger brother. Due to so circumstances, he’ll be staying here for a while… But don’t get too close to him.”
“Huh?”
“He doesn’t like being around a lot of people.”
Even to , that sounded like nonsense. But right now, I’m the only one who can testify about Mini-. Information manipulation requires groundwork in advance.
The power of prejudice is strong. If you plant a strong impression from the start, it’s hard to erase that image. This is also why I preferred introducing Mini- as a sensitive, picky, and troubleso kid rather than as a sweet and quiet one.
That way, the effort of the older brother taking care of his younger brother would stand out more.
And anyway, the impression he leaves on adults is far more important than on kids. Even if I brush things off, Kim Chae-min, Hong Seok-young, and Lee Mi-seon, who know more about the situation, will surely understand and nod with solemn expressions. Look at that. Kim Chae-min is already looking at with a sympathetic face.
“Teacher! Teacher, what does your brother look like?!”
Yoo Ji-eun raised her hand and asked.
Normally, this kind of question would co from Lee Seung-yeon… but where is Lee Seung-yeon?
I frowned. I vaguely rember Lee Mi-seon saying sothing about Lee Seung-yeon, but maybe not. Honestly, the days leading up to eting Mini- are a blur. I hope I didn’t ramble nonsense. I only rember talking to Kang Tae-woo and saying more than I had originally planned.
Damn it. This is why a person shouldn’t lose their composure so carelessly. What was I thinking? It wasn’t even like I was drunk. If I had been drunk, at least I wouldn’t feel so unjustly guilty.
“Teacher, if he’s staying here, we’ll see him eventually anyway, so can’t you just tell us? Or is this so profound way of telling us to see for ourselves?”
“Stop talking nonsense. What about your howork?”
“Howork?”
Yoo Ji-eun’s eyes widened into round circles.
“Howork… Was there, Wait, was there howork?”
Yoo Ji-eun poked Kang Tae-woo’s side with her elbow and asked. Kang Tae-woo shook his head. That sly snake.
“No, there wasn’t.”
Yoo Ji-eun quickly turned her head to look at , so fast it almost made a whoosh sound.
“There’s no howork!!”
“That just ans you’re unqualified as a student for not rembering it.”
Yoo Ji-eun pouted. Seeing her sulking a little lightened my mood.
But Yoo Ji-eun wasn’t the only challenge I had to overco. Han Eun-young started to slyly target Kim Chae-min.
“Teacher, you’ve seen Teacher Woo’s brother, right?”
“Huh?”
"What does he look like?"
“I haven’t seen him directly either… But in the photos, he looked exactly like Teacher Woo!”
“Why are you so curious about soone else’s brother? Go teach your class already.”
"You don't have to be shy."
Kim Chae-min gave an understanding look. That made feel even worse.
But unlike with the kids, I couldn’t take out my frustration on Kim Chae-min. I just let out a deep sigh… waved my hand, telling her to handle it, and walked out of the living room where everyone was gathered.
As soon as I left, I could hear the noisy chatter behind . Yoo Ji-eun was persistently questioning Kim Chae-min.
Ignoring the sound of soone following , I walked down the hallway lined with frad artwork. Each picture in these fras must be unimaginably expensive.
Is Mini- still sleeping? I hadn’t woken him up since he was sound asleep this morning. It would’ve felt wrong to disturb him. After all, how exhausting must it be for a ten-year-old boy to have his brother, who had been missing for over half a year, suddenly reappear and “rescue” him? It’s not like he’d be physically tired, but I don’t think much of the ntal resilience of a ten-year-old kid. Of course, if it were , I’d have to overco it. I should overco it…
“…Do you have sothing to say?”
I asked Hong Seok-young as I stepped out of the hallway.
Leaving behind the dark corridor where sunlight didn’t reach, I entered another living room where light flooded in brightly. This was the sa place where I’d spoken with Lee Mi-seon on my first day at the villa. Further inside was the room where Mini- was staying.
I glanced in that direction and then turned to look at Hong Seok-young.
Not even bothering to hide his presence, Hong Seok-young feigned surprise when I turned to face him.
How annoying.
“Well, I was just wondering if your brother was uncomfortable staying here.”
“Any discomfort will be resolved by Hunter Lee, won’t it?”
“Oh, co now. How cold. Aren’t I still your superior? The Guild Master should take care of guild mbers' welfare. How long will you keep leaving it to Hunter Lee?”
"Why am I..."
I frowned.
"Why am I your guild mber, Teacher Hong?"
“If not a guild mber, then what are you?”
"I'm a school employee."
“Weren’t you the one who constantly emphasized to the kids that Pilot High School isn’t an official school?”
“…….”
Wait.
As much as I hate to admit it, Hong Seok-young wasn’t wrong.
Pilot High School isn’t an educational institution, so no matter how much I teach here, it doesn’t make a teacher. There’s no Ability Managent Agency either, so unlike at the Hunter Academy, I’m not affiliated with the agency.
Hold on… let’s go back to the beginning.
That ti when I was first captured by Hong Seok-young and taken to the Awakener Cris Investigation Office in Myeong-dong. Back when he started explaining that I’d work at Pilot High School.
At the ti, I…
Yeah. If I’m honest, I was so shocked by the poor working conditions that I didn’t really listen to what Hong Seok-young was saying. Since I couldn’t refuse to sign anyway, I just went along with what he said and signed the employnt contract without even reading it again.
Where did it say I worked, exactly?
“Don’t tell .”
“You’re in my guild. I’m sure I ntioned it?”
…I feel like he did say sothing about that.
“Why do you think Ark used Tae-woo to approach you?”
“Well, because I’m teaching at Pilot High School.”
“Daseon Hunters have always co and gone from Pilot High School. They wouldn't suddenly take notice just because there's one more Hunter."
“…….”
Hong Seok-young looked at with an expectant expression. His face practically said, Say it.
With a face full of reluctance, I finally spoke.
“…So, it’s because I’m in your guild?”
Hong Seok-young nodded with a cheerful expression.
“Exactly! Think about it, I've maintained a one-man guild for over ten years, and suddenly it becos a two-person guild. Wouldn’t you be curious? Especially since you’re just a D-rank, no-na Hunter!”
Of course, they’d be curious to death.
Since Hunters affiliated with the Ability Managent Agency can’t work for guilds, even my father had quit guild activities. Similarly, if Park Seo-hyun, who’d been running a one-person guild for ages, suddenly started dragging around a D-rank Hunter as an assistant, people would lose their minds and start investigating.
“What if soone recognizes ?”
“Then they recognize you.”
“…….”
Hong Seok-young shrugged.
“At that ti, I couldn’t completely trust you yet. But in the end, it turned out to be the right choice. I’ve got a good instinct for this stuff. Everything’s worked out just as I planned.”
As if.
Hong Seok-young continued to laugh heartily. Strangely, his voice was bright. Between bursts of laughter, he was drawing in breaths. He wasn’t laughing because it was genuinely funny but because he was forcing himself to laugh.
My father used to laugh like that whenever he’d made a mistake or when things weren’t going according to plan.
“What is it?”
“You’re too quick to catch on.”
Hong Seok-young abruptly stopped laughing and clicked his tongue.
“I know Hunter Lee made bold promises, but I’m sorry. I need you to wait a little for your brother’s identification to be arranged.”
I nodded.
“Alright.”
“…That easily?”
“Why?”
“No, it’s just… Teacher Kim said your brother wanted to go to school.”
“That’s true, but it’s not like he’s going to die if he doesn’t go.”
Hmm. That might’ve co across as too cold-hearted. It doesn’t exactly make sound like an older brother who cherishes his younger brother.
I hastily added.
"You wouldn't say sothing like that without good reason, Teacher Hong."
Hong Seok-young blinked.
“Well… that’s true.”
For so reason, his reaction was underwhelming. As long as he didn’t suspect , it was enough.
“Then that’s fine. …Why are you making that face? Is this sothing that could harm my brother?”
“What? No!”
Hong Seok-young scratched his head roughly.
“Your brother, after all… I’m sorry to put it this way, but he’s essentially a test subject, isn’t he? One they invested quite a lot in.”
“Yes.”
“If a child like that disappeared, it’s unlikely they wouldn’t send out a search party. They might be too preoccupied with Alex Hope over at Ark, but if, by any chance, they check the guild mbers under my na and discover your brother, it’ll be a problem.”
There's an acceptable reason. Then even a brother who left Ark for his brother can accept it.
“I understand. I’ll explain it well to my brother. As long as it doesn’t take too long, it’ll be fine.”
"You will?"
Hong Seok-young kept following . Did this guy still have sothing left to say?
"And another thing."
“Yes.”
“Can you undergo a re-evaluation for your Hunter rank?”
“…Re-evaluation? Are you saying I should raise my rank?"
“Yes. I’m not asking you to aim for A-rank, but at least set yourself at B-rank. It’s not even that difficult for you, is it? You’ve done it before.”
“It’s not difficult, but…”
“With the whole Alex Hope incident and for smoother cleanup if things go south, you’ll need your rank to be sowhat higher. Last ti, you only received a temporary assessnt and didn’t raise your rank because of performance issues, but now it’s ti to bump it up.”
“If a no-na D-rank Hunter suddenly becos B-rank, won’t that attract unnecessary attention?”
“Why? That’s great for promoting the Pilot High School. It’ll show that it’s not just helping underage Awakeners grow, but even adult Hunters. Isn’t that amazing?”
Hong Seok-young snickered. This ti, it wasn’t the fake laughter from earlier.
“That’s how you’ll slowly climb up to S-rank. Imagine, a guild with two S-rank Hunters. Doesn’t that sound impressive?”
“I’m not an S-rank.”
“Aren’t you?”
“…….”
Hong Seok-young stared at quietly. At first, I didn’t avoid his gaze, but in the end, his eyes reminded of my father’s.
I eventually shifted my gaze. Hong Seok-young laughed rrily.
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