Hunter Academy’s Battle God

The morning sunlight trickled through the curtains. Lee Hyuk looked at HaYoon, who was silently reading a book. He was surprised that she could seem so interested in a book she’d already read several times. She looked more like a typical student her age at that moment, which he thought was a better fit for her than her typical tyrant side.

Tap—

The moment HaYoon closed her book and opened her mouth, though…

"What happened to those pieces of trash?"

The peaceful atmosphere was shattered.

Hyuk calmly accepted it and thought, 'Yes, this is the real HaYoon.' "The monster wasn't subjugated in time and caused damage to the surrounding shops. The losses were significant."

"Is that so…?" she indifferently responded.

Hyuk continued speaking, wary of her reaction. "The contract we received… was canceled, and we returned the payment. Two dungeon requests were canceled as well.”

"Okay, got it. It can't be helped."

Tap—

HaYoon opened her book again. Though the atmosphere might have seemed peaceful at first glance, she kept her gaze on the book and said, “Who recommended those pieces of trash?”

There were three ways in which the Hunter Club gave jobs: by HaYoon’s decision, to the Sevens or another student with a good rank, or by recommendation from someone like Hyuk.

"That's…" Hyuk began sweating nervously. He’d been the one to recommend the so-called ‘trash’. HaYoon’s past actions began replaying in his mind.

[P-please! Spare me!] She'd choked a first-year student with telekinesis for not having knocked three times.

[Student Council President! Please, give me one more chance!] She'd ruthlessly expelled four club members.

[How shameless are they to ask for such a favor just because we're blood-related?] She'd even spoken ill of her own family 11 times. She had a famously bad character.

'It's over. I think I can already hear her voice.' [Lee Hyuk, I'm disappointed… Do you want to become trash, too?] She would either mock him while smiling as usual or sarcastically question his ability. [You’re not the one I’m disappointed in. I’m disappointed in myself for believing you were competing.]

[If you aren't fit to stand by my side, then how about you quit now?] She’d probably ask him to quit.

'Yes, it will probably be one of the three.'

For some reason, though, she slowly turned a page and said, “Yes, it’s understandable.” Had he heard wrong? Did she say it was understandable? "Trust is important in our line of work, so be more careful next time."

He thought she must’ve been feeling ill or something, but he realized she was in a good mood after she laughed. "There isn't much time left," she said.

If she were feeling good, maybe she would answer him? "HaYoon, what do you mean by that?" he cautiously asked.

Instead of answering, she chucked her book away and said, "Do you know what a ‘fragment’ is?"contemporary romance

To hunters, the word 'fragment' had one meaning but multiple interpretations. "Of course I know,” he answered. “The Association hasn't come up with a unified definition yet."

"Right. An object with memories, a catalyst for a contract, a material for awakening… they can’t decide on one thing."

"Hmm. Isn't that because each fragment awakens differently depending on the hunter?"

"Interesting. What do you mean?" HaYoon asked.

"This is just my opinion,” Hyuk said, “but I heard some can talk with certain entities after finding one, and others gain memories at the moment of awakening. Judging by that… it seems to vary."

"You're competent. That's a good analysis. What if…" A playful smile crept onto her face. "What if there was someone with memories of a past life and they weren’t human?"

"Not human…?" Though she’d smiled when she said it, Hyuk felt a chill run down his spine. Was it just his imagination? "For example…?" he asked.

HaYoon’s smile widened. "What if you had the memories of a being without obtaining their ‘fragment’? Could you still use their power?”

"No… Just having memories shouldn't be enough." Talent couldn’t be obtained just because you knew how something was done. "Having memories doesn't mean you can use the entity’s power. The biggest issue is the difference in the nature of mana, after all."

One needed to have the correct type of mana to wield a ‘fragment's’ power. Just as every hunter's Trait was different, their mana also had differences, which was also why hunters couldn’t use every skill.

"There aren’t many people with fragments because you need to have mana that’s compatible with whichever fragment you’re pairing with.”

HaYoon nodded. "Then, what if we make the nature of mana similar by borrowing the power of an artifact?"

Hyuk fell deep into thought, but it wasn’t a difficult question for him since he was Gaon’s top student when it came to theory. "I don't think something like that is possible, but… if the fuel, engine, and controls are the same, there's no reason why a machine wouldn't work with a different pilot."

HaYoon laughed as if she found the answer hilarious. "Ah, that’s so funny that I'm about to cry… To think you'd take my fantasy so seriously." After retrieving her book, she closed it and stood up.

Only then did Hyuk notice the book’s title, [Chronicles of the Witch of Dreams, Morgana]. 'Memories of a past life, two types of mana, two powers…' He thought of what they’d just discussed. A hunter with a past life’s memory and two Traits… For some reason, it made him feel uneasy.

* * *

* * *

The morning after the team battle, YuSung slept well for the first time in a while before waking up to something loud outside his room.

'I think I know who that is…' When he went to the kitchen, still half-asleep, he was greeted by Sumire, who was busy preparing spices to use for their breakfast.

Rustle—

Rustle, rustle—

"Ah, YuSung! You're up!"

She was glad to be preparing breakfast again and looked extremely happy in her apron.

‘She should also be tired from the match…’ He was a bit worried, but it wasn’t needed.

"I've just finished preparing soup! This is the sweet potato candy you said was delicious the other day, and this is beef soup!" She didn’t look tired at all. In fact, she somehow seemed even more energized. It looked like preparing breakfast for him revitalized her.

YuSung, still looking a bit groggy, picked up a piece of the candy and placed it in his mouth. The sugary coating, followed by the soft taste of the sweet potato, made for a perfect combination.

'This is the best…'

She gave him a worried look, unable to read his mind. "You don't like it? Maybe I made it too sweet…"

"As expected, it's delicious," he said in approval.

Sumire finally relaxed. "That's a relief!"

"It makes me want to eat your breakfast for the rest of my life." Unfortunately, he went a bit too far with his compliments that day.

'F-for the rest of your life… Breakfast?' Her expression didn’t change much, but her imagination was running wild with vivid imagery.

[YuSung! Breakfast's ready!] She saw herself preparing a meal with a ring on her finger and an apron tied around her waist.

[Sumire, Honey… Thank you for the delicious breakfast, as always.] YuSung gently hugged her from behind.

[Mom! I'm here!] [Me too! Where's Dad?] She saw a vivid image of their children returning home.

[Sumire, I love you as much as breakfast.] YuSung decided to renew their wedding vows while caressing the ring on her hand. [Let's be together forever.]

[YuSung!]

Their vows of eternal love and imagined memories passed through her brain like a panorama.

"Hehe…" She shamelessly daydreamed in front of him until the ringing of a Pocket disrupted her.

Ring—!

[Shin HaYoon: I didn't expect you to call me. You made a good decision. Regardless of your choice, there's no need to avoid it, right?]

[Shin HaYoon: See you at three. All of the YuSu and ShinOh family members will be waiting for you.]

"Huh…" Sumire unintentionally read the message, but what surprised her was YuSung’s frozen expression. "YuSung… Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Very few people other than EunAh knew he used to be a member of the ShinOh family, and now there was one more person.

"I can’t believe you’re related to the student council president…"

"I don't think I am anymore…" YuSung calmly answered. He was planning to meet his father, Shin KangYoon, and his mother, Yu MinSeo, to conclude negotiations as YuWol had advised. “Still, I need to visit them to put an end to something.”

‘It would be even better if I could learn more about my sister there.’ He was planning to solve everything himself and return.

Before he could leave, Sumire gave him a serious look and asked, “Then… could I accompany you?”

done.co