I Regressed After Getting Tired of Their Obsession – Chapter 4

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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“Fucking hell… How did this happen…?”

I couldn’t understand the current situation.

Originally, Kim Ji-hoon and I should have been in the same team.

And Han Yuri? Han Yuri didn’t even exist in my life during my first year.

“…Did someone rig the results?”

Both Lee Seol and Han Yuri had the connections to manipulate the team draw to their liking.

“But that doesn’t make sense either.”

If I’d been teamed with Lee Seol, I would have been certain she remembered the previous timeline.

And… she would have taken some kind of action.

But it was Han Yuri.

She’d followed the exact same path as the previous timeline, showing no unusual behavior whatsoever!

There was no way to know if this was a genuine coincidence or if Han Yuri had deliberately orchestrated it.

As I chewed on my lip, Kim Ji-hoon patted my shoulder with a grin.

“Hell yeah! This is the life! Don’t you think so?”

“Shut up. I have a headache.”

“Well, being in the same team as Han Yuri is shit luck. Even back in Hunter Prep, she was ranked number one on the ‘people I don’t want to team up with’ list. Tsk… Well, what can you do? There are winners and losers! Hahaha!”

I wanted to smack that smug grin off his face, but I didn’t have the time.

I looked around. The reactions were starkly divided.

Some were ecstatic, others in despair.

There were generally two ways to enter the Academy: graduate from Hunter Prep and get in through the “escalator” system, or take the entrance exam like Kim Ji-hoon and I did.

It was natural that the Prep kids, who had been training hard since high school, had an advantage.

They looked down on those who entered later and called them “mongrels.”

The white ring on their left index finger.

That was proof of graduation from Hunter Prep. It was how they distinguished the “elite” from the “commoners.”

‘Even during the orientation, the class was clearly divided.’

The ones chattering excitedly were mostly from Prep. Those cautiously observing their surroundings were the exam entrants.

“Damn… Two mongrels on our team.”

“Oh man… What a mess… Cheer up. At least we only have one.”

Their blatant comments spoke volumes.

Anyway…

‘I need a plan.’

Team activities were essential for obtaining opportunities and rewards at the Academy.

Solo play was practically impossible.

That meant I had to switch teams.

“Hey, Ji-hoon. You made some friends, right?”

“Yeah, the officetel expedition crew. Did I tell you about them?”

“Introduce me to them.”

“Suddenly? Sure, whatever.”

Complaining to the professors wouldn’t work. They’d just spout nonsense about fairness and impartiality.

But trading was different.

If the parties involved agreed to a swap, what could they do?

However…

“Oh, Team 2? Isn’t Han Yuri there? Sorry, I can’t swap with you.”

“Team 2… Han Yuri isn’t really my cup of tea…”

“She’s a lone wolf. Word has already spread among the exam entrants that she doesn’t cooperate with her team. Why would anyone want to join that team?”

Dead end after dead end.

Every attempt was a dead end.

If it had been Lee Seol, they would have jumped at the chance…

Fuck. A complete dead end.

Staying here would make me go insane from frustration. I needed to get out for my sanity’s sake.

“I’m heading out.”

“Huh? Aren’t you going to talk to your teammates?”

“There’s no one to talk to. See you later.”

It hadn’t even been ten minutes since the team draw, and Han Yuri was nowhere to be seen.

Truly living up to her reputation as a lone wolf.

The reason for my anxiety?

Once a team was formed, you had to “live” with them for a year. Literally eat, sleep, and train together.

It was no exaggeration to say you spent 24 hours a day together. This was why Ji-hoon threatened to drop out if he got stuck in an all-guys team.

Wouldn’t it be problematic if men and women slept together?

If there’s a problem, it’s immediate expulsion.

No exceptions.

Hunters often had to share tents and living spaces, so causing trouble even here meant you were unfit for the job.

“Hoo…”

I lay down on the grass in the plaza and looked up at the sky. It was a clear, bright blue, oblivious to my inner turmoil.

‘Should I drop out?’

But I shook my head. She would be coming to the Academy in a few months.

The woman I was unjustly forced to break up with in the previous timeline.

‘I have to hold on at least until then.’

Since things had turned out this way, I needed to think positively.

Han Yuri was second in our year. If I used her well, I could sweep up all the opportunities and rewards I had planned to give up on.

The problem was the timing of Han Yuri’s witch awakening…

If I remembered correctly, the frequency of her contacting me increased significantly after her father’s funeral.

Just thinking about that time made me want to kill myself.

Out of some misplaced sense of compassion, I stayed up all night with her, comforting her as she cried over her father’s body.

‘For a daddy’s girl like her, that probably acted as a catalyst.’

In other words, as long as I was careful during that time, Han Yuri wouldn’t become obsessed with me.

‘Living with her will be a pain in the ass… but I just have to endure it for a year.’

I just had to grit my teeth and endure a year of bullshit. Just one year, and I could return to those happy times.

Back to when I strolled through the streets with the woman who understood and loved me.

As I closed my eyes, I suddenly felt a chill on my left cheek.

I opened my eyes to see a girl I’d never met before offering me a drink.

She had short brown hair and a pretty smile.

“What are you doing here? Meditating?”

“Not really…”

How should I explain this? I thought for a moment, then decided to give a vague answer.

“Photosynthesizing.”

“Hehe. Photosynthesizing? What kind of plant are you? That’s a funny way to put it.”

Then, without hesitation, she sat down next to me. As I gave her a puzzled look, she asked, with a look of disbelief,

“Wait, do you not know me?”

“Sorry. I’m not good with names.”

“Aw, that hurts my feelings. You don’t even know the name of someone you’ll be working with. How can you be our team leader?”

Working with? Team leader?

‘Ah…’

This must be Choi Ah-hyun.

Since I didn’t remember her, she probably wasn’t anyone special in the previous timeline.

“Hurts my feelings? I’ve known you since the entrance exam. Mr. Last Place.”

“…”

That was true. Back then, I wasn’t particularly interested in becoming a Hunter.

I figured if it happened, it happened. If not, no big deal.

“I was ranked right above you, so I remember. I was going to talk to you after the exam, but you were talking to your friend.”

“Ah, Ji-hoon?”

“Yeah! The one with the buzz cut, who looked manly.”

Manly. She was sugarcoating his ugly mug. She must be a really nice person.

“Anyway, as a gesture of goodwill for our future teamwork, here, take this!”

“Thanks. I’ll enjoy this.”

It was my favorite Zico drink. Did she hear it from Ji-hoon?

I didn’t know how she knew my preferences, but I gratefully accepted the drink.

After finishing the can, I stood up.

“I’m heading back to the dorm. What about you?”
“What do you think? Where the needle goes, the thread follows! Let’s go!”

The Academy was strictly hierarchical.

Higher ranks received hotel-like accommodations and meals, while lower ranks lived in near-slum conditions.

Hunter ranks ranged from F to S, and as first-years, most of us were F-rank.

Choi Ah-hyun and I walked across the Academy grounds to the most remote area. What we found there was truly a sight to behold.

“Whoa… this is a bit much…”

“I agree.”

A dilapidated building that looked like it could collapse at any moment. The paint was peeling in places, and many windows were broken.

“Let’s go in.”

“Okay.”

*Creak.*

We opened the rusty main gate, and a cacophony of sounds assaulted our ears.

“Kyahahaha! Kee-yoooot!”

“To the moon! To the top!”

The lack of soundproofing meant we could clearly hear everything inside.

“Fuck! This bitch is so loose! How many dicks has she taken?! Ugh! I’m cumming!”

“Ahh! Oppa! Outside! Pull out, I’m ovulating today!”

“Then get pregnant! I’ll take responsibility!”

We could even hear the embarrassing sounds of couples having sex. It created an awkward atmosphere between us.

“…”

“…What a mess.”

“Haha, yeah. I didn’t expect it to be this bad.”

She scratched her reddened cheeks, clearly embarrassed.

We quickly moved on.

Our room was on the top floor, at the very end of the hallway.

First-year, F-rank. The lowest of the low.

We finally reached our room. As I grabbed the doorknob and opened the door…

*Creeeak.*

What we saw was…

A girl studying against the backdrop of the setting sun.

It was Han Yuri.

The combination of her beauty-queen looks and the dreamy atmosphere rendered us speechless.

“Wow… She’s gorgeous.”

Did Han Yuri hear Choi Ah-hyun’s comment? She looked at us like we were insects. Then, our eyes met.

Her pupils, filled with contempt, trembled incessantly. She abruptly turned away and plugged earphones into her ears.

A clear sign that she had no intention of talking to us.

“Um, Yuri? We’re here.”

“…”

Ignored. Completely ignored.

Choi Ah-hyun awkwardly scratched her cheek.

“Hmm. Being blatantly ignored like this makes me want to try harder… Let’s go in, Seong-hyun.”
“Okay.”

While anyone else would have been offended, Choi Ah-hyun entered the room with a look of determination.

It was the size of a studio apartment, with a single bathroom. The gaps in the window frame let in a cold draft.

This was the dorm of Korea’s top academy?

‘…I can only laugh.’

Choi Ah-hyun, fascinated by something, looked around the room and then went to check out the hallway.

I stared at the back of Han Yuri’s head.

‘One year…’

The thought alone was suffocating. I’d initially planned to use her to clear difficult dungeons, but I doubted she’d cooperate.

In the previous timeline, Han Yuri was infamous for not speaking a word to her teammates for an entire year.

It seemed like she was going to do the same this time around.

‘I’ll sleep for today and start tomorrow…’

I turned around to get the blankets when I heard the sound of a chair falling behind me. At the same time, a chilling sensation washed over me.

It would be too late if I turned my head.

Relying on instinct, I reached back and grabbed a slender wrist. But a dagger, slipping past my grip, reached my throat.

“Who the fuck are you?!”

A voice as clear as a jade marble rolling on a silver tray. But…

“Who are you?!”

…filled with fear and panic, echoed through the room.

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