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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Sigh… Really…
I had earnestly pleaded with In-wook, sweating profusely, not to aim for 1st place…
I thought nothing would work out.
There was only one reason I intentionally refused the 1st place position.
It was obvious that if we became the class representatives and participated in the tournament, Yoo Si-hwa would be waiting there.
I was trying to separate In-wook from Yoo Si-hwa somehow, but a new variable had emerged.
Since they would meet as opponents, I didn’t think they would become close or have many conversations, but I thought that was even scarier.
Although I believed she couldn’t match me as a woman, there was a part I had to acknowledge.
It was her overwhelming force.
Even though we were both S-rank in our previous lives, In-wook and Yoo Si-hwa were on another level even among S-ranks.
They were called the strongest in the hunter world.
That was the only charm Yoo Si-hwa had that I didn’t.
So if In-wook were to face her in this tournament, I thought it would be like giving him an opportunity to feel even a little attracted to her.
The first year was a time when In-wook couldn’t keep up with Yoo Si-hwa’s skills yet.
Naturally, In-wook, who pursued the strongest, would highly regard her.
But it wasn’t like there was no chance of winning on my side.
I was in my second life!
Although the mana I could handle was still limited, I had accumulated incomparably more data as a hunter compared to ordinary students.
And the magic I could use was incomparably more than when I was a first-year in my previous life.
If I could draw out In-wook’s potential a bit more in this state, wouldn’t we be able to win?
Hmm…
I wasn’t sure since I didn’t have information on Yoo Si-hwa’s level as a student.
With my head throbbing, I resented the guys who forfeited and the homeroom teacher for no reason.
No. You guys have no guts.
Who forfeits an evaluation?
Of course, it’s true that I put in a bit of effort to look good in front of In-wook, but I didn’t think they would forfeit just by looking at our pair…
And the homeroom teacher!
I even called him personally and asked him to do me a favor, but he ended up being the second culprit who ruined my plan.
From his perspective, he probably wanted to let me win by saying there was a forfeit option that didn’t exist, so I couldn’t even scold him.
I thought I should have told him in advance to let us lose, but how could I have known it would turn out like this?
…Anyway, for now, we can’t lose.
I was getting impatient.
Leaning against the bed and biting my nails, I picked up my cell phone.
Wouldn’t it be okay to have at least one insurance…?
[Mr. Butler. It’s me.]
[Yes. Young lady.]
[I think you should contact a man named Park Min-seok in Class 5 of the first year at the Hunter Academy.]
[…It’s a name I’m hearing for the first time, but for what reason do you wish to contact him?]
…This is really the last resort.
I hoped to win without using this if possible…
After hearing my explanation, the butler spoke to me in a worried tone.
[…It could be dangerous. If you make a mistake!]
[I know that too. That’s why I told you. This is the last resort.]
[Young lady. Honestly, I don’t understand why you’re going this far. Even the Chairman…!]
[Enough.]
…He may think of me as a 20-year-old, a chick who just became an adult, but that’s not who I am now.
It was a decision I made after thinking coldly.
[Just proceed as I requested. Mr. Butler.]
The butler didn’t argue any further at my firm answer.
[…I understand.]
I let out a deep sigh after hanging up the phone.
Perhaps, as he said, this might be a bit excessive.
Let’s make this the last time I do this kind of thing.
Recently, while training with In-wook as a pair and spending all day together, I felt we were getting closer and closer.
Our conversations and even light skinship had become natural.
If we could reach victory with this momentum, we could start a happy relationship just like in our previous life.
“…You can do it. Yoon Ha-rin.”
Beads of sweat formed on my tightly clenched fist.
* * *
On the day the tournament between class representatives began.
Even though the matches hadn’t started yet, people were gathering in the arena and whispering.
[Hey. Honestly, isn’t it too much to bet on Class 2?]
[No. It’s not like you’ll get much of a payout if you bet on Yoo Si-hwa’s class.]
[Still, it’s better than losing, you idiot.]
[Tsk tsk. You’ll only realize it when you’re shedding tears of blood and hitting the ground.]
Listening to the students’ whispers, I moved to the waiting room.
I wonder how much they bet on us…
The conversation they exchanged was always present in events like this.
Whenever there were events like this selection within the Hunter Academy, they could guess the winner and bet money on who would win.
It was like a sports betting system.
Of course, it wasn’t operated by the academy itself, but everyone enjoyed it as a form of entertainment.
However, just like any sport, the students at the Hunter Academy could also distinguish between favorites and underdogs based on combat power.
In this case, their entrance exam scores would have been the most important indicator.
So naturally, Si-hwa was the favorite. I was probably the underdog. That was the general consensus.
[Ah, seriously. I’m going all-in with my last month’s part-time job pay on Yoo Si-hwa this time. Please… Please…!]
[Sigh. You’re really foolish. You’re going all-in just like that?]
[Hey. Honestly, who can stop Yoo Si-hwa? Did you see her midterm evaluation? If you had watched it in real-time, you wouldn’t have said that?]
[Is she that good?]
Of course she would be.
I overheard the conversation of the students passing by and agreed with his words.
If it was Si-hwa with the memories of her previous life, she would have thought playing around with students was nothing.
Rather, I thought if someone could even exchange blows with her at that level, that guy’s future would be no different from a guaranteed check.
When I arrived at the waiting room, Ha-rin welcomed me.
“You’re here? In-wook!”
She greeted me while stretching her arms and legs.
“Yeah. How’s your body feeling?”
“I think I’m fine!”
Ha-rin must have been worried about the class tournament starting today, as she called me late last night to vent.
[In-wook… What if we lose?]
[No. We’ll do well. We prepared hard too.]
[But… I still don’t know if I can do well.]
[As long as you do what you’ve been doing so far, it’ll be fine. And I’m here too.]
[Really? Then if I make a mistake, you’ll cover for me, In-wook?]
[If it’s within my ability. Of course.]
[Now I feel a bit relieved…]
She seemed to have calmed down a little at my words.
[Don’t be too nervous. Get some good sleep. Okay?]
[Yeah. Thank you. In-wook.]
“What about you, In-wook?”
Ha-rin stopped stretching and approached me.
“I think I’m fine too. I got plenty of sleep.”
“What about breakfast?”
“Breakfast…? Mom was sleeping, so I just left without eating.”
As soon as she heard that, Ha-rin rummaged through her bag and took out a lunchbox, holding it out to me.
“This is…”
“Ta-da! I prepared it just in case you didn’t eat, hehe~”
The lunchbox contained glistening rice and various side dishes.
“Here. Ah!”
She held chopsticks and fed me a piece of rolled egg into my mouth.
“Did you make this yourself?”
“Of course! This is all handmade by Yoon Ha-rin!”
“It’s really delicious, Ha-rin.”
I complimented her while chewing the food in my mouth.
Ha-rin’s cooking… It’s been a really long time…
During our short married life, she prepared my meals every day.
Of course, after she found out that she couldn’t get her pregnant, the menu consisted only of dishes good for stamina every day, but before that, she made a lot of different things for me.
I think she often made rolled eggs too…
Suddenly, old memories started to come back to me as I received the lunchbox.
“…Do you have any food you don’t like?”
Ha-rin, who was sitting next to me, asked cautiously while gauging my reaction.
It seemed she misunderstood because I was staring at the lunchbox without a word.
“Ah! No! I was just lost in thought for a moment. It’s delicious! Really delicious!”
“Phew~ I thought you were forcing yourself to eat it~”
She smiled brightly and handed me a water bottle too.
“Eat slowly! I’ll go to the restroom for a bit.”
“Yeah. Okay. Thank you, Ha-rin!”
“Since you ate that, you have to win today, okay?”
After Ha-rin left the waiting room, I finished the meal she had prepared without leaving a single bite.
This was all her sincerity. I thought it would be rude to leave anything.
And not long after, the situation in the arena began to be broadcast on the monitor inside the waiting room.
[Thank you for waiting~ Everyone~ The tournament to determine the strongest first-year pair will start right now!]
The enthusiastic cheers penetrated through the door and reached here.
[Well then, let me introduce the pairs who will grace the first stage. Pairs from Class 2 and Class 5, please come out!]
Students slowly walked towards the center from both ends of the arena.
[She’s a strong contender for the championship! The student called the strongest among the current first-years! Student Yoo Si-hwa!]
I couldn’t help but gulp at her expressionless face shown in the close-up.
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