Chapter 3: Hello, I am S-Class Hunter Hwang Eun-ha (2)

"W-What the hell? Why are we here?"

"Why? Because my dear friend stays stuck in his room and never buys clothes, so I'm here to buy them for you."

"Ah, whatever, let's just go to school."

"Bullshit. Hey. Do you know how much your mother begged me? She said she doesn't care about anything else, just 'make him live like a human being.'"

"Ugh."

"Well, looking at how you act right now, even if I badmouthed you right alongside your mother, you wouldn't have anything to say."

Hearing that shut me up immediately.

Even if I’ve been living without really perceiving myself as a woman since returning to the modern world... this was basically asking a friend to act as a babysitter.

"We won't buy much, just one or two sets of clothes."

"...Fine."

"Besides, you've become a pretty girl, isn't it a waste to let it rot?"

"Ugh, vomit. I told you not to say that crap."

Grumbling, we walked into the first clothing store we saw.

"Welcome!" The clerk greeted us cheerfully.

I didn't know if they would suit me, but there were a lot of pretty clothes.

"Well, pick something. I'll try on whatever."

"Really? Then instead of here, shall we go over there?"

But as expected, picking clothes in an offline store was impossible for a born outsider. A homebody like Eun-ha felt dizzy just stepping out of the house. Why did he drag me here?

"Jin-wook, are you craving a woman or something? But even so, hitting on me is a bit much, don't you think?"

"No, not that, you retard."

I thought Jin-wook, who was much closer to being a social normie ('insider') than me, would know better, so I asked him to pick.

Jin-wook pointed his finger toward a stall lined with cheap clothes in front of a general store.

Of course, I joked around by looking at the lingerie shop next to it.

"Ah. If they're really pretty, I guess friendship doesn't matt—"

But seeing the look of genuine disgust in Jin-wook's eyes, I yelped and shut my mouth. If I joked any further, my friend seemed ready to get genuinely angry.

"Sorry."

"Hey. Objectively, I admit you're pretty, but seeing how you act at home, I don't feel an ounce of 'woman' from you, okay?"

"What? How can you look at me and think that..."

"I really should tell your mother how you've been living."

"Jin-wook, rather than calling my parents, how about we solve this through conversation?"

Anger is one thing, but if my parents found out I wasn't going to school because I was gaming at home, they wouldn't let it slide.

If I didn't want to get caught, I had no choice but to shut up and listen to him.

"Do you want to be dragged down to the countryside wearing your S-Class Hunter title?"

"Seeing how you act, I think you should be."

"To call this thing a friend..."

"Want to try this on?"

Jin-wook must have picked something out while we were talking. He handed me a coordinated set.

It was a style suited for early winter rather than late autumn. And rather than a fresh twenty-year-old freshman look, it was more of a "Returning Student Unnie (Older Sister)" style—mature and slightly intimidating.

"Yeah. Wait a bit."

I took the clothes and went into the fitting room.

Earlier, I felt like I couldn't go to school looking like a slob, but looking in the mirror now, I realized just how shabby I had been.

"Wow, seriously daebak."

I admired my current appearance in a different sense. I stripped off everything except the tee and underwear I was wearing underneath.

I put on the beige cotton pants, layered the shirt, and threw on the ivory knit sweater.

The shabby "dried-fish woman" was gone, replaced by a difficult-to-approach "Unnie" in the mirror.

"Done?"

"As expected, my eyes weren't wrong."

"It's just that the hanger (body) is good."

Jin-wook chuckled at my words.

But honestly, isn't it true?

This blessed body maintains its figure without any special management, has great skin, and the features are quite distinct. Plus, I think my chest is pretty big, too. Anyway, it’s a body that has copied and pasted all the necessary elements for beauty.

"Sigh, you become a Hunter and only your bullshit increases. Here, I'll pay for this as is."

"Yes, I'll ring you up."

Jin-wook naturally took a card from his wallet and handed it to the clerk. Just as I was about to step out, thinking, 'Let's hurry to school,' a voice came from behind.

"Excuse me, customer? This shows 'Limit Exceeded'..."

"What? That can't be."

"I tried again, but it's the same."

Don't tell me. That card.

Sensing danger, I turned my eyes away and positioned myself to flee.

But I couldn't escape Jin-wook’s hand, which was faster than light, grabbing the scruff of my neck.

"Excuse me, S-Class Hunter-nim?"

"Y-Yes?"

"How could this happen? S-Class Hunters are supposed to be rolling in money."

Hearing Jin-wook's chilling voice, I started sweating bullets.

If he finds out I spent it on in-game purchases here, I'm...!

"Ah, well, you see, Jin-wook-nim."

"You spent it on games again, didn't you? Or bought game packs."

"Please, not mom...!"

"Yup, I'm telling her. I'll pay for the clothes, just wear them. And let's go visit your home in the countryside."

"No!!"

"Shit. Jung Jin-wook, that evil bastard."

I lay face down on the lecture desk, spitting out curses at Jin-wook, who wasn't even there.

Thanks to him snitching to my mom that I spent all my money on games, I got scolded severely. I almost got dragged down to the countryside.

'If you keep doing this, I'll just bring you down here and shove you into the Local Defense Corps!'

Mom's last words were truly terrifying.

Of course, since I'm an S-Class Hunter, the government wouldn't let precious manpower like me rot in a Local Defense Corps. But my mother was a character capable of chasing away government officials and whatever else.

"Hey, was there a girl like that in our department?"

"Right? Never seen her before."

"That's her. Hwang Eun-ha."

How long did I wait?

Students started trickling in, and soon, people recognizing me appeared, bringing life to the lecture hall.

Comments were floating around about how the kid who usually just threw on a hoodie actually dressed up properly today.

"Ah, Hwang Eun-ha?"

"I thought she got expelled because she never came to school, but I guess not."

Haa.

This is why I hate coming to school.

For a born outsider like me, this excessive attention doesn't suit me at all. The attention I received back in those days was enough.

'I want to go home...'

As I lifted my body from the desk and stretched, I felt gazes from the surroundings for some reason.

Since I had a time when I was a man, I think I know why, but anyway, it wasn't a good feeling.

"Oh, hi Eun-ha? Long time no see."

While I was feeling a violent urge to go home and seriously debating in my head whether to jump out the window, a man's voice called my name familiarly from the front.

"Not joining the guild."

"What? I was just saying hi, and you reject me immediately?"

"Not joining the guild."

Kang Tae-woo.

The guy who attracts the attention of female students at my school. But he rejected all those advances and persistently chased me around, asking me to join his guild. A truly annoying bastard.

Honestly, 90% of the reason I, who wants to live quietly, hate coming to school is this bastard right here.

"What, you got a problem?"

"No, I have water too." (Note: A pun in Korean. "Bul-man" means complaint/problem, but "Bul" means fire. "Mul" means water. He's making a dad joke.)

"Can I kill you?"

"I'll pass. An S-Class killing an A-Class causes a huge loss in combat power."

What is this bastard saying...

I rested my chin on my hand and adopted a posture that said, 'Go ahead and bark. It's probably bullshit, but I'll listen.'

Kang Tae-woo made a face that looked eminently punchable and said, "That look hurts my feelings."

"I guess an A-Class dying isn't a loss then?"

"What? Why so scary?"

"Just saying."

I said that and took my phone out of my pocket. Since I brought a power bank this time, I could easily kill time during the lecture.

My attitude might look delinquent to the professors, but I'm an existence the country can't easily touch, and having me is good for the school's reputation, so they won't say anything.

"Hey, Kang Tae-woo."

"Yeah?"

"I'm telling you again, but I have zero interest in monster raids or whatever. Even if my ability is strong, just think of it as pearls before swine."

"I wonder."

Kang Tae-woo smiled meaningfully at my question.

I shouldn't have fought in front of him.

"After seeing you fight, no one would think that."

"Hey."

"Honestly, I'm keeping quiet because you hate being asked why you fight so well, but I'm still curious."

I shut my mouth at Kang Tae-woo's words.

The reason I hate coming to school wasn't anything special. I just want to live quietly now. But this guy, Kang Tae-woo, keeps trying to disturb my life.

If he approached me with lust or intent to hit on me, I could just cut him off clearly. But he talks about guilds and whatnot.

Kang Tae-woo's intention wasn't romance.

"Well, you wouldn't tell me even if I asked."

"Do you still remember what happened back then?"

"Of course. How could I forget? The person who blocked the blade right before it pierced my heart."

I was this guy's life savior.

And Kang Tae-woo, this bastard, climbed up to an executive position in his guild quickly just to make things slightly easier for me. Knowing that intention makes it hard for me to cut him off harshly.

"Forget it already. I didn't save you on purpose back then."

Trick-type Gate.

When Kang Tae-woo was still a high school student, he attempted to clear a Trick-type Gate with his guild members and failed.

Right before he lost his life to the boss in the boss room, someone intervened and barely saved his life. A story often called "good luck" in the Hunter industry.

It was about a year after I returned home.

A Gate appeared near the neighborhood I lived in. Since I was a minor at the time, even though I was S-Class, the Association had no authority to force my deployment.

As a second option, the Association auctioned the raid rights for that Gate, and the guild Kang Tae-woo belonged to won the bid.

Of course, as you can guess, the raid failed completely.

Because of that, a Gate Break (Dungeon Break) was about to happen.

I couldn't stand to watch that happen, so I stepped in personally and barely managed to stop the Gate from opening. Saving Kang Tae-woo wasn't really my intention.

It was just one thing that happened in the process of stopping the Gate.

"How can I forget? I'm alive right now thanks to you."

"Yeah. And thanks to my mask flying off back then, you're annoying the hell out of me right now."

"Hunters don't leave debts unpaid. Don't you know?"

"Yeah, don't know, so please get lost."

It was then.

It seemed class time had arrived. The front door of the lecture hall opened, and the professor entered saying, "Okay, everyone take your seats."

Kang Tae-woo, who had been sitting turned around the whole time, smirked, "Then I'll get lost after the lecture," and finally faced forward properly.

I felt like all my energy had been drained just talking to him. "Haa," I let out a long sigh.

'He'd be a really good guy if he just wasn't annoying.'

Resting my chin on one arm on the table, I looked at the guy staring forward and harbored that thought for a moment.

Besides, getting saved by a colleague in the Hunter industry is a pretty common occurrence, isn't it?

It's just that the case back then was a bit dramatic.

"Hwang Eun-ha."

"Yes."

"Oh, Student Hwang Eun-ha is here too. I was worried since I haven't seen you since the second lecture..."

"Sorry. I was a bit busy with work lately..."

"Still, since you are a student, I hope you attend well. Next, Hwang Jin-yi..."