Even at Geumgang Academy, there was a homeroom.
Students were expected to report to their assigned class by 8:30 a.m. when homeroom began—or, at the latest, by 9:00 a.m., when morning classes started.
We, who had been drinking and partying until dawn, were no exception.
Having barely slept in our own rooms, we dragged our exhausted bodies to class.
“Yaaawn… Morning. You’re early.”
“…Yeah, morning. You must’ve had quite a bit to drink. But why sit next to me? It’s not like seats are assigned or—hey, are you even listening to me!?”
“Sleeping. Also, you’re kind of intense to sit in front of. Next time, pick a seat a little farther back.”
“What? When did I ever say I was sitting with you!? No, just listen before you go passing out!”
Class 1-17.
When I walked in, Min Ah-rin was already seated.
She was flipping through what looked like a magic tome and started talking to me from the get-go.
Too tired to bother responding, I collapsed over my desk.
“Hey? Are you listening?”
I didn’t think Ha-neul could drink that much…
I’d clearly underestimated her. Even in my past life, I never drank that heavily the night before.
It was all because of Yeon Ha-neul.
—I… I don’t think I can drink anymore…
—Me neither… It’s spinning…
—Geum-dong hyung, you okay?
—Eun-dong hyung, where are you even looking while you… bleegh…!
—Dong-dong! Bathroom’s over there!
—Didn’t I tell you all to throw up in your own rooms…
Thanks to the drinking games Go Eun-bi led, everyone started downing drinks way too fast.
One by one, people started keeling over, unable to stay upright.
I was barely holding it together.
The moment I let go, I knew my consciousness would just quietly slip away.
—Oh, this is sweet.
Even in that mess, Yeon Ha-neul was calmly sipping her drink.
She was far more of a heavy drinker than I’d expected.
The only one who could go toe-to-toe with her was Yong Hae-rang.
—What’s this? Everyone’s down from just this? You’re good, Ha-neul… Can you handle another?
—Yeah, pour me one too.
—That’s the spirit! A true warrior should be like this! Yeon Ha-neul, I, Yong Hae-rang of the Loyal Dragon Clan, hereby recognize you as my drinking companion! Cheers!
—…You’re not drunk, are you? I don’t even know where to begin with that, but sure. Cheers.
While the others had sprawled out across my room, the two of them sat across a table, exchanging drinks like it was a friendly duel.
As her childhood friend, I couldn’t just watch in silence.
I knew full well how uneasy Ha-neul was around Yong Hae-rang.
And watching her go it alone made me feel uneasy, too.
So I butted in, recklessly.
—…Pour me one too.
—Huh? Gyeon-woo, you sure you’re okay to drink more? If not, you should lie down on the bed and rest.
—I’m fine. If it gets bad, my Gift will probably activate or something. Just pour me a drink.
—That’s the spirit! You’re a man after my own heart!
—You don’t even know what a Gift is… Wait, are you hoping it’ll awaken if you drink? You’re definitely drunk. How many fingers am I holding up?
—Two.
—Wrong. It’s three.
—You’ve got two ears, though.
—Hey, look at my hand!
—One tail.
—…You’re drunk. Lean on me if you need to rest. Or just lay your head on my lap.
—Telling you, I’m not drunk.
—Yes, yes. Of course not, little Gyeon-woo. Want some water? The teacher will feed you herself~
—I’m not drunk…
—Yep. Definitely drunk.
Desperately clinging to my senses, I drank with Yeon Ha-neul until dawn, shoulder to shoulder.
And yet, neither she nor Yong Hae-rang showed any signs of breaking.
Well… Yong Hae-rang looked fine until I realized he had dozed off upright.
—Khrrooogh…
—Wow… how’s he sleeping like that?
—Whew… Ha-neul, you want another?
—Mm… It’s late. Let’s finish one more bottle and call it a night. You can sleep if you’re tired, Gyeon-woo.
—No… It’s just one bottle. I can handle it. Let’s drink together.
I was at my limit then, practically dying.
But I didn’t want to leave Yeon Ha-neul drinking alone. I forced my eyes to stay open.
“Hey, are you even listening?”
I’m dying of sleep deprivation here…
We’d barely slept before dragging ourselves to class.
Of course, I was drowsy.
I just wanted to nap a little before homeroom began, but Min Ah-rin kept yammering on and on beside me.
Lifting my head off the desk, I turned toward her.
“Sorry, but could you keep it down? I didn’t get any sleep last night…”
“…What? Are you saying I’m being loud?”
“I didn’t say that. You’re full of energy this morning. I guess you didn’t drink yesterday. That’d explain why you’re not tired.”
“What’re you saying? I did drink yesterday! Don’t just assume things because you overdid it!”
“How much did you have?”
“…A can of beer. Why?”
“That’s it?”
“I said don’t—!”
“Who’d you drink with?”
“….”
“Though, with your personality, I doubt it was with anyone. Probably drank alone in your room, right?”
“…!”
Min Ah-rin had a solitary nature.
Ambitious and proud, always chasing excellence.
She even carried an air of superiority.
It was hard to imagine her relaxing or chatting openly with anyone.
Her frozen expression told me I was right on the mark.
“You… you…”
She floundered.
Min Ah-rin didn’t have good reflexes, and she was even worse at handling unexpected attacks.
Blushing like a tomato, she opened and closed her mouth like a stunned goldfish.
I turned my head and buried it back into my desk, waving a lazy hand.
“Let’s drink together next time. I’ll bring the others and set up something fun.”
“…I-I don’t need that! Wasting time with unproductive stuff is not my thing! Don’t expect me to go if you invite me!”
“Okay then. I’m going to sleep.”
“Ugh…”
She could say what she wanted.
But I knew—deep down, she was secretly looking forward to it.
You think I don’t know your personality by now, Min Ah-rin?
She stayed quiet after that, so I slipped into a light nap.
Time passed faster than I expected.
“Hey, wake up.”
“Mm…”
Min Ah-rin nudged me with her elbow.
Groggily opening my eyes, I saw that Hong Ye-na and Yu No-eul had entered the classroom.
It was homeroom time.
Hong Ye-na took roll.
“…I’m relieved to see everyone made it. Considering it was your first time drinking, and most of you probably don’t know your limits, I was worried some might black out and skip. Guess some of you used magic to shake it off, huh?”
“Ugh…”
“Still, it looks like a fair number of you are suffering from hangovers… or maybe just exhausted from partying too long. Either way, keep it in check. You didn’t come to the Academy just to drink.”
“Right, everyone! It’s fine to have fun, but don’t forget your duties as students! Now up and at it!”
Hong Ye-na closed the roll book with a tsk, her eyes lingering on me a little too long for comfort.
Yu No-eul clapped her hands energetically, trying to rouse the groggy students.
Then Hong Ye-na gave a new instruction.
“Class rep and vice rep, hand out the printed packets to everyone.”
“Yes, ma’am…”
Annoying, but unavoidable.
Min Ah-rin and I stood and began distributing the handouts.
With everyone sitting scattered around, we had to walk the whole room.
This is inefficient… Maybe we should assign seats next time so we can just pass them back.
If anyone objected, I’d settle it with strength.
Once finished, I returned to my seat and glanced at the handout.
It was the course catalog.
Yu No-eul switched on the screen at the front of the class and displayed the same contents.
“Remember—you’re not children anymore. Now that you’re here, you should be able to take care of yourself. From this point forward, think for yourselves. Act for yourselves. Don’t expect that just sitting in class will somehow turn you into a Hunter. That kind of thinking? Throw it out. Or better yet, drop out now and live a normal life. We won’t miss you. There are plenty of students ready to take your place.”
“….”
Arms crossed, standing in front of the screen—
Hong Ye-na laid it out bluntly.
The room went still.
I could feel the tension ripple through the classroom, a collective silence behind me.
But she didn’t flinch under the pressure.
“The instructors are here to guide you, not to make you into Hunters. You make yourselves into Hunters. So don’t expect this to be like your hometown schools, where you just follow along and passively absorb whatever’s given. From now on, you choose your classes. That handout we gave you…”
“Excuse me, Instructor… I need to use the bathroom…”
“The instructor is not a restroom! If you need to go, just quietly excuse yourself.”
“I just told you, didn’t I? You’re no longer children. You should be capable of thinking and acting for yourselves. Do you really need permission for something like that?”
“….”
“Now, look at the screen. I’m going to explain the Academy’s course structure.”
Glancing back, I caught a glimpse of a student exiting the classroom, face flushed crimson.
Yu No-eul smiled silently, while Hong Ye-na sighed with clear disappointment.
Then the explanation began.
“The courses you’ll take over the next three years are divided into morning and afternoon classes. Morning classes…”
The system was as follows:
One 50-minute class per week counted for 1 academic credit.
All Academy students were required to complete a minimum of 35 credits per semester.
There was no cap on the maximum number of credits.
Afternoon classes were freely selectable.
Morning classes, however, were fixed and conducted by the assigned homeroom instructor.
The 15 credits from morning classes were automatically fulfilled.
“That means you’ll need to take afternoon courses totaling at least 20 additional credits. You’re free to take more than that, of course. However, afternoon classes are categorized as…”
It wasn’t enough to simply accumulate 20 credits.
Afternoon courses were divided into categories: Technical, General Education, Humanities, Character Development, and Practical Skills.
To graduate, students needed to meet the minimum required credits in each of these categories.
These credit requirements varied based on the student’s academic track.
“We can’t go over each of your individual requirements now, so refer to the handout.”
“….”
Student classifications were divided into branches and specialties.
Branches included Combat, Production, and Administration.
Within the Combat Branch, specialties included Swordsmanship, Archery, Spearmanship, Magic, Shield Arts, and more—ten primary disciplines in total, plus additional sub-disciplines.
I’m in the Combat Branch, Swordsmanship Specialty… ah, here it is.
To earn a Hunter’s license:
Students needed to fulfill the credit requirements set by their discipline, then use remaining credits to choose courses aligned with the type of Hunter they aspired to become.
Wisely and strategically.
“The classes you take and the grades you earn here will become the foundation by which you’re evaluated in the Hunter world. It’s essentially your portfolio.”
“….”
“So don’t blindly follow others. Think carefully about your path and make your own decisions.”
“Instructor, since homeroom’s nearly over, how about continuing this in first period after a short break?”
“…It’s already that late? You’re right. Let’s take a short break and continue during first period. We’ll cover course registration then.”
You must think and act on your own.
For students who’d only just graduated from middle school, it was overwhelming.
But even so, it was necessary.
Only you are responsible for your life.
Of course—
This was all in the game, too.
I was already prepared.
In the game, each semester, the player could select classes for Kang Han-byeol and the rest of the party.
Depending on the courses taken, characters would gain stat boosts or acquire new skills.
This freedom in character development was part of what made the game fun and immersive.
Ah, nostalgia. I’d never even been to college, but I spent hours planning out these fictional timetables…
In my past life, I was a veteran of the game.
I knew its patterns inside and out.
I already understood which classes suited me, and which would optimize the others.
Not just for myself, but for every character.
So unlike the other students, I didn’t need to wrack my brain figuring out which afternoon courses to take.
“Already this late, huh? Since it’s the first day, we’ll end morning classes a little early. Don’t forget—course registration is this Thursday, so plan your schedules in advance. No afternoon classes this week, remember? I’m sure you’re all hungry. Enjoy your lunch! And if you’ve got questions about your schedule, come find me anytime!”
Morning classes ended twenty minutes early, just before lunch.
Hong Ye-na and Yu No-eul left the lecture hall, and the students began to gather their things.
Min Ah-rin, who had sat beside me all morning, began putting away her meticulously written notes and stationery.
I took the chance to speak.
“Hey, are you free later?”
“…Why?”
“I’ve got a lunch group going. After that, we’re planning to sit down at a café and build our schedules together. If you’re up for it, you should join us.”
“….”
Min Ah-rin’s golden eyes locked onto mine.
In the game, she didn’t join the party until the second semester of her first year, so I couldn’t influence her schedule until then.
But this wasn’t a game anymore.
This was reality.
And in this reality, I had the power to intervene.
I couldn’t let the chance to influence her schedule from the start slip by.
I waited for her answer.
She responded just as I’d expected.
“Why should I? Why would I eat with people I don’t know or make a schedule with them? I appreciate the offer, but I’ll pass.”
Exactly the kind of reply her personality would give.
And I was more than ready for it.
As she slung her bag over her shoulder and turned away, I played the next card—one I knew she couldn’t ignore.
“Oh, really? I just thought you might want to meet Ha-neul. You two are in the same specialty.”
“….”
“You know Ha-neul, right? The top scorer on the entrance exam.”
“Urgh…”
“She’s also Instructor Hong Ye-na’s personal student.”
“….”
“She’s coming with us, too. Are you sure you’re not interested?”
Last night, during the drinking party—
Yeon Ha-neul had mentioned that she and Min Ah-rin had clashed during the entrance exam.
Apparently, Min Ah-rin had lost to Ha-neul and had all her exam tokens taken.
That’s why she didn’t graduate at the top, even though she had been on track to do so.
I never would’ve guessed they had a confrontation…
It surprised me when Ha-neul mentioned it.
In hindsight, maybe I should’ve foreseen that those two would inevitably clash.
But spilled milk was spilled milk.
Rather than regret the unexpected, I had to adapt and use it.
That’s how I arrived at the conclusion: bait Min Ah-rin with Yeon Ha-neul.
She’s proud, competitive, and fiercely driven. If I name-drop Ha-neul, she won’t be able to ignore it.
My prediction hit the mark.
Min Ah-rin didn’t move.
She stood rooted in place, expression clouded in thought.
Then, after a moment of silent calculation, she turned back to me.
“…She’s really coming?”
“You’ve heard I’m her childhood friend, right? Of course she is.”
“…Fine. I’ll come.”
“Smart choice.”
Hook, line, and sinker.
Min Ah-rin was one of the easiest characters to read.
I smiled faintly.
Though… what’s with that smile on her face?
If I had to guess, she was probably fantasizing about spying on Ha-neul’s course selection strategy.
Classic Min Ah-rin.
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