The Struggles of the #1 Rank - Chapter 14
An event was held under the supervision of the Special Awakener Association to celebrate the new Hunters who had recently entered the training center.
When Joo-ah entered the banquet hall, she saw many Hunters already seated.
It had been a long time since she had attended an event like this.
Ordinary Hunters were required to participate, but members of the elite unit could choose whether to attend.
Back then, Joo-ah had considered events like these a waste of time. Instead of attending, she had focused entirely on training.
She turned her head, looking for her teammates. Since they belonged to a higher-ranked group, they would be seated near the front, making them difficult to spot from the back.
Just as Joo-ah started walking toward them, someone blocked her path.
“Hi, Joo-ah!”
The person who had suddenly approached her was Boram, the same woman who had destroyed Joo-ah’s flowerpot before.
Joo-ah looked at her calmly before speaking.
“Hey, Boram.”
Her voice sounded as though she were greeting a close friend. Boram sneered as if the sight of her were ridiculous.
“Our Joo-ah has become quite confident since entering the training center. Is this the power of being matched with a higher-ranked group?”
Joo-ah gave a faint smile at her sarcastic tone.
“I’m glad you understand.”
Boram’s smile immediately disappeared.
“Really? Then let me meet your teammates, too. I’m dying to know just how pathetic they must be to accept someone like you as their teammate.”
She forcibly grabbed Joo-ah’s arm and shouted. The Hunters nearby glanced at the two of them.
Boram pulled so recklessly that Joo-ah was dragged along without a chance to resist. She was about to lose her patience and knock Boram’s hand away when someone spoke.
“Who are you to drag our E-rank around so carelessly?”
With an arm draped over Joo-ah’s shoulder, Chan-hee looked at Boram with a mocking expression. Thanks to him, Joo-ah’s unwilling steps finally came to a halt.
Boram turned around with a deeply twisted expression, then blushed.
The reason her cheeks had turned as red as a ripe apple was probably Chan-hee’s face.
She might not want to admit it, but his handsome appearance was undoubtedly one of the main reasons the women he dated kept changing.
His skin was as white as flour dough, his black hair was neatly swept back, and his eyes looked arrogant yet playful. Even the corners of his lips curved upward so smoothly that his smile seemed effortlessly charming.
On top of that, he was much taller than the average man, and his body had been toned through training.
Perhaps because of his excellent proportions, or perhaps because his face was simply too handsome, his uniform suited him remarkably well. It looked as though it had been designed specifically for him.
“Are you… close to Joo-ah?”
Boram released Joo-ah’s arm and asked while fixing her hair.
“You think we’re just acquaintances?”
Chan-hee narrowed his eyes playfully and pulled Joo-ah closer to his side.
“Our E-rank and I have a very special relationship.”
While Chan-hee spoke in a teasing voice, Joo-ah, who had been looking at Boram indifferently, suddenly interrupted him.
“He’s my teammate.”
Only then did Boram calm her surprised expression and nod. She touched Chan-hee’s system window to check his rank, then let out a small sigh.
“It’s unfortunate that someone of such a high rank has become a victim.”
At first, she had wanted to see how pathetic Joo-ah’s teammates were. But the moment Chan-hee appeared, he had become a poor victim who had been taken advantage of by Joo-ah instead.
Chan-hee chuckled as though he had heard something amusing.
“A victim?”
“Yes. Until now, I don’t think anyone with a rank as low as Hunter Seo Joo-ah has ever been assigned to a higher-ranked group at the training center.”
Boram spoke with a serious expression, as though she were revealing an important secret.
“You already know that Hunter Seo Joo-ah is E-rank, don’t you? But do you know that she was matched with a higher-ranked group thanks to her father, who is a member of the National Assembly?”
At Boram’s words, Chan-hee laughed quietly before parting his lips.
“And what if I do?”
Boram widened her eyes and exaggerated her expression.
“You knew? And you’re still being so kind to Hunter Seo Joo-ah?”
Chan-hee listened silently, then turned his head to look at Joo-ah beside him. Under his obvious stare, Joo-ah wrinkled her nose and shifted her gaze.
Their eyes met at close range.
Chan-hee curled his lips into an irritating smile and muttered in an unpleasant tone.
“She is pretty annoying.”
Then he shifted his gaze from Joo-ah to Boram and finished what he had to say.
“But people who mess with my teammates are even more annoying.”
He had completely dropped his playful attitude. His voice carried a hint of coldness, making Boram flinch and take a step back.
“I-I was only saying that it’s unfortunate the other teammates might suffer because of Hunter Seo Joo-ah.”
“Whether we suffer because of our E-rank or not, what does that have to do with you? Do you even know me?”
Chan-hee mimicked Boram’s way of speaking as he asked the question.
Boram answered with a flustered expression.
“N-No…?”
“Then are you close to our E-rank?”
“W-We went to the same academy!”
“So what if you did?”
Chan-hee frowned irritably and turned to Joo-ah.
“You’re not close to her, right?”
It was hardly even a question.
There was no way someone who was desperate to insult another person’s rank could be her friend.
“No.”
After hearing her calm answer, Chan-hee ignored Boram and walked away with Joo-ah.
“If she’s not your friend, there’s no reason to waste time on her. Our team is over there.”
With his arm still around her shoulder, he started walking, forcing Joo-ah to move against her will once again.
The people watching the scene whispered among themselves as though they were witnessing something extraordinary.
Boram walked away in a fit of anger.
When they neared the table where their teammates were seated, Joo-ah flung Chan-hee’s arm off her shoulder.
Looking at his hand hanging in the air, he spoke in disbelief.
“Wow. I go out of my way to save you, and this is how you treat me?”
Joo-ah had been about to walk toward the table, but she turned around to face him.
With an expressionless face, she replied.
“I’m naturally a petty person.”
Chan-hee closed his mouth as though he understood what she meant.
“Honestly, I could have handled that situation myself.”
“…”
“And the stunt Hunter Yoo Chan-hee pulled on me yesterday was far more dangerous than what happened today.”
She was referring to the way he had used his ability on her without permission in the training room.
Chan-hee merely gave an ambiguous smile and said nothing in response.
Joo-ah stared at him quietly for a moment, then turned around and walked toward her teammates.
“You two came together?”
Yeon-joo asked as Joo-ah took a seat at the table.
“We ran into each other on the way.”
Joo-ah answered as though it were nothing important.
Chan-hee sat down a little later and looked at Joo-ah with a strange expression.
Jae-rim, who was sitting beside Yeon-joo, glanced at them indifferently before turning his head toward the entrance of the banquet hall.
Important officials from the Special Awakener Association were entering, along with Chairman Yoo Tae-jun.
The Hunters who had been standing around haphazardly all took their seats. Before long, the bright lights illuminating the banquet hall dimmed, and a quiet silence settled over the room.
Tae-jun stood in front of the podium and tapped the microphone with his hand to test it briefly before looking ahead.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hunters who will take responsibility for the future of the Republic of Korea. I am Yoo Tae-jun, the head of the Special Awakener Association.”
Instead of introducing himself with the title he was usually known by, Chairman of the Association, Tae-jun chose the title head, which carried a stronger sense of responsibility.
“Today’s event was organized for our new Hunters who have graduated from the academy and entered the training center. I hope this will be an opportunity for you to strengthen your bonds with your newly formed teammates.”
As Tae-jun spoke, slowly surveying the banquet hall, his gaze found Joo-ah, who was seated at the far left.
He spoke again.
“I sincerely hope that you will become outstanding Hunters who fight for the everlasting glory of the Republic of Korea.”
After finishing his speech, Tae-jun stepped down from the podium.
Joo-ah watched the spot where he had stood with an expressionless face.
She had no idea how long it would take for him to give up on his expectations and assign her to a proper team.
Not long afterward, staff members brought luxurious dishes to the tables. Excited voices erupted from various corners of the banquet hall.
An official from the Association stepped forward and took the microphone.
“This event has been specially prepared for all of you. Please enjoy your meals and make wonderful memories with your fellow Hunters.”
A huge screen beside him lit up brightly. The official took hold of the microphone once again.
“We have prepared videos showcasing the achievements of Hunters who have accomplished remarkable feats. We would appreciate it if you watched them while enjoying your meals.”
Joo-ah looked at the neatly prepared lobster and licked her lips.
It had been a long time since she had enjoyed such luxurious food. Living as an E-rank Hunter had not exactly given her many opportunities to eat like this.
Chan-hee rested his chin on his hand and watched Joo-ah help herself to the food with an indifferent expression.
Soon, the video began playing on the screen. Joo-ah casual
ly raised her glass of juice and glanced up at it, but her expression immediately stiffened.
The Hunter whose achievements were being proudly displayed before the huge crowd was none other than Kwon Eun-young herself.
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