"Yeah, I'm registered as a Hunter, but I'm not actually Awakened."
Normally, Awakened folks, Hunters included, get physical abilities different from regular people.
It's not always obvious stuff like getting stronger or faster.
Awakening could change your body in ways you might not see right away, like better senses or faster healing.
And these changes were usually way bigger for higher-ranked Hunters.
So, me, judged as an S-rank, definitely shouldn't have had any signs of, like, bulging muscles or anything.
That's what common sense would say, I guess.
"What? What do you mean...."
I nodded at Kang Tae-woo's dumbfounded question.
I get why he's freaking out like that.
He probably remembers me as someone incredibly strong.
"No, if you're not Awakened, then how....."
"Back then, the laws were kinda spotty, and they needed a way to manage someone like me with crazy strong powers."
I murmured quietly, recalling when I first registered as a Hunter.
Come to think of it, that guy was kinda involved in me getting registered too.
'There was this girl... holding back the magic beasts all by herself.'
It wasn't really his fault.
But the Association must have been puzzled.
It wasn't a situation where a B-rank Hunter who'd lost almost all his guild members could hold the line alone after a failed dungeon clear, right before a Gate break.
"Wait, you said you don't have mana. Then how did you survive inside the dungeon?"
"Let's stop there, okay? Anyway, two dungeons in one day is too much for her. So I'm taking her."
While I was lost in thought for a sec, Kang Tae-woo seemed to have recovered a bit from the shock of hearing I had no mana.
He voiced his question, but Jin-wook stepped between me and Kang Tae-woo, pulling me away from the Gate.
Still holding my hand, too.
"You can let go of my hand now, right?"
"....."
"Or maybe you just like me?"
"Talking crap again, huh? Guess you're back to normal."
When I spouted that nonsense, Jin-wook sighed and finally let go of my hand.
I briefly considered going back into the dungeon.
But the one I just cleared, while technically C-rank, was basically a high-tier one, almost B-rank.
Plus, it wasn't like party members cleared the dungeon using the surrounding mana; I basically smashed through it all by myself, so tackling a second gate might've been tough.
"You ditched your lecture and came running 'cause you were worried about me, right?"
"The lecture was cancelled anyway because of the evacuation order."
"Still. I have high physical resistance, but you don't. Don't come to dangerous places like this next time. Just call if you're that worried."
Jin-wook was probably worried I'd collapse again.
Truth is, while my ability is strong, I'm fundamentally different from those people call Hunters.
"Alright."
"Heehee, Jin-wook, you're the best."
"Don't cling to me, it's annoying."
* * *
Luckily, that dungeon turned out to be the kind that could be handled by a group of low-rank Hunters.
Thanks to that, the evacuation order at school was lifted, and people quickly got back to their daily lives.
And I could keep enjoying my life as a homebody NEET without needing to step up.
"*Yaaawn*."
So, after getting out of school unexpectedly early.
I played some games, slept like a log, woke up refreshed the next morning, washed up, and came out to see Jin-wook just emerging from his room.
"Oh, hey Jin-wook. Sleep well?"
"Uh... yeah... Huh?"
As I was drinking a glass of water, I felt cold water dribble down my chin and looked down to wipe it.
My naked body, wearing nothing but panties, came into view.
"I told you to wear some clothes around the house."
"Heh, sorry."
"Seriously, how are you going to survive being so careless?"
I scratched the back of my head at Jin-wook's grumbling.
It's not like he hasn't seen me like this once or twice, why does he nag me every single time?
I finished my water, quickly ducked back into my room, threw on a random t-shirt hanging there, and came back out.
"So, you have no classes today?"
"Yeah."
"You sure you didn't just skip?"
"Nope. Unlike someone, Thursdays are my day off."
"Uh-huh, enjoy it now. You'll be working your ass off in your senior year, right?"
Honestly, even though I say that, Jin-wook's probably super jealous deep down.
Because right now, I'm planning on chilling today, not going to school.
"Who knows. Maybe it doesn't matter if I graduate or not."
"Damn it."
"Jealous? I know you are."
I said that while straightening the folded collar on the back of Jin-wook's shirt.
Jin-wook let out a small sigh and muttered, "Can't believe the day's come when this idiot is fixing my clothes," as he adjusted his shirt collar.
"Anyway, I'm heading to school."
"See ya."
I waved Jin-wook off, went back to my room, and sat down at my computer.
Just as I was about to start a game.
"Hm?"
I gave dry, vague answers to Choco, who kept asking me all sorts of things.
Just as I was getting bored and about to rest my chin on my hand, the doorbell rang outside.
If it were Jin-wook, he'd just use the passcode. Wondering who it could be, I went to check, and the intercom screen showed an unexpected person.
"Hello?"
[ Ah, Hunter-nim. Good, you're here! ]
Through the screen, I could see Yoo Ha-young looking relieved.
She usually handles stuff over the phone unless it's a big deal, so what brings her all the way here today?
"Hunter-nim, it's me!"
Letting out a small sigh, I quickly pulled on the sweatpants I'd tossed aside earlier.
Along with the doorbell, Yoo Ha-young's voice came from beyond the door, so I opened it.
For some reason, Ha-young had a pleased look on her face as she greeted me, "Hello, Hunter-nim!"
"Ah, yes, hello."
"Excuse me for intruding!"
She wasn't exactly a welcome guest.
Still, she was a guest, and I couldn't offer nothing. Unsure if she preferred coffee or juice, I brought out a glass of each just in case.
"Thank you."
"So, what brings you all the way here?"
"Um, I thought I should see you in person, it's been a while, and figured you'd be home, so I came straight here."
"You could've called first."
"You wouldn't have met me then, would you?"
It seemed her taste leaned towards sweet coffee.
She took a tiny sip of the black Americano I usually drink, and her expression twisted subtly for a moment.
But we only have black coffee at home.
"Need syrup?"
"Yes."
"I thought you might say no just once, Manager-nim, but your preferences are quite firm."
"Come on, we know each other well enough, what's the fuss?"
She watched, fascinated, as a cupboard in the otherwise empty kitchen opened by itself.
A bottle of cafe syrup floated through the air towards her.
"Wow, it's really amazing every time I see you use psychokinesis, Hunter-nim."
"Why?"
"Other psychics can't control things nearly as delicately."
Well, yeah, 'cause we're fundamentally different.
Unlike those who mimic psychokinesis using mana, my power is pure psychokinesis itself.
"You know why, though."
"Ehehe."
"So, you didn't come all this way just to chat. What's up?"
I tilted my head and asked her.
When Yoo Ha-young comes to see me directly like this, it usually means something's happened.
Most potential issues seemed resolved, so I wondered if there was still something left that required her visit.
"A complaint came in."
"A complaint?"
"About how you got registered as a Hunter without being Awakened."
I let out a small sigh, somehow knowing exactly who filed that complaint.
Besides Jin-wook, the only other person who knew was Kang Tae-woo, whom I told yesterday.
"Under the current law, the definition of a Hunter is someone who's Awakened and qualified to clear Gates, right?"
"That's correct."
"But when I registered, the criteria were a bit different, weren't they? It was someone who could enter a Gate and clear the dungeon inside."
The passage of time.
And the gap between the standards then and now.
The complaint Ha-young was stressing over hit the nail right on the head about my existence – someone who couldn't be registered as a Hunter today.
Of course, that doesn't mean my Hunter license gets revoked or anything.
After all, laws aren't retroactive, and I was registered before the standards changed.
"The standard was revised because people dreaming of striking it rich barely met the minimum requirements, entered Gates, and their bodies got disintegrated by mana, right?"
"Probably, yes?"
"If that's the case, it doesn't apply to me, does it? I survived entering an S-rank Gate."
Yeah, 'cause clearing that S-rank gate once had me laid up for nearly a week trying to recover.
If the ambient mana concentration exceeds a certain level, it acts like radiation-level poison on the body of a normal person without mana resistance, literally melting them.
Of course, Awakened individuals, having gained mana sensitivity, can handle any concentration comfortably once they awaken.
The problem was, I wasn't Awakened.
Therefore, I should be vulnerable to the mana inside Gate dungeons.
But my psychokinetic power infuses my whole body, drastically boosting its durability, and that's how I manage to endure it.
"Even so, it's not like your body is completely unharmed, Hunter-nim."
"Well, can't be helped. Back then, they were so short on Hunters they needed even my help."
"Anyway, what do we do about the complaint? We absolutely have to respond....."
"Should I just quit being a Hunter?"
Using psychokinesis, I brought my wallet from my room.
I took out the S-rank Hunter license inside and held it out in front of her.
Ha-young waved her hands frantically, saying, "Put it away for now, please," pushing it back towards me.
"Every time I see it, I just wanna snap it in half."
"Even if you did, it'd probably just get reissued automatically."
"Haah, I want to quit, but I just had to be an S-rank. The benefits they give are practically useless anyway. Did I really register as a Hunter just to deal with this crap?"
S-ranks are basically considered critical national strategic assets.
Unless you plan on turning your back on the country, even retiring requires the government's permission.
And that framework, I assumed, included me, currently the most delinquent Hunter in Korea.
"Ahaha."
Seeing the wallet, card, and empty drink glass floating around, Ha-young muttered to herself, "It really is amazing," and let out a small sigh.
Although a response could be based on the pre-revision legal provisions from the time of registration, making it technically okay.
Still, the fact that a non-Awakened Hunter still exists... the country probably can't just let that slide.
"This is going to get annoying soon."
The fridge door opened, and a drink flew out on its own, pouring itself into the floating empty glass.
Watching this rare sight you couldn't see just anywhere, Ha-young nodded.
"Since it's come to this, should we make the first move?"
"Huh?"
"So no one can complain later."
Even scholars couldn't figure it out.
The true nature of my psychokinesis, which violates all laws of physics without the aid of mana.
But one thing was certain: my psychokinesis was definitely effective against the magic beasts inside Gates.
"I never took the S-rank promotion test. Let's do it now, seize the opportunity."
"Huh?"
"And we'll film it. People can watch the video and judge for themselves whether my Hunter qualification is proven. The Association can also use it as proof that I passed the test."
Plus, there was something I wanted to say while showing it to someone specific.
Truth is, I didn't become an S-rank Hunter through the qualification test either.
The country was really desperate back then, and my dungeon-smashing ability was obviously extraordinary at a glance, so they just threw the S-rank title at me.
"It's not like I took a promotion test to become S-rank, right? They just kinda forced the rank on me back then 'cause they were desperate and needed someone to throw into Gates regardless of rank."
I decided I'd chew out the guy who filed the complaint later.
I stretched and stood up.
The moment I stretched, Ha-young's gaze briefly flickered to a certain part of my body, and she muttered to herself disapprovingly, "Bigger than mine...."
"Aren't you going?"
"Huh? Right now?"
"What's the point in putting it off?"
"R-Right."
"But, you can't release this publicly or anything. Unless you need it for an audit later."
"Don't worry about that. Just having the test data itself is what's important."
I went into my room, threw on some roughly coordinated black clothes.
I followed Ha-young, who was heading out first, out of the house.
As I glanced out the window, Ha-young, whatever she was thinking, started talking nonsense.
"Um, surely you're not thinking of running all the way to the Association, are you?"
"Huh?"
"There's one S-rank who does that when they're in a real hurry....."
"Why would I do that when there's a perfectly good car?"
When we got down to the parking lot, Ha-young's cute little car greeted her with a couple of beeps.
Briefly wondering if the Association paid crap salaries or something, I got into the open car door. Beside me, Ha-young suddenly looked tense and asked, "Sh-Shall we go then?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"Ah. N-Never mind."
"....?"
Seeing my puzzled expression, Ha-young just said "Never mind" and brushed it off.
She started the car, fiddled with something, then suddenly slammed the accelerator, lurching forward.
"Kyaa!"
Letting out an involuntary girly scream, I frantically grabbed the handle above my head.
Beside me, Ha-young, sweating bullets, laughed awkwardly, "Ahaha, my bad," and started pulling out of the parking lot.
"Um, Ha-young-ssi. Can I ask you something?"
"Huh? Yes. Go ahead."
"How long ago did you get your license?"
Silence.
The silence that began to coldly fill the car felt like it pierced my chest like an ice pick.
Ah, this girl's a total newbie driver. Just as I thought that, Ha-young, as if proving my point, started driving erratically, making her lack of experience painfully obvious.
Enough to make me think I should just carry the car myself next time.
* * *
"*Pant, pant*, thought I was gonna die."
Ha-young's driving skills, even for a beginner, were terrifyingly bad, making me wonder how she even got a license.
No matter how much of an S-rank Hunter I was, or how tough my body was, I learned for the first time today.
That I felt the same fear when I couldn't control my own body.
"A-Are you okay?"
"Wanna try it?"
"Huh? Kyaaaaak!"
I'll get my revenge.
I'll definitely get revenge.
Making that vow, I lifted Ha-young with psychokinesis.
I ran towards the Association building, listening to Ha-young's screams of "Kyaaaaak! Hunter-nim, please save me!" Only when we were inside the building did I gently set her down.
"Hunter-nim, that's so mean.... It's not like I did it on purpose....."
It probably wasn't even a tenth of what I went through, but even that short experience seemed to terrify Ha-young, as tears welled up in her eyes.
Seeing her tears, I panicked, "H-Ha-young-ssi?" I tried to soothe her, but she must have been truly frightened because her tears showed no sign of stopping.
Weak to this kind of thing, my brain felt like it momentarily shut down. Stuttering, I finally managed to voice the result of my frantic thoughts.
"H-Hey, maybe wanna go get a parfait?"