“You want to be close to Do-hee, right?”

“…”

“I think I can help you with that…”

Shin Se-hee offered to help me get close to Kang Do-hee.

It wasn’t a sudden offer.

She had been curious about me from the start, and she already knew I was interested in Kang Do-hee.

My mind was racing.

‘Do I need her help?’

‘… Yes, it would be nice.’

Even though I knew Kang Do-hee’s personal story and personality inside out, I didn’t know how deep her aversion to the male quota system was.

Of course, I was confident that I could gradually dispel her prejudices and change her image of me.

But I didn’t have much time.

Only three weeks.

‘With the training schedule, I won’t have much time to create a connection with Kang Do-hee.’

After the training camp ended, it would be difficult to even run into Kang Do-hee at the academy.

‘In this situation, getting Shin Se-hee’s help is definitely beneficial.’

She was skilled in human relationships and schemes, so I was sure I could rely on her.

‘But if I just accept her help, I’ll end up being entangled with her…’

I narrowed my eyes, looking at her as she smiled innocently.

If I accepted small favors from her one by one, I might end up as her pawn without even realizing it.

I needed a leash.

Not one-sided help, but a fair trade. That way, I could prevent her from overstepping her bounds under the pretext of repaying a debt. But revealing too much might arouse suspicion, so I chose something appropriate.

‘Something appropriate… Ah, right. I have an idea.’

“How about it? Do you want to get close to Do-hee? I can help you. Will you accept my help?”

She smiled confidently, as if sure that I couldn’t refuse.

But…

I looked straight into her eyes and gave an unexpected response.

“I’ll accept your help, but let’s make a deal. You also need my help, don’t you? You lost your necklace. Do you want to know where it went?”

“Huh…?”

Shin Se-hee’s smile cracked, and her eyes widened in surprise.

I felt a sense of satisfaction as I continued.

“The only stain on Cheonhwa’s reputation. The unconfirmed necklace theft incident, right?”

“…”

“I heard that it was probably a dungeon reward… and it was better than expected, so Cheonhwa secretly took it and tried to cover it up.”

“How, how do you know that?! Who told you?!”

“Why are you surprised that I know? Did you think I wouldn’t find out about your attempt to silence people?”

“…”

“Actually, a lot of people know about it.”

In fact, quite a few people knew about this, and it later became a scandal that tarnished Cheonhwa’s reputation.

“So, it’s fine to use this information now, right?”

Shin Se-hee glared at me, her face stiff.

I smirked.

“Don’t look at me like that. I know you didn’t take it.”

“…”

“And I know who did.”

“Who is it!!!”

Shin Se-hee demanded, her voice tense.

“Shin Se-hee, you proposed a deal first.”

“…”

“You should prioritize getting me close to Kang Do-hee and Do-hee first, right?”

After a brief silence, Shin Se-hee opened her mouth.

“Jin Yuha. Who are you, really?”

“Male quota?”

“…”

She exhaled, clearly exasperated.

“That must be the truth. That you know who took the necklace. Otherwise, you wouldn’t dare lie to Cheonhwa.”

I shrugged nonchalantly.

“Okay, deal.”

Shin Se-hee extended her hand to me, not as a one-sided helper but as an equal trading partner.

.

.

.

The next day.

“The special admission students and quota students will no longer follow the same training schedule.”

At exactly 8 a.m., Instructor Baek Seol-hee arrived at the training ground and made the announcement.

The quota students’ faces lit up like flowers in bloom.

After experiencing the training the day before, they clearly didn’t want to go through it again.

Of course, I wasn’t worried, as she had promised to create a separate training schedule for me.

“The special admission students will continue with the same training schedule as yesterday. Go start running on the track. As for the quota students, come over here.”

Kang Do-hee and Shin Se-hee headed to the track, while we gathered in front of Instructor Baek Seol-hee.

“From now on, you three will train together.”

“Huh?!”

I looked at Instructor Baek Seol-hee in surprise.

“Wait, Instructor. This isn’t what we agreed on—”

“Ask questions after the training is over.”

Instructor Baek Seol-hee cut me off, as if she had expected this reaction.

“Only Jin Yuha will be training.”

“Huh?!”

“Then, what about the other quota students?”

“…”

“What should we do, Instructor?”

The quota students looked at her with eager eyes, clearly relieved to be free from the rigorous training.

‘So, they really hate training…’

“The healer will provide healing, and the supporter will provide buffs to Jin Yuha.”

“Huh?!”

“You want us to heal and buff Jin Yuha?!”

“Yes…”

It took a moment for me to understand what she meant, but when I applied it to my current situation, it made sense.

‘I’ve been moving my body based on my previous world’s physical capabilities.’

Awakened hunters had bodies that were completely different from those of ordinary people. Their recovery, strength, and endurance were on a whole other level. They could even take a bullet without ending up in the hospital.

‘So, I’ll receive buffs and healing while… breaking free from the limitations of an ordinary person’s senses.’

Instructor Baek Seol-hee nodded, understanding my expression.

“Well, it seems like you kind of understand, so that’s good. The skills of the quota cadets are particularly weak, so it’s the perfect level to reduce Jin Yuha’s sense of alienation.”

It was as if they were treating the quota cadets as training tools.
The two of them scowled, their pride clearly hurt.

‘But they’re not going to like me, so will they really do it…?’

“If you don’t like that, you can follow the same training schedule as yesterday.”
“……Yes, I will!”
“Please let me do it!”

At Baek Seol-hee’s words, they immediately became obedient.

“Okay, quota cadets, just sit back and use your skills.”

And so, Baek Seol-hee’s individual guidance began.

.

.

.

“You can do more.”

“Just one more.”

“More.”

Baek Seol-hee was like an enthusiastic PT trainer, chanting ‘just one more’ over and over.
Of course, her expression and tone didn’t change, so she just sounded like a machine repeating the same thing.

“Ughhhh—”!

I bit my lip and did push-ups while standing on my head.

The veins on my face bulged, and sweat dripped onto the floor.
My ankles were weighed down with weights heavier than the day before.

“Quota cadet, buff.”
“Hyek…! Again, again…?”
“Then let’s start with running.”
“No, I will! I will!”

The quota cadet gritted his teeth and stretched out his hands towards me.

A faint magical power rose from his hands and flowed into my body.

It felt like a single drop of water had fallen onto parched land.
It was absorbed immediately, leaving no trace.

“Jin Yuha. Just one more.”
“Ughhhh—”!!!

I gritted my teeth and bent my arms again.

Thud—!

And then I fell on my back.

“Hmm, it looks like some of the muscles in your arms tore. Quota cadet, healing.”
“Ughhhh… Healing!”

At Baek Seol-hee’s command, the quota cadet, with a deathly pale face, cast a healing spell.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure if it even worked.

Perhaps this was a devious trick to increase training efficiency through the placebo effect.

“You’ve done well.”
“……”
“……”
“……”

Neither of us spoke.
I felt like I had truly been pushed to the very limits of my body.

Baek Seol-hee looked down at us.

“From now on, the training will continue in this manner. Now, go and eat, and assemble back here in one hour.”

Stomp. Stomp.

Baek Seol-hee turned and walked away, leaving those words behind.
The sound of her footsteps fading away seemed like a dream.

I stared blankly up at the disgustingly clear sky,

when a shadow fell over my face.

“……Shin Se-hee?”

I twitched one eyebrow.

“Huhuhu, you’ve worked hard during training.”
“……Are you here to mock me?”
“Of course not. We should eat together.”
“With you?”
“Yes, this is all part of the plan.”

Sin Se-hee covered her mouth and whispered as if sharing a secret.

“……Okay, I understand.”

Now that she was on a leash, I had no reason to suspect her.

I got up from my seat and, feeling unsteady on my feet, followed Sin Se-hee to our meal.
The place we went to was completely different from the one yesterday.
Red and yellow signs.
Stimulating aromas.
And the loud chatter of people.

A fast-food restaurant. (Mcdonald is that you?)

‘……A hamburger?’

I turned my head to look at Sin Se-hee, asking if this was really what she meant.

“I’ve never eaten something like this before!”
“……”
“I’ve always wanted to try it, but I never had the chance.”

She opened the door with sparkling eyes.

We quickly found an empty seat and sat down.
She turned her head this way and that, looking for the menu.

“Ah, there it is. I think I’ve had a hamburger before, made by the head chef… I wonder if it will taste similar.”
“I’ll have the Yeroney Piacocheese Burger.”
“……What’s that?”
“The name of the burger.”
“Oh, is that what it’s called? I’ll have that too, then.”

Just then, a woman with bright red hair caught my eye as she held a hamburger and looked for a place to sit.
Her body was well-toned and voluptuous.
Her face was expressionless.
It was Kang Do-hee.