After confirming his balance, Jin-Woo had a suit tailored at a department store, then dropped by a nearby hair salon to tame his unruly hair.
"Hmm."
He was a completely different person from when he'd left the house.
'Money really does make a difference.'
Clothes make the man, as they say. Jin-Woo admired his reflection in a storefront window and gave a satisfied shrug. His preparation was now perfect.
'At least I won't leave a bad impression.'
He adjusted his outfit briefly, then checked his phone — 4:20 PM.
'He said to be there by five.'
If he left now, he'd arrive just in time.
"Taxi."
Jin-Woo hailed a cab and arrived at the school with time to spare, right when his sister had told him. He spotted Jin-A waiting out front.
"Sung Jin-A."
Jin-A spotted Jin-Woo a beat late and her eyes went wide.
"Oppa?"
Jin-A stared at him with rabbit-round eyes.
"S-Sung Jin-Woo, is that really you?" "What, can't even recognize your own brother?"
Jin-A looked him up and down in disbelief, then raised her voice.
"No wonder — you look like a completely different person!" "Did you expect me to show up in sweats and flip-flops to meet your homeroom teacher?" "Wow…"
Jin-A still couldn't close her mouth.
"You're going to drop your jaw like that. I'm heading in."
Seeing no sign that his sister intended to lead the way, Jin-Woo just strode ahead on his own. Five years ago, he'd been a student here too. He knew the layout well. The place a teacher would meet a parent was either the staff room or the counseling room — and since they'd said this was a college admissions consultation, the counseling room was the way to go. His pace quickened.
"O-Oppa! Wait up!"
Jin-A hurried after him.
"Hello, teacher." "Oh? Yes, hello."
Along the way, Jin-Woo greeted a few teachers. Every single one of them stopped in their tracks and turned to look.
'Who is that?' 'A graduate? I can't imagine forgetting a student that striking.' 'New hire?'
It wasn't just the teachers turning heads.
"Wow, he's gorgeous." "Who's that?" "Isn't that Jin-A with him?" "Must be Jin-A's brother. So cool."
His tall frame and sharp suit — even with average looks, that combination was enough to make girls do a double-take. Jin-Woo himself couldn't have cared less.
'...'
He walked on, half-hearing the girls' whispers and letting them float right by. The one who was actually enjoying the attention was Jin-A. Perking up her ears, grinning ear to ear as she soaked in every comment, she sidled up close to Jin-Woo and poked him in the ribs with her elbow.
"Wow. Oppa's popular, huh?"
He ignored the first one.
"Come to think of it, Oppa, you still don't have a girlfriend, right?"
He ignored the second one too.
"Want your dear little sister to introduce you to a cute high school girl?"
On the third, Jin-Woo pinched his sister's cheek with a deadpan expression.
"Cut it out." "S-Sorry."
When Jin-Woo let go, Jin-A rubbed her reddened cheek and grumbled.
"Tch, like you didn't enjoy it…"
Bickering as they walked, they arrived in no time. Jin-A darted ahead and spun around in front of the counseling room.
"Oppa, it's here."
As Jin-Woo was about to go inside, he glanced back at Jin-A. She showed no intention of moving.
"What about you?" "One-on-one consultation with the teacher and the parent. I'll head to my classroom after I see you go in."
Ah. Now that she mentioned it, Jin-Woo remembered doing something similar back in his senior year. Except he'd had no one to bring along.
'Mom's health had already started getting worse around then.'
Her hospital stays had been increasing. He hadn't told her about the consultation, not wanting her to overexert herself — and as a result, he'd endured the homeroom teacher's persistent nagging for a while. Thinking back, he understood why Jin-A had been so anxious.
"How about we go on a study date?" "Okay. Go home first, Oppa." "Sure."
Jin-Woo ruffled Jin-A's hair in a surprise attack.
"Study hard." "Hey, I told you to stop." "See you at home."
With a grin, Jin-Woo vanished into the counseling room. Jin-A puffed out her cheeks as she fixed her hair.
"How long are you going to treat me like a kid..."
Still, she didn't seem to mind it entirely. She glanced around to see if anyone had noticed, and only after confirming that no one had did she relax and head off to class with quick steps.
***
To sum up Jin-A's homeroom teacher in one word—
'Hmm...'
She looked very kind.
"Jin-A's brother?"
She was a middle-aged woman with a gentle face. A warm smile that made the listener feel at ease just looking at her. Whether she already knew the circumstances or not, she didn't seem the least bit surprised that Jin-Woo had come as the guardian.
"Hello. I'm Jin-A's homeroom teacher. You've been hiding such a handsome brother, haven't you? Ho ho."
At the teacher's genial greeting, Jin-Woo bowed politely.
'I don't recognize her.'
She was probably a teacher who'd transferred in after he'd graduated. People say an impression is mostly decided at first meeting, and after exchanging greetings, he felt somewhat at ease.
'The fact that she keeps being so polite despite my age...'
It didn't seem like Jin-A's senior year would be ruined by a bad teacher.
"Please, have a seat."
She gestured to a chair. Jin-Woo pulled out the chair across from her, set a large desk between them, and sat down.
"There's really no need to worry about Jin-A."
Normal conversation flowed between homeroom teacher and guardian — the kind of pleasant exchange that happens when a student is doing well. Jin-A was such a model student that there was no reason for either Jin-Woo or the teacher to raise their voices.
"You're aware that Jin-A is aiming for medical school?" "Yes."
The teacher read through the materials she'd prepared.
"Her mock exam scores are strong, and her coursework grades are excellent, so it's definitely within reach. But please don't put too much pressure on her."
Jin-Woo nodded silently. The teacher's eager expression radiated high expectations for Jin-A. Apparently, even homeroom teachers for seniors carried a lot of stress based on their students' performance. It was only natural — their students' futures were on the line.
'That's why they say people avoid being assigned as a senior-year homeroom teacher.'
He'd heard male teachers often ended up taking the role reluctantly. Considering that, Jin-A's current teacher was someone with genuine passion. From a guardian's perspective, that was something to be grateful for. Passion led to care.
About fifteen minutes in, the consultation was winding down smoothly.
"Well then..."
As Jin-Woo sensed the timing and started to rise, the teacher spoke up carefully.
"I heard that you're working as a Hunter."
Her gaze had gone serious all of a sudden. There was something behind this. Jin-Woo sensed it.
"Yes." "If... if Jin-A were to be judged as an Awakened One, would you send her to work as a Hunter too?" "No."
Absolutely not. His answer was firm. There was no need to hesitate. Just as he'd guessed, the teacher's expression grew visibly heavier.
"I thought so..."
When Jin-Woo looked at her questioningly, the teacher seemed to steel herself.
"If it's not too much to ask, could I make a request of you?"
Jin-Woo nodded.
"If it's something I can do..."
He'd hear her out first. She was his sister's homeroom teacher — cutting her off without even listening could leave a bad impression. Seizing the moment before Jin-Woo might change his mind, the teacher continued quickly.
"One of the female students was judged as an Awakened One and has been trying to drop out of school. She hasn't been attending at all." 'Ah.'
It was a common story. Awakened Ones who'd never experienced what a Hunter actually does get swept up in the idea that they're special and lose sight of reality. Even after Awakening, the number of people who actually make a name for themselves and earn big money as Hunters was far smaller than most people imagined. The teacher let out a long sigh.
"If she keeps being absent, the school will have no choice but to take action. Even if she becomes a Hunter, shouldn't she at least have her diploma?"
Jin-Woo nodded in agreement. At the positive response, the teacher's face brightened a little.
"Could you perhaps convince her to at least finish school?"
She forced a smile. But Jin-Woo had only one question.
"What was the student's Awakened rank?" "From what I heard... the lowest rank..."
E-rank.
'...She won't last long.'
Jin-Woo clicked his tongue silently. It was originally a rank where even entering a Dungeon required extreme caution. Leaping in with excitement and no caution almost certainly meant ending up crippled or dead. The thought that a girl his sister's age might face that was undeniably painful. But it was, ultimately, her own choice. No one had forced her. As unfortunate as it was, he didn't want to carve out his limited time to interfere in someone else's decision.
'I'm not even confident I could convince her anyway.'
Most likely, he wouldn't hear anything good. Jin-Woo moved to decline and stood up from his seat. But then—
"...and if you tell her that, Jin-A will understand too."
The moment the teacher said his sister's name, he couldn't bring himself to leave. Jin-Woo asked once more.
"Teacher, what was that student's name?" "...Yo. Do you happen to know her?"
'...'
Korea's a small country, alright.
'Heh...'
Jin-Woo was at a loss for words.
***
At that same moment. At the residence of Yoo Myung-Han, chairman of Yoojin Construction. Since morning, one luxury foreign car after another had been pulling in and out, all gleaming and polished. There was a single reason. That evening was the memorial service for Yoo Byung-Chul, the founding chairman of Yoojin Group. Number one in the business world, Yoo Myung-Han — Yoo Byung-Chul was his father. Despite any schedule, no matter how busy, the eldest son Yoo Myung-Han never failed to observe his father's memorial. Because Yoo Myung-Han's influence was so immense, every year on this day, all the relatives of the Yoo family gathered in one place.
-A certain securities chairman. -A certain pharmaceuticals president. -A certain department store CEO.
All of them were impressive figures showing their faces. Their children were, for the most part, elite among elites — with exactly one exception. That one outlier, without being told by anyone, had gone off to a corner and sat there as quiet as a mouse. That was Yoo Jin-Ho.
'I'm sick of this.'
He wished this would end quickly. Dungeons with his big brother were a hundred, a thousand times more enjoyable. What was his hyung doing right now, he wondered? Come to think of it, he couldn't picture how his hyung spent his days off. Mulling over such idle thoughts, he sat unnoticed in his corner, nursing a harmless beverage, when a pleasant voice came from somewhere.
"Hey."
Sure enough — a man who screamed 'capable' at first glance, the very specimen of an elite, had come to stand behind him. Refined glasses. Tall stature. Yoo Jin-Seong, Yoo Jin-Ho's older brother. The likely successor to take over Yoojin Construction in Yoo Myung-Han's stead. Jin-Seong loomed over Jin-Ho.
"When relatives arrive, greet them properly. How long are you going to act like a child?" "...None of your business." "Just know that the more pathetically you behave, the more you disgrace our father's name."
There wasn't a trace of brotherly affection in Jin-Seong's tone. Naked contempt. Of course, Jin-Ho didn't like that kind of brother either — but he lacked the courage to talk back.
"..."
And for good reason. His older brother Jin-Seong was a genius among geniuses who'd never lost first place in anything he touched. It wasn't just academics. Even after graduating, he'd helped their father Yoo Myung-Han with his work and shown remarkable results in every field. Compared to that, Jin-Ho had nothing to show for himself. He'd barely scraped into college, at that. Whenever he stood before his older brother, Jin-Ho always shrank to half his size.
"..." "Pathetic, really. Tsk, tsk."
Jin-Seong frowned down at the hunched Jin-Ho, then quickly changed his expression and hurried off.
"Uncle." "Oh, Jin-Seong."
Only after Jin-Seong had gone could Jin-Ho finally lift his head. This was exactly why he hated coming home. If not for the memorial service... Jin-Ho was sighing heavily when a voice — delicate yet sharp — came from behind.
"Wow, seriously. So cringe."
Jin-Ho turned around. It was his cousin, Yoo Su-Hyun, a year older than him.