Transferred to an SSS-rank Production Class

– Ding-ding-ding, good morning!

“…It’s already eleven o’clock?”

Time was tight. I forced my hungover body to get up and headed to the training room in the basement of the dormitory.

“Oh, lucky.”

Unusually, there was no one around. Is everyone at work? It’s always crowded here, so I was fortunate.

The training room, structured much like a gym, was filled with exercise equipment specially designed for awakened individuals.

Before starting my workout in earnest, I stretched, and an involuntary groan escaped my lips.

‘What the hell? Why does this hurt?’

Poses that I could usually manage without difficulty were now challenging.

“You’ve gotten slack, Yun Gaho.”

It seemed my body had stiffened up from neglecting exercise since obtaining my trait. Even I thought I’d become excessively lax, despite how busy I’d been.

‘I can’t even remember when was the last time.’

The days of training daily to increase my stats even slightly now felt like ancient history.

“Time for some self-reflection.”

Pushing too hard at times like this only leads to injury. I’d have to lower the intensity compared to usual today.

After warming up more carefully than usual, I was about to stand up when someone approached silently and pressed their index finger against my forehead, pushing me back down.

“It’s been a while, Gaho-ssi.”

The woman smiling down at me pulled my wrist, forcibly making me stand.

“You’ve gotten even weaker after disappearing for a while, haven’t you?”

“Hunter Han Jae-i. What’s the meaning of this sudden behavior?”

“It’s just a joke, a joke. You’re still as stiff as ever.”

B-rank Hunter, Han Jae-i.

A fellow ranger, she was one of the most recognizable hunters even in our guild, which was full of famous individuals.

Unlike the intimidating high-ranking hunters, her friendly image made her more in-demand than even some A-rank hunters. I heard that her professional demeanor on the field, contrasting with her usually warm personality, was particularly appealing.

‘What business could such a busy person have with me?’

Among the guild members who were all difficult to deal with, she was the most uncomfortable for me.

Because we had similar positions, we occasionally crossed paths during large-scale operations, and every time we met, she would provoke me like this. I couldn’t understand her intentions at all, as it didn’t seem like she held a grudge against me.

“Is that all you have to say?”

She had gripped my wrist so tightly that it left a red mark. I frowned as I responded, and Han Jae-i made a show of apologizing.

“Oh no, I’m so sorry. I forgot you’re a lower rank than me. Does it hurt a lot?”

“Ha, it’s fine. I’d appreciate if this doesn’t happen again.”

“Of course. I really just forgot.”

Han Jae-i apologized, drooping her eyebrows as if truly sorry. But her eyes still held a glimmer of amusement.

‘As if.’

I’ve fallen for this too many times. That subtle mocking tone that only the victim can detect. To an outsider, she would appear sincerely apologetic, which is why I’ve ended up looking like the strange one several times when I’ve gotten angry.

Intending to shake off Han Jae-i, I folded up the mat and moved towards the equipment. But Han Jae-i, as always, was persistent.

“Well then, I’ll be going…”

“Gaho-ssi, why are you being so cold? We’re similar in age and position, and we’re among the few who joined at the same time. I want to be friends with you.”

Han Jae-i moved closer, pressing herself against me, and smiled beautifully as if posing for a magazine cover.

“It seems like you don’t like me very much. You don’t still think I stole your job, do you? That was unavoidable, you know.”

Unpleasant memories from the bottom of the ranks surfaced against my will. I rubbed my face dry to hide my cracking expression.

‘Hunter Yun Gaho. Han Jae-i Hunter will be taking this job. The client requested a hunter with a higher rank. I’m sorry.’

How excited I had been when I was finally assigned an external request after always being dispatched to fields. The feeling of being rejected because of my rank was indescribable.

‘Just when I thought I was starting to forget.’

For some reason, Han Jae-i would bring up that incident whenever I was about to forget about it.

This happened so often that some people even scolded me, saying I must have harassed her for her to act so flustered. At some point, I started to wonder if I had actually bullied Han Jae-i.

“…I’ve never thought that way.”

“That’s a relief. I was really worried. Gaho-ssi, come sit next to me. It’s been a while, let’s catch up.”

Han Jae-i, seated on a bench, patted the space next to her. Figuring I might as well listen to what she had to say, I sat down beside her.

Despite her initial fuss, Han Jae-i was rambling on about trivial matters when suddenly, as if remembering something, she clapped her hands.

“Ah, that’s right. You received the renewal contract too, right? The Awakened Person Law has become so complicated that the paperwork is this much thicker than before.”

I couldn’t help but smile wryly.

I thought she had some purpose, but was this what it was all about?

‘I did sign a contract. Just not the one you’re thinking of.’

Han Jae-i gazed at me with expectant eyes. Responding with a gloomy expression as if I hadn’t been able to renew my contract as she wanted, Han Jae-i began to chatter eagerly.

“Is that so?”

“Oh, how insensitive of me. Gaho-ssi, you haven’t received your renewal contract yet. I thought you would have since we joined on the same day.”

Han Jae-i patted my shoulder, looking at me with sympathetic eyes. What followed was more boasting disguised as comfort than actual consolation.

“You’re a really good hunter for your rank, so I’m sure you’ll hear from them soon. It’s not like Hwangya is the only guild in the world…”

“Hunter Han Jae-i.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Did you make me sit down just to say this?”

“Don’t speak so frighteningly. This is your problem, Gaho-ssi. I did misspeak, but…”

“It wasn’t a mistake, was it?”

Han Jae-i’s cheeks flushed red, apparently not expecting me to call her out so directly.

As Han Jae-i started saying things like I was being too harsh and that others might misunderstand if they heard, I stood up from my seat.

“I’ll be going now.”

Having spent time with decent people lately, I felt even worse than before.

Hearing Han Jae-i’s footsteps following me, I quickened my pace.

But the physical difference due to our ranks was unavoidable, and by the time I reached the stairs, Han Jae-i had almost caught up to me.

“Wait a moment, Gaho-ssi!”

Just as I was trying to widen the gap by taking the stairs two at a time, Han Jae-i screamed.

“Agh! Let go!”

“Oops, you know it’s a crime to touch someone else’s body these days, right?”

“I said let go!”

As I turned around, I saw a familiar figure twisting Han Jae-i’s wrist.

“Hunter Park Shin-ju!”

“You’re strong too. Stop shaking. I’ll let you go.”

Shin-ju, looking as carefree as ever, released Han Jae-i’s wrist as if throwing it away. Then she immediately walked towards me and hugged me tightly. Her ash-gray hair, which smelled nice, fell onto my shoulder.

“Yun Gaho, it’s been a while! Where have you been hiding?”

“Oh, uh, I had some business to take care of.”

“What kind of rude behavior is this?”

Shin-ju’s smile vanished in an instant, and she sneered disdainfully. Despite her small stature and standing on a lower step than Han Jae-i, somehow Shin-ju seemed to be looking down on her.

“Rude? Are you one to talk? From what I see, it looks more like Gaho-ssi has been tolerating your inappropriate behavior.”

Han Jae-i ran her hand through her hair, protesting her innocence.

“I was just trying to clear up a misunderstanding with Gaho…”

“You mean you were trying to make Gaho uncomfortable again with your nonsense? That shallow trick doesn’t work on me. So why don’t you leave Gaho alone and be on your way?”

“Hmph, you antisocial people sure look good together.”

“Shoo, shoo.”

Han Jae-i, her face scrunched up in displeasure, brushed past us and went up to the first floor.

Shin-ju, who had been glaring coldly, soon giggled like a child. Then, after checking her surroundings, she put her hands on her hips and began to imitate Han Jae-i’s manner of speaking.

“Hunter Park Shin-ju! What kind of rude behavior is this?”

Her prim imitation was so spot-on that I couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’re the only one who would treat Han Jae-i Hunter like that.”

“I don’t understand why everyone coddles her. They fall for her obvious lies, and you’re the only one who gets blamed.”

“Well, if you just look at appearances, I can see why. I might have done the same if I were them?”

Han Jae-i with her platinum blonde hair and gentle appearance, versus me in all-black attire with fierce eyes. Anyone unfamiliar with the situation would naturally side with the former.

I was so used to this treatment that it didn’t even faze me anymore.

“By the way, what did she say to make you chase after her so fiercely?”

“Nothing much. You know I’ve never had a good experience dealing with that person.”

“That’s true. Just ignore her. She’s just feeling threatened because your positions are similar.”

“How could that be? She’s even higher ranked than me.”

“I’m telling you, it’s definitely the case.”

Shin-ju shook her head as if utterly fed up.

“It’s a good thing I came down because I could hear Han Jae-i’s voice from upstairs. There’s no way she’d gently hold your wrist. I’m glad I used my skill.”

“Excuse me, Hunter Park Shin-ju. Using abilities outside the World Tower is illegal, you know?”

“You’ll keep it a secret, right?”

I indulged Shin-ju, who was smiling mischievously, as she linked her arm with mine.

Although I pointed it out, this level of violation was something everyone typically turned a blind eye to. Shin-ju was just a bit more extreme about it.

‘If I had a skill like that, I’d probably use it every day too.’

“So, are you going back to exercise now?”

“Mmm, I think I’ll come back later.”

“Good idea.”

I was completely drained from the verbal sparring.

Shin-ju looked at me as if she understood and clung to me tightly. She hugged me so forcefully that my body, precariously balanced on the stairs, swayed.

“Then Gaho-Gaho, want to go on a date with your unni?”

“Park Shin-ju, it’s dangerous to do this on the stairs.”

“Sorry. I got excited.”

While it was a welcome invitation, I had prior plans for today. When I mentioned I had an appointment with my mentee, Shin-ju’s face clouded over.

Just as I was about to ask if tomorrow would work, Shin-ju poked my side with her index finger.

“Ugh, Park Shin-ju!”

Shin-ju smiled, her eyes curved like crescent moons, and held up three fingers.

“This unni will give you exactly 3 seconds. If you don’t tell the truth, you’re going to be in trouble.”