章 3: Chapter 3
The setting of Velvet School Life is modern times.
People drive cars, ride the subway, use smartphones, and the game is set in Korea, so the setting is familiar. At first glance, it doesn't seem much different from the world I used to live in.
Of course, since it's a world where the gender roles are reversed, it's a bit unusual to see more women wearing suits, but it's not strikingly alienating.
However, there was one thing that made me realize, whether I liked it or not, that this world was not the one I used to live in but a world inside a game.
It was the weapons.
In this world, not only the Hunters with their status windows and mana, but also ordinary people carried weapons. Greaves and elbow pads were standard equipment.
I turned my eyes to the people riding the subway.
A nervous-looking boy with a backpack-like shield on his back.
A middle-aged woman dozing off, leaning her head on a long spear.
A pink bunny-shaped holder was strapped to a high school girl's thigh, and in it, oddly out of place, was a gleaming blue hand axe.
Of course, the blades were covered with cloth or silicone to make them safe.
It was said that this was necessary for self-protection in case of an emergency, as one never knew when and where a gate might open.
The everyday abnormal.
Perhaps it was the result of a desperate struggle to live a life threatened by monsters.
To be honest, coming from a world where carrying weapons was legally prohibited, I couldn't help but feel a sense of dissonance.
"Are they not worried about someone going crazy and stabbing the person next to them? Oh, that's why the Demons can act with impunity?"
The lack of safety awareness seemed truly alarming.
As I muttered to myself, I realized I wasn't in a position to talk.
I, too, was wearing a tracksuit with Moonlight at my waist.
I had searched the wardrobe for Hunter clothes, but they didn't fit my larger body.
So, I had settled for the training uniform provided by Velvet Academy.
It was a comfortable and sturdy tracksuit-like outfit in navy blue, with a luxurious embroidered purple belt, the symbol of the Academy, on the chest.
It was said to be a new technology of the Gate era, with the ability to harden the vital parts when infused with mana.
[Next stop, Sindorim. The doors are on your left.]
As I marveled at the sight of people commuting with weapons in the early morning, we arrived at the station.
I checked the time on my phone.
"Our appointment was at 7, so I'm about 30 minutes early."
Beep.
I tapped my card at the turnstile.
"We agreed to meet outside Exit 4, right?"
As I rode the escalator up, a spacious and quiet area greeted me, resembling a park.
And on a bench a short distance from the exit, a woman with black hair caught my eye.
Her hair was tied up in a cute style with a blue hair tie.
She wore a black legging-like bottom and a khaki airport jumper on top, her small frame almost hidden behind a large shield that she hugged close, her chin resting on it as she intently stared at her phone.
3-star tanker Yoo-ri, also known as Soup.
She looked exactly as she had in the game.
I couldn't help but smile.
"You're already here. As expected of you."
I strode towards Lee Yoo-ri, feeling happy to see her.
And as I approached, I heard her muttering to herself in a serious tone.
"Damn that Hyeji, she took the entrance fee and left us without warning. Ugh, I'm already short on money as it is. I need to save as much as I can before I go to the Academy… I won't be able to work as a Hunter for a while once I'm there. I have to hit the jackpot today… I hope that guy can perform. He's a man, but will he be good enough? At least he should be able to pull his weight as a reserve, right? I hope he's not lying about being a prospective cadet…"
I was quite close, but Lee Yoo-ri was still absorbed in her phone.
I felt playful and whispered in her ear.
"I'm really an Academy student, tough."
"Huh?! A student?!?"
Lee Yoo-ri let out an unusual scream, flailing like a freshly caught flounder.
But in doing so, she dropped her phone.
"Oh no!"
The sky-blue phone flew through the air.
"My… my installments!"
Lee Yoo-ri stared blankly at the empty space, her face full of dismay, unable to move much due to the shield she was hugging.
Thud!
I caught the phone mid-air and handed it back to Lee Yoo-ri.
She immediately started checking her phone for any damage.
I leaned in slightly, curious if I had accidentally broken it.
It seemed fine, turning on and off without issue. Lee Yoo-ri let out a sigh of relief.
"Is your phone okay?" I asked.
At that, she suddenly snapped, lifting her head.
"Yes, but who are you, suddenly talking to me…!"
Her face was closer than I expected.
Our lips almost touched.
"Hic!"
Lee Yoo-ri's eyes widened in surprise.
Her face turned bright red in an instant.
"Oh, I was just worried about your phone. Sorry, I got a little too close."
I took a step back and spoke with a smile.
I had been too casual, driven by my excitement at seeing her.
From her came a flustered voice.
"Uh, hic! Who… who are you?"
"Lee Yoo-ri, isn't it?"
"Y-yes… but how do you know me?"
"We're supposed to go to the gate together today, right?"
At my words, Lee Yoo-ri's eyes widened like a startled rabbit.
"Oh… so you're Jin Yuha?"
"Yes, I'm Jin Yuha, the one who contacted you yesterday."
I smiled and greeted Lee Yoo-ri.
.
.
.
I put Moonlight in the back of the small truck that Lee Yoo-ri had brought and sat in the passenger seat.
Next to me, Lee Yoo-ri fastened her seatbelt, her face still stern.
"I'll explain on the way. First, a situation briefing. Hic! Damn, why won't these hiccups stop."
Lee Yoo-ri picked up a water bottle that was in the car and took a drink.
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
Then she started the car.
Vroom!
"Phew. The hiccups stopped. Jin Yuha, you know we're going to the Carmel Forest gate, right?"
Lee Yoo-ri shifted gears and spoke in a businesslike tone, a stark contrast to her flustered state a moment ago.
'She's definitely different when it comes to work. I already feel reassured. The hiccups were cute, though.'
"Yes, I did some research yesterday."
"That makes things easier. The Carmel Forest is an E-grade gate with goblins as the main monsters. Be careful of the Nakki, they're the snake-like ones."
"You mean the green ones, right? They blend in with the foliage, so they can be hard to spot."
Lee Yoo-ri skillfully maneuvered the steering wheel.
"We have a total of five members. I'll be the tank in the front, with you and another dealer in the middle. The healer will be in the back row."
"So, the other person is the porter?"
"Yes, they don't have any combat abilities, so they'll be in the middle behind me. Your job today is to protect the porter."
As I had expected, they needed someone to fill in at the last minute, and my role was to guard the porter. I nodded my head in agreement.
"I understand. Are the other party members meeting us at the gate?"
"Yes, they should all be waiting."
Lee Yoo-ri kept her eyes fixed on the road ahead as she spoke, her focus entirely on driving.
As I watched her, a question popped into my mind, and I decided to ask.
"So, what happened to the other dealer? Why did they drop out?"
"That bitch… I mean, she suddenly went MIA yesterday without a word."
"No contact at all? What if she suddenly shows up today?"
"Hmph, it's too late for her now. You don't mess with people's money like that."
Lee Yoo-ri's response confirmed my suspicions. She was indeed ruthless when it came to breaking trust.
After a brief silence, Lee Yoo-ri spoke again, sounding a little apologetic.
"I… I know I should have taken better care of you, but… well, because you're a man, it might be a little difficult for me to… But I'll make sure you get your fair share, at least as much as a regular party member."
It seemed like Lee Yoo-ri was trying to look out for me in her own way, perhaps because of my financial situation, but the other party members might have objected. I didn't need that much special treatment, though.
My primary goals for today were to gain experience in handling monsters, and to become closer friends with Lee Yoo-ri. I wanted to spend the next month hunting together, becoming friends, and eventually going to the Academy together.
I smiled and replied, "It's fine. As I said yesterday, I'll take only what I earn. If I don't perform well, you don't have to pay me at all."
At my words, Lee Yoo-ri turned her eyes away, giving me a strange look.
"I trust you, Lee Yoo-ri. I can tell when someone is a good person. Thank you for your concern."
She quickly averted her gaze back to the road ahead.
"Hmmph! Well, if you show your true skills, everyone will be convinced! We're here now!"
A civilian restriction line had been set up near the gate, with soldiers armed with guns surrounding the area.
'In the game, monsters with mana were hard to take down with guns, but when it comes to ganging up on one monster, guns are still the best.'
Lee Yoo-ri slowed down as we approached the gate and skillfully reversed the car into a parking spot, her hand on the back of the passenger seat as she turned her head to check.
"Get out."
"Okay."
I opened the car door, and high-pitched voices filled my ears.
"Team Leader!"
"Unni!"
"Soup!"
Wait, who was the last one?
'I thought only players called her Soup, but does she go by that name with these people too?'
The owners of those voices seemed to be the other party members we were meeting up with. I scanned the area for any familiar faces from Velvet School Life, but they were all strangers.
"I told you not to call me that!"
Lee Yoo-ri barked and put the yellow-haired ponytail girl in a headlock.
She had been all business while driving and talking to me, but now she was much more casual and friendly with her party members.
"Gah! I surrender! I mean, where is he?! Is he handsome?"
The yellow-haired girl, apparently the dealer, tapped Lee Yoo-ri's arm and spoke in a lively tone.
"Is that what's important right now?"
"Well, isn't it important to you?"
"I told you not to call me that!"
"Gah! Okay, okay, I won't! I'm sorry! Forgive me! So, where is he?"
"Haa, he's over there. You just heard everything, didn't you?"
Lee Yoo-ri sighed heavily and gestured towards me with a nod.
Three pairs of eyes turned to look at me.
"..."
"..."
"..."
An awkward silence fell between us.
"...Hello?"
I broke the silence with a greeting, and the yellow-haired girl, still with Lee Yoo-ri's arm around her neck, looked at me with a blank expression.
"Um… why are you a hunter?"
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