I Have a Fiancee in a Parallel World

15 – Rudeness?

Kim Sung Joo, the team leader, hardened his expression and pressured Ji Hoon.

“Am I a child…?”

“…What?”

“I’m talking about whether I’m a child.”

“What’s this…?”

“Why do you show respect to Han So Jung and speak informally to me?”

“…Are you crazy?”

“You even curse now…”

Kim Sung Joo’s face contorted.

Beside him, another C-class hunter, Lee Young Hoon, slowly infused mana into his right hand.

“Causing a commotion within the academy, huh? Withdraw your mana quickly.”

“Yes. I apologize.”

Kim Sung Joo politely scolded Lee Young Hoon who was raising his mana in his right hand.

And then, he turned his attention back to Ji Hoon.

“I hope you cooperate when I speak nicely. I’m not the only one who doesn’t want to cause trouble here.”

“I don’t care? It’s you guys who are in trouble, what do I have to do with it?”

Plop.

Kim Sung Joo’s words became harsh again as he looked at Ji Hoon, who shrugged his shoulders and spat out his words with distaste.

“This guy really doesn’t listen.”

***

Kim Sung Joo, the head of the personnel team at Ares Guild.

Though he was a C-class hunter, he had been a veteran hunter for 7 years, participating in various gate conquests as a combatant in the large guild Ares.

Facing various demons and crossing the boundaries of life and death multiple times, he was a key combat force in the prestigious Ares Guild.

However, as time passed and B-class hunter juniors began to excel, his position became uncertain, so he voluntarily applied to the personnel team.

It was a strategic choice to establish a position within the guild by utilizing his identity as a graduate of the academy.

Of course, the executive team of Ares Guild welcomed this with open arms.

Being a graduate of the academy was a suitable asset for recruiting talent, including connections, in various fields.

Hiring even one more B-class or higher hunter was the quickest way for the guild to grow.

Therefore, when Kim Sung Joo started recruiting talents from the academy, he didn’t pay attention to Class 5 or below novices.

Seven years ago, the Ares Guild had grown into a much larger guild than when he first joined.

He knew the executives wouldn’t want a hunter with lower abilities.

Boasting that his role in the HR department had sharpened his eye for people, or rather, for hunters.

Even without sparring or joining in on gate crusades, he had come to assess a hunter’s capabilities to a certain extent solely through their appearance, atmosphere, and the aura of magic emanating from them.

This morning, specific instructions came down from one of the most influential figures in the guild, Director Do Won-hyuk.

It was to bring in Kang Ji-hoon, an E-rank hunter from the 11th class at the academy.

Initially puzzled about why they would bring in an E-rank hunter, he soon grasped the situation after receiving a personal message from Director Do Won-hyuk.

Director Do was seeking to leverage the guild’s power to settle a personal score.

No doubt, he had discreetly instructed the most astute person in the guild to handle this: Kim Sung-joo.

Sung-joo saw Director Do Won-hyuk’s personal directive as an opportunity beyond his usual responsibilities.

Showing favor to an influential figure in the guild like Director Do Won-hyuk wouldn’t hurt.

Moreover, dealing with a single E-rank hunter might be annoying, but it certainly wasn’t an insurmountable task.

However, for a precise operation, he took his subordinate, Hunter Lee Young-han, along and headed to the academy.

***

“This punk?”

Ji-hoon looked at Kim Sung-joo, echoing his words.

“Yeah, this punk. Why are you being so difficult? Let’s go peacefully.”

Even without prior information about Kang Ji-hoon, the 11th class E-rank, Sung-joo was confident he could quickly assess him.

The guy in front of him, Kang Ji-hoon.

The faint aura of his feeble magic.

His reckless and ignorant demeanor.

And even his failure to notice Sung-joo’s subtly warning magical aura.

Right now, this guy was indeed the lowest of the low.

He’d heard that Director Do’s son had made it to the 10th class, so it was beyond his comprehension why such a person was given such importance.

“You guys… I mean, I get that you’re working. You’re just doing this because the higher-ups told you to, right?”

Doubt clouded the faces of Sung-joo and Lee Young-han.

What is this guy trying to say now?

“Understanding that you’re just working for your livelihood… we get that hardship… but…”

Pausing for a moment, Ji-hoon stares directly into Sung-joo’s eyes.

“Does that excuse being so rude on our first encounter?”

“What?”

“I feel sad knowing that someone is being treated like this wherever I go.”

Kim Sung-joo, who couldn’t believe what Ji-hoon said, let out a chuckle.

“I guess I can’t choose my words carefully.”

As Kim Sung-joo spoke, Lee Young-han, who was standing next to him, summoned magic power in his right hand once again.

“Hey!! Wait a moment… Everyone, calm down first…”

Han So-jeong, who was watching the situation from the side, quickly intervened to prevent any threat to Ji-hoon.

“Don’t interfere, just step aside.”

Ji-hoon’s cold words struck So-jeong’s ears.

So-jeong felt that the atmosphere coming from him was unusual.

For a few days, So-jeong had followed Ji-hoon, eating together and having conversations. She had thought that Ji-hoon was a light-hearted and quite pleasant person.

He didn’t grant her requests, but when she boldly sat down and joined the meal, he never treated her rudely.

She could also naturally sense that he was someone who had a lot of respect and warmth, even though they hadn’t spent much time together.

This was because she had seen him treat waiters politely at the restaurant and fondly pat stray dogs in the neighborhood.

But now.

So-jeong couldn’t help but be surprised by the completely different side Ji-hoon was showing.

The atmosphere emanating from him was so terrifying that it made it hard to breathe, even though she wasn’t the target.

As a high-ranking Class 2 Hunter, So-jeong couldn’t even dare to try to stop or interfere with Ji-hoon’s current state.

So-jeong glanced at Ji-hoon and had no choice but to close her mouth, moving slightly to the side as he said.

“hahahahaha, I’m sorry for showing you such an unsightly side, Hunter Han So-jeong. This friend is a bit lacking, so just a mo-“

When Ji-hoon’s palm landed on the back of Kim Sung-joo’s head as he spoke, his head was instantly slammed onto the ground.

Using only the pure movement of his body without using any inner energy or magic power, Ji-hoon hit Kim Sung-joo, a C-class Hunter.

Kim Sung-joo instantly felt his vision darken and a sharp pain.

“Ugh… Ugh…”

“Sir… Weren’t you in the middle of talking to me? Are you so relaxed that you can be distracted?”

“You… You bastard…”

Surprised by Ji-hoon’s swift movement, Lee Young-han raised his right hand, filled with magic power, and swung a punch towards Ji-hoon.

Thud.

But Ji-hoon’s left hand caught Lee Young-han’s fist mid-air.

“Is this guy your boss? Judging by how you call him team leader…”

“Ugh… aaargh!”

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When Jihun tightened his grip on Young Han’s hand, his fist contorted, and excruciating pain surged through him.

Kim Sungju, who had lifted his head from the floor, looked ahead.

He saw his subordinates, both in agony, struggling with the man who held them.

“It seems like you two have picked the wrong boss, huh?”

Jihun slapped Young Han’s cheek, who was enduring pain with his hand still caught.

With one hand held captive, Young Han’s head turned to the left, and then immediately to the right…

Continuing to receive slaps from Jihun while his head turned, Young Han eventually knelt down in agony, just short of losing consciousness.

Kim Sungju, watching this, summoned all his magical power.

“This… this madman!”

Jihun let go of Young Han’s hand, who hadn’t lost consciousness but lay crumpled on the ground, beaten and battered.

Confirming that Young Han was free from Jihun’s grip, Kim Sungju unleashed his own skill using the magical power he had gathered.

Although they were in the academy, near the entrance of the building with the auditorium, there were quite a few students passing by, watching the commotion. But Kim Sungju didn’t have the luxury to consider such things.

He was struck on the back of the head by Jihun’s swift movement, and Young Han, who had come with him, was left groaning on the floor, taking a beating.

He had to face that guy even if it meant using his skill.

But right now…

Jihun vanished from Kim Sungju’s sight.

Did he blink for a moment?

Suddenly, Jihun appeared before his eyes.

“Who said you could wait for me to use your skill, old man?”

Jihun’s punch, infused with a tiny bit of his inner power, landed on Kim Sungju’s chin.

From Kim Sungju’s fallen mouth, just like Do Young Hwan before, red blood and white fragments of teeth spilled out.

In an instant, Jihun had laid them both low, as he had said, and he turned to Sojeong, who had been watching from the side.

“Sojeong, keep an eye on these gentlemen for a moment… I’ll go bring that friend.”

Sojeong noticed the return of the mischievous and sunny expression on Jihun’s face.

For some reason, Sojeong felt a sense of relief.

“Yeah, that sunny face suits you better… a while ago, you were terrifying. But why are you bringing someone? Why?”

Watching Jihoon’s back as he rushed into the auditorium building, Sojeong couldn’t refuse his command, which was more like a command to watch over the fallen men for some reason. She held her ground.