Episode 99: Experience (5)
“Eeeeng~ Let’s go~”
“No, why should I go there?”
The café was divided into three distinct atmospheres, as if separated by an invisible line.
The second-year section.
They were simply happy to be at the café, a famous spot in the Maengju headquarters. Busy snapping photos of desserts and posting commemorative shots on social media, they carried the relaxed air of those who had already been chosen as second-years. Even if they didn’t catch the higher-ups’ attention this time, they could always try again in their third year.
The third-year section.
The mood here was noticeably heavier. Students sat quietly with coffee cups in front of them, engaged in hushed conversations or staring at others with solemn eyes.
And those gazes were directed at Kang Arin and Jung Haein.
“Hey… is that for real?”
One student muttered under their breath, disbelief evident in their voice.
It was understandable.
Kang Arin.
Her public image was the epitome of cold indifference.
But the Kang Arin they were seeing now was completely different. Stuck firmly to Jung Haein’s side, she was persistently acting cute, clinging to him like a puppy begging for attention. If Haein playfully ruffled her hair even slightly, she’d probably light up with joy, wagging an invisible tail.
“…Hah.”
Jang Hyun-soo, a third-year this year, let out a heavy sigh.
For third-years, this was practically their last chance to catch Maengju’s attention. Most outstanding students were already selected in their second year, leaving the remaining third-years standing before their final opportunity.
‘Kang Arin.’
That’s why he had thought she was his chance.
If he could just impress her… getting in would be as good as guaranteed.
So he made up his mind.
I’ll make sure to stand out.
But in reality, Kang Arin’s attention was fixed somewhere else entirely.
Completely, entirely—on Jung Haein.
Not only that, but earlier, Haein had also made a name for himself in the research lab.
The notoriously temperamental genius researcher, Kang Soo-jin, had even personally handed him her business card.
Frankly, even this café visit was something they were enjoying thanks to him.
He had been dismissed at first glance—no equipment, not even an artifact, just a plain shirt—but…
“…….”
Jang Hyun-soo narrowed his eyes.
A strange sense of urgency prickled in his chest.
‘I have to make up for this.’
The final course of today’s experience.
Unless an emergency call came in, the last event was supposed to be a simulation.
There—he had to make his presence known, no matter what.
Fortunately, he still had one reliable ally left.
***
Kim Haeun returned.
Her expression was noticeably darker than before.
“You’re back already?”
Kang Arin asked innocently.
“…Yeah.”
Kim Haeun avoided eye contact, puffing out her cheeks. The way she pouted while stabbing her fork into the air was somehow…
‘Kind of pitiful.’
And so, we continued our tour, moving through various parts of Maengju’s headquarters.
The observatory, the lounge area, the equipment storage—and more.
Unfortunately, no emergency dispatch call came.
Kim Haeun kept checking her watch intermittently, but in the end, it remained silent.
No monster invasions, no urgent situations.
Peace was a good thing, but from a student experience standpoint, it was a bit of a letdown.
In the end, the final event was decided: a training simulation.
We headed toward the training zone at the end of the hallway.
“It’s a shame, but this is much safer!”
Kim Haeun announced cheerfully, back to her usual energetic self.
The training simulator installed in Maengju’s headquarters was a cutting-edge system even the top-ranked heroes used for drills.
With advanced holographic technology and physics engines, it replicated near-real combat conditions—virtual monsters, virtual battlefields, even virtual opponents.
We quietly stepped into the simulation zone.
Inside, a simulation was already in progress.
—Whooosh.
The battlefield inside the simulator was visible through the transparent reinforced glass.
Two teams were locked in fierce combat atop a vast wasteland.
“Proudly representing Maengju—Team 2, the ‘Fierce Tigers,’ and Team 6, the ‘Serpents’!”
Kim Haeun’s eyes sparkled as she continued her explanation.
“The Fierce Tigers are one of the teams that made major contributions during the last Apostle suppression! Since then, they’ve continued to prove themselves and are now recognized as Maengju’s vanguard force.”
A hint of pride colored her expression as she spoke.
“Looks like they’re almost done, so let’s wait a little longer!”
I stared through the glass.
Familiar faces were among them.
People I had fought alongside, life and death on the line, during the battle against the Apostle.
The memory of that brief but intense moment sent a shiver down my spine.
Even now, it was a chilling thought.
“Hey, our tutoring teacher is there. Team 6, the Serpents.”
“Wow, really?”
At that moment, a proud whisper came from behind.
I didn’t turn my head.
I could already guess what it was about.
Top-tier heroes occasionally gathered the children of high-ranking officials for unofficial tutoring—under the guise of “private lessons.”
It wasn’t technically prohibited, but it was still somewhat embarrassing.
Especially for guild-affiliated heroes, since it meant earning money in cushy settings rather than taking risks on expeditions or requests.
Moreover, given the potential for tactics or classified information to leak, heroes tended to keep it quiet.
I smirked and glanced at Kang Arin beside me while watching the battlefield beyond the glass.
“You’re gonna pretend you didn’t hear that?”
“As if.”
Kim Haeun, who had also been listening, let out a long sigh next to us. “Hmm…”
Just then, the battle seemed to reach its conclusion.
Most of Team 2, the Fierce Tigers, were unharmed.
But Team 6, the Serpents, looked like they’d been hit by meteors—which, to be fair, they literally had.
—Pssshhh.
The door slid open as they exited.
First came Team 6, the Serpents.
Their defeat was written all over them—torn clothes, bodies covered in wounds.
“Great work!”
Kim Haeun greeted them brightly, but the Serpent members walked past with blank expressions.
Then it happened.
A student abruptly rushed forward—Jang Hyun-soo.
“Hyung, you worked hard! Let me treat you to a meal later!”
He was aggressively trying to cozy up to what looked like the youngest member of the Serpents.
It was obvious he was forcing a display of familiarity.
The young hero glanced around awkwardly.
And then the Serpent team leader, walking behind him, shot him an icy glare.
“What’s this?”
A low, cold remark.
“Uh… He’s just a junior I know…”
The youngest member tried to explain, but the team leader didn’t even scoff as he walked past.
—Tsk.
A soft click of the tongue.
The hero swallowed a sigh and bowed his head slightly before turning back to Jang Hyun-soo with a resentful glare.
“Hey… are you… stupid?”
Just one short sentence.
Jang Hyun-soo’s face froze.
Had this been a more relaxed situation, the reaction might’ve been different.
But the timing couldn’t have been worse—by a long shot.
Leaving Jang Hyun-soo standing there dumbfounded, Team 2, the Fierce Tigers, stepped out next.
The first to catch everyone’s eye was a massive man radiating an unshakable presence.
The Fierce Tigers’ leader—Jeong Tae-gon.
He slowly walked toward us.
“Who’re these kids?”
When he asked, Kim Haeun quickly nodded.
“Ah! Hero Jeong Tae-gon! Today’s the student experience program, so…”
The students held their breaths, eyes wide as they stared at him.
Seeing a core hero of the Fierce Tigers in person was a different kind of thrill.
Just standing there, he exuded suffocating pressure.
Jeong Tae-gon scanned the group of students before his gaze stopped on me.
“…Huh?”
His eyes widened.
And the next second—
“HAHAHAHA! Look who it is!”
—Thud. Thud. Thud.
He strode over and clapped my shoulder three times with a hand the size of a pot lid.
The heavy impact reverberated through my body.
‘Ugh, damn.’
Jeong Tae-gon stood before me with an expression like he’d just reunited with a long-lost comrade.
“Hey, Haeun!”
He turned and boomed at Kim Haeun.
“You know who this guy is? No need to even think about it—just slot him right in. I was wondering where he’d gone, and turns out he ended up here!”
Then he patted my shoulder again and asked Kim Haeun:
“Need any help from me? Just say the word!”
His booming voice echoed through the room.
All the students’ eyes locked onto us.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Kim Haeun, flustered for only a second, quickly spoke up with sparkling eyes.
“Then… could you help with the simulation?”
She looked a little too excited.
Jeong Tae-gon laughed heartily and nodded.
“Sure thing! I’ll handle it myself!”
He immediately marched over to the supervisor, roughly tapping the floating touch panel to input commands.
“Don’t set it too easy. Gotta test these kids’ grit.”
The supervisor broke out in a nervous sweat as he responded.
Watching this, the students’ faces gradually stiffened.
“Wait… is he saying he’ll fight us himself?”
“No way it’s against us, right?”
They whispered among themselves in hushed voices.
Just then, other Fierce Tigers members passed by, lightly patting our shoulders.
“Good luck, kids~”
A few even gave me a slight nod as they walked past.
“Everyone! This is a great opportunity!”
Kim Haeun cheered energetically.
“A spar with a top-tier hero—this kind of chance might never come again…!”
But the students weren’t smiling.