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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Practical Gate Training (1)
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Not everyone can have the exact same taste.
Of course, if there are 100 people, aren't there 100 different tastes?
The Velvet Slasher development team, who had to create and sell a game with no ceiling, understood this point very well.
Thus, the strategy they adopted:
'Surely, there's at least one among these that suits your taste.'
This design philosophy was maintained from the game's launch until the end of the main story.
Kang Do-hee, with the charm of a chihuahua: outwardly a strong, dominant woman, but inwardly possessing a tender heart.
Shin Se-hee, who possessed a dark and cunning personality, yet occasionally displayed a silly, even trivial, foolishness.
Lee Yu-ri, with a dependable and trustworthy charm, like a comforting bowl of gukbap.
However, while there were differences in degree, their personalities generally garnered mixed opinions among users.
This was a perfectly valid criticism, as everyone's tastes differ.
Yet, among these charming attributes, there was one personality trait that was almost universally liked.
That was kindness.
A personality full of understanding, with a tolerant, eye-crinkling smile.
A warm and comforting aura, as if she would embrace and accept everything at any time.
Im Ga-eul was a character packed with all these traits.
'Normally, she'd become a playable character next semester, but since there's no gacha, I can meet her this early.'
This was another advantage of not having character draws.
"...Why, why does it cost so much money?"
Lee Yu-ri, who was being dragged along beside me, questioned me with wavering eyes.
"Is she perhaps incredibly picky, or the type who won't touch anything unless it's, uh, high-class food...? Or maybe! Is she doing a mukbang internet broadcast? So all the food goes there—!"
Lee Yu-ri said that, glancing at Im Ga-eul's chest.
Well, it was certainly a convincing hypothesis, wasn't it?
"It's nothing like that, so don't worry."
I chuckled and shook my head.
"If it's not that, I'm even more worried? Don't tell me... a guarantor? Gambling? Borrowing money from everywhere and ending up billions in debt!?"
At the mention of costing a lot of money, Lee Yu-ri began to inflate her own fantasies, imagining the worst-case scenarios.
'Why? Because she's a high-tier character. She has to spend money every time she uses her abilities.'
I wanted to explain her abilities to Lee Yu-ri step by step, but we had already arrived right in front of her.
"Hello, Senior."
I greeted Im Ga-eul.
Then she, with her green hair neatly braided, sporting the so-called 'short-life hairstyle,' turned her head, unable to hide her surprise.
"...Oh? Are you two in line for me?"
It was a clear voice that was pleasant to hear.
"Yes, our positions are Tank and Dealer, so are there two open spots, please?"
"Uh, hmm... There are spots open. But may I ask why you specifically sought me out?"
Even with new cadets approaching her, she instead placed a hand on her cheek and asked back with an embarrassed expression.
'So, a Support Party Leader isn't popular, after all.'
Typically, Tank or Dealer types who lead from the front are preferred as party leaders, so it seemed people weren't flocking to her, a Support.
However, in my and Lee Yu-ri's case, we could perform even better with an excellent Support.
How I rejoiced when I first spotted her during this training session today.
"Because you're reliable?"
"...Th-thank you so much for saying that, but no. Hmm— It's a bit embarrassing to say myself, but I'm not that popular of a senior, you know?"
"Then those people must be blind."
At that, Im Ga-eul's narrow eyes widened into perfect circles, revealing clear, emerald green pupils.
Then she let out a soft, deflating chuckle.
"Oh, really, even if you flatter me like that, nothing will come of it♪"
She waved her hand dismissively, as if embarrassed.
"Anyway, Senior, aren't you supposed to form a team with a new cadet?"
At my words, Im Ga-eul looked around.
The new cadets had already mostly formed teams with other seniors.
She let out a soft sigh, as if resigned.
"Hmm, well... We'll find out after today. I won't say anything if you go to someone else starting next week. You don't have to feel too bad."
Im Ga-eul said in a slightly unconfident voice.
"Yes, then. Please take care of— "
It was just as we were forming our team together.
"Ga-eul!"
A woman's voice cut in from behind.
"Oh? A-ram?"
Im Ga-eul looked behind her and said with a surprised expression.
At the somewhat familiar name, I suddenly turned my head to confirm the owner of the voice.
And my eyes widened.
The owner of the voice ran up to Im Ga-eul and abruptly threw herself into her arms.
"Ga-eul! So you came here too, after all!?"
'...Choi A-ram? Why is the tutorial boss here!?'
* * *
Choi A-ram buried her face in Im Ga-eul's chest and rubbed against her, while Im Ga-eul gently stroked Choi A-ram's head.
"Ah, so in the end. You failed and have to repeat a year...?"
Im Ga-eul looked at her with sympathetic eyes.
Choi A-ram then let out a soft sigh.
"Well, what can you do? I just wasn't good enough... So I was thinking of just quitting, but then I thought you might be here..."
"That must have been hard."
"It's okay. It's okay. Well, it'll be a bit tough having to take classes mixed with first-years from now on, but you're at the academy too, aren't you?"
Choi A-ram forced a smile as she spoke.
Watching that, I couldn't help but feel a bit conflicted.
'...The tutorial boss. Choi A-ram. A second-year who failed to adapt to the academy due to lack of ability and had to repeat a year. That face is definitely hers.'
Small stature.
Pink hair and pink eyes.
Eyes that slanted upwards with a venomous look.
I knew her.
Commonly known as 'Pink-Haired Brat.'
On the first weekend after her admission, she falls into depravity as a Demonkin and causes a huge commotion.
So, the person who causes the Demonkin incident a few days later is precisely that woman.
The reason for her fall is simple.
Inferiority complex and jealousy towards other students.
─ If I become strong... No one, no one will be able to ignore me—!
Unable to accept the fact that she had to repeat a year, she yearned for power, and thus conspired with a Demonkin to cause trouble.
─ Keuk keuk! Ahahahahahah! Everyone, you were all deceived by this fake world! Power can be obtained so easily, and it's so sweet!
The lines she spouted after transforming into a Demonkin were exactly what a middle school second-year with a 'Black Flame Dragon' sealed in their left arm would say, which is why she earned the nickname 'Pink-Haired Brat.'
'So I had planned to take down Choi A-ram as our first party activity this weekend...'
After all, it was right to follow the main story's progression.
But the boss appeared right before my eyes even before the weekend arrived.
'...Should I observe for now?'
If she had already fallen into depravity as a Demonkin, I would have just eliminated her immediately and handed her over to the Hunter Management Bureau, but it seemed she wasn't a Demonkin yet.
And if possible, wouldn't it be better if I could prevent her from becoming a Demonkin?
Choi A-ram whined and acted spoiled with Im Ga-eul for a while before suddenly lifting her head.
"Anyway, Ga-eul! There's an open spot for a Dealer here, right? No, wait. Your team always ends up with whoever comes last anyway. What does team composition matter?"
At that, Im Ga-eul's eyebrows furrowed.
"I already found a Dealer?"
"Huh? Really?"
Im Ga-eul gestured towards us with her eyes.
Choi A-ram, realizing our presence belatedly, turned her head.
Her pink pupils widened like lanterns.
"Hello, Senior. I'm Jin Yu-ha, a new cadet who just enrolled."
"I'm Lee Yu-ri."
Lee Yu-ri and I bowed briefly in greeting.
"...New cadets?"
"Yes, we plan to join Senior Im Ga-eul's team as a Dealer and Tank."
Choi A-ram then made a flustered face and opened her mouth.
"...Do you not know what kind of person she is? Ah, you're still new cadets, so you might not know yet, huh?"
"..."
"What kind of person she is, you ask? She's the worst among the second-year Supports. The absolute worst. Even though I had to repeat a year, she was barely any different from me in our last semester of first year."
Listening to her words, I frowned.
Choi A-ram, gaslighting Im Ga-eul as naturally as breathing.
Hmm. As expected, this Pink-Haired Brat is rotten to the core. It seemed right to just deal with her as a Demonkin.
However, something about this situation was a little hard to understand.
I narrowed my eyes and looked at the green-haired woman standing behind her.
Her trademark eye-crinkling smile was still there, but faint wrinkles appeared at her temples, and her lips trembled subtly.
She clearly looked angry.
'Hmm? Even though Im Ga-eul is kind, she's not the type to just listen to such words...?'
No matter how tolerant and benevolent her personality, it didn't mean she was a pushover.
Otherwise, her kind personality would become a frustrating negative trait.
Im Ga-eul was precisely the kind of person who could logically state when something was wrong.
'...Then, what this brat is saying isn't wrong. Im Ga-eul was the worst Support?'
Even if her low-tier performance was real, she wasn't someone who deserved this kind of treatment.
No matter what anyone said, she was a precious, rare 5-star Support character.
She was one of those characters you'd bow and accept gratefully if she showed up, even if she had some compatibility issues with certain enemies.
'...Now that I think about it, that short-haired girl with the bad temper I met earlier also called Im Ga-eul a 'simpleton' or something, didn't she?'
At the time, I just thought she said that because of Im Ga-eul's kind personality and her being a Support party leader...
'Could it be that she still doesn't know how to use her abilities...?'
It seemed that before becoming a playable character, she still didn't know how to utilize her abilities.