novelraw Chapter 64 : Hwang Ji-su (1)
Chapter 64 : Hwang Ji-su (1)
The Hwang family had been a chaebol family ranked within the top 20 in the business world even before the Gate Era began.
Moreover, Ji-su's grandfather was an unparalleled entrepreneur who successfully grasped new business models and the strings of power amid the rapidly changing political landscape throughout the Gate Era, raising their ranking to the top 10.
Even in the chaotic business world where one group could collapse overnight and another could rise the next day, her family always stood in a position of prominence.
However, the person responsible for placing the group on such an overwhelming foundation was the current chairman, Hwang Yong-jae, who was called a genius entrepreneur surpassing his father.
Ambition, business acumen, drive, ruthlessness, insight, and a beast's intuition.
Having all the qualities necessary for an entrepreneur, he had succeeded in raising the 10th place ranking he inherited from his father to 4th in the business world during the extreme chaos of the Gate Era, and was still in his prime at his late 40s.
And.
Hwang Ji-su did not like her father's ambition and way of life.
Her father's values, which could place family and human relationships as secondary priorities.
Since childhood, these had often felt quite frightening and unfamiliar to her.
And that fear had changed to almost hatred after she became aware of her father's greed upon discovering her genius qualities as an Awakened within her body.
Because his intention to pull her life in the direction he wanted using various pressures was too far from the paternal affection she desired.
Because she hated her mother who did not oppose her father's wishes and even encouraged them.
Hwang Ji-su decided to rebelliously follow her own path.
'Father wanted to make me a hunter because he wanted to use the celebrity status of freelance Hunter Hwang Ji-su for the company's image-making and marketing.'
That's why she chose the path of the Execution Force, which is officially close to a civil servant and soldier, and therefore allows her to work diligently on the front lines.
She thought she could just hand over the family business to one of her younger siblings—her sister or brother—who were just as intelligent as she was.
'Surpassing Seo Jun-seong and Lee Yu-jin to become the best here. I thought that would be my answer to parents trying to control my life.'
...But.
The unforeseen existence of Su-hyeon made her anxious.
Looking back, even when she aimed for first place in the entrance exam, she fell to third behind Seo Jun-seong and Lee Yu-jin entirely because of Su-hyeon's presence.
Since then, Ji-su, with her damaged pride, had been watching and conscious of Su-hyeon for a long time.
But.
From practical classes like boxing and Ma-in combat, through the massive threat of the Ma-in attack, to this recent team match.
Su-hyeon had consistently shown achievements that surpassed her jealousy and envy.
So clearly that even she couldn't help but acknowledge it.
Thus, Hwang Ji-su could not deny that Su-hyeon was her powerful competitor, and.
Finally today, she had to break her own stubbornness because of her defeat by Yu-jin.
The defeat itself was a problem, but more than that.
Yu-jin's combat that surpassed her expectations and knowledge, and the sparring with Su-hyeon that likely caused it.
It felt like hope to escape the sense of helplessness she had felt during the Ma-in attack.
"I see."
Su-hyeon nodded after hearing Ji-su's words.
"I understand how you feel."
"I'm glad you do."
As if embarrassed that she had revealed her feelings somewhat intensely, Ji-su pursed her lips.
"Well, anyway, you're making time for me too."
Fortunately, today was a day without sparring with Yu-jin, and Su-hyeon had agreed to spar with Ji-su instead of his personal training.
"To be honest."
Ji-su sighed.
"My parents always tell me I can quit EFAC anytime and switch to being a hunter."
"And you don't like their intentions."
"Yes. It sounds silly coming from my own mouth, but..."
Ji-su's face reddened slightly.
"I guess my face is a good marketing tool. They probably think what's the point if their talented daughter wears a mask and operates under a codename without appearing on TV."
Especially.
"In an era where guilds formed by hunters have come to occupy the center of wealth and power. If I succeed greatly in the industry like that, they would calculate that through me, they could gain cooperation from hunters to increase their industrial dominance."
Looking at Ji-su's face as she spoke about how her father's intentions were all obvious.
Su-hyeon also recalled the honest thoughts she hadn't expressed.
'The memory of being saved from a Ma-in attack when you were young. The pure desire to repay that debt. That's also one of your motivations.'
But Su-hyeon didn't officiously voice what he knew and simply nodded.
"I see."
"Tell me a bit about yourself too."
Ji-su, having erased her embarrassed expression, placed her hands on her waist.
"Why do you strive so intensely? Why do you want to become part of the Execution Force? For money? For honor? For revenge?"
"Hmm."
Su-hyeon stroked his chin, paused momentarily, then answered.
"For revenge. But I don't intend to be consumed by vengeance."
"Really?"
Ji-su crossed her arms.
"That's pure. And difficult too."
"Sometimes things have value precisely because they are difficult."
At his words full of conviction, Ji-su found herself nodding unconsciously.
"That's true."
"Now, getting back to the sparring."
Su-hyeon said.
"From my perspective, evaluating you, your estimated grade at admission would have been C+. But even then, considering your mana quantity and characteristic's power, you would already have been easily B- rank or higher."
"That's right."
"Moreover, your ice ability is particularly outstanding among ice-type abilities. Your control of small units is good, and your ability to freeze wide areas in an instant is remarkable."
"Hmm."
"That's not all. The speed at which you can freeze an opponent through direct contact is truly swift. From the perspective of a first-year cadet, it would be no exaggeration to call you exceptional, already a complete package."
"The praise is quite long. Usually when it's like this, the main point comes at the end."
Su-hyeon nodded.
"True. In my opinion, there are points that need improvement."
"As frustrating as it is, that's exactly what I want to know right now."
"First of all."
Su-hyeon's words made Ji-su's heart sink.
"Your ability is ice, but your temperament is fire."
"!"
It was a statement that saw right through her temperament.
"I can't say whether that's good or bad. But at the very least, it would be good if you yourself remember that fact."
"...I'll keep that in mind."
Ji-su obediently nodded.
"You're quite perceptive. Are you perhaps a shaman?"
"I do hear that occasionally."
Su-hyeon chuckled.
"And your ice ability can be used broadly as an area-of-effect skill, a ranged attack, and a close-range attack. Even if the opponent is too fast, or too solid, or resistant to your ability. You have the flexibility to impose unfavorable conditions on your opponent."
"......"
Su-hyeon continued speaking to Ji-su, who was listening silently.
"Being forced into close combat after being cornered by Yu-jin was your mistake. You should have avoided close combat by all means."
"That's..."
Ji-su, who had been mumbling, agreed.
"You're right. The final situation wasn't what I intended."
"You fell victim to Yu-jin's pressure, and couldn't show a definite strategy in close combat. In the end, the only option left to you was to aim for a one-hit reversal while being pushed back, but."
Ji-su couldn't find words to refute Su-hyeon's smoothly flowing speech.
"The moment Yu-jin read that fact, you were bound to fall."
"You talk like an instructor."
Ji-su sighed.
"You're right. To be honest, my carelessness in not expecting Yu-jin to show that level of mind games was also a factor."
"When fighting the Ma-in named Ha Jin-young, you didn't engage in close combat recklessly. But you didn't do the same against Yu-jin. Did you overestimate your close-combat capabilities? If so, it was a naive idea."
"That's true."
Ji-su looked at her toes, lost in thought.
"Carelessness. A knife that pierces the strong, and a blind spot that crushes the ankles of those who consider themselves strong."
"Are you saying I'm not even strong yet?"
"That's right."
"Hmph, that's harsh."
Ji-su laughed.
"Lastly, there's one more thing I want to say."
"What is it?"
At this point.
Su-hyeon decided to pour oil on the fire inherent in Ji-su's ice.
"There's something I'm wondering about."
"Something you're wondering about?"
Ji-su raised her head with a puzzled expression.
"It's a thought I had while listening to you."
"What is it?"
"Is taking a path directly opposite to your parents' wishes in order to rebel against them truly a path chosen with free will? Could it be that even that is a choice too bound by them? That's what I'm thinking."
"That's..."
In stark contrast to the atmosphere until now.
Ji-su's expression hardened.
"That's a bit presumptuous, Jeong Su-hyeon."
"I do think so."
"Don't talk as if you know everything. There are circumstances you don't know."
Of course, there were virtually no circumstances about Ji-su that Su-hyeon didn't know, but.
Su-hyeon didn't particularly deny that statement.
"Fine. Let's spar. Let's see if you deserve to be so arrogant."
The flames flickering in Ji-su's heart began to burn.
'Fire within ice, that's both your weakness and your strength.'
Su-hyeon nodded.
"Alright. Let's get into the capsule."
❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀
"I wonder if they're doing well."
Kwon Seung-yeon, who was glancing at the training room where Su-hyeon and Ji-su had entered together, sighed with an "eh-yo."
"Ji-su's problem is that she's too dishonest."
A friend who makes others misunderstand in various ways, but due to her personality of not denying those misunderstandings, she makes people who don't know her well feel difficulty and distance.
But once she opened her heart and considered someone her own, she would show a quite different side.
'Since Su-hyeon is a decent guy, maybe he could have a heart-to-heart talk with Ji-su too?'
Even while thinking that, Seung-yeon worried whether they might be arguing in there, like worrying about a bird left by the water.
...Of course, reality was a bit different from her thoughts.
"What are you doing here?"
"Ah, Jun-seong, hi."
Seung-yeon smiled seeing Seo Jun-seong's face, who was focused on training alone today as well.
'He's too good even by himself. Like some kind of superhuman.'
She grinned, trying to gauge which of the two boys before her, Su-hyeon or Jun-seong, would be less human-like.
'Only these two recorded at least an even match against the Ma-in.'
The correct answer would be that it still couldn't be measured.
'Ji-su and Yu-jin are no pushovers either. Ah, I don't know.'
While they were fighting it out in the heavenly realm, wasn't it fine for her to just play in the human realm?
Seung-yeon didn't have the infinite ambition for ascension that In-hyeon or Ji-su possessed.
"Ji-su and Su-hyeon are scheduled to spar today."
"!"
Jun-seong's eyes also showed interest.
"A fight between those two, that sounds interesting."
"Who do you think will win?"
Jun-seong rubbed his sharp chin with his thumb and index finger, falling into thought.
"In terms of compatibility, Hwang Ji-su would be slightly more advantageous. But the moment the distance closes, the odds might flip."
"You think it will flow similarly to the fight with Yu-jin?"
"It would likely take a similar form."
"Hmm. If that's the case..."
"Since Jeong Su-hyeon's intelligence in approaching fights is extraordinary, if she can't respond to that in time, I think Hwang Ji-su will have difficulty."
Just as Jun-seong had said that much.
"...Su-hyeon and Ji-su are sparring?"
The two turned their heads at the voice from behind.
"Yu-jin, you're here?"
"Yes."
"After competing with you today, Ji-su seems to have gotten a bit interested too. She thought the mind games you showed might have been learned from sparring with Su-hyeon..."
Seung-yeon somehow spoke on Ji-su's behalf, and.
"I see."
Yu-jin's expression hardened, and.
"Ahem."
Jun-seong cleared his throat as if his airway was uncomfortable for no reason.
"......"
"......"
"......"
Pout.
Yu-jin's lips protruded several feet.