I Became The Rankers’ Number One Pick [EN]: Chapter 247

Became the Top Pick of Rankers – Addendum 2

“What are you filming?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Yoo Ji-ahn didn’t press further, chuckling softly as she refocused on her book. Seo-ah also lowered her head, a small smile playing on her lips.

‘Still, I got one good shot.’

She couldn’t help but smile, despite not getting any studying done.

“Seo-ah.”

Just as she was trying to concentrate again, she heard a voice calling from behind.

“Senior Baek Woo-chan?”

Turning around, she saw a male senior from her department, the one she had done a presentation with, standing there.

“Hey, I saw you studying here. I was looking for you.”

“Ah… what’s up?”

“About the data I attached to the PPT last time…”

Baek Woo-chan, who had been whispering, made eye contact with Yoo Ji-ahn, who was sitting across from them.

Startled by Yoo Ji-ahn’s fierce glare, Baek Woo-chan tapped Seo-ah’s shoulder a couple of times.

“Let’s talk outside.”

Baek Woo-chan led Seo-ah out. He seemed to have misunderstood, thinking he was being too loud and disturbing Yoo Ji-ahn.

Seo-ah gestured apologetically to Yoo Ji-ahn before following Baek Woo-chan out.

Ten minutes, twenty minutes, thirty minutes passed, but she didn’t return. Since Seo-ah had left, Yoo Ji-ahn hadn’t turned a single page of her book.

“…”

Thump.

Yoo Ji-ahn, who had been patiently waiting, finally closed her book. Just as she was about to get up, she saw Seo-ah coming back in.

Yoo Ji-ahn sat back down and pretended to read, opening a different book from the one he had been looking at earlier.

Seo-ah came to her seat with a few sheets of paper and stared at Yoo Ji-ahn. Yoo Ji-ahn looked up from his book.

“What?”

“Oh, um… the book.”

Yoo Ji-ahn looked down at the book he was holding. All the letters were upside down.

He quietly turned the book right-side up, and Seo-ah tilted her head, then resumed studying.

“Haa…”

Sighing softly, just quiet enough for Seo-ah not to hear, Yoo Ji-ahn slowly turned the pages of the book, though his eyes didn’t register a single word.

It wasn’t until the library was closing that they finally left.

“Ugh, I’m exhausted.”

“Good job today.”

Seo-ah stretched and looked at Yoo Ji-ahn beside her.

“I didn’t think you’d really stay with me.”

“We haven’t had much time together lately.”

“I guess…”

Even though they lived in the same R Tower, they hadn’t been able to find time to see each other. That’s why today was the first time they’d seen each other in a whole week.

It was a quiet yet intense autumn night on campus during exam season. The number of people walking around had decreased significantly thanks to the darkness.

Seo-ah naturally took Yoo Ji-ahn’s hand. The warmth of his hand, now so familiar, clasped hers tightly.

Yoo Ji-ahn and Park Seo-ah walked slowly, hand in hand. At their normal pace, it would only take about ten minutes to reach the main gate parking lot.

But deliberately, they walked at a snail’s pace. They both felt like they were missing out on these ordinary moments.

Yoo Ji-ahn listened silently to Seo-ah’s chatter.

“So, I was actually half giving up on this exam, but Senior Baek Woo-chan told me about it.”

“Baek Woo-chan, you mean that…”

“Ah, it hurts.”

Suddenly, Yoo Ji-ahn’s grip on her hand tightened. He immediately loosened his grip when Seo-ah complained of pain, but he didn’t let go.

“Yeah, he’s a senior I’ve known since my leave of absence, and he came back to school around the same time as me. He told me that the exam questions would mainly come from the PPT assignment, so I copied some of the data.”

“I see, you two seemed close.”

His tone was monotonous, but Seo-ah immediately noticed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Seo-ah tapped Yoo Ji-ahn’s arm with her head as he stared straight ahead.

“Hmm.”

Yoo Ji-ahn glanced down at Seo-ah, who was snuggling up to him, then looked forward again. They had walked so slowly, but they had already arrived at Yoo Ji-ahn’s car.

“You’re secretly very jealous, you know.”

Seo-ah stuck out her tongue and hopped into the passenger seat. Yoo Ji-ahn sat in the driver’s seat and closed the door.

“Oh, eek…!”

Yoo Ji-ahn grabbed Seo-ah’s shoulder as she was about to put on her seatbelt, turned her around, and suddenly covered her lips with his.

Seo-ah’s eyes widened for a moment, and she froze, but then she accepted his urgent kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck.

In the darkness of the campus, the kiss that started in the car grew more and more intense.

How long had it been? Just as the air was becoming thick and sticky, their lips finally parted.

Seo-ah’s dazed gaze suddenly sharpened.

“What’s wrong? Why all of a sudden?”

Yoo Ji-ahn looked at Seo-ah with a face full of things to say, then adjusted his posture.

“Just… why do you even go to school?”

It was an uncharacteristic complaint from Yoo Ji-ahn. He often showed this side of himself when they were dating.

“Tch, you were the one who said you’d support me.”

“There must be more than one or two guys like that.”

Seo-ah tilted her head at his words.

“There are plenty of men among the Hunters too, you know?”

He had shown signs of jealousy back then, but today’s reaction was particularly different.

Yoo Ji-ahn started the engine and said as if it were obvious,

“I can deal with those guys appropriately, but I can’t just go around hurting ordinary people. Well, if it gets too extreme, there might be a way.”

“Wow…”

What a truly miraculous logic.

Seo-ah was probably the only one who knew this side of Yoo Ji-ahn. The fact made her feel happy, amazed, and somewhat endeared.

* * *

That weekend, Seo-ah studied until noon and then began to prepare to go out in the afternoon.

Tossing her wet hair with a towel, Seo-ah glanced at the notification on her smartphone screen.

Since gaining access to the system management room, the Hunter Association had been analyzing the data to predict Gate generation more quickly and accurately.

“Hongdae…”

Today, Seo-ah was on the B-class Gate raid team. So, she had deliberately made plans near the area for easy travel.

It was originally a meeting with Yang Tae-woo, but Yoo Ji-ahn and Baek Eun-hee had joined in.

After finishing her preparations, Seo-ah grabbed her phone, opened the front door, and stepped outside.

“Oh…!”

Yoo Ji-ahn was leaning against the wall opposite the front door. He smiled at Seo-ah.

“How long have you been here? You could have come in.”

“I just got here. Let’s go.”

Yoo Ji-ahn took the elevator, which he had already called, and they went down to the basement.

Yoo Ji-ahn led her to a different car than the one from yesterday. It was a luxurious gray sedan.

“You changed cars again?”

“They told me to try it out since a new model came out.”

As a famous figure, Yoo Ji-ahn was immediately provided with new cars by automobile companies as sponsorships.

Seo-ah looked at the car with envy.

“I really need to get my license soon… but I just can’t find the time.”

“You’ll get it quickly if you try. You’re a Hunter, after all.”

“But the Hunter license test is separate, right?”

The two got into the car, and soon the car started smoothly and silently.

* * *

The meeting time was 5:30 PM.

Two and a half hours before the predicted Gate generation time.

Yang Tae-woo, who arrived first, was pacing in front of the restaurant. When Yoo Ji-ahn’s car arrived and he saw Seo-ah getting out, he waved with a happy expression.

“Park Seo-ah!”

Then, he noticed Yoo Ji-ahn getting out and quietly lowered his arm. He tried to hide his awkward expression and just nodded slightly.

It wasn’t the first time Yang Tae-woo had seen Yoo Ji-ahn, but it was the first time they were together in a private setting like this.

Yoo Ji-ahn only glanced at Yang Tae-woo briefly and didn’t react much. But why did that alone send a chill down his spine?

Instead, Seo-ah spoke up first.

“A Korean beef restaurant?”

“Well, since I’m treating you to show my gratitude… it has to be this good.”

“Hehe, we have a raid right after this. We need to fill up.”

“Let’s go in first, the Guild Leader said she’ll be here soon.”

And he naturally reached out to push Seo-ah’s back, but retracted his hand when he felt a gaze following it.

They took their seats at the reserved table, and soon Baek Eun-hee arrived.

“Guild Leader!”

Yang Tae-woo jumped up and greeted her with a delighted expression. Yoo Ji-ahn was too scary. He desperately needed an S-class protector for himself too.

“Why are you standing up?”

Baek Eun-hee scolded Yang Tae-woo, then changed her expression completely when she greeted Seo-ah.

“Our Seo-ah!”

“Unnie!” [Korean term for older sister or close female friend]

Seo-ah also stood up and gave Baek Eun-hee a light hug. It had been a while since they had seen each other.

“How’s school going? Is anyone bothering you?”