Your Girlfriend Was Amazing

I am Baek Taeyang

Inside the Gladire artificial gate, I found myself sitting in a corner and mulling over the recent encounter.

"Why did I let that get to me?"

Even accounting for the other guy's rudeness, my reaction was way too sensitive. Why did I make a big deal out of it when I could have just brushed it off? And with my eye-catching characteristics like the white hair and the oversized weapon case, it was like having a neon sign above my head saying, "Hey, look at me!"

"That's not like me."

Wait… Who even am I right now? Lee Taeok or Baek Taeyang?

My pupils trembled incessantly, and the weight of it all pressed down on me.

If I can't figure this out now, I'll probably end up going through this same mess all over again. The problem is, it's not as simple as it used to be to confidently declare my identity. Lee Taeok's fading into the background while Baek Taeyang's taking the spotlight more often these days.

I don't have all of Baek Taeyang's memories stored away, but I sure as hell don't have a complete recollection of my old life either. Mixing two identities together feels like trying to make sense of fusion cuisine with clashing flavors.

"Baek Taeyang, there you are. I've been looking you," Kim Minsoo interjected while approaching me.

"What is it?"

"Um, it's not like I want to be with you or anything… But it seems like everyone's already teaming up… It's annoying, right? Why would they form teams for an individual tournament? It's not like I'm scared or anything like that, but I just… well, sticking with familiar faces seems like the lesser evil for now, right?"

Why's he suddenly acting like a tsundere? It's nauseating.

As much as Minsoo's words made my skin crawl, it was evident that people were sticking to their own circles. The tournament was meant to progress with one-on-one matches as explained, but it appeared that the nerves of being within the gate were leading to some deviation. Despite numerous announcements guaranteeing safety, participants were going all out to minimize any uncertainties.

"I actually looked into it a bit, you know? It seems like the qualifiers are being conducted a bit differently this time because there are too many people."

"Differently? How so?"

"Um, it seems like there's some sort of selection process before the actual qualifiers begin."

"Where did you hear that from?"

"Huh? Me? I… I just overheard it… I got here earlier than you, so…" Minsoo's voice started loud but quickly trailed off.

Noble must've approached Minsoo and secretly leaked the information. There's no way he could've dug that up on his own.

But selection process? Screening hunters for the qualifiers? How? Hmm… I can think of a few ways. From foolishly pitting people against each other to capture the flag nonsense. There are endless ways to sift through a crowd.

"Whatever!!! Anyway, since you and I will meet in the finals anyway, there's no need to worry too much. I'll be your opponent, and I even brought my Brush Sword just in case, so…" Minsoo rambled nervously about the current state of affairs. I tried to play along, considering we're classmates, but his verbal diarrhea showed no signs of stopping.

He's too desperate for attention.

Pushing aside the distractions, I glanced around and realized: the combo of white hair and loudmouthed chatter would draw way too much attention. As if being a recognizable character wasn't enough, adding Minsoo to the mix made it painfully obvious that we were Baek Taeyang and Kim Minsoo.

"Can you believe students are participating in a hunter tournament?"

"Well, I suppose it's impressive, in a way, but yeah…"

"Did you catch his provocation earlier? Honestly, I think he went too far."

"Baek Taeyang was acting all high and mighty… Now he's cozying up with Kim Minsoo and forming a little duo, it seems."

"He's starting to look pretty desperate, isn't he?"

Everything made sense except for those last two sentences. From the start, Jang Duchul must have thrown us into Gladire for this reason.

"But seriously, when are they gonna give us some direction? Leaving everyone hanging like this is getting old."

As the hunters' discontent started to bubble up, the broadcast seemed to come just in time, as if it had been waiting for that moment.

[Ah! Ah! Check! Check! Can you hear me? Our sincere apologies for the delay! We had… a few special circumstances to deal with, you see, so the guidance took longer than expected! As mentioned, everything within the gate will be broadcasted in real-time. For fairness and… to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances!]

With it being an artificial gate, are there no rules against communication devices?

I looked up at the sky and noticed drones hovering around for filming.

"It feels like we're zoo exhibits, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

Even a broken clock is right twice a day. Minsoo spoke some sense for the first time in a while. Drones buzzed overhead while broadcast announcements echoed through the airwaves. Spectators gathered outside gate, observing the spectacle from the stands. What was meant to be a hunter's tournament seemed more like a zoo from up close.

[Now, let's cut to the chase. We planned to dive straight into qualifiers, but there's too many of you… So, we're gonna do a quick sift. Of course! The one essential for a hunter! What is it? A loyal partner? Trust? Friendship? Character? Wealth? Power? Nah, none of that matters! The real deal is strength! So! First! We'll halve the lot!]

Going with the cliché route, huh? They are following the traditional screening process.

I used the opportunity to scan the other hunters. If Minsoo knew ahead, he wouldn't be so taken aback, and those folks likely hailed from Noble. If not, they're at least noteworthy.

One… two… three… Hmm, there are so many of them.

While I couldn't take in every hunter visually, it was apparent there was a large turnout. A brief scan suggested dozens, perhaps even over a thousand—far surpassing the numbers at the Noble's party. While not every calm hunter necessarily hailed from Noble, but odds were in their favor.

The party attendees seem to represent only a small portion. Noble is far bigger than I initially thought, and Jang Duchul's disgust was well-founded; this partisanship makes no sense at all.

[Now, you might be wondering, how are we going to reduce the numbers? The method, of course! It's very obvious! Combat! Don't worry about your life! Before you sustain any life-threatening injuries, you'll be immediately!!! forcibly ejected out of the gate for treatment! So please, feel free to engage in combat! Right… now.]

Many hunters found themselves perplexed, grappling with the unexpected twist in the tournament's format. Meanwhile, a small group of insiders leveraged their foreknowledge to gain an edge.

BAM!

"What the hell! Outta nowhere?!"

"Haven't you been listening? They said cut 'em in half. Don't know how many… Anyway, it's quicker to start swinging at whoever's close, right?"

One of the hunters who understood the situation wasted no time and sprang into action. He swiftly unleashed his skill and delivered punches to someone already in the thick of it.

BAM BAM BAM!

"Hahaha! Since nobody's dying anyway, might as well throw a few punches! I've been itching for this moment since the start! After all, this is Gladire, right?"

"But isn't the broadcast voice a bit different from before? Didn't you notice it?"

"Who gives a damn now? Making it to the qualifiers is what matters!"

"Yeah, you're right."

Hunters who had formed teams in advance unleashed their skills without reservation, while the solo contenders found themselves on the receiving end of beatdowns. The disparity between being in the know and clueless about the selection process determined who stayed and who got the boot.

Starting off unfair right out of the gate, huh? Even I would've been caught off guard if Minsoo didn't tip me off to this intel.

"Baek Taeyang! You seriously think you can brush off all the seasoned hunters and come out on top? It's all about kissing up to the seniors! That's where the real rewards are!"

"I wonder where you got that idea from…"

CLANG!

Some nameless hunter with eyes burning with resentment swung their blade at me. I deflected it with my gear case while keeping an eye on Minsoo's position.

"Don't come near me, please! I'm the type with absolutely no mercy! Stay back!"

Minsoo brandished his Brush Sword with a face burning with all-knowing rage, but his movements were more theatrical than lethal. The other hunters seemed to catch on, yet curiously, none approached him with hostility.

It's almost like… they're protecting him… Wait, protecting Minsoo?

"Where you looking at, Baek Taeyang! Feeling big and mighty just 'cause you blocked one of my moves? Take this! Mighty Strike!"

[Warning: Threatening skill usage detected from Kaivan series model White Sun. Deploying shield.]

CLANG! CRASH!

The sound of metal clashing violently echoed incessantly.

"Baek Taeyang! Your back's exposed!"

Another hunter—oblivious to the concept of stealth—loudly declared his intentions before launching a surprise attack. I seemed to be the favored target, while Kim Minsoo remained conspicuously unscathed. It didn't take a genius to see what was going on.

Mr. Double Chin's already made his move… Looks like Noble has no intention of letting me through the qualifiers. Well, that's just a hunch. But either way, the outcome will be the same.

I am Baek Taeyang.