Chapter 128
Chapter 128
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: Pretend to Be My Lover
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"Don't console me."
Paeng Yeonhwa muttered in a small voice.
She was still sprawled out on the training ground, and Wi Seongcheon, who had approached with concern, was about to offer words of comfort but quietly shut his mouth.
"I'm fine."
She didn't look fine at all. Blood was streaming from her nose, one eye was puffy and swollen, and several nails on her right hand were broken.
But Paeng Yeonhwa didn't care.
She dragged her stiff body upright and turned her head. She plugged one nostril with her finger and snorted out the blood with a sniff, then looked straight ahead again.
There stood Hwangbo Seongu, arms crossed. He had transformed into a shaggy bear, the fur on his chest and forearms slightly matted with blood.
The moment the spar began, they both transformed without a word.
Paeng Yeonhwa swung her blade fiercely, but she couldn't stop Hwangbo Seongu's reckless charge.
In the end, her nails snapped, and she took his fist straight to the face before slamming into the ground.
"He pulled his power at the last second."
"I know."
Paeng Yeonhwa scowled at Hwangbo Seongu's boastful remark.
That massive fist had smashed right into the middle of her face, yet it only left her with a bloody nose and a swollen eye. It was because he'd eased off the force just before impact.
"So, you like it?"
"Not bad."
Hwangbo Seongu grinned as he replied.
He'd said it was to settle the score from their joint class practical lesson, but he'd been curious if Paeng Yeonhwa would accept the challenge regardless.
Even in last semester's grade evaluation, Hwangbo Seongu had first picked Paeng Yeonhwa, but she'd refused, leaving him to face Bang Jun instead.
"It was fun."
Hwangbo Seongu said as he slipped his clothes back on.
Paeng Yeonhwa roughly wiped the blood trickling down her philtrum while glaring at his back.
"Next time, I'll win."
Those words from behind deepened Hwangbo Seongu's smile.
Just a few months ago, Paeng Yeonhwa never would have said something like that.
She'd always shrunk from the whispers around her and forfeited every match or spar.
But now?
She hadn't backed down at the Eocheon Festival in front of countless spectators. She'd initiated the transformation without hesitation.
This time was no different.
Hwangbo Seongu glanced back at Paeng Yeonhwa's arms and legs in their beast forms.
Just a little.
That's what he thought.
If he hadn't blindly provoked her, but tried some other approach. If he hadn't pushed her until she snapped, but stayed by her side to support her.
Could I have changed Paeng Yeonhwa?
The sudden thought drew a hollow chuckle from Hwangbo Seongu.
"What's done is done."
He hadn't known any other way, and even if he had, he wouldn't have been able to do it. That was just who Hwangbo Seongu was.
But one thing was certain: he liked the current Paeng Yeonhwa much better than the old one.
With the spar between Hwangbo Seongu and Paeng Yeonhwa as the finale, all the first-year evaluations came to an end.
Just as planned, Wi Seongcheon's promotion to upper class was confirmed.
Even though she'd lost to Hwangbo Seongu, Paeng Yeonhwa's showing at the Eocheon Festival was far beyond anything suited for lower or middle class.
Thanks to that, her promotion to upper class was locked in as well.
"They say upper-class lessons are brutal."
Bang Jun grumbled, frowning.
His own promotion to upper class was confirmed too. Like Paeng Yeonhwa, he'd made it to the Eocheon Festival's main tournament bracket and beaten Yeong Sojin in the spar evaluation.
"Three from lower class jumping straight to upper class. That's unprecedented in Eocheon Academy history."
Seo Il beamed.
Lower-class students advancing to middle happened now and then, but upper-class promotions were another story.
That said, the professors weren't all that shocked.
Everyone had known from day one that Paeng Yeonhwa and Bang Jun belonged in upper class.
The real surprise was Wi Seongcheon, but his skills had been proven long ago.
"So, how many in upper class total?"
"Eight."
Dang Heeran replied flatly. She was upper class, naturally.
"Our four, plus Hwangbo Seongu, Ha Ji-tae, Mu Yeonjun, and Sang I-rin."
The original first-year upper class had nine students. Three hadn't even reached the tournament mains and failed to stand out this semester, so they'd been dropped to middle class.
Yeong Sojin was one of them.
Her fists trembled as she glared daggers at Bang Jun and Paeng Yeonhwa.
She'd been utterly crushed by Paeng Yeonhwa in the tournament, then thoroughly thrashed by Bang Jun's staff in the evaluation.
"Perfect screening process."
Wi Seongcheon shot a grin at the glaring Yeong Sojin and waved.
Yeong Sojin gnashed her teeth—she wanted nothing more than to charge at Wi Seongcheon right then—but she flinched and shrank back when her eyes met Paeng Yeonhwa's cold stare.
"Graduation ceremony's in three days, right?"
"Yeah, and closing ceremony right after."
Next semester started in March.
The two-month break was free time for the students, but not for Wi Seongcheon.
He had to follow Jeong Miju to the Golden Name Escort Agency over the vacation.
He wasn't the only one with plans.
Dang Heeran had to head back to the Tang Clan in Sichuan with Cheonsal, the special professor staying at the academy.
Bang Jun had to go to the Beggars' Sect headquarters in Zhongqing to formally become Goegang's disciple and learn his martial arts.
And Paeng Yeonhwa would return to the Paeng Family in Hebei.
"Can I borrow him?"
He'd just emerged from the training cave, hoping to catch up with his friends, when U Ha-yeon snuck up behind him and grabbed his ear.
"Take him."
Paeng Yeonhwa—now apparently quite friendly with U Ha-yeon while Wi Seongcheon had been holed up—beamed and handed him over.
"Wash up first."
Dang Heeran said, pinching her nose.
She was used to Bang Jun's stench by now, but Wi Seongcheon's reek after two months unwashed and sweat-soaked was on another level.
U Ha-yeon bobbed her head with a broad smile.
"Naturally."
No wonder her breathing had seemed off—she wasn't using her nose.
Wi Seongcheon stumbled after her, ear still pinched.
"Where are you taking me?"
"Bathhouse first to clean up."
"You're not planning to come in with me, are you?"
"No pervy thoughts, junior."
"I wasn't thinking that... Can you let go of my ear first?"
"Nope, too annoying. Don't you think you're the worst, junior?"
"For what?"
"Okay, going straight into the training cave after the festival? Fine. But you stayed way too long! You have any idea how bored I was in the Flirtation Lounge?"
U Ha-yeon pouted as she complained.
So that's what her grudge was about. Wi Seongcheon chuckled.
"I was so pissed about losing to you, senior. Couldn't help it."
"You're the one who told me to win."
U Ha-yeon released his ear.
She eyed the sweat grime on her hand in disgust, then schooled her expression.
"Still. Good job, junior. Your footwork's improved a ton. All that effort really paid off, stink and all."
She reached out to ruffle his hair on instinct, then froze stiff.
No way was she touching that bird's nest. She cleared her throat and lowered her hand primly.
"I'll pet you after you wash."
"No thanks. So, where are you dragging me off to?"
"Where else? The Flirtation Lounge. Miju unni said to bring you."
"Jeong Miju senior? Why not come herself?"
"She seemed swamped. Graduation rep duties, probably, plus other stuff... Yeah, better hear it from her directly."
U Ha-yeon wore a complicated look as she led him to the bathhouse.
"If you come out too quick, I'm shoving you back in."
"Yes, ma'am. Go on ahead."
Truth be told, Wi Seongcheon was dying to scrub off the grime himself.
Just as she said, he took his time. He tossed the rag martial robe and changed into a fresh one before stepping out.
"...You've been waiting the whole time?"
"You might run."
"What would I be running from? What'd I even do?"
Wi Seongcheon laughed in disbelief.
U Ha-yeon circled him, sniffing.
"Now you smell like a person."
"Not before?"
"Like a grubby stray dog."
He followed her to the Flirtation Lounge in Muhak Hall.
The room felt a bit foreign after months away. But when he opened the door and hazy tobacco smoke filled his view, the familiarity washed over him.
"At least air it out. Opening the windows won't freeze you."
"Draft's more annoying than cold."
"And the stale smoke isn't?"
"If you hate it so much, come open them, junior."
Jeong Miju, seated in the center, set down her pipe.
Wi Seongcheon tilted his head at her deeply furrowed brows.
"Where's Seo-baek senior?"
"Ghostwriting."
"Huh?"
"No decent fourth-years. So now I'm stuck giving the graduation rep speech—something fancy and cringey I suck at. Told Seo-baek to write it."
Jeong Miju grumbled as she leaned her chair back.
"He's better at that stuff anyway."
"...So what are you doing, then?"
Wi Seongcheon tilted his head again as he stepped inside.
U Ha-yeon squinted through the smoke and flung the windows wide. The biting winter wind quickly cleared it out.
"Didn't Hayeon tell you?"
"Unni said you should hear it from her. Felt awkward for me to say."
"What's awkward? Just spit it out."
Jeong Miju grumbled and reached for her pipe—but U Ha-yeon snatched it first.
Jeong Miju shot her a glare but didn't go for it again.
"Junior, remember our deal?"
"Not exactly a promise, but yeah—I said I'd follow you to the Golden Name Escort Agency over break and help out."
"Good, you remember. No written contract, but a verbal one's still binding. We're not strangers, right?"
Her narrowed eyes made Wi Seongcheon tense as he took an empty seat.
From her tone, this deal was about to land him something majorly annoying and tricky.
"...Right. Unless it's outrageous, I'll help without complaint."
"Help? Gotta correct that, junior. This isn't a favor. It's a transaction. I get to demand payment."
"No right to say no?"
"Nope. We didn't spell that out upfront."
Jeong Miju grinned and rose from her chair.
"Lesson learned: never toss around words like 'promise' or 'deal' lightly."
"You're not cutting me slack this time, huh. So, what do you want from me?"
"Answer this first, junior. Got a girlfriend right now?"
The abrupt question left Wi Seongcheon's face blank.
He blinked up at Jeong Miju as she approached, then caught U Ha-yeon's pitying gaze from behind her.
"Uh... no...?"
"You sure?"
"None."
"Anyone you're into?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Doesn't matter much. Point is, no girlfriend."
Jeong Miju sat across from him and crossed her legs.
"And you're the Hidden Dragon from Cheonhwa Sect making waves lately."
Wi Seongcheon had shut himself away right after the festival, so he hadn't felt it, but in those two months, news of the tournament had spread across the entire martial world.
The Eocheon Festival had sparked plenty of buzz.
Geom-bong toppling Cheon-in for the win. The heir of the wiped-out Paeng Family revealing her strength. Ten Heroes Taeguk Sword Lord and Black Demon King taking disciples, Cheonsal claiming Dang Heeran.
And Cheonhwa Sect's Hidden Dragon beating Small Buddha Jinu.
"Think it over carefully before you answer this one, junior."
Jeong Miju flashed a wicked smile.
"Wanna marry me?"
Wi Seongcheon gaped at her.
A joke?
Her eyes were dead serious. And hadn't she just told him to think hard?
"Uh... um. You're beautiful and amazing, senior, but..."
"No? Fine, then. I don't wanna get married either."
He'd tried to soften the rejection with flattery, but Jeong Miju waved it off without hearing him out.
"Me neither."
"Then why even ask...?"
"Mutual no means no real sparks flying, right? Perfect."
Jeong Miju slid a paper over to him.
"After graduation, you're heading straight to Guangxi with me."
"Guangxi...? Why?"
"Marriage proposal from the Zhuge Clan, Sa-pa's twin prestigious houses."
She shrugged.
Wi Seongcheon stared blankly down at the paper she'd handed him. It was an official letter from the Zhuge Clan to the Golden Name Escort Agency.
In short: let's marry our kids.
"Zhuge are longtime business partners with sway over all of Guangxi. Awkward to just send a western refusal—too political. Better go reject in person. If I do it myself, it saves their face too."
"But why me...?"
"You need an excuse for the no."
Jeong Miju grinned mischievously, staring him down.
"Pretend to be my lover while we're there."
Wi Seongcheon's face drained white.