Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: What Happened?
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“What... what happened?”
Pang Yeonhwa stammered the question. She racked her brain, trying to remember. Her head felt foggy, probably because she’d been lying there for a full day.
Or maybe it was because she’d just been having a nightmare until moments ago. The last thing she remembered was... facing off against Hwangbo Sungwoo.
No, a little further than that.
Faint memories surfaced. The howl of a beast she didn’t want to hear. The thick stench of blood. Pang Yeonhwa flinched and looked down at her hands.
Not a single scratch. Beyond the fresh scent of her skin, she somehow felt the lingering smell of blood.
“You went a little wild.”
“...”
Wi Sungcheon answered honestly. There was no reason to hide it from her, the person involved. Pretending otherwise would just be deceiving her.
Wi Sungcheon calmly explained everything that had happened yesterday.
“...Ah.”
After hearing it all, Pang Yeonhwa covered her face with both hands. She hunched over, suppressing the wave of disgust rising within her.
“No one died.”
“...They got hurt.”
“That couldn’t be helped. It was practical training. I broke Hwangbo Sungwoo’s right arm, and I ripped off Ha Jitae’s arms too.”
Pang Yeonhwa looked up at his nonchalant response. Wi Sungcheon gave an awkward smile and added,
“Ah, don’t misunderstand. ‘Ripped off’ doesn’t mean I literally tore them off—just dislocated the bones.”
“...That’s completely different. I didn’t want to do it. It wasn’t my will. But you...”
“True. I did it on purpose. But the result’s the same, isn’t it? You and I both hurt the others.”
As he spoke, Wi Sungcheon picked up the teapot from the nearby table. He filled an empty cup with lukewarm water and handed it to her.
But Pang Yeonhwa didn’t take the cup. She glared at him instead.
“...What are you trying to say?”
“Just my opinion, but if we’re assigning blame, mine’s worse than yours, don’t you think?”
“Why?”
“You had no choice, but I chose to do it.”
“...Is this your idea of comfort?”
“Yeah.”
Drink? Wi Sungcheon shook the cup. She was thirsty, badly.
She’d slept a full day, and even before that, she hadn’t eaten or drunk much. Pang Yeonhwa bit her lip and reached for the cup.
The moment she did, Wi Sungcheon slyly moved his hand, making her miss it.
“...What are you doing?”
“Teasing.”
“...Don’t.”
“Okay.”
Wi Sungcheon chuckled awkwardly and handed her the water. She glared at him for a moment, then slowly reached out.
Only after confirming he wouldn’t move did she take the cup and bring it to her lips.
“...Your comfort feels like teasing.”
“That’s the point. Want me to say it seriously?”
“Can you?”
Pang Yeonhwa gave a bitter smile. He cleared his throat and straightened his expression.
“It’s natural to feel guilty, but don’t torment yourself.”
“...”
“You didn’t want to do it, so no need to beat yourself up.”
“But I’m the one who did it.”
“If you think that way, what in the world isn’t a sin?”
“In my case, just being born was...”
Pang Yeonhwa smiled self-deprecatingly. But her words cut off midway.
Wi Sungcheon’s hand was suddenly over her mouth.
Her lips were soft and moist from the water she’d just drunk. But he ignored the sensation. Pang Yeonhwa looked up at him in surprise.
Wi Sungcheon of the Heavenly Flower Sect.
They’d met by chance at the martial world festival ten years ago. They’d hung out for a few days.
Then, ten years later, they reunited at the Heavenly Academy. The Wi Sungcheon from ten years ago... was timid in many ways.
She’d spotted him from a window, huddled alone in the shadows, and since she had no one else to play with, she’d gone down and talked to him.
But not at the academy. Too much had happened to her, even if Wi Sungcheon didn’t know.
Pang Yeonhwa hated anyone approaching her. Most people reacted to her in one of two ways.
Pity or wariness. She hated both, but pity was the worst.
When they reunited and he tried to act friendly... she told him to stay away.
Memories from ten years ago weren’t some grand treasure to her.
She’d even pushed away the kids from her clan she’d been close with before. No reason to treat Wi Sungcheon differently.
She didn’t know much about Wi Sungcheon.
Nor did she want to. Even after she pushed him away, he kept chatting like they were friends. Mostly trivial stuff.
Eaten yet? Wanna eat together? How was class? Things like that. Before joint classes, he even suggested teaming up.
He always smiled then. Different smiles—awkward, cocky, playful...
But now, Wi Sungcheon wasn’t smiling.
“Don’t say that.”
He spoke quietly.
“You don’t know what I’ve been through... I get it, I wouldn’t have much to say back. But still, you were born and you’ve lived until now.”
His hand lifted from her lips. Pang Yeonhwa composed herself and rubbed her mouth with the back of her hand.
“...Why the meddling?”
“Not meddling with just anyone. Only you.”
“...You don’t know everything about me. Just rumors you’ve picked up.”
“Can’t help it. No way to learn more.”
“That annoys me. Meddling without knowing.”
“Would it annoy you less if I knew properly? Then you’d have to tell me. The parts others don’t know.”
“Not telling.”
Pang Yeonhwa spat, and Wi Sungcheon shrugged.
“...Who chooses to be born into this world?”
He muttered, leaning his chair back.
“Anyway, since you’re born, you live. If you don’t want to, kill yourself. You’re not thinking of that, right?”
“...Are you crazy? Why would I? I... still have things to do.”
“Good. Me too, when I was young, I had all sorts of thoughts. Doesn’t everyone? After outgrowing the snot-nosed kid phase, when the peach fuzz thickens, you get all serious about dumb ideas.”
Around fifteen or so. Wi Sungcheon smiled awkwardly.
“I had those thoughts too. Why was I born into this sect? What did I do wrong? I didn’t do anything, but just being Heavenly Flower Sect makes me hated. Eh, now I don’t care. Like you, I’ve got things to do.”
“...Comforting me?”
“Why? Too jokey?”
“No, it’s fine. Suits you better that way.”
Pang Yeonhwa let out a long sigh and scratched her head. She set down the cup she’d been holding.
“...I want to sleep more.”
“Ah, sorry. You just woke up, and I was too noisy.”
“...That’s fine.”
Wi Sungcheon grinned at her murmur. He pushed his chair back and stood.
“Rest well.”
He turned to leave. But then,
“...Thanks.”
He stopped. Turning back, Pang Yeonhwa was mumbling with her head half-lowered.
“Yeah, you stopped me, right? And... you’ve stayed by my side until now.”
“Uh... well, I wasn’t here all night. Had to sleep in the dorms.”
“Had to say that?”
“Nope.”
“Anyway, thanks... for the comfort too.”
“No big deal.”
Wi Sungcheon grinned.
* * *
The week-long practical training was over. The scores were posted on the wall in front of the dorms.
When Wi Sungcheon arrived, it was crowded with students fresh from training.
Hwangbo Sungwoo stood out first. His arms, shoulders, and chest were wrapped in bandages, and even his face was bandaged, leaving only his furrowed brows visible.
[Where’ve you been?]
A transmission sounded. He turned to see Dang Heeran staring at him. They’d been in Sword Blade Forest together, but she didn’t know about Pang Yeonhwa’s rampage.
[With Yeonhwa.]
[...What the hell happened?]
[Can’t say. You’re not gonna sulk if I don’t, right?]
[After hearing that outright, sulking would just make me petty.]
She hadn’t missed Hwangbo Sungwoo’s roar. Dang Heeran had been unlucky. She’d run toward the distant bellow, but never reached it.
A chilling sense of danger, like her whole body was being sliced, stopped her. Neither she nor Wi Sungcheon knew, but when the Taiji Sword Lord arrived, he’d first scattered his aura across the space to keep other students away.
That’s why Dang Heeran had frozen in place.
“Hey, hey.”
Bang Jun was the same. Actually, worse off. Bang Jun...
Had passed out at some point. After Wi Sungcheon subdued Ha Jitae and left first, Bang Jun chased after him late.
That was it. When he came to, he was sprawled in the middle of the forest.
Seo Il had found and knocked him out along the way, but Bang Jun didn’t know that. He could only guess.
This practical training had tangled with an incident students shouldn’t know. Secret matters in academy grounds were handled by the Shadow Division.
Bang Jun figured a Shadow Division expert knocked him out, and that Wi Sungcheon, Hwangbo Sungwoo, or Pang Yeonhwa were involved.
“Check your score.”
Bang Jun grabbed Wi Sungcheon’s arm without showing it. The stench hit Wi Sungcheon’s nose, so he held his breath and let Bang Jun pull him to the wall.
Joint practical scores were split: team and individual, each out of 10.
Wi Sungcheon’s team score: 3. Not zero thanks to Bang Jun as teammate. Unavoidable—Wi Sungcheon had split from his five teammates from the start.
But.
Individual score: 10.
“You got perfect.”
“You got 3.”
Bang Jun’s face crumpled at the retort. Harsh, but fair. Bang Jun hadn’t clashed with enemies once in training.
All he’d done was start fires, butcher game, or build latrines. That got him the 3.
“The others got wrecked.”
His five teammates who’d split off had dismal scores. They’d hoped for team points, but Ha Jitae crushed them, scraping bottom.
“Check Hwangbo Sungwoo’s.”
Team: 7.
Individual: 4.
“Grind.”
The students’ murmurs quieted under his teeth-gnashing. He accepted it...
Fought Wi Sungcheon twice. He didn’t count the first win. Lost the second.
And lost to Pang Yeonhwa.
‘Where’s Muyun Jun?’
Wi Sungcheon checked another team.
As expected.
Muyun Jun had full marks across the board.