Ch 210
Became a swordsmanship instructor at the academy
Chapter 210
I looked at the test paper and started filling out the OMR card.
Looking at the clock I had placed in front of me, there was still more than 20 minutes left, but I had already reviewed it twice, so there was no need to do more.
This exam was easier than I thought.
Especially this last test was English, which is a relatively weak subject for Kang Shin-hyeok, but it's at a high school freshman level, and as my realm has risen, my intelligence seems to have improved too, so nothing was blocking me.
Of course, I deliberately chose wrong answers for the last two questions.
I was lying down with my head lowered when 20 minutes passed, and I could feel the person at the very back getting up to collect the OMR cards.
The midterm exams are finally over.
When I raised my head and got up, all the students had bright expressions.
They must be happy that the exams are over.
"Chan-seong, can I look at your English test paper? Let me check some answers."
"Oh. Here."
"How was it? It was really difficult this time."
Difficult? It was incredibly easy though.
"I couldn't solve the last two questions either."
I went along with it moderately, thinking they might find it annoying if I told the truth.
"But you solved it really fast for that? You finished with about 20 minutes left, didn't you?"
Ah, they saw me put my head down with 20 minutes remaining.
"I had no idea and since it was the last exam anyway, I just guessed and took a nap. It was only 2 questions."
"Well, you did well on the other tests anyway."
There are some friends who come to me like this, but far more kids flock to Seong Ji-an.
That girl is the top student in our class after all.
Lee Ji-sung is among them too.
Seeing how they always check answers together and confirm things, it seems like they studied together as a group during this exam period too.
I was originally the one who brought that guy into the study group despite everyone's opposition, but I actually didn't study together with those guys.
It's been like that since the final exams of last semester.
After I rejected Seong Ji-an's confession, Nam Ji-hyeon has extremely disliked me.
Even now, as I'm looking over, she's glaring at me with a deeply furrowed brow as if asking what I'm looking at.
She's really consistent.
Well, it's none of my business.
She's neither the protagonist nor the only heroine, so there's no need to make an effort to improve our relationship.
"Chan-seong, it looks like you got both of your guesses wrong. I checked Ji-an's and she said the answers to the last two questions were 2 and 5."
"Really? Well, can't be helped. Anyway, the exam is over, so it's fine."
"Right, from tomorrow it's the weekend, and next week we have substitute holidays and the training camp. I want to go to the training camp quickly."
"Did you hear? Ji-sung said there's even an outdoor hot spring at the training center."
"Oh, a hot spring sounds nice."
Everyone is excited about being able to play continuously from now on, but I'm not.
I have to take supplementary classes again starting today.
Of course I skipped supplementary classes during the exam period, but Teacher Kim said she would restart supplementary classes from the day the exams ended.
She's very enthusiastic.
On top of that, I have to attend supplementary classes even on the weekend this week.
In the last sparring match, I landed a spell on Teacher Kim and made a wish to skip weekend supplementary classes, but I said I would attend when sparring with students from other departments.
From today, they said they would recruit students from other departments to conduct sparring matches.
I don't know which department they'll bring, but well, I can just deal with them appropriately.
I've finished all preparations for the training camp anyway.
I've explained everything to Master and Luciel, and completed the move by enticing them with chocolate bars, chicken, and ramen.
I also told Se-jin not to come to the portal during the training camp period.
I've prepared everything, including the method to guide Kim Do-hyun near the portal when he doesn't fall behind.
I was a bit busy preparing quickly because Lee Ji-sung moved up the schedule, but if I just finish this week's supplementary classes well... no, wait a minute.
If Lee Ji-sung moves up the training camp schedule and gets the Internal Energy manual faster than originally, he'll become stronger faster than in the original work.
Then I probably don't need to make Eunseo lose.
A few days ago, there was an article about a ginseng digger who found 200-year-old wild ginseng on Mount Halla.
There were many articles about it, so the kids talked about how much something like that would cost, and Lee Ji-sung was among them.
He knew surprisingly well about wild ginseng too, so it seems like he's already looked into ginseng to eat once he gets the Internal Energy manual.
If he learns the Internal Energy manual faster than in the original work and receives and eats ginseng through something like delivery, that should be enough for Lee Ji-sung to beat Eunseo too.
Right. Rather than me unnecessarily breaking down Eunseo and receiving hatred, it would be better to let her lose naturally.
But it will be a shock to Eunseo, who extremely dislikes Lee Ji-sung...
Either way, Eunseo will lose, so I'm sorry but it can't be helped.
I have to prevent the original work from being twisted further.
Of course, I said I would take responsibility for the future that changed because of me.
To both the Primordial Heavenly Honored One and Luciel.
But the future that the Primordial Heavenly Honored One showed me last time isn't confirmed.
A better future might be waiting, and I hope that's the case, but a worse future might be waiting too.
***
"Wow, Ji-hyeon, you really did well on this exam."
"Hehe. I worked especially hard this time, you know."
"Rather than working hard, didn't you just get lucky with your guesses?"
Ji-sung next to me eating his meal is being sarcastic, but I ignored him.
He's definitely acting like that because he's annoyed that his test scores are lower than mine.
"Ji-sung, what are you saying like that? Ji-hyeon worked so hard studying this time."
"As expected, only our Ji-an understands me."
I worked incredibly hard to do better than that hateful Min Chan-seong on this exam.
"But you still didn't do better than me though."
"Ji-an, you... that's too much. I take back what I just said."
"I'm joking. Anyway, none of us can beat Do-hyun."
"Right. Do-hyun, you're probably going to be first place again this time?"
"Well, the grades aren't out yet."
"Stop pretending to be modest? You said you didn't have any problems earlier."
"Your practical evaluation was all A's too."
"Right. In the last supplementary sparring, you fought almost evenly with a third-year senior."
"That was because Jinsu senior went easy on me. I still don't know about first place."
"Is it because of Cha Min-woo? I heard he made an OMR marking mistake in language this time?"
"What, then Do-hyun is definitely going to be first place."
Do-hyun really seems amazing.
Excellent swordsmanship skills, good at studying, and his face is really exactly my type.
"Everyone is just 'Do-hyun, Do-hyun'... I improved my grades a lot this time too?"
That Lee Ji-sung guy, he must be envious since we're only praising Do-hyun.
"Really? Then will you be in the top 50 this time?"
"No, top 50 is a bit... But I should be in the top 70?"
"Only 70th place?"
"Just wait and see. Next time, I'll do better than you, Nam Ji-hyeon."
It's unlikely, but well, it's nice that he seems to want to work hard.
Honestly, I was a bit reluctant about Ji-sung at first because there were too many bad rumors about him, but after spending time with him, the kid seems better than I thought.
Far from causing trouble, he even caught a hidden camera perpetrator early in the semester, provided the MT location during vacation, and this training camp too.
He studies hard, and while he was completely a pig at first, he's lost so much weight now that he's become a person.
Well, he still can't compare to Do-hyun though.
"Oh, it's Chan-seong. Chan-seong, there's a seat here."
Anyway, Do-hyun is good in every way, but he's really clueless.
All the other kids know that Ji-an and I don't like Min Chan-seong.
"Ah, I'm with other friends."
"Really? Got it."
That Min Chan-seong bastard is unpleasant from one to ten, but at least he has some awareness.
If that bastard had sat here without reading the room, I would have gotten up from my seat.
After finishing lunch, I headed to the auditorium to take supplementary classes.
Usually supplementary classes are held at the archery training ground behind the school, but today we came here because they said we'd be sparring with another class.
When I opened the door and entered, there were quite a few kids.
Not all of them would be taking supplementary classes, so they seem to be students who came to watch because there's supposed to be sparring.
They said which class we'd spar with wasn't definitively decided yet and we'd find out on the day... hmm, seeing Teacher Kim there, is it the magic class?
This worked out well.
It would be nice to spar with Cha Min-woo, who competes with Do-hyun for first place in the school, but Min Chan-seong comes first before that guy.
I was just thinking it would be great to meet him at the martial arts tournament.
It's a bit disappointing that there aren't many people watching, but I need to properly stomp on him today.
***
After eating lunch and arriving at the auditorium, I can see Teacher Hwang from the archery class.
Is today's sparring opponent the archery class?
I thought it would be with the swordsmanship class, spear art class, or martial arts class that have many members... Well, it doesn't matter which class it is actually.
"Huh? I thought you wouldn't come today either, what brings you here on the weekend? Aren't you going to the hospital today?"
Lee Ji-sung approaches and starts talking.
"I'm not going today. And the teacher said to attend whenever possible when there are sparring matches with other classes."
"Really? The opponent happens to be the archery class, is that okay?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Nam Ji-hyeon seems to be really gunning for you?"
Looking in the direction Lee Ji-sung is pointing, Nam Ji-hyeon is glaring at me.
"Even so, don't the teachers arrange the matchups?"
The martial arts tournament uses lottery draws, but since this sparring originates from an extension of supplementary classes, they'll probably match kids with similar skill levels.
Teacher Kim, who knows my skills, wouldn't match me with Nam Ji-hyeon, who's a first-year.
"Is that so? Then since Nam Ji-hyeon is said to be the archery class ace, she'll probably face Cha Min-woo."
Huh? I can see second and third-years too, but Nam Ji-hyeon is the ace?
Well, there are second and third-year seniors in the magic class too, but the ace is Cha Min-woo.
As expected of the main supporting characters from the original work.
Wait, if Nam Ji-hyeon is the archery class ace, there's also a possibility she'll face me instead of Cha Min-woo.
Well, I don't particularly mind that either.
It might be good to torment that guy who openly shows dislike every day.
I'll know when I watch.
When the time came, Teacher Kim called us together below the dueling arena.
"It's been a while, everyone."
"It's only been two days."
"If you rested for two whole days, that's a lot of rest. Next week there's substitute holidays too, and first-years have the training camp. Today, as previously announced, we'll spar with another class. The opponent is the archery class."
"It's a long-distance battle. How will the matchups work?"
"The matchups were arranged through discussion between me and the archery class teacher."
Teacher Kim calls out names starting from the first match, and I'm second to last, with my opponent being a third-year female student from the archery class named Jeong Hui-ju.
I thought there was a possibility I'd face Nam Ji-hyeon, but that girl's opponent is Cha Min-woo.
Cha Min-woo and Nam Ji-hyeon are the final match, and Lee Ji-sung is first, so it seems like the later matches feature the aces.
They seem to rank me lower than Cha Min-woo, probably because I haven't participated in weekend sparring and Cha Min-woo has shown good performance.
Well, I don't want to attract attention anyway.
"Alright, then starting with Ji-sung in the first match... Teacher Hwang?"
Teacher Hwang from the archery class and Nam Ji-hyeon approached our side.
"Um... Teacher Kim, sorry but could we change the matchups slightly?"
"Huh? Why all of a sudden? Is there some problem?"
"Our Ji-hyeon keeps saying she wants to face Chan-seong."
"What? Our Chan-seong?"
I already knew from her usual behavior, but that bastard really seems to hate me.
"I don't mind..."
"What's this? Nam Ji-hyeon, are you that scared of facing me? I'll go easy on you."
I was about to say I don't mind, but Cha Min-woo steps forward with a grin and provokes her.
That bastard seems to think Nam Ji-hyeon asked to face me because she's afraid of facing him... Hey, that's not it.
"What are you saying? You weakling magician wimp."
"What? Weakling magician?"
"Excuse me, teacher, could I spar twice?"
"Spar twice? Will you be okay?"
"I don't mind. I'll do it with that Cha Min-woo bastard first, then with Min Chan-seong."
"Well, if you're okay with it, Ji-hyeon. Teacher Kim, would that be alright?"
"What, you'll face Min-woo and then Chan-seong again?"
"Wouldn't that be fine? Our Ji-hyeon has the skills for it."
When Teacher Hwang shrugs and says this, Teacher Kim's body trembles.
She seems quite angry.
"What do you take our Min-woo for... Besides, if it's like that, even if our Chan-seong wins, you'll make excuses that she was tired from facing Min-woo first, so our Chan-seong will do it twice too."
Um... Teacher Kim?
Once is already bothersome, but now I have to do it twice...
"Let's do it that way."