Ch 90
Became a swordsmanship instructor at the academy
Chapter 90
It's already been 4 days since the false article defaming me came out.
Now there's no one cursing at me.
A rebuttal article came out that very day, and I even hired a lawyer from a major law firm to handle Deathpatch and the malicious commenters.
Actually, while the rebuttal article was important, I think the STB had a bigger impact.
An A-rank hunter who hasn't even been promoted for half a year challenging an S-rank hunter.
People's attention right now isn't on my personal life but focused on Korea's first STB.
One topic covers another topic.
It wasn't intentional from the start, but things worked out well.
Kim Dae-chan, who I challenged, accepted the duel the next morning.
It was the expected result.
Since we fought once before, he knows he's no match for me, but if he refuses without special reason, he'd have to take a retest just like if he had lost.
Actually, more than the retest, an S-rank hunter getting challenged by an A-rank hunter and giving up without even fighting?
He wouldn't be able to hold his head up in Korea anymore.
The duel date is this Sunday.
I thought he might drag it out with strange excuses, but it was set quite quickly, probably because of the tremendous public attention.
"Chicken's here. Since you ordered 2, I'll give you a large cola as service. Please take it from the fridge."
"Thank you."
"Um... Customer, are you by any chance Kang Shin-hyeok...?"
It was fine at the mart earlier, but to think I'd be recognized at a rural chicken shop like this.
It seems I've become more famous than before.
"Ah, I usually get told that I look like Kang Shin-hyeok. Kang Shin-hyeok has a duel the day after tomorrow - if I were Kang Shin-hyeok, would I be here?"
"That's true. Be careful on your way."
I took the chicken and came back to the car.
Today is Friday.
Only two days left until the duel, but I left school as soon as classes ended and came to Gangwon Province.
Last week I said I couldn't go because it was the start of the semester and I had a lot of work, so I skipped a week.
But not going this week without even saying anything?
I'd get nagged from the moment I arrive until I leave.
I arrived at the mountain entrance, parked, and started climbing the mountain with the chicken and various other items.
It's been 2 weeks since I came, so I have quite a lot of luggage, but by drawing up my internal energy to increase speed, I reached the portal in less than an hour.
"You're here? Oh, this smell is... You bought chicken?"
"Yes. Have you been well? I bought a lot of other things too."
Before I even finish speaking, he immediately takes the bag and packages.
"I'll carry this for you."
I'm completely ignored.
He disappears toward the cave at invisible speed, and since it's been 2 weeks, he seems very excited.
When I went to the cave, he was already eating chicken with his mouth covered in batter crumbs and sauce.
"Let's eat together. How stingy to eat alone."
"It gets soggy over time. You usually don't even eat well."
"I came straight after work and haven't eaten anything."
"Then you eat quickly too. It's already getting a bit soggy."
"There's distance between the chicken shop and here, so it can't be helped. If you don't like it soggy, don't eat it."
"I said it was soggy, not that I wouldn't eat it."
"Then don't complain and eat nicely."
"I saw in a video that this dish called chicken is supposed to be eaten when it's freshly fried and crispy to taste good."
"Next time I come, I'll buy cooking oil and a whole chicken for you to fry yourself."
"No, I have no talent for cooking."
"Then you want me to fry it?"
"Oh, do you know how?"
"I've never tried it."
I could probably do it by looking up a recipe and following it, but honestly, it's too bothersome.
"Then can't you buy one of those air fryers?"
"Air fryer? Where did you see that?"
"I saw it while watching a video recently. They said if you put it in that air fryer and just turn it on, it becomes crispy and delicious again."
"Even if I buy it, you can't use it here. There's no electricity."
"Electricity? You mean the power that runs this laptop?"
"Yes."
"Then can't you buy one that auto-charges like the laptop?"
"There's no such air fryer. It requires much more power than a laptop."
"Really?"
"Yes. It really won't work."
Just eat it roughly.
It cooled down a bit on the way here, but it hasn't been that long, so it's not very soggy.
His taste is really picky.
"Let's spar after we finish eating."
"Sparring? It's not good to move right after eating. It's also late at night, so let's do it tomorrow."
"I'm leaving tomorrow morning."
"Why are you leaving so quickly?"
"I have a duel the day after tomorrow."
"With whom?"
I explained the situation briefly.
"Tsk tsk, that's why you should have completely crushed him when you first fought. If you had, this would have ended cleanly, but you really live troublesomely too."
"No, that bastard is being unreasonable... Never mind, hurry up and eat. Let's spar."
"I told you it's not good to move right after eating. You won last time anyway, right?"
"This time I'm going to completely crush him like Master said, so please cooperate."
"It's bothersome..."
"Master."
"Alright, you brat."
"Wait a minute... Master, what are you doing now? Put that down while I'm being nice."
This old man already ate 2 drumsticks and is picking up another drumstick.
"Sharp-eyed brat. You can eat something else."
At the same time as he speaks, he takes a bite right away.
Eating 3 drumsticks by himself is crossing the line...
"So that's how you're going to be? Next time I bring chicken, there won't be any drumsticks."
"Petty brat... You can eat the remaining one."
"Then I'll leave one behind next time too."
***
As soon as I exit the portal, my phone starts ringing.
The backed-up texts and messages are pouring in... Huh? The duel location has been changed to Jamsil Sports Complex.
Originally it was supposed to be held at the Association headquarters duel arena in Gangnam, but they changed it because too many people applied to watch and too many broadcasting stations requested coverage.
It's a bit much to change it the day before... But for me, well, the more people the better, so it doesn't matter.
They asked me to contact them when I confirmed, so I sent a text saying I confirmed and came down the mountain.
When I returned to school, it was past 12.
The school cafeteria probably wasn't closed yet, but when I checked the menu on the school app, it didn't look good, so I went straight to the dormitory.
I went to the convenience store to grab something quick, but there were quite a lot of people.
From this year, unmarried teachers living in the dormitory have relatively more freedom for weekend outings, but since it's the beginning of the semester, it seems many didn't go out.
Maybe because of tomorrow's STB, I feel like everyone is glancing at me.
I came to the ramen corner to choose quickly and go up, but I saw a familiar face.
"Teacher Kang?"
"Teacher Min, good afternoon. Are you having ramen?"
"Yes. You too, Teacher Kang?"
"Yes. The lunch menu wasn't good. Huh? That's a new product that came out last week, but it's bland and not good. The one next to it came out together and is much more delicious."
"You must eat ramen often?"
"Probably much more than most people."
Since I buy a box of sesame ramen, Master's favorite, every week, and whenever new ramen comes out, I buy it for Master.
I'm not the type who can't live without ramen like Master, but being next to him, I've tried most ramen.
"Senior, I've chosen everything... Huh?"
A woman with short hair approached from behind.
Her face is unfamiliar, so she seems to be a teacher who came this year.
"She's my university junior. She came this year and is in charge of 1st-year English."
"Hello. I'm Kang Shin-hyeok."
"So, Song Su-yeon. Um... I'm a fan of yours."
"A fan? I'm not even a celebrity..."
"You're incomparably more popular than most celebrities. Um, if it's okay, could I take just one photo...?"
"Su-yeon, why are you making Teacher Kang uncomfortable?"
"It's fine. Taking one photo isn't difficult."
"Um, then perhaps lunch together too...?"
"Su-yeon, you really..."
"It's fine. I was going to eat alone anyway, and it's better to eat with others."
We had lunch together and I returned to my room.
The rebuttal article had an interview that even I found annoying, but since the parts about donations and helping struggling students were highlighted, my image doesn't seem to have gotten as bad as I thought.
I turned on my laptop to do some paperwork, but I was tired, probably from sparring with my Master this morning and driving for a long time.
I thought I should sleep and then work, so I closed the laptop and lay down on the bed.
RING! RING!
Just as I was about to drift off to dreamland, the phone on the table vibrated.
I wondered who it was, and surprisingly, it was Kim Dae-chan.
—Tomorrow.
"Yes, I know. What's the matter?"
—What's the matter? Do you really not know and ask that? How can you do this to me?
"That's what I want to say... Do you really not know why I'm doing this?"
—What?
"Didn't you say that if Se-jin wins the WHCU, you wouldn't interfere with Se-jin in any way? You're the one who broke the promise first."
—That, that's... Right. Didn't you fill Se-jin's head with nonsense first and make her go to another guild?
Nonsense? There's really no other bullshit like this.
"What do you know to talk about this? Se-jin choosing Antiroider Guild instead of Ares was Se-jin's choice."
—That can't be.
"If you can't believe it, ask her directly."
—You probably already brainwashed her into saying it was her choice.
Brainwashed? Anyone listening would think I'm a hypnotist.
"Stop being unreasonable."
—Unreasonable? Haah... Right, I lost. As we originally discussed, I won't interfere with whatever Se-jin does from now on. Instead, cancel tomorrow's STB... No, since it's tomorrow, canceling would be difficult, so you could go easy...
"I have no intention of canceling or going easy on you."
—This person really... Didn't I say I'd step back? Do you really want to go to the end with me?
"That's why if you had kept your promise from the beginning, this wouldn't have happened. Why did you do that?"
—What did I...
"Didn't you call Se-jin again and threaten her to come to Ares? And don't you know that if you're going to ruin someone's life, you should stake your own life too?"
—Ruin your life, what do you mean? What did I do to you!
"Do you think I don't know that the ridiculous false article that came out a few days ago was your doing?"
—No, I think there's some misunderstanding...
"Don't try to brush it off. Excluding those who accompanied her, you're the only one who knew Se-jin's training schedule and location."
He's silent, probably because I hit the mark.
"Seems like you have nothing to say."
—That, that was because it seemed like you were meeting other women while with Se-jin, so as a father I was worried... I'll apologize for that part.
You kicked her out of the house for not joining your guild, and now what? Worried as a father?
How can a person be this disgusting...
Amazing.
"Now? It's disgusting, so stop saying nonsense. I'm hanging up."
—No, wait! Don't hang up. What should I do?
"What should you do? If you have time to call like this, you'd better prepare for the duel. If you don't want to be completely humiliated tomorrow."
—What?
"Oh, of course preparing won't change the result... But well, it's better than not doing anything, right?"