Chapter 321: Hands-on Training (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 321: Hands-on Training (1)
The transition from midnight to morning had just occurred.
Lately, I’d been indulging in more sleep, neglecting my mental discipline. To avoid the hassle of rousing myself, I’d tasked Pe Woocheol with waking me each day. I expected this morning to be no different.
“Brother… Brother.”
His voice coaxed my eyes open. Time to get up. My body felt unusually heavy, not from illness, but a deep, mental weariness.
“…Sigh.”
With a deep sigh, I pushed myself up slowly. Reluctant or not, I had to rise. As I managed to sit upright, a figure came into view. Pe Woocheol? Or one of my other roommates?
“…Hmm?”
To my surprise, it was neither. Pe Woocheol’s frame was hardly so slender or feminine. I rubbed my eyes, trying to focus.
Warm sunlight streamed through the window, seemingly intent on illuminating a single person.
“…You.”
She was kneeling. The person before me was none other than Wi Seol-Ah. Her brown hair, kissed with golden highlights, and her golden eyes sharpened into focus. But that wasn’t the point.
Why is she here right now?
A dream? No. The reality of the situation confirmed it wasn’t. It wasn't just Pe Woocheol; the entire room had fallen still, every occupant staring at Wi Seol-Ah. Their nervous, shifting eyes betrayed their confusion.
What was happening?
I shot a look at Pe Woocheol. The giant looked just as bewildered, but he leaned in to whisper once he caught my gaze. Telepathy was still beyond him.
“So, what’s going on?”
“…She said she had business with you, suddenly…”
“And you let her in?”
“I told her you were asleep… but ‘big sis’ said she’d wait inside…”
“‘Big sis’? You just let her in? Do you realize how many guys live in this room?”
Also, ‘big sis’? Wi Seol-Ah was definitely a few years younger than Pe Woocheol. I was younger than him, too. Pe Woocheol was over twenty, wasn’t he?
“…I’m sorry. It was sudden for me, too,” Pe Woocheol said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
Wi Seol-Ah cut in. “I forced my way in. I insisted. Master Pe has done nothing wrong.”
Pe Woocheol’s face lit up at the title ‘Master Pe’. He looked overjoyed.
Slap-!
“Ugh!?”
Irritated by his reaction, I slapped his leg. He immediately doubled over, clutching it. Such an overreaction; it was just a light tap.
“Stop overreacting, Woocheol.”
“…Brother, I think my bone cracked.”
Ignoring his dramatic whining, I turned back to Wi Seol-Ah.
“What brings you here?”
“…I have something I need to tell you.”
Something to say. She said that she needed some time.
The last time we spoke, Wi Seol-Ah had asked for time to think. A few days had passed since then. I’d decided to respect her request. And now, after those few days, she had come to me directly.
That part was fine. But did she have to come so early in the morning?
“What did you want to say?”
I regretted my tone the moment the words left my mouth. I should have greeted her properly, offered a compliment, or at least asked if she’d eaten. Plenty of better options, but my rudeness prevailed. I doubted I’d ever fix this habit.
After my question, Wi Seol-Ah lifted her head slightly. Her golden pupils locked onto mine. The bright, lively girl I’d known as a servant was still there, but faintly—most of that light had faded. It was disappointing.
My head was still foggy from sleep. I felt spaced out. As a Peak Realm martial artist, mere lack of sleep shouldn’t leave me so drained, but today was… different. Just as I gathered my qi to shake off the fatigue, Wi Seol-Ah spoke.
“I like you.”
“…Eh?”
Her words forced a dumbfounded response from me. “What did you just…”
“I like you.”
She repeated herself, confirming I hadn’t misheard. Her words hit me with tangible weight, instantly clearing the mental fog.
“You…”
Her expression remained calm. I stood there, dumbfounded, staring at her for a few moments. What was I supposed to say? Nothing came to mind. Struggling against an invisible wall of silence, I finally managed a question, my voice trembling.
“What… what are you saying all of a sudden?”
“I finished thinking.”
“Thinking?”
“Yes, thinking.”
She had asked for time to think, and this was her conclusion? What was this? A dream seemed more believable.
Huh…?
Studying Wi Seol-Ah more closely, I noticed it. Despite her calm demeanor, the tips of her ears had turned bright red.
“…”
I looked into her eyes again, now aware of her flushed ears.
“Uh…”
My mind scrambled for an answer. A thousand responses raced through my head, but just as I was about to pick one,
“It turned out this way… so I just wanted to let you know.”
Before I could speak, Wi Seol-Ah spoke again, then stood up, her head still bowed.
“Huh… Huh?”
Her ears flushed an even deeper red. I tried to call out to her, but she darted out of the room before I could form her name. She moved with such speed I couldn't even get a syllable out.
“What the…”
Only after her footsteps faded did I begin to process what had happened.
What did she just say?
Did she… say she liked me? My mind was in chaos, short-circuited.
“Brother.”
Pe Woocheol’s voice cut through the daze.
“…Uh… H-Huh?”
Not only was my brain malfunctioning, my speech was failing, too. Pe Woocheol looked unusually serious as he lowered his head.
“This might be a bit rude… but—”
“Speak.”
“…Could I please hit you once?”
“Go ahe— …What did you just say, you bastard?”
Pe Woocheol took a quick step back as I frowned. I think this was about when Wi Seol-Ah started acting strange.
Having skipped my morning training, I sat through the lecture, and lunchtime finally arrived. We had additional afternoon training, which explained the early meal. It didn’t bother me much.
“What’s for lunch today?”
“I’m not su—”
“Mhm, I’m used to it by now.”
Asking Pe Woocheol had become a daily habit, even though I knew he never remembered. He devoured everything without a second thought, so of course he didn't.
“I heard we were having meat today.”
“Then you can’t have any.”
“I was taught not to be picky with food.”
The Sleeping Dragon slipped into our conversation. For the past few days, he’d been eating with us as if it were the most natural thing, and I hadn’t bothered to stop him. There was just one problem.
“…Could you please care about what others think of you?”
“I didn’t expect to hear that from you of all people.”
I sighed at his deadpan response. There was a reason for my comment. Since the Academy catered to Taoists, they provided meat-free meals. But this bastard was loading his plate with meat like it was nothing…
“…Hey, your brothers are giving you death glares, you know?”
“Brothers? I don’t know who they are, so don’t worry about it. I’m an only child.”
They were definitely martial artists from the Wudang Sect. Moments like this made me wonder if the Sleeping Dragon was actually insane. Why hadn’t the Wudang Sect kicked him out for this behavior?
…Is it because of his talent?
Seriously? To be fair, a talent like his was impossible to find. Kicking him out over minor troubles would be a waste.
“Oh! Chicken.”
Look at him, thrilled because there’s meat on the menu. It made me question if he was really a Taoist.
…Though, according to Elder Shin, the Light of Might from Shaolin also enjoyed grilled meat and a drink when he was young.
Maybe people like the Sleeping Dragon, who followed their instincts, were better than those who pretended to be virtuous.
“Brother…”
“What.”
“Didn’t you take too much? I don’t think you’ll finish all that.”
“You’ll eat the rest if I don’t.”
“That’s a fantastic idea.”
Pe Woocheol beamed at my response.
Because of our group, I often overheard whispers.
-“Did the Sleeping Dragon really join his group…?”
-“The Cheolcheol Yang clique? They managed to win over even the Sleeping Dragon of the Wudang Sect. How could that be…!”
-“Wait, Cheolcheol Yang? Wasn’t it Cheolyang Cheol?”
-“That’s not what’s important.”
-“How is the name not important?”
-“I heard the Dragon Warrior has also been spending time with the True Dragon lately… so perhaps?”
-“Cheol Jiseon, with three of the Six Dragons under his wing… what is he up to?”
Absurd rumors were spreading. The tales of the “Mad Dog” Cheol Jiseon still hadn’t died down. No wonder he’d developed an anger disorder.
I wasn’t the only one hearing the chatter. The Sleeping Dragon smirked as he piled food on his plate.
“So, is it Cheolyang Cheolhyuk now?”
“Did you just add your name to it?”
“Who cares? You barely spent time coming up with the name, so I might as well add mine.”
His response made it clear he knew my original naming was a joke. Sharp as ever.
“But is it really okay?”
The Sleeping Dragon tilted his head, not understanding.
“If you hang around me like this, it might not be good for you in the future.”
“Oh.”
I knew how much the Leader of the Wudang Sect cared about fame, honor, and reputation. The Sleeping Dragon was his golden child. Would he approve of him associating with a troublemaker like me?
When I asked,
“It doesn’t matter. It’s fun, you know?” The Sleeping Dragon shrugged, as easygoing as ever.
“Also,”
“Hmm?”
“It’s a great blessing for me to be able to eat quietly.”
“Look at everyone in the cafeteria. Do you think ‘quiet’ is happening?”
The cafeteria was packed since we’d arrived late; ‘quiet’ wasn’t even close. The Sleeping Dragon smirked at my response and went back to loading his plate, this time with even more meat. I just shook my head.
Finding seats wasn’t always hard. Moyong Hi-ah was always quick to save a spot for me. The ladies from the Three Noble Clans—Namgung, Moyong, and Tang—always sat together. With them occupying one table, it was rare for anyone else to join. Those who tried were usually chased away by a sharp remark from Moyong Hi-ah or Tang Soyeol.
Peng Ah-hee sometimes ate with Tang Soyeol, but that was rare. In the end, those empty seats were practically reserved for me.
“What do you think you are doing?”
“Hmm?”
Just as I was about to sit down, Moyong Hi-ah’s icy voice cut through the air.
“What?”
“Why are you sitting down without permission?”
She sounded colder than usual. An already cold girl had become even frostier. What was going on?
“Hmph…”
Judging by how she turned her head away, I must have done somethi- …Oh.
I realized the cause of her sudden attitude shift.
“Sorry, something came up that day.”
She had asked to meet me privately last time, and she was upset because I’d canceled for Cheol Jiseon. Right, I’d forgotten to visit her afterward. …It was understandable for her to be angry.
“Sorry.”
After my second apology, Moyong Hi-ah finally looked at me again.
“…I’m seriously going to be mad next time.”
She softened surprisingly easily after that. It was the complete opposite of my past life.
Once I sat in the empty seat, the Sleeping Dragon and Pe Woocheol, sensing the change in mood, sat down as well. I took my usual spot next to the drowsy Namgung Bi-ah. As the Sleeping Dragon tried to sit beside me, she woke up and motioned with her hand, pointing directly at him.
“That seat… reserved.”
“…Hmm?”
“The seat is reserved.”
“Oh, it’s reserved. I apologize.”
The Sleeping Dragon shifted to the next seat over. Reserved? Was someone else coming?
“Someone is coming?”
“…Mhm…”
Namgung Bi-ah mumbled, then leaned her head against my shoulder, her sleepy expression returning. Her long hair got in the way of my eating, but I was used to it by now.
As we ate, Moyong Hi-ah suddenly addressed the Sleeping Dragon.
“It has been a while.”
She spoke with a smile, but her words were sharp. The Sleeping Dragon paused mid-bite, coughing as he sensed her tone.
“…Ahem, isn’t your voice a bit too sharp?”
“It’s obvious since I’m talking to another person.”
“…Ah, I see. Well… it has indeed been a while, Young Lady Moyong. I apologize for the late greetings.”
Moyong Hi-ah calmly sipped her tea in response. Had the two met before?
“Last time I visited, you said you had no intention of joining or even being associated with any group.”
“…Uh, well, life doesn’t always go the way you think, you know?”
Oh. Is this because Moyong Hi-ah was trying to recruit him for her clique?
Moyong Hi-ah was central to most clique-forming conversations at the Academy. Sects stuck with sects, merchants with merchants. People with similar backgrounds grouped together, and I’d heard Moyong Hi-ah had started gathering people just days after the Academy opened. It seemed she’d approached the Sleeping Dragon, and he’d refused. No wonder she wasn’t pleased to see him here after his refusal.
“I’m sorry.”
Hearing a rare apology from the Sleeping Dragon, Moyong Hi-ah folded her fan and offered a light smile.
“No problem. I’m actually glad you joined Master Gu’s side.”
“…Haha.”
“I would’ve buried you if you joined a different group…”
“Hmm? What did you just say?”
“Just kidding. Hoho.”
That was definitely not a joke. It was probably the most honest thing she’d said in days. A cold sweat broke out on the Sleeping Dragon’s brow—he clearly sensed the threat. It seemed even this crazy bastard was scared of Moyong Hi-ah. To be fair, he’d always run from her in my past life, always blaming me when we were caught causing trouble. …Just thinking about it made me angry.
Just as I was about to take a sip of the water Namgung Bi-ah had poured for me to cool down,
Flop.
Someone sat beside me. Namgung Bi-ah had said the seat was reserved. Was this the person?
I glanced over and immediately recognized the familiar presence and flowery scent.
“Oh.”
It was Wi Seol-Ah, the same girl who had confronted me earlier that morning. She always avoided eating with me, so what was different today? Puzzled, I glanced at her plate.
She brought a mountain of food.
It was piled high with all kinds of dishes. Wi Seol-Ah must have noticed me staring; her face reddened slightly before she spoke.
“…I heard that it’s good to eat a lot…”
She’d brought so much because I always told her to eat well.
“S-Should I take some off if you don’t like it?”
“What do you mean, ‘take some off’? Eat it all.”
“…Okay.”
Relieved by my response, Wi Seol-Ah began to eat quietly, not mentioning the morning’s events. Had she already forgotten? Her flushed ears suggested otherwise.
…Did Namgung Bi-ah call her here?
She was the one who’d mentioned someone coming, so perhaps she’d known all along. However, Namgung Bi-ah just continued sleeping, her head leaning against my shoulder.
“…I was happy because I thought one of the competitions had left. Tsk.” Moyong Hi-ah whispered under her breath.
It was a rather uncomfortable meal.