Chapter 119
Chapter 119
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: A Kick Down Memory Lane
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“A strong scent doesn’t make for good tea. A subtle yet profound aroma is what leaves a lasting impression. People should strive to be the same.”
Ban Hui-yeol set his teacup down without a sound and smiled gracefully.
“I have no desire to stand out. I want to be the kind of person who shines just by existing.”
“Is that why your workload is piling up?”
“Hmm… Should I explain it from the beginning?”
“No! Cut the nonsense. Who’s going to believe that from someone who struts around in a palanquin every day?”
The general affairs girl raised her voice in indignation, scanning Ban Hui-yeol up and down.
He wore a light mint-green robe over his uniform, his hair tied up in a topknot.
There wasn’t a single unremarkable thing about him.
“You must have let my explanation go in one ear and out the other. How can you raise your voice so carelessly and draw attention? People with loud voices are often mistaken for lashing out to hide their mistakes or shortcomings.”
Ban Hui-yeol wore an expression of pity.
“Strive to become as refined as I am.”
“Ugh…! Grraaah!!”
The general affairs girl clenched her fists tightly and glared at Ban Hui-yeol fiercely.
For the first time in her life, she prayed to the heavens.
‘Please let someone punch that guy! I beg you!’
Of course, it was a prayer that would never come true.
The Ban Family.
The premier noble house, having produced S-rank players for four generations straight.
Even among earldoms, it stood above the rest, with rumors swirling that it would soon be elevated to a ducal house in place of the fallen House Kang.
For the heir of such a prestigious family to become the target of violence?
It was next to impossible.
Both professors and students.
Had treated Ban Hui-yeol with special deference for a long time.
‘Life really is unfair.’
Through Ban Hui-yeol, the general affairs girl had awakened to a truth.
She learned that one’s birth status mattered several times more than any amount of effort.
Born to stand above others.
Ban Hui-yeol had joined the student council solely to add one line to his profile: “Former Student Council President of Lion’s Castle.”
To him, student council duties were mere child’s play.
No need to take them seriously or work hard at them.
“How long do you plan to stand there gaping? I hear your work is quite backed up.”
“It wouldn’t be backed up if not for someone.”
The general affairs girl shot back coldly and turned away from Ban Hui-yeol.
Knock knock.
Someone knocked on the vice president’s office door.
“…A person of refinement.”
Ban Hui-yeol straightened his posture, sensing from the knock alone that the visitor was no ordinary sort.
He sat up straight at his desk, no longer leaning casually against the headrest, and spread out some documents.
The general affairs girl sighed and called out to the visitor beyond the door.
“Come in.”
Click.
The door opened.
“Ah.”
He entered.
A black-haired, black-eyed boy.
Broad shoulders and a small face.
Tall stature with long, slender limbs.
A model-like build, just like Ban Hui-yeol.
But their impressions were worlds apart.
While Ban Hui-yeol’s face had a sly, nonchalant air, the boy’s seemed pure and upright.
‘I want to whisk him away to some remote mountain village and live with him forever, just the two of us.’
Too precious to show to the world.
The boy’s looks ignited a fire in the general affairs girl’s heart, even sparking thoughts like that.
Before she knew it, she was calculating how many kids she’d have with this nameless boy.
“Snap out of it.”
Ban Hui-yeol’s cold voice yanked her back to reality.
“That boy is far from your ideal type.”
How do you know?
What would you know?
She bristled to argue, then flinched and stumbled back.
The boy before her eyes.
The neat black hair, pale skin, and faint smile that had given a pure impression had suddenly changed.
‘No, it didn’t change.’
I simply misjudged him from the start.
Gulp!
Finally noticing the abyss in the boy’s pitch-black eyes, she tensed up and swallowed dryly.
The boy nodded politely to her and asked Ban Hui-yeol.
“Ban Hui-yeol, have you forgotten the old days?”
“Old days? I have no idea what you mean.”
“Then I’ll have to remind you.”
Thwack!
“…Huh?”
Watching the boy stride up to Ban Hui-yeol and unleash a kick.
The general affairs girl shuddered.
That boy is a messenger from the gods!
Heaven has answered my prayer!
***
“Guh!”
Ban Hui-yeol was utterly flustered.
Had he failed to anticipate the sudden kick?
No.
Ten years ago, on that day, he had been knocked out by Kang Jae-hyeok’s kick.
Yes, he had been through this once before.
He had foreseen this situation.
He had judged himself fully prepared.
Yet he had failed, and that’s what left him flustered.
Jae-hyeok’s kick was far faster and more powerful than he had predicted.
“Not passing out this time?”
Jae-hyeok was impressed inwardly.
He hadn’t expected Ban Hui-yeol to withstand his kick.
‘Of course, I held back some…’
This guy was on a different level from the other students he’d seen.
‘That’s to be expected.’
Jae-hyeok acknowledged that the Ban Family was a noble house among noble houses.
Even as a child, he had seen Ban Hui-yeol’s wild personality, but predicting exceptional talent wasn’t hard.
Still, he hadn’t imagined it would be to this extent.
“Did you eat some miracle drug or something?”
“That’s… huff, what I should be saying. You’ve grown quite a bit?”
Ban Hui-yeol barely caught his breath and tensed his abdomen tightly to shake off the pain faster.
‘This damn brat.’
One year younger, yet already hitting me twice?
Ten years ago, there had been the status difference between a ducal son and an earl’s son.
But now, House Kang had fallen into near-nonexistence.
And I’m his senior, to boot.
“You’ve always lacked manners, Jae-hyeok. It worries me greatly to see you rampaging so wildly, relying only on that brute strength of yours. For old times’ sake, as your senior and a noble, I’ll educate you properly.”
Whoosh!
As Ban Hui-yeol unfurled his fan, indigo mana rippled outward.
It was as if blue waves were spreading around him.
“You’re the one who needs educating. A so-called noble just harassing underclassmen slyly.”
“…Harassing?”
Ban Hui-yeol tilted his head.
His reaction suggested genuine confusion.
Jae-hyeok leaned forward, placing his hand on his sword hilt.
“It’s the student council’s job to provide guidebooks to newly formed teams, right? But our team never got one. We suffered unnecessarily because of it.”
“Guidebook?”
Ban Hui-yeol’s gaze shifted to the general affairs girl.
“Is what he’s saying true?”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah? How could you handle things so sloppily…”
“Why blame me? That’s the vice president’s job.”
“…My job?”
Ban Hui-yeol had been a first-year just a few months ago.
He had only recently advanced to second year and become vice president.
And it was still only the first semester.
Newly formed teams among first-years were exceedingly rare.
From his perspective, duties related to them felt unfamiliar.
Of course, if he had diligently studied as usual, he would have known.
“So it’s self-inflicted after all.”
The general affairs girl smiled brightly.
“Don’t mock me!”
Ban Hui-yeol bristled.
“Is handing out guidebooks really my role? Does it make sense for the student council’s number two to handle such menial tasks?”
“Why complain to me? That’s just how it’s always been.”
“Some idiot senior must have set it up that way!”
Ban Hui-yeol was a true noble.
He believed everything in the world—people, jobs, culture—had its high and low.
Precious people should naturally do precious work.
A student council vice president handing out guidebooks?
Even if true, he couldn’t accept it.
“What a low-class rule. I’ll change it starting today.”
“Who are you to decide that?”
It wasn’t the general affairs girl who challenged Ban Hui-yeol’s declaration—it was Jae-hyeok.
“Do you really think your role is just handing out manuals?”
“What do you know about the student council to dare…”
“Your real role is to guide the students. The guidebook is just one means to that end.”
“…….”
Ban Hui-yeol shut his mouth as if by magic.
His wide eyes made him look as if he’d taken a massive shock.
“I told you ten years ago, didn’t I? Don’t keep expecting deference when you’ve got nothing to back it up.”
Jae-hyeok’s grip on the sword hilt turned his knuckles white.
He was truly furious with Ban Hui-yeol.
If Assault Squad 2 had faced those four second-year teams in a row?
They would have suffered a huge setback, taking severe physical and mental damage.
It wouldn’t be surprising if their hard-built self-esteem crumbled, plunging them into a slump.
“If you want to enjoy privileges, prove you deserve them. Run around diligently.”
That was the duty of those who stood above.
The duty upheld by even one such person could sway the fates of countless others.
Shing!
Jae-hyeok drew his sword.
Ban Hui-yeol lowered his fan.
He took the full brunt of the oncoming blade.
Crash!
Unable to withstand the impact, Ban Hui-yeol shattered the window and flew out of the building, his face twisting in agony.
Mental agony.
‘Shameful.’
A true noble.
Ban Hui-yeol’s pride was genuine.
Being lectured by Kang Jae-hyeok of all people was mortifying, but the lesson hit hard.
He acknowledged his mistake and reflected.
“…!”
As he plummeted, his eyes caught Kang Jae-hyeok’s annoying face.
The guy was reaching out as he rapidly closed in.
He couldn’t make out the words, but it seemed like he wanted him to grab his hand…
‘Why would I grab your hand?’
Ban Hui-yeol snorted and rejected Jae-hyeok’s gesture.
Then he regretted it immediately.
Through the receding shattered window, he realized he was falling.
Rumble!!
A heavy pain surged through his entire body.
A massive roar echoed, followed by ringing in his ears.
‘Am I badly hurt?’
What floor was the vice president’s office on?
As he lay there dazed, someone yanked him hard.
His ‘ear,’ of all things.
“Ow! Aaaah!”
Ban Hui-yeol lost all composure and screamed.
Jae-hyeok showed no mercy.
“Let’s get to work for what you’ve done wrong.”
Limp limp.
Dragging Ban Hui-yeol along, Jae-hyeok’s gait was unsteady.
He had twisted his ankle protecting Ban Hui-yeol from landing on the ornamental rocks.
Perhaps that’s why.
“Ow! Aah! Let go first!”
Jae-hyeok’s grip on Ban Hui-yeol’s ear kept tightening.
“Let’s do a hair check on the students. That’s within student council authority, right?”
“Hair check? You want me to meddle in students’ hairstyles? This isn’t a communist regime—what nonsense…”
“I just want to find anyone wearing a wig.”
If a beastkin was disguising as a student, they’d likely be wearing a wig. A bald head would stand out too much among the young students.
“…Specifically bald ones?”
Hearing only part of the story, Ban Hui-yeol misunderstood greatly.
“You mongrel. A total subhuman.”