Chapter 117
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 117 - How to Face the Past (3)
Choi Borim snapped at me, furious at my expression.
“W-Why are you getting a medal?”
Why? You get a medal because you did well.
I smiled again with a pure sunshine smile and gulped inwardly.
Nahyun doesn’t know anything~ But anyway, we’re not in the same situation as you.
“Huh? Didn’t you know? We defeated the hierarchy boss together with Siwoo and Baran! We were great in our own way! Right, Jaeyoon!”
“Y-Yeah!”
I smiled at Choi Borim, who was momentarily shocked by the fact that Min Jaeyoon and I were getting medals, and spoke so.
Min Jaeyoon nodded with a proud expression as if she was recalling that time.
Choi Borim, who tried hard to hide her inferiority complex, smiled.
“Aha, with Siwoo and Baran? You must have helped them a lot! You worked hard!”
Look at the way she’s talking. I patted Min Jaeyoon, who was clinging to me and glancing at Choi Borim.
Yggdrasil turned her feet and brought our gazes back to her.
“And the departure date. Tomorrow!”
“Tomorrow?!”
“I don’t even have clothes to wear, though?!”
“Students, a uniform is enough! What more do you think you need?”
Yggdrasil coughed and continued.
“Okay, I told you everything I wanted to say. It’s training, kids!”
Before we could ask any more questions, training resumed again.
Choi Borim was doing the physical training that Yggdrasil had told her to do in a corner, then resting appropriately while watching our reactions.
Although she would show off her hard work, when we and Yggdrasil were busy training, she would sometimes slack off.
She seemed to be using her brain, but most people noticed her behavior… Yggdrasil clicked her tongue lightly.
“…As expected, that won’t do.”
And it seemed that the action was crucially an opportunity for her to be thrown out of the mind of Na Yuri, who was taking a moderate attitude toward her.
After we finished the training, we were all tattered and finished the potion that Yggdrasil had given us and collapsed.
At that time, Choi Borim, who was still in good spirits and hadn’t received the potion alone, slowly approached us.
“Is everyone okay? Should I buy you a drink?”
“No. We’ll be fine once the potion takes effect. More importantly, Choi Borim, I have something to tell you.”
Na Yuri stood up and spoke in a cold voice.
Choi Borim tilted his head as if she didn’t know anything while looking at Na Yuri’s determined face.
Despite her face that looked quite innocent, Na Yuri coolly told her what she had decided.
“Miss Choi Borim. If you’re going to participate in the training like that, it would be better for you to go separately rather than with us. I appreciate the letter, but I’ll compensate you in a different way.”
“What? What do you mean? W-Why are you joking around like that?”
“This isn’t a joke. I came to this conclusion after thinking it through seriously. And I’m careful to say this, but… I don’t think you’ll be able to get along with us at your current level.”
Choi Borim scanned our faces as if she was flustered by Na Yuri’s words.
It seemed as if she wanted someone to tell her that those words were a joke.
However, since none of us could disagree with her opinion, there was only silence.
She seemed to realize that Na Yuri’s words were close to our collective opinion, and her face gradually became sadder.
“Why on earth?”
“I told you. We—”
“Lack of skill? Attitude? It’s all an excuse, isn’t it? Because I’m not in Class A? Because you think I’m not qualified?”
“That’s not it.”
“You’re lying. Then why are you all in class A? Since you’re in class A, you included a kid like me and a kid with less ability, and let them receive medals, right? Otherwise, there’s no way a government-supported awakener like me would receive a medal!”
Choi Borim roughly rubbed her eye with her forearm.
Then, she suddenly burst into laughter in a hypocritical tone.
“Okay! Going up to class A is the minimum requirement to join your group, right? Then I’ll go up to class A!”
“Wait, Miss Choi Borim—”
“My wish won’t change. If I become class A, you have to let me join your group in return for me helping you!”
Choi Borim glared at Min Jaeyoon as she said that.
Then she smiled faintly.
As if she was targeting her.
“So, wait. I’ll be up soon.”
In both the novel and reality, objectively speaking, Choi Borim’s skills weren’t enough to be in class A.
The fact that she’s currently in class B was possible because she met a good team in the first semester.
Rather, she should hope that her grade wouldn’t drop in this midterm evaluation.
However, I thought I knew why she was so confident.
I couldn’t help but know.
“I’ll endure it for a bit. Bye!”
Choi Borim turned around.
She probably would be aiming for the special evaluation, not the regular evaluation.
…Given her abilities, the special evaluation was hopeless, but she had one opponent in mind.
That was…
“A-Are you okay, Yuri?”
Min Jaeyoon, that innocent kid.
Choi Borim knows that Min Jaeyoon was hurt by her.
So she plans to pick Min Jaeyoon as her opponent in the special evaluation and fight her by scratching at his emotional wounds and winning.
“Who is worried about whom? Are you okay, Jaeyoon?”
“That’s right! Your complexion has been bad since a while ago!”
I looked at Na Yuri and Shin Baran worrying about Min Jaeyoon, and glanced at Na Yuhan who was gazing at her.
If it were true to the original novel, Choi Borim would have been focusing on Na Yuhan, the center of the group, and Min Jaeyoon, who was relying on Na Yuhan emotionally, would have become extremely unstable.
However, the current Min Jaeyoon seemed much more resilient and stable.
Is it because the Na Yuhan in the original novel and the current Na Yuhan are very different, or is there another reason?
Even if Choi Borim scratches Min Jaeyoon’s emotional wounds in the special evaluation like in the novel, she probably wouldn’t go out of control.
However… I’m just worried about the emotional wounds that Min Jaeyoon might get.
“Do you want to go eat something delicious to change your mood?”
I smiled broadly and approached her.
Deciding to examine her more closely.
***
And the next day.
We had to move busily from the morning to go to the medal ceremony.
As Yggdrasil said, the notice came down that the uniform would suffice, but…
Is this really okay?
Since it was my first time going to a ‘such’ place, I felt a bit uneasy and headed to the fountain in front of the dormitory, dusting myself off.
My friends and the principal were already out at the meeting place.
“Hello?”
The principal covered her mouth and laughed, then waved at me with a smile on his face. I smiled back at her and greeted her.
“Good morning!”
“Alright.”
After greeting her, she stared at me with strange eyes. What is it?
When I looked back at her with bright eyes, she burst into laughter.
“I’m looking forward to your performance.”
“T-Thanks…?”
“Fufu,, alright. If you do well, this principal will praise you, okay?”
Praise… the principal’s praise.
I thought back to the original novel.
When the principal met Na Yu-han at Balder’s house, she deliberately showed a seductive attitude and teased him.
[The principal, no, Irina’s voluptuous chest approached me. She blew wind into my ear and whispered. The moment her sharp fangs lightly touched my ear, I flinched.
“If you work hard, I’ll praise you more?”
I felt my face heat up—]
Hmm.
I don’t want to receive it at all…
“Oh my, what are you thinking about that you’re so deep in thought?”
“Uh… I’m thinking about how to describe a healthy relationship between a teacher and a student.”
“Hmm?”
The principal tilted her head as if she didn’t know what I was talking about.
“Hello.”
And I was surprised by the familiar voice of a half–fox-blooded man who interrupted.
“Fo… Michael? You’re going too?”
“Yes. I have some business to take care of with the Balder family, so I got an excuse to.”
“The Balder family…”
“Please take good care of our master when you see her?”
I nodded at Fox’s playful smile.
Fox’s master, the head of the Balder family, Nika Balder.
She’s the person I must meet at this award ceremony and the person I must obtain cooperation from.
How will she react to me?
Will I be able to proceed as planned?
While I was nervously thinking about this and that, it seemed like everyone had gathered.
The principal smiled faintly and gently shook her staff, which seemed to be made from a short tree branch.
“It seems like everyone is almost here. Should we start?”
The Academy had a barrier installed to prevent teleportation since the Wild Hunters’ attack.
In addition, a similar barrier was installed in the banquet hall, so we were planning to take the Academy’s exclusive bus to the teleport zone outside the Academy and then to the teleport zone near the building.
Everyone got on the bus.
Na Yuhan seemed to want to sit next to me naturally, yet he was pushed away by Fox.
“I just wanted to have a quick chat with my friend, so please understand?”
“What?”
“Sorry… Yuhan.”
I awkwardly smiled and asked Na Yuhan for his understanding.
It was funny to see his look shocked, perhaps because he naturally thought it was his seat.
Na Yuri sighed deeply as she stood there blankly, then grabbed his arm and dragged him away. It seemed like she was trying to make him sit next to her.
“I also want to sit next to Miss Nahyun—”
“…”
The two of them seemed to be talking, but it must be my imagination.
I pretended not to hear the noise coming from behind me.
The bus departed as soon as everyone was seated.
Fox said a few polite greetings, then, as if he couldn’t stand it any longer, got straight to the point.
“Are you being pretentious?”
“What are you talking about, Fox?”
I opened my eyes wide and made a gesture of slitting my throat, indicating that I would kill you if you spoke.
Fox laughed out loud. It felt unlucky to see him smirking.
Son of a bitch.
“No. I’m joking. You’ve always been kind, big sister. I respect you for that.”
Then he gently grabbed my hand and kissed it lightly.