Chapter 142
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 142: How to Enjoy a Festival (4)
“…A Hero, is it.”
The Tiger bastard muttered, clicking his tongue lightly as he looked at Park Siwoo standing before me.
His gaze also turned to Choi Sujeong in the distance, who had her hand outstretched, ready to attack him.
Hwiiiing—!
Thinking the Tiger bastard was trying to harm me, Choi Sujeong's expression was frozen in anger.
Wind was gathering violently in her hand.
"I'll be going now. Think about it."
"Where do you think you're—!"
Choi Sujeong's wind shot out at the same time Park Siwoo's slash attacked the Tiger bastard, but he leaped up, dodging the wind, and blocked the slash with his lightning spear.
Hwing—! Kaang—!
Sparks flew as Park Siwoo's sword, Blue Twilight, clashed with his lightning spear.
At the same time, his body began to grow faint.
I realized too late.
"He's getting away!"
The Academy grounds had a teleport seal on them after the incident the Wild Hunt caused, but the dungeon interior was a separate, isolated space.
Moving from outside the Gate to the inside was difficult, but teleporting from the inside to the outside was relatively easy.
I finally came to my senses and fired my gun again, but my bullet passed through his already transparent body.
"Think of your family."
"……."
My breath caught at the last words the fading figure left behind.
Just as Tornito's form was about to vanish completely, Yggdrasil and the rest of the group arrived in a hurry.
“Wild Hunt…!”
“What do you think you are doing here!”
I glanced at them.
Thankfully, it seemed Kang Yu had brought them.
I watched Tornito's last wisp of smoke disappear, and before the others could see, I put the bracelet in my Inventory.
"Are you alright? My apologies. We should have thoroughly checked the identities of everyone entering…"
"I'm fine. He just came and spouted some nonsense before leaving."
…The problem was that the nonsense was incredibly bothersome.
The teachers who came with Yggdrasil began to get the situation under control.
They asked me what happened, and I was about to tell them everything, but instead, I equivocated.
“He was talking to someone at the altar.”
"To whom?"
“I don't know. I only heard a voice…”
In the end, that's all I could say.
At my words, Park Siwoo grabbed me with a stiff expression and looked me over.
“Are you okay? You’re not hurt?”
“I'm fine.”
"Just in case, let's touch this."
Lee Hana, who had approached me, pressed the Foxtail Trinket firmly against my cheek.
While I was distracted by it, Kang Yu quickly ran to me.
"Noona! Did that bastard do anything weird to you?"
"I'm fine. It's fine."
I had to say it several times before I was finally released.
A few teachers, who were glancing at me, said.
"You weren't persuaded, were you?"
"I trust she isn't a student foolish enough to be tempted by a criminal."
“……”
"You lot! Shut up and investigate!"
"Y-yes, ma'am…"
Okay, I get that you don't trust me.
I watched Yggdrasil kick those teachers and smiled bitterly.
The investigation finished around evening.
“The festival will not be canceled. Keep what happened here strictly confidential.
"Uh... is that okay?"
"Well, nothing major happened. It's not like he opened a Gate. And if the festival were canceled now, it would only cause the Academy's image to fall further.”
“Right now, it's important to show society that there are no problems. The embargo on the unusual situation is scheduled to be lifted soon, so they want to avoid any noise regarding the Academy."
…I ended up hearing about the adults' circumstances, but thankfully, I was cleared and allowed to return.
I returned to the group with Park Siwoo, who had been waiting for me.
My complexion must have looked bad, because on the way back, Park Siwoo carefully took my hand and spoke.
"If something happened, tell me. You promised."
"...Yeah."
His blue eyes, usually so calm, were filled with worry.
At that, I felt my mood lift just a little.
Right.
My ally is right here.
It'll be okay.
"Hey."
"Yeah."
"After the festival ends tonight, can you gather everyone? I want to tell them what happened."
As soon as I said it, I felt my heart lighten.
I had a groundless feeling that if I told them, if I shared my worries with them, it would be okay.
Ah.
Sometime, I'd started relying on my friends quite a bit.
I suddenly realized it.
"Junior! Are you okay?"
"You're back?"
"Noona!!!"
"Nothing happened, right?"
When I left the dungeon, I saw the group, who had finished being questioned and were waiting for me.
The moment I saw them, the boiling emotions began to calm.
As my friends ran over, worrying about me, my heart, which had been soaked in a dull color, began to unwind.
Right. It'll be okay.
"I'm fine. Anyway, they said it's time to close the booths? Let's go! Yuhan, where did you go?"
"You're pretty laid-back... I've been waiting."
Na Yuhan, shaking his head at my bright face as if I was hopeless, pulled out a pamphlet from somewhere.
It was a pamphlet with information about the Academyfestival.
Right. We're in the middle of a festival.
I took the pamphlet and put on an exaggerated smile.
This festival only happened once a year.
I just wanted to have fun with everyone; I didn't want to see them worrying about me.
I pretended I was fine with all my might.
I didn't want to make them worry.
"Well then, let's have fun! The festival is only one day, right?"
And so, the evening of the festival day.
We were a bit late, but we started to look around the festivalbooths.
Many of the student-run booths were closing, but thankfully, the events and booths prepared by the school were still open.
"Ah, a balloon-popping game."
"It says Awakened with sniper-related skills are prohibited."
"Aw, man!"
"What do you mean, 'aw'? Of course you can't."
Na Yuhan chuckled, then said he'd give it a try.
The one he was assigned to...
...was the balloon-popping game made for Awakened.
Where the balloons flew by at terrifying speeds.
Na Yuhan struggled admirably.
“Hk!”
“That'll miss.”
“Kngh…!”
“Missed again.”
“Uuuugh…!”
“Ahaha….”
With completely unsurprised faces, we greeted Na Yuhan, who had failed to hit any balloons.
“Ah, what a shame!”
The shopkeeper, looking not at all ashamed, smiled sweetly and handed him a few pieces of candy.
“……”
"...It's only because they're too fast!"
"Hmph."
To say it again, the number of balloons Na Yuhan popped was zero.
I could hear Kang Yu laughing at Na Yuhan.
The comparison was even starker when Park Siwoo went next and confidently popped every single balloon.
Pop—! Popopong—!
With every balloon that burst, the shopkeeper's complexion turned darker.
"Uh, uh... why is this working...?"
He seemed genuinely flustered.
Ignoring him, Park Siwoo, who had popped all the balloons and received an item exchange ticket, asked me.
"What do you want?"
"Ah, I can choose?"
"I did it to give it to you."
"Thanks."
I looked around and saw various things like dolls, keychains, notebooks, snacks, and items.
But what caught my eye was a wrist guard that looked pretty sturdy.
"This looks good."
"Okay. We'll take that."
I smiled, seeing the merchant, who had been so tense, visibly relax when I chose the wrist guard.
After that, we wandered around here and there.
We went to places where Awakened were performing, and the haunted house—where there was a commotion as Shin Baran pulled out her bow. By the time we were done, it was night.
"They said no. They're closing."
"Everything's closing now..."
"It's night. But they're doing fireworks! Let's go get a spot."
"Fireworks…!"
I cheered up the disappointed Shin Baran, Na Yuri, and Min Jaeyun with the news of fireworks.
We bought a bunch of snacks from the last remaining food booths and found a spot where the fireworks would be clearly visible.
We climbed a hill where people were sitting sparsely, and from there we could see the various people below, finishing up the festival and leaving.
"Noona, sit here!"
"Okay."
"How long left?"
"5 minutes! I'm so excited!"
"Last year's was amazing~"
"Yeah. It was nice."
I chattered with the group.
And before long, the first firework bloomed in the sky.
Peeeeong—!
The first firework to bloom resembled a flower.
Soon, fireworks of various colors and shapes began to rise into the sky, one by one.
Peeong— Pong—!
Kang Yu let out a sound of admiration.
"It's pretty!"
"It is!"
It was the same for Na Yuri and the others.
For a moment, I, too, was mesmerized by the magic of the beautiful colors, forgot the current situation, and got lost in the fireworks.
The fireworks shone in various forms, sometimes in the shape of a flower, sometimes a star.
They even took the shape of cutely deformedmonsters or spelled out catchphrases, drawing cheers from the crowd.
The sounds of people chattering excitedly as they watched surrounded us.
Ah, this is fun.
I thought how much I was enjoying this peaceful scene, this scene of being with everyone.
The pong pong sounds rang loudly in my ears, but it was a beautiful fireworks display, so much so that even that would remain a memory.
How much time had passed?
—That's all for today! I know you're all sad, but it's time to go home!
From the performance stage in the distance, I could faintly hear an MC shouting something.
At the same time, the fireworks, which had captured our vision with their brilliant colors, slowly faded, as if they had just been an illusion.
But the illusion seemed to have created a pleasant feeling, as our group remained silent until the fireworks had completely disappeared from the sky.
And I, very slowly, opened my mouth.
"I have something to tell you."
To tell everyone about the shocking thing that happened today.
I felt everyone's gaze turn to me and spoke.
"It's about what happened in the dungeon today."
"I knew something happened."
"...Yeah. It's not something to be said carelessly. Can we talk somewhere quiet?"
Na Yuhan, who had responded, and the rest of the group nodded readily.
A cool autumn breeze, pulling us back to cold reality, brushed past us.