Chapter 139
Chapter 139
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 139
Chapter Title: How to Steal the Protagonist's Woman
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I headed to the cafeteria early in the morning and asked,
‘Seriously, what’s so shady or sinister about it….’
‘….’
Those two were totally ganging up on me.
But hold on a second….
Wasn’t I the one who did something like that when I first met Lena? I definitely snuggled up against her while she was asleep.
‘Lena, I hugged you and everything while you were sleeping.’
‘….’
My god, this is gender discrimination.
Men get a pass, but women don’t.
‘Y-yeah….’
With both of them tag-teaming me, I had absolutely nothing to say.
If the women say it’s like that, then fine….
‘Still, focus now. You keep calling it shady and sinister—it’s throwing me off too….’
After that, Lena, who’d stood watch through the dawn, headed off to bed.
Seong Sua still hadn’t shown up by the time I reached the cafeteria.
We’d agreed to a morning greeting in VR and have breakfast together.
Unlike guys, she took forever to get ready, so I figured I’d wait out front.
While waiting in front of the cafeteria, I mulled over today’s class.
‘For starters, if Cho Seo-hyun picks up a weapon, she’ll be way better than yesterday, right?’
‘…If I can just handle Song Ara somehow.’
It wasn’t like I was dismissing the other cadets.
Putting up that kind of performance while against an opponent like Cho Seo-hyun was impressive enough.
Song Ara just shone brighter than the rest.
‘Such a shame.’
‘Song Ara, she’d be unstoppable if she switched to archery.’
Not quite at instructor level yet, but I couldn’t predict what a year of growth would bring.
If Song Ara had specialized in archery, I wouldn’t have been able to protect Cho Seo-hyun properly.
But as an assistant instructor, I couldn’t just dish out career advice like that.
I could’ve if I wanted, but how would other people see it?
They would snap at me to know my place the second they saw me.
An assistant instructor’s job was to do what’s assigned and nothing more.
And speak of the devil….
“Ah… Hi, instructor.”
“Ah, yeah. Here for food?”
“Yeah….”
“...?”
Why did she look so drained?
This usually perky, bubbly girl was slouching along like a total zombie.
Then she peeked at the menu by the entrance….
“Oh yeah! Meat!”
With that, she bolted inside like a bullet.
Was this what it meant to worry for nothing?
While I watched Song Ara grab her tray and head in, someone poked my back with a finger.
“Did you wait long? Let’s go.”
Seong Sua beamed at me with a sweet smile.
…
…
Somehow, all three of us ended up eating together.
Not that it really felt like eating together.
Seong Sua and I sat across from each other, unable to look away from Song Ara’s tray as she shoveled food down.
Her tray was piled with about three times the usual rice and side dishes.
Chomp chomp.
I watched Song Ara, full of admiration.
‘Stuffing her face like that should tank her charm, but damn, she’s cute.’
Most girls scarfing down food like that would kill the charm, but Song Ara just came off like an adorable kid.
The scary thing, though….
“Gotta watch out…”
"Just in case, I'm preparing to use magic..."
Seong Sua and I shared a quiet chuckle, keeping it low so Song Ara wouldn’t hear.
“Oh yeah, I mentioned it to Ara yesterday. You hear?”
“Huh? What about?”
“Instructor Su-ho said he hurt his leg before, right?”
“Ah….”
Come to think of it, yeah, I’d said that.
Just some throwaway excuse.
“Told her just in case. To take good care of Instructor Seong Su-ho.”
“Haha… No need for that, but…”
“Don’t sweat it. Ara’s got a tight lip. I only said it ‘cause I trust her.”
True, her straight-laced personality didn’t scream gossip.
The leg thing was just an excuse anyway—no real issue.
My stamina was just lacking, that’s all….
I watched Song Ara blissfully chow down and thought,
‘Please… please don’t spill…’
Luckily, she was starving for real—didn’t open her mouth except to stuff it with a spoon.
…
…
“…”
“Hng…”
Cho Seo-hyun had her partition up, facedown on her desk, snoring away.
Aside from yesterday, I’d never actually seen her show up on time.
She was always crashed out like this….
‘Now that I think about it, she doesn’t even eat…. Isn’t this straight-up gaming addiction?’
Well, as long as you do your job well, enjoying games is a matter of freedom.
I was curious.
I wonder what kind of dream she's having today?
A few instructors were walking around the faculty office, but it still felt quiet.
Moreover, there were about 30 minutes left until class started....
'I'll just pop in for a second.'
I pinged Armonia, then cautiously cast Dream Intrusion.
…
…
“Hm?”
The moment I slipped into Cho Seo-hyun’s dream, it wasn’t some game world that filled my vision.
It was a setup that felt way too familiar.
“The Hero Academy?”
It matched the one I knew, but I felt an inexplicable sense of incongruity.
'Well, it's a dream, so it wouldn't match the structure with perfect precision.'
Shrugging it off inwardly, I started poking around the academy.
First things first—to find Cho Seo-hyun, I headed for the staff room.
‘No way she’s napping in her own dream, right?’
Snickering to myself, I eased the staff room door open.
Then checked her desk….
“...Huh?”
“Who’re you?”
A sharp-eyed, nasty-tempered woman in her forties sat there.
Someone I’d never laid eyes on before.
‘Or maybe I did, but she was so irrelevant I forgot?’
She glared daggers at me for a solid minute, brow furrowed, lips twisting.
“Don’t tell me—you’re the new assistant instructor?”
“Ah… Yeah.”
True to her scowl, she was curt right out the gate….
After more glaring, the forties woman began to lead me away while explaining today's tasks without even introducing herself.
"Today is the entrance ceremony; you've certainly arrived early."
“Thanks.”
"You take that as a compliment?"
No, I knew it wasn't a compliment. I only said it because I didn't want to be treated like this even in a dream.
But feeling that it might become a nuisance later, I apologized.
"...I'm sorry."
My apology cranked her rage dial—she aged into her fifties and unloaded a tirade.
She didn’t snap back to forties skin till we hit the auditorium.
Inside the auditorium, a massive crowd of cadets was chatting noisily, and a line of instructors I had never seen before stood upon the podium.
I followed the woman in her forties up onto the podium and stood blankly beside her.
The forties-something instructor had been grumbling about something since a while ago, and I mostly tuned her out.
‘What a pain…. So where the hell’s Cho Seo-hyun?’
I scanned the instructors on the platform—no sign.
‘…No Seong Sua either?’
This dream was a total mess….
Time was ticking; I debated bailing on the dream.
That’s when a grizzled old man shuffled to the podium mic.
“We sincerely congratulate you on entering Hero Academy today. I am…”
Braced for the principal’s droning crap….
Luckily, he kept it short—just a self-intro before handing off.
“Now! Valedictorian cadet, front and center.”
At the principal’s cue, one cadet strode onstage with swagger.
Slightly wavy long hair, bright smile, eyes brimming with confidence, and… a bit on the short side.
I watched the girl climb up, deep in thought.
‘Who’s that? It feels like I’ve seen her….’
I had the distinct feeling I'd seen her, but I couldn't put my finger on who it was.
As the female cadet stood proudly in front of the podium, the Principal stepped away from the microphone and quietly spoke to her while handing her a paper document.
“Read the oath from here.”
“Thank you.”
With a confident attitude, the female cadet politely received the document from the Principal and stood facing him.
She took a breath, raised her right arm at a right angle, and spoke with a solemn expression.
"I swear! As a cadet of the Hero Academy...."
Listening to the cadet's oath, I made a decision in my head.
'Eh... let's just leave.'
I felt that if I stayed any longer, far from finding Cho Seo-hyeon, I might be branded as a lazy assistant instructor who sleeps in the faculty office even in dreams.
Even as I was about to deactivate the Dream Invasion, the female cadet continued speaking.
"I solemnly pledge!"
It was the moment I was about to exit the dream without finding Cho Seo-hyeon.
"1st Year Student Representative! Cho! Seo! Hyeon!"
...What?