059. Dinner Gathering (1)
059. Dinner Gathering (1)
After the situation was more or less settled.
We went straight from there to the Chairwoman's office.
The top floor of the main building's clock tower, which I hadn't visited in a while.
I met Rina again there.
She stood with her arms crossed, a subtle expression on her face as she tapped her fingers.
"...Jin Yu-ha. I hear you stopped a student who had become a Demonized Human at the academy."
"Yes."
"I'd like to start by praising you, but there are procedures to follow, so I can't simply give you full credit yet. Confirming what happened comes first."
"Yes. I understand."
I nodded at her words.
"Then I shall ask questions. How did you know Choi A-ram would become a Demonized Human and manage to deal with it?"
I had anticipated that question and prepared for it beforehand.
"This morning, I went out for Live Gate Training with the two cadets here and Cadet Choi A-ram."
"...You did."
Since Rina herself was the one who confirmed that, she nodded.
"And during the gate clearing, I discovered abnormal signs in Cadet Choi A-ram."
"Hmm, I see. Then why didn't you report it beforehand?"
She narrowed her eyes and asked with a suspicious gaze.
I met her stare calmly.
"Chairwoman. Do you remember the incident where I was suspected of being a Demonized Human before enrollment?"
At that, Rina's expression hardened.
"I believe that suspecting a cadet of being a Demonized Human requires a thorough verification process. Otherwise... there could be innocent victims like me."
"...."
"How could I have spoken up first and accused my upperclassman of being a Demonized Human, when I've already been through that myself?"
Ahem—!!!
When I pointed this out, she must have felt a pang of guilt because she let out a dry cough.
I laughed to myself at how well that had worked and went on.
"So I didn't jump to conclusions rashly. I held onto nothing more than a suspicion. While I was doing so, I was contacted by sunbae Im Ga-eul here."
I gestured toward Im Ga-eul, who was standing behind me.
"Choi A-ram had contacted her, asking her to come alone to a neglected training ground."
"...So you sensed something suspicious and went with her. And there, you found Choi A-ram, whose Demonization was already in progress. Is that what you're saying?"
"Yes. That's correct."
Rina thought it over for a moment, then nodded, apparently finding it reasonable.
In truth, there wasn't much room for misunderstanding.
She had personally overseen the entire Live Gate Training session this morning, from start to finish.
"Very well, excellent...."
Mm, but why is her praising expression the same as a kid receiving Kumon worksheets for Christmas?
"Then I shall bestow a reward for resolving this incident. First, you intend to make Cadet Im Ga-eul a member of your party as well for her contribution, correct?"
At those words, Im Ga-eul's face briefly flickered with surprise,
but, well, once she'd followed us this far, the die was cast.
"Yes."
I nodded.
"Hmm, then in addition to what we discussed before, engraving Subspace Tattoos on Cadets Lee Yu-ri and Im Ga-eul should suffice, yes?"
My eyes narrowed for a moment.
'Whoa, this brat, did she just try to slip a card off the bottom of the deck?'
"Wait a moment."
I cut into her words.
"...What is it."
"No. As I listened, something seemed a bit off."
"...What, what's off!"
Subspace Tattoos?
Of course they're good.
For Im Ga-eul's case, it could be seen as a fairly appropriate reward.
But the rest was another story.
"First, I'll acknowledge that a Subspace Tattoo is a suitable reward for sunbae Im Ga-eul. Because without her, we wouldn't have discovered the Demonized Human."
I folded down a finger as I spoke to her.
"But Lee Yu-ri's was something I earned through my performance in Instructor Baek Seol-hee's class. Would you mind if I mentioned that part personally to the Instructor?"
"Th-That's—!"
"And even if we overlook that, wouldn't it mean my other party members receive none of those reward benefits at all?"
As I pointed out and questioned each of her statements,
Rina bit her lip tightly.
"...I dislike perceptive brats like you."
Rina furrowed her brow and said.
'Honestly, aren't you the brat here?'
The words rose to the back of my throat, but I swallowed them down.
Before she could read my expression and throw a fit about it, I immediately pressed on.
"And honestly, after handling a student who became a Demonized Human without taking any losses, I think the reward is stingy."
At that, the Chairwoman, who had been staring at me intently, opened her mouth.
"...Tell me what you want."
I cheered inwardly.
Yes. I succeeded in steering it here.
In the original game, what was unlocked as a reward for this tutorial was the 'Character Sponsorship System.'
Meaning, after defeating the tutorial boss, Players could start giving gifts to each character and slipping them various items and growth materials.
'But according to what I've confirmed through Shin Se-hee, there hasn't been a single sponsor with growth materials like a Player would have.'
So I thought about how I could make good use of this opportunity.
After a long deliberation, what I came up with.
'The Chairwoman's help.'
I know why she doesn't step forward.
But despite that, I judged it more beneficial for her to step forward just once.
'Because a bastard you can never beat through the system itself shows up.'
When that happened, the academy would suffer significant damage.
And because the Chairwoman wouldn't step in, her authority would plummet as a result.
As a result, the world would become one where Demonized Humans and Demons ran even more rampant.
I looked at Rina and opened my mouth.
"Later, when we need it, just lend us your strength a single time."
She hadn't expected me to make this kind of request, and her eyes shook as if caught in an earthquake.
"Th-That's...."
Rina stammered with a flustered face.
"Chairwoman. Just one time. I promise that after that, we will never directly ask for your help again."
"...."
She bit her lip firmly and looked at me.
How long did the silence stretch?
Rina stared vacantly up at the ceiling.
"That damn déjà vu has vanished again...."
"...Excuse me?"
"Perhaps this might be the correct answer after all...."
Then she turned her head toward me.
She nodded as if she had made a big decision.
"Very well. When the time comes, I shall lend you my strength once."
"Thank you."
"And while you're here, have the Subspace Tattoos applied before you go. I've already finished the preparations."
Rina let out a deep sigh with a tired face.
* * *
After all the party members had their Subspace Tattoos applied and came out,
It was already pitch-black outside.
"Agh... it hurts."
Lee Yu-ri, who had been the last to receive it, rubbed the back of her hand where it still burned.
On the back of her hand, a small blue geometric tattoo was engraved.
Now she no longer needed to lug around her heavy shield all the time.
Huu—
She blew air onto the back of her hand, then turned her gaze toward me.
"Jin Yu-ha."
"Yeah?"
"I couldn't ask earlier because of the Chairwoman, but was that really true?"
"What?"
"That you gave this to me as a reward for your class performance."
She held out the tattoo on the back of her hand as she spoke.
"More or less."
At that, the corners of Lee Yu-ri's mouth drooped way down.
She probably felt burdened by it.
"Don't make that face. I just got it for working hard in class."
I chuckled as I said it.
"B-But still! This is super valuable! Why give it to me...? You could have gotten something even better."
"Mm, back then, that was the best thing for me. Because it was you, Lee Yu-ri."
She flinched for a moment and then bit her lip firmly.
"With that, you'll be able to protect me better from now on, right? Isn't that so?"
"...You."
"So. I'm counting on you from now on."
I grinned and patted her shoulder lightly.
Lee Yu-ri bowed her head and gave a small nod.
After wrapping things up for the moment,
I slowly looked around at my party members.
Lee Yu-ri, Kang Do-hee, Shin Se-hee, Im Ga-eul.
'Hmm, I still don't have a Healer, and I haven't met the characters I'll need to swap in depending on the boss's affinities....'
But still, we took down the tutorial boss together.
Now, I could truly call them my party members.
I'd probably be with them for a long time from then on.
'Since we've finished the party formation ceremony like this... it's a bit of a shame to just send everyone off.'
I looked at my party members and then opened my mouth.
"Are you all free right now?"
"Huh? Yes, I am."
Only Shin Se-hee answered, but since the others didn't object, they seemed to be free.
"Mmm, since we all worked hard today, I'd like to eat together. But it's late, and there probably aren't any restaurants still open...."
I grinned.
"Let's have a group dinner in my room."
At that, everyone's faces filled with sudden surprise.
"...Y-Your place?"
"Yellow Dog, at your place?"
"...Hoobae?"
"Jin Yu-ha's room...!?"
Amidst that, Kang Do-hee raised her hand with a tense, hardened face.
'What, does she have something urgent to do?'
I looked at her, thinking that.
But the words that came out of Kang Do-hee's mouth were something I hadn't expected at all.
"Yellow Dog, don't tell me you're going to cook."
'Huh? Why is she calling me Yellow Dog?'
Anyway, let's put that aside for now.
"Yeah, I am?"
I tilted my head and answered.
I was planning to show off the hard-earned know-how of ten years of living alone to these kids who just became adults.
"I'll cook for you."
"...I see. Sol's Eye and Choco Digestive. No, an even more bizarre combination might come out. I should steel my heart firmly."
"J-Jin Yu-ha, cook...? Kkakdugi!?"
Kang Do-hee's face became filled with the solemn determination of someone facing a boss raid.
And next to her, Lee Yu-ri, who had her head bowed, looked the same.
'No, what the hell is the problem?'