Chapter 134
Chapter 134
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 134
Chapter Title: Her Defenseless Side
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"..."
Han Cheon-seong's directness was so stark that it was Glacia who faltered.
Glacia felt strange as she met his steady gaze.
‘Why...?’
Why was Han Cheon-seong suddenly acting this way toward her?
Until now, they had only met on the days they'd scheduled. Otherwise, she had to seek him out herself to see him. She had never seen him be the one to suggest meeting like this.
But now, it was a complete one-eighty.
"..."
Han Cheon-seong's distinctive black eyes, gazing at me with such longing, looked completely sincere.
As if he genuinely, purely wanted to be with me...
Yet, I couldn't give him an answer so easily.
‘Tomorrow is the day I'm meeting my sister...’
I had been in touch with my sister, but knowing she was on the battlefield, I had deliberately avoided contacting her too often, worried she might be busy.
Tomorrow's reunion with my sister would be our first in three long years. The time I would spend with her had to be meaningful, more precious than anything else.
But...
Han Cheon-seong was someone I could call my only friend.
If he was asking so earnestly, I couldn't easily refuse.
...After a moment of deliberation, I made my decision.
"Alright. Tomorrow... I'll tell my sister about you."
In the end, I gave in to Han Cheon-seong's pleading gaze.
*Grasp!*
"Thank you! Thank you so much, Glacia!"
"...!"
I was startled when he suddenly gripped my hand, but seeing how genuinely happy he was, I found myself nodding in a daze.
"Really... I'm so glad to be your friend. Getting to know you feels like a stroke of incredible luck."
His reaction was so over-the-top that a laugh escaped me without my realizing it.
"Incredible luck? You don't have to go that far."
"I'm just so grateful to you. Getting to know you is truly... the most significant thing that's happened to me."
...The most significant thing.
The unexpected phrase made me stare blankly at Han Cheon-seong for a moment.
The warmth of his hands, still holding mine, was distinct.
And his joyful face... my gaze was drawn to it, for some strange reason.
‘Is he really that happy to be with me?’
To be honest, since it was a rare reunion with my sister, I had really wanted to spend the time alone with her.
Naturally, I'd planned to postpone meeting with Han Cheon-seong to spend time solely with my sister.
But seeing him so happy, the idea of the three of us spending time together didn't seem so bad.
It would be a chance for me to introduce my friend to my sister...
And more than anything, I didn't want to refuse Han Cheon-seong when he was looking at me with such delight.
‘He's my only friend, after all.’
My one and only friend needed me like this.
He was earnestly showing me how much he wanted to be with me. And I didn't dislike seeing that side of him.
No, to be honest... it felt good.
Just last week when I went to see Han Cheon-seong, when he introduced me to Karite, I had felt a very peculiar emotion.
Han Cheon-seong had other friends besides me. I could feel that quite clearly.
‘Most of all, he's different from me.’
Unlike me, Han Cheon-seong got along well with others.
That's why seeing him be so friendly with Karite had inexplicably upset me. And I had tried so hard not to show it.
The hurt I felt back then had completely dissolved when Han Cheon-seong hugged me at the end, but...
"So, Glacia, should we plan to meet at the park tomorrow, like usual?"
His excited voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Ah, yes. I'll tell my sister, and we'll head to the park at 6 PM."
"Thank you so much, Glacia!"
Looking into Han Cheon-seong's excited eyes, I felt my own heart flutter for no reason.
—Tomorrow's reunion with my sister.
If Han Cheon-seong, whom I could call my first friend, joined us, wouldn't it be even more meaningful?
‘They're both people I care about.’
It might even be better than spending time alone with my sister.
***
"I can't believe things could work out this well."
Parting ways with Glacia, I headed for Kalli's private training room. I was in a better mood than I had been in a long time.
It was on par with when I'd evolved my Trait—a wave of heat coursed through my body, a testament to how overjoyed I was.
"Hoo."
A smile wouldn't leave my lips, making me feel almost foolish.
For the past week, no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't see an easy way to get Anastasia to the academy.
But it was such an important matter that I felt I had to do it 'somehow,' which left me feeling helpless.
But now, thanks to Glacia, the issue with Anastasia had been easily resolved.
*Thud.*
Before I knew it, I was at the door to Kalli's private training room. I composed my excited heart and knocked gently.
*Knock, knock.*
"Instructor Kalli. It's Cadet Han Cheon-seong. May I come in?"
Since I hadn't come with her, I made sure to announce myself with a knock.
—You can come in.
Kalli's calm voice came from within.
*Click.*
As I entered Kalli's training room, I froze.
"Welcome."
"Yes, Instructor..."
Looking at Kalli, who was smiling at me, I felt a flicker of confusion.
There were beads of ‘sweat’ on Kalli's face.
No matter how hard we had trained together before, I'd never seen sweat on her face. But now, her flushed face was dotted with a few drops.
On top of that, her appearance was completely different from usual.
Instead of the black uniform that symbolized her role as an instructor, she was wearing a light, white, cloth training outfit, which felt strangely captivating.
Her arms and legs, usually hidden by her instructor's uniform, were now exposed, revealing her pale white skin.
"Ah, this is because I was doing some personal training until just now. Cadet Han Cheon-seong, just rest for a moment."
"...Yes. Understood."
I replied awkwardly, unsure of where to look.
A feeling that I shouldn't be looking at her body...
*Shhk.*
As I picked up the black spear lying in a corner of the training area, my eyes were drawn to Kalli wiping her face with a towel.
Had she been that absorbed in her training?
It was such a rare sight of Kalli that I couldn't help but stare.
Then, she put down the towel and took a refreshing drink of water. The sight of it trickling down her pale throat... I found myself staring, mesmerized.
"..."
"..."
My eyes suddenly met Kalli's as she was drinking, and I belatedly came to my senses, lightly tapping my cheeks.
‘Is it because it's been so long since I've seen Kalli?’
Strange thoughts kept creeping in, so I tapped my cheeks again to banish them.
"Pfft..."
Then Kalli lowered the water bottle and laughed, and I could only follow with an awkward chuckle.
"Water after training really is the sweetest. Cadet Han Cheon-seong, was the sight of me drinking water that fascinating?"
Kalli asked lightly, without a hint of suspicion, and I nodded in relief.
"Ah, yes... If you were offended, Instructor..."
"Offended? Do I look like the kind of instructor who'd get upset over something like that? It's just, I feel like I showed you a slightly embarrassing side of myself."
Accepting my explanation, Kalli, now seemingly ready, strode toward me.
*Tap.*
She reached me in just a few steps, and for some reason, I couldn't meet her eyes.
"So, Cadet Han Cheon-seong. Can you say you're fully recovered now?"
"Yes, Instructor Adelia even gave me confirmation that I can resume training."
As I steadied my wavering heart and replied, Kalli gave a clean nod.
"Good. I was really disappointed that I couldn't help with your training all this time."
"I'm grateful just to hear you say that."
"Don't be too grateful. I'm doing this because I want to."
Watching Kalli grin, I was reminded of something.
‘It's true.’
Outside of lectures, Kalli had a rather easygoing side.
She knew how to make people comfortable. Even considering our positions as instructor and cadet, she treated me with a surprising lack of formality.
"Then we should probably start by putting on Ellimiang's Consideration."
"Yes, Instructor."
As soon as I replied, Kalli picked up a red case nearby, as if she'd had it ready.
*Click.*
The moment she opened the case, a familiar pair of ruby earrings came into view. Looking at them, I felt a flutter of excitement.
‘I'm really starting my training again.’
How long had it been since I'd really moved my body?
...My grip on the spear naturally tightened as my heart filled with anticipation for the training to come.
*Shhk.*
After Kalli picked up the earrings and approached me, I calmly accepted.
"Excuse me."
"Yes."
*Click.*
With the click of the earring fastening to my left ear, I was momentarily lost as to where I should look.
"..."
The act of Kalli putting the earrings on me wasn't so unfamiliar as to make me feel awkward.
It was the same as always. And yet, Kalli's appearance was far from her usual self.
She was wearing a training outfit that revealed her pale skin, and seeing it this close up felt completely different.
Her pale skin was so starkly visible that I felt as if I were committing a sin against my instructor.
*Click.*
After the other earring was fastened, Kalli slowly pulled away. I had been holding my breath the entire time.
"Cadet Han Cheon-seong. Something wrong?"
"...Huh?"
"Why are you so tense today? It's not like this is the first time."
"Ah, I think I'm just a little nervous, thinking about training again after so long."
"Is that so? Well, I guess it makes sense to be nervous, since this is your first training session since you recovered."
Seeing her let it go, I slowly caught my breath.
...Even before training began, my heart felt like it was about to waver.
'Why is everyone so unguarded?'
It was true for Adelia, but even Kalli, who I never would have expected, would strangely show me her defenseless side.
As if they had no idea how... fatal such actions could be to a man.