Chapter 164
Chapter 164
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: We Can Finally Spend Time Alone
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***
At that moment, while Vermian was undergoing a great transformation.
A peaceful weekend was unfolding back at the Central Academy.
—Yutope Park.
As he slowly entered the park, Cheon-seong blinked blankly.
“Did I get here too early?”
It was 11:13 AM. There were still seventeen minutes until the scheduled meeting time of 11:30.
He took in the faces of the various students in the park and sat down on an empty bench. He decided to relax and wait for the remaining time to pass.
‘I’ll just watch the sky while I wait.’
He looked up at the clear, cloudless sky, his mind at ease.
There were no lectures on weekends like today.
So, while it was generally a time for freedom and rest, to me, it felt like a truly ‘strange freedom.’
The problem I faced was starkly present, so even with free time, it didn't feel like free time.
It was a bizarre sensation, like forcibly resting while procrastinating on an assignment.
‘Five days left now.’
And yet, I was here in Yutope Park, having casually arranged to meet someone and intending to keep that promise, which made it feel strangely leisurely.
The contradiction made a laugh escape my lips.
‘...Training alone doesn’t mean much anymore.’
Right now, reaching Trait Level 5 was the most important thing. I was focusing on the keyword that would be the key to the next level.
The keyword ‘sacrifice.’
I had inadvertently fulfilled the condition of sacrifice by manifesting my power with the resolve to burn my own body while fighting Leteia’s clone…
That was why I thought spending time with someone else might be more meaningful, and I had arranged to meet with ‘that person.’
As I was lost in thought.
*Tap.* I heard the sound of footsteps approaching me. But for some reason, I didn't want to tear my eyes away from the blue sky. It was a strange resistance, a resistance without reason.
Was it because the sky looked so beautiful?
“Sorry. Am I late?”
At the sound of a fresh female voice, I naturally shook my head.
“No. I just got here myself.”
I forced myself to look away from the sky and faced the person who had approached me.
Her distinctive light-blue hair. Her noticeably brighter face still felt unfamiliar to me.
Was it because we hadn't seen each other recently? One thing I could be sure of was that Karite’s face was continuously growing more beautiful.
“Karite. It’s been a while.”
When I spoke with a light smile, Karite smiled brightly and naturally sat down beside me.
*Rustle.*
…Then, the faint floral scent wafting from her made me pause inadvertently.
‘Is she wearing perfume?’
Karite was definitely changing in a positive direction.
“I know. It feels like it’s been a really long time. It feels like it was so hard to make plans with you… To be honest, I wanted to see you more often.”
“Then you should have just come to find me.”
As I replied with a smirk, Karite looked at me blankly.
“...”
Her eyes, clear and without a hint of sorrow, held a mysterious charm.
“…I wanted to come find you, but I felt like I was seeing you too often. I mean, I did visit you quite a lot last week.”
As she spoke with a faint smile, I wondered why she would worry about something like that.
The fact that she hesitated to visit because she thought she’d been visiting too often seemed so typical of Karite, and a little absurd.
“If you want to see someone, you just see them. What’s this about taking a break?”
“Is… that so. Hearing you say it, I guess it might be true.”
“From now on, you can come find me. Or I can come find you. Come to think of it, you came to see me so often, maybe I should have been the one to visit you.”
As the conversation flowed naturally, my heart felt as clear as the sky.
My mind, too, was free of worries and troubles.
Now that I no longer felt even the slightest burden in dealing with Karite, the time spent with her simply felt comfortable.
“…Th-that would be nice, but. Han Cheon-seong. I think it’s best if I’m the one who comes to find you.”
“Why?”
“It’s just… I think it would be a little embarrassing.”
I paused at the sight of her scratching her cheek, looking abashed.
‘What? Am I embarrassing?’
As that thought crossed my mind, the rumors circulating about me suddenly came to mind.
That I’m with a different woman every time, that I change women daily, or that I’m dating several people at once…
Lately, bizarre, baseless rumors that were beyond disturbing had been spreading endlessly.
I couldn’t respond to each and every one of them, and since I didn’t know who was spreading them, I was just letting them be.
‘What truly ridiculous rumors.’
Who could be as pure as me, yet such shameless rumors were the only ones spreading… But as I recalled the rumors, I naturally understood.
“Alright, let’s do that then. If you come to find me, Karite, I won’t turn you away.”
As I spoke, I thought that maybe she was right.
I didn’t know why my image had become what it was, but if I were to visit Karite, it could certainly have a negative effect on her.
“Okay. I’ll come to see you more often from now on. And I think it would be nice to make plans like we did today, too.”
“…Plans are good, too. Ah, but I think I’ll have some things to do next week. How about the weekend?”
“The weekend? The weekend is fine with me. I guess you’re busy on weekdays, Han Cheon-seong.”
Seeing Karite understand me immediately made me feel a little sorry.
“I really do have some things to take care of on weekdays, so the weekend would be the easiest time to meet.”
In truth, I thought I might not have any time at all next week.
It would be best if I naturally reached Trait Level 5, but as the days passed, it was highly likely I would have to force myself to focus on training.
Only by reaching Trait Level 5 would I be able to resist the Apostle, even if just a little, with my own strength.
‘Even though Anastasia said she would protect me…’
Relying vaguely on someone else’s power felt like too weak of a mindset. So I, too, had to put in enough effort.
So that I could handle any unforeseen circumstances myself.
“……”
As I was thinking, I noticed Karite gazing at me intently.
Just as I wondered if I was too lost in thought, Karite suddenly let out a soft breath.
Her expression was so peculiar that I couldn't help but ask.
“Why are you breathing so strangely?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. To be honest… I was just thinking it’s a relief to be able to meet you like this, so normally.”
“We saw each other often last week, too. You know my body has fully recovered, so what’s the big deal….”
A small laugh escaped me at her words.
She had come to visit me in the infirmary almost every day last week, yet her reaction now, as if seeing me was something new, was what I found more surprising.
Karite, who had been smiling along with me, calmly shook her head.
“Still, now I can see you somewhere other than the infirmary. We can finally spend time together, just the two of us.”
Her calm voice seemed to be saying that today was different from last week.
‘I don’t really think there’s a difference.’
Then again, recalling the uniquely sterile atmosphere of the infirmary, perhaps it had been uncomfortable for Karite.
Organizing my thoughts, I slowly rose to my feet.
“Let’s go. We’re going to have a busy day today.”
“…Okay.”
Watching Karite agree so readily, I steeled my resolve.
‘Today is about Karite’s trait.’
I planned to help her raise her trait level.
A Level 1 trait was a stage where significant growth was possible.
*Thud, tap.*
As we walked in step with each other, I stole a glance.
I could feel Karite’s gaze on me, whether she knew it or not.
Perhaps because it had been quite a while since we’d met, her gaze felt a bit more cloying than it had last week.
‘...Cloying?’
The word that popped into my head was so absurd that I laughed.
There was no way Karite would look at me like that.
***
*Clank.*
As she closed the door and entered the private room, Karite’s heart was beating abnormally fast.
*Thump. Thump!*
Aware of it herself, Karite briefly placed a hand on her chest.
‘Calm down.’
They were meeting again after a full six days.
Therefore, she had to make this time more precious and meaningful. She had no intention of wasting it.
“…This is my first time in a family training hall. It’s really spacious.”
“Does it look that way?”
“Yes. I’d heard there were family training halls, but this is my first time seeing one, too.”
A smile inadvertently escaped her lips at his curious expression as he looked around the interior.
‘At times like this, I’m glad to be from a good family.’
Having brought Han Cheon-seong, who was about to head to a C-Class training hall, to the Esildereun Family’s private training hall instead, she felt a sense of pride.
She, who had always had to rely on and look up to Han Cheon-seong in admiration, finally had something she could boast about that was a little better than his.
Even if it was just the power of her family, she didn't think much of it, as it was something she would inherit in the future.
“There are no other students’ eyes on us, and no instructors, so you can relax.”
“Alright. I will.”
As the smiling Han Cheon-seong entered the training room, I naturally closed the door and swallowed hard.
*Clank. Click!*
The possibility of someone else entering was extremely low, but as I locked the door, I took a deep breath.
I could clearly feel my heart pounding even harder.
Locking the door felt like confirming that it was just the two of them.
‘We can finally spend time alone.’
There would be no more interruptions, no more prying eyes. It would be completely just Han Cheon-seong and her. They could finally spend time alone.
*Swoosh.*
She slowly turned to see Han Cheon-seong fiddling with the various equipment and objects in the training hall.
His eyes, full of interest, looked so innocent.
To be honest, due to her negative thoughts in the past, this was her first time here as well, but the facility itself seemed quite decent.
“How is it? Everything looks okay?”
“Yeah. It’s nice. It seems about the same as the academy’s training halls, or even better.”
“I heard the family invested a lot in the academy. I’m sure it’s not bad.”
Standing next to Han Cheon-seong, her mindset was different.
Now, she could finally see him as an equal. Of course, she didn't think her position and his were completely equal yet.
After all, what she had received from Han Cheon-seong was immeasurable. Still, for now, just being with him in the same space was satisfying enough.
“So, Karite. What should we do first?”
“…I’m fine with anything.”
As she replied, she felt a strange sensation.
‘Could the words ‘what should we do first’ sound so suggestive?’
Just as she was feeling embarrassed by her own vain thoughts, she saw Han Cheon-seong smiling lightly.
“Saying that makes it very difficult. Then how about you try manifesting your trait first? I think I might be able to help.”
“Ah, okay.”
Replying, I immediately manifested my trait, the Element of Water.
*Sploosh!*
Water began to shoot up into the air from my fingertips.
And as I maintained it, my heart sank in an instant.
“……”
Even to my own eyes, the gushing stream of water looked weak. So pathetic it was pitiful…
“It seems there’s no problem with manifesting the trait itself.”
Then, hearing his nonchalant voice, I awkwardly nodded my head.
“Actually, it hasn’t been long since I properly learned to manifest my trait. I only recently started practicing seriously…”
As I spoke, a sense of shame kept welling up inside me.
Han Cheon-seong, standing next to me, was at Trait Level 4. A level that could be called unrivaled among our peers. In contrast, I was…
‘Still at Level 1.’
I, who had been so excited about the fact that we could be alone, now… just felt like an idiot.
Just because my situation had improved didn't mean my trait had improved overnight. I was still undeveloped.
*Sploosh…!*
Even when I tried to put more heart into it, the stream of water only grew a tiny bit stronger. It was no more than a trickle from a mana stone.
“Karite, how long can you maintain your trait?”
“I’ve tried maintaining it for about an hour, but my body felt strained afterward.”
The shame I felt from his simple question was endless.
It felt as if… I was showing a classmate just how inadequate I was.
It was a raw shame, as if I were standing naked before him.
“……”
Aware of the heat rising to my neck, cheeks, and earlobes, I somehow maintained the trait.
…If I hesitated or faltered, I felt I would look even more pathetic.
“Karite. Excuse me for a moment.”
“…Ah, o-okay.”
Caught off guard by his sudden words, I accepted without thinking.
*Grip!*
Then, his hands were placed on both of my arms, which were manifesting the trait.
As his heavy, warm hands touched me, my attention was drawn to them without me realizing it.
“…!”
I was truly flustered, unable to understand what he was doing.
“Your arms seemed to be trembling a little, so I wanted to hold them. And Karite, I believe that confidence has a huge impact on one’s trait. You said it hasn’t been long since you started using it. So I think this much is fine for now.”
At his calm and composed voice, I nodded blankly.
*Squeeze.*
Then, as he gripped my arms a little tighter, my body flinched involuntarily.
“You can rely on me, so be confident. I’ll keep holding your arms until you manifest your trait. I believe in you, so you can believe in me too.”
“…O-okay.”
As I answered his words, my mind felt like it was floating.
The words that I could rely on him. The words to believe in him. Each and every one of those words sounded incredibly gentle.
At the same time, I found myself gulping.
‘Until I manifest my trait…’