Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Instructor Kim Cheol-su, Do You Have a Girlfriend?
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Kim Cheol-su Instructor. Do you have a girlfriend?
Day 1 of the Cadet Academy training camp. 8 p.m.
I sprawled out flat on the floor inside the container box assigned as my temporary quarters.
A toasty ondol floor. Zero cola in one hand, dakgangjeong piled on a flimsy desk straight out of basic training.
And on the tablet screen, a regular civilian on a dating variety show was starting his introduction with a nervous face.
"This is what living is all about."
For a standard 2-night, 3-day field training camp, instructors are usually supposed to patrol, checking on the kids' conditions, or stare at gate activity feeds in the command center.
But who am I?
The acting chairman's specially invited temporary instructor.
I get paid hundreds of times more than a regular teacher, but as far as they're concerned, I'm untouchable.
Does it prick your conscience to make your dear students sleep on hard tent floors?
Go take a peek at Class A's tents out there.
"Those tents? More like mobile mansions."
They wouldn't trade this shabby container box of mine—even if you brought ten of them—for the luxury setups where the kids were kicking back on vacation.
One guy had even brought a personal chef; the smell of grilling steak wafted out from his tent. Another had busted out a beam projector for movie night.
Class A students were mostly diamond spoon kids.
The fact that they splurged like this just for 2 nights and 3 days of outdoor sleeping was almost admirable.
They'd even stocked their tents with beds and fridges, or so I'd heard.
"These kids are richer than me."
Obviously.
Awakened folks usually come from Awakened families.
Generations of wealth accumulated and passed down in those lineages—hard for a self-made guy like me just starting out to catch up.
"Heh. Maybe I should Awaken after all."
Who would've thought the day would come when I'd compare my life to these rich second- and third-gen heirs.
I was mulling over my感慨, chugging cola, when the container door swung open and someone stepped in.
"I-Instructor Kim Cheol-su...!"
It was Instructor Na Yeo-rin.
"What are you up to?"
"Just watching some Netflix."
Shivering, she scanned the container in her puffy jacket—probably from the cold outside. Her face was flushed with color today, like she was in a great mood.
And she had every reason to be.
Being treated like a ghost was ancient history. Today, she'd stood tall as an instructor, teaching the kids tactics with confidence.
"Want to watch with me, Instructor?"
I offered politely, and her eyes lit up like she'd been waiting for it.
"Yes!"
"Alright then."
Na Yeo-rin kicked off her shoes and settled demurely beside me.
Way too close.
A deep breath and our shoulders would touch.
Nothing to be done with a tablet screen this small.
"Whoa. No way."
"That one's such a sly fox."
"Right?! I knew it from that eye smile earlier!"
How many hours had passed?
Just as a subtle romantic vibe started brewing among the contestants...
Instructor Na Yeo-rin called my name cautiously.
"Instructor Kim Cheol-su."
"Yeah?"
"Watching stuff like this... doesn't it make you want to date or something?"
Right on cue, the screen showed a girl asking a guy out.
"Kinda does, yeah."
"See!?"
Na Yeo-rin turned toward me, knees together, eyes sparkling.
She looked like she was dying to talk romance.
Like a middle schooler on a school trip—kinda cute.
"B-But, Instructor... do you..."
Na Yeo-rin hesitated.
She took a deep breath, then asked with resolve.
"...have a girlfriend?"
"Nope."
"Oh. I see."
Instructor Na Yeo-rin turned back to the tablet at my curt reply, looking bored.
Her face was red.
I felt awkward too.
If I'd had a girlfriend, I could've spun some fun story.
Too bad the conversation fizzled quick.
"Whoa! Those two are pairing up! Finally!"
"Yeah."
"I called it! Knew they'd end up together from the start!"
"Impressive."
"Why are you so soulless about it?"
How much soul did she want me to inject?
"My heartfelt congratulations."
I clapped dryly.
Na Yeo-rin pouted and checked the time on her smartphone.
5:30 a.m.
Her face turned serious as she pulled a small switch from her pocket.
The emergency alarm.
One blast and a deafening siren would echo across the whole camp.
Instructors carried them to test the students' readiness from sleep.
You'd hit it for a Dungeon Break too, but odds of that were low.
"Should I ring it now?"
I nodded at Na Yeo-rin's question.
Other classes had done theirs around 1 a.m., but we'd let our kids sleep longer on purpose.
Not because we were glued to the dating show. Definitely not.
"Hit it before dawn and wrap up."
"Got it!"
The moment Na Yeo-rin went to trigger the alarm...
Weeeeeeeng!!
She dropped the switch in shock.
"Eek!? Th-that wasn't me!"
Na Yeo-rin thought for a second, then bolted up yelling.
"Situation alert!!!"
Mana flaring, she grabbed her weapon from the container and dashed out.
She was starting to look the part of an instructor.
I followed at a leisurely pace.
The door opened to a chaotic scene right in front of me.
Class A kids had surrounded one guy, laying into him with curses.
"Gotcha! You pervert bastard!!"
"Why're you sniffing around our instructor's container? Dying to get wrecked?"
"What's going on?"
Did our kids ring the bell?
I shone my flashlight as I approached, and the students parted like the sea.
At the center: a guy on his knees, limbs frozen solid.
His jaw trembled pathetically—a sight to behold.
Class B's homeroom instructor. Kim Cheol-hwan.
"Guh...! Urgh!"
He barely managed to spit out a frozen sigh.
"What happened, kids?"
Instructor Na Yeo-rin asked, eyes wide.
Our Class A ice prodigy, Lee Ha-eun, stepped forward proudly.
"Instructor! We caught a suspicious intruder!"
"He was using stealth magic to peep through tent gaps!"
"Yeah! We ambushed him sneaking toward the instructor's container!"
Lee Ha-eun and the other girls' voices burned with fury.
Sneaking around Class A girls' tents with stealth at night?
And heading for my container?
Picture forming.
"Y-You kids... how can you say that!?"
Ice statue Kim Cheol-hwan protested his innocence.
"I said it was a night raid drill! I was just doing my instructor duties!"
"Liar! Why would Class B's instructor help with Class A's training!?"
Na Jin-il shot back coldly, arms crossed.
"And for a night drill, you ring the alarm first—not slink in like a rat unzipping tents!"
"Th-that's because real situations come without warning...!"
Stumped, Kim Cheol-hwan's eyes darted around.
Pathetic.
Every student here glared down at him in contempt.
"Instructor Kim Cheol-su. Back me up here. Come on? I was just trying to help you out, and now this misunderstanding."
Playing the victim now?
He shot me pleading eyes, but he was barking up the wrong tree.
I pulled out my smartphone.
"This what you came for?"
"...!"
I played the video I'd shot that afternoon.
Kim Cheol-hwan groping our trusty Class A tank Na Jin-il's shoulder like a creep, grinning ear to ear.
I'd swapped Instructor Na Yeo-rin and Jin-il's positions, so of course only I could've snapped that clip on the fly.
Seeing my phone lens on him, he'd probably figured: snag that phone, and no physical evidence left.
"Urp..."
One girl clamped her mouth.
"My eyes!"
"Still horrifying on rewatch."
"Look at that face..."
The kids exploded.
Kim Cheol-hwan's expression in the video screamed pervert to anyone watching.
This morning's incident was on a guy's shoulder, so he had some wiggle room.
But caught creeping on girls' sleeping tents? No escape.
"Aren't you ashamed as an educator!?"
Instructor Na Yeo-rin erupted.
She might overlook slights against herself, but mess with the kids and she went nuclear.
"We don't need your kind at our Cadet Academy. First light, I'm reporting to the chairman."
"W-Wait! Instructor Na Yeo-rin! It's a misunderstanding! Kids! Thaw me out! I'll explain everything!"
Kim Cheol-hwan panicked.
Coming to destroy evidence, now stuck as the prime sex offender. No wonder.
If he just wanted the phone, steal the damn phone.
Does the little head override the big one and turn people stupid?
The guts to invade Class A tents—coward that I am, I'd love to learn that much bravery.
"Ha-eun, no need to thaw him. Let's go!"
"Okay!"
"He's a B-Rank Awakened; won't die of a cold!"
"H-Hey!! If you don't thaw me, how am I supposed...! Grk! Temp's dropping below freezing!"
The students turned coolly and headed to their warm tents.
Not a second to waste on a perv.
Last one left, he gave me a fawning look.
"I-Instructor Kim Cheol-su..."
"Let's never meet again."
I waved goodbye.
Day 2 morning.
The sun rose over the deep mountain camp.
I rubbed my eyes and stepped out.
'Even Awakened get tired pulling an all-nighter.'
Pondering what excuse to slack off today, I opened the door—and froze at the shocking sight.
"What the."
Class kids stood at attention on the exercise field in front of the container.
Normal so far.
Our bunch was disciplined like that.
Problem: the line was double length.
Should've been 15 kids. Now 30.
"Attention! Salute to the instructor!"
Na Jin-il's command boomed, and all 30 snapped salutes.
"Sir! Yes, sir!"
The roar echoed across the field.
I nearly spat out my mix coffee in shock.
"......"
What situation is this?
I frantically wiped eye boogers and asked Na Jin-il.
"Jin-il. Who's this lot?"
"Ah, Instructor! Good morning!"
Na Jin-il beamed and trotted over.
"Reporting! As of today, Class B's Instructor Kim Cheol-hwan has been relieved of duty, leaving a vacancy!"
"Relieved?"
"Yes! Called the chairman at dawn, explained, sent the video—cops slapped cuffs on him right away."
Class A parents' pull was no joke.
The instructor bawling for mercy in front of this container moments ago? Gone after one coffee break.
"So Class B's like duck eggs on the Nakdong River now."
"Exactly! Chairman's orders: they merge with us under Instructor Kim Cheol-su's command!"
I clutched my neck.
"So... I'm taking them too?"
"Yes! The kids are clamoring to train under you. Word's spread like wildfire. 'True master,' they say."
I eyed Class B students.
15 pairs of sparkling eyes shone at me.
Like gazing at a savior.
They figured the perv instructor vanished thanks to me.
'Screwed.'
Salary Lupin my ass.
Workload doubled overnight.
'These kids got no worries, huh?'
If they do, don't tell me. Please.