Chapter 176: Vacation Homework. (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 176: Vacation Homework. (1)
Kang Ha-ni decided to stay calm for now.
It was true that she was flustered by jealousy—a type of emotion stemming from a romantic relationship that she was experiencing for the first time in her life—but letting herself be swept away by it wouldn’t solve anything. Besides, for now, she and he were strictly just friends.
Therefore, showing irritation out of jealousy would be a bad move. It would be far better to take advantage of their close friendship to feel out his true feelings.
Right, there’s no need to get worked up.
The wrap party was over anyway, and the other students were likely busy preparing to head back to their family homes. With no one around to interfere, she could take her time and play the role of the usual relaxed and kind Kang Han-hee.
“Who was that person just now?”
…Wait, that wasn’t it.
A voice completely different from the one she intended to use slipped out.
What is this? Why do I sound like some clingy, annoying woman? I don’t sound like myself at all.
Did that voice really just come out of my mouth?
“Hm? Oh, you mean Lee Ha-ru Senior?”
Seeing as he even added the formal “Senior” to her name, maybe they weren’t that close yet?
Ha-ni felt strangely pathetic for feeling her mood lift over something so trivial, so she stubbornly tried to maintain her sour expression.
What, am I some girl in love or something?
…Well, she was.
But perhaps because it was so different from the persona she usually maintained, she felt a strange sense of self-reproach.
“You’ve looked like you were in a bad mood for a while now. Was it because of that?”
Self-reproach, my foot.
Whatever.
Her mood had already cleared.
She used to think the saying “the one who falls in love first loses,” which she’d seen in manga, was total nonsense, but it turned out to be true. She had been trying so hard to hold onto her annoyance, but just the fact that he had noticed her discomfort made her feel better instantly, as if she had never been upset at all.
Am I an easy woman? Surely not?
“To be honest, I’m not really skilled enough to take on a disciple, but I couldn’t exactly turn away someone asking for help, could I?”
Hmm, the fact that he knows his own swordsmanship is still precarious is another point in his favor.
She had been worried he might get a big head from someone calling him “Master,” but then again, that wasn’t like him at all.
“Oh, really? Then it’s fine.”
Ah, I’m in trouble.
Even to her own ears, her voice sounded incredibly cheerful.
“What’s this? You seem to be in a great mood all of a sudden.”
See? He noticed.
“Were you jealous because it looked like your friend was getting close to someone else? You’re always teasing me for being cute, but you’re the one who’s cuter.”
…Who is he calling “cute”? He’s making my heart flutter.
“Ah, whatever~ It’s not like that. I just felt like the number of women around you keeps increasing.”
Wait, is that a good excuse? Did I mess up? Is it weird to say that to a friend?
“Right, thanks for worrying about me becoming promiscuous. Actually, I’ve been a bit worried about that myself lately.”
He’s taking it like that?
Does he really not know I’m a girl? Or is he just pretending not to know?
“Anyway, what are you doing tomorrow? You said everyone else is spending the first week at their family homes. It’ll just be the two of us in the dormitory for a while.”
“Ah, I’ll be training in the early morning like usual, and in the evenings, I’ll probably spend time on personal training and other things.”
Ha-ni found it almost ridiculous how she reacted to his mention of “early morning training.”
She’s still trying to help him even during the break. She really is serious.
Ha-ni knew that Professor Cathy liked him.
A rival. Or perhaps a romantic competitor.
Despite that relationship, Ha-ni didn’t feel particularly anxious. She didn’t feel the same jealousy she had felt when she saw Lee Ha-ru Senior a few hours ago. It was strange, considering a beautiful, kind adult with a great figure was after him.
Well, just in case. It wouldn’t be good to fall behind the others.
She made up her mind.
She would feel him out just a little, little bit more, and if it really seemed like he didn’t know she was a girl, she would steel her resolve.
Whatever the outcome, she would settle things this summer.
* * *
Did I blow it?
To be honest, I knew his expression hadn’t been great ever since we met my Master earlier. I just didn’t expect him to be so blatant about it.
Judging by her face, she seemed to have reached some sort of conclusion. I was strangely terrified, not knowing if she was planning to reveal that she was a girl or if she was going to subtly drag me to her family home to make me her husband.
I have so much to do this summer break, yet the workload only seems to keep growing.
Then again, it is my fault. Having come this far, even calling it “undeserved affection” is just an excuse to run away. If I truly think it’s undeserved, the right thing to do is to reject them even if it causes pain. If not, then as the Hero Woo Jae-hee said, the right thing is to accept it.
“Seriously, this is a luxury problem.”
Especially for someone who hasn’t achieved anything yet.
Originally, I didn’t intend to reach any conclusions until they were safe and I had finished everything I could do for them, but perhaps the day to make a decision will come sooner than I thought.
* * *
When I left the dormitory in the early morning after some light preparations, Professor Cathy and my Master were already waiting.
The two of them, who had been talking, reacted simultaneously when they saw me.
“Ah, you’re out early.”
“Ah, you’ve arrived!”
Then they looked at each other, tilting their heads in confusion.
“Wait, was the cadet you were waiting for… So-hyun?”
“Ah, yes! That’s right. We decided to share advice on the sword and help each other train. I didn’t realize the cadet you were waiting for was my Mas—my junior.”
No, I’m not her Master.
Wait, that’s not the point. What would they have done if I hadn’t shown up and just slept in because it’s summer break? It’s five in the morning.
“Even though we didn’t have a set appointment, I knew you weren’t someone to skip training! I figured you’d come out eventually today!”
As if reading my thoughts, she gave an answer that was quite something—she was as out of her mind as ever.
I was worried Professor Cathy might feel uncomfortable, but surprisingly, her expression didn’t change much. In fact, she looked even more benevolent than usual.
“Hmm, that’s wonderful. With more people, we can simulate various situations. And even if not, it’s always good to have more people to train with, right?”
I thought she might at least give a cold look for a moment like she usually does, even if she didn’t get angry.
“So-hyun, why are you looking at me like that?”
“Huh? No, it’s nothing.”
“Are you worried your Noona will be jealous?”
Well, yes, but… the way she put it, with everyone listening…
“It’s okay. I’m not so narrow-minded that I’d be suspicious over this. And as I told you before, I’m confident.”
She stepped closer and lightly stroked my hair.
“So you don’t have to be so scared.”
Ah, well, to be honest, it was a bit embarrassing, but I also felt relieved.
“And if push comes to shove, there’s always that.”
“Pardon?”
The professor smiled mischievously and only mouthed the words. Unfortunately, my visual acuity, which had reached the superhuman realm, allowed me to understand her perfectly just by the shape of her lips.
Wish.
Soon.
I’ll use it.
Ah, right. There was that. I wonder if she’d tell me what she plans to wish for if I asked nicely?
“Ahem, I’m glad to see everyone is getting along! But why don’t we finish the rest of the conversation on the way to the training ground?”
Thanks to the intervention of my Master, who was watching us with a satisfied expression, we snapped out of it and headed to the training ground.
* * *
The clash between superhumans who have reached a certain level can sometimes look incredibly beautiful.
The sparring, which began lightly to gauge each other’s levels, grew more intense as time passed. Now, the two of them were almost in a state of selflessness, pitting their techniques against one another.
There was Professor Cathy, who pursued conciseness in every offense and defense, and my Master, who wove fluid variations of the Plum Blossom Sword Technique based on a solid foundation of basics.
In terms of the exchange itself, Professor Cathy had a slight upper hand, but my Master was fighting well, refusing to give up distance easily.
I couldn’t see it in the past, but now I could see it clearly.
That unconventional sword that allowed her to hold her own against a hero of a much higher rank was ultimately built upon a rock-solid foundation. Her brilliant and diverse swordsmanship would be meaningless if the weight of a single strike wasn’t heavy.
I missed it.
I used to feel so much jealousy and self-loathing watching her naturally swing her sword to make plum blossoms bloom. I spent so much time wondering why I couldn’t be like that.
Back then, no matter how much I watched, it was a sword I couldn’t understand—a sword I learned from her but could never replicate.
But now.
The sword that I clearly couldn’t understand before was now strangely visible to my eyes.
— It seems you can see it now.
Sun Wukong spoke to me, but I didn’t have the luxury to respond.
Was it because I was facing the swordsmanship I had once longed for so much, encountering the moment where I might finally reach its truth? I found it hard to answer, fearing I might miss even the smallest movement.
I could see what kind of logic was contained within the brilliantly blooming plum blossoms, and why plum blossoms naturally bloomed from her sword.
Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils.
Was it thanks to the eyes that see the essence, or was it thanks to the training I’ve done until now? Perhaps it was both.
I see. That was the logic contained in that sword.
Since it was a sword with such a solid foundation, one could never reach it by merely chasing after the flashiness. One could never make them bloom by trying to move unconventionally without the weight of a single blow.
The sword was merely a means, and there was something she intended to express through the swing.
The moment I felt I had touched upon something while watching the two spar.
“Huh?”
“Oh?”
“Hoh?”
The sparring stopped, and the gazes of all three people converged on me.
…Why are they looking at me instead of fighting?
For a very brief moment, I felt as if the scent of plum blossoms that filled the air around her had been swallowed and vanished by some newly emerged fragrance, but that new scent quickly subsided as if it were an illusion.
Even after that, until the moment training ended, the three of them didn’t stop giving me strange looks.
* * *
After finishing training, I told Ha-ni I’d be back by dinner and started preparing to go out.
Well, even though I’m going out, it’s not for a normal purpose.
I put on the tuxedo created by transforming the Ruyi and donned the Ghost Mask, which now felt as if it exuded an eerie aura. I had already sent a message in advance just in case there was any misunderstanding, so we probably won’t miss each other.
To be honest, I’m still a bit conflicted about whether this is the right thing to do. The person I’m going to meet is one of the most notorious madmen in this world.
Farmer Expert, Ban Gi-san.
He was the man I first decided to recruit as a comrade for this crazy villain act, a gag-style cheat character who possessed a nonsensical ability that made him invincible under certain conditions.
He was also someone I had a very hard time killing before my regression. It was a stroke of luck that he was alone and had no comrades; if he had a group that could cover his weaknesses, I might have been finished off by him.
— Value? Yes, it exists. As long as it doesn’t end while I am blocking your path, that is enough.
— Absurdity? Those are things one must always endure when becoming a farmer. Every year, there are pests, not to mention typhoons that blow in as if they are the providence of Mother Nature. If I only tried to do rational things, I wouldn’t have started farming in the first place.
— I will protect the fields of this world and the grain of the future from the typhoon that is you. Even if it is a meaningless resistance, that is what a farmer must do.
My mouth feels bitter.
He was a man who always burst into bold laughter.
And I was the wicked demon who miserably lured such a man into a trap, took hostages to neutralize him, and then ruthlessly murdered him.
A surge of self-loathing hit me at the thought that that was me.
I suppressed the urge to gag. This time, let’s take his hand.
A world where anyone can eat their fill of vegetables or fruit, solving all the hunger and poverty in the world. To help realize his primal and simple ideal.
Even if just for his sake, I want him to help me first.
When I arrived at the meeting place, he was already waiting.
“Fresh vegetables harvested today are very cheap! Look at these bumpy cucumbers! Wait! Why are you running away…! At least have a taste before you go!”
He was selling vegetables while shirtless, his muscles rippling.
Should I really just not do this…?
I felt like I should reconsider for a moment, but unfortunately, he spotted me first and began to pack up his business with a solemn expression.
I really wish he’d put some clothes on before closing up shop, though.