Chapter 24: Reversal (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 24: Reversal (5)
Finally, something good happened.
When I went to school on Tuesday, Lilac and Butt—no, she’s not sitting in my seat anymore, so I should call her Ga-eul. Anyway, Kim Ga-eul was talking to Lilac.
It seemed she had finally realized that Lilac had been feverishly defending her.
I couldn’t hear the exact details of their conversation, but from the look of it, Ga-eul was asking if it was true, and Lilac was nodding as he replied.
I wasn’t sure what they were saying, but seeing them both beaming, it must have been a pleasant conversation.
I’m glad the two of them seem to be getting closer.
Once their talk ended, I thought Kim Ga-eul was going back to her own class… but instead, she sat on my desk again.
The moment Kim Ga-eul returned to being Butt.
“Hey, Loser.”
“…Yeah.”
“Why do you look so grumpy? I’m in a great mood right now.”
That’s because some girl is sitting on my desk again, that’s why.
“My little Loser. You must have thought about me a lot over the weekend, huh? I was almost hurt yesterday when you didn’t answer when I asked for your number.”
What is she talking about? Is she insane?
At this point, I could pretty much guess what that damn Lilac had told Butt.
“Thanks. For saying you forgive me. I mean, it would’ve been better to hear it from you directly, but I guess that’s asking for too much, right?”
I wasn’t sure what the ‘correct’ answer was, but one thing was certain.
Thanks to Lilac, things had taken another bizarre turn.
“But you know you can’t fall for me, right, Loser? I like Yu-hak.”
“What a load of absolute bullshit.”
Ah, oops. The bullshit was so severe that the insult bypassed my brain and shot out as a spinal reflex.
Whether I said it or not, Butt ignored me and gave a silly little smile.
“If we’d had a better start, we might have been friends by now. It’s my fault.”
Might have been friends.
In other words, we weren’t friends.
For some reason, our conscience-lacking Butt was pushing to get close to me, but it seemed she at least understood she wasn’t in a position to be the first one to call us friends.
“The bell’s about to ring. Aren’t you going to your class?”
“…I’m going, okay?”
But even so, I have no intention of asking you to be my friend.
Even if I were to overlook the minor bullying, considering the future plot and Lilac’s personality, I couldn’t form a close relationship with her until I fixed all her reckless tendencies.
* * *
“Basically, when you Cadets think of monsters, you probably first imagine creatures with hostile images and ferocious personalities, but that isn’t always the case.”
No matter how I looked at him, Jin Gyeong-tae, as he gave his lecture, didn’t look like a lunatic about to cause an incident.
[- 2 days remaining until the start of the Main Quest.]
If it weren’t for that notification, I might have thought that even though the start of the term was moved up by a month, he was planning to stay quiet for that month as well. He was playing the part of a diligent professor perfectly.
“We breed individuals that have lost their cruelty to create pet monsters, and conversely, for those with Taming-related Talents, small monsters can build relationships that are almost like being comrades. Actually, I also have a Taming-related Talent. Though I can’t handle very strong individuals.”
He smiled thinly and pulled several small, butterfly-like creatures from his robe.
Brilliantly colored butterflies began to flutter around the classroom.
“This one is a breed I tamed called the Illusion Butterfly. They are beautiful, but they are strictly registered as dangerous monsters of the Lower-tier Species. Individually, they aren’t that dangerous, but because they spread hallucinogenic powder from their wings, they can be extremely dangerous in dungeons or chaotic battle situations.”
Despite his warning, most of the Cadets were marvelling at the butterflies’ fantastic appearance rather than being cautious.
“Professor, can’t you show us a little more?”
Butt, who loved pretty things, was predictably enchanted by the butterflies.
“Haha, I told you they were dangerous. If you really want to see them, I’ll arrange a safe place to show you later.”
After chatting and laughing with the students, he ended the class as the bell rang.
“Ah, Cadet Kang So-hyun, could I speak with you for a moment?”
“Me?”
And for some reason, he stopped me.
Shit, don’t tell me this guy has picked me as his first target?
The classic trait of an Academy genre transmigrator: getting caught up in every single incident…?
“It’s nothing else, I just really wanted to have a personal chat with you, Cadet So-hyun. If you’re busy, I understand, but could you spare a moment?”
“Sure, why not.”
It was a bit scary, but I knew his hunting grounds well.
He had quite a few hunting grounds, but at least this classroom wasn’t one of them. And since there was still time left until the Main Quest began, it meant he probably wasn’t planning to do anything to me right this second.
That was reason enough to accept the conversation.
“Thank you. Ah, shall I buy you something to drink?”
“No, my next class is Combat Arts. It’s a bit awkward to drink something before that.”
“Ah, what a shame. I really wanted to get close to you, Cadet.”
…Shit, he’s not targeting me, right?
“Why do you want to get close to me?”
“You don’t quite seem like a typical Cadet. Even today, when I said the Illusion Butterflies were dangerous, everyone else was laughing and enjoying themselves, but you and a few others remained on guard. I’ve noticed that Cadets who maintain their guard tend to live longer.”
Aha, so it was almost certain now that I wasn’t his target.
“It would be nice if the other Cadets were as cautious as you, Cadet Kang So-hyun.”
“Still, the innocence they show as Cadets is a privilege only they have. It’s something you lose once you become an adult, whether you like it or not.”
He looked at me, appearing slightly surprised.
He must find it fascinating that I was saying something so similar to his own philosophy.
“Yes, yes! That’s exactly right. Indeed, children should look like children.”
“I’ve been called an old soul since I was young, so I empathize a bit.”
In reality, I think I was just a total brat, but it’s not like he’s going to look up my past, right?
“Haha, I feel like I could really get along with you, Cadet. I mean it.”
“I’m glad to hear that. If I’m close with the Professor, I won’t have to worry about my grades.”
“Uh-oh, I can’t do that. Grading will be fair. Though, I think you’ll get good marks anyway, Cadet So-hyun. Cadets with eyes like yours usually receive high scores.”
“What kind of eyes do I have?”
“Eyes that seem to observe their surroundings well. Eyes always full of vigilance. Those are the eyes of a fully matured Hero, rather than a Cadet.”
We looked at each other and smiled thinly.
“I feel like I’ve taken up too much of your time. If you’re late for class, just give them my name and say I held you back.”
“It’s fine. I don’t think I’ll be late, and I’d hate to be late for Professor Cathy’s class.”
“Haha, she’s still popular with the male Cadets. I’m jealous.”
For a split second—a very brief moment—a fishy, predatory emotion flickered in his eyes.
“Truly.”
However, I didn’t point it out.
He was still smiling.
Perhaps the emotions we felt toward each other right now were quite opposite.
“Well then, get going. Cadet Kang So-hyun.”
“Yes, good luck with your next class, Professor.”
There were only two days left until this Academy professor would become a Villain.
* * *
Professor Cathy was basically a beauty with a soft atmosphere, but she showed a sharp side only when demonstrating interpersonal combat techniques, leading many to call her cool regardless of their gender.
“As we enter an era where using Mana is possible and more people are born with Talents, some have begun to look down on combat sports with relatively short histories of development, like boxing or jiu-jitsu. However, these are still very useful techniques.”
In an age where Mana could be used like internal energy to allow for inhumanly flashy movements, combat arts created by humans purely to master the human body were treated as inferior even to the martial arts found in Wuxia novels.
Well, of course, individuals still learned them, and Heroes used them a lot in sparring with Villains, but the public image had shifted that way.
“The point is that everyone should learn at least one strike that can definitely land when in close quarters, and an escape move that offers a chance to break free if captured by a Villain.”
She smiled thinly and took a stance.
Moving lightly, she used her supple muscles to kick a hanging sandbag.
Whap—!
The clean sound of the impact, the heavy swaying of the sandbag, and her body lines revealed by her tight-fitting athletic wear made the Cadets’ jaws drop.
“Martial arts and Qigong are cool, but combat arts look pretty great too when you see them like this, right?”
It was certainly a kick powerful enough to fascinate anyone in many ways.
“Now then, shall we pair up and practice today as well?”
“Hey, Loser. With me…”
“Cadet So-hyun will be working with me. His body is weak, so it’s too early for him to spar.”
“No, when we sparred last time…”
“Do you have an objection to this instructor’s judgment?”
“…No.”
Professor Cathy chased away Butt, who was approaching me.
In fact, Professor Cathy had been looking at Butt quite unfavorably ever since she heard that Butt had spread false rumors about me.
It wasn’t that she was being unprofessional by actively kicking her out or discriminating against her in class; she just chased her away whenever she tried to get close to me, like right now.
“Um, Professor, I’ve made up with her. You don’t have to worry that much.”
“Cadet So-hyun, you’re too soft-hearted. Kids these days are so cunning. She might be pretending to apologize just to lure you out and bully you again, so don’t let your guard down too much.”
Given how the male Cadets are glaring at me even now, if I get ostracized again, it’ll probably be because of you, my ‘secret friend.’
Well, there was nothing more to say, so I tried to kick the sandbag, but Professor Cathy stopped me again.
“Wait a moment, Cadet.”
“Yes?”
Then, she moved very close to me and began to correct my posture again.
“Yes, the weaker your body is, the more accurate your posture must be. Accurate strikes reduce the burden on your body and increase the damage of the hit. You don’t need to be fast. Slowly and accurately.”
Her soft hand touched my thigh.
“Think about putting strength into this muscle, pay attention to the rotation of your ankle and waist, and practice kicking the target accurately.”
A slow extension that was barely a kick touched the sandbag.
Naturally, the sandbag didn’t even budge, but my secret friend smiled with satisfaction.
“Yes, well done. Now you can gradually increase the speed.”
“Professor! Please teach me about kicking too!”
“Me too…!”
When the male Cadets, consumed by ugly jealousy, called out to her, she smiled brightly and approached them.
“I’m glad everyone is showing such enthusiasm for the unpopular field of combat arts.”
But there was no one else whose posture she corrected while staying as close as she did with me.
“Ah, typical Heroes have often already found the method that suits them best. I shouldn’t shake their foundation by trying to correct them, right?”
Well, the other guys seemed satisfied enough, so I guess it was fine.
* * *
Returning to her dormitory room, Kim Ga-eul was blankly recalling the events of the day.
— So-hyun thinks about you a lot. He’s a really kind kid. I hope you apologize and become friends with him.
— The Lo… So-hyun thinks of me?
— Yeah. He said he thought the bullying from the other kids was getting too severe, and he asked me to help persuade them. He said at least the parts of the rumors that aren’t true should be cleared up.
When she heard those words, two thoughts had crossed her mind.
First was gratitude, and second was the guilt for having tried to disparage him by spreading false rumors.
Someone might think he was a pushover, but recalling how he never took things lying down, he was absolutely not a pushover.
The fact that he asked the popular Lilac for help, realizing that stepping forward himself wouldn’t have much impact, meant he also possessed a calculating side.
It was easy to misunderstand him because of his loser-like appearance—with his roughly grown hair and round glasses that hid his face—but in reality, he might be quite the capable type.
“I guess that’s why Yu-hak took an interest in him.”
— I don’t hate you. I definitely don’t hate you.
“For a Loser.”
She wanted to become friends.
It was absurd and selfish even to her, but she could no longer deny that such a thought had sprouted in her heart.
— You know you can’t fall for me, right, Loser? I like Yu-hak.
— What a load of absolute bullshit.
“It doesn’t seem like he hates me that much.”
If it were her, she would have ground her teeth in hatred and vowed revenge, so putting aside how he could be like that, it was quite hopeful news.
“Ah, I need to stop calling him Loser, too.”
It was indeed a problem that someone who had apologized was still calling him Loser.
“But it’s strangely embarrass… no, it’s just a bit weird.”
For reasons she didn’t quite understand, she felt a strange resistance to calling him by his name.
“So-hyun… ah, ugh, I can’t do it.”
She threw herself onto her bed.
“No, I just want to be friends, so why am I thinking about that Loser so much?”
She felt a bit frustrated.
“…I wonder if that Loser thinks about me sometimes, too?”