Chapter 262: Wow! It’s the Second Semester! (End)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 262: Wow! It’s the Second Semester! (End)
Breaking News.
‘Leilan Academy’s new top-ranked freshman arrives at school dead drunk on Hero Drink prototype.’
‘Is Leilan Academy really okay like this?’
‘Star Hero Flash seen trembling under a cadet’s threats. Proving his own credibility…’
‘A divinity that ignores even an S-rank hero while still a cadet? What on earth is Leilan Academy…!’
The moment she refreshed the page, entirely different articles appeared. A woman sighed as she stared at the internet news, which had turned into a complete mess in just one hour.
Leilan Claudia.
The proud Chairperson of Leilan Academy and a High Elf with a keen interest in humans.
In truth, while she was flustered and dizzy, a part of her felt relieved.
After all, a cadet had unilaterally committed violence against an S-rank hero—and while drunk, no less.
No matter how much it looked like Cadet Kang So-hyun had some sort of leverage, there was always a chance the other side would retaliate out of pride. The fact that the incident was settled at this level was a stroke of luck.
To be honest, it felt a bit cathartic too.
After hearing the explanation that he wasn’t drunk on alcohol but on Hero Drink, she even felt a little sorry for him.
Since Hero Drink acts directly on the mind, the degree of intoxication varies depending on the subject’s psychological state.
In normal cases, there is no hangover, and the tipsiness fades within a few hours. Conversely, for someone under extreme psychological pressure or severe trauma, the effects are said to last for a very long time.
A prime example was Professor Park A-ram, who had been selected as the first tester; she had remained intoxicated for over a week after drinking just two glasses.
The fact that his intoxication hadn’t improved at all after a full day was proof that he, too, had suffered quite a bit. How could she not feel bad for him?
However, well.
Pity was pity.
“…Since he caused such a massive scene, he’ll have to handle the consequences himself.”
Thinking of the mountain of work and the interference from annoying people headed her way, she had a small wish: that he would snap out of it and remember everything he had done.
“Can’t a villain suddenly appear and kidnap him or something?”
…Preferably a masked villain.
“…It’s certainly a noisy start to the new semester.”
Shaking off her idle thoughts, the Chairperson turned her gaze toward the pile of documents before her and gave a bitter smile.
* * *
Around the time the Chairperson finished her grim preparations, a small commotion was unfolding in the Holy Fire Class.
“So-hyun~ So-hyun~”
“Yeah~? Ga-eul!”
“Who am I?”
“Who else! It’s our cutie Ga-eul! Come here! I’ll pat your head!”
“Hehehehe! Eehee!”
Someone was busy satisfying their own petty desires.
“Ga-eul~ stop playing with So-hyun. Homeroom is almost over, so it’s my turn to play with him.”
“Ah, right. Sorry, Han-hee. Seriously, why aren’t we in the Holy Fire Class? Can’t we switch classes?”
“I know, right? I want to be in the Holy Fire Class too. Anyway, So-hyun, want a snack? Say ‘ahhh’! Ahhh~”
“Ahhh~”
And there were those like Kang Han-hee, who were busy stuffing snacks into his mouth.
“…It really is amazing. Do you think he’d give me his hand if I asked?”
“You should probably stop. What are you going to do if he snaps out of it while you’re doing that?”
“I feel like we’ve already crossed that line, though?”
“Then should I try it?”
From those like Lee Yu-na and Ju Ri-ra, who were playing around out of pure curiosity—in the end, everyone was taking full advantage of the situation to enjoy the kind of physical contact he would never normally allow.
“Master, since you’ve extorted my precious honey water, you’re going to keep drinking it from now on, right~?”
“Yup!”
“So-hyun, who am I?”
“Noona!”
“Heh, good.”
…Why was it that no one thought it strange that there were people mixed in who clearly didn’t belong to the Holy Fire Class, let alone the Academy?
In truth, until now, the Holy Fire Class cadets didn’t have a particularly great impression of Kang So-hyun.
Or rather, it wasn’t so much a problem with his behavior as it was a strong image of him being difficult to approach.
After all, he had been involved in incidents since the start of the semester, and the people he usually hung out with were all high-profile individuals.
Meanwhile, news of his dungeon clears kept coming in, and his grades had skyrocketed.
Ultimately, wasn’t he the one who had successfully led the professor raid during the end-of-semester practicals?
Well, besides that, there were the minor things—like his maid calling him ‘Master,’ the Student Council President dropping by to play because she was bored, and the seniors from the Health Food Enthusiasts Club occasionally coming by to give him health supplements.
However, looking at him now and his recent actions, opinions were surfacing that he might not actually be scary.
He sang well, and as long as you didn’t pick a fight first, he responded normally to anyone.
So, to summarize, the majority opinion in the Holy Fire Class was that they should try talking to him.
Indeed. Perhaps on this day.
If Professor Cathy had started homeroom just three minutes later than usual, he might have made even more new friends.
“Hello, everyone. I saw some of you during the break, but for most of you…”
But since there’s no use for ‘what ifs,’ Cathy, who had arrived a bit early and full of energy for the new semester, gave a lively greeting.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Now, I’d like to think no one spent their break being slothful—”
Her greeting could not continue.
“What the…?”
The moment she stood at the podium, she saw So-hyun being pampered by his friends.
Cathy tried to slowly organize the thoughts floating in her dazed mind.
‘What on earth are they doing? I’m jealous.’
‘Is So-hyun drunk? Should I give him a light scolding as a professor?’
‘Ah, he’s accepting snacks? Must be nice. I should definitely try that next time.’
She felt like she might make a mistake if she spoke before sorting out her chaotic thoughts, but unfortunately, her efforts were meaningless.
Even if she didn’t approach him, it didn’t matter if Kang So-hyun approached her. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, he walked right up to Cathy and slowly reached out to pat her head.
Right in the middle of the classroom.
“So… So-hyun!?”
“Don’t worry. I won’t let that bastard get anywhere near you.”
He kissed her on the cheek, and then naturally linked his pinky with hers to make a promise.
Leaving behind a stunned Cathy, who had been dazed by the sudden public display of affection, Kang So-hyun sat back down and began to grin again. However, the atmosphere in the class was now the polar opposite of his expression.
The sight of Cathy, whose face was bright red and unable to properly conduct homeroom, and the boy who had initiated physical contact with her so naturally, was far too good a piece of gossip for the young cadets.
Hiccup.
Along with Cathy’s hiccup, the idea of trying to talk to Kang So-hyun naturally vanished.
* * *
Meanwhile, outside the Academy, the S-rank Hero Flash, a member of the Association, was fleeing as fast as he could without technically using his supernatural abilities.
He was acting as much as possible, feigning composure, but he had no choice but to maintain an arrogant attitude while running away, fearing that his terror might be discovered.
Why on earth was something like that at the Academy?
It wasn’t normal.
It was absolutely not normal.
Everyone who had been there was either crazy or clearly brainwashed by that monster.
No matter how weak the boy looked on the outside, he couldn’t deceive his own intuition.
That existence could be explained as nothing other than a monster wearing a human skin.
A human who could trap that many types of energy in their body and maintain their sanity after contracting with that many entities?
He couldn’t sense it precisely, but given how his innate instincts were screaming, one thing was certain: that guy was dangerous.
Don’t make him laugh.
In truth, just as Kang So-hyun had evaluated, he was a coward—a man who loved to put on airs and was strong against the weak but weak against the strong. However, from a hero’s perspective, that didn’t necessarily work against him.
The power to sense danger is a talent in the realm of instinct that is difficult to train.
One can hone it through training after becoming a superhuman, but it’s not easy to acquire the level of sensation possessed by those who are born with superior danger detection.
In that sense, Flash’s instinct to recognize an opponent stronger than himself like a ghost was a necessary quality for a hero to increase their survival rate.
Well, if someone said he was just a born coward, he’d have no defense, but at least he had crossed the line between life and death several times thanks to this fear.
He had survived by running away as far as possible from opponents he felt he would lose to.
So, this time too, he accepted his instinct’s warning without rejection.
If he became an enemy of that thing, he would inevitably die.
In the worst-case scenario, there was even a possibility he wouldn’t even be allowed to die.
The Association and the Academy are both insane.
Just because it has a human form, they’re trying to bring ‘something like that’ in as an ally?
That is absolutely not something that can mingle with humans.
As he fled in a hurry, he suddenly felt he was finally out of the boy’s range. He let out a breath and made a phone call.
Remembering that he had fled under the pretext of urgent business, he called his manager at the Association to find a suitable villain to catch.
“Any decent villains around?”
Now that he could catch his breath, it was time to save some face.
* * *
For the record, as for what the monster who had terrified an S-rank hero into fleeing like his namesake ‘Flash’ was doing…
“Haha! It seems Kang So-hyun ended up taking my class again this semester! As a welcome to the Intermediate Mana Manipulation class, shall we answer a question!?”
“The answer is number three!”
“Haha, you little brat. Look at you answering before I even asked! If it weren’t for the Hero Drink, you would’ve gotten an F, you know!”
He was attending class among the cadets, laughing heartily.
* * *
I feel good.
Wait, do I? Or do I feel bad?
To be honest, I’m not really sure. One moment I’m happy, the next I’m miserable; one moment I’m warm, the next I’m cold.
The boundaries were becoming increasingly blurred.
I approached what I thought was a pleasant fantasy, only to find it was the damn past I wanted to forget. Then, when I was caught by the thing I had been running from in fear, it turned out to be such a cozy memory.
It made me fall into the illusion that perhaps the thing I was running from and the thing I was chasing were one and the same.
My reason was paralyzed and slowly melting away, leaving me not knowing how to act.
When reason melts away, all that remains is nature.
So, I did what I wanted to do.
I threw away the calculations I usually made as naturally as breathing, and with only the barest safety locks remaining, I acted on whim.
Yeah, I guess I really do feel good.
And as I continued to run wild like that, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
Do I even need safety locks?
It’s so fun just not holding anything back; is there a need to make rules for myself?
— There is.
“…Huh?”
— Honestly, you… I can’t take my eyes off you for a second without you causing trouble, kid.
A nostalgic voice echoed in my head.
— Yeah, your mental state is such a mess that I can’t even repair the Ruyi in peace. You pathetic brat.
Blonde hair and red eyes tinged with gold.
— I can’t stay awake for long, but I’ll help you since this looks like something you’ll have a hard time overcoming on your own.
Wait a minute. Just a second. Forget that, it’s been a while, so let’s talk a bit more.
— I can’t. Unfortunately, if I don’t hurry up and repair the broken Ruyi, I won’t be able to maintain my existence.
Ah, seriously, not even for a moment?
— Nope, not even~ kid. Did you miss me that much? Just endure a little longer; the repairs are almost done.
For real? You’re coming back soon?
— Yeah, kid. Don’t go fighting dangerous things while I’m not around, and don’t go picking up and drinking dangerous things like Divine Wine when I can’t even help you.
Divine Wine? Do you mean the Soma?
— Huh? Aha, no wonder the quality seemed crude. This isn’t Divine Wine. It was a fake made to imitate it? Still, try not to drink it when I’m not here. It’s not something in the realm of humans.
For some reason, Sun Wukong’s voice began to grow faint.
— Anyway, it’s about time you snapped out of it. The others are worried… or maybe not? Regardless, I’ve cleared the intoxication. See you next time.
Ah, that’s a bit cold.
You could’ve stayed just a little longer.
“How stingy.”
The moment I unconsciously muttered that, I felt my head become strangely clear.
“Huh?”
“Oh, he’s awake.”
And then, I realized something.
Unfortunately, it seems I’m the type who retains their memories after sobering up.
Well, to put it simply.
“His face is turning red.”
“I think he’s sober now.”
…What the fuck did I just do?
Seriously.
For the first time in a long time.
I think I’m screwed.