Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Black Dragon Clan Training Ground (1)
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"You two are going to the Black Dragon Clan together?"
The next day, Yu-jeong sunbae—who'd ordered a cafe mocha for some reason today—stirred the whipped cream around with her straw as she asked.
Ichie nodded, and I snuck a glance at Yu-jeong sunbae. She caught my expression and grinned before turning to Ichie.
"A date?"
"Studying."
Ichie shook her head. Her expression barely changed. Yu-jeong sunbae, who'd been all geared up to tease her, seemed a little deflated as she nodded and pulled out her phone.
"Got it. It's just a reservation, after all. I can do it anytime."
"There aren't any new Black Dragon Clan recruits at the academy? I feel kinda bad that it's always just us using it."
Come to think of it, I'd never heard Yu-jeong sunbae mention any newbies, or even that there were any. The Black Dragon Clan was a pretty big guild, but did they have no Awakeners among this year's trainees? Yu-jeong sunbae smiled as she replied.
"There were three last year, but none this year. The number of people joining as Black Dragon Clan trainees has dropped a lot overall. Fewer people means a lower Awakening rate, and when that happens, you get years like this with zero."
The lack of new recruits this year seemed to be part of why the Black Dragon Clan was so keen on recruiting Ichie. Yu-jeong sunbae exchanged a few messages, then nodded.
"Alright, it's set. They said both of you can come. Miss Ichie, same time as yesterday?"
"What about Su-hyeon oppa?"
"Weekends work for me anytime."
Apprentice Hunters at the academy got a basic stipend regardless of income, so I didn't need a part-time job and had tons of free time on weekends. Ichie glanced back at Yu-jeong sunbae and nodded. Sunbae said,
"Cool. I'll book the same slot as last time, then... Anything else you're curious about or need?"
"Nope. Thanks for all the help."
"Don't sweat it, Ichie. Gotta take full advantage when you can."
Ichie shook her head at that.
"No way. That'd make me a leech? A total moocher."
I jumped in surprise, but Yu-jeong sunbae responded in a perfectly calm voice.
"...From now on, if Ha-yeon unnie says anything weird, just ignore her. Don't pick it up. Call her a bad person instead. Got it?"
"Got it."
She zeroed in on the problem right away. Was this the seasoned insight of a D-Rank Hunter? I looked at Yu-jeong sunbae with genuine admiration. She tossed her empty plastic cup in the trash and stood.
"Alright, let's head out? You two did great today."
"Yeah."
We followed behind her like baby chicks and piled into the car. The engine purred to life cheerfully. As she pulled out of the parking lot, she asked Ichie,
"Oh yeah, how'd meeting the family go last time?"
"It was fun. We ate good food together and watched a movie."
"A movie! Isn't it tough watching movies in Korea? Hard to understand the dialogue, and the subtitles are a pain too."
"We watched one from our country. They hadn't seen it, so I nagged them to go."
"Ahh, a Japanese movie?"
"Yeah."
Hearing "our country" felt strangely off. The car dropped Ichie off near her place, leaving her with a polite bow in the rearview as we drove on. Her silhouette was already fading in the mirror.
The moment Ichie was out of sight, Yu-jeong sunbae turned to me.
"Player."
"...No, really. She asked to train together—can't just leave her to do it alone. She's studying hard, so as a teammate, I gotta cheer her on."
Even to me, it sounded like an excuse. Yu-jeong sunbae grinned.
"Come on, no need to panic like that. I get it. But still, bummer. I was hoping for some 'studying' together in my room this weekend."
We were at that fiery age—full of vigor that bounced right back no matter how much we burned. Just her mentioning 'studying' made my lower half twitch like Pavlov's dog. She winked slyly.
"Weekdays are tricky with schedules, so we can't take it slow like last time."
"Totally."
"So, free next weekend? No dates with other girls, right? Wanna catch a movie? That one's opening next week. You know, the one by that famous director. What was it called again..."
"Iron Beast?"
"Yes! That. Awakeners turning into animals, then modded into robots to fight."
"Oh, I wanna see that too. Let's go next time. Should I book tickets now?"
"Now? Nah, we'll book later. Grab lunch before the movie, take a walk, chill a bit. If another flick catches our eye last minute, we catch that instead. Then head home and..."
Yu-jeong sunbae trailed off with a grin, caressing my cheek. I grinned back. We'd reached Gongdeok Station before I knew it. I thanked her and unbuckled. As I moved to go, she grabbed my hand, pulled me back, and hugged me tight, pressing her lips to mine. Coffee scent wafted from her parted mouth.
"Mmm... Nn... Hm...!"
I wrapped an arm around her waist without thinking, my other hand slipping under her clothes. Lost in the kiss, she gently pushed my hand away.
"No. Not here. Next time. Okay?"
I nodded like a well-trained pup and said yes. She flashed a bright smile and waved. I had to hunch over a bit thanks to my throbbing erection. Shuffling home, Mom looked up from the TV.
"Dinner?"
"Not yet. What's for tonight?"
"Dad's friend sent mackerel, so we're grilling it."
"Oh, grilled fish sounds perfect. Mom, I'm gonna meditate for a bit—don't wake me."
"Sure thing."
I wanted sex. They say it's scarier the later you learn bad habits, and damn, I wanted it bad. But no partner, and jerking off would've wasted training time. I stripped, sat on the bed, and slipped into meditation to meet the Omnipotent Being.
[You're a bit unfocused today.]
"Hoo..."
The Omnipotent Being in my dream had absurdly huge breasts. I vowed to dial back next time and focus on training.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Oh, you're early."
Back at the weekend. I'd heard someone from the Black Dragon Clan would greet us, but I never imagined it'd be Yu-jeong sunbae. She noticed my dumbfounded stare and pouted a little.
"What's with that face? Don't wanna go with me?"
I shook my head vigorously.
"N-no, that's not it. I just didn't see it coming at all. Kinda shocked."
"Obviously. I didn't say anything on purpose to surprise you. Was gonna ask Ha-yeon unnie, but she got an urgent designation request. So I had to step in."
"Urgent designation request?"
"Ha-yeon unnie's got a rep as one of the top D-Rank Hunters. Word is she's promoting to C-Rank soon, and guilds are lining up to poach her."
Yet she stayed—must be some loyalty to the Black Dragon Clan? I couldn't quite grasp the love-hate these members had for it. I said,
"She's amazing."
"Right?"
Right then, a message pinged: Ichie was heading out. I told Yu-jeong sunbae.
"Sunbae, Ichie's on her way."
"Tell her to wait out front. We'll pick her up."
I sent the text as instructed. Reply came quick.
[Okay.]
Yu-jeong sunbae hummed cheerfully and punched in the spot near Ichie's house. "Near" was vague—just the neighborhood entrance—so I had no clue where she lived exactly. Ichie leaned against a utility pole, kicking a pebble. She tapped the ground with her toe, then looked up as our car approached, blinking in wide-eyed surprise. When I got out, she asked,
"Su-hyeon oppa. You came with Yu-jeong unnie?"
"Yeah. She's filling in as our escort today. Something came up."
"Something came up?"
"Does it bother you that I'm tagging along, Miss Ichie?"
Ichie shook her head.
"Not bad at all."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A colossal arena straight out of a post-apocalyptic flick loomed ahead, its grim vibe all iron bones, sealed windows, and "Authorized Personnel Only" signs on the fence dragging me into another world. At the main gate stood a guy in a robe emblazoned with a black dragon. Our eyes met, and he looked away like his outfit embarrassed him.
"Tae-kyung. Hi."
The man called Tae-kyung looked up and nodded at Yu-jeong sunbae's greeting. He pointed at us.
"These the juniors coming today? I know the one next to you."
"Yep."
"Hello. Thanks for letting us use the facilities."
I figured I'd greet him politely while following behind Yu-jeong sunbae. He nodded proudly, patted my shoulder, and said—though God knows why he was so pleased. The manager or something?
"Yeah, use it carefully."
Yu-jeong sunbae shook her head in disbelief at him. Chest puffed slightly, he declared,
"I'm Oh Tae-kyung, the Iron-Blood Fist King. You probably haven't heard, but I'm kinda famous in my cohort."
The type who'd hassle you more if you played along. I just nodded vaguely. As he geared up for more self-intro, Yu-jeong sunbae cut in.
"Anyway, thinking we'll hunt some E-Rank Hooligans today. Tae-kyung, grab the registry?"
He shut up mid-sentence and vanished to fetch it. I pulled out my pad and searched Hooligan.
It looked cuter than I'd expected.