Chapter 132
Chapter 132
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 132
Chapter Title: White Team's Burning Resolve
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White Team's morale soared.
Sports festival. Or field day.
It's usually held in the cool autumn. Since you're outside almost the whole day, it's mostly to prevent heatstroke or dehydration.
But why does Justitia hold its sports festival in the peak of summer? Well, because this is a hero training academy, right?
Heroes have to survive any extreme situation. Getting trapped in a dungeon is basic, and if monsters burst out from an outbreak dungeon, or you're fighting vampires or demons, you need to shrug off summer heat like it's nothing.
"Exactly. Collapsing in this heat means that's all the human you are."
"Seong-hoon, do you know about global warming?"
"Yeah. Way too well. I'm feeling it with my whole body right now."
The four-day break had been way too short. Incredibly short. I always feel this way, but holidays always fly by. Maybe the human body has a spring that winds time faster when you're comfy.
Thanks to that, my whole body was baking under the sun. Yeah. Hot. Way too hot. Finals are over and vacation's right around the corner—why the hell am I out here?
They say black hair like mine absorbs more heat. You fluorescent types.
Jealous. I want blonde or white hair too.
"Seong-hoon, mixing other colors into your hair would look kinda weird on you."
"Shut it."
As I bickered with Raphael standing next to me, Roseline's opening speech suddenly kicked off. It felt like our eyes met a few times, but she was probably just scanning the crowd.
Sounded like a sales pitch. Like you buy something and enter a raffle. I just kept listening quietly.
What came next was the usual chairwoman spiel. Be safe. Fair competition.
This sports festival is on a whole other scale—the usual lines, but yeah, the scale really is different. In the original story, it was on sand; now it's grass.
They turned the entire massive field into grass. And what's this? A ton of unfamiliar events added.
I don't know the ones Kim Tae-hyun didn't enter anyway, and there are disgustingly many new ones announced this time.
I pocketed the eye-straining event guide. No point looking. Just sign up for everything mindlessly.
Most are team events anyway, so just participate. And the key to snagging MVP?
Our team has to win.
"Wait for me, Maldives."
I gripped the white headband I'd gotten that morning tight. For the first time since coming here, motivation was surging.
Right now, I feel like I could do anything!!
(By the way, Raphael's on White Team too.)
"Raphael."
I called her, and the enthusiastic blonde nodded.
"Yes. Let's head to the Maldives."
"“Uoooooh!!!”"
Don't care about that. Our cheers got the other students joining in, raising their voices.
White Team's morale rose!
Why no blue window?
A bit of free time while the event staff prepped. I headed to White Team's booth, taking in the surroundings.
"Pretty empty."
I nodded at Raphael's words. Of course. Unlike the ranking battles, no outsiders this time.
Meaning not a single parent came to watch their kids.
No street vendors fired up to greet them either. Just clusters of students gathering, buzzing with anticipation for the festival.
In the original, there was a raid here. If things went canon, one during midterms, one during sports fest.
But midterms went written, and sports fest has Roseline's barrier blocking intruders.
Meaning the guy who should've shown up multiple times hasn't intervened once. Which stalls Kim Tae-hyun's growth.
In other words, I'm doing great.
"Why the happy grin? We're here."
"Oh. Yeah? Let's head in."
I entered the White Team booth under Raphael's questioning look.
"Whoa."
No joke. A gasp escaped the moment I stepped in. Calling it a booth was underselling—it was a full building. They went all out this time.
In one word: White Team's base. A spot for people to drop by, heal wounds, check upcoming events.
I looked around right away. Obviously hunting for familiar faces.
Would be nice if the maids were on our team. Power boost on the road to MVP—
That's when I bumped into someone after scanning for a while.
White hair, black eyes in stark contrast. And that icy gaze. He spoke.
"Looking for something?"
"Eek!! Why are you here!!"
Raphael yelped in reply, but answering a question with one?
Obviously rude. But Michael stayed unfazed. Like he was used to it now, he straightened from the collision.
Then he grabbed something on his arm. Classic Michael. Long white hair down to his waist. Immaculate clothes, not a speck of dust.
But unlike usual, something on his arm. The way he held it felt familiar, but I let it slide.
"What's that."
Michael scoffed at my question. His stoic face twisted slightly, lips curling in annoyance.
"You don't even know? It's the executive committee armband. Not for punks like you guys."
"Punk? Punk what?"
"Didn't hear? Punk. Delinquent punk."
"I asked 'cause I didn't hear?!"
"Right!! Why are we punks!!"
Raphael huffed, waving her arms in protest, but Michael just gave a hollow laugh.
"You aren't?"
I couldn't answer right away. That question carried layers.
Like, 'You think you can hold this armband without causing chaos?'
I averted my eyes. Well, if I had power, chaos first. Raphael surprisingly got it too, dodging my gaze until our eyes met.
"See? Can't answer right away proves it."
"W-well, I'd hold back—nope."
She tucked tail under his gaze immediately. Good thing she had solid self-awareness. I patted the sulky blonde's head and reached out to Michael.
"Gimme the team list. Wanna check if the maids are with us."
"Already looked. Don't misunderstand. Checked for Raphael's sake."
Sure you did. I tuned out Michael's solo rambling. Kid needs to get to the point instead of circling.
Always mixes in the right words, the good advice. Exhausting type. Total opposite of Raphael—that's why I avoid him like the plague.
"Seong-hoon figured it out too?"
I nodded at the whisper in my ear. Michael shot a glare since he heard, but I said nothing and stayed put.
"Anyway, all your maids are on Blue Team."
"No way."
"Truth. Blue Team: Isia. Sophia. Shin Ga-yeon. Shin Chae-yeon. All there."
No way?! How does nothing ever go my way? This God's meddling?
Luck booster elixir hit [Absorption 70%], shouldn't luck turn now?
I'm not some academy city's unlucky guy—what's this?
That's Raphael's luck, right? She found it?! Then my luck should be up—!!
I wailed internally, but nothing changed. Gotta grind hard.
"Gotta work hard."
"Your 'hard work' goes elsewhere. Planning some weird trick again."
I ignored the giggling blonde covering her mouth and thanked Michael.
He checked for someone else—least I could do.
"Thanks."
"Buttering me up now?"
Nope.
"Siiiing."
"Ciiiing."
"...Don't copy me."
"When did I copy?"
"..."
Right now, Isia was pouting with her lips pursed. Legs crossed, chin propped, slouched bored as she stared toward the field where events were about to start.
And next to her sat Sophia in the exact same pose, just mirrored left-right.
Isia had an armband on too, but zero desire to work. Why was she on Blue Team?
She was brooding over fate. What about Sophia beside her?
Bad mood for similar reasons, but mimicking Isia to tease her lifted her spirits a bit.
The subtle similarities only poked at the black-haired girl's fiery temper more.
"Raphael's so lucky. Always stuck together. Always same team. Always Seong-hoon taking care of her. Can't we swap places for one day? Preferably today."
"..."
Tired of mimicking, Sophia flopped over. She melted into the booth desk, staring at the field.
"Finals were nice. Walking on the sea and all. Y'know, I'd walk ahead, clasp hands behind, turn back—Seong-hoon panics every time? So fun, kept doing it. Shame."
"Shut up. It's starting soon—watch the events."
"Sure~"
Honestly jealous. Isia wanted to walk the night sea too, hands behind back, turning around.
Would Seong-hoon panic seeing her bathed in moonlight? She got that far, face heated up, shook her head wildly to banish the thought.
Not jealous at all. Lately, using magic research as excuse, she'd spent quite a bit of time with Seong-hoon—not alone, but still.
Even during finals, no interruptions. Just the two sitting by the fire, talking.
Nothing to envy. Why envy anyway?
No reason to envy at all...!!
As Sophia teased the beet-red Isia, the events kicked off on the field.
First up: simple sprint. Basic race—nothing beats it for a starter.
The two who'd been teasing quieted down. Simple reason.
Black hair spotted amid the crowd.
Referee puts whistle to mouth, raises flag.
They swallowed, watching—
"Huh? Isn't that one overflowing with motivation?"
"Yeah. Flames coming from his head... not an illusion, right?!"
Nope. Not a manga—head flames impossible. They shot up for a better look, but the race had started.
Whistle blew, flag dropped. Students dashed out. Or tried to.
"Eh?"
Iron girders blocked them. Suddenly dropped from the sky.
Falling from above, everyone freaked and backed off. Everyone but one.
Through panicking students, weaving past falling girders leisurely. Just walking, but so fast.
Looked like girders swerved around him.
"That's not what we taught him."
Isia knew what it was. One of the sword clan's body techniques: footwork steps.
Glanced around—saw the blue-haired sisters with bitter looks.
Back to the race: the escaped black hair turns back. Grins, scatters something into the air.
Yellow paper. What folks call Post-its. They linked up, forming a dense net that smothered the girders.
And a voice rang out.
"Whoa..."
Isia let out an awed groan.
"Why's he going that hard?"
Sophia muttered like she truly couldn't fathom it. No wonder—this sports fest had zero reason to go hard.
No guild scouts. Security meant no TV broadcast.
Just a school event. They dangled a Maldives trip to hype motivation, sure.
"Maldives is three seconds via warp gate anyway."
"Pure show. Kinda curious, though. Why go that hard?"
"Hmm~ No idea. Either some real reason or none at all."
One or the other. Isia nodded at Sophia's words.
Because Lee Seong-hoon was either totally thoughtless or ruthlessly meticulous. Nothing in between.
Mostly the former, though.