Teamwork and Strategy (3)
The Teamwork and Strategy course was, at its core, a class built around cooperation and understanding between teammates.
You couldn't earn a good grade simply by performing your own role well; the class also demanded a fair amount of skill in reading and understanding the people fighting alongside you.
Say, for instance, a swordsman assigned to guard the rear line spots a monster's weak point right in front of him and dashes off to strike it. Sure, the monster dies a little faster — but the rear line is left exposed, and the resulting losses end up far greater. Once the rear support falls, the vanguard can no longer handle the remaining monsters on their own, and survival becomes a losing gamble. This Teamwork and Strategy lecture existed precisely to prevent parties from annihilating themselves that way in real combat.
Unfortunately, it was an elective rather than a major requirement. Then again, not many people in this world were fond of group projects either.
"Anyway, let's have a good semester together. I'm Choi Marie — a second-year in the Shield Department, like Seonho said."
"Ah, yes! I'm Han Sora, first-year in the Archery Department, sunbae!"
"Ahh, right, you're that Archery Department valedictorian Seonho mentioned. Good to have you on board."
Since Do Yoon-sung and I already knew each other, Choi Marie skipped our introductions and dove straight into business. Maybe because she'd actually taken the class once before, she took it upon herself to act as leader, walking the three of us juniors through what the course involved.
"It's a group-project class, but it's not all that hard. You spend about a month on theory, take a written exam, and then all that's left is doing well on the practical assessment that comes right after."
"And how is the practical assessment conducted?"
"Probably a large-monster hunt. It'll be designed so that cooperation is absolutely mandatory, no matter which monster you draw. …At a level where no amount of effort lets you take it down alone."
By the time she spat out those last words, a faintly bitter expression had settled on Choi Marie's face. It was the exact method she herself had attempted and failed with last year, after all.
For the sin of her recklessness, two of the rear-line members of Choi Marie's party had died on the spot, and with their numbers gutted and the defense unsustainable, she and the last remaining vanguard met their end as well.
Because of it, Choi Marie had become something of a blacklisted name among the other departments — the person nobody wanted to end up grouped with on a team assignment.
The Immortality Magic was in place to keep students from actually dying mid-class, but even so, the experience of being killed by a monster along with a wrecked GPA wasn't exactly a fond memory to look back on.
"So our party will be me and Yoon-sung on the front line, and Seonho and Han Sora covering the rear. Nice even spread of departments — good balance all around."
"With an assignment like this, I can't help but wonder if I'll just be dead weight. I don't exactly have combat ability, after all."
"Wh-what are you talking about, Lee Seonho?! I get anxious without you around, okay?! Don't say weird stuff like that."
"Yeah, and Seonho has great stamina, too. Way better than rear-line kids with no base conditioning to speak of. Just don't drag me down."
…Choi Marie really was shameless in the sneakiest ways. This was the girl who fumbled an entire party last year, telling me seriously not to hold her back.
Not that it mattered — heroines got forgiven for all of that, every time. As long as she was pretty, had a great body, and only acted sweet in front of me, that was more than enough.
As I mulled that over, I glanced around to see where Seo Woojin had ended up —
"Ahh, so can I just call you Woojin~?"
"A-any way you like is fine…."
"Look at you getting all shy. So cute~."
"Woojin, you're in the Swordsmanship Department, right? Then in the practical, we just stick right behind you?"
"Woojin, Woojin~. You'll protect us, right~?"
Somehow he'd been snatched up by a cluster of chattering girls and installed as their face of the group. Looks-wise, he was on about the same level as that extra girl who'd come sidling up to Do Yoonchae before — passable, tolerable, but a bit of a stretch to call actually pretty.
Back in the day I might have thought a girl like that was perfectly fine, but my standards had climbed awfully high lately, and I wasn't satisfied. And it was probably the same for Seo Woojin, who'd grown up with Han Sora as his childhood friend.
"……."
—A flicker of ice.
Seo Woojin, apparently curious about my movements too, had been looking our way, and for a moment our eyes locked. I don't make a hobby of staring contests with other men, so I looked away without ceremony.
'Still, judging by how popular he is, he'll probably show up again before long, a little stronger this time.'
He probably wouldn't reach the level he'd achieved in the original story, basking in the affection of girls like Han Sora and Kim Isabel — but still.
Keeping the thought that I'd rather not get tangled up with him any more than necessary tucked away inside, I turned my gaze back toward my harem.
"Alright then, head on in and eat well."
"Marie sunbae, aren't you eating with us?"
"And what would I be doing wedged in at a table full of first-years? Just eat on your own."
"Have a good one, Marie sunbae!"
"……."
—A small bow.
After the first day's lecture of Teamwork and Strategy ended, Choi Marie drifted away with practiced ease.
At the first stroke of lunch hour she was already putting distance between herself and us, and the three of us each tossed her a parting farewell as we watched her go.
"It would've been nice if Marie sunbae ate with us. Shame."
"Right? I had a whole deal going where I'd leech meals off Marie sunbae, too."
"You two seem really close, Seonho. How long have you known each other?"
"About a month before the practical entrance exam. Back when I was way skinnier than I am now, I went out to the neighborhood sports field to start working out, and…."
"When you're first starting to exercise, it helps to have someone beside you keeping you honest. If bad form sets in, long-term it's worse than not training at all—"
Trading stories about how I'd first met Choi Marie and assorted other small talk, the three of us made our way toward the student cafeteria.
Even Do Yoon-sung, stiff and awkward at first, had by this point picked up on the flow and started slipping into the conversation a little at a time. The speech itself remained wooden as a board, though.
If only that rigid, wooden way of talking would turn soft and pliant — for me alone, and soon. If I properly conquered just this one, I'd never have to trouble myself over wanting again for my entire time at the academy.
I was picturing Do Yoon-sung waiting the moment we got back to the dorm, ready to follow me straight into the bathroom — and nearly pitched a full tent right there in the middle of the street.
"Oh, that reminds me. Sora."
"Yeah?"
"How's archery training been going lately? Keeping it up?"
"Ah, well…."
"What is it? Things not going well these days?"
"…It's not that things are going terribly, it's just gotten a little harder…?"
Figured. All this time she'd been receiving aim correction through my Suggestion, and now she was trying to forget that feel and shoot on her own — of course it would feel off.
The training had wrapped up before her form was fully locked in, so her skill may well have regressed. I couldn't say for certain until I saw it with my own eyes.
'Judging by her reaction, she's been waiting for me to bring it up first all along.'
That was just Han Sora's nature — she couldn't bring herself to make the shameless move of asking outright. Not after all the help I'd already given her, on top of everything else.
That was why, back then, she'd had no choice but to endure it even when I kneaded her chest and pinched her nipples under the pretext of a sleep habit. Han Sora was the type who repaid time and effort with absolute certainty, in exact proportion.
Even now, judging by her tone, she couldn't make a direct request of me — but I could see she stood ready to accept anytime, if only I offered to help.
…And naturally, I had no intention of cutting short the conditioning I'd invested so much effort into building.
"Sora, you said your afternoon classes were free today, right?"
"Yeah. Today's a rest day for me."
"Perfect timing, then. I've got the afternoon off too — if you're up for it, want me to spot your training after lunch?"
"…T-today?"
"Ah, do you have something else scheduled?"
"No… i-it's not that, it's just…."
Han Sora averted her eyes, flustered — clearly she hadn't anticipated me bringing this up out of nowhere.
She was probably hesitating over whether she was allowed to accept another favor from me like this. Given everything she already owed me, this would just be piling on more debt.
"Y-you're busy though, Seonho, and I'd just be wasting your time—"
"It's just picking up where we left off before the entrance ceremony. And I'm only keeping an eye on you during free periods, it's nothing."
"S-still, I feel bad…."
"We're in the same group-project class anyway. Just think of it as team training and take it easy."
"Well…. r-right, we do have to train as the same team eventually…."
Only when I mentioned the cooperative class assignment did Han Sora finally nod, as if it had just clicked.
…The day I collect my tuition in person didn't seem far off at all.
…Don't be nervous, Han Sora.
This is just the same training you've been doing with Seonho all along. What is there to be tense about?
It's true we've barely trained in almost a week because of everything that's happened since the entrance ceremony, but there's nothing awkward about it.
Just… do the training exactly the way we always have. That's all.
'It is a little awkward because of what happened at Seonho's place, though.'
Because of that sleep-talking stunt he pulled, every time archery training comes up, all I can think about is that night.
Why did he have to dream of all things that night, of all nights. …Not that I ended up pulling away from his hand either.
What was I even thinking, just lying there and letting him touch me? I must have been so exhausted my mind briefly checked out.
Meanwhile he doesn't even remember pawing at my body in his sleep. He realized it when he woke up in the morning, sure — but there's no way it crossed his mind that he'd pinched my nipple too.
'Ugh, this is exhausting. Is romance just supposed to be this hard?'
Getting confessions from random guys, love always seemed like the easy part. Turns out romance with someone you actually like is anything but simple.
And the girls around Seonho are all stunning, one after another. What's the deal with that Marie sunbae, anyway? It wasn't just Eunju and Isabel I needed to worry about, was it.
'And Seonho himself is so oblivious he probably hasn't noticed how she feels either.'
He doesn't notice my feelings either, which stings a little — but honestly, him being that way is something to be grateful for.
If Seonho had even a shred of awareness, he'd already be dating Eunju. He's the only person alive who would keep pushing a girl away while she's practically broadcasting that she likes him, insisting his own ability isn't good enough.
…If my chest were just a little bigger, I could have thrown myself at him openly like Eunju or Isabel do. Then again, breasts this size are convenient when I'm drawing a bow.
"Feels like it's been a week since I was last at the Archery Department training grounds."
"I-I've actually been coming every day, though. During free periods, or after dinner and stuff."
"Shall we alternate between buff training and hypnosis training like we always have today, then? Figure an hour or two each and we'll be set…."
…No. This can't go on.
I need to make him realize, even a little, that I'm a woman too.
"S-Seonho…!"
"Yeah?"
"Wh-what if we just do hypnosis training today…? We haven't had much time to train together lately, so if anything, I think it'd be better to do it efficiently…."
"You think so?"
"…Yeah. If we've got the group assessment in a month, we need to get stronger as fast as we can."
"You're right, Sora. Then from today on, let's stick to hypnosis training only."
…If I just pretend to be under hypnosis and move a little on my own, Seonho probably won't notice a thing.