Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Chapter 10 Small Incident (2)
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“Finish this by tomorrow morning.”
Thud.
Looking at the work log that had dropped right in front of him, Jo Hyun replied.
“Understood, Hall Master.”
“Then I'll head out first.”
Jo Hyun let out a deep sigh as he watched Chung-hyun walk away briskly.
‘By morning? It's not even that urgent.’
Well, it wasn't the first time this had happened.
It was just the nature of the work in Bronze Hall, the lowest division of the Divine Martial Academy.
They always had to provide materials quickly whenever a higher hall master requested them, so even routine tasks were handled with “as soon as possible” urgency.
Shuffle.
As he examined the log, evaluations of today's sparring matches were scribbled all over it in a mess.
Jo Hyun's job was simple.
To neatly summarize each instructor's opinions on the students and the sparring results in a clear, concise manner.
It was straightforward but time-consuming, not difficult but risky—if recorded wrong, it meant complaints from fellow instructors or a scolding from superiors.
With a grimace, Jo Hyun filled the oil lamp and began sorting through the log diligently.
How much time had passed?
“I'm heading out first.”
“Take care going home.”
“I'll go too.”
One by one, the instructors rose and left, leaving him alone.
Scribble, scribble.
Jo Hyun didn't set down his brush until late into the night, well past quitting time.
“Whew. Finally done. Now what...”
This was originally the hall master's job.
He'd taken it on reluctantly, but as a newbie instructor, there were parts that were hard to judge.
He didn't know all the instructors' names by heart, and some martial arts names were misspelled.
A knowledgeable superior's review was essential.
But who would be around at this hour?
‘Guess I have to come in early tomorrow morning.’
As he finished the final check and tidied up the log, footsteps approached from outside.
Along with humming a tune came Yeom Gwang and Fist Arts Instructor Yang Gu-baekcheol-kwon, both thoroughly drunk.
“Oh, hey. Still here?”
“Just about to leave.”
“Heh heh. You and your diligence and sincerity.”
“Haha. You're quite drunk.”
Instructor Yang Gu-baekcheol-kwon, arm-in-arm supporting Yeom Gwang, laid him down on the simple cot in one corner of the instructor room.
“Heh heh~”
Yeom Gwang hiccuped a few notes into the air while lying on the cot, reeking of booze.
“Urp. Isn't that our pretty Instructor Jo? C'mere.”
“Squad Leader, you're really drunk.”
“Pfft! I just like our Instructor Jo 'cause she's pretty!”
Jo Hyun approached unsteadily as Yeom Gwang flared up.
“That's right! No one but our Instructor Jo!”
The stench of alcohol was overpowering.
Just as he tried to back away.
“Diligent! Sincere! Good at work! Huh? And!”
Yeom Gwang hiccuped and yelled.
“Anyway! That damn Chu Un-hwi is nothing like you!”
“Why bring up Instructor Chu out of nowhere?”
“That bas↗tard↘ is re↘al↗ly!”
“Sigh. Here we go again.”
“Soon! I'll catch him! And make sure he pays! Smash him flat!”
Instructor Yang Gu-baekcheol-kwon frowned and subtly mouthed to Jo Hyun as he turned his head.
“He's upset over today's sparring.”
That made sense.
His carefully trained students had been defeated one after another.
Losing to students taught by a newbie instructor had bruised his pride badly.
More than Nangong Yun-ho or the instructor hunter Jegal Tan, he'd expected his pupils to at least beat Baek Ri-seol or Moyong So-hye levels, but they'd been utterly crushed.
‘Some even have to forfeit the midterm because of it?’
His match-fixing had backfired like a dagger.
Self-inflicted, sure, but his superior was still quite distressed, and Instructor Yang had handled the aftermath.
“You've had a rough day.”
“Working late like you, what hardship is this?”
As Instructor Yang tucked Yeom Gwang into the cot and covered him with a blanket, Jo Hyun expressed his thanks and tried to leave.
“Our Instructor Jo! You worked hard—let's grab a drink soon!”
“Yes, Squad Leader. Of course.”
He really didn't want to.
But to say the next part, he had to nod along.
“Please check this tomorrow morning. The hall master said it's urgent...”
“Ah, got it. Got it.”
“Please.”
After pleading earnestly several times, Jo Hyun finally left the instructor room.
His head spun.
Exhausted from fatigue, dizzy from the booze fumes, and dealing with drunken antics—he just wanted to collapse on the cot and sleep.
Trudge, trudge.
Dragging his weary body back to the Bronze Hall dorms.
Entering the top-floor hallway reserved for newbie instructors, she stared piercingly at the dark end of the pitch-black corridor.
‘Instructor Chu said the end room is his?’
Click.
After entering, changing into simple nightclothes, Jo Hyun collapsed onto the bed.
As sleepiness enveloped her on the soft bedding, a face from that morning suddenly came to mind.
Far too youthful for his age—boyish, even.
Only reaching her chest in height, face half-hidden by long hair, impossible to read his thoughts.
At twenty-five? He looked more like a mischievous kid than a young man.
But one thing she envied.
“What's that?”
“Heh heh. A gift.”
“Oh, how pretty.”
“Ahem.”
Yeo Mae-hong, blushing and hiding her sword in her sleeve, had an identical red tassel dangling from it.
“Sword decoration...”
She turned her head, glancing at her own sword faintly visible in the darkness.
Plain, without any adornment.
She'd actually bought one. It was in the instructor room drawer.
‘What's that? Hanging something so childish at your age?’
‘Haha. I like cute things more than they seem?’
‘Kids are watching—tone down the flashiness.’
After repeated failures, she'd finally entered the academy, but nearing thirty already.
She'd barely achieved her dream, only to face new hurdles.
For her, a struggling newbie barely scraping by, Chu Un-hwi the eccentric was enviably free.
“Instructor Chu, where are you!”
Even the fearsome hall master couldn't rein him in.
“Chu Un-hwi, you damn bastard!”
Yeom Gwang, king among instructors, wilted before Instructor Chu.
And his students improved by leaps and bounds, even earning thanks from the prestigious Baek Family.
‘So enviable...’
Ignored by colleagues.
Unable to protest dumped work.
Too self-conscious to wear accessories.
To her, Chu Un-hwi was incredibly enviable.
“Maybe he's the hall master's secret son?”
Then perhaps she could be the hall master's daughter in her next life.
Shaking her head coldly at the rising emotions, Jo Hyun muttered.
“No. Not time for fantasies.”
Back to her determined newbie instructor gaze, she murmured.
“Tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow...”
Before she could repeat it a few times.
“Snore...”
Jo Hyun fell asleep.
‘Overslept.’
Jo Hyun jolted up, threw on her uniform, and rushed to fling open the instructor room door.
But the atmosphere was tense.
Peeking in, Hall Master Chung-hyun sat at her desk with his back to her, tapping it with his index finger.
‘Damn. Already here?’
Startled, Jo Hyun hurried in and bowed ninety degrees.
“S-sorry I'm late! Instructor Jo Hyun reporting for duty!”
She wasn't late.
About half a shichen (30 minutes) until official start time.
But arriving after the boss meant tardy.
Only the bold dared arrive after their superior as a newbie.
“You're here?”
Chung-hyun's expression, as he turned, was grim.
‘Something's wrong.’
Before she could steady herself.
A bellow erupted.
“What kind of person are you!”
“Y-yes??”
Stunned by the thunderous voice, she struggled to grasp the situation. Chung-hyun's tirade continued.
“I told you to check it properly and bring it, but do my words mean nothing?”
“Th-that—”
She couldn't figure it out.
But in such cases.
“I'll correct it!”
Bowing deeply was best.
Chung-hyun raged on.
“Two instructor names wrong!”
“Student names messed up too!”
“Did you even check this properly?”
Oh no. Glancing over, Yeom Gwang was pointedly looking away, feigning ignorance.
He'd apparently tossed the log on the hall master's desk without checking.
“If I take this to Silver Hall, how embarrassing would that be!”
“I'll correct—”
“You trying to make a fool of me on purpose?”
“No, sir.”
“Then why!”
“I'll correct it.”
“Why! You doing this on purpose to screw me over?”
“No!”
“Then why!”
After countless bows, as Chung-hyun's voice tapered off, Yeom Gwang slyly interjected.
“Heh heh. Hall Master, would our Instructor Jo do it on purpose? Calm down.”
“Ahem. Who said I was angry?”
“She'll revise it properly and resubmit, so cool off. I checked with the martial bureau—Silver Hall Master is away preparing for midterms. Won't be back for at least five days, so we can guide her slowly.”
“Ahem. Is that so? I trust you.”
Jo Hyun's eyes darkened with despair as Chung-hyun vanished.
To her, Bronze Hall's power broker and master of office politics Yeom Gwang spoke awkwardly.
“Uh, well. I put it in my drawer to review properly, but the hall master peeked anyway.”
As if.
The hall master wasn't the type to rummage drawers. Not meticulous either.
Of course, pointing that out was impossible.
“Don't take this to heart. Chin up and do better. Got it, Instructor Jo?”
“Sniff. Yes.”
“No crying. Let's set up a mood-lifter soon.”
Really.
Everyone, from this one to that one, was detestable.
Two days later.
Having finally finished revising the documents, Jo Hyun felt relieved.
If he'd known about Silver Hall Master's trip beforehand, couldn't he have given more time?
The thought crossed her mind, but it was water under the bridge.
Such incidents had happened countless times; dwelling meant defeat.
As she chanted this while tidying up, Yeom Gwang stood and clapped sharply.
Right after Chung-hyun had stepped out.
“Alright! Everyone, attention!”
All eyes in the instructor room turned to Yeom Gwang.
And today?
‘Instructor Chu is here for once?’
The guy who'd flee like a thirty-time offender caught red-handed—what brought him?
Tilting her head, she caught Yeom Gwang exchanging glances with the other instructors.
All of them itching to punish Instructor Chu.
‘No way... today's the day...’
Two days ago, Yeom Gwang's rant echoed in her ears.
“Chu Un-hwi! You bastard! Soon! I'll catch you! And make you pay!”
Jo Hyun's eyes shook in alarm.
She had no idea what they planned, but Yeom Gwang was ruthless.
Rumors said once he targeted someone, he didn't let go until the end.
‘What to do?’
As she pondered how to warn him.
Their eyes met. What she saw was Chu Un-hwi curling his lips, looking her way, raising his index finger.
—Shh.
It's a secret.
Lips pursed to his finger, the gesture burned into her mind.
Time seemed to slow, the world filled only with that image.