Chapter 197: Love Triangle (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 197: Love Triangle (6)
“This took longer than I thought.”
Checking the time on my smartphone, I hurried toward the large lecture hall where the freshmen were still introducing themselves.
I carefully opened the door, trying not to draw any attention.
“Ah, hello! I am new student Yoon Si-hoo!”
The owner of a voice that boomed through the lecture hall without even needing a microphone caught my eye.
His eyes were full of passion, as if he were possessed by the protagonist of a hot-blooded shonen manga.
Sharp features that weren't diminished by his short, military-style haircut.
He looked to be just under 180 cm tall.
Yoon Si-hoo, was it?
My very first thought upon seeing him was…
“What a mess.”
To put it more mildly… a total disaster.
A body that looked so untrained, it was hard to believe he was a freshman in the Warrior Department.
The mana leaking from his body was pathetically weak.
A question naturally arose.
“…How did he even get in?”
In his current state, he was nowhere near the level I'd expect from a Korea University student.
But something was strange.
“Why do my eyes keep drifting to him…?”
He was unimpressive and insignificant.
His youthful, pretty-boy face might catch the eyes of girls, but there was nothing about him that should have caught mine.
“And yet, he has a strange glow.”
It felt like a faint light seeping through a thick, hardened layer of dust and grime on an ore.
If only this thick shell could be peeled away, I would be different.
It was as if that light was whispering this to me.
“Interesting.”
A strange curiosity stirred within me.
I wondered what kind of gem would be revealed, and how it would shine, once all those layers were stripped away.
Ah, but that doesn't mean I'm actually going to do it.
The old Son Si-woo, who was obsessed with collecting talent, would have jumped at the chance, but not me. Not anymore.
My only interest in this life is women.
I don't have the luxury of paying attention to men.
Anyway, as he boldly continued his introduction, he occasionally showed signs of anxiety.
His pupils trembled violently.
Whenever that happened, he would glance somewhere as if searching for a tranquilizer.
And where was he looking? At the section where the other freshmen were seated.
Specifically, at a female student who was sitting demurely, an empty seat beside her, constantly making eye contact to encourage the guy on the stage.
“Oh.”
It was that girl.
The one who caught my eye earlier when I was scanning the freshmen to see if there was anyone useful.
If I had to describe her appearance in one phrase, ‘pure and delicate’ would be the most fitting.
You know the type. The kind of face that becomes a hit in a sweet first-love movie and earns the title of ‘the nation's first love.’
“Do they know each other?”
Siblings…? Their features were too different. Friends…? They seemed too affectionate for that.
Then there was only one answer.
“A couple….”
A youthful pretty boy and the nation's first love.
Based on looks alone, it'd be hard to find a more perfect match.
A harmony so perfect it was as if they were destined for each other from the start.
“Tsk.”
What a shame.
If they weren't a couple, I would've definitely wanted to make a move.
My interest cooled rapidly.
I moved from where I was standing blankly and returned to my original seat. As I sat down quietly, Shin Yu-jeong looked at me.
“What took you so long?”
“Ah… I ran into a professor on the way.”
“A professor? Who?”
Uh, I didn't think that far ahead.
I'll just spit out the name of any professor that comes to mind.
“Professor Baek Hyeon-a, from the Magic Department. She's quite fond of me.”
“Hmph… is that so?”
“Yeah.”
It wasn't a lie.
It was true that she was fond of me.
Though her intentions seemed very impure and I couldn't quite figure them out, so I was keeping my distance.
Since a Tanker like her would have no reason to interact with a Magic Department professor, it was the perfect excuse.
“I look forward to working with you all!”
Yoon Si-hoo's rather long self-introduction ended, and it was the last freshman's turn.
She walked with a demure yet surprisingly confident air.
Stepping onto the stage, she held the microphone with her long, elegant fingers and faced us.
“Hello, seniors. I'm Jin Ha-rin, a freshman in the Magic Department.”
A demure and gentle tone.
At her words, the male students started murmuring.
“Is this for real…?”
“The Magic Department is on another level.”
“Why doesn't our department have girls like that?”
The air was filled with voices envious of the Magic Department.
Suddenly, I felt a sharp gaze and a chill from my side.
Wondering what was wrong, I turned my head to see Shin Yu-jeong glaring fiercely at me.
“Did you hear that? She's in the Magic Department.”
“…I heard, but what about it?”
“Oh, nothing~ It's just that all the guys seem to like her, so I figured you must be even happier since you're in the same department.”
She was testing me every time a pretty freshman showed up.
It was starting to get annoying, but I also felt a little sorry for her.
It was obvious she was doing this because she wanted to confirm my love by constantly testing me.
Of course, that didn't mean I was going to let it slide.
I'd have to pick a day and teach her a lesson.
If she didn't become a little more obedient, it would cause problems for my plans in more ways than one.
“The Magic Department has so many classes, we'll barely run into each other.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah. Plus, the classes I signed up for this time are pretty niche, so it's even less likely.”
“If that's the case, then fine.”
She looked a little relieved.
I pressed down on her head and chided her.
“Jeez, isn't it about time you stopped being so jealous?”
She shot me a sidelong glance with a sulky expression.
“Try being in my shoes, you bastard. You think I wouldn't be worried?”
“And what are your shoes like?”
“Fuck, I might be able to relax if it was just one or two bitches asking me to introduce you to them.”
It had been a while since I heard her say "fuck."
She must have been really pissed.
Were there really that many girls asking to be introduced to me?
Considering no one actually approached me, I wondered if she beat them up and chased them away.
“There, there. You've been through a lot.”
There was only one thing to do here.
All I could do was wrap an arm around her shoulder and pat her comfortingly.
The girl wasn't just subtle about it... she openly loved skinship. She was ecstatic whenever we were physically close.
You should be glad you weren't born a man, Yu-jeong.
And you should be thankful your mom gave birth to such a pretty daughter.
Otherwise, you'd probably just be called a pervert….
.
.
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.
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After the freshmen introductions were over, we moved to a new location.
Just like last semester, the students of the Combat Division gathered at a nearby bar, led by Park Jin-woo.
Thanks to him renting out the entire place, students were gathered in small groups at each table, tipping back their glasses.
The table I was at was also full.
Full of whom, you ask?
“Free food and alcohol! If I miss this chance, I'll live the entire semester in regret…!”
“Hey, drink up!”
“Mas… I mean, Do-jin, hehe, want some snacks?”
It was the usual crowd.
To be precise, my teammates from last semester.
Elena, gorging herself on the free food and drinks; Shin Yu-jeong, going wild since it had been a while since she drank; Im Na-eun, sitting right next to me and busy getting me snacks; and Son Seo-yeon, quietly sipping her beer.
With so many pretty girls gathered at one table, we were drawing a lot of attention.
Especially from the male students.
“That son of a bitch…”
“Are you for real with that lineup at his table?”
“That bastard's dick better be 3cm long. For life to be fair, that's how it has to be.”
Tsk, tsk. To think they still hadn't realized the world wasn't fair.
They must have had it easy so far.
It was always the ones with comfortable lives who cried for fairness.
Anyway.
It felt like there was an invisible wall around us.
Even the students who were moving from table to table, sharing drinks, didn't dare approach ours.
Not that I minded.
I had no desire to get friendly with a bunch of nobodies.
And if things stayed this way, the chances of our team composition remaining the same this year were…
“Mind if I join you for a moment?”
Just as I was envisioning a rosy future, an uninvited guest arrived at our table.
A solid build and a handsome face.
Family, skill, and looks.
The golden boy who lacked nothing, Park Jin-woo, was standing before our table, asking for permission to sit.
His face was a little flushed, so he must have had a fair bit to drink on his way here.
Everyone's eyes turned to me.
Are they going to follow my decision?
“…Have a seat.”
“Haha, thanks.”
What choice did I have?
I had to let him sit for now.
I didn't want to be blamed for ruining the good mood.
Park Jin-woo affably pulled a chair from another table and squeezed himself into a corner of ours.
He immediately picked up a bottle and turned his gaze to me.
So I'm the reason he came here.
“You're Kim Do-jin, right?”
“Yes.”
I answered, holding out my glass for him to pour.
“I've heard a lot about you. They say you became the top of the Magic Department right after you enrolled last year? Haha, that's amazing.”
Hmm.
That didn't feel like a sincere compliment.
It smelled like a formality, just buttering me up before getting to his real reason for being here.
“Well, shall we have a drink?”
“…Yes.”
I don't want to drink with a guy.
I forced down a shot of soju and calmed myself.
We've broken the ice, and we've had a drink.
Now's about the time for his real purpose to come out.
Park Jin-woo put down his glass and slowly parted his lips.
“I don't know if you've heard, but I'm staying at the university this year as well.”
“Yes, I heard.”
“Haha, good. If you already know, this conversation will be a bit easier.”
“……?”
“The thing is, I'm putting together a new team. My original members all left for their internships.”
Look at this bastard.
Coming all the way over here to tell me he's forming a new team... that means there's someone here he wants.
I narrowed my eyes at his obvious intention, and he continued with a relaxed smile.
“Looks like you've already guessed. That's right. I came because there's someone I want from your team… no, from last year's team.”
A member he wants.
In terms of skill, any of them could be a candidate.
But he's probably not looking for someone just because they're skilled.
What Park Jin-woo wants is probably….
“I want to recruit Seo-yeon here for my team.”
Just as I thought.