Chapter 73: The Academy Graduation (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 73: The Academy Graduation (2)
“Um, Mr. Kang Ha-chan, you’re not really F-rank, are you?”
She had seen me fire the Brain Thunder.
From her behavior, it seemed she hadn't told anyone else, but it was a stretch for anyone to call that the work of an F-rank.
“No, I am F-rank.”
But I had no intention of admitting it.
I had helped her out of goodwill; there was no reason to reveal the truth.
However, she seemed to interpret my words differently, and her eyes began to sparkle.
She looked at me as if she were seeing a hero from a comic book who had to hide his powers and identity.
Yes, it was a look that clearly showed her affection for me had grown even stronger.
It was as if I had suddenly acquired an air of mystery.
“Um, I mentioned it before, didn't I? I wanted to repay you for saving me.”
I gave her a strange look.
Just a short while ago, she had been stuck to Lee Su-ho’s side, spitting out, ‘How ridiculous!’ Now, she was asking me out. It was baffling.
Is this what love is?
To think a day would come when, at twenty-six, I’d be contemplating the nature of love all over again.
Feeling a slight throb in my head, I finally spoke to her.
“I have a boyfriend.”
Her body froze like a statue.
Her pupils trembled as she stared at me, then she clenched her fists and shouted.
“B-But you don’t have a girlfriend!”
Holy shit, my ultimate move didn't work.
She’s a formidable opponent, this one.
“I have a girlfriend, too.”
So I went with the standard wall.
I am Kang Ha-chan, the F-rank iron wall.
It was only true within the academy, but in here, that was my relationship with Si-ho.
So technically, I wasn't lying.
At my words, she looked as if her world had just shattered.
It was as if she were looking at someone from another dimension.
Why didn't she consider that my first statement might have been the lie?
What, do I really give off that vibe?
I like women, you know.
“...How ridiculous. Really.”
She uttered her usual phrase before stumbling away.
She must have known that what I had just done was a clear rejection.
“Since when were you the type to turn someone down?”
Baeksan stared at me as if I were some kind of anomaly.
What does this guy take me for?
Most of my entanglements with women have been concentrated in the recent past.
It was a shocking situation, with two high school girls having feelings for me and even the chairperson of the World Returnee Association potentially feeling the same, but the fact remained that my life was a mess and I’d never had a girlfriend.
Ah, I guess I do have an ex-girlfriend from another world. For a day, anyway.
How did it come to this?
With Ji-eun, well, I could more or less understand why she came to like me, so I could let that slide.
At this point, I actually felt rather sorry for Ji-eun.
It was because I subconsciously recognized her as someone who wouldn't touch upon my trauma, which is why I noticed her feelings so easily.
I’d have nothing to say even if she called me trash.
But Si-ho liking me… honestly, that still felt a bit distant, like a story about someone else.
I only realized it after coming to the academy, but everything she had shown me until now could basically be considered a confession.
The reason Si-ho might like me is probably…
I suspected it was the result of trauma, of her subconsciously overlapping me with her mother.
In my rush to save her, I hadn't considered her situation and had inadvertently done the same thing.
And in the process, she had managed to overcome her trauma in her own way.
I was proud of her for that, but at the same time, it had resulted in her becoming dependent on me instead of her mother.
And as a result of that, my value in her eyes must have risen, transforming into the emotion of affection.
I understood everything up to that point.
And once I understood, I felt incredibly sorry toward both Ji-eun and Si-ho.
But what about Ms. Baek Seol-hyang?
I once joked about whether the favor she showed me was because she liked me.
Of course, it was such a ridiculous idea that I’d just tossed it out there, and I still couldn't be sure.
With Ji-eun and Si-ho, there were clear catalysts.
But my relationship with Ms. Baek Seol-hyang was mostly business-like; there had never been a single moment that could have sparked affection.
A virgin who's never dated can't help but think there has to be some kind of trigger for someone to like him.
Why am I tearing up just thinking about it?
Could it be that she likes my face?
I quietly touched my face.
Am I actually better-looking than I thought?
“Baeksan, am I actually kind of good-looking?”
“Fuck, stop saying such nauseating shit.”
Why does he have to curse at me?
“Tsk, out of ten people, you’d probably be third or fourth.”
Slightly above average.
It was the kind of number men often come up with when they think about their own looks.
Honestly, I thought the ranking was higher than I deserved, but I’ve always had trouble seeing myself objectively.
Part of it was because Kwak Sa-yeon had completely crushed my self-esteem once.
But it was also because I’d spent my middle and high school years living on government subsidies without my parents, and my adult years were spent earning money for my university scholarship and living expenses.
The social life needed to build self-esteem was completely shattered.
The proof was that even after what Kwak Sa-yeon did to me, there wasn't a single person who took my side.
Because of that, I had a tendency to look down on myself.
I had no breathing room back then.
That part of my personality still lingered.
But lately, I think I’ve been changing a lot.
Funnily enough, the turning point for me was a game.
It was only after spending five years of free time interacting with various people that I finally learned how to have relationships.
And starting with Ahyu, whom I met through that game, my life began to change at a rapid pace.
Isn't this like a crypto coin skyrocketing?
“For reference, what about Seo-ho?”
“Number one.”
I had to agree with Baeksan's objective assessment.
In that case, Ms. Baek Seol-hyang probably doesn't like me for my face.
I began to fall back into an endless loop of thought.
With my romance stats close to zero, I had no way of understanding this situation.
I hadn't done anything to make Ms. Baek Seol-hyang like me.
“Hey, stop with the useless worrying. If you’re going to be like this, just date them all at once.”
“What the hell, what kind of nonsense is that? That’s incredibly rude to Ji-eun, Si-ho, and Ms. Baek Seol-hyang.”
“...You bastard, do you really think the only ones around you who like you are those two and that Iron-Blooded woman?”
Only?
“Wait a minute, what do you mean, ‘only’?”
“Dammit, I thought you were getting a little more perceptive. Are you still this dense?”
He slapped his forehead and then turned his head back to me.
“I don’t know, you son of a bitch. Figure it out yourself.”
Baeksan truly seemed to have no intention of telling me as he walked right out of the auditorium.
If I’m so dense, why don’t you help me notice?
I know I’m dense.
I know!
“No, but seriously…”
There are really more?
“This concludes the graduation ceremony for the third quarter of the 2030 Hunter Training Academy. You have all worked very hard.”
As the principal finished his speech, the students erupted in cheers.
They had been practically confined here for two weeks, so they welcomed the graduation with joy.
I would have felt relieved too, if my mind wasn't so cluttered because of Baeksan.
Unfortunately, that wasn't possible.
Just then, before heading outside, my eyes met Seo-ho’s.
As I approached him, Seo-ho, perhaps feeling he no longer needed to be conscious of others, gave me a warm smile.
“You worked hard, hyung-nim.”
“Me? I didn't do much. You’re the one who worked hard, Seo-ho.”
Honestly, I owed him for more than a few things at the academy.
Because of that, I felt quite sorry toward him.
“Not at all. This doesn't even begin to repay your kindness.”
Just how great was my debt of gratitude to Seo-ho?
As I smiled bitterly, Seo-ho’s expression turned a little worried.
“Still, there is one thing that concerns me.”
“A concern? What is it?”
“It’s because of Alterz.”
He meant the S-rank hunter group Jo Si-a had mentioned.
“What about Alterz?”
“That idiot Jo Si-a may be a fool, but she’s still an S-rank hunter. I’m worried that if there’s anyone in Alterz who thinks like her, they might cause trouble for you, Ha-chan hyung-nim.”
He had a point.
Jo Si-a had jumped to the wrong conclusion because she had limited information, and from our perspective, knowing the truth, she just looked foolish.
But anyone else who came across that same information could naturally misunderstand in the same way.
That meant Alterz could think the same thing.
I had hidden my power as much as possible, and Seo-ho and the World Returnee Association had helped, but…
There were a few people who had seen me use my full output.
Like Instructor Na-hyeon, the most loose-lipped person in the world.
If someone were to dig around and find the connection to Seo-ho, it was entirely possible they could find out about me.
“At this rate, it seems my coming here has only caused you trouble.”
“No. If it weren't for you, Seo-ho, I would’ve been found out long ago.”
Seo-ho looked dejected, so I quickly reassured him.
If it hadn't been for him, wouldn't I have been exposed on the very first day?
He had definitely been a help.
“I’m relieved to hear you say that. Still, just in case, I’ll try to handle things on the Alterz side as much as I can, but if they contact you, please let me know right away. At the very least, if you contact that idiot Jo Si-a, she’ll help you.”
“Alright. Don’t worry too much.”
If things get bad, I’ll just call on my Baeksan-mon.
“Hey, fucker, you’re having stupid thoughts again, aren't you?”
I pretended not to hear Baeksan.
“Well then, I’m going to go finish up my remaining duties as an instructor. Again, congratulations on your graduation, hyung-nim.”
“Thanks, thanks. Let’s see each other again with Si-ho next time. I’ll buy you a meal.”
“Yes, I’ll see you then.”
Seo-ho bowed his head to me and left.
Thinking what a polite guy he was, I followed the crowd that had already begun to file out.
In the midst of the commotion, someone suddenly tapped me on the back.
When I turned my head, I saw a familiar face.
“Domi-oppa, congrats on graduating!”
“Ahyu.”
She must have been waiting for me, as she gave me a bright smile.
Si-ho had gone to school, and Jo Si-a had to finish her work as an instructor with Seo-ho, so the only one left to wait for me was Ahyu.
Ah, of course, Ms. Eunhyeon was probably hiding somewhere, keeping an eye on me.
Then, a thought suddenly crossed my mind as I recalled the women around me.
Besides those three, there was practically no one else but Ahyu.
“Now that you’ve graduated, let’s go get jajangmyeon! Jajangmyeon!”
“Hey, Ahyu, can I ask you something?”
“Yeah? What is it?”
She playfully pushed my back with her hand, her eyes looking up from under her cap.
I stared at her for a moment, then shook my head.
Right, no matter what, it can't be her.
Even if it was in a game, I’ve known Ahyu for years.
“No, it’s nothing. Let’s go get jajangmyeon like you said. I’m hungry.”
“Alright! And let’s play the game after we eat. I’ve been wanting to play with you, Domi-oppa, but I couldn't, so I’ve been holding it in. I have to show you my Diamond-tier carry skills!”
“A Diamond player trying to act tough in front of a peak Grandmaster? You’re a hundred years too early.”
“In a hundred years, the game servers will be long gone.”
Bickering like that, I left the academy with Ahyu.
Completely oblivious to Baeksan watching me from behind with an exasperated look.