Ryu Observation Journal # 3
Ryu Observation Journal # 3
"What on earth is this!"
"What!"
"Why are you in contact with Ryu Cheon-hwi's older sister? Explain yourself."
She said it like she was about to fall over in shock, but I had only just heard from her that day myself, so I didn't have much to say.
Besides, was it really that shocking?
"Come on!"
—grip!
She'd actually grabbed my shoulders and was shaking me.
"Leona! Why are you so worked up!"
"That's...!"
Leona averted her eyes for a second.
"I'm just amazed that Kim Geun-cheol has already made a personal connection with a special agent of Ryuseong Group! That's why!"
Special agent?
"What? She's a special agent?"
"Yes. Think of the most famous company in this country. That's Ryuseong Group. Starting with the family head Ryu Seong, his family members... and among them, the high-ranking Awakened Ryu A-ra is quite well-known even in Europe."
"Ooh! For real!"
I did hear she was an older sister who operates internationally. But I didn't realize Leona knew her reputation.
"It's real. I've heard she occasionally works alongside European Union Awakened. Mind you, I have no personal connection to her, but I know of her reputation. And Kim Geun-cheol is personally contacting someone like that? I was just amazed."
"Now that you say it, that is amazing."
If my buddy were texting Elon Musk's daughter, I'd be shocked too. That's probably what it feels like.
"Wow. Still, Leona, you being from that kind of background makes all these connections possible."
"Heh, well. Yes. So what did she contact you about?"
"Nothing much."
I launched right into my explanation.
"I got a call this morning, you know? Right, you know I visited the Ryu household the other day?"
"Yes. Did you get the number there?"
"Yeah. So we exchanged greetings. Then she said she was worried about whether Ryu's doing well at school, and asked me to keep an eye on him. I said sure, and then she said she'd send me chicken. So what do you think? I've gotta do it. Today is all about monitoring Ryu's every move and reporting back."
That's what I told her.
"Seriously, are you really going to do it just because of that?"
Leona, arms crossed, stared at me like I was ridiculous.
"What else can I do? I already took the chicken."
"Unbelievable, saying you'd do anything for chicken! Are you a little kid who follows anyone who gives you candy, Kim Geun-cheol? Tsk! You need to be scolded!"
"She's someone I know..."
"Even with people you know, you have to be careful, don't you know!"
Then I guess I'd better be careful of the person right in front of me... Archangel Leona, no, Dread Leona.
"Oh, Leona. If she were dangerous, of course I wouldn't. My friend's older sister just gave me a chance to mess with her brother. Right? When else would I get a chance to pester Ryu like this?"
"That's..."
Leona nodded at my words.
"I see. Yes, I suppose that could be the case. Still, Kim Geun-cheol. Aren't you being a little too hard on your friend?"
"Heh heh heh, Leona? This is totally fine between friends. This is what you call Korean jeong culture."
"Who do you think hasn't lived in Korea? Anyway, be careful, seriously. It's fine to mess with Ryu Cheon-hwi for fun, but what are you going to do if he beats the crap out of you?"
"Leona, you'll protect me."
"If you get beaten for starting it yourself, I'm not helping you!"
"Wha—what?! How could you...! The Leona I trusted won't help me?!"
"Education must be thorough. Still, if Kim Geun-cheol were being unfairly beaten, I'd rush over barefoot and help. But in this case, Kim Geun-cheol would have no room to complain even if you got hit."
Too rational, too logically sound.
"I'm convinced. Leona, you'd be an amazing teacher or something, you know that?"
"Teaching someone is something I've given a lot of thought to. Anyway, be careful, seriously. If you do end up black and blue, I'll at least nurse you a little."
"Wahoo!"
At Leona saying she'd nurse me, I instantly kicked off the ground and jumped, throwing my hands up.
"Fufufu, is it that nice?"
"Of course it is! Healer Angel Leona nursing me, hell yeah!"
"Please seriously cut the crap. Anyway, class is about to start. Let's go in."
"'Kay."
And with that, break time ended, and we went back in for class.
* * *
"..."
Of course, Ryu's torment does not end. I kept observing and observing Ryu all throughout the lesson.
"Beep."
Current status of Ryu.
Gritting his teeth, desperately ignoring me, and pretending to be distracted. Specifically, he's listening to the lecture, but he's just sitting there with his arms crossed, not taking any notes.
"Okay. Minus points for not taking notes."
"You...! Who put you up to this...!"
"What if you knew who? What would you do?"
"I'd destroy that bastard!"
I can vividly picture Ryu getting Mun-Minned while trying to destroy his older sister. 'Aaaaugh!' His screams would surely be sweet.
Anyway, maybe he's developed some know-how from being pestered by me, because even while raising his voice, he controlled his volume well enough that it didn't explode out of his seat.
This bastard has some sense.
"Gained common sense points."
I list the objective facts, then add a subjective opinion that only I, being on the scene, can know. At this rate, I might actually have a talent for being an agent. Should I try becoming an agent in the future?
"Hmm."
Though, the future.
After I become a fully-fledged hero, I'll end up working in all sorts of places. Maybe I'll go work where Leona is. Maybe I'll be deployed on missions where Ryuna is.
My career paths are so diverse.
But mostly they're all combat roles.
There really is so much to do after I graduate.
—Ding ding ding.
Soon, class was over.
Now it's the joyful lunchtime.
* * *
"Alright. Let's go get some chow."
I stood, making a show of stretching and letting out a yawn as a smokescreen.
"Tch!"
—bang!
Ryu shot up from his seat, looking thoroughly displeased, and strode out of the classroom.
"Beep. Emitting an aggressive vibe as if to say, don't touch me, don't come find me. However, I am fully aware that you absolutely love the school store food. Beep. Commencing tail. Today's meal will be consumed at the school store."
Right now, Ryu is in a state where he never imagines that the 'Taliban going to eat' guy is going to follow him immediately.
You walking case of eighth-grader syndrome.
"Yo, Kim Geun-cheol. Let's go stuff our faces."
Just then, Yu-ri, hands in her pockets, swaggered over and thumped my back.
—thump thump!
"Gah...! Hey! That's way too hard!"
"That's hard? You weak little twerp. Wanna work out with me?"
"Wait, were you already working out?"
"Obviously when I go home, you idiot. Leona! Lee Si-hoo! Get over here!"
Yu-ri even called over Leona and Si-hoo, who were just organizing their books.
"Haah, I'm hungry. Geun-cheol, you seriously did nothing but stare at Cheon-hwi during the whole lesson. What're you going to do if you really get hit?"
"Heh heh heh, you're saying the same thing as Leona?"
"What about it?"
Yu-ri tilted her head.
"Oh, but Yu-ri. I've got something to do today. You guys eat first."
"What? What kind of bullshit is that."
"Kim Geun-cheol? Skipping a meal?"
"No, it's not that. I have to monitor Ryu."
"You're skipping meals just to spy on Ryu Cheon-hwi?!"
"Crazy bastard, what nonsense... Aren't you getting up? Eat first, then do it."
Ever since that time we went to the dojo, Yu-ri had been treating me like her real little brother!
"Leona! Leona! I'm gonna eat! I'll just observe him for a bit and go! Please stop Yu-ri!"
At that, Leona sighed and explained.
"Haa. Woo Yu-ri. Let him go for now. He says he's going to monitor Ryu Cheon-hwi today."
"What? Why? Why's this idiot monitoring Ryu Cheon-hwi?"
"Yu-ri. I'll explain."
Right away, I explained today's events to Yu-ri, too. The tale of a foolish man hired for chicken.
"So this dumbass is spying on his friend for fried chicken?"
"Say it a little nicer, like your face, Yu-ri."
"Ah shit, that's so creepy!"
"U-uh, your face?! That's too much...!"
"Anyway, okay. If that's the case, we'll go with you. Let's go watch Ryu Cheon-hwi."
"Wait, Yu-ri?"
"Let's go."
Saying that, Yu-ri very coolly stepped outside the classroom, then—
—pop.
She popped her head back in through the doorway.
"But where's he going?"
"To the school store. But Yu-ri. You really don't need to come."
"What if Ryu beats the crap out of you? I've gotta protect you, you pipsqueak."
She'll protect me?!
"Yu-ri, Sis!!!"
"Yeah. Come here."
When I shouted with all my heart, Yu-ri tapped the door a couple of times.
"Ugh...! Anyway, I'm coming too! I have to stop you if you go too far!"
"Geun-cheol. Don't you think you're bullying your friend too much?"
"Ryu's fine to bully."
"I'm uneasy. Fine, I'll go too."
A 4-person party forms right here?
"Okay! Then let's all go see Ryu together!"
And so, the four of us sortied out of the classroom.
* * *
"Target spotted."
As expected, Ryu was at the school store.
Ryu entering the school store. His figure was like a hyena searching for prey... And when the guy finished shopping and came back out,
his bulging pocket had a Pringles can jammed in, one hand held a Don-gapnaegi, and the other held a cola.
"It's not Coke Zero?"
That's crossing the line.
"Oh my god, Geun-cheol! Cheon-hwi's like that!"
Si-hoo even shouted in surprise.
"I knew the true nature of that guy from the start."
"The son of the Ryuseong Group, eating a school store hamburger."
"That can't be good for his health."
Anyway.
Having gotten everything he grabbed, Ryu, very confidently, straightened his back and shoulders and headed behind the school store. Because of that, he left our field of vision.
"Infiltration mode on."
The school store building is low. Low enough that I can easily climb up.
—whoosh!
Immediately, I kicked off the school store wall, shot straight up, grabbed the railing,
—hop!
and used my full physical abilities to climb on top.
—slink slink.
Then, like a spider, I lowered my posture, crawled on all fours, and moved to the far end.
"Geun-cheol, that seriously doesn't look cool at all..."
"This clueless little... Real combat always looks like crap."
"Well, that is true. I won with disguise myself."
"Thinking about it, that really is beyond ridiculous. Hey, Leona. How do you catch someone like that? A high school girl using a ghillie suit..."
"You have to anticipate every situation, Woo Yu-ri. The enemy doesn't go easy on you. Fufufu."
I signaled to my chattering friends to be quiet for a moment, and—
—slip.
I stuck my head out over the railing.
—chomp chomp.
Below the railing,
—chomp chomp.
Ryu was biting into a Don-gapnaegi, sipping cola, and on top of that, pulling out Pringles one by one and eating them...! And with the most serious, solemn face, no less!
"Beep! This bastard Ryu is eating alone!"
At that instant, Ryu looked up at me.
"H-huh...?! You, you bastard!!!"
As if by fate, our eyes met.
"Beep! Foul! Eating a Don-gapnaegi all by yourself! Beep! Beep beep!"
"C-cut the crap! What the hell is this!!!"
