Ryu Observation Journal # 4
Ryu Observation Journal # 4
"Tch...!"
Flustered Ryu looked around, trying to gauge an angle for escape. But running away here meant defeat.
"Hey, Ryu. You aren't seriously thinking about 'running' in front of me, are you?"
"Who said I would flee, you utterly insignificant Taliban bastard!"
"Then stay right there!"
"What!?"
—Whoosh!
I immediately kicked off the railing of the school store rooftop.
—Whoosh!
Pretending to launch myself through the air with a full-body stretch, like an angel descending.
—Thud!
I landed spectacularly in front of Ryu.
"You lunatic!"
"This much is a piece of cake."
I'm a superhuman who's trained and gained some experience now. Jumping off the school store rooftop and landing is basic. Honestly, this height is doable for a normal person if they just practice parkour.
"Anyway, Ryu!"
—Jab!
I pointed a finger at Ryu and yelled.
"Here and now, I'm going to eat the school store food by myself!"
"What?! Shut your mouth, you Taliban scum! What business is it of yours where I eat?!"
"It's my business!!!"
"What business could you possibly—"
With absolute resolve.
I stared into the eyes of the flustered, red-faced Ryu and shouted.
"I said it's my business!!!"
"This, this bastard spouting nonsense again...!"
"It's not nonsense! We're friends!!!"
I absolutely cannot tolerate watching a friend secretly munching on a Don-gapnaegi by himself at the school store! If we're going to eat, we should go eat together—what kind of person sneaks off alone to stuff his face in secret!?
This is a classic Indian-bob situation. He deserves to get beaten to a pulp. Between friends. Abandoning your friend and daring to come to the school store alone to secretly scarf down a Don-gapnaegi means exactly that.
More than anything, today's events must be thoroughly reported to Ryuna.
If that report included “Ryu Cheon-hwi. During lunch break, secretly slipped out of the classroom and ate bread alone at the school store...” how sad would Ryu’s mom, dad, older sister, and little sister be?
I've even been to that house and eaten a meal there. The mere thought of grieving Ryu's parents tears my heart apart...!
"We're friends!"
"You, you Taliban scum are not my friend, and that doesn't answer my question!"
"Why doesn't it answer it?! I'm asking you right now!"
"Then what exactly are you asking me?!"
—Jab!
Ryu chucked the bag onto the floor and shouted in disbelief, both palms facing upward. His fingers were all bent like hooks.
"Of course I'm asking. Ryu. The thing is... today, with you. Like last time, when we ate together at your house."
"What does that have to do with—"
"I wanted to go to the school store together and eat a Don-gapnaegi! And yet you ditched me and came alone! How could you do that?! Are you insane?! Having done that, can you still call yourself a person?! You cold-blooded jerk!"
I fired off the words like a machine gun.
"What...!"
Ryu scratched his head, looking completely disoriented. He seemed utterly bewildered by this logic beyond comprehension.
"Do you have some understanding of what you did wrong now? Ryu. How dare you abandon a friend... and eat a Don-gapnaegi by yourself. This is unforgivable."
"Is, is that so... Have I committed a grave error..."
"Yep. Absolutely."
"—You thought I'd say that, you demented asshole!"
—Boom!
In an instant, an immense force erupted from Ryu!
"Ack! This wind pressure!"
"It's not like I ate this cheap junk hamburger because I wanted to! Given the situation, why should I have to eat it with the likes of you Taliban scum?!"
"Then why did you eat it?!"
"I merely wished to verify for myself how substandard this food truly is!"
"Beep. Memo."
Memo.
When Ryu gets embarrassed, he spouts all kinds of bullshit and actually believes his excuses will work. He's seriously thinking that way too. Anyone can see he's spouting bullshit with a reddened face.
"Then what about the Pringles? The cola?"
"The same! As the eldest son of the Ryuseong Group, do you think I would eat such things?! I merely wanted to, to try them one last time and confirm, since my older sister and little sister expressed interest!"
So Ryuna said that, huh.
That is a lie.
You told another lie.
"O-oh, was that it?"
I pretended to be fooled for a moment and said, looking flustered.
"How many times must I say it, you moronic Taliban bastard. Do I need to explain even this for you to understand?"
The moment I pretended to be fooled, he got genuinely cocky within one second flat and started talking this crazy crap. He even had his arms crossed, looking at me like I was pathetic.
"So... how substandard is the Don-gapnaegi?"
"This cannot even be called food. The same goes for this dynamite-like potato mixture in the red can. As for this black cola... I have no words."
Ryu shrugged and shook his head.
"Fine. Then I should verify it too. Ryu. Let's go inside and eat together."
"What?! Why should I!"
"You haven't finished eating yet."
We went inside the school store and bought a Don-gapnaegi along with other snacks and drinks. I immediately threw the Don-gapnaegi in the microwave.
"..."
Ryu had placed his food on the table in front of the school store and was watching me with clear annoyance.
He's irritating, but anyway, he obviously wants to finish his own food. That's why he can't leave.
In the meantime, I sent a secret text to Si-hoo telling him to come down.
—Rumble rumble.
Not from the rooftop of the school store building, but from over there, my friends came swarming in a group. Si-hoo, Leona, and Woo Yu-ri.
"Geun-cheol, are we eating here today?"
"Oh my, Ryu Cheon-hwi is here too."
"Is he eating here as well?"
"Yep! Let's just fill up at the school store today! Come over here!"
My friends approaching and pretending they hadn't just been watching everything. Ryu seemed even more flustered than before, but I sat right down and said.
"Ryu. Hurry up and sit. Finish what you were eating. Look. We've got shrimp crackers too."
"Shrimp crackers? What kind of freakish food is that."
—Smooth.
Ryu, complaining, sat down in front of me and started setting out his chips and Don-gapnaegi again.
—Rip.
I opened the shrimp crackers.
And offered them.
"Try them."
"That stark white color looks exactly like monster scales."
"Jesus, the way you talk."
Of course, Ryu picked up one and ate it.
—Crunch!
Ryu spoke while chewing.
"Can something so tasteless truly be called food? As expected of the Taliban, your skill in choosing food is substandard. You clearly possess a vulgar and abominable palate."
As he said that, Ryu kept picking up and eating more shrimp crackers. This bastard is truly insufferable with his mouth, always saying how awful, how awful, but he actually likes everything.
He's an absolutely batshit crazy motherfucker.
I've never met anyone as crazy as Ryu in my life.
If a true madman exists, that'd be Ryu.
From today, Ryu's title is the True Madman.
"Heh heh heh."
Anyway, I just grinned and bit into my Don-gapnaegi. The material I have to report to Ryuna today is positively overflowing.
* * *
Leona, Yu-ri, and even Si-hoo all bought snacks from the school store and sat around this table. We gathered the snacks together and started a group munching session.
"Seriously, Kim Geun-cheol. Even for a friend, you sure say some incredibly embarrassing things. Saying that kind of stuff even to Ryu Cheon-hwi."
"Don't get me started. This bastard is genuinely insane. If you say anything, he threatens to just drop on the ground and cry, and he really means it."
"He honestly seems like a child. But then again, that just shows our Kim Geun-cheol has some nerve, doesn't it? And the drive to follow through."
"N-nerve? Drive? Leona? What are you talking about?"
At Leona's words, Yu-ri tilted her head, confused. Honestly, sitting down on the street and crying is something not everyone can do.
But I can do it.
"Yeah... not everyone can do that."
"But Geun-cheol, look at Cheon-hwi right now."
"..."
As if unfamiliar with the current situation, Ryu was quietly eating my shrimp crackers and demolishing his Don-gapnaegi.
"Ryu. From now on, if you're going to the school store, let's go together. Got it?"
"As if I'd ever come here again...!"
I know he'll definitely come again despite saying that.
"On another note, for the eldest daughter of the Kainus Family and the eldest daughter of the Wu Family to come to the school store and eat such strange food... Have you been influenced by this Taliban bastard?"
Right then, Ryu asked Leona and Yu-ri.
"Well, we can eat snack-type things. But I've always been curious, why exactly is Kim Geun-cheol the Taliban?"
"Oh yeah. Why is he the Taliban?"
That's simple.
"Because this fellow threw a bomb at me."
"It wasn't a bomb and he didn't throw it, he just gave him a cola and when this guy opened it, the carbonation splashed out."
"A textbook Taliban distortion."
"You crazy bastard, seriously!"
He distorts everything he does. After hearing the story, Leona asked again with amusement if that was the reason, and Yu-ri also chuckled wryly.
"Whatever the case, it is extremely rare for us to sit together like this. Therefore, Lee Si-hoo. I will declare it here. The Ranking Battle is soon. We will likely face each other, and I expect a good fight."
"Get ready, because I won't lose this time."
"Just don't let your guard down!"
Ryu is a guy who truly enjoys fighting strong opponents. He's burning with fighting spirit against the top-rankers. Especially burning with rivalry toward Si-hoo.
He did beat Si-hoo once last time. But it's not absolute. Winning and losing is the nature of sparring.
"Leona Kainus and Woo Yu-ri. You two could also be my opponents. Do your best."
"I was going to without you saying so."
"I'll thrash you this time."
As if satisfied with that answer, Ryu stood up from his seat. Then, without a greeting, he turned his body and walked away.
"Hey, Ryu! Where are you going without even saying goodbye?!"
—Stomp stomp stomp!
At my words, his footsteps immediately quickened.
Eating with friends must be incredibly awkward for him. After Ryu disappeared like that, Leona said.
"Honestly, Kim Geun-cheol. I can't figure out how you got close to Ryu Cheon-hwi."
"That bastard's got something like that. But that Ryu Cheon-hwi guy, his personality is also a bit weird, isn't it? So maybe you two just click? Heh heh."
At Leona's comment, Yu-ri laughed as she answered.
"Actually, high schoolers are creatures that become friends after one fight. If we didn't have that incident with Ryu at the start of the semester, we probably still wouldn't be talking to each other."
A prime example is Mun Min.
After fighting Mun Min once, he became a guy somewhat like a friend.
"Anyway. The Ranking Battle is soon. I got first place last time, but who knows this time. Everyone, come at me seriously."
"Right. And Geun-cheol, you need to work hard so you can squeeze into this upper tier too."
The moment I nodded at Si-hoo's words.
"I'll make it happen!"
Yu-ri yelled energetically as she smacked my back.
"Kaghak! I'll only trust in Yu-ri...!"
"Yeah. Just trust me."
"Euh, euum... Kim Geun-cheol? Would you like me to teach you a little too?"
"S-study?! Are you talking about studying?!"
"No, just, like, skills!"
Skills are good!
"Geun-cheol. I could teach you too, you know."
Of course, being taught by Si-hoo would also be good.
"Hey, hey. Don't go eyeing other people's students. Just eat your food."
"He's not necessarily your student, Woo Yu-ri!"
"Hey, I already took him to the training hall."
Whatever the case, now that Yu-ri has acknowledged me, my skills will rise quickly. After finishing our snack-like meal at the school store, we headed back up to the classroom.
"Even so, Kim Geun-cheol? Only use the school store to fill up occasionally. Will you be okay just eating unhealthy junk all the time? I won't tell you to stop completely, so even if you want it, limit yourself to once a week. Understood?"
Leona said while holding my wrist.
"Alright, alright. I'll do that. Normally, vegetables. I'm well aware."
"Hohoho, yes. Well thought."
It's complete mom-like nagging.
Well, fine. I'll only go to the school store when Ryu goes.
—Ring ring.
The bell soon rang and afternoon classes began.
The afternoon class was Instructor Kawar's Magic class. It was more time to practice handling the Mana Shield we'd worked on last time. Let's diligently create shields again today.
"Ryu. Watch closely. I'll show you my skills."
"If I see your skills, my skills will rust."
"Come on, watch."
"Did I not say I would not watch!"
Ryu Cheon-hwi trait.
When a friend says they'll show something, the first thing he does is turn his head.
—Whoosh!
But the moment I created a Mana Shield, he was secretly peeking and showing interest.
"Beep."
He's truly the most childish person in the world.
