Ryu Observation Journal # 6
Ryu Observation Journal # 6
"Yo! Ryu! Teach me that too! How to make the wings!"
"Wh-what?! Why would I teach my techniques to a Taliban like you!"
"Because they're seriously cool, man!"
"Cool...!"
"How is a technique that awesome even real! Wings, for real?!"
Excitement bursts out of me. There's no calming my pounding heart. Wings truly are a man's romance. The wings that just sprouted from Ryu's back were literally the symbol of pure style.
Should I just commit to the romance route entirely?
Make armor, a sword, and wings all out of magic power and job-change into Archangel Geun-cheol?
Come to think of it, Leona's an Archangel too, so I should match her. Sure, the efficiency is supposedly garbage, but if you train an inefficient skill to the absolute limit, that's what makes you an overpowered veteran.
Using an inefficient technique but still flying around—and if you stack efficient skills on top of that? You'd be the strongest in the setting.
So, I'm pursuing that romance for the sake of training. Kind of like working out with ankle weights on.
"Please, just teach me!"
"Sh-shut up! Be quiet! As if I'd teach my techniques to a Taliban like you!"
But a vehement refusal.
"Ah."
Is that so?
Now that I think about it, this does seem like a nuisance.
No matter how close we are as friends, asking someone to teach you their secret technique is a bastard move. I just got excited for a second and lost my head.
"Kh... it can't be helped. Hey, Ryu. My bad. I got too worked up because the technique was so awesome. Forgive me."
"Awesome, you say...!"
Ryu's face went red as he shouted, avoiding my eyes.
"Something like this doesn't even deserve to be called awesome! You really don't know anything, just like a Taliban! That's exactly why you can't escape being a Taliban!"
"Hey, no need to put it that harshly."
"This is what's actually awesome!"
—Shnk.
In a flash, Ryu slid his blade into its scabbard.
—Fwoosh!
He spread his hand wide.
—Whoomf!
A magnificent, 2-meter-long blade made purely of magic power formed in his grip. The sight was so overwhelmingly stylish that—
"Gak!"
—my eyes rolled back, and I collapsed.
I must've sucked in air too violently.
"Wh-what?! Kim Geun-cheol! Get a grip!"
"Hey! Hey! What's going on!"
"Geun-cheol-aaaa! Cheon-hwi, what the hell did you do to him!"
"What?! I-I simply...!"
My friends' voices feel distant.
"Over there! What's going on! I let the chatter slide because you were all training hard, and now someone's collapsed!"
That was the last thing I heard, Instructor Kawar's sharp voice, before I closed my eyes.
* * *
When I opened my eyes on the infirmary bed, Instructor Lee So-ra was sitting in the chair beside it. The moment our eyes met, she let out a deep sigh and spoke.
"I never imagined someone could faint for a reason like that, you Scream Man Kim Geun-cheol."
"No, well... uh. I think I got too excited and hyperventilated."
Honestly, seeing the magic sword right after the wings? Not fainting would be inhuman. I merely displayed a very human response.
"Living long enough to see everything, I suppose. Anyway, you look delighted to have skipped afternoon class. If you don't want to fall behind, you'll train properly after school and make up the practice hours."
"Yes. Of course I will. I'm not the type to tolerate falling behind over something like this. Don't worry, I'll steadily build my skills."
"Heh, you're not very reassuring, yet somehow utterly reliable. How's the volunteer work going?"
"Yes. I'm doing it with Leona every day."
"Doesn't feel like a combo that should work... Still, school's out now. Head home since you're awake."
"Oh."
I immediately pulled out my phone to check the time. About five minutes past the end of school. Looks like Instructor Lee So-ra swung by to check on me before leaving work.
"Ah, yes. I'll get up now. Have a good evening, ma'am."
"You get home safely too, Kim Geun-cheol. Prepare well for the ranking match next Monday."
"Of course. If I get matched against Mun Min again, I'll give him a Mun-Minning."
"That Mun Min thing again..."
With that, Instructor Lee So-ra left the infirmary, and I got up and straightened my uniform.
Then I checked my messages.
[Geun-cheol, we're at the cafe]
"Cafe?"
Looked like Leona, Si-hoo, and Yu-ri were all there. Today was supposed to be the day I got swordsmanship lessons from Yu-ri, too. Guess we're all meeting up to practice together because of the ranking match.
"Ah, right."
Time to report to Ryuna.
—Slide.
I pulled out the notepad I'd kept in the inside pocket of my school blazer. Every action Ryu showed off today was written in it.
"Heh heh heh."
After skimming through it, I called Ryuna. Brrring. It rang a couple of times.
"Ah, is this Geun-cheol?"
Ryuna picked up.
"Oh, yes. It's Geun-cheol. So, ma'am? I've compiled everything on how Ryu did today. Are you free to talk?"
"Yeah. Go ahead. Tell me how our Cheon-hwi spent his day."
"Heh heh heh, I've got it all here."
I immediately reported Ryu's every move today to Ryuna.
Barely talks to anyone during class except me. As arrogant as always, but lately he's been hooked on junk food, too. I spilled everything, from those trivial details to every conversation we had today.
But as I'm talking, I kind of feel like I've become some malicious stalker.
"Fufufu, our Cheon-hwi did that?"
"Yes. He did."
"Showing off his own technique, even. He wouldn't normally do something like that... Anyway, thanks for telling me. Sounds like Cheon-hwi is doing well, in his own way."
"Absolutely."
"Thanks, Geun-cheol. I'll buy you a meal next time. When are you free?"
She'll buy me a meal?
"Oh, you don't need to treat me in person. I already got the chicken, remember? Heh heh heh. How could I dare steal the precious time of Ryu's older sister."
"Oh my, it's no trouble."
This is so awkward for me...! Eating alone with a friend's older sister is an incredibly stressful affair.
"It's because I'd like to ask you another favor next time. And there's something I want to talk about in person. Anyway, thank you for looking after Cheon-hwi today. Can I count on you from time to time going forward?"
So not just a daily spy, a permanent mole?
"Yes."
As long as I get chicken, I'm good.
"But Cheon-hwi didn't get angry today?"
"Angry? He gets angry roughly once a second. Today too, he kept snapping at me every time I looked at him."
"Fufufu, and yet it just ended like that. You must be pretty close with Cheon-hwi after all."
Ryuna said that with a pleased-sounding laugh. Seems like our Ryu is just as unsociable even at home.
Anyway, the call ended like that.
I headed to the cafe where my friends were.
* * *
"One medium chocolate latte, please."
"Medium, sir? Which exact size..."
"Ah, uh. Medium. The middle one."
"Medium... we don't have a size by that name."
Ah, fuck.
This goddamn cafe always pulls this pretentious bullshit with the size names. I can never figure out what's what every time I come, it's fucking infuriating.
"So, what sizes do you have?"
"We have Short, Tall, Grande, and Venti."
"Then give me a Tall."
Son of a bitch, I seriously want to find the bastard who invented coffee sizes and crack him over the head.
"Fuck."
Anyway, I took my medium chocolate latte and went up to the second floor.
"Kim Geun-cheol! Who faints for several hours!"
"Oh dear, Leona. Cut me some slack."
The moment I arrived and saw Leona nagging me, the stress just melted away. Leona's nagging... there's something about it that puts the mind at ease.
It's kind of like ASMR.
"Geun-cheol. Sit here."
"Oh, sure. Hey, but everyone's gathered? Yu-ri. Is today a group lesson?"
"It's the ranking match next week, yeah? We should all get together and practice."
I immediately sat down next to Si-hoo and took a sip of my chocolate latte. For all the bullshit this place pulls with the size names, they're dead serious about the latte. The crushed chocolate bits are so sweet.
"No, but Kim Geun-cheol?"
While I was sipping my chocolate latte, Leona said something else.
"What in the world kind of mindset makes a high schooler buy a chocolate latte at a cafe?"
"What? Is there an age limit?"
"Chocolate lattes are for kids. Be a little more grown-up, okay? You should be drinking an Americano."
"I'm a baby, so I can't drink bitter stuff."
"A baby, this nonsense!"
"He is a baby, see. Geun-cheol's mom over there. The kid's so wild, it's exhausting."
"What do you mean, Geun-cheol's mom!"
When Yu-ri said that, giggling, Leona freaked out. Yu-ri just keeps chuckling at the reaction. Honestly, these days, if I let my guard down, I almost call Leona 'Mom' myself.
"But Si-hoo. Are you joining the sparring today?"
"Yeah. Our top-tier skills don't differ by that much anyway. Sparring together like this is good, right?"
"Heh heh heh, I guess so. Ah, what about dinner?"
"Did you decide on a menu today?"
"We'll decide when we get there. Let's just throw something together with what's in the fridge. There's a bunch of leftovers."
As I was discussing the menu with Si-hoo—
"Huh? What do you two mean by that?"
"What? Do you guys live together?"
—Leona and Yu-ri tilted their heads.
"You make dinner together?"
"We're neighbors. We both eat slapdash dinners anyway, so we cook and eat together. Leona, you bought all those vegetables last time, remember? We've been doing it since then."
"Ooh! That's great! Making and eating healthy dinners together! Kim Geun-cheol and Lee Si-hoo! That's really admirable!"
Pleased by the news that we were eating proper dinners, Leona praised us. Her eyes are practically sparkling.
"Heh heh heh, yeah. A wellness diet, see? Loads of veggies in there."
"Sniff! Our Kim Geun-cheol has finally escaped his picky eating...!"
"He still only tries to eat the meat, actually. I'm the one feeding him the vegetables."
"Good job! Really good job, Lee Si-hoo!"
Classic move when eating with a friend.
First, put the meat on my plate, then pile the veggies on the friend's plate.
"Hmm... making dinner together as friends, huh. That's pretty nice. Hey. Can we come over and eat sometime?"
What?
"Uh, Yu-ri? This is the boys' dorm, you know?"
"I'll just climb the wall."
"No, what do you mean climb the wall! Girls are strictly prohibited from the boys' dorm!"
"Exactly because it's prohibited, I've gotta try it. Leona. You coming too?"
"What...! That's impossible!"
"Yu-ri. If we get caught, I'm not kidding, it's eviction from the dorm... I'll be out on the street, man..."
"Want me to fix you up a room at the dojo?"
No!
I can't live there!
"I-if that happens, Kim Geun-cheol? You can rely on me a bit. I can spare you a hotel room or something, after all."
"You're the best!"
"Although, since the cost isn't trivial, you'd have to do something for me."
"With you by my side, Leona, I can do anything...!"
Now I'm at ease even if I get kicked out!
"She really is a mom, for real. Ah, right. Hey, Kim Geun-cheol. Come out again on Sunday."
"What? Why?"
"Got something to do. Ah, but you little shit, when I tell you to come, you say yes! Wh-y-y-y?"
Yu-ri glared fiercely and threatened me!
"No! No, Yu-ri! But I can't!"
"Why?"
"I already promised to meet Leona on Sunday!"
"What? With Leona? What for?"
Yu-ri immediately looked at Leona.
"Ah, that's right. We made plans to go somewhere on Sunday with Kim Geun-cheol."
"Where? Let's go together."
"Whaaat?!"
But I didn't even hear where we're going.
"Uh, uh! Volunteer work! You know Kim Geun-cheol got stuck with volunteer work from the 'Mun-Minning' incident! So we're going to do volunteer work! Is that okay with you?"
It's volunteer work again!
"Crazy! Who does volunteer work on the weekend! Hey! Kim Geun-cheol! Then Saturday—"
"Volunteer work then too!"
"What, you're doing volunteer work for two whole days!"
"Kim Geun-cheol has to fill 100 hours of volunteer work!"
"Ha, you little shit, seriously!"
Yu-ri scratched the back of her head furiously as she shouted.
"Forget it! See you next week!"
"S-sure..."
Then I'll just see Yu-ri next week, I guess.
"But Leona. Where are we going on Sunday?"
"There's a place! Just get ready for it for now!"
I suppose I should.
"No, Geun-cheol! When are we going to the PC café!"
"Oh shoot!"
I kept saying we'd go, but now we can't again!
