Kim Geun-cheol's Bizarre Adventure # 9
Kim Geun-cheol's Bizarre Adventure # 9
"What, you got flies buzzing around the school? Someone call pest control!"
—Swish-swish!
Babbling nonsense, Kim Geun-cheol made a show of swatting at empty air, pretending to catch nonexistent flies. The sight of him trying to dodge the subject like this was profoundly pathetic.
'An act that obvious. Enough with the pretend cuteness already. Nobody thinks you're cute!'
Watching him, Leona swallowed a laugh.
She was right on the verge of doubling over, one hand clutching her stomach while she pointed at Kim Geun-cheol and roared with laughter.
'I already caught you paying attention to my butt just now—what do you think you're doing! You sneaky little Geun-cheol! Just look at him floundering!'
Seeing Kim Geun-cheol still boxing the empty air sent a strange thrill racing through her.
'My charm flustered Kim Geun-cheol!'
She had turned that idiotic Kim Geun-cheol into a man!
She felt immensely proud. Honestly. Did this man really need her to look after every last detail? Anyway, watching Kim Geun-cheol panic like this was deeply enjoyable.
'Wait.'
A thought suddenly struck Leona.
'Now that I think about it, summer's almost here. And summer means... the beach, obviously! The valley can go screw itself.'
When summer came, vacation would start, and during vacation you had to catch your breath.
'The beach would be nice.'
In that sense, dragging Kim Geun-cheol off to the beach sounded absolutely perfect. He was already acting like this—if she openly wore a swimsuit, what kind of reaction would he show? Imagining it filled her with fierce anticipation.
Leona swiftly put a schedule together in her head. Fine. When vacation hit, she'd haul Kim Geun-cheol to the beach.
'No, but inviting only Kim Geun-cheol to the beach is a little off. It might draw weird suspicion... so we'll frame it as friends hanging out.'
She'd invite Yu-ri, a same-gender friend, and Si-hoo, who was practically a set with Kim Geun-cheol, and that would do it.
'But Woo Yu-ri.'
Lately, Yu-ri was showing entirely too much unguardedness whenever she put Kim Geun-cheol in a headlock, and that bothered her a little.
She knew their relationship was basically master and disciple, so they'd naturally dropped formalities, but... well, there hadn't been anything when she'd monitored them last time.
It probably wouldn't be a problem.
'Good. That's settled.'
Leona smiled to herself.
"Anyway, Kim Geun-cheol? I won't tolerate a retest. If you ask for help, I'll gladly tutor you, so make absolutely sure you average at least a 70 on this exam."
"Even if someone beats me half to death trying to fail me, I'm passing with over a 70 average no matter what."
"That really is some staggering confidence."
Watching the absurdly exaggerated tone and self-assurance made her feel pointlessly anxious.
* * *
After school.
I got briefly hauled to the faculty office to hear the instructors' exam-related advice, and then headed to the training room with Si-hoo.
Yu-ri was already there waiting for me. She'd said today was going to be brutal, so I was pretty pumped myself. When we reached the training room door, Si-hoo spoke.
"Well, you'll be with Yu-ri in there, so you'll be fine. Geun-cheol, I'll train in the room next door. Call me when you're done."
Wait, he wanted to train alone?
"Why? You're not joining us?"
When I asked, Si-hoo folded his arms and answered.
"Right now, training solo seems more efficient than having Geun-cheol tag along."
"Solo's more efficient?"
Yu-ri's already in there, you know.
Well, I guess. Yu-ri has to babysit me.
"Geun-cheol, I'm serious. I think I need to get a lot stronger too. Decisively stronger than I am now."
"Good attitude. But why?"
"Haah, Geun-cheol, you're being targeted. You might actually get snatched, so how can I afford to relax? I need to get stronger so nobody gets hurt."
"Oh...!"
So that was the reason!
"Si-hoo, you trying to kill me with feels or what? Be straight with me."
"If you're joking around, you must be doing okay. I'm heading in. Call when you're done."
"Yeah. Work hard. And thanks."
"If you're grateful, buy me chicken!"
"Yes!"
With that, Si-hoo went into the next room.
"Ah."
So that's how it is.
He'd decided to focus on training so he could protect me.
Making him work this hard, I felt pretty damn sorry. But still... if you look at it positively, isn't this good since Si-hoo gets stronger too?
More than anything, the look in his eyes just now was that of a genuine martial artist. He seriously intends to train.
The concept of "Kim Geun-cheol being targeted" had lit a fire under Si-hoo's motivation.
"Still though."
Feels like I'm a burden. Fine. To shake this feeling off, there's no choice but to get stronger myself.
Thinking that.
—Vrrr.
I walked into the training room where Yu-ri was waiting.
"Oh, you're here? Where's Lee Si-hoo?"
Yu-ri, who'd been casually swinging her sword, sheathed it and greeted me.
"Si-hoo said he's training in the room next door."
"What? Why? Not joining us? He should just join if he's here."
"Said he has something he wants to work on alone."
"Oh-ho, the kid's getting serious. See, that's exactly why Lee Si-hoo's strong."
I'd just vaguely said he had something to work on alone, but Yu-ri nodded. She must've read the situation.
"Yeah, solo practice is definitely better than having Kim Geun-cheol tag along."
"Hey, you caught on to all that?"
"It's obvious. Even a guy at Lee Si-hoo's level hits a wall if you, Kim Geun-cheol, are training with him. He can only do one-sided teaching."
She had a point.
"Wait. Yu-ri? Doesn't the same thing apply to you?"
"It's sis to you, you little shit. I'm doing this to build my own teaching skills through you, Kim Geun-cheol. You forget my goal is to be an instructor?"
"No, I know all that..."
"Hey. It might look like you're wasting my time when I teach you, but I do my own work when I get home. So stop yapping and get over here. I'm cranking up the difficulty today."
—Beckon, beckon.
Yu-ri crooked her fingers at me with a menacing face. I swear, she scares the hell out of me every time she does that. Anyway, I drew my training sword and walked over.
Just then.
—Fwoop.
Yu-ri peeled off her school blazer. Then, she yanked the hoodie she'd been wearing under it right over her head!
"Wh-whoa?!"
"What?"
This woman just stripped off her top with a face like it was nothing! Revealing a white short-sleeved shirt!
"What, trying to pull something weird again? Hey, stand up straight."
Now in just the short-sleeved shirt, Yu-ri walked up and stood in front of me. Hang on, why'd she suddenly strip? Yeah, she's wearing a shirt, but that tight thing puts Yu-ri's violent volume on full display, and it's seriously intimidating.
"I'm going hard today, so brace yourself. I'll push you from the start, so don't worry about anything else—focus only on footwork and defense."
"Uh, yeah."
"Let's get moving, then. Hey, get in stance."
With an utterly serious attitude, Yu-ri shifted into my private-tutoring mode... You goddamn idiot Kim Geun-cheol! Yu-ri's seriously trying to teach you here, and your fucked-up ass is worrying about that?!
Unforgivable!
"Alright! Let's go again! Hyaaap!"
I let out a battle cry and leveled my sword.
I shook off the distractions.
Focused on the sword.
"Oh-ho, look at you."
Yu-ri smiled that characteristic "I see you've improved" grin and spoke cheerfully.
"Nice spirit. Yeah, you little shit, before you do anything: battle cry, uh? You let out a friggin' huge shout like, boom! Guys with quiet voices can't do anything right. Alright, battle cry again!"
"EYAAAAAAAH!!!"
"Yeah! That's the stuff, you little bastard! Here I come!"
Genuinely satisfied with my loud yell, Yu-ri grinned fiercely and rushed at me. Today's lesson was about focusing on footwork while defending against Yu-ri's relentless assault.
—Fwish!
I read Yu-ri's incoming foot and took a step back.
—Clang!
I met Yu-ri's viciously thrusting sword with my own and executed a bind. From that position, Yu-ri pressed forward without hesitation and tried to shove my blade aside, unleashing a torrent of attacks.
—Clang!
—Fwish!
I focused as hard as I could.
I was used to this drill by now. It wasn't difficult. As long as I kept calm and did what needed doing, I could block everything. How many times had I done this with Yu-ri already?
But then.
—Jiggle, jiggle.
Maybe it was because Yu-ri was wearing such thin clothes. Beyond Yu-ri's ferociously attacking sword, I saw something large... bouncing wildly.
"Damn it!"
The moment I saw it, my focus started to crack. No—please! How great would it have been if she'd just layered up a bit!
Why the hell are you casting sorcery on me mid-training...!
A heart demon!
Could this be a heart demon?!
—Spin!
The instant that thought crossed my mind, Yu-ri kicked off the ground, spun a full rotation midair, and blasted my sword aside with tremendous force.
—KWAANG!
"Ack!"
Yu-ri's sword slammed into mine and drove my arm way back. My chest was left wide open.
—Poke.
Yu-ri jabbed a finger right into the gap.
And with that, Round 1 was over.
"Hey, what's your deal? You were doing fine, then suddenly slipped?"
"Nah, I just made a mistake at the end. Read things wrong."
The truth was I couldn't focus because her chest was bouncing, but if I'd said that I would've been beaten to death for sure, so I spun some plausible bullshit.
"Hmm, really?"
Yu-ri studied my face for a second, then nodded like she'd accepted it and went back to her spot.
"Keep that in mind, then. Let's go again."
"Alright!"
"Going now?"
"Yeah! Bring it!"
This time, I'll do it right!
That's what I thought.
—Jiggle, jiggle.
Fuck.
—KWAANG!
"Kheuh-ghak!"
In the end, not long after we'd started, I took a direct hit and went flying.
"Hey, dipshit! Why the hell can't you focus! What's wrong with you?"
Scowling menacingly, Yu-ri marched over as I lay sprawled and started cussing me out!
Ah, fuck, honestly, that thing keeps distracting me and breaking my concentration. You were the one who cast sorcery first, how can you get mad at me about it? Do you seriously not even notice it?
"Huh? I asked you what's wrong, you little shit. Head's completely somewhere else, huh?"
"Wait! Waitwaitwait!"
And then came the usual headlock, her arm snaking around my neck!
"Yu-ri, hang on a sec!"
"Nope, not letting go, you little shit. Can't focus during training and then what? You get smacked."
—Squeeze!
"Gwaaaahk!"
I can feel every bit of it...!