School Starts #1
School Starts #1
"A world in turmoil! Crises erupting one after another! This year is unmistakably abnormal! All sorts of anomalous phenomena are occurring, and countless lives have been lost! Sniff...! How terribly, terribly tragic!"
The Chairwoman clenched her fist, so visibly outraged she looked ready to burst, and delivered her speech.
"From here on out, this world will change! You are Superhuman Cadets! Soon to become Heroes! You must be prepared to deploy to the front lines immediately after graduation! Do you all understand!"
—Yes!
—Yes!
—Yes!
"Excellent! To see such overflowing energy even at the opening ceremony—this Chairwoman could not be more pleased! The situation may be unstable, but your duty is one thing alone! Train with everything you have! We superhumans are the only ones who can protect powerless civilians! March forward with vigor! Save as many lives as you possibly can!"
—Whoooaaaaa!
—Aaaaaaahhhh!
—Aaaahhh!
An absolutely overwhelming speech.
The Chairwoman wrapped up the opening ceremony address with veins bulging in her neck, bellowing at the top of her lungs. Truly, words worth hearing every single time. My ears hurt so badly I couldn't help but roar and applaud right through the tears.
"That is all. Everyone, return to your classrooms."
Anyway, the opening ceremony was over. Now we just had to head back to the classroom. I moved along at a decent pace and looked for my friends.
"Ugh, my ears are ringing... Hey, Si-hoo! Over here!"
Si-hoo, who'd been walking, spotted me and came over. I immediately fell in step next to her. They made us line up in order of arrival, so finding your friends is a pain in the ass.
"Uh, Si-hoo? Your vibe's kind of intense right now."
"Geun-cheol."
"Yeah?"
"Can you feel it? My overwhelming power?"
Si-hoo stared straight at me, radiating energy!
"Lee Si-hoo, you...!"
I knew it instantly.
"You got your hands on massive power and turned into a goddamn berserker!"
Lee Si-hoo had become a berserker after secluded training.
"What—what are you talking about, berserker?! Don't spout nonsense! I'm not even allowed to joke around now?!"
"Heh heh heh. Hey. It's been what, a few days since I last saw your face, and you're already this far gone?"
"I just worked a little hard, that's all."
Ever since that day, Si-hoo had thrown herself into training with total focus.
There wasn't much time left before the new semester, but Si-hoo would head to the training grounds first thing in the morning and only come back right before bed. She threw herself into training so hard I barely got a chance to see her face.
Of course, I was in and out of the training grounds too, so I caught glimpses of her. Each day, I could feel her aura shifting.
And seeing her now, she'd definitely changed.
Obviously... it was my influence that changed Si-hoo.
I felt that unmistakably.
"Heh heh, still. Geun-cheol, the way you're staring—I guess you can really feel the difference, huh?"
Si-hoo smiled proudly as she spoke.
"Yeah. You look taller. Your shoulders are broader. And the muscles."
"What are you talking about! There's no change in my build!"
She cares because she's a girl, huh?
That was a joke, obviously.
"It just feels that way to me. You know what they say—a warrior speaks with his back. Right now your back looks like a damn mountain. You're a heavyweight champ. Heavyweight."
"Geun-cheol, I'm going to kill you."
"Heheheh."
I traded banter with Si-hoo like that all the way to the classroom. Man, it's really been a while. Coming back to this classroom after so long, it almost feels warm and fuzzy.
"Kim Geun-cheol! Lee Si-hoo!"
The moment we walked in, Leona greeted us cheerfully.
"Did you have a good break?"
"Hell yeah. The best."
I mean, we were literally on the phone just yesterday.
"Yeah. I had a good break. It's all thanks to you, Leona."
"Fufufu! Do go on praising me! Anyway, Kim Geun-cheol? You've clearly grown since before the break... Hm? Lee Si-hoo?"
"Mm? What?"
"Your bearing has shifted a bit, hasn't it? Well now. I suppose I'll have to push myself as well."
Leona glanced at Si-hoo, grinned, and said that. She'd sensed it too. That Si-hoo had risen another level.
"Whatever the case, a new semester is beginning. Let's keep doing well together. Give it our absolute best! Lee Si-hoo! Let's compete with all our strength, as fellow top-rankers! And Kim Geun-cheol! Time to graduate in the top five, yes?"
"You sure about that, Leona? Even if I beat you?"
"'You sure about that, Leona,' my ass! The audacity on this one, I swear."
"Hahaha, Geun-cheol graduating in the top five would actually be pretty fun."
The morning was brimming with fighting spirit.
But Yu-ri, that bastard, was slumped over her desk.
"Hey, Yu-ri. Did you pass out the second we got back from the opening ceremony? Get up, you punk."
"Ugh, seriously... I'm so damn exhausted... didn't sleep at all."
A voice on the verge of death from drowsiness.
"You insane bastard. Get up right now, Woo Yu-ri."
Yu-ri had stayed up until dawn today, refusing to sleep because she didn't want the new semester to start. She kept calling me, so I couldn't sleep either.
"Get up and look at Si-hoo."
"Lee Si-hoo? Why would I... Huh?"
Yu-ri lifted her head and paused for a second.
"Whoa. Lee Si-hoo. The aura she's giving off is kind of no joke."
"Right?"
"This is definitely gonna shake things up when we do ranking matches again. Lee Si-hoo. I'm gonna wreck you this time, so brace yourself."
"I'm looking forward to it. I did make some gains over the break. Testing them out on you first sounds good to me."
"Kehkehkeh, deal!"
As if her sleepiness had been blasted away, Yu-ri stretched like a cat. Then—
—Snatch!
"Ack!"
She threw an arm around my shoulder like she was reeling me in!
"And you, Kim Geun-cheol—you've gotta break out of the top five too, yeah?"
"Hah... Yu-ri. You really okay with this? Even if you end up pinned beneath me?"
"Try pinning me, you little shit."
"Cheek! Cheek! I said stop pinching my cheeks!"
Yu-ri pinched my cheeks, so I slipped away fast. Seriously, I thought my cheeks were gonna tear. I went back to my seat and set my bag down, and there was Ryu, glaring at me from behind with pure distaste.
"Yo, Mister Draaaagon."
"For the love of...! Why must I endure such nonsense on the very first day of the semester?!"
"I'm fine, thank you, and you?"
"Do not behave like a kindergartener who just learned English for the first time!"
"Hey! We went to the valley together and you're gonna act like that?!"
"A memory I wish to erase from my life forever!"
"God, you're such a rigid prick. Hey. You going for the donkatsu combo at lunch?"
"I am not!"
Bullshit.
You'll be sneaking off to the school store the second lunch starts.
While we were messing around like that, the BKM Trio walked into the classroom.
"Oh, Geun-cheol! Good morning! What happened with the mineral?"
"Ah. So I looked into it, and apparently the school can handle selling it for us. They've got some kind of student service set up."
A system was in place where the school would buy spoils obtained by cadets at fair market value.
"Good, good! We'll get it sold off and settle up this week!"
"Indeed, Scream Man! I eagerly await that day!"
"Sigh, with that money I'm gonna buy equipment and smash Kim Geun-cheol to pieces."
"Cut the crap, Mun Min."
We were exchanging greetings like that when—
"..."
Ryu was staring at me, wasn't he.
"What? What's wrong, Ryu?"
"...You."
"What."
"What is this business about a mineral?"
"Oh, this?"
—Slide.
I pulled the mineral out of my pocket right away.
"Spoils I brought back from the otherworld."
"Wh-wh-what?! You! You went to another world?!"
"Well, about that."
"Explain yourself properly!"
Ryu's curiosity was clearly through the roof, and he started grilling me—but when Ryu asks you to tell him something, hiding it to the bitter end is simply human nature.
"Ah, it's just... a thing. Y'know."
"You son of a...! I said explain yourself properly—what do you mean, another world!"
"Shh! Ahem! If you know, you'll get hurt!"
"Nonsense!"
And just as I was cackling at that—
—Squeak.
The instructor walked in.
"Good morning, Instructor!"
"Good morning!"
"Good morning!"
We changed the subject with vigorous greetings. I promptly sat down and looked at the instructor. She quietly waved her hand, set the attendance book on the lectern, and spoke.
"Good morning. I'm pleased to see you all wearing such bright expressions on the first day back. So, did everyone have a good time over break?"
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
The moment my classmates answered carelessly—
"Oh-ho, so you dared to spend time you should've used training on having fun, did you?"
The instructor's eyes turned fierce!
"Hurk...!"
"Ack!"
"Eep!"
My classmates held their breath. I'd known this was coming, so I'd kept my mouth shut. Though, well, the instructor already knew exactly what I'd done over break. She'd called me in several times, after all.
"I'll be remembering this... Anyway. As it's the first day back, there are many announcements. Everyone, pay attention."
So it's that time.
"The curriculum has been significantly altered."
"Pardon?"
"As the Chairwoman stated earlier, the current state of affairs is unstable. Accordingly, orders have come down from above."
So they restructured the classes to respond to the situation.
"A significant number of people are vanishing into otherworlds. A truly lamentable state of affairs."
The mood sank. Civilians were getting caught up in this in real time.
"The gate that appeared on the training grounds. You are all aware it still hasn't disappeared. It opened when the school was attacked before. At any rate. The government has been conducting extensive research by traveling in and out of it. The interior is reportedly safer than expected. The immediate vicinity, at least."
So, wait—are we going in there?
"In order to cultivate your otherworld response capabilities, this semester you will be entering that gate and conducting training within. Originally this was intended for third-year cadets, but it has been changed to include all years down to the first-years."
"Oooh."
Yeah.
That's definitely going to be useful training. If we experience the otherworld by using that gate that's still open, then even if we get caught up in an Otherworld Abduction Incident, we'll be able to maintain some degree of composure.
"Understood, Instructor. But will this be an everyday thing?"
"Not every day. We'll announce the schedule separately."
"Got it."
This should be interesting.
"Next announcement. This is something that's normally standard starting in second year... but once again, orders came from above. Starting this semester, there will be occasions when you have Combined Class with other classes."
"What? You mean combined classes?"
So, combined classes with the kids from the other class who specialize in ranged attacks?
"That's correct. Originally, during your first year, you were meant to focus solely on specialized training without any outside contact, in order to cultivate your individual strengths. For reference, all of you are melee-specialized types."
Classmates from other classes, huh.
"In that way, you build your skills throughout your first year. Then, in second year, through Combined Classes, you fight alongside Awakened from other disciplines and conduct tactical drills to broaden your perspective and hone your abilities. And in your third year, you form teams and actively go out to fight, gaining combat experience. Joint operations with the military are also frequent."
So there was a whole curriculum.
"That is normally how it goes, but as I just said, the world is changing. All sorts of anomalies are raining down like a gift set. Under the principle that failure to adapt in such times means the end, the curriculum has been somewhat revised—so take note. Right now, we are in a state of crisis. I expect you to work hard this semester as well. That wraps up the announcements."
The instant the instructor finished speaking—
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
My classmates roared in response.
Whatever comes, if we just work hard, that's all that matters.