School Life is Fucking Spectacular # 16
School Life is Fucking Spectacular # 16
"Ryu Cheon-hwi? I told you to speak."
"..."
What was with this bastard? Instructor Lee So-ra was telling him to speak, and he was just sitting there with his head down, covering his eyes with his left hand.
Could he actually be in shock because he heard I don't have parents? I don't get how a guy self-aware enough to realize he missed the timing would kick the door down.
"Ryu Cheon-hwi. How long are you planning to stay quiet?"
—Tap. Tap.
Instructor Lee So-ra drummed her fingers on the desk and repeated herself. Tap. Tap. Rumble. Wait, what's this? Rumble. Hold on, what the hell is that earthquake-like noise?
I checked the epicenter—it was Instructor Lee So-ra's fingers.
That's not a sound a human can make...!
This is a little alarming!
—CRASH!!!
The desk split in two!
"No!!! Nooooo!!! Instructor Lee So-ra!!! What the hell is this?!"
I mean, for fuck's sake, how do you smash a desk with your fingers?!
"Ah, calm down. I got a little frustrated and messed up my power control. Ryu Cheon-hwi? Did you not hear me tell you to speak?"
The way she kept questioning him perfectly calmly in this situation—clearly she's done this way more than once.
"Ryu—"
And right at that moment.
—Burst!
Ryu Cheon-hwi, who'd been sitting quietly, shot to his feet!
"...!"
And once he was up, he glared at me with a ferocious intensity!
"What?"
Is this bastard seriously thinking about throwing a punch, instructor be damned? I stayed seated, obviously. Instructor Lee So-ra would block that much. So I decided to bank on that and just keep my swagger. Backing down here would be a loss of face.
But I guessed wrong.
—BOOM!
Ryu Cheon-hwi immediately spun around, kicked the door open with a violent crash, and fled like he was running away.
What? Running away?
"Hey! Instructor! Don't we need to grab him?!"
"Hmm... well, I suppose we can chalk it up as a refusal to speak."
"Still! You should catch him and make him say something!"
"Kim Geun-cheol, I'm not an investigator. I don't have the authority to forcibly interrogate a cadet."
"Ah. Right."
Damn, you're really sensible.
I like that.
"You grasp things quickly. Anyway, Kim Geun-cheol, what do you plan to do now?"
I obviously have a plan.
"I'm going to sue Ryu Cheon-hwi now!"
I'll sue his ass!
"This is way beyond common sense! Swinging a sword at a classmate in the classroom! That's clearly abnormal! I refuse to accept knife violence in a fresh field of learning! We must prevent a space that should overflow with dreams and hope from being stained with blood...! Isn't that what a classroom is for!"
A fresh field of learning.
What those words evoke is hope and beauty.
But if that space becomes stained with blood,
all that remains in this world is despair.
"Uh, uhm. You're quite eloquent. Well, I understand. What you're saying is perfectly natural. If you intend to pursue a lawsuit, as your instructor in charge, I'll help you."
"Oh my! Really! You're a true adult! I'm so impressed!"
I sprang to my feet and bowed at a full ninety degrees.
"Wh-why are you saying such embarrassing things?"
After making me sit down again, Instructor Lee So-ra's face turned a little red. Seems she's weak to gratitude. Nice. On Teacher's Day, I'll absolutely wreck her with emotion.
"What's embarrassing? It's the truth."
"Although, I'm not sure the lawsuit will go well."
"What?"
What does that mean?
"You're all minors. A fight between Awakened. Nobody was actually injured, either. Not only is criminal punishment unlikely, but even if you file a civil suit, it'll be hard to get compensation."
"What?"
What kind of bullshit is this?
"But it's attempted murder or attempted assault! And it took place in a classroom—a fresh field of learning, a beautiful dream-space that never stops blooming with smiles around the clock! This is a felony, a felony. He needs to be separated from society. A tiger can never coexist with humans!"
"Pff...! Geun-cheol! Don't make us laugh...!"
Si-hoo, who was sitting beside me, covered his mouth and jabbed my waist.
"What's funny? I'm only stating facts. The classroom is that important a space. The place that suits a beast like Ryu Cheon-hwi isn't a joyful classroom—it's a gloomy juvenile zoo surrounded by iron bars."
"Geun-cheol, please...! Hff!"
Still, I figured directly calling it a prison needed a little censorship, so I swapped it for zoo.
"Isn't that right, Instructor?"
"You're, you're right... Fuh, fwoo! But you don't need to describe it at such length... Pff, krff!"
Maybe she aspirated something; Instructor Lee So-ra stammered with her shoulders shaking. After a moment, she continued.
"Anyway. You kids are Awakened. Not ordinary people."
"That's right."
"Under the Special Act on Awakened Individuals, personal duels between Awakened are hard to punish unless there's a serious injury or fatality. Your swords didn't even clash. This is closer to simple attempted assault, so punishment will be even harder."
What?
"What? Spe—what?"
"The Special Act on Awakened Individuals."
"What kind of law is that?"
"A law created by our proud war hero and Sovereign Commander, S-rank Awakened Kim Ik-su."
What.
"Awakened are different from ordinary people. Naturally, if an ordinary person pulls a knife on another ordinary person, all kinds of charges apply. But an Awakened is not ordinary. As far as physical force goes, they're legally a bit freer than ordinary people."
So the law that limits Awakened violence is,
actually weaker than the laws for ordinary people?
"Does that even make sense? What a mess."
"Well, I'm not so sure. Sovereign Commander Kim Ik-su is a bit lenient when it comes to Awakened, you see. After all, isn't he a dictator and S-rank Awakened himself? That's why he made this special law. It guarantees the freedom and rights of Awakened."
I don't get it.
This isn't a country where gun control is just for show.
"Legally suppressing the power of individual Awakened is impossible. The coup that happened after the Dimension War proves that."
"Coup?"
Wait, don't tell me Park Chung-hee or Chun Doo-hwan pulled off a coup with superhuman powers?
"Wait, Kim Geun-cheol, don't you study history?"
"It's a bit hard for me... Ah, I'm very interested in world history."
"Take an interest in your own country's history."
And Instructor Lee So-ra's short history lesson began.
"After the Dimension War ended, all kinds of unjust laws were made to control the swell of Awakened. Naturally, the war hero Kim Ik-su was furious. He rose up with the Awakened, asking 'Is this the reward for risking our lives for our country and neighbors?' An immediate crackdown began... well, as you know, the result was Kim Ik-su and the Awakened's victory. Countless lawmakers, high-ranking officers, judges, prosecutors, and journalists were unilaterally slaughtered and their heads displayed. They were probably an easier opponent than the powerful killer monsters they'd been exhaustively dealing with. Anyway, after that, Kim Ik-su ascended to the position of Sovereign Commander, backed by the absolute support of high-ranked Awakened."
Please give us this stuff during class, not lunch... Still, it was interesting knowledge. It seemed like essential information.
"That's the kind of law Kim Ik-su made. Unless Awakened cause a major incident, they're a bit legally looser than ordinary people."
Listening to it, it does make sense.
I'm convinced.
"I see."
Right.
This isn't my hometown.
"On top of that, Ryu Cheon-hwi is a child of the Ryuseong Group. He has political connections and numerous in-house lawyers. For your information, Ryu Cheon-hwi's father, Ryu Seong, is a very close comrade of Sovereign Commander Kim Ik-su. They ran the subjugation of the S-rank monster Land of Eternity and the defense against the Void Princess together."
"Oh my."
Good lord.
I'm in despair.
Realizing Ryu Cheon-hwi was a much bigger deal than I had imagined filled me with despair.
"If Kim Geun-cheol wants to hire a lawyer and proceed with a lawsuit, I can introduce you to a decent one. But as for the odds of winning and the legal matters, you'll have to look into those yourself as the party involved."
"Um... Instructor Lee So-ra?"
"What is it?"
"That guy Cheon-hwi is a much bigger deal than I thought, huh?"
"You think he's top of the class for nothing? Isn't he joint top with Leona?"
"Heh heh heh, so he is. So, let me ask this: did I really talk shit to a heavyweight like that?"
"Even if he is a heavyweight, a man does not compromise."
—Slap.
Instructor Lee So-ra grabbed my shoulder.
"This instructor is moved. A man you don't see often. Kim Geun-cheol. I thought you were a coward because all you do is yell at the top of your lungs, but you have a manly side."
Why do you look so damn satisfied...!
"Hm? Why the face? Are you regretting it?"
"Like hell I am!!!"
I don't do regret!
That's how I've lived my whole life!
"Honestly, I was a little spooked, but when it comes to humans, I almost never compromise! And I don't do regret!"
"A real man."
"Still, a lawsuit might be a little tough!"
"Tough?"
"G-Geun-cheol...! Why is the lawsuit tough again...! Pff!"
"Just a human judgment call. If defeat is obvious, you're just wasting money. It's time for a strategic retreat."
Honestly, no matter how big a shot that bastard Ryu Cheon-hwi is, I can still say it with confidence. Your dad's a son of a bitch. I can call him a son of a bitch any number of times. Hell, I'm a man who can say that right in front of his father, Mr. Ryu Seong, with my chest out.
"So I'll cancel the lawsuit! And I'll officially file a complaint with the school!"
"Understood. Well, a Disciplinary Committee would have to convene anyway. I'm well aware of the circumstances, so I'll help make sure it's handled properly. Even as an Awakened school, we don't exactly welcome students pulling knives on each other."
"Exactly! That's what common sense is! Kyah! To meet a sensible adult like you, Instructor Lee So-ra! I, Kim Geun-cheol, am deeply moved! I respect you so much! Please shake my hand!"
"My goodness, such nerve..."
"Handshake!"
"R-right."
—Shake, shake.
I immediately shook hands with Instructor Lee So-ra and got up.
But lunch break is almost over, man.
I couldn't even eat.
I'm fucking hungry, you bastard Ryu Cheon-hwi!!!
* * *
—Ding.
―――――――――――――――――
「Quest Complete」
「Repel Hostile Cadet」
「Reward: 300 Coin」
「Consecutive Repel Bonus: 200 Coin」
[Held Coin (3,000)]
―――――――――――――――――
As soon as I went outside with Si-hoo, the reward came in.
Wait, there's a bonus? Hell yes! That makes 3,000! Now I can use the shop! Kyah! That bastard Cheon-hwi is a total gold mine! I'll head to the dorm after class and try it out! So damn excited!
"Si-hoo! Let's head to class!"
"Yeah. But, Geun-cheol."
"Hm?"
"Are you okay?"
With what?
I looked over and Si-hoo was watching me with a worried face.
"About your parents."
"What about it?"
"Honestly, I think insulting parents is a bit harsh... but I do understand how you feel... it's probably something like that."
"Wait, what?"
"Never mind. It's nothing."
As I thought, he must find it hard to talk about because it involves parents. It's fine for me, though. My mom and dad are doing well back in my hometown, anyway.
"Yeah? Anyway, Si-hoo, thanks for saving me today. Man, seriously, your back looked so huge. Like a mountain. A real mountain. You're a real mountain of a man."
"A m-mountain of a man... ugh. Still, it's only natural because we're friends. If someone's in danger, you have to help."
"Real man trait: helps his friend. A genuine real man."
A guy like this, how did he have almost no friends?
Is it really because he looks androgynous?
"Enough with the real man talk. Let's just go to class, Geun-cheol."
"Yeah. Oh, Si-hoo, if you ever get into a fight, call me anytime. I'll come and help you gang up on them."
"A fight? But you're weak, Geun-cheol. I don't think you'd be any help."
"What, you little shit? Are you looking down on me right now?"
"I'm not looking down on you; it's a fact. You're so weak I have to protect you. You'd definitely just be dead weight."
You son of a bitch!
"Ah! Hey! I'm bigger than you in weight class!"
"Heh heh heh. Geun-cheol's only weapon is his weight class."
"Fuck!"
And like that, I walked down the hallway shooting the breeze with Si-hoo.
"Hey, Si-hoo, why'd you show up at lunch today? Were you sleeping in the morning? Didn't check my messages, and when I went to wake you, you didn't answer."
"Th-that's... ugh. I had trouble sleeping last night."
Trouble sleeping?
Did eating chicken together not agree with him?
"I kept tossing and turning, and before I knew it, it was 11:30."
"So you tossed and turned and wound up falling asleep in the morning, huh."
"Pretty much."
"Heh heh heh, you're gonna get chewed out by the instructor."
—Click.
Anyway, the moment I entered the classroom just like that.
"You, Kim Geun-cheol!!!"
"Aaauuugh!!!"
All of a sudden, Angel Leona raged at me like a thunderbolt!
"Aaugh? Aaauuugh? There you go screaming again, Kim Geun-cheol?"
"Wh-what, why are you suddenly yelling at me... What are you, some kind of magistrate, Angel Leona? Huh?"
"Stop talking nonsense, Kim Geun-cheol!"
"Right."
"What is this!"
—Shove!
Leona yelled shrilly and showed me her smartphone screen.
"What's what?"
"Look!"
When I looked at the screen, there was some kind of post.
[Grinning: The Extreme, Cold-Blooded World of a Man Who Stepped on a LEGO.mp4]
"What kind of title is that..."
—Press.
Leona immediately manipulated her mana and pressed the play button in the middle of the screen.
And what popped up was.
—Kyaaaaaaaah! Attempted murderrrrr! Aaaaaaah!!! Instructoooooor!!! Aaaaaaaaaaagh!
Me causing a damn seizure while screaming my head off—no, what the fuck!
"You motherfuckers! You filmed that earlier and uploaded it?!"
I screamed my lungs out to sound the alarm about the knife violence, and they filmed and uploaded it!
"Kim Geun-cheol! What the hell are you doing running around during lunch break?! I didn't even see you in the cafeteria! I'm seriously going to perform a mouth-sealing procedure on you! Do you want to get dual punch-and-kick physiotherapy from me and my attending physician?!"
"Save me!"
"As class president, I'm dying of embarrassment, seriously! You're not Scream Man, you're Spaz Man! Not just Spaz Man, you're Fucking Spaz Man! If you're gonna do something, pick one thing! I've never seen anything like this in all of Europe! Kim Geun-cheol, what kind of monsterkin are you?!"