Lion's Roar Training #7
Lion's Roar Training #7
After learning all sorts of conspiracies about the Sovereign Commander and his family, Lee Si-hoo threw herself into training. Whatever was coming, only strength would let her deal with it.
His mother still couldn't be reached.
Since she collapsed, she hadn't regained consciousness. Maybe revealing the secret last time was the reason, Lee Si-hoo thought... It was good that she'd thrown herself into training to shake off those ominous thoughts, and her skills had improved, but she still hadn't overcome the fear.
"..."
Even now, when his phone rang while he was alone, his heart lurched. Because he couldn't shake the thought that it might be a call from somewhere sinister.
He'd been having nightmares, too, every so often.
Women who looked like him but with empty faces. They crawled out of a swamp and latched onto him, pulling him down. When he lifted his head, a black shape was staring down at him.
The strongest man in the Republic of Korea—the Sovereign Commander.
—Creeeak.
"Haaah."
Lee Si-hoo stepped out of the shower and pressed a towel firmly against her hair, wringing out the moisture. After drying her head, she flipped the towel over and wiped down her body.
The large chest still bothered him.
—tap tap tap.
He laid the towel on top and patted it with a tap-tap-tap to absorb the water, then slid his hands underneath, lifted, and dried the folds beneath and the space between, starting from the bottom.
"Fufufu."
A smile hung on Lee Si-hoo's face as she dried herself.
"Geun-cheol complimented me."
Just thinking about it, he felt the negative thoughts pressing on a corner of his heart vanish.
Whatever happened, Geun-cheol was a reliable friend. Even when things were serious, having him nearby was calming.
Even while carrying that terror, the fact that he'd managed to turn it into drive was all thanks to Geun-cheol. And hadn't Geun-cheol just demonstrated a new skill perfectly today? Without him, he'd probably still be trembling.
Secret or not.
Just having a friend you could share things with and who worried alongside you was a huge help.
"...Still, Geun-cheol."
But there was one thing that nagged at him.
"Aren't you staring at my chest way too much...!"
He'd pretended not to notice earlier, but honestly—he'd totally picked up on the fact that Geun-cheol had been openly staring at his chest.
It was seriously bothering him.
Ever since that time she'd bared her chest. Lee Si-hoo tried not to dwell on it, but the thought kept surfacing. What did Geun-cheol actually think about her?
And what was with the way he kept fixating on his chest? Did he really want to see it that badly?
"Why!"
His fist trembled on its own.
"You don't do that to other girls—only to me!"
Come to think of it, Geun-cheol never really did that kind of thing to Yu-ri or Leona. He never openly stared at their chests or anything. So why did he do it only to him?
Because he was comfortable around him?
Or because he seemed like a guy?
"Aaagh!"
He didn't know about the rest, but this was a massive worry.
* * *
I walked to school with Si-hoo like usual, and—
"What's this? Isn't that Woo Yu-ri?"
Yu-ri was sitting at my desk with her arms crossed. Usually she'd be sprawled out asleep, but today she was awake.
"Oh, you're here?"
"Not asleep for once?"
"Not tired."
"Yu-ri?"
But why wasn't she looking at me?
Was something on her mind? Feeling like messing with her for no reason, I shoved my face right up to hers and chanted her name.
"Milk. Milk. Milk."
"Ah, fuck! What are you, a kindergartner?!"
"Ack!"
Yu-ri shot upright, grabbed my shoulders, and started pressing down like a maniac.
"Aagh! Stop! It was just a morning greeting—come on!"
"Shut the hell up, you bastard!"
"Okay! Okay! Nngh...!"
She finally let go of me and sat back down. No, seriously, why so prickly today... I even gave her a massage yesterday—was she still mad about that?
I figured any more chatter would just earn me an earful, so I went to my seat and sat down.
While I was just sitting there, Leona arrived.
"Oh, Kim Geun-cheol? You're here?"
"Yeah. Leona."
"Good morning. By the way, I ran into the instructor on the way in, and she said to go and fetch Kim Geun-cheol?"
"What for? Why?"
"Fufufu, if you're being summoned to the Chairwoman's office, it's obvious."
Leona laughed confidently and slipped a hand into her pocket.
"Here."
"This is?"
"Earplugs."
She handed me a pair of earplugs!
"No, what—where did you even get these?!"
"Oh, it's nothing. I told you, didn't I? That you'd be getting Lion's Roar training? So I brought some I had lying around at home. Make sure you protect your hearing. Use them well. Understood?"
That affectionate smile...!
"I think I'm melting!"
"Don't be cheesy, seriously. What are you, Kim Geun-cheol—a marshmallow? Anyway, once you start Lion's Roar training, you're bound to need them from time to time. Here, here. I mean it—take care of your ears."
—gently.
Leona tugged softly at my earlobe as she said it.
"Yes, ma'am! I'll be off then! Si-hoo! I'm going!"
"Yeah. Do well. Get strong enough to stand up to my techniques."
"I'll smash through them all with Lion's Roar."
I kicked off the floor and headed straight for the Chairwoman's office.
"Hehehe! I love you!"
The Chairwoman must really be taken with me after all! To keep her word like this! If she keeps teaching me, I'm all for it!
—knock knock.
Not even trying to hide my glee, I knocked.
"Come in!"
"Yes! Chairwoman! Hello! Good morning!"
"Hm hm, indeed! Good morning!"
I bent ninety degrees at the waist in greeting, and the Chairwoman rose from her seat to receive it.
"I've come as summoned! What's the matter!"
"It concerns the Lion's Roar transmission!"
"Huuugh...!"
"Well, a promise is a promise—I ought to teach you. Still, even the Chairwoman has work. At this stage, personally raising a single disciple is a little belated, and I lack the time."
Which meant?
"Thus the training will be... yes! Confined to roughly once a week! After classes! Keep the time open! I'll instruct you then!"
"I'm honored!"
She'd teach me after classes!
This is seriously official!
"Good! Then we begin today after school! About an hour per session! I'm too busy for more! But precisely because it's brief, I will give it everything I have! Do you understand, Kim Geun-cheol!"
"Yes!"
"If you can't keep up, so be it! That's what it means to receive this Chairwoman's Lion's Roar!"
"Understood! I will train as if I mean to rupture my vocal cords!"
"That's the spirit! Then come this way after classes!"
"Yes!"
And with that remarkably constructive conversation concluded, I returned to the classroom. No, seriously, could there be a better turn of events than this?
"Guys...!"
I shared the joyous news with my friends.
* * *
And so, after school.
Just as instructed, I parted ways with my friends and headed to the Chairwoman's office. My heart was seriously pounding. The way it was racing—I felt like my throat might burst from the thrill.
"Good. You're here. Then let us depart!"
"Pardon? Where to?"
"A place where one may unleash the Lion's Roar to one's heart's content!"
There was a place like that in the Republic of Korea?
"Understood!"
I'd entertained a philosophical doubt, but yes. Such a place existed.
Such a place.
"Whoa."
The place we arrived at in the Chairwoman's car was none other than the Scream Center... no. It was a pretty sizable training center.
"Commonly called the Bamboo Grove! Here, you may scream as much as you please! Ah, this name was bestowed by this Chairwoman, for your reference!"
"Whoa! A Bamboo Grove where you can scream all you want?! Chairwoman, isn't your naming sense a little too brilliant?! It's a name perfectly suited for screaming!"
"Verily!"
The Bamboo Grove—wasn't that from that story in the Samguk Yusa, the one where someone shouted that the king's ears were donkey ears?
A fitting naming sense, you could say. Truly a master of all things relating to shouting.
—whirrrr.
And so, the Chairwoman and I entered the Scream Room.
"Let me be clear: Kim Geun-cheol is a provisional disciple! Still lacking to be called a formal disciple!"
"I will absolutely become a formal disciple!"
"A fine mindset! At any rate! Now that you are a provisional disciple, I shall tell you—this room is... yes. It is a space this Chairwoman visits whenever the urge to sing arises!"
Excuse me?
"Since an ordinary karaoke room is out of the question! Well, it works out nicely! Should Kim Geun-cheol achieve a certain level of accomplishment, we shall sing together here!"
"Huh? Huh?"
"It has been rather lonely singing alone all this time! Kim Geun-cheol! Play the tambourine as well! I would appreciate some enthusiastic response while you're at it!"
"I'll have all the snacks fully laid out!"
This is insane!
To learn the skill, am I supposed to listen to the Chairwoman sing while playing the tambourine?! That can't be good for my hearing! For starters, I can't even imagine what would happen from just hearing one song!
But I will endure!
"Right, then! The first formal lesson shall... Hm? Kim Geun-cheol? What is that?"
"Before we begin, why not have a cup first!"
I promptly pulled out a thermos and paper cup and set up some instant coffee mix. I'd gone out during lunch earlier and bought the thermos and instant coffee. I figured there might be a chance to have some during training.
I'd brewed the coffee right before coming to the Chairwoman's office.
"Splendid! Kim Geun-cheol, you really do have the right idea!"
As I handed over the paper cup, the Chairwoman accepted it with the most delighted expression and praised me.
"Absolutely! You have to start work with coffee first! Obviously!"
"Isn't that the very definition of a Korean! Hehehe!"
"He knows his stuff!"
—sip.
And so, the Chairwoman and I shared the instant coffee and loosened our throats.
"Ah, by the way, Chairwoman? What kind of songs do you like?"
"Hah! Kim Geun-cheol! You're curious, are you!"
"Hehehe, I'm actually pretty confident in my singing, you see! Since you enjoy singing as well, Chairwoman, I've become enormously interested!"
"You appreciate the arts! Hmm, well, the Chairwoman's taste in music is rather on the youthful side, I'd say."
Youthful?
"Youthful? What on earth—?"
"I'll tell you next time. At any rate, you said you enjoy singing?"
"Yes!"
"First training exercise! Maintain the Lion's Roar state and sing your favorite song!"
No, excuse me?!