Alone with Si-hoo # 1
Alone with Si-hoo # 1
Anyway, after a quick run with Si-hoo, we got into the real strength training. Today was bench press day. You know, the one where you lie down and push the bar up.
"Hup!"
Held my breath, focused, finished a set.
"Geun-cheol."
"Hoo... yeah."
"You're way too weak."
Lee Si-hoo looked down at me with this solemn face.
"The hell, man? Hey. For your information, I'm so strong that—"
"Save the talk and move, Geun-cheol."
"Yeah, sure."
I got right off the bench, and Si-hoo went and grabbed more plates from over there and started loading them onto the bar.
Wait, this bastard?
He's gonna lift double my weight?
This is a challenge. A direct challenge to me.
"Heh-heh, watch this. Geun-cheol."
Si-hoo lay down on the bench, flashed a sly grin, and gripped the bar.
"A true Awakened can use mana like so... hnngh, and lift heavy loads with ease."
And he lifted it like it was nothing!
"Holy shit! This guy's insane!"
Good god, mana is fucking omnipotent! How the hell can Si-hoo, who's like ten centimeters shorter than me and built like a willow branch, put out that kind of power!
"You're still at the stage where all you can do is release it, so it probably won't come easy yet. But you should try training like this—using mana to lift things easily. Eventually your feel for it will grow."
And on top of that, Si-hoo kept talking while moving his arms, not a hint of strain showing. Man, nothing but admiration here. Although, now that I look, he does seem to have some decent pecs going on.
"Damn. The world of superhumans really is ridiculously diverse."
High Jump. Dash. Vertical wall-running. And now casually lifting heavy-ass objects. Pure superhuman, straight up.
I'll be able to do it too once I increase my mana reserves and learn to control it properly. Gonna work my ass off until that day comes.
After finishing a set, Si-hoo sat up.
"Hey. Si-hoo. But the ones who are really good at that stuff—don't they shoot fire from their hands and shit? Magic attacks and all that."
"Yeah. But that side of things... it doesn't quite click with me. I couldn't really do it."
"Oh yeah? Well, you are more of a melee type, I guess. Good with a sword too."
"Right. I learned a bit of swordsmanship when I was young."
"Total melee warrior type."
So he came from a kendo background, sounds like.
"Heh... but, Geun-cheol, you're long-range."
Suddenly Si-hoo said that, barely holding back a laugh.
"What? What d'you mean I'm long-range? I'm gonna dash in and use a sword too, you know. I'm a melee warrior type too."
Moving your body and swinging a blade is the safest bet. Honestly, I can't really picture myself doing anything else. Sure, I can barely handle a sword right now, but obviously I'll figure it out once I learn.
"What are you talking about? You're gonna scream and do long-range attacks. Like this. You stand in front of a monster and go Aaagh! and then Bwaaang! a sonic blast erupts—"
"GAAAAH!!!"
"Hahahah! Joke! Joke! No! Agh!"
I immediately grabbed Si-hoo's shoulders and shoved him onto the mat to dispense justice!
"Geun-cheol, it was a joke! Ah, aahn! Hnn! Geun-cheol...! Don't yank my shoulder! Ahn!"
Wait, what's with this high-pitched scream, what the—
"Kyaah! Noooo!"
In an instant, Si-hoo unleashed some monstrous strength and shoved me off hard! God, this is so unfair, seriously! I was pressing down from on top and he just flung me off like nothing!
"Whoa! This bastard's strong as hell!"
"Hgh... wh-what are you doing, Geun-cheol! Suddenly pouncing on me like that...!"
"Who told you to talk about sonic blasts, huh? Tried to punish you but failed because of the power gap, see?"
"O-oh, oh...? Th-that's what it was?"
What else would it be.
"Th-that right there is the difference between you and me, Geun-cheol! If it bothers you, get stronger!"
"Fuck you!"
And so we kept at the workout, laughing our asses off with Si-hoo. Yeah, working out with a friend really is way better than doing it alone.
"..."
But as we were talking like that.
The thought of Si-hoo's complex came to mind.
A complex, huh. Other things aside, if I can see my friend's complex with my own two eyes, I can't just look away. There's such a thing as manners between friends, but I can't let this kind of thing slide. Sure, I haven't known Si-hoo for years or anything, but the way I see it, once you're my friend, you're my friend for good.
How could I just let it go when my friend's going through some shit like this.
"Hey. Si-hoo."
"Hm? What?"
"Nothing major. We haven't known each other that long, but."
"Uhhuh?"
"Still, I think once you're friends, you're friends forever."
"Huh? Uuuhhuh?! No?! Geun-cheol! Why are you suddenly saying stuff like that?!"
Si-hoo suddenly shouted, his face going bright red. This guy seriously gets embarrassed so damn easily.
"Just. You looked like you had something weighing on you. When I see a friend like that, it's hard for me to just let it go."
"What's so hard to let go...!"
"Well, you see."
As I tried to explain a bit.
"I-I'm leaving! Let's stop here for today!"
Si-hoo got up, spun around quick, and headed for the locker room!
"What—hey! Where d'you think you're going! We've got another thirty minutes at least!"
"I've got stuff to do!"
Stuff?
"Then what about hanging out tomorrow!"
"That's fine! You get back early too and go to sleep early, Geun-cheol!"
"Uh... sure."
Si-hoo left those words behind, grabbed his clothes, and bolted like his life depended on it.
"Ha, seriously."
Was that too cringey?
No, fuck that! You're allowed to get a little sentimental in front of a friend who's got problems!
* * *
Workout done.
"Ahh, refreshing."
Back in my room, showered, sitting in front of the computer. The quest. Tomorrow, I had to do the quest.
—Tak-tak-tak.
Right away I searched for info on gates.
"Hmm."
There are different kinds of gates.
Gates that spew out the monsters inside them and then vanish, and gates connected to another dimension on the inside. Usually the first kind is just called a gate, and the second kind is called a dungeon.
The quest I'd be doing this time involved eliminating monsters coming out of an F-rank gate. I looked into it and didn't see any real issues.
Apparently some soldiers in red suits show up and shoot, and the things just melt.
"Nothing to worry about, then."
Honestly, if Si-hoo and I go together, gate or whatever, we'll smash it all to pieces. Wipe them all out completely.
Actually, the Mana Master Kim Geun-cheol could handle the cleanup solo.
—Fwoosh.
After looking around a bit more, I turned off the computer and went to lie down on the bed.
"Hah."
First time going out with a friend since I got here. Wonder what it'll be like?
* * *
—Knock knock knock.
"Si-hoo. Let's go. Come out."
I knocked on the door.
—Creeeak.
Si-hoo came out in his cadet uniform. This guy wears his uniform on a weekend?
"The hell. The uniform?"
"Geun-cheol. Listen up. Apparently a lot of places give discounts if you're wearing the cadet uniform."
Lee Si-hoo said it with this super proud look on his face.
"No way, for real? That's awesome."
"You didn't know? You're wearing it too, Geun-cheol."
I was only wearing the uniform because I didn't have any other clothes.
"Didn't know about the discount part."
"Really? Still, it's a good idea to always wear the uniform when you're out."
"Why?"
"This uniform is basically protective gear, isn't it?"
"Protective gear? What do you mean?"
"Huh?"
Something was getting lost in translation.
What's this about the uniform being protective gear?
"Geun-cheol? Our cadet uniform, you know, has dimensional fiber woven in? It reacts to our mana and gets stronger... you didn't know?"
And what the hell is dimensional fiber?
"Uh. Had no idea at all."
"How do you not know this. Anyway, Geun-cheol. Better to wear it when you go out. Monsters could show up anytime. Same goes for always carrying your weapon."
"That's a given."
I genuinely had no clue about any of that, and I'd only brought my weapon today because I was planning to do the quest. Whatever. Who cares, right?
"Let's just head out."
"Okay!"
Si-hoo and I slipped out of the dorms and passed through the academy's main gate. First time seeing this view since the entrance ceremony.
Si-hoo pointed and said, "Over there, I think we go that way."
I followed Si-hoo's directions as he checked his phone and gave orders. We chatted while walking and soon arrived downtown.
"Oh damn. This is the hot spot, huh?"
I could spot other students in our uniform here and there. Guess everyone came out to play since it's the weekend.
"Heheheh, downtown's really nice here. Geun-cheol!"
Si-hoo called out to me, all excited.
"Coin karaoke! Let's go to a coin karaoke! I'll pay for the coins!"
What, is he possessed by the ghost of someone who died before they could visit a coin karaoke? The guy looks like he's about to die of happiness. Said he'd never been, and now his excitement's about to blow.
"Hey. Won't it wear us out if we go this early? Let's eat a proper meal first."
"Eat first? Okay, let's do that. What should we eat?"
Chinese, or gukbap. Throw burgers in there and picking one of the three is the golden rule. But burgers weren't calling to me today.
"Burgers? Geun-cheol. Wanna get burgers?"
"Not feeling it. Let's go with gukbap."
"Geun-cheol. I want burgers though. Wanna settle it with strength?"
"Oh fuck off! You're gonna pull the strength card?!"
"If it bothers you, get stronger faster, Geun-cheol."
It bothers me so much I could fucking die!
"Ha. Fine. Burgers it is. Where's the place?"
"Go over there and turn, apparently. Let's go!"
"Yeah."
And so we strolled down the street with Si-hoo leading the way. This area is pretty well-developed, actually. The academy's near Jamsil, so of course it is.
"Ah. Here."
We turned the corner and all kinds of signs greeted us.
[Original Grandma Schweinshaxe]
What?
"What the hell is Original Grandma Schweinshaxe?"
"What's Schweinshaxe?"
"It's that German pig's trotter thing."
"Maybe it's a place run by a German grandma?"
"Even if she's a German grandma, slapping 'Original Grandma' on the sign in Korea is kind of ridiculous... Gotta ask Leona about this one."
Curiosity got the better of me and I peeked inside—some middle-aged Korean dude was standing there.
Anyway, you've gotta hand it to Korean-style exaggerated advertising. Original Grandma my ass.
Besides that, there was a whole lineup of bizarre, incomprehensible establishments: Joseon-style pulled pork, 50-year-tradition Unified Silla quesadilla, and so on. Clearly they're doing business catering to monsterkin or something.
"What the hell is this place."
"Ah. Geun-cheol. I looked it up and apparently this is the fusion food street."
"There are limits to fusion, goddammit. Piccolo and Lunch doing fusion?"
Lunch was such an unlucky character, even her existence got forgotten.
"Anyway, this place is insane."
Chatting like that, we went into a burger joint. The taste was nothing special. Just your average burger. But the fries were an insult to the concept of food.
"Please, just give me Cajun seasoning...!"
My anger is charging up!
Let's eat fast and get out.
"Ah, I'm full. Geun-cheol. Now let's go to the coin karaoke."
"Heheheh, this bastard really won't come to his senses until I show him my singing skills, huh? Hey. Lead the way. I'll have you on your knees."
"Ah."
"Why'd you flinch?"
"Geun-cheol. By the way, what kind of songs do you like?"
"You'll find out when we get there. No, wait. Si-hoo. I'm more curious about that—what kind of songs do you like?"
"Umm... just normal stuff... but I feel like you're gonna like weird songs, Geun-cheol..."
"What, man? If you say 'screaming songs,' I'll kill you."
"It wasn't?"
"Get over here. You little shit, get over here."
"Joke! It's a joke, Geun-cheol!"
Hold on.
But will they even have songs I know in there? No, seriously—I'm more worried about this than the main quest of smashing the F-rank gate. Going to a karaoke place and not knowing any songs is a massive humiliation.