Exam Period # 4
Exam Period # 4
In the end, I spent that day sparring my ass off with Yu-ri and building up my skills. My overall average for the general subjects was in the 20s. Just how much effort would it take to drag that up into the 65 range?
"Hey! Focus!"
—Boom!
"Gah!"
A split second of distraction and Yu-ri's sword slammed into my headgear! Protective equipment or not, a direct hit like that rattles your skull...!
"Sorry! Was just stressing about the exam for a sec!"
"No way, you were actually thinking about that?"
"I'm scared shitless I'll flunk."
"But dude, you're not an actual moron, so how the hell do you average 20 points? 20 points? You could fill in bubbles at random and get 30."
"I was trying my hardest on all of them..."
"Pfft, that's practically a talent in its own right. You dumb idiot bastard. Kim Geun-cheol's got a head full of rocks."
Yu-ri said it with a smile that screamed condescension, like she was about to die laughing.
"You really...! Hey! No matter how bad I am at studying, okay? Hearing that from a girl wounds my pride, y'know."
"Aw, bullshit. What pride does a 20-point average even have?"
She was straight-up looking down at me like I was beneath contempt.
"I really gotta knock you down a peg for this. But what about you, Yu-ri? What's your score?"
"Like, 70-ish?"
"No way! You little shit, you study your ass off!"
"Cut the crap, man. I'm just coasting through the lectures. So what the hell's your deal?"
"It's always the ones with good grades who swear they don't study."
"Pffft...! Hey! Calling a 70 good is its own kind of talent, if you ask me. Seriously, Kim Geun-cheol, you crack me up so hard I could die."
What's so damn funny?
I'm being totally serious here!
"No, what the hell? How is everyone this good at academics? We train, we do drills, we study theory—you're telling me you have time for general subjects on top of that?"
"That's why the exam difficulty's so low, you dumbass."
"Seemed hella hard to me..."
"From what I can tell, Kim Geun-cheol, you just ain't got an academic brain. You gotta go all-in on your practicals. Let's just grind swordsmanship."
"What about graduating?!"
"It'll work out somehow. Just learn your ass off from Leona. You sure looked plenty fired up about it."
She had a point—there's no other way around it.
"I'm terrified, seriously. Just how's she planning to teach me subjects?"
"In an aristocratic kinda way, maybe?"
"What's that even mean."
"Dunno. Anyway, pick up your sword."
"Yep."
"No, for fuck's sake, seriously cut the 'yep.' Every time I hear it I feel like I'm gonna keel over laughing."
"Yuh."
"Fuck!"
And like that, I trained swordsmanship with Yu-ri. She's seriously kind and big-hearted, I'll say that.
* * *
"Yaawn. So yeah, that's the deal. Now I've gotta take swordsmanship lessons from Yu-ri and learn general subjects from Leona. I can't catch a break on weekdays, just can't."
It was the usual morning commute, and I was having that conversation with Si-hoo, who was walking beside me.
"Geun-cheol... so, does that mean...?"
"Mm?"
"There's no time to train with me anymore?"
"Why wouldn't there be? After those things wrap up."
Studying with Leona was a quick 2-hour deal. Even training with Yu-ri didn't go past 2 hours.
After that, I could just go hit the gym and wreck some weights.
"Once it's over, let's hit the gym together."
"Haah... seriously. Geun-cheol. Friendship's on the back burner now, is that it?"
"Oh, what's with you now, man. Huh? I'm saying we do it after."
"You're telling me to wait until then! What am I supposed to do in the meantime?!"
"That's..."
Well, then.
"How about we do the training and the studying together?"
"Wh-what? Together?"
"Yeah. I'll just ask Leona and Yu-ri."
"No! I mean, you don't gotta go that far! Anyway, Geun-cheol. Feels like you've been neglecting our friendship lately. A total delinquent-Geun-cheol, that's you. A traitor abandoning his own friend."
"...Says you."
"Hm?"
"You're one to talk! Your thighs are killing me!"
"Wha—! I told you not to bring that up!"
—Smack, smack!
As Si-hoo said that, he started pounding my back!
"Hey, hey! That hurts! Cut it out, it really hurts!"
This bastard's got superhuman-level pounding power, so it freaking hurts!
"You keep spouting nonsense! We agreed to forget that, remember?!"
"Normally you just laugh that stuff off like a joke... well, Si-hoo, until the re-exam, I've got no choice. I need to focus on studying until then. So just cut me some slack. I know I'm screwed if I flunk."
"Tch... you idiot Geun-cheol, why are you so bad at studying. Haah, fine, guess there's no helping it."
"Uneducable, I am truly uneducable."
"It's irresistible force, you idiot?!"
"I was talking about my own capacity for education, though?"
"Stop cracking weird jokes!"
We kept up that kind of chat on the walk to school with Si-hoo. Once we got there, I messed with Ryu a bit. And I chatted with the friends I've been building up a rapport with.
Lately I've had a lot to talk about with Mun Min.
"Yo, Kim Geun-cheol."
"Yo, small-fry Mun Min."
"This son of a bitch, seriously... There's a sparring match next week. Let's go at it then. I'm gonna absolutely wreck you. Gonna make you cry me a river, snot and all."
"Hohoho, Mun Min, my man, if you're challenging me, I've got no choice but to accept. Get ready to be knocked flat on your ass."
"Kim Geun-cheol, I swear I will beat you to death. Brace yourself."
"Heh-heh-heh."
The guy's seriously funny. Right?
From my position as an established expert, seeing Mun Min work so hard puts me in a damn good mood.
* * *
And finally.
The school day ended.
"Kim Geun-cheol?"
"Just for today, your voice sounds less like an angel's and more like a demon's, you know?"
"Don't be a smartass, seriously. Anyway, are you ready?"
Leona spoke with a totally serious face.
—Nod.
I gave a solemn nod, like some great historical figure.
"What's with the dramatic art-style expression? Good. Your resolve has been noted. Then we'll start today, so follow me."
"I'll follow you anywhere. Even if it's... to the ends of hell."
"To the ends of hell. Right. Then, shall we go? To the grave of Kim Geun-cheol."
"Grave?!"
"Think of it as hellish training. And anyway, Kim Geun-cheol? Yesterday you acted like it was nothing and just ditched me to run off."
—Glare.
In an instant, Leona shot me a piercing look. It felt like laser beams were gonna shoot right out of her eyes.
"Haah, I'm really sorry... Leona. It was a prior arrangement, what could I do? I've got nothing to say here. Sorry that after you went to the trouble of offering to help me study, I chose Yu-ri over you."
"What is with that phrasing?! You sound like you're dumping me!"
"Do I?"
"Still, I guess keeping a prior engagement is important. But I'm still annoyed! You have no sense of crisis, Kim Geun-cheol, none at all! You're averaging 20 points, does it look like the time for swordsmanship?! Studying first!"
A sense of crisis...!
Sure, I've been kind of lacking that.
I keep thinking about it. It just doesn't really sink in at a gut level.
Things are so peaceful.
And I've got such good friends around.
Is that screwed-up crisis really going to hit when we become third-years? It's hard to believe, but it's the truth. And while I am getting stronger, will I really... be able to handle it by then?
"Oh, no, Kim Geun-cheol? What's with that expression? I didn't mean it that harshly... I just..."
"What? No, that's not it. I'm just worried about studying. I guess it is giving me a bit of a sense of crisis. Yeah."
"I-is that so? Yeah! That's exactly what I meant! Then get in!"
"Oh. The limousine!"
It's been a while.
Leona's flying limousine.
—Click.
I hopped straight inside.
"But Leona? Where are we going to study that you're taking the limousine?"
"There's a place."
"Where, though?"
"You said you'd follow me to hell. Quit yapping and sit tight."
As Leona said that, she smiled like someone holding back a laugh. A mischievous fox kind of face, I guess.
Probably heading to some nice café or library, I figured.
Thinking that, I waited.
—Screech.
"We've arrived."
"This is...?"
Looking out, we were on some street.
"Get out."
"Uh, yeah."
"Now, our destination for today is here."
The moment I stepped out and looked forward, there was some grim, dark restaurant building right there. Leona was pointing at it with a deeply affectionate smile.
[World-Saving Heaven-Destroying Asura Jjamppong]
What the hell.
"Asura... Jjamppong? Wo-World-Saving Heaven-Destroying?"
The absolutely menacing sign grabbed my attention. There's no way this is a restaurant sign. If this really is a restaurant sign, something is clearly, fundamentally wrong.
This isn't a restaurant sign—it's a Buddhist depiction of hell!
Hell!
The second that thought hit me—!
—Kyaaaaaaa!
—Uwaaaaaaaah!
—Somebody save me! Help!
—Mommy! Mommeeeeeeeee! Mom!
—Blegh! Bleeeeegh! Where's Mommy! Mommeeeeee!
—Huaaaaaaaaagh!
The actual screams of sinners being tortured in hell rang out... What? Was I hearing things? Listening closely, the sounds were coming from inside the shop.
—It's spicy! It's so dahahahamn spicy!!!
—Spiiiiiiiiicy! Spiiiiiiiiicy!
—Mommy!! Mommeeeeeeee!
—Be spicy for me!!! I'll pay you, somebody be spicy in my stead pleeeeease!!!
—Mommy, please be spicy in my steeeead!!! Please!!! I'm begging you!!!
—Aaaaargh!!!
People.
Were.
"Uh, Miss Most Beautiful Leona in the Whole World?"
"Oh my, what is it? Mister 20-Point-Average Kim Geun-cheol?"
"Hey! You're supposed to shoot a compliment back at me here!"
"No need for that. Anyway. Let's fill our stomachs first before we study."
Leona said that with the world's most affectionate expression.
"You can't study well on an empty stomach, right?"
—Pfft.
And with a tiny teasing raspberry, she went inside the store. D-don't tell me... Is this payback because I didn't take her side yesterday?
I'm in deep shit!
Leona is seriously pissed...!
"Hurry up and come in."
As I stood there in a daze, Leona came back out and grabbed my wrist!
"Hold on!"
"I really like this place. Let's eat together and get our energy up. I simply can't bear to watch Kim Geun-cheol flunk, so I've gotta properly motivate you."
"Leona! Listen to me!"
"Listen to what?"
In that moment, Leona's smile shifted. It was the kind of smile an evil lady concocting a scheme wears on the outside—a purely superficial good smile!
"I can't handle spicy food that well!"
"Oh my, is that so? Don't worry. This place isn't spicy at all."
"It says right there on the sign, Scoville 50,000!"
"50,000 is just about at the level of a goblin warrior."
"What's a goblin warrior supposed to mean?!"
"A seasoned adventurer could take one out in a single stroke... Think of it as roughly that level of threat. Simple, right? Now! Come on! Let's head in! Kim Geun-cheol!"
"Eeek...!"
With my own strength, there was absolutely no way I could resist Leona's power! So I was dragged inside the shop.
—Uwaaaaaaagh!
And then I beheld hell.
"Oh? Why are you crying?"
Tears started erupting from my eyes. What's happening? Why are my eyes stinging? And the screams just kept flooding in.
"Over here. Two Asura-Balteukma Jjamppong and one medium World-Saving Heaven-Destroying Sweet and Sour Pork, please."
When Leona chanted that incomprehensible hell-spell, a person with a face like a raging demon acknowledged the order, and I couldn't tell what was what anymore.
"Leona! Leona, I'll study hard! Please!"
I immediately begged Leona, but.
"Well, that's a given anyway. Fufufu."
She just sat down right next to me, leaning close, propping her chin on one hand, staring at me and laughing.
"Eat up, Kim Geun-cheol. When I see Kim Geun-cheol having a nice, filling meal, it seems to make me feel... oddly happy."
"How...! How can you possibly put such an affectionate smile on your face in this situation?!"
"I don't know. Hmm? Wha— ugh, what is this? Don't know why, but Woo Yu-ri. The name Woo Yu-ri is popping into my head...! What on earth? What is this memory? Ah! I want some jjamppong!"
I'm sorry!!!!