Episode 14: You must be wearing pretty underwear.
Episode 14: You must be wearing pretty underwear.
Today is the day of the 3rd Regular Examination.
It was the day the results of the bet I made with her would be decided.
A bet that she would take 1st place in both the Monthly Evaluation and the 3rd Regular Examination.
She already took 1st place in the Monthly Evaluation, so all that was left was the 3rd Regular Examination.
"She must have received her grades by now."
Since the 3rd Regular Examination usually runs from 8 AM to 4 PM.
Yu Ara's class, Class D, would have taken the exam from 2 PM to 4 PM.
Once the last exam for Class D was over, the results would be tallied and the scores released immediately.
If I go to her house, Yu Ara's expression will tell me everything.
"I guess I don't have to teach today."
It's probably best to rest on the day the exam ends.
She's been running hard until now.
I knew well that proper rest is a good driving force for moving forward.
Having finished my work, I headed to her house.
Ding-dong!
-Ah, ssaem... Just a moment.
Udangtangtang!
A loud noise came from inside, and shortly after, the door opened.
"Is something wrong?"
"No. It's nothing. I was just by myself, so I didn't tidy up... I even forgot that ssaem was coming today."
I looked at her.
The corners of her eyes were red and swollen.
Did she cry, by any chance?
'Did she not get good grades?'
That would be problematic.
My plan to teach many students through her can only succeed if she does well.
How bad is it?
Is she slacking off?
Maybe she couldn't show her full potential in the exam due to nervousness.
'Tsk, should I have gone with her even if it was risky?'
I can't know just by thinking.
In times like this, go straight.
"The grades are out, right?"
"Ah, yes, they are. As expected, you know everything."
"Of course. I've taken so many exams."
"......Just a moment."
Hesitating, Yu Ara picked up the report card lying on the desk.
Before taking the report card, I checked her stats.
[Yu Ara]
-Potential: S
-Strength: D
-Mana: B -> A
-Intelligence: B
-Stamina: D -> C+
-Agility: D -> C
-Ability: Psychokinesis (B)
-Attribute: None
-Affinity Attribute: None
-Sexual Preference: Masochism - Feels pleasure in masochistic situations.
During this exam, her Stamina, Agility, and Mana grew significantly.
I finally realized why her potential was set to S.
Her growth rate was faster than I imagined.
'She definitely grew.'
With her current stats, if she used the various secret methods I taught her, she definitely could have taken 1st place in the grade.
'Could there have been a monster in Class A?'
Every year, there was always one ridiculous monster in Class A who exceeded a certain level.
In my time, there were 5 of them.
The guys currently called the 5 Supernovas in the hunter world.
Maybe Yu Ara got crushed by someone like that.
'The bitter taste of defeat is painful.'
I received the report card from her.
-Yu Ara.
-Monthly Evaluation: 1st place.
-3rd Regular Examination: 2nd place.
-Other subject grades.
......
-Korea Hunter Academy Top Priority Scholarship Recipient.
"You got 2nd place in the 3rd Regular Examination."
"......I'm sorry. I couldn't take 1st place."
Yu Ara's voice was full of tears as she spoke.
Tears flowed from her eyes as she bit her lip tightly.
She must have been crying the whole time.
It's 2nd place.
Yu Ara, who was at the bottom until recently and facing expulsion, had beaten all the excellent students from the popular Class A and taken 2nd place.
It was an absurd grade.
She even grabbed the top priority scholarship.
Even so, she's frustrated.
Because she could have gotten a better grade, but missed the goal of 1st place right in front of her.
There's a saying that 2nd place is more frustrating than a disappointing 3rd place, isn't there?
"Who is 1st place? Is it a friend from Class A? If that's the case, since you didn't clash directly, you might be stronger......"
"It was the same Class D, same group......"
Ah.
If that was the case, the blow would have been even bigger.
If it was the same Class D......
'Because they would have fought somehow to be the last one standing.'
I gently stroked Yu Ara's hair.
Then, Yu Ara burst into tears and snuggled into my arms.
"Waaaah! I lost at the end. I tried everything you taught me, but it didn't work at all. I even endured the embarrassment and practiced...... I practiced desperately, but it didn't work at all on that Lee Hye-ri!"
Her voice, as she cried and poured it out, was soaked in frustration.
Because she was frustrated by her defeat.
Because she was disappointed that she couldn't be stronger.
"I should have worked a little harder......"
Because she regretted being inadequate.
This bitter defeat would surely help Yu Ara grow to even greater heights in the future.
'It's actually for the best.'
I believed that slipping once here would be better for her in the future than becoming arrogant by taking 1st place in her first year.
'She got off cheap.'
Because failure in real combat means death.
But this was something I could never say in front of the person who was already feeling down.
I patted her back until Yu Ara stopped crying in my arms.
Tears and snot soaked my clothes, but well......
I got paid a lot for tutoring.
My character isn't so ruined that I'd say harsh things to a kid struggling because of a defeat.
"Let's rest well today. You've cried too much, and you must be exhausted from taking the exam."
"Ssaem......"
Yu Ara, who had pulled away from my arms, looked at me and asked.
Her face was a mess with tears and snot, but for some reason, the sight didn't look that bad.
Is it because a pretty face looks even prettier when crying?
"I'm not getting the reward, right?"
"Because you didn't achieve the challenge 100%."
"Huing......"
"What did you want to receive as a reward?"
"Th-that is......"
Mumbling and unable to speak, Yu Ara finally opened her mouth with difficulty.
"I wanted to receive more Mana Circulation Massage."
"Mana Circulation Massage?"
"Th-the one you did on the first day."
Ah.
"That?"
"Yes. No matter how much I try on my own, I can't get that feeling from back then."
"Of course. That's a sensation created by forcibly opening your blood vessels and mana gates."
"Th-then, can I not get that feeling anymore?"
"Well, that's true, but......"
This girl, by any chance.
I looked at the text written at the end of her status window.
-Sexual Preference: Masochism - Feels pleasure in masochistic situations.
'Did she feel it because of this?'
Maybe so.
It depends on the person, but usually, most people feel pain when their mana gates are forcibly opened by someone else.
She was feeling pleasure during that process.
'I thought she had a unique constitution.'
Was it because of that masochistic streak?
"Did you actually feel pleasure while receiving that?"
"Ye, yes?"
"Was receiving the massage that good? To the point of asking for it like this?"
"Th-that's not it......"
Yu Ara, who had wiped away her tears and snot, avoided my gaze.
Seeing the sweat running down her face, it was true.
"Are you sure it's not?"
"......"
"You didn't take 1st place in the 3rd Regular Examination, but since you took 1st place in the Monthly Evaluation, I'll do it."
"R-really?"
"Yeah. If that's the reward you wanted."
It's good to have a desire for improvement due to defeat, but there was no need to be unnecessarily discouraged.
So.
A reward of an appropriate level is necessary.
1st place in Monthly Evaluation, 2nd place in 3rd Regular Examination.
It was by no means a low grade.
Perhaps when the next semester starts, she will go straight up to Class B.
'If she gets grades like this until the 2nd Regular Evaluation next month, she'll go up to Class A, though.'
Yeah.
That's my goal for the first semester.
Raising Yu Ara to Class A.
"How is it?"
I asked, moving my fingers one by one.
I looked a bit like a pervert, but she didn't seem to care.
"Please."
After finishing her words, she unbuttoned her shirt.
Yu Ara, who looked down to check her clothes, turned red.
"W-wait a minute!"
"Why?"
"C-could you go into the bathroom for a moment?"
Did she get her period?
No, if that were the case, she would have said she was going to the bathroom.
"What is it?"
"Th-there's something! Hurry!"
Yu Ara forcibly pushed me into the bathroom.
Thud!
After closing the door, she warned me firmly.
"Don't open the door until I tell you to!"
What is it?
"I'm crazy. I'm crazy."
Yu Ara, who had slightly lifted her clothes to look inside, saw her shabby underwear.
She hadn't thought she would receive a reward, so she was wearing shabby loungewear underwear.
If she had thought Si-woo ssaem would give her a reward, she definitely would have worn at least prettier underwear.
"H-hurry, let's change."
If she has to show it anyway, wouldn't it be better to show pretty underwear?
This was a matter of face.
How embarrassing it would be to receive a massage while wearing old underwear.
She knows it's embarrassing to appear in front of a man in her underwear, but......
'Because it felt good.'
She could endure that much embarrassment.
She took out sky-blue underwear embroidered with flower petal patterns.
It had a bit of lace on the ends, so it was a design that wouldn't be embarrassing at all even if shown to others.
While changing her underwear, Yu Ara reviewed her fight with Lee Hye-ri, who had determined the last one standing.
'There were no openings.'
Lee Hye-ri was much faster than she expected.
Even though she didn't use a single skill, she had the ability to overwhelm other cadets.
Her movements were erratic, so the evasion techniques Yu Ara had practiced were useless.
At the final moment, she even deflected the psychokinesis she had mustered.
No matter how many times she reviewed it, she couldn't beat her in the simulation.
Yu Ara felt it.
The overwhelming difference between Lee Hye-ri and herself.
She wanted revenge.
She wanted to win somehow.
Her competitive spirit burned.
It was a greed she hadn't felt when she was a repeater.
'Next time, I will definitely get revenge.'
Then, she will beat Lee Hye-ri and definitely take 1st place.
But before that.
Right now, she wanted to receive the massage.
Her body heated up.
Knock knock.
"I-I'm done changing."
"You said Lee Hye-ri."
Waiting for Yu Ara's signal, I sat on the toilet and thought carefully.
Lee Hye-ri.
It's a familiar name for some reason.
Where did I hear it?
"Ah."
It came to mind.
"I heard that the name of world-class tanker Lee Gang-san's younger sister is Lee Hye-ri."
According to what I heard, she's a melee dealer with legendary talent. I heard she had been gaining practical experience with her brother since she was a high school student before entering the academy.
The opponent was bad.
She was an opponent Yu Ara couldn't help but lose to.
"When I checked the list, she wasn't in Class A...... She was in Class D? Why is she there?"
However, I couldn't think any deeper.
Knock knock.
"I-I'm done changing."
At Yu Ara's signal, I went out of the bathroom.
In the room, Yu Ara stood with her face flushed, wearing a matching sky-blue underwear set.
"Sh-should I sit in a cross-legged position......?"
"The underwear is pretty."
The words burst out before I knew it.
Is it because the model is good?
Ahem.