Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 107
>Chapter Title: Heavenly Match (2)
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On the way to the clearing where Jeong-hyeon, Baek-cheon, and Joo Seo-yeon were gathered, Il-mok thought to himself.
‘Maybe it’s about time I made myself scarce?’
It wasn’t because he’d learned Jeong-hyeon was a woman.
Whether Jeong-hyeon was a woman or a man, it wasn’t particularly important to Il-mok.
From the start, none of the students at the Demonic Path Academy stirred any excitement in him.
His body might be sixteen, but his mind was in the mid-thirties.
That didn’t mean he was looking for women in their mid-thirties or older, but he couldn’t help feeling repulsed by anyone who wasn’t a full-grown adult. It felt like committing a crime.
For Il-mok, the most important thing was undisturbed, peaceful rest.
As he pondered when he might slip away, heading toward the clearing, he spotted Jeong-hyeon and Baek-cheon.
“Before Young Master Il-mok arrives, how about we do some vocal exercises together? Come on! Repeat after me! Heaven-Earth-Mystic-Yellow!”
Baek-cheon, forcing vocal practice on her whims.
“Hoo. Th-then... Heaven-Earth-Mystic-Yellow...”
Jeong-hyeon, sighing but following Baek-cheon’s lead anyway.
‘Ah!’
Only then did it dawn on Il-mok.
‘Come to think of it, they do have this oddly matching vibe?’
Maybe Jeong-hyeon had a thing for Baek-cheon.
‘Wasn’t it Jeong-hyeon who first approached him, asking to be taught how to speak?’
A severe social anxiety case who struggled to even exchange words with people had mustered the courage to speak first.
That alone left no doubt about Jeong-hyeon’s feelings for Baek-cheon.
On top of that, she—who’d run away from his not-quite-confession—was sticking to Baek-cheon like glue every day.
‘Oh man...’
The realization drew a wry exclamation from Il-mok’s lips.
It didn’t feel bad. Just...
‘Who knew her type was an attention hound...’
All he felt was pity for her peculiar tastes.
But Il-mok had no intention of trying to stop her.
‘Ideal types change after meeting, breaking up, confessing, and getting rejected. Obviously.’
Romance was something you learned through trial and error, crashing and burning.
No matter how much advice you gave from the sidelines, once love blinded them, they wouldn’t listen. Il-mok knew that all too well.
‘Young love...’
For a moment, he watched the fresh, budding scene between the attention hound and the social anxiety sufferer through the eyes of an old soul.
“Young Master. What are you doing just standing there?”
Joo Seo-yeon’s booming voice suddenly rang out as she approached, drawing Baek-cheon and Jeong-hyeon’s gazes toward Il-mok and her.
With a sigh at her tactless interruption, Il-mok addressed Baek-cheon and Jeong-hyeon.
“I have something to discuss with Student Joo, so keep practicing a bit longer.”
“With me?”
To drag in the oblivious Joo Seo-yeon, Il-mok tossed out his most effective bait.
“It’s about Student Jin Ha-yeon.”
“If it’s about her, I’m all ears, Young Master!”
Watching Joo Seo-yeon trail after him with sparkling eyes, Il-mok thought.
As expected of a madwoman—zero tact.
* * *
The next afternoon.
After classes ended and he’d bathed, Il-mok was enjoying dinner.
Bang Mi-hwa, seated to his left to show only her good right side—the one she was confident in—spoke up slyly.
Her face still facing forward, showing him only that right profile.
“Young Master. Planning to head to that clearing again today?”
“That’s right.”
“Then, would it be all right if we joined you today?”
They didn’t do it every day, but Il-mok, Bang Mi-hwa, and Ha-yeong often ate dinner together.
Most other students headed straight back to training after dinner, grabbing a quick meal post-class and making for the training grounds.
But Il-mok bathed immediately after classes, then came to the dining hall only after the sweaty students had cleared out.
Bang Mi-hwa hated the thought of eating with Il-mok while reeking, so they often bathed first and dined together like this.
But that was just for meals. Afterward, Bang Mi-hwa and Ha-yeong usually parted ways with Il-mok for their own training.
So why was Bang Mi-hwa insisting on tagging along today? Simple.
Her martial arts progress had stalled lately, leaving her frustrated, like she’d hit a wall.
She could spar with Il-mok if he followed, or just relax and get some fresh air. Either way, she needed a change.
And Bang Mi-hwa was certain.
A Young Master who adored her wouldn’t refuse.
As expected, Il-mok nodded.
‘With Bang Mi-hwa and Ha-yeong joining, I can finally bow out.’
Even without him, there’d be Baek-cheon and Joo Seo-yeon, plus Bang Mi-hwa and Ha-yeong—four spectators secured.
Jeong-hyeon’s social anxiety training could run on full auto-hunt mode.
Recalling tales of crossed dreams, Il-mok, Bang Mi-hwa, and Ha-yeong headed to the secluded clearing.
Baek-cheon, who’d arrived early with Jeong-hyeon as usual, spotted Il-mok and came rushing over.
“Young Master! I’ve got a huge dilemma!”
He completely ignored Bang Mi-hwa and Ha-yeong standing behind Il-mok.
Il-mok sighed inwardly.
He couldn’t even guess what insane worry this mad attention hound had cooked up now.
Without even asking permission, Baek-cheon excitedly spilled it.
“Lately, inspiration struck for a new play, but the problem is the female lead. My stunning looks could pass for a woman in disguise, but then who’d play the protagonist?”
“......”
“Know any woman who could play the female lead?”
Il-mok was momentarily speechless at the quintessentially attention-hound dilemma when Bang Mi-hwa, listening from behind, suddenly snorted.
“Hohoho. Goodness. You could’ve just asked me directly instead of beating around the bush. Shyer than you look.”
What nonsense is this? As Il-mok turned, Ha-yeong—Bang Mi-hwa’s sidekick—clapped as if realization dawned.
“Ah! That’s what it was! Well, for the lead, no one fits better than Mi-hwa.”
No sooner had Ha-yeong finished than Baek-cheon eyed Bang Mi-hwa up and down like an appraiser.
“Think you can handle the female lead?”
“Hohoho. Can’t you tell at a glance? ‘Female lead’ was made for me.”
“Hmm. I like that confidence.”
Nodding after his appraisal, Baek-cheon suddenly summarized his play’s plot, the female lead’s traits, and fed her lines. Just like that, Bang Mi-hwa’s acting lesson began.
“That’s not it! More desperately!”
“It’s not just about looking pretty! Immerse yourself more!”
“That was excellent! Hahaha!”
Like a director, Baek-cheon critiqued or praised her acting.
“Ohohoho! This poise, this grace—isn’t it elegant?”
“Hmph. This is par for the course.”
Whether praised or scolded, Bang Mi-hwa was busy showing off.
Watching the two suddenly dive into acting lessons made Il-mok’s head spin.
‘...Match made in heaven.’
Meanwhile, Jeong-hyeon breathed a sigh of relief.
‘Phew. Guess he won’t make me act now?’
To her, already worn out from Baek-cheon’s torments, it was a ray of light.
Turning from the dizzying duo, Il-mok didn’t miss Jeong-hyeon’s sigh.
‘You idiot...’
Wasn’t it ‘halfway there if you just stay put’?
In that sense, Joo Seo-yeon had at least stayed quiet, but he’d dragged in a rival like Bang Mi-hwa.
Naturally, his gaze turned to Joo Seo-yeon.
She’d joined at some point and was grinning blankly at Baek-cheon and Bang Mi-hwa’s performance.
‘Me, less tactful than Joo Seo-yeon?’
Unable to accept it, Il-mok sprang into action.
—Student Jeong. Sorry. This won’t happen starting tomorrow.
“???”
As Jeong-hyeon puzzled over his transmission.
“Ahem. Let’s save the acting for later and stick to the original purpose for now.”
Il-mok pulled apart the two engrossed in their act.
“We’re here to watch Student Jeong Hyeon’s archery. Student Baek-cheon. Focus a bit more on Student Jeong Hyeon.”
The moment he finished, every gaze in the clearing—including Baek-cheon’s—locked onto Jeong-hyeon.
With five pairs of eyes on her, she hunched over, overwhelmed, thinking.
‘Wh-what did I do wrong to the Young Master this time...?’
She couldn’t fathom why Il-mok was tormenting her again.
* * *
After Jeong-hyeon’s archery viewing, his spar with Joo Seo-yeon, and Baek-cheon’s advice—all wrapped up.
For some reason, Bang Mi-hwa stuck around and actually resumed acting lessons with Baek-cheon.
‘What...? Does Bang Mi-hwa like Baek-cheon too?’
In the modern world, bad boys were popular with women—did attention hounds rule here?
Lost in confusion, Il-mok noticed Jeong-hyeon sigh deeply to herself and slip away cautiously.
Trying to sneak out while no one watched her.
Unfortunately for her, Il-mok didn’t miss it.
He followed carefully, keeping enough distance not to trigger her panic.
“Student Jeong-hyeon.”
“...Yes, Young Master.”
Fearing more torment, she replied hesitantly. Il-mok clenched his fist and said.
“No matter how tough, don’t run away.”
He thought she was fleeing. Crushed by Baek-cheon and Bang Mi-hwa’s heavenly match vibes.
But this wouldn’t do. Even if it failed, she needed to face it head-on to avoid regrets.
Love was about seizing it!
As long as it wasn’t stalker shit like Gu Yang-mun.
“I’ll help from the sidelines, so just hang in there a bit longer.”
Above all, since he’d brought Bang Mi-hwa in, Il-mok felt at least a twinge of guilt.
Moved by his passionate words, Jeong-hyeon nodded gratefully.
‘See? He wasn’t tormenting me.’
She realized.
Il-mok had drawn all eyes to her to help overcome the Ghost Spirit Divine Bow’s side effects.
* * *
The next day. And the day after.
Despite no invite from Il-mok, Bang Mi-hwa dragged Ha-yeong to the clearing.
Every day, before and after Jeong-hyeon’s training, she’d corner Baek-cheon for serious acting talks and practice.
Finally, on the third day, en route to the clearing.
Il-mok—who’d promised to help Jeong-hyeon—decided to ask Bang Mi-hwa directly.
“Why are you learning acting so eagerly from Student Baek-cheon? Do you have feelings for him?”
At his question, Bang Mi-hwa haughtily laughed, nose in the air.
“Ohohoho. You’re cuter than you look, Young Master. Being so upfront with your jealousy.”
“???”
What fresh madness? But Il-mok had no desire to decode a lunatic’s logic.
So he just rephrased.
“So, do you like Student Baek-cheon? Yes or no.”
With theatrical flair, she snapped open her fan, laughed once, and replied arrogantly.
“Ohoho. No need to worry. I’m learning acting from Student Baek for two reasons: first, it’s fun; second, it helps my martial arts.”
“...Acting helps martial arts? What are you talking about?”
Il-mok’s face twisted at the unheard-of notion.