Invited to Dinner
After the mock battle, Kiru stuck to Yujin and me in a suspiciously clingy way, being a total nuisance. There was definitely no such description in the original story—what the hell was going on? Had I, without realizing it, done something to seduce her? Honestly, I wanted to exclude this dangerous element as much as possible, but she clearly brought positive influence, so that gave me pause. At any rate, it was a net positive that, aside from me, there was now another channel for Yujin to connect with someone in this class.
At this point, Yujin was still in his right mind, so he wouldn't fall for any half-baked seduction anyway. On top of that,
"Hey, Hwa Yujin, what the hell is it about you that attracts all these girls?"
"Maybe he has some kind of pheromone that draws in weird chicks?"
"There must be some invisible something we don't know about."
"...You don't think it's got something to do with that Unique Ability of his, do you? Like this and that?"
Their gazes, which had initially treated Yujin like a creepy potential criminal, had shifted a bit—that was positive, if you could call it that. They still held their prejudices, of course, but at least it wasn't outright criminal treatment anymore. From their perspective, Yujin was just sitting there while Kiru and I clung to him on our own. The only issue was that even during class, she shamelessly flirted with him, putting Yujin in an awkward spot. Luckily, I didn't even need to step in—the instructor handled it.
"You there! Despite the Eight Kings' forces being far stronger than humanity's, why do you think our kind has survived? Speak!"
The question flew straight at Kiru. The balding discipline instructor, clearly annoyed by her lack of focus, glared at her with eyes sparkling as sharply as his thinning scalp. He looked ready to unleash hell if her answer was half-assed.
Kiru responded without a hint of panic.
"Yessir~ It's because, even though we lump them together as the Eight Kings, they're actually separate factions~ They keep an eye on each other, so they can't launch a full assault on humanity. That's the key point."
The instructor didn't seem thrilled with her answer, but he acknowledged it hit the core. He just rephrased it his way.
"The Eight Kings do not unite. But humanity does. That's the decisive difference. If just one of the Eight Kings invades our world, we can absolutely subjugate it. Real-world examples prove this."
"Heehee♥"
Kiru let out a small laugh. Unmistakably a sneer, though I wasn't sure at whom.
"Our pinnacle of technological prowess—the Five Heroes. I believe three of them teaming up could rival one Eight King. Conversely, if two... no, three Eight Kings united, humanity would surely perish."
It was a brutal hypothetical. But not an incorrect one—setting aside the backstory they didn't know yet.
"In other words, the reason humanity endures is the intangible value of our unity playing a major role."
That was the point he really wanted to make. Humanity must unite. Unity as a virtue sometimes suppressed individuals and uniqueness, but given the times, what could you do?
"And yet, there are still those among humanity who use their power not for the greater good, but for personal gain—undisciplined rabble."
That was obvious too. It'd be weirder if there weren't any. Not every human who could wield Qi gathered at the academy or dreamed of becoming a hero. Plenty hid in the shadows, scheming how to exploit their special abilities for private ends.
I recalled the tall woman I'd met at my apartment before. She was probably one of those types. She didn't seem to have any grudge against monsters, after all.
Come to think of it, for a middle school or high school girl like Joo Hyowon—talent aside—to dive into every gate that opened and survive, she'd have needed backing from a faction totally opposed to proper heroes.
Just then, the instructor's eyes met mine. He gave me a meaningful look before returning to the lesson. Looked like we were on the same page.
※
After class ended and I headed home as usual, I spotted Ayumi and Yujin at the school gate. Ayumi, who noticed me first, waved enthusiastically, beaming.
I figured I'd exchange a few polite words and bounce, but she made an unexpected proposal.
"Wanna come eat dinner at my place today? Just the three of us!"
Judging by Yujin's awkward cheek-scratching, they'd already discussed it.
Sigh... It felt a bit off, a ten-years-older uncle crashing the flower of youth party. But refusing here wouldn't spark any progress between those two anyway. Better if I tagged along to make them aware of each other as opposite sexes.
"Sure. Why not."
I'll play Cupid and hook you two up.
...Or so I thought. But things don't always go as planned.
"This is delicious! Seriously, insanely good! Ayumi, your cooking skills are no joke! It's not flashy, just solid basics, but how is it this tasty?!"
It filled me up. Not just my body, but my heart most of all. Homemade food made with pure thoughts for a new friend—what could fill the soul more? Ever since coming to this world, all I'd eaten were mass-produced, affectionless products. I wasn't bad at cooking myself, but laziness had me grabbing takeout.
So when this affection-packed meal filled the void inside me, nothing else mattered. Bridge Yujin and Ayumi? That could wait. Later. Yeah, later.
"Ehe. Seeing you enjoy it so much makes it all worth it."
"Yeah, yeah! For real! Ayumi, you're definitely gonna be an amazing wife someday!"
"Aah, really? Thanks~ I hope my future husband is as generous with praise as Hyowon someday."
You don't need to look far for that husband, do you? He might be sitting right next to you, for instance.
"So, you live here alone in this apartment?"
"Yeah, the government's subsidizing it."
Apparently, for orphans like Ayumi who applied to become heroes, they provided apartments. Every woman in this building was the same. Of course, drop out or get expelled from the academy, and you're out on your ass immediately. Even after graduation, give up on being a hero, and they'd come collecting back rent.
"I see. So you two entered the academy for this support?"
"Nah, just me. Yujin's a bit different."
"...Hey, drop it."
Yujin, quietly eating, tried to stop her. Fat chance—Ayumi kept talking.
"Yujin joined the academy because he wants to save the world from the Eight Kings. It's his grand mission."
"......"
Yujin covered his face with his palm and bowed his head. I'd be embarrassed too, that childish dream. But Ayumi testified proudly, like she truly admired her childhood friend.
"He's always been like that. He seriously wants to change this harsh world. That's why he decided to become a hero. What was it again? Even if he perishes without reaching the Eight Kings, if his actions become the spark that leads to their subjugation... Something like that? What was it?"
"Stop... just stop... It's not like I'm some wrinkled old prune, this is too embarrassing."
"What's embarrassing? You should be proud! A million times better than those chasing personal glory!"
He looked like a middle schooler whose dark history had been dug up. What should I say to comfort him?
"Someone like me is nothing compared to Hyowon. She's already racked up achievements multiple times."
Wait, suddenly turning the arrow on me?
"I... I'm just..."
My throat tightened. Yujin entered the academy with that childish dream and motivation. But I didn't even have that much.
I just wanted to survive. And the original owner of this body, Joo Hyowon? No special motivation there either. Kill as many monsters as possible that harmed her family—that was her origin. Not a bad reason. But... shouldn't we aim higher? To make this world a brighter place?
"I... I only think about killing monsters. Changing the world or whatever—that's far from my mind. Honestly, the more admirable one is you, Yujin."
"...What are you saying to a guy who was digging holes in the ground because his Unique Ability came out weird?"
Was digging holes. Past tense. I'd interpret that as him resolving not to anymore, that determination sprouting in his heart.
Still.
"Don't get too obsessed with grand ideals. You'll forget the original heart that birthed them."
Says the guy who manipulated you to play through this world. Listen up and engrave it.