Don't Kids Grow by Fighting Among Themselves?
As Cha Yu-sik’s group stepped into the old hall training grounds—
“Ugh.”
“Auuugh.”
Five or six Korean cadets lay sprawled across the floor. Some clutched their stomachs; others bled freely from their noses.
Thud!
Five Mongolian cadets were kicking a Korean cadet in the gut while spouting something or other, the interpreter beside them sweating bullets.
One of them seized a fallen cadet by the hair and cocked his fist—
“Stop.”
Cha Yu-sik unleashed his presence.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
A Mongolian cadet answered with a sneer.
“Hilarious.”
The interpreter’s rapid, frantic translation followed at once.
“Just rough them up a little and they scurry off to fetch someone already. No pride at all? The rumor that Korean kids are greenhouse flowers is dead on.”
The atmosphere alone made everything clear.
They simply wanted to pick a fight.
They wanted to prop up their own self-worth by bullying cadets from a hunter backwater like Korea.
“Fine. Who are you?”
“Cha Yu-sik.”
“Ah.”
The Mongolian cadet let out a short laugh.
“I’ve heard of you. Top of Korea, right? I’m Bahmunt, top of the second year at the Mongolian Academy.”
“Second year makes you a junior.”
“Junior?”
Bahmunt shrugged.
“I don’t care about that crap.”
Crack. Crack!
He rolled his neck and wrists, pouring out a threatening aura.
“Especially not with weaklings.”
Cha Yu-sik had no intention of lecturing foreign academy students about rules either, so he let it slide and asked,
“Why did you beat them?”
Bahmunt snorted at the question.
“They were getting in the way of our training, so I told them to get lost. That’s all.”
“That’s a lie!”
The junior who had fetched Cha Yu-sik shouted.
“Those five took over the entire old hall training ground and openly interfered by throwing weapons at the area where we were training! When we protested according to the rules and asked to share the space, they just started beating us—!”
“Shut up.”
Cha Yu-sik cut him off.
The truth didn’t matter anyway.
The situation was obvious without needing to see it.
Those Mongolian bastards had simply needed an excuse to cause trouble, and the idiotic juniors had taken the bait.
If you’re weak, you should have known your place and tucked your tail. Why protest when you don’t have the strength?
Being weak is a sin.
If it feels unfair, get stronger.
That was what Professor Kang Hyun always said.
The world ran on the strong devouring the weak. Changing that was far harder and slower than simply becoming one of the strong yourself.
“I’m not saying those guys are right, but you didn’t handle it well either.”
“S-Senior?”
“Keep your mouth shut and step back.”
Bahmunt listened to the interpreter’s whisper and smiled thinly.
“Looks like your senior at least understands the situation. In Mongolia, the weak don’t lecture the strong about rules. They just bow their heads.”
“That’s your way?”
“It is.”
“Meaning the strong can trample the weak however they like.”
Cha Yu-sik’s eyes went cold and still.
“Because that’s the way of the world.”
“A fine way. I like it a lot.”
Srrk.
Cha Yu-sik slowly drew the wooden sword at his waist.
The other four of the Five drew their weapons as well.
“Then there shouldn’t be any problem if we break every one of your arms and legs right here, should there?”
“What?”
Bahmunt’s mouth twisted into a vicious grin.
“No problem at all—but are you confident?”
Led by Bahmunt, the five Mongolian cadets drew their weapons in unison.
The air in the training ground stretched taut, ready to snap.
I can’t afford to look down on them.
Cha Yu-sik settled into his stance and raised his sword.
Being top of the class only meant something inside South Korea.
Mongolia stood several levels above Korea.
“Stop!”
An urgent shout rang out from the entrance of the training ground.
The man who burst in, gasping for breath, was Head Professor Jin Myeong-hoon.
One of the cadets had gone and called a professor.
Ha.
Cha Yu-sik’s brow furrowed.
I half expected it, but still…
Not the slightest thought of settling it themselves—just the shame of dragging a professor into it?
Scorn flickered across the Mongolian cadets’ faces as well, yet this time there was nothing to refute.
Truly greenhouse flower bastards.
This was the current face of the National Academy.
“I said put the weapons down!”
Jin Myeong-hoon roared, eyes wide.
He happened to be on evening duty today, and he could not ignore a cadet’s report, so he had come running.
And the scene before him?
Clear-cut campus violence.
Exchange students or not, any use of force inside the academy was a serious breach of regulations.
As Head Professor, he could never let it slide.
The problem was…
“You little bastards! Can’t you hear me? Stand down!”
No one obeyed Jin Myeong-hoon’s command.
The Mongolian cadets muttered among themselves in their own language and snickered, while Cha Yu-sik likewise refused to lower his weapon.
“Cha Yu-sik.”
“……”
“You put your weapon away as well. This is not something cadets settle with blades. Even if they refuse to back down, you will.”
To avoid a diplomatic incident, Jin Myeong-hoon himself could not touch them.
The faculty would have to confront the Mongolian side directly—issue discipline, extract an apology, something.
“I refuse.”
“What?”
“Professor, stay out of this. Let the kids settle kids’ problems among themselves.”
“What did you just say?!”
A crack ran through Jin Myeong-hoon’s composure.
Lately he had already felt his authority inside the academy grinding into the dirt.
Ever since Professor Kang Hyun arrived, nothing had gone right—and now, right in front of him, open defiance of an order?
An order from the Head Professor?
“You insolent little—!”
Shing!
Unable to hold back any longer, Jin Myeong-hoon drew the sword at his waist.
You all think my words are a joke, don’t you?
Cadets were still only cadets.
No matter how talented they believed themselves, could they defeat the Head Professor?
I’ll crush you flat.
Jin Myeong-hoon’s presence began to fill the training ground—
Yet no one reacted.
Not even a held breath.
He poured out genuine pressure, and still it failed to land.
How…?
Jin Myeong-hoon was shaken.
The Mongolians were one thing, but had the Five already risen this far?
That was when a voice drifted out of the shadows.
“Korean professors stick their noses into children’s games one by one, do they?”
“……!”
Jin Myeong-hoon and even the Five flinched.
Batar stepped out from the gloom.
How long has he been standing there?
I didn’t sense him at all!
Jin Myeong-hoon’s lips trembled.
If Batar had been watching the entire situation from the start, everything changed.
“Did you put them up to this?”
“Hardly.”
Batar shrugged.
“I’m their supervising professor. Is it so strange that I might come see whether our cadets are training properly in a foreign country?”
“Then take them and leave while you’re here. Use of force on campus is a clear violation of regulations.”
Batar let out a short laugh.
“In Mongolia, professors don’t pettily interfere in squabbles between cadets. When a fight starts, the fight itself is part of the training.”
“This is not Mongolia. This is Korea.”
“And what does that matter?”
Krrrrrrr!
A savage presence erupted from Batar’s body and crashed over Jin Myeong-hoon.
It was far more blatant and raw than the pressure he had shown at the welcome ceremony.
“Besides, you’re not even the supervising professor for this exchange, are you? The actual supervisor says he wants them to train—what right do you have to barge in?”
Damn it.
Jin Myeong-hoon felt wretched.
Even though the other man was being unreasonable, he could not easily push back.
The reason?
Simple.
Because I’m weaker.
In the end, as humiliating as it was, Jin Myeong-hoon had to admit one fact.
I need Professor Kang Hyun.
For reasons he could not explain, that man would probably tidy this situation up with almost no effort.
He was the actual supervisor for this exchange—where in the world had he gone, and what was he doing?!
Jin Myeong-hoon bit his lip and nodded.
“Fine. You’re saying I should step aside because I’m not the supervisor?”
“That’s right.”
“Then I’ll bring the supervising professor myself. Wait here.”
“The supervising professor?”
A glint of interest appeared in Batar’s eyes.
That drunken professor who had so casually shrugged off his presence at the welcome ceremony.
“Do as you like. Our kids are ready to warm up anytime, so we’ll wait quietly.”
“Cha Yu-sik.”
Jin Myeong-hoon warned him.
“Until I bring Professor Kang Hyun, lower your weapons and stand by. If you cross the line first, you’ll be the ones facing discipline.”
“Understood.”
Cha Yu-sik’s unexpectedly easy compliance only scraped Jin Myeong-hoon’s insides rawer.
So I don’t count, but Professor Kang does?
He forced down the rising heat and turned his back.
Bang!
The faculty office door flew open without warning.
“……!”
The man who rushed in was Jin Myeong-hoon.
His gaze swept the room in a flash.
Kang Hyun half-reclined on the sofa with a glass of whiskey in hand.
Beside him sat a young secretary and one pretty female cadet.
This—this bastard…!
Jin Myeong-hoon’s insides boiled.
The supervising professor doesn’t spare a thought for the cadets and just flirts with women?
He was furious, yet he swallowed the anger.
He had not come here to fight the man.
He had come because he needed strength.
“Professor Kang, a word.”
Kang Hyun wordlessly took a sip of whiskey and gave a slight nod.
At the signal, Lee Se-ah and Baek Yu-yeon quickly read the room, rose, and stepped outside.
Click.
The door closed, leaving the two of them alone. Kang Hyun asked lazily,
“Why are you looking for me?”
“You think anyone comes looking for you because they want to?”
Jin Myeong-hoon snapped.
“A man who’s supposed to be the supervising professor is shirking his duties and goofing off, so I—the one on duty—had to come all the way here myself!”
“If you’re here to pick a fight, leave.”
Kang Hyun turned his head away without a second thought. Jin Myeong-hoon’s shoulders twitched.
“Ahem!”
In the end he cleared his throat and explained the situation.
Cadets had clashed in the old hall training grounds, and eventually Batar had joined in as well.
Yet—
“Doesn’t sound like much.”
Kang Hyun unconcernedly drained the rest of his drink.
“What do you mean it doesn’t sound like much?!”
Jin Myeong-hoon shouted, incredulous.
“Our cadets got beaten one-sidedly! If we go now, Cha Yu-sik might get beaten too!”
“If he gets beaten, it’s because he’s weak.”
“What…!”
Kang Hyun looked genuinely unable to understand the fuss.
“From what I can tell, Professor Batar doesn’t interfere in kids’ fights either, so what’s the problem? Don’t kids grow by fighting among themselves anyway?”
“Th-that’s… is that something an educator should say…?”
“If a fight starts, you might get hit. Getting hit can turn into spite that makes you train even harder.”
“Listen here, Professor Kang!”
“Professor Jin.”
“……!”
“Greenhouse flowers aren’t made by the flowers. They’re made by the greenhouse.”
Jin Myeong-hoon was left speechless.
It wasn’t wrong.
Hunters grew stronger only after tasting blood.
“……Even so, an S-rank hunter named Batar is egging them on from behind. Are you saying we should just stand by and watch our cadets get beaten?”
Silence settled.
Kang Hyun seemed to have lost all interest and did not even bother answering.
Jin Myeong-hoon squeezed his eyes shut, wrestled with himself, and finally spoke in a heavy voice.
“……Haa. Fine, Professor Kang. I’ll apologize.”
Kang Hyun tilted his head slightly.
The gesture asked, What interesting new development is this?
“At first I thought you were a parachute appointment. So I tried to drive you out. On top of that you walked around campus openly drinking, which only made me hate the sight of you more. Later, when I realized you actually had the skill to back it up, I should have swallowed my pride… but I couldn’t. I admit it. I was petty. So if the reason you won’t move is because of me, could you overlook it just this once?”
A peculiar light flickered in Kang Hyun’s eyes.
Jin Myeong-hoon.
He had thought the man was nothing but pride, yet he knew how to concede as well?
“Why go that far? Are the cadets really that important to you?”
“If I weren’t worried, why would I be doing this?”
Fair enough.
Kang Hyun held no real grudge against Jin Myeong-hoon either.
The man was simply a stickler for regulations—a hard-nosed old-timer.
Even when Yoon Hyun-jong first fell into qi deviation, hadn’t he done everything he could to save the boy?
Besides, keeping the Head Professor as a permanent enemy would only be tiring.
Getting up once wouldn’t hurt.
“Swallowing your pride in front of someone you dislike isn’t as easy as it sounds.”
That courage of Jin Myeong-hoon’s touched something in Kang Hyun.
“Let’s go take a look.”
Adults sticking their noses into kids’ business.