Chapter 119: First Love (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 119: First Love (1)
Given how long we had gone without speaking, Boss and I had a lot to talk about. To think it had been fifteen whole years since we last saw each other.
More than once, I had cursed my past self for putting off reaching out, always telling myself, Someday, soon.
Though... to be honest, I hesitated to meet him because he wasn't exactly a non-violent person.
I mean, didn't he give me a noogie the second he saw me this time too?
Considering everything Boss has done for me over the years...
I realize all over again what an ungrateful bastard I am.
Hm. But since Boss is my foster father, is this technically dissing my own family?
Anyway.
With so much time having passed, topics of conversation overflowed, and their depth had aged as fully as the years themselves.
From a Japanese restaurant employee and his boss, to the Heavenly Sword and the Hero of the Origin.
Naturally, we conversed with the dignity and grace suited to our elevated standing.
...
Actually, that was just wishful thinking on my part.
"Aaargh!"
Boss had my head tucked firmly under his arm and was grinding a tightly clenched fist right into my temple.
"You little brat! Just because you saved the world, you go and take two wives?! And what, a girlfriend too?!"
"Ow, stop! It's not like that!"
"Do you have any idea how much grief Medea and Rachel give me because of you?! Medea tries to shove poison down my throat at every turn, and Rachel... ugh, don't even get me started!"
"If you're not going to get started, why won't you let go?!"
"Oh? Getting feisty, are we?"
Ugh, my head. I felt like my skull was going to split in half. I wanted to fight back, but considering who he was—the Hero of the Origin—escaping his grip was no easy feat.
"On Earth, you couldn't even hold a girl's hand, but over here, you're running wild!"
"Hey!"
I barely managed to wriggle out from the crook of Boss's arm. Whew, if I had been a second later, my head would've been crushed like an aluminum can.
"I'm telling you, I'm innocent! I didn't hit on them, they confessed to me!"
"Hey, kid. You expect me to believe that?"
"Whether you believe it or not, it's the truth!"
"Oh, wow. Look at Mr. Heartthrob of the Century here. Getting confessed to? Who do you think you are, Leon? If you had a face like his, maybe, but what woman in her right mind approaches a guy with narrow eyes first?"
I knew better than anyone.
By nature, my personality was cold and unyielding. Whether as Kim OO or Kang Geomma, I was a deeply uncooperative person, indifferent to almost everything. Standing next to Leon, who always wore a bright smile, only made the contrast sharper.
However...
"Turns out those kinds of women exist. Two of them, in fact."
"Spouting lies every time you open your mouth..."
"Don't believe me then."
"...Sigh..."
Boss let out a weary sigh.
Whether he doubted it or not, he had seen the results with his own eyes.
Ryozo and Abel devoted themselves to me wholeheartedly.
Having experienced it firsthand over the past few days, Boss must have felt it too: while the depth of our feelings was mutual, Ryozo and Abel expressed theirs far more openly than I did.
"So."
Boss glared at me with narrow, suspicious eyes. That was the look he gave when his doubt had only partially cleared.
"Let's hear this amazing confession story of yours."
"Aren't there far more important things to talk about?"
I had thought this was a place to share future plans, Boss's perspective on the Counterforce, and things like that.
"You said they're your family."
"Yes."
"What could be more important than family?"
...Seriously.
This man always managed to tug at my heartstrings with casual words. He made it impossible to stop respecting him, no matter how hard I tried.
I stared at the lanterns dotting the night sky, sifting through my memories.
Back then, the night sky had been just as radiant as it was now.
Since things had come to this, I had no choice.
I slowly opened my mouth.
"Well, it went like this..."
*
Side Episode: First Love
Joaquin Academy was a conservative educational institution. It made sense, really—it was essentially an institution for training soldiers. On top of that, the 'Founder' was an extremely rigid, old-fashioned stickler.
It was only recently, after the new Academy Principal took office, that things had become relatively lenient. Back in my day, all sorts of regulations bound the cadets hand and foot.
The prime example was the ban on dating.
Even now, dating among cadets was officially banned, but back in my time, it was strictly forbidden. If you got caught, you had to face disciplinary action. No exceptions were made, regardless of a cadet's background—even if you happened to be the youngest member of the Seven Stars.
About a year after the 2nd Human-Demon War ended.
It was the year my classmates and I were fresh-faced eighteen-year-olds.
The popularity of Kang Geomma hit an all-time high. Would you believe it if I said I effortlessly outshone even Leon, the absolute monarch of good looks?
Part of it was because Leon was taking a leave of absence, though.
That was around the time Leon was branded a traitor to humanity and treated like a turncoat. Actually, it was worse than that—a traitor sells out a single nation, but Leon had turned his back on the entire Human Realm.
The Sword Emperor and I clarified the truth behind the incident multiple times, trying our best to make people understand the burden Leon had carried. Even so, public sentiment didn't settle down easily. After all, the Archery Saint had died by Leon's blade. We couldn't shield him from that part; if you commit a fault, you have to take responsibility.
Ah, wait. Leon isn't the point here.
Anyway, thanks to Leon's terrible public image acting as a foil, I had become the most beloved character in hero history.
"Geomma, do you happen to have time today?"
Girls whose faces I didn't even recognize flirted with me constantly.
"S-Senior! P-Please accept this."
"Eek! Oh my god! She actually gave it to him, crazy!"
Receiving letters adorned with heart stickers from underclassmen was a daily occurrence.
"Look, my boyfriend is passing by!"
"Girl, shut up! Why is Lord Heavenly Sword your boyfriend?!"
Watching them get into murderous catfights was a daily horror.
"Lord Heavenly Sword!"
"Lord Heavenly Sword!"
"Oppa!"
"I love you!"
To think the words "Sorry, I can't give out my number" would ever leave my mouth... You really have to live twice to see everything. Just a year ago, my image was at rock bottom.
At eighteen, I drew crowds wherever I went. The line of people chasing after me was so long that an actual waiting line formed.
Did it feel good? It didn't feel bad.
It wasn't... terrible.
That's as far as I'm willing to admit.
Because at the time, I...
"I'm going to die."
"..."
The refuge I managed to reach after escaping the sasaeng fans was, sure enough, a bench.
That damn bench again.
Thud.
Ryozo, who was sitting there first, slammed her book shut. Surely it was just my imagination that the pages slapped together unusually hard.
"Quite popular, aren't we?"
"...It's just a passing phase."
"Is it really just a passing phase? Look from here. You can see all of Joaquin Academy so clearly, can't you?"
I just offered a silent nod.
Ryozo spoke in a flat, monotone voice.
"Whenever people come here, they always talk about the Hero of the Origin this, Hero of the Origin that. He's the one who ended the First Human-Demon War, after all. It's only natural he's honored for seven hundred years—no, even longer."
"Yeah."
"And yet, our Lord Heavenly Sword ended the Second Human-Demon War, didn't he?"
"Well, that's—"
"Listen."
Yes, ma'am.
"Lord Heavenly Sword, listen closely. This isn't a temporary trend. You see, you've already become a legendary hero who will go down in history forever."
She took a deep breath, then launched into another assault.
"You expect me to just stand by and watch you get surrounded by girls for two whole years?!"
"..."
That's right. I was secretly dating Ryozo.
Exactly when it started was a bit fuzzy. From the moment Ryozo stamped her lips onto mine, we had implicitly been a couple since roughly the previous year.
However, due to the academy's internal rule against dating, we couldn't show a single sign of it to anyone. Not even to the members of the Travel Club.
There was still about a year and a half left before people would find out about our relationship.
"...I knew what I was getting into."
Shadows fell over Ryozo's eyes.
"I knew what I was getting into... I just didn't expect it to be this bad..."
"Ryozo."
"You!"
She glared at me, huffing with annoyance.
"Do you have any idea how much heartburn you've given me?!"
"..."
"Yesterday, I had to shoot headless arrows at some girls trying to sneak into your room through the window!"
What?
"There were girls doing that?"
"Yesterday it was twice at least. On busy days, up to ten times."
They've gone completely crazy.
"Putting that aside, Ryozo, how did you even see—"
"Is that what's important right now?"
"Not at all."
No, not in the slightest. I straightened my posture and sat bolt upright.
"These cadets, instead of studying like they're supposed to, letting themselves be blinded by emotion..."
"Wait, isn't that the same for us—"
"I'm ranked first in written exams, and you're just ranked first overall. Are we really the same as them? Applying the same standard to us is what's truly unfair!"
Looking back, Ryozo still harbored a lingering sense of elitism at the time. It only dissipated after spending several more years by my side.
"Anyway." Ryozo dusted off her skirt and stood up. "Behave yourself."
"I swear I've never so much as looked at anyone else. Nor will I ever in the future."
"I bet that bastard Saki Kojima told my godmother the exact same thing."
Damn it. The deceased Archery Saint was dealing damage to the living Heavenly Sword.
"So, which wife was my mother again?"
"..."
"If nothing else, I refuse to give up first place."
"There are no rankings in relationships."
"There are to me."
"...I know."
"I hope you don't take me for granted. I'm human too. Even Vixbig gets exhausted sometimes—how do you think I feel?"
Leaving those sharp words behind, Ryozo walked away. I was left alone in the cold breeze.
"Ah."
I rubbed my face hard with both hands until my cheeks flushed hot.
"This is a problem with no answer..."
After clearing my head to some extent on the bench, I returned to the dormitory. And that very day, I caught a nasty flu.
Whether it was because of those frantic days or because the daily stress of living under society's spotlight was catching up to me, I still couldn't say for sure.
"Ugh..."
But catching a flu when I was supposed to be the God of Sword?
Ridiculous.
A hollow chuckle escaped my lips with every dry cough.
And so, I was admitted to the VIP ward of the Joaquin Academy Affiliated Hospital. Far removed from the vulnerable environment of the dorms, I spent my days in a sickbed under tight security.
Naturally, I missed classes. Since every single moment of youth was precious to me, I would've preferred to attend if possible. But my physical condition was just that bad.
"...I should at least eat properly."
I tried scooping up the bland, watery porridge before giving up. The spoon sank uselessly into the sludge. My current situation was in the exact same state.
"Let's at least take a walk around the hospital."
I got out of bed and opened the door.
Just as I was about to step forward—
Thump.
My toe hit something. Looking down, I saw a rice ball wrapped tightly in plastic wrap sitting right by my feet.
"A rice ball?"
Did the hospital provide snacks?
Grumble.
I had been eating saltless porridge every day. Starving as I was, I peeled off the plastic wrap as if spellbound.
"The shape is... well."
I used to be a chef. An occupational hazard made me critique the food automatically.
Screams amateur work.
It didn't seem to be from the hospital staff, but rather a personal delivery from someone.
Another sasaeng fan?
There's no poison... right?
Not that something like poison could kill me anyway.
After a moment's hesitation, I took a bite of the rice ball.
The taste...
Sour.
A shock of static electricity jolted my jawbone. The seasoning was completely uneven.
And yet, why was it? Though the rice ball was stone-cold, why did my chest feel so warm?
Instinctively, I pulled out my smartphone. Then I asked the AI Vixbig directly:
"Has 'how to make rice balls' been searched on your search engine recently?"
[That information is classified as Top Secret.]
An immediate reply.
[Does that answer your question?]
I replied with a smile.
"Yeah."
[The second-years are currently undergoing combined training regardless of Class at the training ground.]
"Vixbig, you're the absolute best."
The moment I tucked my phone away, I dashed toward the training ground. My body felt as light as if I had never been sick in the first place.
A moment later. True to her words, the entire second-year class was taking lessons in the training ground.
"It's Lord Heavenly Sword!"
The second I showed up, the cadets swarmed around me without fail.
I didn't hear them. I pushed through the crowd, marching straight toward where the light blue was.
As the surroundings stirred, she turned her gaze toward me. Bandages were wrapped around her swollen fingers, which she hastily hid behind her back the moment she saw me.
I stood facing her. I drew in as many eyes as possible—making sure everyone could see.
When the weight of their gazes grew thick enough, I wrapped my arms around Ryozo.
"U-Uh... wait..."
Three short syllables. I slowly pulled my upper body back.
"Guess I'll just take the punishment."
"..."
Ryozo looked dazed.
The very next second, before the blush taking over her cheeks could fully settle, she stood on tiptoe.
"Grain of rice."
Her heels touched the ground again.
"If one of the Seven Stars walks around with rice stuck to his lips, I'm the one who gets criticized."
Ryozo tapped her forehead against my solar plexus a few times.