Chapter 6: The Academy Is No Walk in the Park (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 6: The Academy Is No Walk in the Park (2)
Evening fell as the faint sunset faded away.
It had already been a week since my life at Joaquin Academy began.
Skipping dinner, I buried myself in my assigned dorm bed.
"Fuck."
A single curse slipped past my lips. My heartless stomach protested with a loud growl, demanding even food scraps, but its pathetic owner could only clutch his belly and try to soothe it.
After debating for a moment, I sprang up and chugged some bottled water, shaking out every last drop.
"It's all gone."
My weak voice trailed off, as if trying to conserve energy by sparing words.
Why am I starving like a beggar? That's exactly what I want to know.
This crazy academy charges money even at the school cafeteria. Fine, even if I compromise and accept that they can't provide free meals...
Isn't 50,000 won for spicy stir-fried pork fucking crossing the line?
Even the 'Yeongchangsu', the 1.5-liter bottled water I just drank, cost me 10,000 won at the campus mart.
It had been about a year since I possessed a body in this world, but I had never seen such insane prices. No matter how much this school was geared toward the upper class, this was just too much.
It wasn't like I had starved the entire week, though.
I had spent the whole week eating 15,000-won Hatban from the campus mart, using seasoned seaweed brought from home as my only side dish.
The tear-soaked seaweed was saltier and sweeter than usual. And now, even that had run out.
For reference, my monthly allowance is 400,000 won.
Honestly, I had refused, saying it was too much, but my father insisted it was only natural for a parent and shoved the money into my pocket anyway. I deeply regretted my past self for waving it off and pretending to be mature. I should have just taken it when he offered.
I stared blankly at the label of the empty water bottle.
Yeongchang...
Suddenly, memories of the military flashed through my mind, and tears welled up in my eyes.
At least they fed me three meals a day over there.
I never thought a day would come when I'd actually miss military food. Right now, I could probably savor even that horribly dry, boneless fried mackerel, letting it melt in my mouth.
I let out a deep sigh and curled up on the bed again. I had to conserve energy. Slow down my metabolism, and breathe as slowly as possible.
I thought of my parents back home. Specifically, the soybean paste stew my mother used to make. With cubed firm tofu and finely chopped green onions.
For some reason, I felt like I would never be able to eat it again. Right now, I could lick the bottom of the earthenware pot clean. Instead of tears, drool dripped from my mouth.
Still.
I quietly muttered 'Blessing' in my mind.
Flash—
* * *
[Blessing of the Sword God]
If you cut, it will be severed.
[The rank of your Body has risen (1 ▶ 2).]
[As your Body Rank rises, the sword specifications are eased.]
[※ The blessing is only activated when the sword is 30+(2) cm or less in length and less than 5+(1) cm in width.]
* * *
As the now-familiar interface popped up, a faint smile spread across my hollow-cheeked face.
The grueling training with the bald instructor had begun to change my physique. Whether it was thanks to the training or because I wasn't eating well, my soft belly fat had vanished, replaced by the outline of lean abs. My baby fat had melted away in an instant, leaving my jawline incredibly sharp.
My stamina had also noticeably improved, and I no longer lagged behind during the morning assembly runs around the training ground. In just a short span of about a week, my body was adapting and evolving at an astonishing rate.
I wasn't sure, but I figured it was probably because that Sword Emperor fellow had cleared my energy channels.
Although the sword specifications hadn't moved past a sashimi knife yet, if I raised it step by step, I'd eventually be able to hold a shortsword.
Why am I proud of this?
Even up until the entrance ceremony, I was someone who feared even holding a knife, but strangely, now my hands itched if I wasn't holding one. It seemed the blessing was affecting my personality as well.
I shook my head slightly to clear my thoughts. Thinking about it right now wouldn't change anything anyway.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Someone was quietly knocking on my dorm room door.
My first thought was Who is it?, but assuming it was the dormitory matron, I had no choice but to get out of bed and open the door.
"Huh?"
Standing there hesitantly was Chloe.
* * *
I had barely spoken to Chloe since the first day. She had only been tiptoeing around and avoiding me in the classroom. That was why her visit felt even more out of the blue.
"Did I... perhaps disturb your rest...?"
Chloe spoke in a tiny, whispering voice, her words barely audible.
"Disturb? Not at all, I was just lying down. Anyway, what's up?"
"...Well, I haven't seen you in the school cafeteria all week. I was worried you might be feeling unwell..."
She looked at me with worried eyes.
I wanted to be honest—that I couldn't bring myself to go because of the insane prices. However, my pride as a man wouldn't allow it.
"Ah, that... I don't usually eat food made by others."
I fucking love food made by others.
"O-Oh. I see."
"Yeah, so don't worry."
Chloe muttered with a look of disappointment.
"I bought some ingredients from the campus mart, so I was wondering if we could have dinner tog—"
"Let's go."
"Huh?"
"Aren't you asking to have dinner together? I'm a good cook, so I'll do the cooking. Your dorm is across the hall, right?"
Rejecting an invitation is against the code of the martial world.
As I took the lead with quick steps, Chloe hurriedly followed behind.
My humming echoed through the quiet dormitory hallway.
* * *
Entering Chloe's room, I looked around. It was rather spacious for a single person, with white walls, a white sofa, and a white bed.
It felt a bit like a hospital.
For a teenage girl's room, it felt excessively plain and tidy.
I expected at least a few rabbit plushies on the bed, but a few books on the desk were the entirety of the decor.
As a chilly night breeze blew, the pure white curtains fluttered softly.
"I'm sorry the room is messy..."
Huh? There's barely anything here, though?
Chloe, watching my reaction, began pulling ingredients out of the refrigerator. Sea bream, flatfish, rockfish, salmon, Spanish mackerel... even fish I had never seen before were frozen in styrofoam boxes, stacked like Lego blocks.
If she bought all this at the campus mart where a single bottle of water costs 10,000 won, just how much did it cost?
An exclamation of awe escaped my lips.
"You really like fish, huh?"
"Ah, yes. I'm from the seaside."
"That's perfect, then. My specialty is fish dishes."
"Oh, really?!"
Chloe's round eyes sparkled. I rubbed the bridge of my nose and added:
"Um, could you put everything back except the sea bream? I think one fish will be enough."
"Yes!"
Her energetic reply pumped me up, and a chuckle escaped my lips. Since my hands had been itching anyway, I planned to soothe my mood by slicing some sashimi for the first time in a while. I was starving, but for some reason, my heart raced and energy surged through me.
But the problem is...
The kitchen knives lined up next to the sink were gleaming.
The moment I grabbed one, the blessing would activate. Thinking of the excruciating pain that would follow, my appetite seemed to vanish instantly.
"Do you happen to have a longer knife?"
"A longer one?"
"Yeah. As you know, my armament consists of those kinds of knives. So it's a bit awkward for me to use them."
She nodded slightly, understanding.
Then she went to the cabinet and brought back a katana longer than herself, slinging it over her shoulder. I was so dumbfounded that my expression went completely flat.
"Will this do?"
"No... I'll just use the kitchen knife."
As I let out a deep sigh, Chloe looked puzzled, unable to understand.
Nothing I can do.
Right, let's finish this in 30 seconds.
Am I not the man called the nation's best swordsman? It's possible.
When I gestured for Chloe to step back a bit, she took a few quick steps away.
Seeing my solemn attitude toward the fish, she broke into a cold sweat and swallowed hard.
After activating the 'Blessing of Painlessness', I quickly pulled out a rose-patterned sashimi knife I had eyed from the knife block. It felt great in my hand.
Then, an unwelcome message popped up on my retina.
* * *
[Blessing of the Sword God — Food is activated.]
* * *
At the same time, the sashimi knife flashed, curving precisely into the sea bream's gills.
* * *
"It was sooooo delicious!"
"I'm glad."
Is there any greater medal for a cook than hearing that the food was delicious? But right now, I could only nod slightly with a pale face.
21 seconds.
The time it took for me to scale the sea bream, split the bones, remove the entrails, and fillet the meat.
I could have just prepped it roughly, but the chef's pride engraved in my bones wouldn't allow it. Thanks to that, the meal was so excellent it felt like a masterpiece of my life.
To the point where I thought this might be the peak of my sashimi life.
Judging by the phrase 'Blessing of the Sword God — Food' appearing when activating the blessing, it seemed its application varied depending on the usage.
It seemed completely useless, yet it was a profound ability that was strangely useful in odd ways.
"How are you so good at cooking, Geomma?"
"I used to work part-time at a Japanese restaurant."
"Part-time?"
Chloe's eyes darted as she asked back.
"Don't tell me you don't know what a part-time job is?"
She nodded slightly.
"...I'm sorry."
"No, well, there's no need to apologize."
At that moment, I realized the gap in our social status. Chloe looked up at me with a face like a baby bird. I let out a quiet sigh, unnoticed. I figured everyone just grew up in different environments.
"It's not a big deal anyway. By the way, I'm glad you enjoyed the food."
She nodded vigorously, signaling her agreement. A pleasant smile curved my lips at the sight.
"Since you prepared the meal, I'll do the dishes!"
Honestly, I was the one who got a free, expensive meal, but Chloe's eyes, determined to return the favor, were admirable, so I left the dishes to her. It was also a bit of a hassle anyway.
Perhaps feeling a sense of responsibility, Chloe blushed shyly.
Chloe pointed to the desk by the window and invited me to sit and rest. Patting my full stomach, I perched on the windowsill.
Basking in the thick moonlight of the full moon, I looked down at the school through the open window. Ink-colored clouds floated gently in the night sky.
Shatter—!
"Ah, I'm sorry!"
It seemed she broke a plate while doing the dishes. I thought about helping, but shook my head. That's also an experience. That's how we all grow up, I say.
Thud—
As a light breeze blew, a crumpled notebook hanging on the corner of the desk fell to the floor.
I picked up the notebook to put it back on the desk. I didn't mean to look, but the contents seemed to be a diary.
『Today, I received help from someone during the class placement test. I must repay them later!』
Seeing the rounded handwriting and the teddy bear sticker attached, I thought Chloe was indeed a girl of her age.
The cool night breeze blew again, turning the next page.
『The person who saved me turned out to be in the same class as me. His name was Kang Geomma. My heart is pounding so fast and I don't know what to do, I can't bring myself to talk to him!! >~<』
So that was why she couldn't talk to me.
This time, my hand naturally turned to the next page.
『Geomma.』
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『IloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyou』
Shatter—!
A plate shattered.
"......"
"......"
Silence descended upon the room.
"Did you see?"
"No?"