Chapter 25
Translator - Zofu
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* * *
I see eyebrows twitching.
Han Ye-rin is still angry. She jabs her desk with a pen irritably, as if yesterday's sex was that unsatisfying, and also jabs my side with that pen and smacks the back of my hand. It feels like we've gone back to the old days.
Instead of excitement, anger wells up from deep in my chest.
Luckily, break time is coming soon. I want to escape. Quickly.
The bell rings. I quickly get up from my seat, open the door, and go out into the hallway.
First... let's take a little break.
* * *
Since I've set a goal, it's time to move now.
I get up right away. First, I'll approach and start any conversation. Let's get friendly, roughly.
It's the next class over. Coming out of Class B and heading to Class A, I immediately see Kim Tae-ho.
No need to be nervous. Just approach like when we first met.
"Hey, what are you doing here?"
"Huh?"
Kim Tae-ho turns his head. His expression is slightly distorted, seemingly annoyed.
"Um, is something wrong?"
"No, nothing... but what are you guys here for?"
"'You guys?'"
I'm the only one who came? I look around and my arm touches someone next to me. I turn my head and there—
"Hiii..."
It is Han Seol-ah. Wait, what? Why is Seol-ah here?
"Seol-ah?"
"Whyyy...?"
"Why are you here?"
"That's... what I was going to say..."
"Huh?"
Seol-ah turns her head, looks at Kim Tae-ho, then looks at me.
"I just... came to talk with a friend...?"
...Huh? My head tilts sideways. Wait, is Kim Tae-ho also friends with the witch?
"You... were friends with Tae-ho?"
"Uhh... we became friends today..."
Wait, what? You became friends today?
That shy Han Seol-ah became friends with that burly, dark guy? I can't understand it. That Han Seol-ah who is so selective with people, never approaches first, and only talks when someone else initiates conversation. In just one day?
"Hmm... I see."
Let's just say okay. I nod my head.
They could be friends. It's possible enough. I don't know how they became friends, but thinking deeply about it will only give me a headache. There must be a reason I don't know. I roughly accept it.
"Hey guys?"
"Huh?"
"Uhh...?"
"So why did you come?"
Because of wind-sex.
"Just, I came to say whatever."
"Huh?"
"I said I came to get friendly. Why, if you talk roughly, you naturally become friends."
"Riiight... I also... came to get friendly..."
"Oh, really?"
Kim Tae-ho tilts his head, then nods. He looks into the distance, then turns his head toward us.
"...So what do you want to talk about?"
Kim Tae-ho smiles.
* * *
Various conversation topics came up.
What's your favorite food, what homework do you hate, who's your favorite celebrity, what food do you hate, today's weather, tomorrow's weather—all sorts of topics came up. As the topics went round and round.
"Come to think of it, you entered the academy to catch Fenrir, right? You said you were joining a special task force."
Fenrir and even demons came up.
"Huh...!? Fenrir...?"
Han Seol-ah is startled. Han Seol-ah meets my eyes.
"Did I... hear that correctly...?"
Han Seol-ah looks at me like I'm half-crazy.
"It can't be helped... My dad was eaten, so I can't just sit still."
I laugh awkwardly. Here, Lee Ah-rin adds:
"Even if it seems crazy, it can't be helped. If my parents were killed by demons, I would've done the same."
Lee Ah-rin and I meet eyes. Lee Ah-rin laughs hollowly. I turn my head to look at Han Seol-ah, and she's fidgeting with her fingers and legs.
"Anyway, those demon bastards all need to be killed... Ah! Come to think of it, did you see that news?"
"What news?"
"The news that the reason demons are so rampant these days is because they've been breeding like crazy."
"Hmm... I heard about it too..."
Han Seol-ah nods.
Ah... I remember seeing that news.
Demons have sex too.
Those amorphous lumps of flesh—how would they have sex? But creatures left with only instinct and no intellect still have 'sexual desire,' and when they meet, the sound of flesh hitting flesh would frequently fill the earth at all times.
Quite a bit of time has passed, security has stabilized, and the demons that were often seen have disappeared, so now it's a sound that's hard to hear. But the fact that demons 'have sex' remains unchanged.
Demons don't have a mating season.
With only instinct remaining in their heads, consumed by sexual desire, they're creatures so sex-crazed that if they have both a dick and a pussy, they'd fuck themselves.
Recently, I saw news that demons often come up from the sewers.
Is there a farm under the sewers... And I heard that recently, many demons have been appearing around the academy, causing an emergency on the way to school.
Anyway, all demons must die.
They don't help at all.
"Hmm... Excuse me... I'm going to the bathroom..."
Han Seol-ah looks back and goes to the bathroom.
"Seol-ah goes to the bathroom... Ah! Come to think of it, Tae-ho!"
"Huh?"
"We didn't exchange numbers, right?"
Lee Ah-rin holds her phone in front of my face. After hesitating, I take the phone with my hand.
"Great! Thanks. Oh right, I should give you my number too. Give me your phone."
I hand my phone to Lee Ah-rin without a word.
Lee Ah-rin looks at my phone, then looks at me. She puts on a playful smile. She seems a bit surprised. What did she see?
"...What, you even have Seol-ah's number?"
"Huh? Yeah."
"A number you got today?"
I nod my head.
Somehow... it turned out that way. Lee Ah-rin returns my phone to me.
A moment later, footsteps are heard from ahead.
"I'm back..."
Han Seol-ah comes back. Her hands are wet. I meet eyes with Seol-ah. Seol-ah smiles. Seol-ah turns her head to look at Lee Ah-rin.
"What... are you talking about...?"
"Nothing much. We just exchanged numbers."
Han Seol-ah nods. Han Seol-ah roughly wipes the moisture off her hands.
"I see... Is there nothing left to talk about...?"
Seol-ah tilts her head. We've talked so much in a short time, it seems like we've covered everything there is to talk about...
"Ah! Come to think of it, I didn't mention this."
"Huh?"
"Uhh...?"
"You guys... do you like games?"
There was still a topic left.
I shake my head side to side. Games and I don't have much of a connection. I worked so hard to get into the academy that I have more of a connection with studying; I practically ignored games.
Han Seol-ah also shakes her head side to side.
"...Then do you like exercise!?"
Lee Ah-rin asks again with a bright smile.
This time, I nod my head.
To get into the academy, you have to like exercise as much as studying, so you could say exercise and I are in a relationship that can't be separated. I've been forced to be lazy lately because of sex... but anyway, I like exercise.
Han Seol-ah also nods weakly, slightly.
"Phew... What a relief. I figured there was nothing but exercise or games to get friendly with, so I asked. It's a relief that you like at least one of the two."
Lee Ah-rin looks back and forth between me and Han Seol-ah.
"If you have time later... want to come to my house and exercise? You know, like dodgeball, basketball, badminton."
Lee Ah-rin smiles brightly.
This... I didn't expect. No, wait. Isn't this too fast for friendship? I'm happy but also embarrassed. Looking at Han Seol-ah next to me, she seems just as embarrassed as me.
Come to that 'Ije'?
And... play together?
Because we're friends?
No, well. It's fine. I can understand.
Judging by how she's talking, it doesn't seem like she'll ask us to come to Ije tomorrow. But still, it's questionable. It's only been a few days since we became friends. Can she really offer for us to come to her house so readily? Looking at Lee Ah-rin, she seems a bit uneasy. Why is she uneasy?
"Um... you guys... don't like it...?"
Lee Ah-rin fidgets with her fingers and lowers her head. Seeing that, my mouth opens without me realizing.
"No no no! It's not that we don't like it..."
"It's not that we don't like it... it's just... too sudden..."
Lee Ah-rin's face turns red. Lee Ah-rin waves her hands around.
"R-right, is that so!? I spoke too quickly after all? Haha! Heh..."
Lee Ah-rin bows her head deeply. Then suddenly raises it.
"Ah, ah~ it's almost time for the bell? Guys? I, I'll go first?"
Lee Ah-rin hides her flushed face and returns to her class with large, brisk steps.
"I'll go now too... bye... see you next break..."
"Uh, yeah. Okay?"
Han Seol-ah waves. I watch Han Seol-ah walking slowly back to her class.
Honestly speaking... it's sudden. Especially Lee Ah-rin.
Just yesterday, she was avoiding me like crazy, right? And now that girl suddenly approaches me saying 'I want to be friends, let's talk'? What is this...?
Is there some ulterior motive?
I... don't know.
Come to think of it, she said we'd meet again next break, right?
I'll ask then.
* * *
I couldn't ask.
"Uh, uh? Huh? What? Ah! Seol-ah, come to think of it, you said you like cats, right!? I like cats too!"
"Uhh, huh? No, that. Ah right! You said you like apples and eat them often!? I like apples too!"
"No, that, umm, that, Seol-ah! When we play badminton later, I'm going to call friends from my family, is that okay!? You're really shy around people! Haha!"
"Ah! Seol-ah!"
"Ah! Come to think of it, Tae-ho!"
"Seol-ah!"
"Tae-ho!"
"..."
Every time I bring up that topic, Lee Ah-rin awkwardly changes the subject.
And her face is flushed. Even more suspicious. Really... what is it?
"Ah... ah! Right! Guys, you know there's a test today, right?"
"Huh?"
Test? What test? I feel like I remember but... a lightbulb goes off.
Ah, fuck.
It dawned on me. My mouth opens as if to scream.
"...Today's the day for joint combat practice!!"
I completely forgot because I was having sex with Han Ye-rin.
But still, as a student of the academy, to have forgotten the most important test. I feel like I'm going crazy. Fuck... how could I forget this?
I hit my head in confusion and anger at myself.
Joint combat practice.
A test like a duel where two classes are divided into individuals or teams to compete against each other.
You can think of it as just an interclass battle.
Nervously, I take out my phone and search for the match schedule. Class A... Which class does Class A fight?
"Found it."
Class A... is doing joint combat practice with Class B.
"What's wrong? Did the schedule come out?"
"I... want to see..."
Lee Ah-rin and Han Seol-ah stick their faces into my phone.
"..."
A moment of silence.
"Uhh, hmm. Probably we won't have to fight each other...? Who knows? It might not be individual matches but team matches... Anyway, we won't meet."
"R-right, that's true..."
Lee Ah-rin and Han Seol-ah look at me awkwardly. They probably don't want to fight someone they call a friend. I know. I don't want to fight either.
No, we mustn't fight. Both are already considerable powerhouses; if we clash, victory is not guaranteed. Even if there's a possibility with Lee Ah-rin... if it's Han Seol-ah.
Absolutely, no matter what, I can't win.
All I can do is pray to the heavens.
Please don't let me meet either of them...
* * *
"Ughh..."
"..."
Lee Ah-rin scratches her cheek awkwardly and looks at me.
"Both sides, take your positions!"
The examiner calls us both, raising his hand up high.
Slowly, two figures gather on the field.
"Time limit is 10 minutes total! Fight fairly and win! When I count to 5, we start immediately!"
"I... really didn't think we'd meet?"
"5!"
Lee Ah-rin rubs the back of her neck.
"Tae-ho, I don't know how strong you are... no, you might be stronger than me..."
"4!"
"But still, well, we met, right?"
"3!"
"Still... well, it's right to do our best, right?"
"2!"
"So, I'll show you everything I've got."
"1!"
"By any chance, do you..."
"Start!"
"...know about Ice Dragon?"
Behind Lee Ah-rin's back. A creaking, cracking sound.
A chilling sound is heard.
What the hell... is that?
* * *