Chapter 73: Yang Energy (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 73: Yang Energy (3)
“...”
“Looks like I won by half a point.”
As I quietly placed a stone on the board and spoke, Yoon Chae-ha was speechless for a long moment.
We had used the time left after lunch to head to the Board Game Club room.
And now, we were in front of a Go board. A brief silence followed.
“...Ah, you're right.”
After staring intently at the board, she finally lifted her head to look at me.
She looked a little vexed.
She was probably replaying the game in her head.
Today, Yoon Chae-ha had eaten mackerel, followed by salmon, eel, and even saury.
She had conquered every type of fish available in the school cafeteria.
Of course, she didn't know how to debone them, so I did it all for her.
I remembered how she would marvel with every bite, repeatedly holding out her chopsticks for more.
At first, given her personality, I expected her to say something like, “Teach me.”
I thought she would naturally want to learn this too, but strangely...
...at some point, Yoon Chae-ha put down her chopsticks and simply started to wait.
‘Let me show you how to debone it...’
‘Later. For now, I'll just eat.’
As if it were the most natural thing in the world, she quietly accepted the deboned fish I prepared.
After taking it, though, she seemed a little embarrassed, avoiding my gaze and taking a sip of water.
My trait as a Whole Person shines not only on the battlefield but in trivial matters like this as well.
The dexterity to perfectly separate bone from flesh with just a pair of chopsticks. Bone with bone, flesh with flesh—it was practically an art form...
And she just accepted it all like a baby bird.
After a few hesitant glances, she eventually put her chopsticks down altogether.
I suspect she had ‘analyzed’ the situation with her own eyes and concluded that leaving it to me was the most rational choice.
“Should we get going?”
I glanced down at my watch to check the time.
Lost in the game, I hadn't realized it was already approaching five o'clock.
“Yeah.”
Yoon Chae-ha nodded and slowly rose from her seat.
“Let's play again soon. Go.”
“Why? Feeling salty about the loss?”
I asked playfully.
“It's not that. I'm starting to get the hang of it.”
But she answered in all seriousness.
I had felt it, too—that her skill was improving exponentially.
As expected of Yoon Chae-ha. She's a diamond in the rough that shines when challenged.
I smiled faintly and walked out into the hallway with her.
By the time we reached the auditorium entrance, several students had already gone inside and found their seats.
The instructor in charge was also off to one side of the stage, checking some documents.
Yoon Chae-ha and I sat down together in a quiet corner of the auditorium.
5:00 PM.
As the clock struck the hour, the instructor slowly emerged from the side of the stage.
The murmuring crowd naturally quieted down as he stepped onto the podium.
The auditorium was already full.
Thirty students from the Place of Exchange, plus their mentors, for a total of sixty people. Every seat was taken.
The instructor scanned the room for a moment before picking up the microphone.
“Alright, it seems everyone is here. Your attention, please.”
The sound of people quietly holding their breath could be heard.
He placed the papers he was holding on the desk and began to speak.
“Today, I will be providing a detailed explanation of the Exchange Match, as well as instructions on how teams for the team battle will be formed.”
This was the moment the first real preparations for the Exchange Match began.
“First, as you were informed this morning, the Exchange Match will consist of two formats: individual matches and team battles.”
His gaze swept slowly across the students as he continued.
“The reason we've gathered you here today is to discuss the team composition for the team battles.”
Team formation.
As I'd expected, the summons was about the Exchange Match.
“Currently, there are thirty students participating in the Place of Exchange. And there are thirty corresponding mentors. Sixty people in total. As you know, the mentors and mentees are already paired up.”
Just as he'd said before, mentors and mentees were already on the same team.
“Now, we will combine two of these mentor-mentee sets to form a small team. In other words, two mentors and two mentees—a total of four people—will first form a single exchange team.”
The screen flickered for a moment, displaying a visual diagram of the team structure.
The students' focus sharpened.
“Then, four students from Gaon will be assigned to each of these exchange teams. This will create a final team of eight members.”
So, to summarize...
A team of eight members.
Two mentees, two mentors, and four students from Gaon.
That made fifteen teams in total.
It was a pretty large scale.
In the lore of this world, a group of eight is considered a 'quasi-raid party'.
It's the most basic unit formed when clearing a dungeon or subjugating a high-level magical beast.
Tactics. Composition. Teamwork.
If all these elements didn't mesh perfectly, victory was not guaranteed, no matter how strong the individuals were.
And since Gaon and Carlos were collaborating, the challenge was bound to be quite difficult.
But then.
“Now, everyone. There's no need to feel too pressured.”
The instructor's voice suddenly softened.
“The Place of Exchange is, after all, a festival. The goal is the process of understanding and learning from one another.”
What a joke.
I muttered to myself.
“Therefore, we will allow you to freely team up with classmates you were close with before coming here to Gaon. However, the four additional members from Gaon will be assigned based on their rankings to ensure fairness.”
In other words, only the part about combining two pairs was voluntary; it wasn't a forced arrangement.
Two sets combined to make four people.
And with the addition of four from Gaon, the final eight-person team would be complete.
“Alright, everyone. Please form your groups now!”
A buzz went through the crowd.
The moment the instructor finished speaking, the Carlos students began to move about busily, like a swarm of bees.
One by one, two by two, in threes and fours. Students who seemed to have already decided on their groups were scrambling to gather in small clusters.
I slowly turned my head to look at Yoon Chae-ha, who was sitting next to me.
As if sensing my gaze, she shifted slightly and half-glared at me.
“Wh-what are you looking at?”
she asked, her lips pouting. I just chuckled in response.
Even as the other Carlos students were gathering to form teams...
...Yoon Chae-ha glanced around once but showed no intention of moving.
Why?
Because Yoon Chae-ha has no friends.
The only person who could even remotely be called a friend was...
...some distance away.
A tall, handsome male student stood at the center of a group of female Carlos students, laughing and chatting.
It was Joo Seo-jun.
‘It's him, but...’
The problem was Joo Seo-jun's mentor.
His mentor... was Yohan.
Yohan's cult and Joo Seo-jun's family had a long-standing relationship.
They were more deeply entangled than one might think.
As a result, they had been close since childhood.
And then, my eyes met Yohan's.
For exactly one second.
As if unable to bear even that brief moment, Yohan turned his head away.
‘Tsk.’
This wasn't going to work.
Teaming up with Joo Seo-jun would be difficult.
Yoon Chae-ha fidgeted with her fingers, her gaze fixed on the desk in front of her.
She was trying hard to act nonchalant, but I could feel an uncharacteristic air of dejection about her.
Truthfully, it didn't matter who we teamed up with.
I turned my head and scanned the crowd.
Just then, someone headed toward the podium where the instructor was.
She looked like a Carlos student. But there was something strange.
‘She's alone?’
The female student said something cautiously to the instructor, who looked momentarily flustered and shuffled through the papers on the podium.
Finally, the instructor picked up the microphone and spoke slowly.
“Is there anyone here who knows a student named Yu Hana?”
Yu Hana?
But she's in the middle of seclusion training...
I casually raised my hand. And at that moment...
...just as the instructor finished speaking, the auditorium doors slid open.
-Creeak.*
No one had intentionally looked toward the doors, yet strangely, every gaze in the room was naturally drawn there.
The silhouette of a woman who had entered quietly.
Sky-blue hair flowed softly down to her waist, and her training uniform was damp with sweat. She looked as if she had just finished training and rushed over.
It was Yu Hana.
“My apologies for being late, Instructor. I am Yu Hana, mentor to student Jo Yu-ri.”
A short, crisp greeting.
With only those words, she began to walk forward naturally.
The eyes that had been fixed on the stage now followed her every move.
I was surprised.
It wasn't just because she was a mentor for the Place of Exchange.
Since most of the mentor-mentee activities took place off-campus, it was plausible that I hadn't realized she was a mentor.
But the truly surprising part was...
“Hah.”
...the aura emanating from her.
It was a completely different feeling from the Yu Hana of the past.
There was a profound weight to her every movement, her every breath.
‘What in the world did she do in there?’
Her growth was so immense it was baffling.
Beside me, Yoon Chae-ha was also watching her intently.
Her eyes glowed red—for Yoon Chae-ha, that was a sign of interest.
My gaze fixed on Yu Hana, I asked quietly.
“What do you think?”
Without a word, Yoon Chae-ha gave a very slow nod.
No words were needed.
We rose from our seats in silence and slowly made our way to the front of the auditorium.
Yu Hana had already reached Jo Yu-ri.
She bowed her head briefly in apology, but her mentee waved her hands in dismissal and helped her stand straight.
In that moment, Yu Hana's gaze locked onto mine.
It was only for an instant, but that brief eye contact was all it took.
Seeing her up close, I could feel it even more clearly—just how much she had grown.
At this rate...
‘This will work.’
I started to gauge her strength but quickly stopped.
After all, she was only going to grow stronger.
“You're here.”
I asked quietly, and Yu Hana nodded, replying curtly.
“Yeah.”
“What on earth have you been doing?”
Instead of answering, she approached me with a smile.
“That... I'll tell you in due time.”
Her voice dropped slightly.
A voice that seeped in like a whisper. Then she added.
“Still, it's... nice to see you after so long. Is it just me?”
I chuckled at her words and shook my head. At that moment...
“Chae-ha... right?”
The voice was cautious and a little shy.
I turned my head to see the girl who appeared to be Yu Hana's mentee approaching hesitantly.
She fidgeted with her fingertips, hesitating, before seeming to gather her courage and speak.
“I... I'm a really big fan of yours. Are you... are you here to be on the same team as me?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected attention, Yoon Chae-ha froze for a second.
Then she nodded awkwardly and stammered.
“Uh... huh? Y-yeah... I am...”
She seemed quite flustered, but not in a bad way.
Watching her, I couldn't help but smile.
How should I put it? It was like being at a cat cafe and watching another cat approach the shy one first.
I turned my head toward Yu Hana.
She was also looking at me quietly and gave a slow nod.
“Looking forward to working with you.”
“Same here.”
A new team was born.