Chapter 74: Yang Energy (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 74: Yang Energy (4)
Most of the other teams had already formed up.
We decided to save the introductions for later and find our seats first.
I headed for a seat in the back row, and just as Yoon Chae-ha was about to follow me…
“…?”
Yu Hana moved a fraction of a second faster.
A smooth, yet swift acceleration. She cut across Yoon Chae-ha’s path with perfect grace and sat down next to me.
I’m not kidding—that movement held a certain profundity. A profound skill.
In that brief instant, Yu Hana had once again proven her growth.
As a result, Yu Hana sat next to me, and next to her sat Yoon Chae-ha and Yu Hana’s mentee, Jo Yu-ri.
In the quiet stillness, Yu Hana tilted her head slightly toward me. A few strands of sweat-dampened hair had escaped her training uniform, tracing a line down her cheek.
“I’m sorry,” she said in a low voice.
“Do I smell like sweat? I came straight here as soon as I finished…”
Her voice trailed off, her expression tinged with anxiety.
“No, not at all. You’re fine,” I replied quietly.
Truthfully, it was a problem.
There was a scent, but what brushed past my nose wasn’t the smell of sweat. It was a pleasant fragrance, spreading subtly through the air.
That scent, cutting through the humid air, was subtly disrupting my breathing.
Her scent was affecting me. And in my already highly unstable state, no less.
Even now, my heart was beating a little too fast.
“Really? That’s a relief…”
Yu Hana smiled, her eyes curving slightly.
For some reason, that smiling expression felt much closer than usual.
On top of that, the front of her training uniform had loosened a bit.
When she leaned toward me, the once-neat collar fell slightly open, and the line of her neck kept drawing my eye.
I subconsciously averted my gaze and looked toward the instructor at the front.
“It seems the teams have been formed.”
Before returning to our seats, we had submitted a list of our team members.
The names of fifteen teams and four individuals began to appear on the screen.
“Soon, the four students from Gaon Academy assigned to each team will be randomly selected and announced.”
The screen still showed an empty table, but it looked ready to be filled at any moment.
“You don’t need to worry. The team formation methods for Carlos and Gaon were applied identically. We have thoroughly considered fairness.”
A few students nodded at his words.
The overall level of the teams was just about average.
There were no teams that could be called overwhelmingly powerful, nor any that particularly stood out.
Except for one.
Joo Seo-jun and Yohan.
The two of them were teamed up with Gail, the 11th-ranked student from Carlos.
Furthermore, Gail’s mentor was a high-ranking student at Gaon.
A team of four men.
The 1st-ranked from Carlos and the 2nd-ranked from Gaon.
On paper, the strongest team had just been born.
I glanced to my side.
Yu Hana was still smiling, her hands resting neatly on her knees as she faced me. Yoon Chae-ha was speaking with Jo Yu-ri in a low voice.
We’re better, though.
Whether in terms of potential or current strength, we wouldn’t lose.
“That is all for today,” the instructor added as his final remark.
“You are dismissed. Starting tomorrow, your schedules will proceed on a team basis. Please assemble at the same time tomorrow.”
The auditorium soon filled with the sounds of people getting up in small groups.
We remained seated.
There was no need to rush. It was easier to leave after everyone else had gone.
Just then, a presence approached.
A relaxed gait. It was Joo Seo-jun.
He walked slowly toward Yoon Chae-ha and gave a light wave in greeting.
“Did you form a good team?”
“Yeah,” Yoon Chae-ha answered curtly without looking at him.
Joo Seo-jun didn’t press further, naturally turning toward Yu Hana and me.
“Hello. You must be the mentor. I’ve never seen you before, since you’re always out.”
He bowed his head to me in a polite greeting.
Joo Seo-jun had a good personality. No rough edges. He was always well-mannered.
“And… might this person be…”
His gaze shifted to Yu Hana.
Without a word, Yu Hana pulled the front of her training uniform tightly closed, then turned and bowed her head.
“…I’m Yu Hana.”
Her expression was blank, her tone simple.
Joo Seo-jun nodded once more before turning back to Yoon Chae-ha.
“Are you preparing well for the individual match?”
“So-so.”
“You should be on your toes. I’m on a whole different level this time.”
“Okay.”
A short exchange.
Joo Seo-jun let out a small laugh and turned his back.
“I’m heading out~”
I watched his retreating figure carefully.
He’s right.
It wasn’t an empty boast.
Joo Seo-jun was clearly making remarkable progress.
At a speed even she was unaware of.
Since coming to Gaon, Yoon Chae-ha had been trying literally ‘everything.’
Whatever caught her interest—this today, that tomorrow.
While that method was very much like her, it also meant she was inevitably neglecting her main field, magic.
And during that time, Joo Seo-jun must have been running nonstop to close the gap.
Perhaps this dynamic could be a good trigger for Yoon Chae-ha.
She’d always been the type who needed a catalyst to improve.
“Let’s go, too.”
We quietly rose from our seats and left the auditorium.
Outside, a dim twilight had already settled.
Moonlight filtered softly through the hallway windows.
“Good work today. I look forward to working with you,” Jo Yu-ri said as she took the lead and departed.
“See you tomorrow. The fish today… was delicious.”
Yoon Chae-ha gave a slight nod and followed her.
I remained in place for a moment, letting out a soft breath.
A sense of relief that the day was safely over began to wash over me. Now, all I had to do was get home quickly and suppress this energy…
Just then, Yu Hana, who had been walking quietly beside me, spoke up.
“Hey, Hae-in.”
I naturally turned my head.
“It’s been a while… could you watch over my training, one-on-one?”
Her tone was laced with a subtle hint of anticipation.
“I… learned a few things during my seclusion training. I’m not trying to show off, I just… really wanted to show you.”
As she spoke, I saw her expression. She looked a little shy, but her eyes held a sincere earnestness.
It seemed like she wanted someone to acknowledge her growth.
“There’s no other reason… you taught me swordsmanship, after all. I want to show you that I’ve come this far thanks to you.”
Given my condition, I considered refusing, but I couldn’t.
I was also curious to see how much she had grown.
“Alright.”
In the end, I accepted.
As I gave a quiet nod, her eyes instantly sparkled.
“Really?”
Her voice was filled with joy.
A beat later, Yu Hana added, “But… I’ve had a lot of realizations, so it might take a while today. We could be here pretty late. Is that okay?”
I thought for a moment, then turned my head.
At the end of the hall, Yoon Chae-ha was slowly walking away with Jo Yu-ri.
“It’ll probably be just the two of us until late…”
Before Yu Hana could finish, I cut in.
“Then how about the three of us train together?”
“Three…?”
Yu Hana blinked slowly.
“It’d be good to have Yoon Chae-ha join us anyway. I haven’t been able to mentor her for a few weeks, and I was planning to do it today. I feel bad about it.”
Yu Hana stared at my face for a moment before slowly nodding.
“Yeah… I’d… like that…”
I took out my Watch and sent a short message.
[belief_]: Come back.
[summer]: Me? Why?
[belief_]: Let’s do your mentoring.
The moment I sent the message, Yoon Chae-ha, who had stopped at the end of the hall, whipped her head around to look our way.
Then, without a word, she began to walk slowly back toward us.
When she was close, she said, “I thought you forgot.”
I replied nonchalantly, “I didn’t forget.”
That was a lie.
I had, in fact, forgotten. Yu Hana had reminded me.
It worked out for the best.
Being in the same room with just Yu Hana in my current state would have been a bit much. Having Yoon Chae-ha there would make things better.
Yoon Chae-ha glanced at Yu Hana and gave a slight bow of her head.
So she knows how to greet people now.
She’s grown up a lot.
The three of us walked side-by-side in silence.
The night air had grown calmer, and the hallway leading to the training ground was deserted.
B-Wing Training Ground.
As we passed through the entrance, we found the large space inside was still bustling with students in the middle of training.
We headed straight for the deeper part of the facility.
I tapped my Watch on the sensor to open a private training room.
-Beep.
The door slid open, revealing an interior neatly arranged with new-model training equipment.
“Not bad.”
The door closed behind us, and sensors activated, slowly bringing up the lights.
As expected, B-Wing has the best facilities.
I stepped inside and looked back at the two of them.
“What should we do first?”
I could check on Yu Hana’s swordsmanship or help Yoon Chae-ha with her mana tuning.
With that in mind, I quietly opened my mouth.
“Let’s start with your swordsmanship…”
Before I could finish, Yu Hana cut in from behind me.
“A spar.”
I turned my head. Yu Hana was looking at me with a smile.
“Let’s start with a spar.”
Then she tilted her head slightly, her gaze shifting to Yoon Chae-ha.
“Is that alright with you? I’d like to have a match with you, Yoon Chae-ha.”
Yoon Chae-ha met Yu Hana’s gaze directly.
Her pupils burned red.
“Yes, that’s fine.”
Yoon Chae-ha nodded.
Judging by her earlier reaction, it seemed she was also quite interested in Yu Hana.
“Uh… sure. Go ahead.”
I gave a noncommittal answer and took a step back.
As I naturally ceded the center of the room, the two of them slowly walked to opposite ends of the training ground.
Soon, they stood facing each other from their respective positions.
Yu Hana lightly flexed her wrists, while Yoon Chae-ha closed her eyes.
A silent stillness descended.
What is this?
A spar, arranged in an instant.
I’d suddenly been relegated to the role of spectator.