Aika and Eugene's Wedding Commotion
Aika and Yujin's Wedding Commotion
The clock turned back slightly, to when Yujin was selling Haru off to the Chairwoman.
The South Korean media were on the verge of exploding.
It was because of information leaked by the Cheonhwa Clan.
'Seo Yujin signed with Cheonhwa? He wasn't going to America?!'
Just the day before, hadn't the President of the United States expressed interest in Yujin?
Naturally, reporters had assumed Yujin would go to America.
The difference wasn't merely severalfold; America was offering dozens of times more.
Only an idiot would refuse.
Yet only a day later, news broke that he'd signed a contract?
That sent the reporters into their first frenzy.
"And the signing bonus? He's a future S-rank—surely it's an unprecedented sum?"
"Twenty billion won."
"Wow. That's truly unprecedented. It's nothing compared with America, but it's still a huge..."
"———But get this: he donated the entire amount to the foundation."
"...What!?"
He had even donated every last won of his signing bonus.
He had put it into a fund for the patients he would treat in the future.
That sent the reporters into a second frenzy.
'National pride and a heroic tale too? How many irresistible hooks does this story have?'
'This thing prints views!!'
Articles poured out all at once, enough to startle even Clan Head Yoo Jeongcheol, who had ordered the media campaign.
[Seo Yujin Spurns 'Colossal US Offer'... Love for Korea Explodes]
['Glory of Korea' Seo Yujin Writes a 'New Legend' With 20 Billion Won Donation]
[Following Miracle Cures, Now 'Medical Cost Support'...]
The view-obsessed reporters churned out one sensational headline after another.
The public went wild.
The public had been terrified that America would steal away the rare talent who could follow Seol Hayeon in protecting Korea.
The good news had arrived after just one day. Their reaction was only natural.
And he had even donated the money.
Even those who had been seething with envy and jealousy had no choice but to change their tune.
There was nothing to criticize.
[Korean Awakener Minor Gallery]
Title: Donating twenty billion or whatever is fucking gross, seriously
looked up where he donated it and it's the Cheonhwa altar lol
obviously they'll skim it and pass it around among themselves
look at all these dumb animals cheering like he actually donated it
both the bastards doing the media play and the morons falling for it are all gross
└ it's foundation, not altar, dumbass
└ ignore him, he's a well-known troll
└└ nah, it's just pathetic watching someone post when they don't know shit
└└ W-wait, did this guy just—
└└ (a “did this guy just say something upvote-worthy?” reaction image)
└└ Whoa, whoa, don’t do this.
└└ (upvote reaction image)
└└ (reaction image)
└└ (reaction image)
Even the sole trending post had zero comments criticizing Yujin.
It was merely a thread where more than a thousand users had swarmed in to brigade the upvotes over one typo.
Anyway, domestic public opinion was overwhelmingly pro-Yujin.
Embarrassingly effusive praise calling him an angel filled Korea.
What about other countries?
[R/awakener - I KNEW IT]
America, the country directly involved, barely reacted.
As the world's strongest nation, America had its pride. Why force someone who didn't want to come?
They simply shrugged and said, 'Suit yourself.'
Most other countries reacted similarly.
Twenty billion won? How much was that in our currency?
Oh... he donated all of it? What an upstanding young man.
Most reactions were that restrained.
But two countries alone caused an uproar.
One was Vietnam, and the other was Japan.
[Võ Chí Công - Official]
(Screenshot of a Vietnamese translation of the Yujin donation article)
Next time, the gukbap is on me 🤔
#Awakener #S_RANK #Youjin
Vietnam's sudden enthusiasm came courtesy of Võ Chí Công, who kept up with social media no matter how busy he was.
Thanks to him, Yujin was treated as a fellow hero in Vietnam.
Japan, on the other hand, was a slightly different case.
[Thread for Discussing Awakeners Around the World]
(Japanese article about Yujin's donation)
>>31
Donating 2 billion yen? Why doesn't Japan have someone like that?
>>59
It's not just Japan; people like that are rare anywhere in the world
>>59
Yujin-kun is simply exceptional
The response was far friendlier than in other countries.
That was only natural. Japan was a Confucian country—even more so than Korea.
And he had just donated the entire sum for the sake of his future patients.
Yujin's standing in Japan soared overnight.
Everyone praised his generosity in unison.
Still, that alone would not have caused such a major sensation.
No matter how much they praised him, Yujin was still Korean.
It was only temporary interest in a foreigner, bound to fade within days.
Or so it should have been.
[Thread for talking about Aika-chan]
Maybe Yujin-kun would suit Aika-chan quite well?
>>31
Huh?
One offhand comment overturned the entire mood.
Aika Ninomiya.
Japan's proud S-rank No. 1... and a woman who had never once dated a man by age thirty-two.
Even fans who had once fiercely opposed any romance, shouting 'Protect Aika-chan!!,' had begun to panic.
We told you not to date, but did you have to take us literally? You're already in your thirties, you know?
Whether they realized it or not, everyone had begun thinking the same thing.
Then Yujin appeared.
Abilities? A future S-rank who could provide hypnosis treatment.
Character? Donated twenty billion won. An angel.
Looks? No explanation needed. Pass.
Most importantly: was he a good match for Aika?
[Thread for talking about Aika-chan]
>>31
Come to think of it, Yujin-kun uses a katana, right? Maybe he admires Aika-chan?
>>31
They really might suit each other
———And as luck would have it, Yujin used a katana!
A Korean young man wielded the very weapon that symbolized Aika!
Japan erupted at the obvious shipping potential.
[Thread for talking about Aika-chan]
>>31
If Aika-chan marries him, will Yujin come to Japan?
>>31
Now Aika-chan has no choice but to take responsibility and marry him
>>31
A lonely girl because of her strength, and the upright young man who admires her? Is this a manga?
>>76
I drew a manga~ (link)
>>81
God-tier manga, thanks
Yujin and Aika's romance was such delicious material that someone even drew a manga.
The needlessly well-drawn manga quickly climbed the real-time search rankings.
It climbed the rankings under titles like 'Aika and Yujin Marriage Manga.'
It spread and spread until...
Somehow, it crossed the sea all the way to Korea.
And reached the pair who were living together.
[1. Aika Ninomiya Yujin Marriage]
"I looked it up. Apparently it's about a manga."
"It's already been translated into Korean. Really, this is..."
"How foolish. Haah."
Aika quickly discovered what was going on and sighed.
She allowed people to use her in creative works as long as they weren't adults-only, but... she couldn't believe something like this had appeared too.
It was dismaying in an entirely new way.
Despite her grumbling, her heart was pounding like a fool.
'M-M-Marriage? Me and my disciple? There was a twelve-year age gap... Yet people thought we looked good together?'
She was thirty-two by international age, while Yujin had only just turned twenty.
When she had been twenty, hadn't Yujin still been in elementary school?
An almost criminal age gap.
Marriage was something she had never dared even dream of.
And yet there was a manga where she married Yujin and smiled not as the S-rank No. 1, but simply as a woman?
And everyone praised it, saying the two of them looked perfect together?
Could that really be so?
The thought secretly thrilled Aika.
Her foolishness knew no bounds.
'It was true that my childhood dream had been to become a bride. I wanted to do the housework while my husband was away, support him, and be doted on... Wait.'
-Freeze.
'...Wasn't that exactly what I'd been doing for my disciple?'
Then came another belated realization.
A wife devoted to supporting her husband—doing the housework while he was away and personally making him a warm bowl of miso soup when he returned?
Wasn't that exactly her relationship with Yujin?
Aika hadn't realized it, but for the past few days, she had been playing the wife.
Just as she'd dreamed in elementary school.
The shock brought her thoughts to a halt.
'Could I have been unconsciously treating my disciple like my husband...?'
"......"
'Tsk. This was really awkward. Seriously.'
Meanwhile, Yujin frowned at Aika's silence. It was only natural.
The bathhouse incident alone was awkward enough.
And now his future had been spoiled too.
They were still nothing more than a wholesome master and disciple.
He didn't like it one bit.
What if Master saw this and became self-conscious for no reason?
What if it put a crack in their harmonious master-disciple relationship?
No matter how he looked at it, there was nothing but downside.
A self-serving remark broke the silence.
"People really are rude, doing whatever they like."
"...Hm?"
"Didn't the person who drew this stop to think? Imagine how appalled you must be seeing it, Master."
I hadn't done anything wrong. The bastard who drew the manga was the one at fault.
The blame shifted as smoothly as flowing water.
Then he went further.
"This manga makes it look like you were so desperate to marry that you chased me all the way to Korea. In reality, you came here to guide an inadequate disciple like me."
"W-Well, that's... true..."
"They don't appreciate what you've done for me. Seriously."
What the hell was with this characterization?
Aika's head drooped at the merciless critique.
'Was that really how people saw me? A marriage-crazed woman who had moved into the home of a disciple twelve years younger!?'
-Tremble, tremble.
'I-I only took in my disciple...!!'
No wonder my disciple's friends had all been foaming at the mouth.
So this was the only way other people could interpret me living with my disciple.
The red pill had been forced down Aika's throat, and she finally saw the truth.
"...You put it well. I only came after seeing your sword."
"Haah. I'll post on social media and tell them to stop because this is disrespectful to you, Master."
"——Th-there's no need for that. No—don't do it!"
"Huh? Why not?"
"Those with great power should show generosity to match. It is unworthy of my disciple to react to every little thing."
"Well, if you say so, Master."
Apparently she didn't hate it that much, because she spared the seeds of future fan works.
Yujin relaxed at her merciful response.
Ah, Master wouldn't feel awkward around me now.
She was treating the manga as just a manga. Or so he thought.
"Then I'll head to bed. My whole body still aches, so I should rest early."
"Go on, then."
Before any more mishaps could occur, Yujin headed off to bed.
The random marriage commotion ended peacefully.
"......B-But, my disciple."
"Yes?"
"If you don't like it, well... I could have it banned."
"Come on, of course I'm honored~!"
'It was actually my first time being drawn in a manga.'
He seemed to be wrapping things up, but unknowingly dropped another bomb.
"...? ......!!!!!?"
"Well, goodnight then~ Yaaawn."
But the oblivious young man had no idea what he'd just said.
As a result, Aika spent the entire night awake, agonizing over it.
'He said it was an honor to be drawn in a marriage manga... Did that mean he'd be honored to marry me? Did he really mean that?'
There was no way to describe her agonizing until dawn except as lovesick foolishness.
* * *
The eventful weekend passed, and Monday morning came again.
-Munch, munch.
"As expected, your cooking is the best, Master! Especially this Japanese miso soup—I could eat it every day!"
"...Are you doing this on purpose?"
"Huh?"
"......It's nothing. Eat up."
Perhaps last night's events were still affecting her, because Master's face was stiff.
She wouldn't even meet my eyes.
Figuring only time would solve it, I fled straight to the academy.
"Phew... Ah, Alice. Good morning."
"———Yujin, let's go on TV together!! We'll become idols!!"
"......Huh?"
My wife suggested that we become idols.
What the hell?