A Change of Plans
After seeing Cheon Seo-hui off, I had just returned home. Because the road was a bit congested, I arrived a bit late and was eating the meal that Nakyeong had prepared by hand.
Today's dinner menu was nutritious mixed-grain rice and kimchi from the lunchbox. It was an excellent, flawless full-course meal—too much for me, who had abandoned my cute daughter-in-law.
...No, but didn't I need some kimchi at least?
“Hmph. Kimchi...”
I checked Nakyeong's expression across the table and secretly set down my chopsticks, then stood up.
At that moment, Nakyeong—who had been staring at me quietly—spoke up with a subtle tone.
“Need kimchi?”
“Eh? Yeah, a little...”
“I'll get it for you.”
She stood up quickly.
“No, no! I'll get it!”
I tried to stop her, but she moved faster than me and pulled the container out of the fridge.
“After going out to work hard, you don't even give kimchi... That's too much. Right?”
She seemed quite upset.
“Ah, really... There aren't many people as excellent as our Nakyeong.”
I quickly stood up and followed her, approaching the girl who was scooping kimchi into a bowl and gently soothing her.
Since we still had a while until the day with Cheon Seo-hui, if I didn't loosen things up in advance, there was a high chance of getting scolded later.
“I didn't think I'd go this far, but somehow... huh?”
But this time, it didn't work well.
“Who said that?”
With glaring eyes, Nakyeong gave a cold warning.
“Do whatever you want. Just do as you please. Why don't you just go out and live with that girl?”
“Ei. Then what about our daughter! I can't do that!”
“Hah. I've been neglecting her for a week now, and you say ‘our daughter’?”
I was a bit startled inside.
“You don't mean that... right?”
The way to get through when receiving affection is to be strict at first.
Sticking to her like a cicada on a tree, I gave her some affection.
“You're the only one for me, Dad.”
Normally, daughters get tired of their dad's affection when they grow up.
But our daughter-in-law received it obediently without any sign of dislike.
Rather, she always craved affection.
“Always talking...”
After scooping all the kimchi and putting down the chopsticks with a clack, Nakyeong turned and faced me directly.
And with a face as if holding back, she asked subtly.
“...Until when will you do this?”
“Eh?”
I flinched at her sharp gaze.
“That girl. Until when will you keep watching her?”
“Um... well... I guess... this... semester?”
“What?!”
Nakyeong raised her voice like screaming.
I realized that saying “plenty of time” was a bit excessive, so I changed the subject with a hand gesture to calm her.
“First, no weekends out. Must be home every weekend.”
“Second, no drinking. If you really want to drink, do it at home.”
“Third, every time you disobey, fulfill Nakyeong's wish.”
Fortunately, the content wasn't unreasonable.
No matter how you look at it, she respected my situation this time too.
“If you don't keep it, Dad's daughter will become a street kid right away. Running away, smoking. Got it?”
“...Don't even joke about saying something like that. I'm really scared.”
“So, if you don't want to see me get out of line, do well from now on.”
The warning I gave was a bit harsh, but it was much milder than I thought.
After all, she was the perfect daughter in this world.
*
The next morning.
Beep beep. Beep beep.
“......”
Cheon Seo-hui woke up slightly at the noisy phone alarm.
And with half-closed eyes, she yawned and started stretching on the blanket she was sleeping on.
Because there was an instruction to stretch after waking up in the morning.
“Uh...”
Thanks to that, she woke up fully, scratched her white belly under the half-raised t-shirt due to her protruding chest, and headed to the bathroom.
Today was the day she was planning to attend the academy after a long time.
“...I'll be back.”
Clank clank. The subway shaking.
In front of the entrance, she stared blankly at the sparkling Han River through the window and thought.
“I came out for nothing.”
Originally, she had no plan to attend the academy until the probation period ended.
Without close friends, and no one to welcome her in a place without anyone to greet, going there would be pointless.
Rather, it would be much better to rest comfortably at home and draw the future.
...Until recently.
- Anyway, even if you drop out, tuition won't be refunded. Since you paid the money, eat some food at least.
Dohyeon said, regardless of whether she dropped out or not, to attend as much as possible.
It was because he paid the money and why not use the good facilities.
In fact, thanks to the government's support, Seo-hui hadn't paid much tuition, but upon thinking carefully, it wasn't entirely wrong.
There was a saying to enjoy it while you can.
So, she took out the academy uniform after a long time.
Just to eat free food.
That was it.
“Eh. It's Cheon Seo-hui.”
“You didn't drop out?”
“You came back?”
In the swordsmanship department, the lowest class, A-13 class.
As soon as Seo-hui entered the classroom, she faced the gazes and whispers directed at her.
Since childhood, due to her outstanding appearance, she was used to attention, but...
She wasn't used to blatant insults.
“Is it because you got a boyfriend's car?”
“Even if you think about it, dropping out doesn't seem right.”
“So, did you think being pretty would make life easy?”
Jealous voices that tickled the ears, as if not quite audible.
Seo-hui, who happened to have good hearing, regretted her choice from yesterday morning.
“I came out for nothing.”
She was secretly being bullied in the class, though she didn't realize it.
To be precise, the students in the class were bullying each other.
Right after entering the academy, there were many students who approached her trying to get close.
- Hello?
- Want to eat lunch together today?
But Seo-hui, who was full of thorns, didn't accept their interest kindly.
- Sorry, can you not talk to me?
After that, naturally, time passed and she started distancing from the kids...
But the injured left arm was the problem.
- That guy, they say he's the bottom of our department.
- Pretending to be cool alone. Pathetic girl.
With an image that's already bad and grades at the bottom, she became the perfect target to be chewed up.
- That girl can't even cut with a knife and has a dirty personality.
- How did she even get in here?
- Her looks are pretty. Did she meet some high-up?
Nevertheless, Cheon Seo-hui always swung her sword as before.
To prove that everyone was wrong and she was right.
And...
Now, she had reached this point.
“Good morning.”
“ "Good morning!" ”
“Class 13 is all here?”
“ "Yes!" ”
Today was the day of Han Dohyeon's swordsmanship practical training by chance.
When Dohyeon appeared at the training ground, he greeted the kids briefly and, unlike usual, didn't call attendance but scanned them all.
“Um... all here...”
At that moment.
“!”
He made eye contact with Seo-hui, who was squatting alone in the corner.
“She came!”
He was very satisfied that she had returned to the academy, but he hid his joy and proceeded with the lesson.
There was no point in showing emotion in front of the kids.
“From this week, as announced, we'll do 1:1 free duels.”
Because of the large number of students in the swordsmanship department, it was difficult to do large-scale monster simulation battles every time.
The equipment was insufficient and the waiting time was longer than the practical time.
So, the main thing was free duels.
The simplest and fastest way to improve skills...
“Equipment is unified with wooden swords. No mana use during duels, and no injuries should occur even by accident.”
It was a very harsh method.
“Well then, pair up. Let's start right away.”
With Dohyeon's clapping to signal the start, the kids moved as if they were waiting.
“Want to do it with me?”
“Who else if not with me.”
Some had already paired up in advance.
“Hey, want to do it with me today?”
“Ah, sorry. I have another kid...”
Some kids were looking for new partners using this opportunity.
“......”
Of course, Seo-hui, who was in the same boat as the duck in the Nakdong River, waited silently until there was no one left to pair up, as always.
“At Seo-hui!”
At that moment, a girl approached and invited her with a friendly tone.
“If you have no partner, want to do it with me?”
As soon as Seo-hui saw her face, she frowned openly.
Beautiful face made with long bright brown hair and heavy makeup.
Lee Sin-a.
She was the one ranked as the strongest in class 13...
And the ringleader who formed bad public opinion by harboring resentment for being rejected in trying to befriend.
“Since all the kids I usually do with have made pairs.”
Sin-a smiled brightly and suggested the duel to Seo-hui.
“Isn't it okay?”
Seo-hui easily saw through that her claim was a lie.
There were always many kids wanting to pair with the strong Seo-hui in class 13.
Why would she come looking for her if she had no partner?
It was obvious what she was thinking.
She probably came to humiliate her in the duel.
“Hmph.”
However, Seo-hui, knowing this fact, deliberately didn't avoid it.
Rather than showing the cowardly act of running away if she lost.
“Please be gentle.”
“......”
The two people who started the duel were placed in a somewhat corner by avoiding the others.
Lee Sin-a, smiling brightly and holding the wooden sword as if to show off, lightly adjusted her stance and pointed the blunt end at Seo-hui.
Coincidentally, both were using one-handed swords.
“......”
Seo-hui, who had been thinking for a moment, picked up the weapon with her left hand this time too.
Since it was a strike battle, she would definitely lose, but thinking that if she defended well, she might have a chance to win.
“Just once.”
Sword duels are conducted without stopping during the 2-hour class.
It's a very simple way: just keep facing the swords.
Since it's part of training, there is no winner or loser, but usually, the one who targets the vital point loses.
If it was a real test, the one who targets the vital point would die instantly.
“Shall I go first?”
Sin-a, who was confident in victory, stepped lightly with a relaxed look and rushed at Seo-hui.
“Just once...”
Swoosh. Seo-hui gripped the sword with all her strength, concentrating all her nerves on the tip and staring at her.
And.
“Eh. I won?”
A short while later. Sin-a looked down at Seo-hui who had fallen on her butt and chuckled.
It happened in an instant.
Seo-hui, who was trying to counter the fast attack, ended up being counterattacked instead.
“Want to do it again?”
“...Yeah.”
With her pride hurt, Seo-hui gripped the sword again, massaged her left arm, and quietly took her seat.
“I was too hasty. This time, a little more...”
But.
Clang!
The result didn't change.
Ting, ting, ting...
The wooden sword that bounced off Seo-hui's hand rolled pathetically on the floor.
“You lost again?”
Seo-hui, holding her left hand, bit her teeth as she looked at Sin-a who was smiling mockingly.
There was about 1.5 hours left until the class ended.
“Want to do it again?”
The training had a long way to go.