Konpeito for the Champies

Compared to last Friday and today, there was one similarity and one difference. The similarity was Jung Ayeon screaming her lungs out in the classroom. The difference was that Hyeji was sitting next to me. Of course, I had to deal with the crazy woman in front of me first.

How the hell did this bastard figure it out? She didn't seem smart enough to notice right away.

"You fucking bastard!!! I!!! Because of you!!! Fuck!!!"

"Champion, what brings you here? Don't say 'I,' say 'omae' instead."

"That's not the point! Why did you do that?!"

Why did I do that? She was asking the obvious.

"Why? Because it was fun, obviously."

"You dragged in the martial arts seniors without knowing anything and made them all do kui-kui together, you fuck!!!"

"Ah, you have to say that part louder. Try it. Kui-kui."

"Kui, kui, shut the hell up!!!"

Jung Ayeon, her concept completely shattered, shouted while on the verge of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tears. To summarize, she had been so moved by my great teachings that she gathered all the second-year combat department students. Unfortunately, she had gathered a group focused on martial arts and trained with them all together. Thinking about the Champies doing kui-kui in a group made me want to see it again. Maybe if I brought some konpeito, they'd do it one more time.

"But how did you find out? I figured it'd take at least a week, but it didn't even last a day."

"While we were causing that scene, a student writing for the school newspaper saw it and posted it live!!!"

School newspaper. First time I'd heard of it. This was a job for Hyeji.

"Hyeji, is there a school newspaper?"

"Shinu, I thought you knew. Weren't you the star material for the school newspaper for a while?"

"What?... If those bastards used me as material, they should've paid me. They're just freeloading off me?"

"Don't ignore me!!!!! Get your ass to the Dueling Arena right now, you bastard!!!"

Even after the professor entered the classroom, Jung Ayeon was still rampaging like a madwoman. Unfortunately for her, her wish wouldn't come true for two reasons. First, in official duels with professor approval and observation, a rematch against the same opponent required a four-week waiting period. Second, I didn't want to fight her. It wasn't because I was scared of Slime Mom. I just didn't want to deal with her.

"Wait four weeks!!! This time I'm really going to kill you!!!"

"I'm not fighting a loser who already lost to me once."

"You fought dirty in a duel and now you have no pride?!"

"Then win and take the money yourself~. I already won and got paid~"

Hyeji looked at me like I was an idiot.

".....Shinu, don't act like you won everything after landing the final blow."

"And fix your concept already. Do it before this episode ends."

In PVP, when someone says "you're playing like shit," it means the same as "You're really good. I never want to meet you again." In other words, no matter what Jung Ayeon said, it was just an expression of her inferiority complex toward the winner. Eventually, resigned, Jung Ayeon dragged her unwilling feet and left.

Once she was gone, I followed Hyeji's advice and opened the Academy-exclusive app to check the school newspaper. There were tons of articles about me. Since class was about to start, I quickly skimmed the titles.

- My life is fucked. I'm killing myself.

- One shot for your past, one for your present, and the remaining five bottles for my entire ruined life.

- Drawing a white waterfall on a professor's face from day one.

- Who is the owner of this insane libido that dresses a frail male student in a girl's uniform and gives him twin tails?

- The Academy Dueling Arena's dark horse?

- An Academy-exclusive weapon heavier than a greatsword, stronger than a mace, and capable of cracking a martial artist's skull?

- The man who made supporters fight their best even when called a tool?

- A blushing martial artist. What did that man do? Click here to find out.

Just reading the titles made my hands shake. Bloodlust boiled inside me. Were these bastards really aspiring journalists? No, were they actual reporters? Even cyber wreckers wouldn't come up with titles like these. Meanwhile, Hyeji was grinding her teeth while reading the fourth article. But that last line sounded familiar. I think I'd seen it on that server that kept crashing. Fuck, this was the platform.

"Shinu, you know you're screwed, right?"

"Can it get any worse than this?"

"The support department seniors and combat department seniors are both trying to kill you."

"The combat department would be the martial artists, but why the support department? You were amazing back there."

Hyeji gave me a disgusted look and started explaining the cruel reality.

"....You said the forbidden word 'tool' to the supporters."

"Come on, you think there are petty lunatics who'd come after me for something like that? They must have nothing better to do."

Correction. These bastards really had nothing better to do. As soon as the first class ended, second-years came flooding into the classroom, looking for me.

"Where's that bastard Kim Shinu?"

"Tool? Tool? Tool? You fuck! Where's the supporter-hating bastard?!"

"Where's the bastard who provoked martial artists with his three-inch tongue?"

"We admit martial artists are idiots, but we can't tolerate supporter hate. Supporter lives are precious. All supports matter!!"

"Indeed! Martial artists are strong through their bodies alone. They are on a different level from the weaklings who rely on machines!!!"

"Yeah, next time go in without equipment and set a new record for highest mortality rate, you idiots."

Common sense had been completely destroyed. Looking at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the crowd gathering, I thought, 'Do I really have to treat these bastards like civilized people?'

Of course, I didn't want to get involved. So I proposed the best compromise I could.

"Seniors, instead of this, how about a match between the support department and combat department to settle it?"

"Agreed!! All you tool department bastards, crawl out after class. I'll turn you into mincemeat in a duel!!!"

"We'll prove that the Tactical Temporary Armor department is useless. Don't be scared and come out after class. I'll kill you in a duel."

With those words, the support department students all started equipping their Duel Disks. Why the hell were Duel Disks suddenly appearing from the support department? I heard someone suspicious had been investing a lot of money recently. Kaiba, was it you again?

The storm came and went just like that. After it passed, Hyeji spoke to me.

"Shinu, you look pretty screwed."

"It's fine. It's not like it can get any worse here."

"No, fuck. Even if those people are idiots, they're still going to try to fuck you up, right?"

"Don't worry. When the betting opens, put everything on me. I'll make you rich."

Hyeji's eyes started sparkling. There was something dark and sticky about that look.

"Oh! You're saying you'll take care of me?"

"......Hey, hold on? The conversation suddenly got really heavy."

Hyeji's eyes were slowly dying.

"Are you going to throw me away?"

"No, I'm not throwing you away."

"So you are throwing me away?"

"Wait, why did the conversation suddenly get this heavy? I'm scared. We're all going to die at this rate."

Because Hyeji's eyes had suddenly died, alarm bells started ringing throughout my body. So I quickly changed the subject.

"If most of them are idiots like that, doesn't that make me the favorite?"

"Ah, the favorite is a bit..."

"Come on, why else would they call it the favorite? It's got that stable feel."

"Well... the dark horse is more thrilling."

Don't do dark horse without rice showers. Please. The vibe was getting cold.

***

At the beginning of the Academy's semester, classes focused on theory. Especially for first-year first semester, they crammed theory down students' throats like a grandmother force-feeding her grandchild. In contrast, second and third years had some theory, but not nearly as much as first years. In other words, the Academy's policy was to make sure first-year first-semester students learned all the basic theory.

I felt like I was going to die from hearing it for the first time. As soon as class ended, I collapsed onto my desk and complained.

"What kind of theory are they force-feeding us like foie gras?"

"Shinu, is it really hard?"

"No, I'm hearing this for the first time. How are they so calm even though they're idiots? That guy's even sleeping."

"This is hard? Isn't this basic?"

Hyeji tilted her head like it was obvious. That made me suddenly angry.

"Are you trying to gaslight me with that smug attitude? Just because your abilities got better, you think you're hot shit now?"

"No, what we're learning now is just reviewing the basics from the entrance exam."

"Huh?"

The conversation suddenly went off track. Since I hadn't learned it, I argued back. After all, 'ignorance is power.'

"What are you talking about? Are you bragging about getting private lessons from the Academy's star instructor?"

"What are you talking about? This is basic stuff you see on the entrance exam."

"What entrance exam?"

"Huh?"

Countless question marks flew between me and Hyeji.

"Entrance exam?"

"Hey! That's basic. What do you mean?"

"Fuck, what is this?"

"What? What? Don't just do it alone, tell me too."

"Hold on, fuck, what is this?"

Before enrolling, I only knew it was tuition-free and military service exempt. Plus, when I contacted them about five months before enrollment, I clearly remembered what they told me.

- Who is this? Ah! Kim Shinu? Just a moment.

- It's Kim Shinu, right? Yes, please submit your ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠application by the end of January.

- Just make sure to come on the day of the entrance ceremony.

- Since you're a new student, you must attend the entrance ceremony.

What?... Why?

***

A dark room in the Academy. There was an elderly man inside. His hair and beard were streaked with white. His blue eyes, which didn't match his age, held a sharp glint. The wrinkles carved into his face by time. All of it suggested he was no ordinary person.

Next to him was a young-looking female secretary. But what came out of her mouth wasn't the passion of youth, but a quiet intensity and doubt.

"I still don't understand. Why did you make that decision?"

"Oh my... Youthful spirit is good, but at least use proper honorifics. And state your business properly."

"My apologies, Chairman. I wanted to ask why you admitted a student you've never even met."

Jang Inhyuk. Though advanced in age, he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was someone who could proudly say he'd lived more fiercely and desperately than anyone. That person was now a major pillar of the Academy. Though the process to get here hadn't been smooth and had been full of noise. However, since no one who knew the details existed in this world anymore, it wasn't a problem.

"It's a long story. Can you even listen to all of it?"

"...Please keep it brief, Chairman."

"As I climbed to this position, I met countless people, brought them down, and trampled them."

Jang Inhyuk cleared his throat for a moment. Then he continued.

"But you know, among all the people I met, there was one with a crazy rebellious streak."

"May I ask who it was?"

"Of course. Ryu Kanghyuk. The youngest and first Master Class hunter."

"You knew him?"

"Of course. He was just a crazy bastard."

Jang Inhyuk popped a snack from his desk into his mouth and frowned.

"Tsk. You should've brought proper lokum. You brought something weird."

"The Chairman's snack budget has been significantly reduced compared to before."

"I need to cut a few more throats."

Jang Inhyuk casually spat out a terrifying statement.

"From what you're saying, it doesn't seem like you had a good relationship."

"Not good at all. Looking back, it was childish, but we fought quite a lot back then."

With those words, Jang Inhyuk chuckled and reminisced, 'Those were the days.'

"Then when I took over the Academy side, he suddenly contacted me about seven months ago."

"Contacted you... You mean he just dumped it on you and left?"

"That's why I like you so much. Even when I talk like shit, you understand perfectly."

He opened the first drawer, took out a black USB, and handed it to his aide. The other drawers looked like they hadn't been touched in a long time, with dust piled on the handles. But the first drawer was completely clean, both the handle and its contents.

"He suddenly sent a letter and a USB. I didn't even have anything to say in response."

"May I ask what the contents were?"

"It was simple."

The letter Jang Inhyuk showed had far more blank space than content. There was also a trace of a small object taped haphazardly to the side. It looked like the same size as the USB I was holding now. Plus, the letter's content was much shorter than the secretary had expected.

The secretary, who had been reading the letter, fell silent. Jang Inhyuk chuckled as he looked at her.

"Want to watch the USB? Even now, every time I watch it, even though my body's old, I feel my blood boiling again."

"If it's not too much trouble, I'll play it right away."

"Don't worry. It's not some blonde delinquent's NTR video."

"...I'll play it."

The secretary connected the USB. There was only one video file on it. She started playing it through the projector in the chairman's office.

"This is?"

"Watch carefully. It's content worthy of Ryu Kanghyuk, that crazy bastard, writing a letter."

Ignoring the silent secretary, the projector quietly performed its duty. After a brief loading, the video file began to play slowly.