Chapter 184: Nothing Was Easy. (Revised Last Fiancé Content)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 184: Nothing Was Easy. (Revised Last Fiancé Content)
'Today's schedule is...'
It’s not as packed as I thought.
Exchange events between academies, practical training at the Gate, and resting during the festival.
Usually, this would be a month's worth of scheduling for any other academy. But since they’d crammed it all into less than a week, it was only natural that today looked relatively light. If they pushed any harder, someone was bound to get seriously injured.
[Message from Seong Chun-hyang :: My Lord, if you have nothing much to do today, perhaps a steamy session with this maiden...]
'Stop talking nonsense.'
We did it all day yesterday; did she really think I’d be in the mood again today? Even if I were, now wasn't the time.
I set the schedule down on the desk and finished putting on my uniform.
'I’ve reclaimed my Protagonist Share...'
However, it was frustrating that I had only taken back what was stolen. Kim Min-su hadn't created the Gate himself, but he had committed the insane act of trying to drag as many people into it as possible of his own volition. It was disgusting that he was still being treated as the protagonist even after pulling a stunt like that.
'Still, the pace isn't bad.'
Stealing 40% already could be considered an incredible speed. The duration of the NTL Quest was one year. It had only taken about two months to seize nearly half. At this rate, I’d be able to settle everything within the year.
Vrrrrrr. Vrrrrrr. Vrrrrrr.
Just as I was leisurely getting ready for school, my phone rang.
"Hello?"
—Did you sleep well? Good morning, Cadet Baek Tae-yang. It’s me, Jang Du-cheol. Come to the conference room as soon as you arrive at school.
"...? Yes, sir."
Click.
The toughness of hanging up right after delivering the main point. It was classic Jang Du-cheol.
'But why did he sound a bit embarrassed?'
Well, I’d find out once I got there.
++++++++++++++++++++
"You're here."
"What did you call me for, sir?"
"Have a seat first. Would you like coffee or juice?"
"I'll have... uh... juice? Juice, please."
They say if a person changes suddenly, they're about to die. Jang Du-cheol was acting exactly according to that saying.
'Why is this blunt man, who rarely shows emotion, acting so kind?'
His nickname was "The Iron Man," partly because he possessed that kind of power, but I’d heard it was also because of his personality.
'It's just the two of us...'
Was he planning to talk about work? Since he said the conference room, I expected Instructor Kim Seok-gu to be here at the very least. But to my surprise, when I opened the door, there was no one but Jang Du-cheol.
"Drink up."
It's 100% orange.
Clink.
A dainty, small mug appeared from within his hands, which were the size of pot lids. What an unfitting sight.
Unable to bear the uncomfortable atmosphere any longer, I spoke first.
"I think the Saintess noticed that I was assigned as her guard."
"Hmm?"
"I tried my best to hide it... but she's probably used to being guarded, so my amateurism must have shown. She figured it out."
"Ah... I see."
What? Was that not the topic? Why was his reaction so lukewarm?
As if sensing my puzzled expression, Jang Du-cheol cleared his throat a couple of times before adding more.
"It's not that... Today's joint training is individual inspections... and tomorrow will be focused on practical training again."
"Right."
Instead of getting straight to the point, he started rambling through a long introduction.
"So, because of that, the instructors will have some free time on their hands..."
Oh, no. A bad feeling washed over me.
'It couldn't be, right?'
The information window I had seen for Jang Du-cheol on my first day after transferring flickered before my eyes.
"...Anyway, I've heard rumors that you... ahem... have been going on dates or eating with several women at the same time lately... So..."
Please, please, please. Tell me it's not that. Promise me, Jang Du-cheol, that the worst possible topic of conversation isn't about to come up.
"I also... want to be with someone I like... and I was wondering if I could get your help."
I'm fucked.
'He's talking about Hye-mi.'
[Deep Eyes activated! Checking the target's information!]
After re-checking Jang Du-cheol's information through Deep Eyes, I confirmed the object of his unwavering two-year unrequited love once again.
'I knew it.'
I was forced to face reality.
"You must be surprised by the suddenness. I'm sorry. But I don't have many people around me to consult about this... Most are married... and telling the other instructors about this would be... a bit much."
But what kind of instructor talks about this to a cadet, for God's sake?
I wanted to argue back with everything I had, but Jang Du-cheol's eyes were too serious.
"Well... um..."
"Most people are married... and since I've liked this person for a long time... I thought you, who is more popular than a married man, might be... of help."
Hye-mi was 26, and Jang Du-cheol was 30. A four-year age gap that didn't even require a compatibility check; they were both capable instructors with bright futures. Neither of them had a flawed personality, and if they started dating, everyone would say they were a perfect match.
The problem was that the possibility of that happening was 0%.
'I've already done everything there is to do with her.'
We even did it yesterday. And it wasn't just a quick session; we did it with the curtains wide open, her breasts pressed against the window, to the point where the laptop was covered in pussy juice.
'Why did Jang Du-cheol suddenly become so proactive?'
Why did he change so much that he’d grab a cadet for relationship counseling in a conference room after being quiet for two years? Could it be related to the Protagonist Share?
'Maybe he couldn't even try before because it didn't give him an opening for an NTR.'
I felt like Chubby Ahn was more than capable of writing it that way. Seeing how he didn't even let Baek Tae-yang appear after creating him, he probably didn't want to create a conflict where someone fought Kim Min-su over a woman.
Because of that, no one could approach the women around Kim Min-su when his Protagonist Share was high. But as it gradually decreased, the proactivity of the surrounding characters might have increased.
"I... don't think I'll be much help. Everyone has a different way of dating."
"I... I see."
I firmly rejected Jang Du-cheol's proposal, wanting absolutely no part in this troublesome matter. I was worried about what would happen later when he found out I was dating Hye-mi. He wouldn't go on a rampage without thinking like Kim Min-su, but as a result, it was already certain that Jang Du-cheol's mental state would be ground into dust in the distant future.
"And you must never tell anyone else about this. An unrequited love... is very difficult, but it only has meaning if you see it through on your own."
"Why is that?"
"If... it works out, but the person you consulted goes around blabbing about it... it makes the relationship look cheap."
"Understood."
After that, we discussed how it didn't matter if the Saintess caught on to the guarding, and that separate instructions would be given for tomorrow's practical training. I stood up immediately after barely finishing the most important conversation at the end. I felt like every second I stayed would bring that "distant future" closer.
"Baek Tae-yang."
"Yes?"
"Thanks for the advice anyway. I'll keep it in mind."
"...Yes, sir."
I practically fled from the conference room.
'How am I supposed to tell him I'm dating Hye-mi?'
Nothing was easy.
++++++++++++++++
'There's nothing to do for individual inspection, though.'
I wanted to check my power, but I’d already confirmed everything against Kim Min-su. Cooperation with my summons had also been checked while using Min-su as a punching bag. Unlike others, I was the type to get a feel for things in actual combat, so this felt like a waste of time.
No matter how much they practiced, most of them would still tremble the moment they saw a monster's face. No matter how much they practiced with virtual reality or holograms, reality wasn't that easy.
Sshhh.
The sound of the door opening reached my ears.
"Are you slacking off?"
"What about you?"
"I'm monitoring the person who's slacking off."
While I was lying down leisurely in the middle of the private training room, Melanie arrived.
"Why are you here?"
"Do I need a reason to come see you?"
"I guess not."
"Hugging Yu-min and running through the hallway at lunch. Suddenly appearing with the Saintess in the evening. You're quite the busy bee in your garden of flowers, aren't you?"
She was very angry.
'But seriously, why does Melanie keep getting pushed back?'
Based on the time we'd known each other, Melanie should have progressed further than Ryu Hye-mi. But because of various incidents overlapping and exploding, there was almost no progress with her. It had reached the point where she came looking for me out of sheer frustration.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't help it."
"I'm tired of the same excuses every day. Well... but I didn't come here to blame you for that right now."
"Ah... right. Did you come because of tomorrow's practical training?"
"Yes."
"I heard it's a dungeon this time."
With those words, Melanie sat down demurely beside me.
I caught a glimpse. Even if I tried not to look, her snow-white thighs entered my vision the moment I turned my head. I vividly remembered playing Tic-Tac-Toe on them during our first meeting. That was a truly great memory.
"I can't tell what anyone else is thinking except for you... and you're the only one I can ask for help with this."
"What is it?"
Melanie called me 'Tae-yang' when others were around, but called me 'you' when we were alone. She hadn't been doing this for long, but it seemed to be her own way of expressing her desire to get closer.
"My... fiancé is supposed to come. I don't know when... but just in case."
"Huh?"
What was this now?
'That's a bit of a sudden escalation, isn't it?'
I needed to hear the details.