Chapter 6: The Stormy Transfer Student, Baek Tae-yang (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 6: The Stormy Transfer Student, Baek Tae-yang (2)
'Opening the door myself right now would be the worst possible move.'
When someone is being scolded in the disciplinary room, the person being scolded isn't the one who opens the door.
Opening the door casually while supposedly receiving punishment? It was logically impossible.
'He probably assumes I’ve already subdued Yoo Su-jin anyway.'
There was a calculated logic behind those seemingly simple words.
Fortunately, voices from inside couldn't be heard from the outside.
My mind raced. I had to find a way out of this situation.
Su-jin was still dazed, slowly putting her clothes back on.
Her disheveled hair and glistening lips were definitely not going to be presentable in time.
If there was no immediate solution, I had to pull out a new method.
The best option I could find at this very moment was to reopen the notification windows I had dismissed!
'It’s a moment of destiny.'
I believe in my notification windows!
==================================
Quest Clear!
Reward: Licking Eyes (B) has been issued!
Licking Eyes (B): Allows you to see basic information about the target.
(Name, height, weight, basic description, etc. / Penalty: Your gaze becomes lecherous while in use.)
Please look forward to the next quest!
================================
'Look forward to my ass.'
I already knew the guaranteed reward wouldn't help in this situation.
My only hope lay in the Virgin Bomber and the achievement rewards.
'The fact that he hasn't opened the door yet means he's waiting.'
This was a judgment call based on the information about Jang Du-cheol in Baek Tae-yang’s memories.
Perhaps because he was a 1st-Grade Hunter who appeared frequently on TV and was seen as a man who would lead the second generation, much of his personality and beliefs were public knowledge.
'Please!'
=================================
Virgin Bombing successful! A direct hit!
Copying the [Sub-skill] Cleanup (F) from Yoo Min-hyuk, the man who loves Yoo Su-jin the most!
Cleanup (F): Neatly organizes a messy space.
(Limited to actions that can be performed with one's own body; consumes stamina proportional to the amount of cleaning done after activating the ability.)
=================================
'Yes!'
It was a jackpot. The skill I needed most had appeared at the perfect time.
With this, I could resolve the entire situation.
'Wait, Yoo Min-hyuk? They have the same last name?'
The connection between the names Yoo Su-jin and Yoo Min-hyuk sent a chill down my spine.
Could it be her father? It could be an older brother, but since they didn't share a generational name marker, a father was more likely.
'The category of "love" is really broad... Does it not distinguish between things like agape?'
I was glad to have a solution, but I suddenly felt like I had committed a crime.
It left a bad taste in my mouth.
It felt like the moment you walk out of a motel after a hot night with your girlfriend, only to run straight into her parents!
'It's not like I did anything wrong, but...'
I felt like a total piece of trash.
The system had created a scenario where I reached past a romantic relationship to snatch a skill from a family member.
'I won't ever have to meet Su-jin's parents, right?'
What were the odds of meeting a cadet's parents inside the Academy? But if I did, I knew I'd feel guilty.
Given that he was the person who "loved her most," he was definitely a doting father. And if he found out a tanned blonde delinquent had taken her first time...
'He'd probably want to tear me limb from limb.'
What’s the easiest way to rescue your daughter from a lowlife? Beating the lowlife to a pulp, of course.
'If a situation like that ever arises, I’m running for my life.'
I cleared my head and checked the next skill.
==================================
Achievement! [Tore It Up on the First Meeting] accomplished!
As a reward, you have acquired the [Sub-skill] Playboy Memory Method (C)!
Playboy Memory Method (C): A skill that links with Virgin Bomber.
A virgin’s first experience will be remembered by them as, at the very least, "not bad."
(Always-Active Skill; memories and feelings may change depending on future actions.)
==================================
This skill wasn't bad either.
It felt like a minimum insurance policy for swinging my dick around however I pleased.
In fact, it felt like the system was actively encouraging it.
It read like a message of support: Don't worry about sticking your cock everywhere; it won't leave a bad memory.
But a playboy?
I had never once enjoyed a pleasure without responsibility.
'Before I came here, I lived my life hearing nothing but how responsible I was...'
Even if my breakups were messy, I had never "pumped and dumped" anyone, so I felt unfairly judged.
Regardless, I was done checking the skills. Now it was time to fix the situation.
"Senior, you open the door."
"Huh? Me?"
As I activated Cleanup, the cloudy white liquid pooled on the floor began to vanish.
The room became even cleaner than when I had first arrived at the disciplinary room.
If necessary, I could even make up an excuse that I had been lectured and then cleaned the room.
Su-jin’s face was also tidied up; the versatility of Cleanup was truly outstanding.
I felt like I had physically exerted myself quite a bit, but the cost-effectiveness was insane.
I was once again realizing the power of these skills.
'Does this mean everything is an active skill unless it specifically says Always-Active?'
Maybe Always-Active skills were rare enough to warrant a special label.
I searched through Baek Tae-yang’s memories, but no information came up.
Was this character really just created to do "NTR delinquent" things?
'And he couldn't even make an appearance because his abilities were too low...'
Baek Tae-yang was a character molded simply out of the curiosity of: What if there was a character like this as a rival?
Furthermore, I hadn't read the novel from start to finish, so my knowledge was lacking.
To be stuck inside an academy novel with only basic information...
Was I supposed to figure out the details one by one? It was incredibly unfriendly.
I wanted to think more deeply about this, but there was no time.
"And I'll be in the back, pretending to reflect on my actions."
"Then I'll handle the rest."
Su-jin was very quick on the uptake.
The conversation that followed after she opened the door was smooth, leaving no room for suspicion.
She couldn't hide her flushed face, but Jang Du-cheol didn't seem to find it strange.
It was a success.
+++
As we shook hands, I thought about how much had happened in less than a minute.
'I'm glad I got through that.'
I took a silent breath of relief and looked at Jang Du-cheol.
He looked like a man carved out of stone.
His entire body was thick, and he felt like he was drawn in a different art style.
'If I had to put a finger on it, he looks like he belongs in a Bizarre Adventure...'
A scar ran in a straight line from his neck to his left cheek, and his hands were covered in thick calluses.
The buttons on his instructor uniform seemed to be screaming for mercy, struggling to contain his muscles.
"Cadet Baek Tae-yang. You may simply call me Instructor Jang. I will escort you to your class."
Follow me.
As soon as he finished speaking, Jang Du-cheol turned and began to walk.
As I moved to follow, Su-jin grabbed my sleeve.
When I turned around, Su-jin was smiling, mimicking a phone with her hand and shaking it.
'Call me.'
She mouthed the words, and she looked incredibly cute.
Her smile with a slight blush, her black hair spread out like scattered petals, and her cherry-like lips moving...
Maybe it was because I’d seen her without them, but she looked beautiful even with her glasses on.
I nodded in agreement and followed Jang Du-cheol, but then it hit me.
'I didn't get her number.'
The only thing we had exchanged was our bodies.
+++
'His back looks like two people joined together.'
He wasn't known as a giant for nothing.
If you asked him if he’d ever had a difficult experience in his life, he’d probably say everyone around him was very kind—that was the level of intimidation he radiated!
Even though I was just walking behind him, I felt like my combat power had suddenly increased.
He had the kind of physique that made you certain no one would ever pick a fight with him.
'But where are we going?'
We had been walking for at least ten minutes, and there was no end in sight.
I knew nothing about the layout of Victory Academy, but it was clear we weren't headed to a normal place.
I could see classrooms with cadets just by turning my head, yet we weren't entering any of them. It was suspicious enough.
'I'm following him because he told me to, but...'
When I followed Su-jin to the disciplinary room, there were many classes and instructors visible.
But now, the number of cadets was decreasing while the number of instructors was increasing.
'Am I being taken for human experimentation?'
In reality, did Victory Academy produce cadets through some special brainwashing process unknown to the public?
Should I escape? Am I going to get torn apart on my first day of transferring?
We passed through security devices constantly as we walked, and I was starting to get genuinely anxious.
"You don't need to worry; we aren't going anywhere strange."
Just then, as if reading my mind, Du-cheol spoke.
"You should be aware of the dangers of Always-Active abilities. The Fat Boy Massacre is a prime example."
The Fat Boy Massacre.
It was a major event that existed even in Baek Tae-yang’s memories.
The person who caused the massacre was a 17-year-old boy named Johnny Frace.
Johnny was an ordinary student living in the state of Aria, USA.
The only thing that made him different was that he was overweight, and his schoolmates used that as an excuse to start bullying him.
The bullying, which began when he was 12, lasted for five years, and its intensity only grew.
Johnny wanted to ask for help as the harassment worsened, but the helplessness rooted deep in his heart prevented him from taking any action.
His parents were both working and neglected him, and his teachers didn't pay close attention to the classroom.
Eventually, the school violence spilled outside the school, leading to an incident where the perpetrators killed his dog—the only thing he relied on.
Johnny lost his reason to rage and charged at them. However, due to the accumulated helplessness and being outnumbered, he was brutally beaten.
Pushed to the brink of death, Johnny struggled and screamed in a final act of desperation, and in that moment, he awakened his ability like a salvation.
Salvation is sometimes merciless.
A massive fire incinerated an entire neighborhood in an instant.
It truly happened in the blink of an eye. In that short time, everything turned to ash.
An Always-Active ability was a curse.
The fact that the ability is always active means that while its power can be minimized, it can never be turned off completely.
Furthermore, at that time, education and precautions for late-blooming Awakeners were very lax, so Johnny didn't know how to handle himself.
At first, he was happy that his tormentors were gone, but he soon realized he had killed everyone and fell into despair.
His emotions bled directly into his skill, and the flames began to grow out of control.
Within 30 minutes of the incident, the state of Aria was swallowed by a massive inferno.
Everything caused by a skill could only be resolved by a skill. On the surface, it looked like fire, but it was actually "something" that merely looked like fire.
The US government’s decision was swift. They didn't even consider trying to calm Johnny down.
Only one directive was issued: the elimination of Johnny, codenamed "Operation Fat Boy."
A team of fifteen 1st-Grade Hunters entered Aria and killed Johnny, suffering three deaths and five injuries in the process.
The confirmed death toll was 723,178, but including those whose bodies were unrecognizable or missing, the number exceeded 900,000.
Using this incident as a catalyst, the world began serious discussions on how to prepare for and educate late-blooming Awakeners, and how to manage Always-Active skills.
"Since that incident, many places have researched the control of Always-Active abilities."
Du-cheol stopped in front of a large case.
It was secured with triple locks, and the heavy, pitch-black metal case was clearly very heavy even without lifting it.
"And this is the result."
The case began to open with a hissing sound of escaping air.
I stepped forward and looked inside; what I saw was a rubber ring about the size of a bracelet.
Its shape looked exactly like...
"For the record, it's not a condom. It's an Ability Control Bracelet."
Is this what they call a guilty conscience?
I looked at Du-cheol with an absurd expression.
He wanted me to wear this? Was he serious?
Du-cheol nodded with an incredibly solemn expression and said it once more.
"It is not a condom."
Put it on your arm.
He was dead serious.