Second-year Combat Division student Baek Joo-hee. She is an awakener of the same C-class as me.
From the perspective of another C-class awakener, there’s nothing particularly special about Baek Joo-hee’s abilities. She’s just good at handling her whip, right?
Ah, there is one other thing. She tends to recklessly throw herself around.
“How many men have you whipped around like this?”
“Shut up, would you…!”
Baek Joo-hee swung her whip.
Chhhk—
With just one swing, the whip extended like a rubber band. Then it coiled around my spoon.
“Hm.”
The spoon immediately left my hand and landed in Baek Joo-hee’s grasp, returning to its original size.
“Ooh, I’ve managed to disarm you so easily? What’s a girl to do?”
Chlurp. Baek Joo-hee licked the tip of the spoon with her tongue.
“No! I protest!”
“Hehe. Who knew you could pull off that face? You’re kind of cute when you’re upset.”
“My spoon… It’s been contaminated by the tongue that probably sucked—! AAAAAA!”
“Augh, seriously! Stop complaining already…!”
Baek Joo-hee unleashed her fury by punching the air.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m the one who should be angry here. I’m the victim; my precious spoon has lost its purity to her filthy tongue!
I can’t just leave this alone.
“If I get herpes from this, Baek Joo-hee, you’ll pay.”
I reached out to retrieve my spoon using telekinesis.
“Oh, the spoon…!”
Thud!
The moment it returned to my hand, I wiped it frantically against my collar, trying to clean it despite knowing it wouldn’t help. It felt like cleaning something that had touched dead testicles.
Forgive me for not protecting you…
“The medical expenses will be billed to you, Baek Joo-hee.”
“There’s no such thing as that, so stop it already…!”
Crack!
She rushed forward, kicking off the ground. Using my spoon, now enlarged into a proper weapon, I prepared to fight.
“Humph! So what if it’s just a spoon…!”
In order to block my full swing, Baek Joo-hee swung her whip again. As before, the spoon was tightly bound.
“If this is enough to stop me… huh?”
I let go of the spoon, leaving it bound by the whip.
Tatatata—
My only focus now: Baek Joo-hee.
I don’t need the spoon to subdue her. This body alone will suffice.
I charged at full speed, body-slamming Baek Joo-hee.
Phwack!
“Kyaaak…!”
We rolled across the ground, entangled, and I didn’t waste the opportunity. I straddled her waist, taking the mount position.
“It’s over for you…”
Shiver.
Baek Joo-hee trembled as she looked at my clenched fists, clearly afraid of the impending assault.
She pleaded with wet eyes.
“Okay, okay, three hits weren’t enough? Want more? Four? No, five! I’ll give you five…!”
“You’re misunderstanding something.”
Thud!
I unclenched my fist and the spoon flew back into my hand, returning to its smallest size.
“I’m not interested in girls who spread their legs too easily.”
“Wha…?”
“Girls should know how to open their wallets—not their legs.”
And with that, I struck her forehead with the spoon.
Thwack!
“Ai!”
Thwack!
“Wait, wait…!”
Thwack!
“It hurts…!”
Thwack!
“Stop already! You’re really leaving a bruise…!”
“Phew, that was refreshing. I’m back.”
The short battle had ended, and I’d just incapacitated Baek Joo-hee.
Arna returned after washing up.
“Nothing happened while I was gone, did it?”
Arna dried her wet hair with a towel, humming a cheerful tune.
“I’m sorry, Arna… Lunch might be delayed a little…”
“Food can wait, but why does your voice sound so… Ack…!”
Arna gave a start after glancing at my face, then let out a shriek.
“What is it? Why are you doing this again…?”
“…”
“You’re really creepy when you cry, you know? Your face stays blank while the tears keep flowing, and it’s terrifying!”
Arna wiped the tears streaming down my cheeks with the towel.
“Cry all you want! Cry!”
Whhheee—
“Urgh… seaweed… It’s always so gross to look at…”
She crumpled up the towel in her hand and threw it away like a baseball.
“So, what happened? Tell me already!”
“It’s been contaminated…”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“My spoon…”
I held the now-cold spoon with both hands. Arna’s expression immediately turned grim.
“Are you joking?”
“Joking? What do you mean?”
“Ahh, it’s my fault! Please, stop crying! Stop, please! Enough!”
She managed to stifle the eruption of my tear ducts.
Arna placed her hands on her hips and questioned me.
“Did you drop it down a sewer or something?”
“Something worse.”
“Huh?”
“By a dirty woman who smells of dirty carpet.”
Arna’s lips twitched.
“Carp… what, what…?”
“This isn’t something you can solve by wiping it.”
“Hey, what exactly are you talking about? Is it something I don’t understand?”
“Never mind. So, Arna, you’re here.”
I grabbed her hand suddenly, and she jumped in alarm.
“What is this? Why are you holding my hand randomly?”
“Arna, can you purify this spoon for me?”
“Purify? What are you saying?”
“You’ve never been with a man, right? Purify this spoon with your innocence…”
“Iiiik…!”
Whack!
Arna snatched the spoon away and struck my cheek with it.
Then, with a deeply flushed face, she shouted loudly.
“For heaven’s sake, watch your words!”
The second day ended without any major issues. We secured sufficient food, and other necessities and medications were in good supply—all thanks to the spoon.
Despite its lack of style, this little spoon performed admirably during the training. It retrieved supply crates, used its blind-side skill to scout the area, and even served as cooking utensils. What more could you ask for?
If this third day proceeds smoothly, passing the test might not just be a dream.
“Arna, go clean this spoon. The liquid soap is in the box.”
We’d just finished breakfast, which was a ham-and-egg sandwich. In the process of frying the ham and eggs, we’d used cooking oil, leaving the dishes to be cleaned.
“Hmph!”
Arna disregarded my request without a second thought and turned her face away, refusing eye contact.
By the way, she’d been in this mood ever since lunch yesterday, refusing to talk to me.
During meals, though.
“Maybe you’re still sulking about that joke I made earlier about your lack of male experience.”
“Grrr…!”
Arna’s shoulders trembled, and finally, she erupted.
“That’s right! I haven’t had any male experiences! I’m a virgin who’s cooped up in her room watching pure romance manga and nothing else!”
“Isn’t it supposed to be ‘leek manga’?”
“Pure romance manga, I tell you!”
You know, women are just so unpredictable sometimes.
It doesn’t matter what you call her—rug or virgin—she always gets upset.
I was just stating a fact. I don’t know what exactly makes her snap.
“You shouldn’t feel too embarrassed. It’s something to be proud of.”
“Why should I be proud?”
“Why shouldn’t you be? For unicorns like me, there’s nothing more perfect.”
“Unicorns? What the heck is that? Would you explain properly?”
“As long as you understand it loosely as someone who’s ‘mozzle,’ it’s fine.”
“Mozzle…? Are you a mozzle…?”
“That’s right.”
Arna shook her head in disbelief.
“No way…! But you have a girlfriend…!”
“Girlfriend? Did I have such a thing?”
“No, before that, at the hospital. That.”
That? What is she talking about?
Hospital, hospital, hospital…
Ah, I remember now. When I was hospitalized, I had briefly hugged Choi Soo-eun, and Arna happened to see it.
Did she consider Choi Soo-eun to be my girlfriend because of that single incident?
How naive.
“Choi Soo-eun is not my girlfriend.”
“What? You mean, it’s a one-night…?”
“I already told you. I’m a pure ‘ada’.”
“Then what was that back then? Why were you hugging each other? Give me an explanation now!”
Suddenly, Arna’s eyes sparkled like a schoolgirl’s. She seemed to have a keen interest in other people’s love stories. Her previous sulking had long disappeared.
I guess there’s a reason why she’s into pure romance manga.
“Well, the situation is a bit complicated to explain.”
“What does that complication mean? At least give me some explanation!”
“Arna, you’re getting worked up.”
“Hee…”
Arna inhaled sharply and then closed her mouth firmly, as if regretting her earlier excitement.
Behaving like a teenage girl over a love story—getting all riled up and then sitting there deflated.
Arna can be quite amusing at times.
Goooom—!
“What, what is it…?”
Right then, a massive earthquake shook the entire island.
–Gooooh!
Then, a massive monster appeared, its head poking out far in the distance. It stood incredibly tall, with a similarly massive body.
The main event for the third day of training:
The training monster had appeared in the middle of the island.
But there’s no need to worry.
Because I’ve got Arna.
“Arna, go flatten that thing.”
“Do you think I’m your slave or something? Don’t push me around like this…!”
Though she complained, Arna was already grabbing her sword on her own.
