Johan’s piercing gaze didn’t last long.
The intensity with which he had momentarily been staring at me soon faded, and he quickly reverted to the bright expression people know as the ‘hero’ Johan.
‘Not quite there yet.’
It seemed too early for his obsession with Cheon Yeoul to explode — or so I thought, but only briefly.
Johan abruptly stood up from his seat and began walking toward me as if he had made some kind of decision.
Even though his demeanor had softened, I was still at the center of his gaze.
However, Cheon Yeoul rose even quicker, gripping Johan’s shoulder with a sharp expression.
Her short hair swayed slightly, but there was no waver in her expression.
The two appeared to be arguing at close quarters.
Even from a distance, it was evident that Johan’s expression was hardening and Cheon Yeoul was emitting an increasingly fierce aura.
“What are they doing?”
Yoon Sanghyuk frowned and muttered quietly from the side.
Since their opinions didn’t seem to align well, Johan forcefully grabbed Cheon Yeoul’s arm first.
Cheon Yeoul shrugged off this restriction in an instant and swiftly raised her right hand, striking Johan across the cheek.
“Wow…”
Yoon Sanghyuk’s eyes widened in surprise as he muttered under his breath.
Johan stood still for a while without saying anything, still facing the direction from where he had been struck.
Cheon Yeoul then turned around, seemingly deciding to no longer pay him any attention, and left her seat.
While it was unclear what had transpired between the two, one thing was certain.
Johan’s gaze, even as his head was bowed, was still directed at me.
I could sense it instinctively.
‘Me.’
It seemed that Johan had chosen me as his target this time.
*
Above the practice field hovered a massive screen showing each team’s progress, allowing for an easy check on which team had reached where.
‘Seong Si-woo?’
I became curious about the protagonist.
Given that he’s the protagonist, his base stats were likely not bad, so if his team was properly formed with the standard five members, he should arrive without delay.
“Wow… they’re fighting over there too.”
Lee Sangbong and Kim Daehyun pointed at the opposite screen with voices full of amazement.
On that screen, an unusual quarrel seemed to be unfolding.
It wasn’t surprising that they’d argue. If the mission wasn’t going well and frustrations between team members built up, it was natural that fights would occur.
Particularly amongst students, when teamwork faltered, it often led to arguments and conflict.
I also shifted my gaze to the opposite screen.
“Huh?”
The screen showed not a fight against goblins but a brawl between team members.
But that wasn’t the issue.
When I saw who the main figures in the brawl were, it turned out to be none other than our illustrious protagonist, Seong Si-woo.
‘What’s he doing again?’
Seong Si-woo was loudly arguing with some other male student, each having a firm grip on the other’s collar.
Fortunately, thanks to the rest of the team holding them back, it didn’t escalate into a physical fight.
‘Maybe this is going to be a bit exhausting.’
It seemed like the protagonist’s personality wasn’t one to be easily manipulated.
If this were a game, the player could decide his character traits, but in this world, the personality of the protagonist must purely be random.
From the very beginning with his confident attitude, it was visible that things would not be easy.
Not long after the scene of Seong Si-woo in a fight appeared on the screen, other teams started entering the safe zone one by one.
Some were breathing hard, others had already collapsed to the ground wiping sweat, all showing signs of their hard work.
“Ugh, I’m dying.”
“Never again… ugh.”
From all around, complaints mixed with sighs of relief burst out.
Students who had initially been buzzing about watching the fight earlier soon began to loudly share their own tough experiences from the battle process.
‘Are almost everyone here now?’
I glanced at the screen again.
The image showed the last team approaching the perimeter of the safe zone.
The count of the team that arrived last indicated there were two members.
At that moment, one of the teaching assistants rushed to the instructor with a document in hand, whispering something urgently.
After hearing the message, the instructor quickly looked up at the screen.
A sense of foreboding made me turn my head to the screen as well.
And just then…
Bang!
One of the cameras filming the forest exploded.
Bang! Bang!
Cameras capturing the same route one by one exploded.
Students, having noticed the situation, began to focus their attention on the screen.
‘Could it be…’
A short moment ago, the camera had caught a glimpse of something. A dark mana scattered, shattering all the goblins and cameras.
An irregular speed, and an absurd manipulation of mana.
There is only one person among the students who could produce such a level of performance.
At the moment when all the cameras had exploded, a heavy silence filled the safe zone.
Squeeeak!
One of the multiple exits leading to the safe zone suddenly opened.
Students and instructors turned their heads simultaneously.
At the place where the noise had sounded, dense smoke and fragments of debris scattered.
“Sorry we’re late!~”
An unfamiliar voice rang out as a female student with her black hair tied high appeared gracefully.
A drop of sweat on her forehead, her eyes gleamed with a deep red hue. Her black sleeveless outfit was covered by a black jacket.
Although it was the first time seeing her face, her identity was immediately recognizable.
Kang Ah-rin.
She was the top-ranked first-year student and a prestigious first placer at Gaon Academy.
She was the protagonist’s rival, and the final heroine in the game after Cheon Yeoul and Yoo Hana.
I thought she wasn’t in the same class. After all, her presence wasn’t noted on the first day.
“Are you late?”
The instructor commented.
And in a very composed voice, with a smile, she responded:
“Yes, I had some family duties. I couldn’t help but arrived today~”
Family duties.
As the offspring of ‘Glory,’ the top-tier conglomerate not only in Korea but worldwide, she is arguably one of the few individuals who could delay her entrance into Gaon with such an excuse.
“Did you navigate the forest alone?”
“There was no one else around.”
The surrounding students gasped at this.
The strongest.
Also the most arbitrary.
Before the protagonist’s growth takes off, she is a heroine that can’t be easily controlled.
After rifling through some documents, the instructor spoke.
“I would appreciate if you could be careful about property damage.”
Kang Ah-rin slightly lifted a corner of her mouth and smiled.
“I’ll be careful.”
Even amidst the spotlight, Kang Ah-rin maintained her ease.
After a brief exchange, the instructor cleared his throat lightly.
“Today’s practice is over. Based on these results, teams will be drawn by lottery. I expect you to remember this.”
With a wave of his hand, the exit of the practice field opened. The students rushed out in a flurry of chatter, visibly exhausted.
This is the only class for today. It’s the most critical, occupying the entire day’s schedule.
Even so, there’ll be no time to relax. There’s quite a bit to do starting today. There are things to prepare.
I slowly moved towards the exit.
As the students bustled around, trying to exit the room, I caught a glimpse of a black jacket at the end of the central passage.
At a glance, it was Kang Ah-rin.
Her tall stature and black hair stood out, but it appeared as though she was slightly bowing her head, seemingly looking for someone.
Since she’s such an unpredictable character, I intended to pass her by without a second thought. Being related to ‘Glory,’ it’s not like even if I wanted to get involved, I could.
However, strange incidents that had occurred over the last few days crossed my mind.
Caught by some instinct, I suddenly paused and looked at Kang Ah-rin.
She, too, was looking at me.
With a brief intake of breath, “Ah…,” her eyes widened and her mouth opened wide as she broke into a radiant smile, as if she had found someone she had been searching for for a long time. Her face lit up with joy.
But that bright, radiant smile didn’t last longer than a half-beat.
Her expression quickly distorted, and tears began to form at the corners of her eyes.
“What…?”
Truly, this is happening now.
As soon as I saw her face, she started crying.
I instinctively took a step forward, confused.
But it was already too late.
She whipped her head around and darted down the other hallway, disappearing quickly.
Her black jacket’s trailing silhouette remained vividly etched in my mind.
This is utterly baffling.
Nothing goes according to plan, and the state of these kids is all off.
Thankfully, Cheon Yeoul and Yoo Hana are quite cooperative, but this is a new situation.
‘What’s one supposed to do when encountering a woman who sees you and immediately cries and runs away?’
At times like these, I regret the twenty years before I possessed where I kept my distance from women. It’s time to seek advice from an expert now.
[Shion]
Pulling out my smartwatch, I tapped the topmost contact.
Medicine to a pharmacist, and women to a childhood friend.
[End]
