“Haa….”
The day after coercing Kim Han-bit into buying a student ID, I found myself alone in Yoo Ji-woo’s lab.
Incidentally, Yoo Ji-woo is out for a moment. They left to buy some snacks from a food truck, saying they were feeling a bit peckish.
“Haa….”
Another deep sigh. I’ve been sighing all day today.
I’m not doing this for anyone to hear. It’s really an unconscious action.
That’s right.
I’m currently in agony.
“Haa….”
The reason is entirely due to the quest. I thought I’d stretch my legs a bit since it had been a while since a quest popped up, but when I got into it, I found the content was a time bomb.
Out of nowhere, I have to sell student IDs with my name on them. And not just a few – a thousand of them.
What makes this even more desperate is that I cannot use any shortcuts. I can’t pay for all 1,000 myself or openly advertise them. There’s also no rebate available.
Apparently, only sales made through normal channels count.
“…”
Damn it. Is this really a quest they’ve assigned me? They should just give me a quest to torment Arna like usual.
“Hoo…”
Still, what can I do? It is a quest, after all. I intend to try it until I can go no further.
Because Arna’s stat 3 is on the line.
“Chew.”
I rose from the couch. Now’s the time to work out a strategy for selling these student IDs.
───
Sell <Shin Yoon-seong Student ID> 1000 times. (1/1000)
───
So far, I’ve sold a measly one. Unsurprisingly, no one is looking for my student ID.
It’s the third day of the event today. At this rate, it seems I won’t sell 10, let alone 1,000 by the final day.
I need to devise a plan quickly.
“First, I should find something that will attract attention.”
To make people open their wallets, we need to give them a proper performance. Something like a showcase led by Arna would be an example.
Is there any stage anywhere where I can shine similarly? We need to do something if we are to sell student IDs.
I decided to check the event schedule on my smartphone.
─────
Event Day 3
09:00 ~ 10:00 – School Info Session and Principal’s Greetings [Lee Min-ho, Auditorium]
10:00 ~ 11:00 – Celebration Performance [Administrative Department, Main Square]
11:00 ~ 19:00 – Awakening Experience Program [C1~C4 Training Centers]
11:00 ~ 19:00 – Science Experience Booth [Technical Department, Research Building 1~4]
13:00 ~ 15:00 – Showcase [Rashid Belkalem and 3 others, Outdoor Stadium B1]
16:00 ~ 18:00 – Invitational Evaluation Match [Guild Yeonwol and 4 others, Outdoor Stadium B2]
19:00 ~ 20:30 – Showcase [Arna Kristin Dotir, Han-yul Hall]
─────
Damn it. It seems there’s nowhere for me to jump in among today’s events. The programs are all already assigned their respective hosts.
I expected there might be an impromptu evaluation match, but there wasn’t even that.
“Hmm?”
Then, while checking the schedule for the next day, I stopped at the final day of the event.
─────
Event Day 7
09:00 ~ 10:00 – School Info Session and Principal’s Greetings [Lee Min-ho, Auditorium]
…
…
…
19:00 ~ 20:30 – International Friendship Evaluation Match [TBA, Han-yul Hall]
─────
The showcase by Arna usually takes place during the main time slot. However, something different is planned for this 7th day.
It’s the International Friendship Evaluation Match. This event match invites overseas students from across the sea to challenge the students of Han-yul Military Academy.
“…”
Based on this, it seems our participating students haven’t been determined yet. What if I participate in this?
Since it’s held under the name of our country, the media exposure is bound to be high. It’s an excellent opportunity to get my face out there.
There’s no way around it. To sell student IDs, I need to perform well in the International Friendship Evaluation Match.
Ding!
───
Sell <Shin Yoon-seong Student ID> 1000 times. (3/1000) – New!
───
“Oh.”
At that moment, my student ID sales status got updated. Amazingly, two more were sold. It was a very welcome piece of news.
“Two people actually bought it. That’s quite something.”
Who could they be? There’s no one around I can think of who would buy my student ID.
The only people I might call acquaintances are…
Creak—
“Phew. Why are there so many people even though it’s not lunchtime? I almost died….”
“Whoa.”
Here comes Yoo Ji-woo returning to the lab. Rashid was with them.
“Hey, rock head, you can eat something like pork, right? Aren’t you Muslim?”
“I. Don’t. Believe in that. At all.”
Both were holding takeaway containers. Evidence of their visit to the food truck.
“Give me half of your Dong-pa-yook. I’ll give you half of mine too.”
“Oh.”
Gradually, the food started getting laid out on the lab table. They bought quite a lot. I guess it’s understandable with Rashid’s massive build, but why would Yoo Ji-woo buy so much? Can they even eat it all?
“Ah, by the way.”
That’s when Yoo Ji-woo addressed me.
“We stopped by the shop on the way, and guess what they were selling.”
Yoo Ji-woo rummaged in their pocket and handed me something.
It was a student ID. One with my picture on it.
“Thought I’d get one while I was at it. And one for rock head too.”
“Oh.”
Rashid also handed over a student ID with my name on it.
I had wondered whose crazy idea it was to find my student IDs. But here they were. These two bought them for me.
“You probably won’t sell many, right? You should count on us at times like this, right? Don’t you think?”
“…”
Without even asking them to buy one…
The lengths they’ve gone to save face for me…
I’m tearing up.
“A man shouldn’t cry. Just come and have some food.”
Crunchcrunch—
In contrast with the bustling outside during the event, the Principal’s room was very quiet. It was so quiet you could hear the sound of pen writing.
“Excuse me, Principal. We should send the list soon…”
“Huh?”
Principal Lee Min-ho paused his writing hand for a moment.
“What kind of list do you mean?”
“The international friendship evaluation match on the last day… The NCAA side keeps asking when we’re going to send it over…”
“Oh.”
Min-ho pushed away the documents he was writing and looked at the staff.
“I’m sorry; I’ve been so busy, I completely forgot.”
He then checked the schedule on his desk.
“Wasn’t it the military academy in Ohio?”
“Yes, specifically the school in Cleveland. Also the champion school of this year’s NCAA.”
“Did they arrive?”
“They arrived last night.”
The international friendship evaluation match scheduled for the last day of the event. This year, students from the American military academy that’s doing the best have been invited.
However, the students from Han-yul Military Academy who are their opponents have not been decided yet. The process of selecting players was delayed due to various issues.
So, the staff made a suggestion.
“What about fielding Arna? It might help generate more interest in the event…”
“Not acceptable.”
Lee Min-ho immediately rejected it.
“Until the last day, we can’t count on Arna all the time. This is also an international match; it’s right to showcase Korean students here.”
“But we don’t have any students available right now…”
We need players who can deliver a match that is competitive with the this year’s NCAA champion.
“We still have Jung Cha-a, somewhat… But she is currently focused on rehabilitation.”
“Isn’t Kang Tae-hoon still available?”
“Uh!? Ka, Kang Tae-hoon…?”
At the mention of Kang Tae-hoon’s name, the administrative staff flinched a bit.
Last year’s number two in the entrance exam, there’s no doubt about his capability, but his problematic personality has branded him as a tyrant within the school.
So this powder keg of a student would actually be fielded? Can Kang Tae-hoon really agree to such a thing?
“It’s only a one-day evaluation match, after all. Kang Tae-hoon will gladly join. If not, put my name forward. The Principal of this school is asking.”
“But, didn’t I hear that Kang Tae-hoon is getting treatment at an external hospital…?”
“Treatment? Is Kang Tae-hoon injured?”
Upon hearing the Principal’s astonished question, the staff shook their head.
“Not that kind of injury… What should I say… Mentally… Kind of….”
“That’s settled then. Go ahead and contact Kang Taa-hoon. Ask him to participate in this international friendship evaluation match.”
“Eek…! You, want me to contact him…?”
The staff, terrified, took a step back.
Didn’t I just say that putting my name forward would solve any issues?
No matter how troublesome Kang Tae-hoon may be, Min-ho, the principal of this school, has the final say. Kang Tae-hoon must surely have the sense to understand this distinction.
Crunchcrunch—
Convinced of this, Min-ho continued writing with his pen again.
*
Wheee–
A certain top-level comprehensive hospital somewhere in the metropolitan area. As the automatic door opened, a young man revealed his presence.
“…”
A slightly thin build for a grown man, with a delicate face slightly tinged with fatigue. At a glance, it was clear that he was from a successful chaebol family.
In fact, the person was none other than Kang Tae-hoon, a member of Korea’s prominent Beom Kang Group.
“Damn… What a perfect day….”
Kang Tae-hoon glanced at the rising sun in the sky with a bitter smile. Why was today’s sunlight so warm, as if mocking him?
The weather being too good gave him an ominous feeling that something bad would happen soon.
“Kang Tae-hoon, long time no see.”
“…”
That premonition proved correct. As soon as he stepped out of the hospital, there was a man who greeted him.
There wasn’t much to forget about that face. The cause of why Kang Tae-hoon became a regular at the hospital, a crazy person acknowledged even by Kang Tae-hoon, the audacious psycho.
None other than Shin Yoon-seong.
“Long time no see, Tae-hoon. Have a bite?”
Crack–
Shin Yoon-seong was true to form. The instance he saw Kang Tae-hoon, he pulled out a black plastic bag.
Inside the bag was freshly bought warm tofu.
That was an absolute psycho kid.
“…”
“What’s wrong? Need some kimchi? Or maybe a spoon to eat it? In that case, I’ll offer you my spoon….”
Poom!
Kang Tae-hoon grabbed the tofu and flung it onto the ground violently.
“Hey, you bastard! Do you think I’m a criminal?! This is a hospital, not a correctional facility!”
