This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 81

“Actually… it’s been quite a while since I’ve trained related to that…”

The moment I heard that, I was taken aback.

It wasn’t exactly a typical case.

So my first thought was, “Is something wrong with your health?”

To someone unfamiliar, it might seem utterly unrelated to say that being physically unwell has anything to do with not being able to train for one’s talent, but the reality doesn’t work that way.

There’s a theory that individuals with awakened abilities develop a new organ called the Talent Organ, and it’s been proven long ago.

I’ve heard it resembles a jewel or something… Anyway, what’s important right now is that there might be an issue with my senior’s Talent Organ.

“Weren’t you fine when you fought Yoonseo last year?”

I distinctly remember that.

The moment the sparring began, it was clearly the power of talent that made Yoonseo falter.

This means there’s a high chance that something went wrong this year… Did something happen, like an accident?

“Umm… I don’t really know what to do…”

I thought maybe that could be a possibility, but no.

That’s why I couldn’t help but feel flustered.

“No… what did you just say?”

Did I hear that right?

It was such an unbelievable story.

If what I heard was correct, it sounded like she didn’t know how to train, and that shouldn’t logically make sense.

“Umm… So what you’re saying is… you can’t train because you don’t know how to train?”

“Yeah…”

My senior slowly nodded, her face turning red with embarrassment.

Well, that’s only natural.

Because even she thinks this is really… ridiculous.

“No, but… does that even make sense?”

“Well… the talent I possess is actually among the rarest of rare talents…”

Ah.

If that’s the case, then while the possibility is quite low, it is still possible.

When you hear “rare talent,” it sounds like some extraordinary talent, but in reality, it refers to talents that have been reported very few times in awakening cases.

In other words, saying that her talent is among the rarest means… simply put, there hasn’t been a single documented case of someone awakening that kind of talent until now.

The fact that no case has been reported means she has to figure everything out on her own.

Of course, I know that the Association, which I’m more familiar with calling “organ,” has various measures in place for holders of such rare talents… but if you truly know nothing, what would they possibly be able to offer?

“Wait a minute… if what my senior said is true, what on earth did I see last year?”

The performance she displayed while facing Yoonseo was definitely not something a person unaware of their abilities could show…

“Well, I thought I shouldn’t just sit back, so I’ve been practicing on my own… But recently, I keep having these thoughts…”

“…”

“Is this really right… Is it okay to keep doing this…?”

To be honest, I felt a bit… taken aback.

I sincerely asked out of curiosity, but I never expected to get such a heavy response.

I mean, fine, that’s one thing, but why would my senior even share such… things with me?

If I were to share what I heard here with others, her performance would plummet from the next regular sparring session.

There’s a huge difference between something that is unused and something that cannot be used.

“Of course, I would never think of doing that…”

It’s just rhetoric.

And perhaps because I had that thought for a moment, the atmosphere that had grown heavy also weighed heavily on my heart.

“Um… have you considered going to a place like an academy?”

I asked that cautiously for that very reason.

With the limited information I had, I couldn’t defeat the Association, but life is full of surprises, and what didn’t work here could very well work somewhere else.

So that’s what I inquired…

“…I’ve been.”

The moment I saw a bitter smile appear on my senior’s face, I realized it must not have turned out well there either.

As soon as it seemed that even my hopeful suggestion had reached that conclusion, I found myself with no further words.

*

Thus, while Dogun stayed tight-lipped in confusion, Seolhwa was also quiet for a different reason.

At first, when Dogun began to speak about talents, I felt bewildered that things could actually work out this well, but… somehow, we had made it this far.

That means… Dogun had reached a point where he felt compassion towards me.

In other words, it means there’s only a single step left.

‘…Should I proceed?’

Or would it be better to wait a bit longer?

After a moment’s thought, I cautiously opened my mouth.

Carefully adjusting my voice to convey both a feeling of a polite request and a desire to grasp at any straws—

“So, um… even if it’s just while you’re an interim manager, could you help me out a bit…?”

I threw out the question.

“….Huh? Me?”

The response was, unsurprisingly, one of bewilderment.

Of course, I had no intention of backing down here.

If I had not anticipated this to some degree, it would have been a lie.

“Um, yeah, I really do think… I need to try something.”

“Ah… uh, even so, that seems a bit… I’m not like a senior Awakened or anything…”

Therefore, now was not the time for hesitation, but for pushing forward.

“Anything would be fine. Okay?”

“No, still…”

“Really, can’t it be done…?”

And in this back-and-forth struggle of persuasion—

“…I get it. Honestly, I’m not sure I can be of any help, but…”

I was the victor.

The moment I managed to squeeze out those words from Dogun, I grasped his hand tightly and conveyed my sincerity.

“Really? Thank you…!”

Now, what was left?

“No, well…”

All that remained was to confirm what I had been so curious about.

.

.

.

Originally, I had intended to refuse, but… my senior’s request was so earnest that I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

How could I keep saying no?

The sight of a beautiful person with an expression of distress earnestly begging was overwhelmingly destructive.

Well… that part was akin to spilled water, so it was pointless to dwell on it; now, since I decided to help, I needed to ensure I did it properly.

Even though my senior claimed that anything would be fine, one person’s life could truly hang in the balance, right?

As such, I had no intention of taking it lightly.

“So, about that…”

“Yeah.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, could you tell me about the talent you awakened… and the training methods you’ve used so far?”

I needed to make sure I was clear on that, if nothing else.

To be honest, I was also curious.

Whether what I had speculated while watching my senior’s sparring videos matched the talent she actually possessed.

“Of course! Oh, but…”

“But?”

“Should we change seats? It might take a while to discuss.”

“Oh, sure.”

“Do you know the café in front of the school?”

“Daerak? Is that the place?”

“Yeah, could you wait there for a moment? I’ll come follow shortly.”

As I waited in the café my senior mentioned, it wasn’t long before she arrived, having changed from her athletic uniform into her school uniform.

Had she come straight here just after a shower?

Standing near the entrance, she scanned the café before spotting me in a corner, and as she approached, I noticed droplets of water still clinging to her hair.

Maybe that was why.

As she reached my table, the sweet scent, whether of cherries or peaches, wafted through the air and pierced through the aroma of coffee surrounding us.

“Um… did you order any beverages?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, I wanted to buy it for you…”

Was she truly that disappointed?

After standing there a while with a disappointed expression, my senior said she’d get her order and headed toward the counter.

And how long had passed?

As she returned to my side, there was a tray piled high not just with my order, but with various snacks as well.

“Here.”

After the drinks and snacks were all prepared—

“Um… I’m sorry, but where did we leave off?”

“Oh… you were about to tell me about the talent you awakened and the training methods you’ve been using.”

“Ah, right, yeah…”

Even though she had made up her mind to share with me, it seemed that the part concerning talent was sensitive personal information, making it hard to speak freely.

After a brief hum as she stirred the liquid in her cup with a straw, she finally opened her mouth.

“First of all… the talent I have is…”