This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 88

“Ah…”

It’s so ambiguous…

Of all days, why did it have to be on a Sunday?

In situations like this, naturally, prioritizing the earlier commitment makes sense, but… this time it was a bit tricky.

That being said, the Senior’s words weren’t wrong either.

In other words, it seems to make more sense to get it done while we’re at it.

As the Senior mentioned, if it’s only going to be around eight items, then buying whatever’s available from a nearby shop to throw together wouldn’t be an issue, but it won’t be that simple.

Considering that, getting everything done in one go would be far more efficient than handling it piecemeal as needed.

Especially since, although it’s not confirmed yet, there’s a high likelihood of needing to set up various equipment.

If the installation finishes in a day, it wouldn’t be a problem, but honestly, how likely is that?

So, if possible, it makes sense to handle it as quickly as we can… Um, what should I do?

After pondering for a moment, I asked the Senior.

“Um… how long do you think it will take?”

“Well? Shouldn’t be more than an hour or two, I think?”

In that case, if I meet the Senior around ten, it might just barely allow for two commitments…

Can I pull it off?

After a brief contemplation, I opened my mouth.

“Senior.”

“Yeah?”

“You said we could meet at ten earlier, right?”

“…Yeah?”

“Then, shall we go with meeting at ten on Sunday?”

Of course, I also remembered to add a note for unforeseen situations.

After all, it’s not like anything is guaranteed.

The Senior said an hour or two should be enough, but it may take longer.

“Oh, but I actually have another appointment at one that same day.”

That was the real reason I mentioned it, but fortunately, the Senior didn’t seem too bothered.

“Oh, really?”

At least, that’s how the tone of their voice sounded.

So I felt a bit relieved and made a slightly joking comment…

“Yes, and if I have to sneak away early for some reason, I’d appreciate your understanding.”

“I’m sorry, but… I can’t allow that.”

“Excuse me…?”

“Isn’t it a bit much to say you’ll leave your candidates to fend for themselves while you slip away for your own plans?”

Uh… what is this?

I was taken aback by the Senior’s response, which was quite different from what I expected, when I suddenly heard a small laugh.

“I’m joking. A joke. So you don’t need to look so serious.”

Ah, what a relief… it was just a joke.

“Besides, you mentioned you had prior commitments, right? Then it’s only natural to do the right thing.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Why…? Did you think I’d get upset if you left early?”

“Um, well…”

Isn’t that usually the case?

You call someone out to meet and then leave after a couple of hours for another engagement.

From the perspective of the one left behind, how ridiculous would that be?

At least, that’s what I thought, but it seemed the Senior had a different view.

“No way. From my perspective, I’m just grateful that Dogun is being so proactive in helping.”

“No, well… thanks to you, I’m taking this training seriously in advance. It’s mutual cooperation.”

“Anyway… so we’ll meet at ten on Sunday?”

“Um… where should we meet? Do you have a place in mind?”

“Honestly, the front of the School would be the most convenient to meet, but… coming out to School on the weekend feels a bit off, right?”

Did the perfect place pop into my head right away?

Yoonseo seemed to think for a moment, slightly narrowing her eyes, before suddenly exclaiming, “Oh!”

“What about that place?”

“That place… uh…”

Where could that possibly be?

“The one where we ran into each other last time.”

“Oh…”

Now, I remembered exactly where she was talking about.

Hearing the Senior’s follow-up, a specific place came to mind—neither too many nor too few, just one.

“You’re talking about the shop with the school uniforms, right?”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

So that was right.

That place is… not bad.

It’s relatively close to home after all.

“There are a lot of options around there. Walking around a bit should help us find what we’re looking for.”

And most importantly… the place I was supposed to meet Myungwook was nearby too.

So, I could first join the Senior and look for what we need, and if there’s time, meet up with Myungwook afterwards.

If that works out, no problem at all with managing both schedules!

“Shall we meet there then?”

“Sounds good.”

Having wrapped up the arrangements for Sunday morning, it was time to finish up training.

So I joined the Senior, who had started cleaning up, and she looked a bit flustered.

“I could do this alone…”

“No way. I barely managed my duties as a manager due to class. I should help out at least this once.”

“But… isn’t it tiring since class just ended?”

“Ah, come on! You’ve trained all day long. That’s way more tiring than I am, right? So just hand it over!”

While we exchanged light-hearted banter as we tidied up, one important thought popped into my head.

“Oh, by the way, Senior.”

“Yeah?”

“Shouldn’t we inform the School about the equipment beforehand?”

No matter how much this School might adopt a ‘let’s support Seolhwa in whatever she wants’ attitude towards the Senior, allowing outsiders to roam around would create a whole different set of problems.

I worried about that point, but the Senior’s response came with a smile that suggested not to worry.

“Of course, it should normally be done, but… this time, you don’t need to worry.”

“…What?”

“You know the application form we talked about last time? When we submitted it, I made sure to get all sorts of permissions just in case.”

Not only did she secure permission, but she also went through quite a bit of trouble to buy any necessary equipment completely, which sounds rather complicated.

“Huh… I see…”

Hearing that, it became clear she was serious about producing heroes at this School.

“Well, it’s not all that surprising…”

To be honest?

It wasn’t hard to understand the School’s support.

That being said, from my investigation, the Senior’s performance in the regular tournaments was surprisingly decent.

If there’s even a slight possibility, it’s worth investing.

Of course, if there were other alternatives besides the Senior, such extensive support might have been unreasonable, but…

“To think there’s only one hero candidate among all the grades…”

That’s why the School would want to push the Senior wholeheartedly.

If she were to pass the hero qualification exam?

That would be an unprecedented success.

Even if it’s just one, having one is entirely different from having none at all.

In numerical terms, the difference is only one, but that single difference can have a significant impact.

Maybe the School’s plan was to support the Senior heavily until she becomes a hero, and then massively promote what they did and how they assisted to attract more candidates.

If that’s the case, accepting their support wouldn’t be an issue, but…

It seems the Senior felt a bit pressured by the School’s support.

After all, when I think about it, she refused what didn’t need to be refused.

“Well…”

At this point, it’s clear she’s receiving substantial support with the facilities at her disposal.

In any case, since the Senior has already handled the arrangements for the equipment, I can rest easy.

Honestly, from my standpoint, I was somewhat relieved because I was even thinking about setting things up myself if necessary.

“Thanks for all your hard work today.”

“You too, Senior.”

And just like that, what I thought would be a tough first training session ended safely, and the very next day, the real training began.

I wanted to advance to the next stage after seeing how perfectly the Senior completed the training I authorized, but… unexpectedly, she opposed it.

Contrary to what I thought would be appreciated for quick progress, she didn’t want that.

Her reasons were surprisingly reasonable too.

She acknowledged it was late and that time was short, but she preferred building a stronger foundation instead of rushing.

Thus, I had to admit defeat and declare my surrender.

And as she said that, she bowed her head slightly to me.

“Honestly, until now… it felt like wandering in a fog.”

“…”

“I had no idea what to do or what I should be focusing on.”

I understood that feeling well.

That’s why I knew how good it felt to break free from it.

Perhaps that was a part of the reason why.

“Just a few days ago, it was like that… but now that Dogun has started the training you authorized and I learned why we have to do this, I’m beginning to see a little clearer.”

With those words, the Senior’s expression bore a genuine smile of joy.

And seeing her like that felt radiant in a way that was different from the day of the entrance ceremony…

“So… from now on, I’ll be counting on you?”

“Yes.”

I unknowingly grabbed the Senior’s outstretched hand and nodded.

“Oh, by the way, was it tomorrow? The morning we planned to meet?”

“That’s right.”

And even amidst all that, time didn’t stop; soon enough, the day we were supposed to meet up with the Senior and my friends from middle school was right around the corner.