Ch.174Episode 35. Date Before the New Year (1)

“…Why are you holed up in the lab since morning?”

“And you, Instructor, you look exhausted this morning!”

“Yeah. I nearly died last night.”

Because I mentioned having a date with Bin Yoon this weekend, Yoo Ari squeezed me dry. Complaining that the instructor only looks at others, she forced me until I couldn’t stand anymore.

Perhaps the one person who could truly bring me down might be none other than Yoo Ari.

“So even you have near-death experiences, Instructor?”

“That tends to happen when I hang out with you all.”

“Hmm~ I guess those people weren’t tired enough after all that Christmas partying?”

I don’t think they realize how chaotic the Christmas party was.

When those kids who have absolutely no sense of harmony got together, it was far more disruptive than when we all went out to eat.

Arguments that started over what food everyone wanted to eat escalated to disputes over who would sit next to me, and they raised their voices so frequently that even other instructors came by to ask them to quiet down.

On top of that, they brought some board game from who knows where, and accusations of cheating led to an actual duel.

For the record, the main culprits were Yeon Mu-hee and Yoo Ari. At this rate, they’ll become enemies rather than hero colleagues.

“Haah.”

A sigh escaped me as I recalled the Christmas events.

“I guess the seniors have less dignity than expected. They’re like immature children.”

“You’re no different.”

Who’s calling who immature?

“By the way, have you found out anything about the eX potion?”

“Hmm. It’s difficult. There’s no way to neutralize it. I don’t think we can eliminate all the side effects no matter what method we use.”

“Really?”

“Yes. It seems the eX potion is structured to cause genetic modification, so approaches that stimulate cells don’t work as solutions. And reversing the modified genes isn’t easy either.”

“Then what should we do?”

I heard the Association was feeling anxious due to the lack of progress in researching the eX potion. They also knew it would become a major threat to civilians if they couldn’t contain it quickly.

“…I think we need to meet Paris.”

“Paris…?”

“If you trace back the papers on ability enhancement potions, the side effects of earlier versions were incomparably more devastating than current ones. Cancer was just the beginning—skin would rot, and in worst cases, organs would dissolve.”

“Is that so?”

“Paris is the one who drastically reduced those side effects, right? I think we need his advice to make progress.”

Advice, huh.

I heard the Association already met with him but came up empty-handed…

I remember the Association Head saying it would be better to give up on getting advice from Paris.

“This is troublesome.”

In the novel, the eX potion was naturally phased out because it didn’t align with Yujin’s principles, but here it was being actively utilized.

We needed to find some way to counter it.

The only fortunate thing was that most factories producing eX potions were destroyed during the Akcheon incident.

Starlight probably doesn’t have many potions left either, according to estimates. Still, we can’t let our guard down.

“I’ll talk to the Association about that later.”

“Yes. Please do.”

“…Thank you for helping with this request even though there’s no compensation.”

“What do you mean no compensation? Thanks to you, I can make potions while earning money like this. How could I not do at least this much for you, Instructor?”

“I appreciate you thinking that way.”

I guess Bin Yoon has matured quite a bit over the past year.

Though I can’t deny she’s still full of mischief when she’s with Gu Yeon-hwa.

“By the way, are you ready for the date? Are you going out like that?”

I asked Bin Yoon, who was wearing her usual white lab coat. She looked too disheveled from head to toe for a date.

With her hair all messy and wearing sweatpants under a lab coat, it would be embarrassing to walk around with her looking like that.

“Of course not. I need to put on makeup and fix my hair. I can’t go on our first date looking like this.”

“Then why did someone like you sleep in the lab the night before a date?”

I can’t express how dumbfounded I was when she asked me to pick her up at the annex this morning.

“What else could I do? I couldn’t sleep! And lying in bed trying to force sleep would be a waste of time!”

“Ah, right. So how much time do you need?”

“I need to go back to the dorm, shower, and change clothes.”

“…Then it’s better if we meet around lunchtime. Alright, see you then.”

“Ah, Instructor!”

Just as I was about to leave the lab, Bin Yoon urgently grabbed my arm.

“Yes?”

“Will you carry me to the dorm? On your back.”

What kind of nonsense is this?

When she was developing the status recovery potion, I had no choice but to help her since she couldn’t get assistance from the Academy, but the situation now was completely different.

This was just her trying to use me because she was too lazy to walk. Her habits have really gone bad. I should re-educate her with a knock on the head.

“Am I a taxi?”

“Come on. You enjoy it too.”

Bin Yoon grinned mischievously and patted my arm. I let out a hollow laugh.

Due to the position when carrying someone, her chest would press against my back, and I’d have to hold her thighs, so it was enjoyable in a way. But that gets old after a while.

After carrying her dozens of times, even that becomes routine.

“What’s enjoyable about carrying your heavy body and running?”

“Wow. Are you calling a woman heavy? It’s because I have big breasts! Because of my breasts!”

When she said it so directly, even I didn’t know how to respond.

“Why are you so blunt?”

“If you say I’m fat, it sounds like I have a huge belly. Breasts are better than belly fat. Do you know how uncomfortable it is to move with these? How much my shoulders ache?”

It seemed strange yet somehow made sense. Why is that?

“Anyway, please carry me.”

“…Fine. Get ready then.”

I guess my role is to indulge the students’ whims.

“Yay~!”

She quickly tidied up her experiments while saying that.

By the way, this place is as messy now as it was months ago. I wish she’d clean up a bit.

* * *

“How did you plan our date course?”

Her outfit consisted of a duffle coat with a turtleneck sweater underneath, blue jeans, and Converse shoes.

Her freshly washed pink hair had a glossy sheen to it.

“I’ll cover all expenses today, so don’t worry and let’s enjoy ourselves to the fullest!”

Bin Yoon placed her hands on her hips and declared proudly.

I sensed a subtle awkwardness in her attitude, but I thought it was fine. It meant her circumstances had improved.

“Is there anywhere you want to go?”

“Hmm. Maybe somewhere couples would go?”

“Couples…?”

“Since this is a date, wouldn’t we look like a couple to other people?”

It seems people’s thinking has changed recently, with male and female friends going on “dates” together.

“Still, I think we should avoid crowded places. People have been recognizing me more since I became S-rank.”

For me, the word “couple” made me feel somewhat guilty. After all, I was involved with multiple women like an octopus.

“You’re definitely Korea’s representative hero now, Instructor. You’ll attract attention wherever you go. Hmm…”

Bin Yoon paused mid-sentence. After thinking seriously about something, she looked up at me and said:

“…Would you give me an autograph right now? I bet it would sell for a lot.”

“Don’t be so materialistic.”

“Hehe.”

She smiled broadly, lightening the mood.

“Since it’s winter and our bodies are stiff, I’d like to do something active. Ah… except sparring!”

Who would spar on a date anyway…

Even Yeon Mu-hee wasn’t that extreme.

“How about an arcade then?”

There’s no better place for casual active entertainment than an arcade. And since she’s wearing Converse shoes, light activities shouldn’t be a problem.

“An arcade? Are there active things to do at arcades?”

“There are rhythm games you play with your body, bowling, karaoke. Basketball games and air hockey too. Or we could try something special like VR games.”

“I heard VR games make you really dizzy. Let’s just go to the arcade.”

“Sure.”

I originally planned to go see a movie, then visit a café where we could talk, and finally have dinner, but since this date was for her, I decided to follow her lead.

“So what do you want to eat for lunch? Anything specific?”

“Hmm~ How about hamburgers?!”

Hamburgers?

I didn’t expect her to choose fast food, which couples usually avoid unless they’re very comfortable with each other. People typically avoid it because eating can get messy.

Bin Yoon, with her easygoing personality, didn’t seem to care about such things. I actually preferred this approach since it made things more comfortable.

“Great! Then let’s head out right away!”

“Sure.”

We went to the parking lot, got in the car, and headed toward the bustling area with plenty of entertainment options.