Ch.31Episode 7. Joint Class Sparring (4)

“Instructor Yujin.”

“Hmm?”

“There’s a student I really want to spar with. Would it be okay if I choose them?”

So she did have some ulterior motive after all.

“A student you want to spar with? Who is it?”

Without answering, she pointed to a group of female students sitting on a bench in the corner.

“Those girls.”

“…Did something happen between you?”

At first glance, they looked like a typical group of rebellious girls. They had dyed their hair in various colors and were even wearing piercings.

Around the time Jeong Iyeon lowered her finger, the group noticed us and started talking among themselves.

I examined the faces and figures of the whispering female students.

In the original story, only extras had their appearances described in detail.

Looking at their appearances, none of them seemed to match any characters described in the story.

Perhaps they aren’t characters I need to pay close attention to? But then why are they connected to Jeong Iyeon?

“Nothing happened.”

“Then why?”

“Just because.”

“If something did happen, don’t hide it. Tell me so I can help.”

“It’s a personal matter. I don’t want to trouble you with it, Instructor Yujin.”

Is Jeong Iyeon being bullied by those students?

But as far as I know, there’s no backstory about Jeong Iyeon being bullied.

To begin with, Jeong Iyeon’s skills were already close to top-class within the academy.

What mentally deranged student would dare mess with her?

“Hmm…”

Although Jeong Iyeon told me not to worry, I couldn’t help but pay attention to even the smallest details.

There was no guarantee that the story would progress exactly as it did in the original.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but don’t forget this is just a sparring match.”

“I’ll keep it moderate. Moderate.”

“We’ll rotate opponents one by one. After this match, Gu Yeonhwa will go next. Then Yu Ari.”

Most of the students in Class A are characters not described in the novel.

It was just a typical cliché episode measuring combat power, so I didn’t think I needed to worry about it.

But now that the story had started to move fluidly, I felt I needed to reconsider my relaxed attitude.

As I was watching the Class A students, Kang Chan approached with quick steps.

“Instructor Yujin, are the Special Class students warmed up?”

“Yes. They should be ready to start.”

“Good. Then let’s have the Special Class choose their opponents from our side. After all, we have more students on our side.”

Jeong Iyeon and I exchanged glances. Her eyes were asking for permission.

“Who are you going to choose?”

“I’ll take Kang Sohi.”

“Kang Sohi? She seems rather distant from combat classes… Alright.”

Distant from combat classes…

Does she have mental attack abilities?

If the opponent isn’t combat-oriented, this match will likely be one-sided.

Jeong Iyeon’s style involves taking hits while pressing the attack.

At this point, she’s strong enough to beat Gu Yeonhwa, and once she gets going in combat, she’s extremely difficult to stop.

“Kang Sohi.”

“Yes, Instructor!”

“Student Jeong Iyeon wants to spar with you.”

“Oh, with me? Sure. Sounds fun.”

A girl with red-dyed hair clapped her hands and made her eyes into crescent moons.

Somehow her smile seemed mischievous. Is it because of her heavy makeup?

“Ah~ Instructor Yujin.”

“Hmm? Do you know me?”

“Not really. I just know you’re handsome. You have that typical bad boy face that I like.”

“…You want to spar with her?”

I pretended not to hear Kang Sohi’s words and asked Jeong Iyeon. She nodded.

“Are you ignoring me? Oh, by the way, if I win, could I get your number?”

She waved her phone in front of me, flicking her wrist. How impudent.

Come to think of it, Class A had just as many troublemakers as the Special Class.

They followed the rules while still acting out, but their actual behavior wasn’t much different from the Special Class.

In some ways, they were even more infuriating than the Special Class students.

“Why should I give it to you?”

“I heard you’re a good teacher. I want your guidance. And who knows… feelings might develop along the way.”

That probably means Instructor Kang Chan doesn’t satisfy her temperament…

Indeed, Kang Chan’s expression darkened.

Depending on how you take it, this implied I was a better teacher than Kang Chan, which would naturally hurt his pride.

“I have no intention of having personal relationships with students.”

“…Is that so? Well, fine. We still have time anyway. In the meantime, I’ll spar with our Iyeon. Honestly, I don’t want to fight my bestie, but since she chose me, I have no choice.”

Kang Sohi shrugged and spoke leisurely. Jeong Iyeon ignored her words and headed to the sparring area.

“Alright everyone! Stop warming up and gather around!”

At Kang Chan’s call, the students quickly assembled.

“We’re about to watch a sparring match. The Special Class has chosen to select their opponents from Class A, so keep that in mind.”

“I think that’s unfair. Why does the Special Class get to choose?”

A male student from Class A sitting in the stands grumbled. Other students joined in agreement.

“They only have three people. We outnumber them ten to one, so don’t talk about unfairness. They can’t fight consecutive matches, can they? Besides, even if you claim it’s unfair, they don’t know our abilities, so it doesn’t matter.”

“Well~ that’s true.”

“But shouldn’t there be some kind of bet to make this more exciting? Like carrying bags for two months every time we come to school.”

“Pfft! What are we, elementary school kids?!”

Childish pranks.

Although the Special Class is the academy’s problem child, they’re still considered superior to Class A.

I suspect their pride is hurt because of that.

As Bin Yuni said, Class A students are elites. They probably can’t tolerate even the smallest flaw.

Jeong Iyeon was quietly watching the stands. Her expression didn’t look good. She clicked her tongue and turned her head sharply.

Soon after the preparations were complete, Instructor Kang Chan and I stood in the center of the sparring area. I was opposite him.

This was to break up the two if things got out of hand.

“Medical staff are on standby, but don’t inflict excessive injuries. Remember this is just a sparring match.”

“Yes~.”

Kang Sohi answered casually, holding a double-edged sword in her hand.

Class A is a group with excellent overall abilities.

If Kang Chan’s statement about her not being combat-oriented is true, then Kang Sohi is likely a type that combines physical and mental attacks.

“Well then… begin!”

As soon as it started, Jeong Iyeon activated her “Sacred Artifact” and drew out a sword and shield.

She closed the distance of several meters in one go, stomping the ground hard enough to create a small crater.

Clang—!

It was a powerful strike, but Kang Sohi flexibly deflected the attack by stepping back.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

She handled the consecutive attacks without wavering. Her expression remained calm, and she responded precisely to Jeong Iyeon’s movements.

However, she showed no signs of using any special abilities. She didn’t seem to be preparing a counterattack either.

It was as if she was engaging in a probing battle to gauge her opponent’s skills.

Clang! Clang!

Though she appeared to be struggling with the continuous attacks, her stance remained unbroken.

It’s difficult to evaluate Kang Sohi since I know nothing about her, but she clearly exceeded the average skill level of Class A that I’m familiar with.

“Instructor Kang Chan.”

“Yes?”

I quickly moved to Kang Chan’s side.

“Student Kang Sohi seems quite proficient in combat. Is she really not combat-oriented?”

“…It’s difficult to explain in detail, but Student Kang Sohi’s athletic abilities aren’t bad. Still, I didn’t know she could do this well.”

He didn’t know?

Is it possible she hid her abilities from her instructor?

Just as I was trying to expand on this small suspicion, two consecutive loud sounds echoed through the sparring area.

Kang Sohi, who had been merely defending until now, had counterattacked Jeong Iyeon.

Seeing Jeong Iyeon’s sword arm pushed back, it was clear that without her shield, she would have suffered a critical hit from that strike.

She’s much stronger than I thought?

Jeong Iyeon quickly recovered her sword and swung again, pushing Kang Sohi back.

“Hmm. So this is her level.”

Not missing the opportunity created by the distance, Jeong Iyeon took her stance. Kang Sohi belatedly assumed a defensive posture, but it was too late.

“Flash Strike.”

Crack!

Charging at high speed, Jeong Iyeon broke Kang Sohi’s sword and grazed her side, leaving a large laceration.

“Ouch… I couldn’t see that attack…”

For someone who claimed not to see the attack, she had positioned her sword exactly in the path of the blade.

Whether this was a reaction or prediction, the fact that she avoided a fatal wound showed her considerable skill level.

Moreover, from what I could see, she didn’t appear to be using any abilities.

From the beginning, this Kang Sohi didn’t seem to have any intention of winning the fight.

I couldn’t understand why she had so readily accepted the sparring match.

“Winner, Special Class Jeong Iyeon!”

Despite being declared the winner, Jeong Iyeon’s expression wasn’t good. She seemed to feel something was off.

It felt like Kang Sohi could have done more but deliberately chose not to.

“I underestimated you. You’re pretty good, Jeong Iyeon.”

Kang Sohi, holding her side, was still smiling.

“You… are you really Kang Sohi?”

“Of course I’m Kang Sohi. Who else would I be?”

She smiled even more broadly, creating a deep expression of amusement.

“The Kang Sohi I know isn’t strong enough to consecutively block my strikes.”

“Don’t be so arrogant. Don’t think I’ll always remain weak.”

The conversation ended there.

Not because Jeong Iyeon stopped pressing, but because medical staff entered the sparring area to check on Kang Sohi’s condition.

“Hmm…”

It was a conversation that felt quite disconcerting.

I could understand hero candidates getting stronger day by day.

But is it possible to hold back so much that even your instructor hasn’t seen your true strength?

“Instructor Yujin.”

“Yes?”

“I should have been more overwhelming from the start. I’m sorry.”

“No, you were plenty overwhelming.”

I patted her shoulder to encourage her.

I had my suspicions, but this wasn’t the right time to press for answers. I’ll ask Jeong Iyeon about Kang Sohi later.

“Wait a bit until the next match.”

“Yes.”

She wiped the sweat from her forehead, nodded, and walked to the bench.

“That was impressive! I couldn’t even see that last strike! You were just like an instructor!”

“Really?! Ah~ this is embarrassing~!”

Gu Yeonhwa, sitting on the bench, sincerely praised Jeong Iyeon.

In response, Jeong Iyeon twisted her body and smiled broadly, seemingly having forgotten the uneasiness she felt during the match.

“Watch closely! This is the punishment I’ll deliver to those who would become dogs of that organization!”

As I watched them, I recalled the questions I had earlier.

Is there a possibility that Akcheon might interfere with this seemingly inconsequential episode?

…It’s not impossible.

If he failed to get to Yu Ari, he might try to provoke the Special Class in another way.

That would leave open the possibility that someone in Class A might be connected to Akcheon…

Hmm. Let’s test this theory.

Change of plans.

From now on, I’m going all out.