Ch.347342 – Sports Festival (1)

“Close your eyes. I’ll put some sparkles under your eyes.”

“Okay.”

“NoName, you’re so cute! After this, I’ll make you some bun hairstyles too.”

“Do whatever you want.”

Sunlight from a bright spring day streams through the windows of the darkened academy classroom.

While Yu-na stands on a chair tying my hair, Ha-ru carefully applies heart and star stickers she bought from Daiso one by one.

“Done!”

My friends thrust a hand mirror in front of my face.

Two buns made from bunched-up hair stick out prominently.

It looked a bit awkward, but I could feel the effort they put into it.

“Thanks. Yu-na, come here, I’ll put some sunscreen on you.”

“Ugh, what a hassle. Fine!”

“Girls, the sports festival is about to start! Come out quickly!”

“We’ll be right there, teacher!”

We rushed through the dark hallway and quickly descended the central staircase.

Cotton candy-like clouds float leisurely in the sky.

The vast artificial turf field of the academy was packed with students.

We followed our teacher and took our places at the back of the 3rd grade Class A line.

“Now, let’s begin the Cephiron Academy Sports Festival! The team with the loudest cheers will get 50 points, so Blue Team and White Team, make some noise!”

“Wooooooah!”

Children screaming until their voices went hoarse.

The May sports festival that I couldn’t participate in last year due to a health checkup was finally beginning.

“Wait, are we on the Blue Team or White Team?”

“Our class is on the White Team.”

“NoName, you should have paid attention during class!”

The sports festival not only pits the Blue Team against the White Team, but also includes competitions between classes in the same grade.

There was no need to overthink it—just do your best in every event.

“Please welcome your fellow students participating in each event with bright smiles. Remember that you are the main characters of today’s sports festival, and I hope you have an enjoyable time.”

After Principal Gu On-yu’s solemn greeting ended, we returned to our shaded booth.

We carelessly took off our shoes next to the mat and looked for a suitable place to lie down.

I decided on Yu-na, who had a portable fan.

“I’ll lie down here.”

“Come on over! Want me to turn on the fan?”

“Yes, on low.”

“Last year, you really should have been here with us, Name… It was seriously so much fun.”

Yu-na spoke with a hint of regret.

“I know! If Name had been here, our class could have won.”

“Where’s Ji-hye and what is she doing?”

“She’s meditating alone in the classroom. She has to participate in the martial arts competition later.”

“Wow, that’s what makes her a champion.”

In a sports festival, the more events talented students participate in, the better.

The reason I’m resting my eyes now is because today’s schedule will be grueling.

“What events are you participating in, Name?”

“Hey, they signed me up for everything, and you guys don’t even know? Individually, I’m in martial arts, trampoline, and relay—those three.”

“Whoa, that’s a lot. Plus tug-of-war and tunnel running that the whole class does, so that’s five events.”

“We’ll give you a massage, Name. We have to win this year!”

[Would the 8 participants for the 3rd grade martial arts competition please gather at the sand arena on the left.]

The announcement echoed across the grass field.

Martial arts—everything done with the body without using weapons.

In the general sense, martial arts competitions involve using aura to subdue opponents.

But if someone gets hurt at a sports festival meant for fun, it would be a serious problem.

That’s why martial arts competitions for lower elementary grades are conducted differently.

“You win by knocking your opponent down first or pushing them outside the circle. You can’t grab clothes to push or pull. Choking or twisting arms, legs, or necks are all fouls. The match time is 2 minutes. Does everyone understand the rules?”

“Yes!”

“Then we’ll draw the matchups for 1st and 2nd graders first. The first match is… Park Ria versus Hwang Jun-woo! Both contestants please come forward.”

Cute children walk in with serious expressions following the teacher’s instructions.

While the referee surrounds the participants with a barrier, homeroom teachers and upper-grade students send out enthusiastic cheers.

“Name, that 1st grader over there looks taller than you.”

Ji-hye whispered quietly beside me.

The average height for 1st graders is about 125cm, I think. That kid is definitely about 10cm taller than me.

“Ma Ji-hye, if you keep building up bad karma like that, you’ll end up facing me in the round of 16.”

“Eek! I don’t want that!”

Ji-hye created a huge upset two years ago by defeating a 3rd grader and winning the championship.

I’d like to face her soon, but Ji-hye shook her head desperately.

“Name is a natural disaster.”

“That’s a bit much.”

The match, which looked like a mix of wrestling, judo, and ssireum, was in full swing.

Seven-year-old children tried their best to control their immature aura and push away their 2nd grade seniors.

But at this age, a year of experience makes an enormous difference.

Talented children experienced their first overwhelming defeat from their seniors and left the arena sniffling.

“Oh my, the 1st graders were completely wiped out this year. Now let’s quickly draw the first matchup for the round of 16. The first contestant is… ta-da-ran ta-da-ran boom-chak-chak boom-chak-chak.”

The referee teacher pulled out a thin wooden stick from a cylindrical container.

“No Name?”

Suddenly, there was a loud murmur around me.

I reluctantly rolled up my sleeves and stepped onto the sand arena barefoot.

Meanwhile, all the participants were kneeling respectfully, desperately praying with both hands not to be chosen.

‘Am I some kind of monster that eats people?’

“Name’s opponent will be 2nd grade Class C’s Kim Ye-ji!”

“Woooooah!”

“Waaah, why me of all people!”

As joy and sorrow crossed paths, one girl was selected as the sacrifice.

“H-hello, Senior NoName. It’s an honor to face you…”

Kim Ye-ji bowed at a 90-degree angle and greeted me shyly.

Being called “senior” was a new experience for me.

As a 2nd grader, she probably hasn’t formally learned martial arts yet.

But she must have watched the inter-academy competition last year.

She seemed to be trembling, likely having witnessed my performance.

“Don’t be nervous. I’ll go easy on you.”

“You’re lying…”

“Huh?”

“Oh, it’s nothing!”

Her eyes trembled uncontrollably.

What’s the point of losing your fighting spirit before the match even begins?

I stared at her intently and gave her some stern advice.

“If you don’t challenge yourself, you won’t gain anything. The moment you stop challenging yourself is the moment your growth stops. Do you want to waste your talent like this?”

The friend who was a hand span taller than me shook her head.

It’s nearly impossible to change someone with just a few words.

It’s enough if she remembers my words someday when she faces difficulties in the distant future.

“Now, begin the match!”

* * *

Kim Ye-ji’s face contorted.

Name was a symbol of fear for all academy students.

Even the distant 6th grade seniors looked up to her like a god, so how much more intimidating must she be to juniors?

Moreover, the inter-academy matches where Name competed were so violent that they were rated 15+ on VTube.

Someone who could crush faces and bodies if she wanted to.

Although she had the smallest build among the three grades, she was not someone to be taken lightly.

“I won’t counterattack for one minute, so do whatever you can. I’m giving you a chance.”

Name crossed her arms and stood upright.

‘A trap?’

Even if it was a trap, there was no reason for her not to charge in.

Ye-ji lowered her stance by bending her knees and closed the distance.

“Haaah!”

She gathered aura from behind, overlapped her palms diagonally, and extended them toward Name’s abdomen.

‘Please!’

True to her innocent 2nd grade nature, Kim Ye-ji used her family’s finishing move from the start.

Since knocking Name down was impossible anyway, she was aiming for a ring-out.

But Name slightly twisted her body to the side and dodged it too easily.

“Aaah!”

Ye-ji almost went out of bounds, but Name grabbed her clothes and pulled her back into the arena.

“You shouldn’t lose your center of gravity. Plus, your approach is too predictable. For that to work, you need to step forward faster or get much closer to your opponent.”

“I’m sorry!”

“Try again.”

Realizing Name’s genuine intention to go easy on her, Kim Ye-ji launched a series of attacks.

Even when she tried to push Name’s shoulder using her size advantage, she couldn’t even grab her collar.

She swung her fists wildly but only cut through the air.

“Is that all you’ve got?”

Name was still standing in the exact same position.

Those feet planted firmly in the sand like deep-rooted trees couldn’t be more annoying.

Kim Ye-ji, now motivated by spite, felt tears welling up and her nose getting stuffy.

The difference in skill level was immense.

The gap was so overwhelming that she couldn’t even understand why her attacks weren’t landing.

She bit her lips tightly, trying hard not to cry.

“Well done. That was really good.”

“Ugh! Nothing worked at all, so what was good about it?!”

Ye-ji snapped at Name’s consolation.

Children this age have a competitive spirit on another level.

Name was momentarily speechless seeing Ye-ji so angry.

Then she uncrossed her arms and surrounded her body with aura.

“I don’t know who taught you, but that’s a very good technique. If you can use it perfectly, it will work on absolutely anyone. Want to see?”

Name gently placed her left hand on top of her right.

It was exactly the same technique Ye-ji had used.

As if demonstrating to the girl, Name slowly placed her hands at her side and drew out aura from her entire body.

“…!”

What happened next was too instantaneous to put into words.

The sand caved in under her left foot,

And the sand around her right foot shot up high, creating a shadow.

Just two steps.

In the brief moment Ye-ji blinked, Name’s hands were already at her navel.

The air between them compressed to its limit, creating a strong repulsive force.

BANG-!

The girl’s body lifted and was pushed all the way to the edge of the sand arena, outside the boundary.

“Cough, cough! Ptooey… ptuh.”

Ye-ji was too stunned to get up.

She spat out the sand in her mouth while recalling what had just happened.

Name extended her hand and helped her up.

“Are you hurt? My hands didn’t touch you.”

“Uh… no. Just my bottom a little.”

“I exaggerated a bit for demonstration, but you saw the sand shooting up, right? That’s how strongly you need to put power in your legs. Just because it’s an arm technique doesn’t mean legs aren’t important.”

“Ah!”

Ye-ji, seeming to have gained an insight, bowed politely and returned to her place.

“NoName wins!”

The first match of the round of 16 in the lower grade martial arts competition ended with Name’s victory.

Name made a V-sign to show the children.

“Yaaay! NoName! NoName!”

“Milk-white NoName!”

“Copy Ninja NoName!”

The 3rd grade Class A students and White Team juniors and seniors who came to cheer applauded.

“Ji-hye, let’s meet in the finals. Or earlier would be fine too.”

“Eeeek!”

* * *

Ma Ji-hye had awakened her aura at age five and received self-defense training from a detective mage.

Out of a hundred children who learned martial arts at that age, Ji-hye was the only one who had blossomed with such talent.

Defeating 3rd graders in the sports festival finals since 1st grade was just the beginning.

Not only did Ji-hye earn the representative position by beating the formidable Class A students, but she also sent Altair Academy packing.

A martial arts genius, a flawless warrior—her only flaw was her timid personality, but even that completely disappeared once she entered combat.

And now Ma Ji-hye was given her final trial.

“Phew, NoName, I’m ready. Considering the level of the kids before, you’re going to get hurt badly.”

“I like that spirit. I’ll go all out too, Ji-hye.”

“No, don’t take that seriously! I was just—”

She wasn’t even given time to make excuses.

Woong-

Name emitted golden aura from her body.

The extended grasp from her arms lifted Ji-hye high into the air.

“External manifestation is against the rules! How am I supposed to win against this? NoNaaame!”

“An elephant can’t defeat a human with bare hands.”

“Aaaagh, that’s the opposite of what I meant!”

Thud-

Ji-hye’s body was buried in the soft sand pile.

It was an anticlimactic ending for a martial arts competition final.