Ch.53Episode 10. Comforting the Loners (5)

“One more time!”

Gu Yeonhwa creates a fireball and launches it at me. I easily dispel it and shout at her to send another one.

However, Yeonhwa fails to create another fireball and collapses. She had reached her limit. She lies face down on the floor, breathing heavily.

“Huff! Huff!”

Yeonhwa seemed to feel completely drained, unable to control her body.

She tries to get up, but eventually goes limp and presses her face against the floor.

“Ugh. Instructor… I… I can’t do it anymore…”

I squat down in front of Yeonhwa, who’s speaking with a slurred voice.

“Let’s try one more time.”

“B-but you just said… that was the last one…!”

“I told you that you need to train until complete exhaustion to build up your stamina.”

“I am completely exhausted…!”

“You seem particularly focused on Yeonhwa today?”

Jeong Iyeon walks toward me, wiping her sweat with a towel.

“Not particularly.”

Honestly, as Iyeon said, I was focusing on Gu Yeonhwa. I didn’t want to give her time to think about her mother and become sad.

But not wanting to admit it, I turned my head away.

Where I looked, Yeon Muhui and Yu Ari were already sprawled out. Seeing them sitting on the training ground floor with vacant expressions, Jeong Iyeon remained silent for a while.

“…I guess not.”

“But Jeong Iyeon.”

“Yes?”

“Seeing that you still have energy to walk around, I guess you haven’t trained properly?”

“N-no! I did train properly. Can’t you see my legs still trembling?”

Her snow-white legs were indeed trembling slightly. Though it seemed like she might be exaggerating by deliberately shaking them.

“Don’t you get tired, Instructor? Even though they’re students, you’ve been blocking all four people’s skills and constantly moving around.”

“I am tired. Can’t you see I’m sweating?”

I pointed to my cheek. I could feel beads of sweat forming there.

“No. Your expression and the way you’re standing so straight… You don’t look tired at all.”

Your skills are too pathetic to tire me out.

The energy consumed by dispelling varies depending on what skill I’m blocking.

While blocking skills with immense power like Yeonhwaryong would tire me out after just a few uses, I had plenty of energy left to block the skills of these chicks who were still novices.

“Well, anyway. Let’s not change the subject and continue training, shall we?”

“Uh, um! Th-that… But! How long do we have to keep building stamina?”

“Why? Already tired of it?”

“No. It’s not that.”

After watching Jeong Iyeon awkwardly change the subject, I turned my attention back to Gu Yeonhwa, who was groaning.

“At least until vacation starts. I want to build up your stamina before guiding the direction of your skills.”

As I already told Muhui, research has shown several times that it’s more efficient to build stamina first and then learn skills, rather than developing both simultaneously.

In fact, at the Academy, instructors tend to focus on building stamina while teaching general subjects during the first year.

They just don’t push as hard as I do.

I was pushing these kids a bit too hard because I wanted them to become strong as quickly as possible so they could respond even if those Akcheon bastards approached them.

And even if I worked them too hard, ability-based stamina training doesn’t strain the physical body much, so I could be bold with it.

They would just be extremely tired today and tomorrow.

“I see. Still, it’s surprising that everyone follows Instructor Yujin without complaint when you offer to help with training after school.”

“Is that so.”

That meant my influence over them had grown.

“I really don’t understand how those seniors got labeled as troublemakers. To me, they just look like people desperately wanting to become heroes.”

They might not be desperate to become heroes, but if they’ve decided to build their strength under me, that’s enough.

It means the possibility of them taking Akcheon’s hand is decreasing.

“Ugh… I think the tteokbokki I ate for lunch is going to come back up…”

“You did eat a lot.”

“It’s not because I ate too much!”

“I know. But the fact that you can still talk means you haven’t reached your limit yet.”

“Heek! You cruel instructor…! You’re planning to exhaust me first and then take advantage of me…!”

I faced her as she protested and raised the corner of my mouth wickedly.

“Since I’m so cruel, shall we continue?”

“Hieek—! I can’t do it anymore…! I’m so tired I can’t move a finger!”

“I’m kidding.”

I knew Gu Yeonhwa wasn’t exaggerating. I stroked her golden hair, damp with sweat.

“You worked hard. Drink this and rest.”

It was an ion drink I had prepared in advance. I opened it and handed it to her, and she gulped it down frantically.

She drank it with big gulps, making an old man-like sound “Kiya~!” as if downing a can of beer in one shot.

Despite her appearance, she’s really quite rough around the edges.

“…Let’s end today’s training here.”

I said to the students sitting down, pretending not to hear.

“Alright, everyone worked hard, so I’ll treat you to dinner tonight. Go shower and come out.”

“Dinner…!”

At my words, Yu Ari jumped up and sprinted to the shower room.

Yeon Muhui frowned at Ari’s sudden action, then got up and chased after her.

She seemed to dislike the idea of someone entering the shower room before her.

Were those kids just pretending to be exhausted?

* * *

As I placed the meat on the grill in the center of the table, the smell of the marinade rose with a sizzling sound.

Today’s treat for them was marinated galbi.

“Instructor Yujin, I’ll flip this side.”

“Thanks.”

Jeong Iyeon and I, seated in the center, flipped the meat with tongs. Yu Ari sat on my right and Yeon Muhui on my left.

Across from me were Gu Yeonhwa, who couldn’t take her eyes off the meat, and Bin Yuni, who was rummaging through her white coat.

…What is she trying to pull out now?

“Huhuhu! I’ve prepared a digestive potion for occasions like this! I’m going to devour all the meat in this place tonight!”

“My wallet will be emptied first, so just eat quietly.”

But what’s a digestive potion…

“H-hey, Muhui, are you getting close to Instructor Yujin?”

“What? What are you talking about? Of course I am, I’m sitting next to him.”

Screech.

Yu Ari grabbed my chair and pulled it slightly toward herself.

“You’re too close.”

“How childish. Besides, the instructor isn’t yours, you know? Just stay put.”

“…What are you two doing?”

I looked back and forth between the two who were having a battle of nerves with me in the middle.

Yu Ari had a displeased face while Yeon Muhui just slightly furrowed her brow as they glared at each other.

“Coming to eat and causing such a nuisance! I might lose my appetite!”

Gu Yeonhwa threw in a barb.

“Hmm! Instructor Yujin has gained two more fans! That’s only natural!”

Jeong Iyeon was marveling at a strange point. Meanwhile, she continued to cut and flip the meat diligently.

“Keep fighting. While you’re fighting, I’ll eat all the meat!”

Bin Yuni was holding her chopsticks, unable to take her eyes off the galbi.

Sizzle.

As the sound of the marinade burning grew louder, they all swallowed and started to salivate.

“It’s done. Enjoy.”

“Thank you for the meal.”

Four pairs of chopsticks simultaneously reached for the grill.

Across from me, I could see Gu Yeonhwa smiling as if she owned the world while eating meat, and Bin Yuni carefully wrapping meat in lettuce.

On either side of me were Yeon Muhui, raising her eyebrows at the taste of the galbi, and Yu Ari, who seemed to be trying marinated galbi for the first time, covering her mouth with wide eyes.

Having discovered the taste, they started using their chopsticks again, and the grill was emptied in an instant.

“Eat slowly.”

“That’s right. Eat slowly.”

“You first.”

After neatly countering Bin Yuni’s remark, I placed the galbi I had ordered in advance on the grill. I filled the grill, cooked them thoroughly, and cut them up.

Once again, the parade—no, the melee—of chopsticks began.

Clack!

Two pairs of chopsticks overlapped over one piece of meat.

“What? I grabbed it first.”

“I grabbed it first.”

Clack! Clack!

Yeon Muhui and Yu Ari started fighting over the same piece of meat.

They thrust their chopsticks to catch the meat hovering in the air. Their chopsticks clashed twice.

Just before the meat fell back onto the grill, Yu Ari managed to grab it at the last moment and stole it away.

“Hehe. This is mine.”

I don’t see why they’re fighting over one piece when there’s plenty left.

“How silly.”

“Yeah. Those two are being silly.”

“Seniors, kids.”

Across from me, Gu Yeonhwa and Bin Yuni looked at them as if they were pathetic. Jeong Iyeon lowered her voice to dissuade the two.

As all the meat finished cooking, chopsticks once again ravaged the meat on the grill.

Even though I kept grilling to ensure a continuous flow of meat, they ate so quickly that it disappeared in an instant.

“Instructor Yujin, have this.”

Yu Ari held out chopsticks with two pieces of meat toward me.

“I won’t call it an indirect kiss now, will I?”

She whispered close to my ear and smiled mischievously. How bewitching.

I opened my mouth while grilling meat. She slowly placed it in my mouth. My mouth closed and I licked the chopsticks once.

“Delicious, right?”

“Yes. It’s delicious.”

The interaction between Yu Ari and me seemed to change the atmosphere, as the other students’ demeanor shifted.

“Instructor Yujin, try mine!”

Jeong Iyeon quickly wrapped some meat in lettuce and stuffed it into my mouth. I hadn’t even finished the meat Yu Ari had given me yet…

“Mine tastes better, right?”

“Mmm? Ah, yes. It’s delicious. But I’m fine, so you all eat a lot. I bought this to feed you.”

“Yes! I’ll eat a lot!”

As Gu Yeonhwa and Bin Yuni devoured the meat as if in a competition, the others also moved quickly.

However, this behavior soon turned into a battle.

Clack!

“Ah! This meat is mine!”

“It’s mine.”

“Senior, you’ve already eaten a lot!”

“We need to save some for the instructor.”

“No, kids, we can just order more…”

They were hitting each other’s chopsticks over a single piece of meat in front of them. It felt like feeding a group of young elementary school children.

…What a mess.

* * *

“Gu Yeonhwa.”

After finishing the chaotic meal and paying the bill, I called out to her as we were leaving the restaurant. Gu Yeonhwa, who had been patting her stomach, turned to look at me.

“Yes?”

“Can I come to your room in a little while?”

“My room? Why?”

“I have something I want to talk about.”

“Hmm… I guess it’s something awkward to discuss here. Alright. Call me when you’re coming.”

“I will.”

Gu Yeonhwa waved her phone as she spoke. As she was about to walk away, she suddenly turned back and gave me a thumbs up.

“Ah! Thanks for the meat, Instructor.”