episode_0026

After School.

The warm sunlight streams through the counseling room’s window. It was truly pleasant, having taken over this cozy space from the former counseling department.

The tray at the center of the round table was filled with snacks brought by Nayeona, and on the shelf, various types of drink powders and coffee sticks were neatly arranged.

“What should I drink today?”

Feeling drowsy and anticipating sleep, I chose coffee. After making the coffee with the machine, I sat down and quietly surveyed the room.

“I really did snatch this place well.”

The best part about this space is that it comes with an additional small room. It’s used for one-on-one counseling when a client prefers a face-to-face session.

Many students are reluctant to receive counseling in a group, so once we emphasized the availability of one-on-one counseling rooms, students started gathering here quite often.

“But today, there’s no one here.”

Usually, there would be at least one or two clients, but today, there’s none. Nayou and Kim Noeul haven’t shown up either. Even after I sent a message, all I got in response was that they were having “girl time.”

In other words, I’m alone in this room right now.

“Ugh.”

Stretching and letting out a groan, I slouched onto the desk.

“I should be studying… There are days when I just don’t feel like it. Today seems to be one of those days. I wonder if anyone will come for counseling.”

As if the heavens heard my thoughts, someone knocked on the counseling room’s door.

Knock, knock.

“Yes, come in.”

As I gave permission to enter, the door to the counseling room opened, revealing a familiar girl standing there.

On her arm, she wore the student council armband, and at her waist, she had a whistle. She looked down at me, sprawled across the desk.

“Oh? Student Council President?”

“Just dropped by for a patrol.”

“Oh, a patrol?”

Patrolling was indeed part of the student council’s duties, but usually, it’s done by the members, not directly by the president.

“Could it be that she came for counseling?”

“And… um…”

“Did you come for counseling?”

“Yeah.”

Han Doa seemed a bit embarrassed to admit it herself, so I changed the subject and offered her a comfortable smile.

“Please have a seat. What beverage would you like?”

“Do you happen to have green tea?”

I knew it would be like this. I anticipated that Handoa would come for counseling someday, so I prepared green tea powder in advance.

“It’s instant, but is it okay?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

While brewing the green tea, Handoa looked around the counseling room.

“It’s a good scent. The air freshener has a comforting aroma.”

“I agree.”

As I handed her the green tea, she nodded slightly. She held the teacup with one hand and supported the bottom of the cup with her other hand. Then, she quietly sipped from the edge of the cup.

Strangely, there was no sound as she drank, and her Adam’s apple hardly moved, making me doubt if she was really drinking.

Finally, she lifted the cup from her lips and silently placed it back on the table.

“Was that some kind of etiquette?”

When a male character did that in a webtoon, it seemed pretentious… But when she, with the appearance of a lady from a noble family, demonstrated etiquette in front of me, it seemed surreal.

“Maru, junior.”

“Yes.”

Finally, she seemed to be getting to the point. Just as I was focusing, she pointed at the top button of my shirt with her finger.

“You can only undo the top button.”

“…Yes.”

I silently undid the button. Only then did Handoa relax.

“In fact, our household has been a martial arts family for generations. It’s a well-known family within the martial arts community, although not widely known.”

“I’ve heard of it. Hanga Swordsmanship.”

“Do you know about it?”

Of course, I know, having seen it in the original work.

Hanga Swordsmanship, established by the union of Hando Young, a human cultural asset in the field of swordsmanship, and Kim Nam-soo, a master chef who is also a human cultural asset.

Kim Nam-soo’s family was very wealthy, so Hando Young could focus solely on his swordsmanship, becoming a grandmaster in the Korean swordsmanship community. Meanwhile, Hando Young became pregnant with Kim Nam-soo’s child, who turned out to be Handoa.

“I’ve seen it on the internet. At first, I thought it was a term from a martial arts novel.”

“I won’t deny that.”

Handoa continued the conversation while sipping her green tea.

“My mother handed me a sword from a young age. She wanted me to follow in your footsteps and walk the path of swordsmanship. On the other hand, my father respected whatever path I chose.”

“….”

“But I…”

She paused, as if her throat had tightened, then spoke again.

“I don’t have any great aspirations for kendo.”

“Are you interested in pursuing a different path?”

“Yes, I want to focus on my studies.”

Unlike her family business in kendo, she was like most students who aimed for further education. However, Hando-yeong wasn’t embracing that idea. Perhaps it was due to the recent conflict, which arose from her extended stay at her hometown rather than attending high-altitude training. There must have been some clash of opinions between Hando-yeong and her family.

“My father encourages me, but ultimately, my mother holds the decision-making power in our family… and even the martial arts instructors support her opinion.”

Hando-yeong sighed and drank her green tea, showing signs of exhaustion. Even in her weariness, she maintained proper etiquette.

“Well… in times like this, showing results is the quickest way to make an impact.”

“Results?”

“A first-year student came to me for advice not long ago; they wanted to pursue art. However, their parents pressured them to focus on academics.”

“And then?”

She showed deep interest in the story of a student in a situation similar to hers.

“I suggested that if they demonstrate their abilities at the upcoming art competition, their parents might change their minds. The student took up the challenge and confronted their parents, asking for support if they could prove themselves through art.”

Hando-yeong, forgetting her green tea, urged me with sparkling eyes to continue my next story.

“Surprisingly, if they show results, their parents agreed to let them do as they wish. It’s as if the challenge paid off.”

“But what if they can’t achieve results?”

“In reality, parents genuinely want to respect their child’s career choices. But because the path is unclear, they oppose it. If you can show the potential to turn that uncertainty into certainty, then parents have no choice but to yield to their children.”

“Potential…”

“Yes, potential.”

With the word “potential” echoing in her mind, Hando-yeong crossed her arms and pondered deeply, closing her eyes in contemplation.

I proposed to her, a thoughtful suggestion.

“What if I help you?”

“You, Maru-hoobae?”

“Yes, considering you’ve helped us before.”

“Are you sure you’re not taking away your time?”

“Not at all. Teaching actually enhances one’s skills.”

Getting close to Handoa wouldn’t hurt. She is a capable officer who can support Kim Noeul in her weakness at the Ojakgyo.

Having personnel who can handle the subordinates at Ojakgyo is valuable. We need to attract talent in this way.

Handoa seemed intrigued by my proposal but didn’t respond hastily. I was curious about the reason.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

“Not really. I appreciate the kindness, but after all, Maru is just a sophomore, isn’t he?”

“Oh.”

I realized what she was worried about.

“I took the college entrance exam last year and got top grades in all subjects.”

“!?”

My bombshell statement widened Handoa’s eyes. It was comical to see her dignified appearance with such an expression.

“Of course, it was a mock test without the real pressure, but still, I already know the senior high school curriculum.”

In reality, there’s no distinction by grade in Korean and English, and I’ve finished the math curriculum up to calculus.

“It feels strange to say this myself, but people like me are not common in the tutoring market. But you’re using me for free, senior.”

“Using Maru for free…?”

“Yes. For free.”

“Using a junior… for free…”

Muttering to herself, Handoa’s face turned red. She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head.

Then she burst out.

“Th-that’s outrageous!”

‘Why is she acting like this?’

“Maru should use clear language.”

“Clear language?”

“Yes! If you say it like that… women might misunderstand.”

I recalled what I had just said.

‘Using me for free….’

Could it be that she interpreted it the way I’m thinking?

‘No, she’s a senior officer.’

Sweating and avoiding eye contact, Handoa came into view. She drank green tea as if her throat was dry.

Even in this situation, she maintained proper etiquette.

“Phew… Let me have a moment to compose myself.”

“…Sure.”

She closed her eyes as if to clear her mind. Eventually, her flushed cheeks returned to their normal color.

“Ahem, then I will gratefully accept Maru’s kindness.”

“You’ve made a good decision. Oh, and have you considered going to a private institute?”

“I haven’t ruled it out. But I’m not familiar with that area…”

“Then let’s look into it together.”

As I got up from my seat and grabbed my bag, Han Do-ah looked flustered.

“Are you suggesting we go check it out right now?” I asked.

“We need to strike while the iron is hot. Frankly, if we want to see results this year, time is of the essence,” she replied.

At the mention of time being limited, Han Do-ah sighed. She knew as well as I did that achieving academic success within a year would be challenging.

“Maru’s junior is right. Even if we start right away, it might not be enough.”

“Luckily, our school district is strong, so there’s no shortage of resources. Even top-tier instructors come to our district’s academies frequently. Lately, it seems like Hando dominates even in the field of research, with external students coming here just for the lectures or buying Hando’s online lecture passes.”

Han Do-ah tilted her head as if she couldn’t understand what I was saying, resembling an owl tilting its head.

“Well, you’ll find out once we get there. Let’s head to the academy district near the rotary.”

“Got it.”

The two of us made a beeline for the academy district. Neither Han Do-ah nor I lacked decisiveness, so once we set a goal, we went straight for it.

Arriving at the academy district, I found myself lost in thought as I gazed at the numerous academy signs scattered around.

“In the original work, TT was famous.”

“The Top.”

This academy, meaning “the best,” could be considered the headquarters of private education in the world of Hando’s educational philosophy. TT Academy held such significance that various events only took place there.

Fortunately, TT had two branches within Hando, making it easily accessible. I entered the TT Academy building.

Inside the academy, posters advertising various curricula and textbooks were plastered everywhere.

– Premium mock exams, first-come-first-served

– Korean is crucial. Comprehensive review of grammar/vocabulary, Nth edition released

– Special seminar on analyzing trends in all four subjects, apply with student ID

Han Do-ah seemed to be experiencing culture shock, as if she had just arrived in a foreign country. She busied herself looking around the academy.

Unlike Han Do-ah, I headed straight to the desk to inquire about the registration process.

“Hello, I’m here for registration consultation.”

“Yes, please wait a moment.”

The man at the desk either went to call a counselor or briefly stepped away.

I had been thinking of reading a book on the nearby chair when I saw familiar faces.

“Yuna unnie, what about this? It’s a half-year math course, but since you’re already good at Korean and English….”

“I’ve chosen statistics, and I want to focus more on the common subjects….”

Kim Noeul and Na Yuna were huddled together, looking at a poster on the wall. Curious, I approached them.

“What are you doing here?”

“…Huh? Maru?”

“M-Maru. Hello.”

The two girls turned around at my voice, looking surprised. It seemed they hadn’t imagined seeing my face here.

“Why did you come here, Maru?”

“To register, of course.”

When Kim Noeul asked, I gave a brief reply.

“Maru is already doing well….”

Scratching her neck, Na Yuna expressed doubt. I added an explanation.

“In truth, I’m still undecided and came here hoping someone would recognize me. That person doesn’t know much about academics.”

“A girl?”

“A g-girl…?”

Kim Noeul and Na Yuna simultaneously blurted out. Their gazes became cloudy.

‘Why would they suddenly ask that?’

Feeling flustered, I momentarily lost my words. Then, someone tapped my shoulder from behind.

“Maru, the junior, the guidance counselor is here….”

Han Doa handed over the message, then paused upon seeing Kim Noeul and Na Yuna. They both glanced at Han Doa in silence.

An inexplicable tension flowed among the three women.

Perhaps due to the mood, the surrounding air grew chilly.

‘It’s only early summer….’

It was too cold.