episode_0136

“That’s it for today. The next two weeks from this week are external request weeks, right? Everyone take care… Just make sure you don’t buy and run ahead of your motivation… ”

Professor Seon-kyung Moon, with an elegant appearance, continued to pay attention for a while even after the bell rang to signal the end of the lecture.

Perhaps because she was similar to her niece, Moon Yeo-ul, but had a more friendly appearance, she was even more popular with male students.

Even though the lecture continued for several minutes, the students did not move from their seats.

A female student looked at the male student sitting next to her with his mouth wide open and made a dissatisfied expression, then slightly lowered his hand and pinched his thigh.

“Ayat.”

“Oh, look at my mind.”

Professor Moon, who had been giving a long speech, suddenly came to his senses at the sound.

“The words were too long. Everyone, please go quickly. Be sure to keep in mind what I said.”

Then, he called out to a student who was struggling to get up among the crowd.

“Oh, and student Jinhyeon Yoo?”

“Yes?”

When he turned his head, his face was covered with a grotesque white, smooth, shiny mask.

“Go straight to Professor Kwon Chan-yeol’s office. You know where it is, right? There will be guidance regarding nomination requests.”

“Okay.”

The male student who listened to the professor nodded his head.

As he was packing his luggage, he suddenly looked up at the back door of the classroom.

As if they had a mutual connection, a pair of green eyes were also secretly looking at him.

After hesitating for a moment, Jin Ye-seo spoke quietly with her lips slightly pursed.

‘I’m going first.’

Then, without even hearing an answer, he turns and disappears into the hallway.

No one in the classroom could notice this fleeting communication.

Of course, it was something that should not have been noticed.

The delicate relationship between enemies and allies continued for several days.

***

“It’s late.”

As I opened the door and entered, a familiar voice greeted me instead of Professor Kwon Chan-yeol.

Nine students had already arrived at the office. The office, which used to be quite spacious, now feels quite cramped.

Those who were invited to this meeting were all students who were currently ranked in the top 10.

I immediately recognized some familiar faces.

It was Choi Woo-jin who welcomed me with his characteristic cocky voice.

Ryu Seung-heon waves his hand warmly, and Moon Yeo-ul clings to him like a sticky rice cake.

And a female student with short hair and rimless glasses sitting alone in a corner seat.

I thought someone looked familiar, but it was the girl who was clinging to the student council president like a secretary. I’m sure you said your name was Ansol.

As if her defeat during the ranking match was still fresh in her mind, she occasionally glanced at Seungheon with a disapproving look.

Come to think of it, the repairs to the archive room in the basement of the main building will be completed in about a day or two. At that time, you will be able to use the key given by the student council president.

I wish Seol Yujeong’s past records were preserved properly.

“I arrived earlier than scheduled.”

I responded to Woojin Choi and looked around.

Unfortunately, there was only one empty seat. And that place was right next to Choi Woojin.

“… ”

I suppressed the sigh that came out of my mouth and walked over and sat down.

Then, a large male student started talking with an eerie smile, as if he had been waiting.

“How about it? Have you thought about my duel proposal… ”

“I don’t like it. I said I wouldn’t do it.”

I cut him off with a single sword before he could even speak.

I’m already busy these days.

‘I wanted to fly freely like you. Proving that you have become stronger… ‘I wanted to get what I wanted.’

Why did Jin Ye-seo’s words sound so earnest? If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have accepted the offer.

The reasons may be different, but it may be because I felt a similar craving as I did before.

But what Jin Ye-seo doesn’t know is that the things I want have long since passed through my hands like grains of sand.

I’m just desperate not to repeat my old mistakes again.

I’m still not sure if accepting Jin Ye-seo’s proposal was a good thing.

Anyway, she is one of the political enemies that I pity.

Even though it was unintentional, should we take comfort in the fact that we caught that person’s weakness?

In addition, I received help with my theoretical studies, which I was too embarrassed to tell even to Yeon Myeong-ha…

“Tsk. Acting expensively. Don’t do that… ”

“Oh, everyone is here. Sit, sit.”

Woojin Choi was about to urge again with an expression that he didn’t like.

The door bursts open without knocking, and Professor Kwon Chan-yeol with his characteristic pigtails appears.

He stopped the students from getting up from their seats and headed straight to the desk where he was working.

Professor Kwon’s hands were already full of several thick envelopes.

He sat down at his desk, checked them again, and then opened his mouth.

“Everyone probably knows what I called them for. Take them in the order they are called. see… Ansol?”

“Yes… Oh my!”

Before the short-haired female student could respond, something flew into her arms.

Before I knew it, nine envelopes were floating in the air on my office desk.

“It’s a nomination request from the High Court Martial. So that you can do well. next… Woojin Choi?”

“Yes.”

“It is a designation from the Wall Guard. This might be difficult. This is because the situation in the North is unusual these days. Are you okay?”

“Hehehe, what are you asking? Rather good. Doesn’t this mean that you may have an unexpected opportunity to choose a major? Billion!”

“Tsutsu, you are still immature. Stop talking nonsense and just accept it.”

The heavy paper bag flew even more roughly and hit Woojin Choi on the forehead.

“Next Ryu Seung-heon. This is a nomination request from the Masada Branch of the General Information Bureau.”

“Next… ”

“Next… ”

Every time he called his name, the number of floating envelopes decreased one by one.

Professor Kwon called my name when there was only one left.

“And last… Jinhyeon Yoo.”

“Yes.”

Before I could even open my mouth, a thick and fairly heavy envelope flew into my arms.

“Nominated by the Special Crimes Intensive Investigation Bureau under the Metropolitan Administrative Office. The Special Crimes Bureau is an agency that takes charge of incidents that cannot be handled by the Security Bureau. It might be quite tricky.”

“… It’s okay.”

Even if it’s difficult, isn’t it something that can be solved at the student level anyway?

After all, it’s more difficult than the southern raid or the enemy invasion.

There is no option to refuse, so all you have to do is perform well.

“You will be able to check the contents of the request by matching the password pattern provided to you in advance. But that doesn’t mean you should open it right away.”

A student who was about to open the envelope and check what was inside immediately straightened his posture at his words.

“Always keep in mind that there are many cases where other students who find out about the request will interfere. Cradle cannot intervene in such matters. Of course, this is ultimately a personal choice. If you want to take risks and get help from your friends, that’s okay.”

Professor Kwon Chan-yeol said with his characteristic expression of being annoyed by everything.

“Starting with the nomination request, you will be put to the true test. Still, I believe that talented people who will lead the Republic for the next few decades will be able to accomplish this as if it were a given. Then go and see.”

***

-Pow! puck!

“Ugh… Hehe… !”

The old training room in Building A.

Someone’s moans were echoing along with the dull sound of impact.

The old personal training room here had already become a place that other students did not approach.

It was the only and optimal space in the cradle to avoid prying eyes.

-Pow!

“Hey… !”

Jin Ye-seo, wearing tight training clothes, rolled around on the floor in a miserable state.

Half-open eyes. Rough, light breath constantly escapes between slightly parted lips.

There were already black bruises all over his sweaty body.

“Wake up.”

However, Lee Hyun indifferently thrust the blade as if that was nothing.

“Sleep, wait… !”

“I told you this yesterday too. There is no such thing as a moment in practice. Wake up quickly. otherwise… ”

“Profit… !”

Jin Ye-seo, pursed lips, shakily stood up. Because he was coming towards me with the intention of stomping on my head.

She, half overcome with evil, regains her bearings.

Then, he glared at Lee Hyeon, who was closing the distance, and swung his practice blade sharply.

-Kang!

It was clearly a collision between practice blades made of wood, but the sound heard was definitely that of metal.

At the point of contact, the particles lost in the collision sparkled like fireworks.

From a distance so close that even a single eyelash and exhaled breath could be felt, a pair of glowing green eyes stared at the sleekly shining mask.

“You, you… Isn’t it a mix of the housemaster’s name? How is this practice… !”

-bang!

Before Jin Ye-seo could finish speaking, Lee Hyun deflected the blade she was facing and kicked her below the navel.

“Ugh… ”

“There is no such thing as a housemaster. And didn’t you make it clear? I will do my best to deal with you.”

Jin Ye-seo, who was blown away and thrown against the wall, let out a groan.

The masked male student looked at her and started walking again.

“Because the arms are high, the center of gravity is distributed. So, I can’t even accept it properly. The bottom was even completely empty. If it had been a real fight, you would have been dead already.”

“Huh… But this… ”

Jin Ye-seo stumbled and stood up again.

Green eyes shone brightly through the disheveled hair.

“And I’m already doing enough. According to your skills.”

Lee Hyun suddenly remembered what happened two years ago.

Sa Jae-hyuk at that time was like the devil himself from hell.

A boy barely half his height was rolled around in the mud all day.

There were times when I vomited out everything I had inside, and I lived with bruises all over my body except my face.

I still grind my teeth when I think about that time… It was an undeniable fact that it was thanks to his education that he was able to acquire this level of skill in a short period of time despite having no talent.

Even my sisters, who were always kind, did not intervene that time. After work was over, they only brought me things like towels and drinks to comfort me.

anyway… Compared to that, right now it’s just a light warm-up.

“Profit!”

-Quaang!

Jin Ye-seo pursed her lips and attacked him again.