episode_0264

Although it hadn’t snowed yet, the air outside was chilly enough to feel cool.

Lunch was long past and it was still too early to eat dinner. The cadets who had left the evaluation room each walked around feeling the winter weather.

Among them was Hong Yeon-hwa.

Also, unlike other people, I didn’t feel particularly cold.

The body of a superhuman is naturally strong. Of course, the threshold of senses is not that high, but thanks to the increased durability, they can endure better than ordinary people.

Hong Yeon-hwa’s body is a constitution that is brimming with fire energy due to the calamity. If it were not for an unfortunate event like the calamity ordeal, she would be able to maintain her body temperature even if she were dropped in the middle of a snowy field.

Even when she was young and was gaining combat experience by traveling around the territory of Changhae, Hong Yeon-hwa alone managed to keep herself warm while everyone else was freezing to death.

“Yeonhwayeonhwa.”

But the kind of warmth that Hong Yeon-hwa felt now was different.

The left hand she was holding was slightly pulled. When she looked down, she saw Lee Ha-yool shaking a cup while holding her hand tightly.

Lee Ha-yool smiled faintly and shook the cup gently.

“Thank you for your hard work. I bought some at the cafe. Would you like some?”

“What is that?”

“Ice chocolate. Yeonhwa is hot even on days like this. Or there’s hot chocolate too.”

“Oh, thank you.”

It was a time when her mouth was dry. Hong Yeon-hwa happily accepted the iced chocolate.

I immediately tilted the cup to my lips as the coolness that fit comfortably in my hand hit me. The chocolate scent that tickled the tip of my nose filled my mouth and went down my throat.

“Ugh… It’s sweet. So good.”

“Hehehe, did you do well on your test?”

“… Uh… ”

Hong Yeon-hwa, who was enjoying the sweet taste lingering in her mouth, shuddered at Lee Ha-yool’s innocent question.

‘… Aren’t I going to lose second place this time…?’

We had been studying together at the mansion for a few days. During the mock exams we had done several times, Lee Ha-yul received a shocking perfect score on all of them.

And that too with plenty of time left. Everyone was astonished at the speed that was much faster than Baek A-rin.

‘There’s a lot of things to do there…’

From the past, he has been defeated in every battle. He did not use his unique ability, but he was defeated overwhelmingly with his basic skills. Considering that, it is highly likely that he will be ahead in terms of practical skills.

My eyelids fluttered as that thought occurred to me. I felt really shaky.

What should I say, my pride is strangely hurt… I feel like my main subject is being overwhelmed by my husband who is already very talented…

“… No, um… I saw it okay.”

“Aha.”

Lee Ha-yool, who had roughly guessed the result of Hong Yeon-hwa’s reaction of avoiding eye contact and trailing off, nodded without asking any further questions.

Of course, I didn’t think I messed up. Hong Yeon-hwa was not confident, but she had a high score on the written test in the first semester.

“Hehehe.”

Even as I thought about that, I couldn’t stop laughing. Every time I saw that bright red scarf filling my field of vision, a wry smile appeared on my lips.

At the same time, a small sense of uneasiness arose.

Lee Ha-yool gently grabbed the hand that was holding hers. Hong Yeon-hwa, who was finishing pouring her cup, turned her gaze. Lee Ha-yool, who was rolling his eyes through the invisible fog, asked in a small voice.

“How about a scarf…? Isn’t it uncomfortable?”

“Not at all. It’s super comfortable. There’s nothing uncomfortable about it outside, and it’s super soft.”

“Really?”

Hong Yeon-hwa answered without hesitation. It wasn’t just a simple sugar coating. There was really nothing uncomfortable about it.

The texture is very soft and just the right amount of warmth. It’s not too long to be intrusive, and not too short to be too loose.

Many people mistake her for someone with a light demeanor and a casual attitude, such as wearing a baseball jacket or something, but Hong Yeon-hwa is used to luxury goods.

It is not just a product with an expensive name, but a luxury product made with expensive materials and sincerity.

Even by Hong Yeon-hwa’s standards, who was accustomed to such luxury items as a precious successor to the Gyeophwa family, this scarf was very comfortable.

If you think about the sincerity that Lee Ha-yool put into making it himself? To Hong Yeon-hwa, this scarf was a treasure that couldn’t be measured in price.

“Hehehe, I’m glad you said that.”

Although he didn’t reveal all his inner thoughts, that alone brought a bright smile to Lee Ha-yool’s face.

As some of the anxiety she had been hiding was relieved, her smile became brighter and brighter, brightening up the surroundings. Hong Yeon-hwa, who had become accustomed to Lee Ha-yool, also held her breath for a moment.

Beautiful. That was the first expression that came to mind.

The standards of beauty are originally different for each person. They have changed over time, across regions, and across cultures.

But Hong Yeon-hwa is confident that anyone would think that Lee Ha-yul is beautiful.

In fact, if this rate continues like this, things like cross-dressing competitions will be easy to chew up.

It feels like I’m being forced to feel that it’s conceptually beautiful. But I don’t feel any resistance to it, so I just think of it that way.

‘… Unique ability?’

I’m not sure. I don’t even know if he has that kind of unique ability in the first place. That’s not what’s important right now.

“… … ”

“… … ”

“… … ”

Silence has suddenly settled over the surroundings. Not even the usual sounds of voices or footsteps can be heard.

From the cadets walking in the same direction as the evaluator to the pedestrians walking in the opposite direction.

Everyone was staring at Lee Ha-yul, who was smiling brightly, with a blank expression on his face.

‘Tsk.’

That gaze was rather uncomfortable. The gaze of the female cadet was especially uncomfortable, as if pricked by a thorn.

You may think that it is too sensitive, but we cannot let our guard down when it comes to this rate.

There is no one who does not know how defenseless Lee Ha-yool is when it comes to good intentions.

If a person with a large chest and who is kind to you slightly reaches out to you, you might let your guard down and follow him/her nervously.

There is also a possibility that you will be bossed or that you will be bossed and brought to the mansion.

How many women have entered the mansion just now?

Hong Yeon-hwa, Baek A-rin, Elia Riana Atra… And Lee Ji-yeon, who sometimes sneaks into the mansion and sleeps there naturally.

Hong Yeon-hwa, who kept recalling names, suppressed the expression on her face that was about to turn red.

He clicked his tongue inwardly and grabbed Lee Ha-yool’s shoulder, pulling him into his arms. At the same time, Lee Ha-yool wrapped Hong Yeon-hwa’s waist tightly with the wings of the sky.

“Huh?”

“Eng.”

We opened our mouths at the sensation we felt from each other. Then, when we looked down and up, we saw each other’s eyes blinking.

“… Huh, let’s go quickly.”

“… Yes!”

After a brief moment of surprise, Lee Ha-yool, who was laughing bashfully, quickly clung to Hong Yeon-hwa.

– Swish…

The wing robe that was already wrapped around her waist became thicker and more tightly wrapped.

“Will you please step aside?”

“Oh, yes yes. Sorry.”

People who had stopped and looked at each other suddenly jumped to the side in surprise.

They just so happen to be female cadets. Judging from their yellow ties, which symbolize fall, they are third-year students.

Hong Yeon-hwa crossed the crowd with Lee Ha-yul at her side.

It was twisted that those gazes were fixed on Lee Ha-yool until the end, but he felt a sense of superiority at the feeling of those envious gazes pouring down on him.

“Softening?”

“Nothing.”

Lee Ha-yool tilted his head while looking up at her, but Hong Yeon-hwa mumbled and pulled Lee Ha-yool closer.

“… Isn’t it uncomfortable to walk?”

“It’s totally fine. You can look forward to more.”

“Yeah… I like it because it’s warm.”

Lee Ha-yool felt relieved and leaned closer to Hong Yeon-hwa, rubbing his face against her chest.

“… Ahem, Hayul, why did you come out to greet me?”

Hong Yeon-hwa, who was stroking Lee Ha-yool’s head, blurted out the question she had been harboring for a while.

It’s not strange that they came out to pick us up, but today, everyone had made plans to meet at a cafe after finishing their exams.

Instead of going out of my way to pick up Hong Yeon-hwa, I could have gone straight to the cafe.

“Yes, I had something to say.”

“Yeah, what are you talking about?”

And of course, it seems he had other things to do.

When Hong Yeon-hwa asked with a slightly nervous expression, Lee Ha-yool looked up at her and opened his mouth.

“Why have you been making me uncomfortable since last time?”

“Me, me? When?”

Hong Yeon-hwa, feeling a pang inside, mumbled her words.

“Did I do something wrong again…?”

“No, absolutely not.”

But soon, I quickly shook my head at the sight of her sullen face, asking if it was her fault.

“Then why…?”

“Um… ”

The eyes that looked up at her anxiously, shaking her body slightly. Hong Yeon-hwa, who had been drooling and worrying, finally brought up the topic that had been bothering her for several days.

“That… There’s that elixir I gave you a long time ago. You took it, right?”

“Yes, I ate before the entrance ceremony.”

“What happened then?”

– flinch

Lee Ha-yool’s body trembled very faintly. It was a small tremor that even Hong Yeon-hwa, who had sharp senses, almost missed. Hong Yeon-hwa’s eyes narrowed.

“Oh, oh… Nothing happened.”

“Really? You’re not lying?”

Hong Yeon-hwa lowered her head. Lee Ha-yul glanced at Hong Yeon-hwa’s serious face that filled his vision.

“… Um, uh… A little something happened, but in the end, there was no problem.”

‘Fuck.’

A little, a very small thing.

Iharul talked around it, but in the end, what happened was this.

At that moment, Hong Yeon-hwa’s head rang. Her stomach started to churn.

I am wearing the gift that Lee Ha-yul gave me well, but Lee Ha-yul says that he had a problem after taking the elixir she gave him.

Taking the elixir causes problems. It doesn’t sound good at all.

If an accident occurs due to elixir, it can cause problems with the core or circuit, and in some cases, even life-threatening situations…

Lee Ha-yool was startled by the sight of Hong Yeon-hwa staggering slightly and clung to her.

“Yes, it’s true! I was a little surprised at the time, but in the end, it only benefited me! There were no problems! You saw it in the Tower of Growth, I got so much stronger!”

Lee Ha-yool’s explanation continued. I felt a little bit better after hearing that, but more than that, my head started to spin.

Hong Yeon-hwa hugged Lee Ha-yul tightly, who was squirming in her arms.

“Ah…Fuck, Hayul, I’m really sorry…”

“Hey, don’t swear… And, it’s really okay… ”

“I’m sorry… ”

“It was really okay… ”

Although everyone was looking at him, Lee Ha-yool only cared about Hong Yeon-hwa and stamped his feet.

“Ah! Then, let’s say Yeonhwa did something very wrong, and compensate me just a little bit.”

The answer came out while turning his head. As Lee Ha-yool brought up the topic, Hong Yeon-hwa, whose eyes had become dull, also met his gaze.

“Compensation… Yeah, that’s right. I’ll do whatever I can… ”

A voice soaked in gloom rang out. Lee Ha-yool couldn’t hide his bewilderment at the sight of Hong Yeon-hwa, who was more depressed than he had expected.

“Uh… kiss, kiss?”

So the words came out without being properly filtered.

For a moment, light entered Hong Yeon-hwa’s dull eyes.

“Softening…? Wait, wait, not now! Here in the middle of the road…!? Thud, hic, squeak… ”

[happiness]

As the silence grew, a small voice rang out from above.

* * *

The day after the written test, a practical evaluation was conducted.

Likewise, it wasn’t as grand as the first semester.

Unlike the first semester, where a tournament was held, outsiders were invited, and even a broadcast was conducted, in the second semester, only major practical training was conducted.

The practical test I will be taking this time is a combat-related one, and the content is a duel between randomly matched cadets, three times each.

‘Who will I end up with?’

The place where the practical training was conducted was the fighting hall, which had numerous training grounds.

As the name suggests, it is equipped with all kinds of training facilities, and is used when many cadets have to compete, such as during midterm evaluations.

So early in the morning, on the third basement floor of the struggle hall.

I entered the training ground assigned to me and waited for my opponent.

Still, since it’s a midterm evaluation, I’ll probably be in the same first year. If I do well, I might be in the same class as Baek A-rin or Hong Yeon-hwa.

… I ran there in a hurry to avoid all the stares from everyone around me since morning, so I think I’ll feel a little awkward if I run into Hong Yeon-hwa again.

Fortunately, the opponent was not Hong Yeon-hwa.

Instead, an unexpected opponent opened the door on the opposite side and came in.

“Katsuki Yusei, it’s been a while since our last meeting. Please take care of me.”

A male cadet with slightly dull silver hair and eyes.

He is also a member of the Sanhyouken clan, a representative force in the Japanese region. He is a leading figure who will become the leader of the Sanhyouken clan in the future.

‘hmm…’

I was watching him coming from afar and had a strange expression on my face.

I had intended to become a little closer to him, but somehow we haven’t been able to become a proper close friend until now.

At best, he flew in during the freshman orientation and knocked me out, and I only received a brief apology for that.

From then on, the most we could do was greet each other at the Ipchun class assembly.

[Yes, please take care of it]

First, we nodded our heads.

If you think about it, he was actually a good opponent.

This is my chance to get revenge on the baseball that hit me like a baseball during the freshman orientation.

I still vividly remember the heavy impact that came flying in and struck me in an instant, and the stars that popped up in my pitch-black vision.

It wasn’t really their fault, but anyway, that’s how it is.

In fact, the verification of skills is also significant.

The first fight between superhumans I’ve ever witnessed in this world.

At the time, it was a chance to directly fight an opponent who seemed so dizzying as to how on earth he could move.

… Also, right now I just wanted to clear my head by practicing…

He shook his face, which was about to turn red, and pulled out the sparring sword hanging from his waist.

-Slurp…!

My nerves were tense at the cool sound that came as the sword brushed against my scabbard.