My Disciple Is Too Much Of A Genius, It Is Troublesome (3)

Gasp, gasp!!

I hurriedly drank water from the shock.

Oh, damn…
I thought I was going to suffocate to death.

Thanks to that, my breathing became easier, but the situation wasn’t resolved.

“……”

Peng Jin-ah.

She was looking at me with a subtle cloudiness in her eyes.

Wanting to know the truth…
Her gesture clearly asked for an explanation.

This is…
Quite troublesome.

‘…Did Ju Na-young mention it or something?’

Maybe.
They were said to be on good terms…
Well, Ju Na-young wouldn’t tell to trouble me on purpose.
It seemed more likely that she had let it slip by mistake.

“Um… well, you see…”

I smiled awkwardly, confessing with some truth hidden.

To unlock [Breath].

And to develop , I skipped all the difficult parts that would invite questions like ‘Where did you get that information from?’

“Given the situation… there was no choice. Only black smoke was coming out of Ju Na-young’s mouth. I thought if I guided the mana, it might work, so I tried it.”

“…Oh, I see… hmm…”

Peng Jin-ah nodded as if she finally understood.

The heavy atmosphere lightened considerably, as if some of the suspicion had been resolved.

In its place, however…

Peng Jin-ah kept coughing, her face flushed with heat.

“Th-then… so really…”

“Yes?”

“A-are you… d-dating Cadet Ju Na-young?”

Huh?

What on earth is she talking about?

Momentarily perplexed, I realized from Peng Jin-ah’s hesitant expression that she had been under a misunderstanding from the start.

‘I really am slow on the uptake.’

Now I finally understood.

It seemed Peng Jin-ah was worried.

Well, she was my master, after all.

“No, Master. Na-young and I are not in that kind of relationship.”
“R-really?”
“And don’t worry.”
“…Huh?”

I smiled gently and placed my hand on the back of Peng Jin-ah’s hand.

She flinched.

“Were you worried that I’d neglect training because of a romantic relationship?”
“Oh… huh?”

It was a concern one could certainly have.

If I were in her position, I would be worried too.

It wouldn’t look good if her neglected his training while chasing after a girl.

Was my answer correct?

Peng Jin-ah, who was flustered, nodded vigorously.

“Y-yes, that’s right! It’s still… um, it’s still too early. In addition, the [Overlord’s Annihilation] is the same. It’s still too early. At least you have to be in the second grade to be eligible to learn it properly.”

“…Oh, is it that late?”

“Y-yes, of course! After all, you can’t easily acquire the <Essence> of an Epic grade skill. A-anyway, Cadet Yu Seha, was there nothing else unusual?”

Something unusual…
Not really, I guess.

“Well, nothing much… except going to the amusement park with Ju Na-young.”

“…Amusement park?“

“Yes.”

“…Just the two of you?“

“Yes, oh, we also held hands.”

I finally added, “It was a fun time.”

“……”

Then the atmosphere became heavy once more.

Did I make a mistake again? I wondered as I looked at Peng Jin-ah.

“…Master?”
“…Yu Seha, it seems you’ve had enough rest. Grab your sword.”
“…Uh…? I thought today’s class was over…”
“I changed my mind. I’ll guide you once more, so pick up your sword.”

Peng Jin-ah, after finishing her words, stepped onto the training ground with a subtle air.

I sensed something was terribly wrong and slowly followed behind.

That day.
I sweated coldly through the unexpectedly intense training led by Peng Jin-ah.

After the [Interpersonal Combat Among Hunters] ended, the late evening came.

Slurp.

Sipping on the bitter black coffee, someone waited for a guest to arrive.

A song symbolizing a painful breakup played softly in the background.

―We broke up~
―I even thought about marrying you…

How many times did the song that tugged at Cha Yeo-ju’s heartstrings repeat?

Knock knock.

A soft knock resonated.

―Meow… Professor, you called for me.

“Come in.”

With Cha Yeo-ju’s permission, the door creaked open.
A petite girl with adorable cat ears peeked inside, her face charmingly small.

“Meow…”
“……”

Cha Yeo-ju thought.
Even after seeing her again…
She really resembled the Senior.

The Senior, despite being bear-like, often showed such a gentle side…

And his daughter, Ma Hana, displayed a similar appearance.

Cha Yeo-ju soon stopped thinking.

“Please sit.”
“Meow, okay…”

“Meow…”

At Cha Yeo-ju’s gesture, Ma Hana carefully sat on the chair.

With both hands gathered on her lap, she timidly looked around.

The room was filled with items associated with past relationships.

And even the song playing whispered, ‘We broke up~’ with such lyrics…

Ma Hana already felt self-conscious, and the atmosphere made it even more difficult.

A subtle silence followed.

Ma Hana, feeling the piercing gaze of Cha Yeo-ju fixed solely on her face, internally repeated ‘Meow…’ over and over.

Then, a word came from Cha Yeo-ju’s mouth.

“…Cocoa.”
“Mmm?”
“Do you like cocoa?”

It was an unexpected question, but Ma Hana nodded briefly.

In fact, Ma Hana liked cocoa.

Her father, who had a sweet tooth, often made it for her.

At her response, a faint smile appeared on Cha Yeo-ju’s lips.

That smile.

It was a smile Ma Hana knew very well.

‘…It’s the smile that Hyeja unnie often gives me when she looks at me…’

It was a face projecting a beloved person.

Click.

A moment later, Cha Yeo-ju served a cup of cocoa.

With whipped cream, marshmallows, and cocoa powder…

Ma Hana’s eyes widened at the unexpectedly luxurious appearance.

“U-um. C-can I drink this?”
“Of course.”
“Th-thank you…”

Ma Hana cautiously took a sip.

Warm yet sweet, with a hint of bitterness, a smile naturally formed at the corners of her mouth.

“You look really alike.”
“Meow…?”

She asked back, but she just silently…
Stared at Ma Hana, lost in thought.

Thanks to that, she realized.
That gaze wasn’t on her.

She was surely lost in memories and recollections of the past.

‘Meow…’

Nom nom.

Ma Hana, nibbling on the marshmallow atop the cup, pondered.

Indeed, the professor in front of her…

Must be someone connected to her father.

‘No doubt about it.’

Though she often just said ‘Meow~’.

Surprisingly, Ma Hana was very perceptive.

She was a who had been at the very bottom.

It was an environment where if you didn’t read and grasp the surrounding atmosphere and respond quickly, you couldn’t survive.

Naturally, she managed to endure for a year because she caught on quickly.

In Ma Hana’s eyes, Cha Yeo-ju was a truly strange person.

‘…It’s subtle.’

Cha Yeo-ju disliked her.

No, that was too strong a word.

It would be more accurate to say she wasn’t particularly fond of her.

It was a feeling of rejection, dislike, and scoff.

These were things Ma Hana, who had been despised for a long time, was quite familiar with.

‘…However.’

This was a bit peculiar.

Usually, those who disliked Ma Hana were primarily driven by disgust and disappointment over her being a useless burden.

However, Cha Yeo-ju’s gaze felt entirely different.

‘How should I put it…? While feeling sorry… While disliking…’

Her actions were clearly considerate towards her, which made her feel perplexed.

“It’s late… Thank you for coming.”
“Uh, uh, it’s nothing.”

In that moment, Cha Yeo-ju’s single comment sliced through her thoughts, bringing her back to reality.

“…We’re both people with a lot to do… I’ll keep it short and simple.”
“Uh… okay!”

What followed was unexpected.
Ma Hana’s eyes widened at the completely unforeseen words.

“Would you consider becoming my disciple?”
“…D-disciple?”
“Yes, it’s something akin to an … We won’t be together that long, nor share a common source. I merely intend to pass on the shield technique that I possess.”
“…!!”

The word made Ma Hana flinch involuntarily.

‘Kalas, she said…?’

The shield technique.

Unlike using a shield as a secondary weapon, it was fast and aggressive…

Yet, it was a professional based on defense as solid as a mountain.

Commonly known as the immovable , it was well recognized.

Ma Hana was also a who primarily handled shields.

She had heard of it, but she had never seen anyone use it directly…

‘I never thought the professor would have learned that.’

And to think she would pass it on to her…
It was even more puzzling.
Then Cha Yeo-ju showed a slightly concerned expression.

“…Do you dislike the idea?”
“Meow! Oh, no. It would be an honor for me… but why would you…?”
“…Because it seems necessary to keep a promise.”
“A promise…?”

Despite Ma Hana’s question, Cha Yeo-ju only gave a faint smile.

Shortly after.

Ma Hana said, “Th-thank you. I’ll work hard!” and left.

“……”

Cha Yeo-ju silently stared at the door Ma Hana had just exited.

Soon, without realizing it, a heartfelt whisper escaped her lips.

“…If only she were my real daughter… if only she were a child I bore…“

That would have been nice.

Cha Yeo-ju shook her head.
It was a meaningless thought.

She quietly unlocked the bottom drawer.

Inside was a very old notebook.
It was labeled with the owner’s name, “Ma Tae-han.”

“……”

The reason Cha Yeo-ju was teaching Ma Hana the shield technique.

It was merely a stepping stone and an intermediary phase for her growth.

The true purpose was for this notebook left by her predecessor…

To nurture Ma Hana until she was ready to accept it.

“……”

Cha Yeo-ju steeled her resolve.

‘Understood, Senior.’

I don’t like it, but she’s your daughter.
Just as Im Hyeja became a mother to her…
I will do what I can for that child as well.

‘…So…’

When we meet in the afterlife…
You must praise me for doing well, okay…?

Inside the “Gonis Hunter Academy”.
The undisputed strongest .
Inside the sacred martial arts hall of .

“Argh!”

Bang!

A woman was swinging a mace indiscriminately in her hand.

The training dummy struck by the mace was shattered.

Even though the battle had long ended, she didn’t stop.

The woman continued to pummel the dummies with the mace for a while, relieving her stress.

-Huff, huff…

The woman took a deep breath and threw off the suffocating veil covering her face.

Her distinctively faded pink hair cascaded down like a waterfall.

Inside, her bloodshot eyes and her deranged state were evident.

The woman was none other than Chaeng Daram.

She was biting her nails to the point of bleeding, trembling violently.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!!!”

Choi Mari.

That despicable woman.

A worthless woman who was beneath her.

That woman…
That woman finally rose up.
It was confirmed she’d advance to the third year.

‘Meanwhile, I…’

Almost half certain to be held back.
Chaeng Daram trembled all over.
No.
Not like this… it can’t be.
Staying in the second year was one thing, but…
In the worst case…

“…I might be kicked out of .”

That cannot happen.
Having grown up as an orphan, Chaeng Daram had dedicated her entire life to this place.
To go back to being an ordinary now?
Don’t be ridiculous.
She was the one who truly deserved to be the next Mother Superior.
How much had she strived for that…!

“…Fuck, fuck!!!”

Chaeng Daram screamed with such intensity that tears welled up.

It was at that moment.

She quickly turned her head at the unmistakable sign of someone approaching.

As she saw the person walking towards her, her eyes widened in surprise.

Though the hood was pulled over…
It was undoubtedly someone she knew.

“Wh-what?”

Why are you here?