The Pride Of The Academy?

The secretary with the familiar face Ro-un had seen a few times at the Association and in the chairman’s office spoke with a smile as smooth as if it had been painted on.

“My apologies. The chairman is currently unavailable.”

He felt like he had heard that line somewhere before.
Ro-un looked at him suspiciously, but the tiger wearing a human shell didn’t budge.
Faced with the secretary tiger’s face, rigid as though hidden behind an iron mask, Ro-un spoke first.

“…Really?”
“Yes. The princess said she wanted some local specialties from Mount Jiri, so he hurriedly gathered some and went up to Seoul.”
“Ah.”

Mount Jiri specialties?
This place had things like that?

‘No matter how I look at it, it sounds like an excuse. Am I supposed to believe this or not?’

Ro-un looked at the secretary with clear suspicion, but as though he had expected exactly that, the man brought up a hologram video as proof.
The hologram showed Baek Ho-yeon carrying a pile of strange things while standing with In-woo.
What he was holding looked like nothing more than trash he had picked up off the street, but seeing In-woo jump up in delight at it, apparently they counted as gifts.

“So it’s true….”

Right. This tiger really was one who cherished his own kind.
And if it was the princess, who until recently had practically been waiting for the day of her death, then of course he would cherish her even more fiercely.

‘Do Divine Beasts just all dote on their own children by nature?’

He only knew two Divine Beasts, so it was hard to generalize carelessly, but the two he knew both doted on their children.
In any case, asking to see the chairman in a situation like this would be pointless.

‘Right. It’s not like he’s the previous chairman. Baek Ho-yeon has no reason to avoid me.’

He had only gotten the wrong idea because that secretary tiger had used such a familiar line.
The feeling still left him vaguely uneasy, but surely it was just his imagination.
Hahaha. A Divine Beast of all things wouldn’t make empty promises like some human and then fail to keep them.

‘Right. It’s just my imagination.’

Thinking that, Ro-un turned and left, telling himself there would be a next time.
But it was not his imagination.
For the next half month, Ro-un was turned away with that same line over and over again.

‘You tiger who’s only white on the outside!’

Ro-un raised his middle finger at the image of Baek Ho-yeon, who was grinning and waving at him.

Bubble, bubble.

A red stew bubbled in a pot atop the cooking device installed in the room assigned to him.
The sharp smell spread through the room, but to Ro-un the red broth looked exactly like his insides, as though lava were erupting.
Because that damned tiger, white only in hide and black inside, would not sign the consent form and kept avoiding him.

‘What really pisses me off is that he’s handling everything else while refusing to sign only my consent form.’

Not long ago, Ro-un had reported his item to the Association, and when the Association requested the chairman’s seal regarding ownership, Baek Ho-yeon had stamped it without hesitation.
Of course, this was an age where approvals no longer had to be done in an office and could be handled remotely or by electronic document, but perhaps because this tiger was an analog tiger from the ’80s, he still handled work with paper in his office.
Which meant that this tiger had, in fact, stamped the Association’s item-use approval in the chairman’s office!

‘He’s at the academy and still avoiding me!?’

Ro-un’s insides boiled.
Humans and tigers were all the same when it came to not listening to people!
Wasn’t all that talk about being his benefactor just a lie!?
At this point, he could not even tell whether it was his insides burning or the contents of the pot!
And from behind him came a voice that had no idea what state his insides were in.

“Lee Ro-un, is it done yet?”
“Not yet.”
“Hahahaha! That dish looks quite spicy. The smell alone is enough to make me drool!”

And what was he supposed to do about that?
No, why was this idiot causing a scene in someone else’s dorm room in the first place?
Ro-un turned to look at Cheon Su-ho, whose face alone was poking out from behind him.
Ro-un himself was over 180 cm like any proper Awakener, yet this guy, unmistakably a combat-type, was somehow peering over even his shoulder.

“What is it?”
“Nothing.”

‘All height and no sense!’

Maybe because his insides were already boiling, it felt like his emotional fuse had grown shorter.
For some reason, Cheon Su-ho’s perfectly cheerful face looked even more irritating than usual today.

‘Lee Ro-un! Have you eaten dinner?’

Ignoring Cheon Su-ho, who asked after his well-being like a true Korean by asking whether he had eaten, Ro-un had been checking the engraved plates Joo Hee-jun had made, only to end up being forced into sharing dinner thanks to Cheon Su-ho barging through the door.

“Ugh. Do you really have to eat something that spicy on a day like this?”

The hooded lump sprawled out at the table after a hard day’s labor spoke up.
Cheon Su-ho, practically attached to Ro-un’s back, smiled brightly at Joo Hee-jun’s complaint and said,

“Shouldn’t one eat something delicious on a good day? And I wanted to share a meal with my friends.”

At Cheon Su-ho’s innocent words, both Ro-un and Joo Hee-jun were left speechless for a moment.
If he said it like that, how were they supposed to tell him to get lost?
Unable to say something cruel in the face of such pure goodwill, both of them sharply turned their heads away.

“What are you on about? Hey. Is there any more milk?”
“Just drink water.”
“Joo Hee-jun. A true Korean should know how to enjoy at least this much spice.”
“I just don’t want to suffer in the bathroom tomorrow, okay?”

…Why did he have to be looking at these two in his dorm room on a day like this?
Ro-un let out a dark sigh and stirred the ladle through the stew.
He was already on edge because of the tiger avoiding him left and right, and now these two were making even his mind restless.
The speed at which he stirred the ladle increased.

“Lee Ro-un, it looks done now.”

Clack!

Ro-un set the ladle down and turned off the heat.

“I’ll carry it.”
“Forget it. Just put down the trivet.”
“Alright, Lee Ro-un!”

Cheon Su-ho shot off at once.
Ever since he got mana, he really was flying around everywhere.
When he brought the finished food over to the table, Cheon Su-ho and Joo Hee-jun looked up at him like chicks waiting for their parents to bring food.

“Eat.”
“Thanks for the meal, Lee Ro-un!”
“I don’t like spicy food.”
“If you’re going to whine, get out.”

At Ro-un’s sharp reply, Joo Hee-jun tightly shut his mouth and spooned food onto his plate.

‘He’s going to eat it anyway, and still he complains.’

Ro-un scooped up a spoonful of the broth that looked as if it would burn through his insides and ate first.
Only after Ro-un had taken a bite did the others begin using their utensils.
The sound of utensils tapping against dishes filled the table.

“Lee Ro-un. Eat properly. How are you supposed to build any muscle eating like that?”
“I eat well enough.”
“Leave him. He’s a healer anyway. It’s not like he’s got muscl—kuhek!”

Thud!

At the punch that struck like lightning, grains of rice flew out of Joo Hee-jun’s mouth.

“If you don’t want to get punched by a healer with less muscle than you, shut up and eat.”
“Yesh.”

Ro-un sighed and picked up his spoon again.
Haah. How had he ended up letting these idiots into his room?
Cheon Su-ho looked at the two of them with a warm expression, like someone watching friends who had fought make up again.

“You two have gotten much closer.”
“In what world,”
“Your mouth.”
“So I’m the one in the weaker position here, is that it?!”
“If it bothers you that much, you can quit even now.”
“You’re telling me to quit now after I came this far and got nothing out of it?!”
“If you don’t like it, then shut up.”
“…If I shut up, how am I supposed to eat?”
“Hahahahaha! You two really do get along well!”

Muttering that life was too unfair, Joo Hee-jun grumbled.
That brat still had enough strength left to complain.
He would have to work him even harder until he did not even have the strength to hold chopsticks.
Unaware of the Calamity that would soon arrive, Joo Hee-jun shoveled rice into his mouth with determination.

Munch, munch.

“So, Joo Hee-jun. When do you think the work will be finished?”
“…They say you’re not even supposed to bother a dog while it’s eating.”

Joo Hee-jun shot Ro-un a resentful look.

“Hahahahaha! Isn’t today a rare day off? Why not take it easy?”
“I wish it were always May.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because there are lots of days off.”

After slurping some broth, Joo Hee-jun answered as if the question were obvious.

“You think so too, right, Lee Ro-un?”
“Not really. I don’t agree that you can actually rest in May.”

Unlike you two, who were idle both before the regression and now, he had too much to do.
He had to hurry and sell the item, make money, and stop the Calamity too.

“Hahahahaha. I’ve heard that the more events there are, the more work the student council has. Since you’re the president, of course you’d be busy, Lee Ro-un.”
“Oh, right.”
“I’m not the president. I haven’t even gone to the student council for quite a while.”
“But you haven’t formally resigned yet, have you?”
“That’s true. There hasn’t even been a student council election. Huh? Then who’s actually running the student council right now?”
“They’ll manage somehow without me. I already sent in a written resignation.”

Because procedure mattered.
If he did not do it, then ‘that guy’ would be the one running the student council.
It was obvious that he would suffer doing it alone, but that didn’t exactly stir any sympathy.

‘He became vice president because of extracurricular activities or whatever, but in reality he was just a parasite feeding off the work I did. This time, without me, he’ll be running around like a colt with its ass on fire.’

Serves him right.
Ro-un inwardly sneered at the image of ‘that guy’ running around like a colt, then resumed eating.
The news was playing on the hologram TV.
Ro-un turned it on every day without fail in case there was some incident he had overlooked.

[Next report. At noon today, a three-man robbery took place at an OO Bank branch in Seocho-dong. The three robbers, presumed to be Awakeners, were subdued by the Awakener Response Unit dispatched to the scene, and fortunately no casualties have been confirmed.]

On the hologram screen, the suspected robbers burst in wearing black masks.
One of them seemed to be an Awakener, as he stretched out his hand threateningly toward the civilians.
A machine in the direction he pointed exploded without any warning.

“I should have been there!”
“And what would you have done if you were there? There were hostages.”

Ignoring Cheon Su-ho’s indignant outburst and Joo Hee-jun’s flat reply, Ro-un focused on figuring out the three robbers’ abilities.

“The other two look like ordinary enhancement-types, but is one of them some kind of telekinesis-type Awakener?”
“I can’t say for sure since I wasn’t there, but there are spells similar to that. Still, if it activated without an incantation, it would have to be pretty high-level.”
“If I had been there, I would have taken them all down!”
“Cheon Su-ho. Just because you awakened mana doesn’t mean you became a god. There were that many hostages there. What could you really have done? You should just wait for the police or the Awakener Response Unit to arrive.”

Watching Cheon Su-ho bristle at the news, Ro-un answered flatly.

“At the very least I could have helped take down the villains!”
“Oh, give it a rest. Have you forgotten that we can’t use our abilities outside passages yet? Unless you’re working as a pro or as an Awakener civil servant, you’re not allowed to use them.”
“I know! But bad people must be stopped!”
“And I’m saying that if we go after bad guys, we could end up getting arrested as bad guys too.”

Watching Cheon Su-ho completely fail to understand reason, Ro-un pressed a hand to his forehead.
The problem with this idiot was that he saw the world in far too simple terms.
If it were enough to just beat up the bad guys and be done with it, why would other Awakeners all hold themselves back?

‘Sure, part of it is that it doesn’t pay, but mostly it’s because if civilians get caught up in it by mistake, you’ll get dragged off by the Awakener Response Unit!’

Did he not realize this was no longer the chaotic early period of the upheaval, but a world where you could not casually use your powers without authorization?
Ro-un had no idea how he was supposed to teach a fool like this the harshness of the world.
So Ro-un changed the subject.

“Right. Cheon Su-ho, shouldn’t you be taking your Awakener rank promotion exam?”

The Awakener Rank Promotion Exam.
It was the exam taken by those whose capabilities had changed significantly or who had accumulated enough achievements to qualify for promotion.
Since Cheon Su-ho had resolved his during field training and gained mana, the results had been reported immediately, meaning he had to go to the Awakener Association in Seoul to take the promotion exam.

If not for , Cheon Su-ho would have been scouted by numerous guilds long ago.
A man who had reached B-rank through sheer talent and effort was now challenging A-rank after overcoming .

‘If it’s Cheon Su-ho, he’ll pass the promotion exam easily enough.’

If Cheon Su-ho was promoted this time, his name too would be added to the list of rising prospects.
It was something Ro-un had never seen before the regression.

“As it happens, I already submitted the application.”
“When is it?”
“This weekend.”
“What!? That soon?”

Ah, seriously.
At least swallow what’s in your mouth before you speak.
Ro-un leaned away as grains of rice flew through the air.

“Hahahahaha! The sooner, the better, isn’t it! There just happened to be an A-rank promotion exam this month, so I applied as soon as field training ended.”
“That works out nicely. You’ve gained mana, and you’ve got the record of clearing a dual passage, so your qualifications are more than enough.”
“Hahahahaha! Indeed!”
“Urgh. To think Zero Mana is getting promoted.”
“Joo Hee-jun. Work harder. You should get promoted soon too.”
“I know already!”

Joo Hee-jun snapped back irritably at Ro-un’s words.
It seemed to bother him that while he himself was still stuck at C-rank, the guy who used to have zero mana was already overtaking him.

“There’s no need to get worked up. If you just do what you’re told properly, you’ll be promoted soon too.”
“You keep making me do grunt work every day.”
“If you hate it that much, then quit.”
“Ah, I said I’ll do it!”

Joo Hee-jun grumbled as he continued eating.

“Hahahahaha! You two really seem close!”
“In what world.”
“In what world?!”
“See? Isn’t that nice?”

What a carefree idiot.

Clatter.

After the meal, Cheon Su-ho did the dishes while Joo Hee-jun wiped down the table.
Leaving the cleanup to the two of them, Ro-un checked his messages.
As he wiped the table, Joo Hee-jun kept sneaking glances at Ro-un.

“Why are you looking at me?”
“M-me? Looking at what?”

Was that supposed to be a confession?
Ro-un looked at Joo Hee-jun, who was practically announcing with his whole body that he had been peeking, in utter disbelief.
At that moment, the message updated.
After reading it, Ro-un’s eyes narrowed.

“Lee Ro-un. Are you going to Seoul this weekend too?”

Appearing behind him, Cheon Su-ho peeked at the message and asked.
Ro-un shut off the hologram and shot Cheon Su-ho a glare.
Why were all of them like this…!

“You. Why are you peeking at someone else’s messages?”
“If you’re going this weekend, then we can go together!”
“Cheon Su-ho. Don’t you know you’re not supposed to peek at other people’s messages?”
“Is that so? But we’re not strangers. We’re friends, aren’t we!”

Weren’t friends still other people?
He wanted to say that outright, but if he did, Cheon Su-ho would probably wilt on the spot with a devastated expression.
Ro-un, who had no desire to see such a huge guy looking dejected, let out a sigh and said,

“Hoo. Fine. Yeah. I’m going to Seoul this weekend too.”
“Hahahahaha! Then we can book the D-train together. I’ll check for side-by-side seats right away.”
“Do we have to? There probably aren’t any seats left. And there’s no reason we need to sit together—”
“I-I! I’ll look it up.”
“Joo Hee-jun… why are you getting involved now too.”

Ro-un dragged a hand over his face.

“You. Say that after you’ve finished the quota for the week.”
“I can finish that by Friday!”
“You don’t need to go to Seoul.”
“Well, that’s, I mean…”
“Hahahahaha. Isn’t it nice for friends to all go together?”
“Y-yeah! Exactly that!”

That sounded more like he just wanted to go play.
Had I been squeezing him too hard all this time?

‘Field training, engraving work, then actual field training. I really have been working him nonstop.’

Maybe it was time to ease up a little.
Humans were bound to push back if all you gave them was the whip.

“Then come too.”
“Oh! Got it! I’ll book the seats right now!”
“Hahahahaha. Let’s look together.”

Cheon Su-ho and Joo Hee-jun huddled together and started searching for open seats.
Somehow, it looked like he was going to end up taking the train to Seoul this weekend together with those idiots.

And then the weekend arrived.

“Hahahahaha! I never imagined the new chairman would come all the way here!”
“Oh my. If the pride of our academy is heading off for his promotion exam, then of course I, as chairman, ought to join him.”

Cheon Su-ho and Baek Ho-yeon chatted cheerfully, laughing together as though they were old friends.
Watching the two of them match each other’s level perfectly, Ro-un suppressed the sigh threatening to escape.

“…Hey. Since when did Cheon Su-ho become the pride of our academy? He’s a habitual truant.”
“I don’t know either.”

Looking at the several-thousand-year-old tiger wedged in among the students, Ro-un swallowed a sigh and turned his gaze out the window.
For some reason, he had a strong feeling this trip to Seoul was not going to be an easy one.