Episode 10 The Hero’s Appearance is Always Late (1)
This morning, the academy director Media suddenly called me through the dormitory supervisor. At first, I was nervous, but the dorm supervisor said that it was the academy’s custom to have a private meeting between the top student and the academy director.
In front of the principal’s office door.
I tidied up my clothes and knocked on the door.
Knock knock knock
“Director, this is Ganggeomma.”
-Oh, come in.
A seductive voice came from beyond the door. I opened the door cautiously. A large desk filled to the brim with books and scrolls. Old books were also tightly packed on the bookshelf next to it.
The window behind the desk was made of colorful stained glass. The soft lighting created an old-fashioned and dreamy atmosphere. It felt like an extension of the Academy Library. But it was a bit dirty.
“Oh my, our sword horse has lost a lot of weight! Now all the aegyo has come off, my child.”
“… … .”
“Just a moment. Put some clothes on and let’s talk.”
Media was belatedly pulling up her robe that had flowed down to her upper chest. Even though I had clearly knocked and said I would come in. She was a woman whose true nature was transparent, in many ways. She was the type of person who was difficult to deal with because her outside and inside were too similar.
“Shall we come again next time?”
“No, what are you talking about! I’m a busy woman!”
The collar of her robe was loosely tied on purpose, so it seemed like her chest would be visible if she moved even a little. When I lowered my gaze to that sight, Media was smirking as if she was excited about something and buttoned up her robe all the way. Every time her transparent flesh showed through the robe, the red magazine I had read at the library yesterday came to mind.
“What would you like to drink? We have almost all the drinks sold at the on-campus mart, including green tea, coffee, and black tea.”
Media said, brushing her hair back pleasantly and opening the refrigerator door.
I nodded my head vigorously in agreement.
It’s been two days since I started drinking tap water because I couldn’t afford the murderous prices of the on-campus mart. I don’t have time to worry about shame. It would be right to just accept it when it’s given to me.
“Then please give me the green tea hiyashi.”
“Yeah, what?”
When the old habit came up, Media blinked quickly several times. A brief look of confusion quickly crossed her face.
“You want something cold?”
“Oh, yes.”
Media smiled faintly and handed me a green tea bottle as if throwing it at me, then sat down across from me and crossed her legs. The fat on her thighs was provocative.
“What is Hiyashi, Hiyashi? Kenma, if you get to know me, isn’t the core an old man or something?”
“Pfft!”
At those words, Sare spit out the green tea as it was. The end of Media’s robe became slightly wet.
“Oh my, this one too. Drink slowly, slowly. So no one will steal it from you.”
She opened her eyes wide, came over to me, sat down next to me, gently patted my back, and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. I glanced at her and thought.
‘I wish I wasn’t seventy.’
I nodded slightly, brushing away my cold chest. It was a gesture of gratitude.
Then a pleasant smile appeared on Media’s face.
“How is life at the academy?”
“… Well, well… so-so.”
To be honest, it’s not easy, but I can’t say to her, “What? The Academy sucks?” after she showed me such consideration.
‘still…….’
I have to say what I have to say.
“But are the prices at the on-campus mart really that expensive? What, a bottle of water costs ten thousand won… .”
Media laughs and giggles at my words.
Are you laughing? Are you laughing at the common people?
Media, who had been laughing and holding her stomach while shedding tears for a long time, seemed to have calmed down a bit and took a sip of her teacup. The fragrant scent of black tea tickled the tip of her nose.
“Sorry, sorry. It’s just too cute and funny how you talk like a housewife, Geumma. If I offended you, I apologize.”
She took another sip of her tea and tapped the glass with her finger as she spoke.
“Right? The on-campus mart is freaking expensive, right? My hands start shaking when I try to buy something there, too.”
“The principal?”
When I tilted my head and asked, Media sighed and added.
“This position is only called the principal. The salary is low and the benefits are not that great. It’s literally an honorary position. I’m currently serving in this position because the previous principal passed it on to me, but I also want to get out of that desk as soon as possible.”
Media paused for a moment, lost in thought.
Her side, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, had a mature beauty different from Abel’s. When I looked at her for a moment, a faint smile appeared on her face.
“Why? Are you so pretty that I’m going to lose myself in it? Or should we both just run away from the academy together?”
‘It’s so sweet?’
Even if I leave Media aside, if I can just escape from this academy, I won’t have to carry out the annoying plans I’ve made in the future. When I gulped and made a serious expression, Media smiled and touched my forehead with her delicate index finger.
“Our Geomma is cute. But not yet. I don’t know when you’re a little older, but you’re a student now and I’m a teacher. Let’s think about it after we graduate.”
Media giggled as if she found it amusing and crossed her legs in return. Then she took out a card from her bosom and handed it to him.
“Okay, you use this sword.”
“What is this?”
“It’s a faculty discount card, but I don’t shop much anyway, so it’s not really useful. If you compare it to the discounted price, it’s probably about the same as the prices outside of the academy.”
“Can you just give something like this to a student?”
“The student is starving, but as an educator, can’t you do this much? Also, there is a special privilege for being the top student. So, don’t feel pressured and accept it. I feel sorry that you gave it to me too late.”
He winks at me with one eye. Normally, I would have thought he was being cheeky, but now he just seemed adorable. To the point where I thought his age was just a facade.
As I quivered my lips in joy, Media smiled and clapped her hands as she spoke.
“Anyway, let’s end our conversation here for today! I have a bit of a packed schedule. Thank you for taking the time on Sunday! If you have any questions, come see me right away!”
The moment I bowed my head and stood in front of the door to say hello and leave, Media called out to me.
“Oh, right. Was the magazine fun?”
“… … .”
“Hehehe, our Geommado is a man too? If you want to see him in person, just tell me anytime.”
I left the office without even looking back.
The wise woman, Media. She was a woman I could never handle.
* * *
Academy life was more peaceful and smooth than I had expected.
I used to avoid eye contact with Chloe in the classroom because I was afraid of meeting her, but she had made friends and had blended in well with the class. Sometimes when we made eye contact, she would blush and turn her head away, making her characteristic ‘sigh’ sound. Every time, Chloe’s new friends would coldly glare at me.
Well, since I’m a special promotion student, I guess I’ll come to accept the indifferent, disregarding stares from people like that.
I wasn’t the only special promotion student in the class.
However, the number was small and for some reason, there was an atmosphere of mutual dislike. I think it might be a sense of entitlement as a special promotion student.
Still, I was proud of myself for sticking to the Lang class instead of choosing a higher class. By now, the students in the Star and Dragon classes would be forming factions by judging each other and engaging in a lot of political infighting.
Even during the Miracle Protection play, he would bite so viciously that it would make you stick out your tongue. Now that he’s a local here, if he were assigned to that class, he’d be pushed around here and there and wouldn’t be able to maintain his lonely, eccentric life.
‘It’s actually quite livable.’
Thanks to the faculty discount card given by Media, my overall quality of life has also improved. Although it is not abundant, I can eat a balanced diet. It was a favor that was not enough to bow to the headmaster’s office three times a day.
Also, as the nutrients were distributed to every corner of my body, the results of my training became more noticeable day by day. Perhaps because I was in the growth period, I felt like I was gaining muscle as I ate, and growing taller as I slept.
In reality, it wasn’t just my feeling, but the width of my school uniform pants was noticeably shorter than before I entered school.
Thinking back, I wasn’t aware of it, but I was faithfully fulfilling my duties as a student. I consistently participated in morning assembly and training, and tried to keep up with theory classes.
So far, so good. I haven’t left any traces or noticeable effects that could negatively affect the main scenario, even for a short period of time. The instructors also seemed to tacitly pretend not to know that I was the top student.
I was encouraged by the thought that if I could just maintain this state for three years, I would reach the inspiring future I had been dreaming of.
“Not yet… … .”
As I was staring blankly out the window with my chin resting on my hand, the class atmosphere suddenly became chaotic and all the students, except for two or three, left.
Of course, no one told me what had happened. Since no one cared anyway, I decided to take a nap during the short break. Whenever I felt tired, I had to take a nap to relieve it so I could concentrate on the lecture.
The theory class in the afternoon was about the history behind the founding of the Academy. It is said that history is a mirror that reflects the future, but for me, who knew the general story, it was a meaningless subject.
I carefully selected the textbooks that would become my nap companions, my mouth watering.
‘History books are too stiff and angular, and this book has so many doodles on the cover that it looks like it’ll leave marks on your face… ‘
at that time.
– ‘Wow, is that him?’
– ‘Wow, he’s really handsome.’
– ‘You’re not coming to our class, are you?’
– ‘Hey, it’s a star class.’
The commotion from the hallway grew louder. For some reason, a strange atmosphere seemed to have settled among the students. I didn’t pay much attention to it and resumed my pillow-selection work. An inexplicable sense of discomfort quickly passed through my chest.
‘What day is it today?’
I took out my phone and checked the date.
“May 5, 2034”
‘no way?’
I left the classroom in a hurry and looked for a place where the attention of the students who were already there was focused.
There were too many people. I pushed my way through the crowd and headed forward. Whenever I passed by someone in the middle of the crowd, they would look at me with contempt, but I didn’t care.
After pushing through the crowd for quite some time, I was finally able to reach the front row. After catching my ragged breath, I quickly looked around. Then I asked the rough-looking female student next to me.
“Is anyone here today?”
“I feel bad, so can you please stop talking to me?”
He gives me a bird-like look in his eyes, as if he doesn’t want to mix words with the color of my name tag.
“If you don’t want to be left behind, answer.”
When I raised my eyes and threatened him slightly, he looked startled and pointed in the direction with his eyes. Soon after, my head turned in that direction as if it was being drawn to a magnet. And then I muttered with a blank expression.
“You came.”
The protagonist of this world.
Leon van Reinhardt.
He was clear.
