Episode 164 K-Hero (2)
A quiet hallway. The sound of two people’s footsteps and one person’s heartbeat could be heard faintly.
Again, again, again.
Only when the door of the Ganggeomma came into view did the emergency lights above Saki’s head turn on.
‘How did things turn out like this?’
It took me so long to pull myself together.
Why, why! Why did you suddenly start mumbling about wanting to eat kimchi stew?
Is it because I’ve been watching so many YouTube videos about Ganggeomma lately? Because they’re always spamming me with thumbnails with the letter K on them? Is that why you suddenly started talking about kimchi?
What’s even funnier is that I didn’t say that completely unconsciously.
It was a line that came from the boundary between consciousness and unconsciousness, so it was even more confusing.
Besides, a little while ago, when I entered this dormitory, the headmistress looked at me with a strange look.
Saki tried to ask something back, but the warden lowered the shutter as if he hadn’t seen anything. The warden’s gaze wouldn’t leave her mind.
‘No! I told you to listen to the Korean until the end! Why! It’s always the other person who makes up the words!’
Didn’t the academy’s rules clearly state that “dating is prohibited”?
It was also funny that men and women could freely come and go from the dormitory.
No matter how much freedom the cadets are guaranteed, shouldn’t there be at least some minimum regulations?
‘Even though I think like this, in the end I too… … .’
Haa- Saki sighed, frowning.
Okay, we’ve come this far. Let’s be a little more honest with ourselves.
Because it was my first time going to a men’s room, I was nervous.
Let’s think about it. Kang Geum-ma is a level 0 person with no sense of humor. Except for the occasional ‘reward’, he is indifferent to desires, unlike a teenager.
What’s the probability of something happening with him? It approaches 0.
My pride is hurt in that regard… … .
Saki, who had been following behind, suddenly looked at Kanggeomma’s back.
‘Ganggeomma, I don’t think he would treat anyone to a meal privately… and I don’t think he would let anyone into his room.’
A flash of electricity flashed through Saki’s mind. Then, she would be the first in all of these things. A smile appeared on her lips.
At that moment, Kang Geum-ma’s steps stopped. Saki, who suddenly came to her senses, also stopped abruptly.
“They’re all here, here they come.”
“Ah. Ugh, yeah.”
Kanggeomma asked just before turning the doorknob.
“It’ll be a lot smaller than your dorm. Do you want to just go out and buy something to eat right now?”
Saki shook her head stubbornly.
“It’s okay. And our dorm is unnecessarily large. It’s strange that the cadet dormitory is that big.”
“If you don’t mind.”
Squeak-
The doorknob was finally turned. Saki swept her chest and calmed herself down.
As she entered the room, Saki instinctively looked around the interior. As expected, the room was not very large.
Roughly 5 pyeong? However, because it was so well organized, it felt more spacious.
All items, including pillows, blankets, textbooks, and introductory books, are sharply angled.
The men’s room had socks strewn across the floor, and I imagined myself as a squeamish bachelor.
‘Oh my – look at this kid. He should clean up a bit and live!’ After lightly reprimanding him, he cleaned up a bit too.
I thought so… … .
Saki let out a sigh of relief. This was much neater than her own room.
There wasn’t a speck of dust, and I didn’t smell anything at all. It was literally a clean room with no color or smell.
It was because Kang Geum-ma worked in the kitchen, the front line of cleanliness. Not to mention the fact that he had dedicated three years to the country. The habits that had been ingrained in him over the years had continued into this life.
Kanggeomma gestured to the bed as Saki, who was wandering around like a meerkat, walked over.
“Sit over there.”
“…Can I sit on the bed?”
“There is a chair, but it’s too hard to sit on. By the way, I just washed the blanket yesterday, so it’s fluffy.”
“No… That’s not what I meant… … Anyway, thank you… … .”
Saki, who was sitting on the bed, quietly turned her gaze towards the kitchen.
The sight of Kang Geum-ma carefully examining the ingredients he bought at the mart.
“It seems like there are no issues with the expiration date or freshness.”
After finishing his inspection, Kang Geum-ma rolled up the hem of his shirt by an inch. He held the sashimi, revealing his solid arm muscles.
Saki stared at the scene, lost in thought.
It is certainly a small and simple space, but it still has a sense of satisfaction that fills my heart.
It was completely different from my home, which was dirty and spacious and stuffy and suffocating.
‘house…….’
During the vacation when I didn’t return to Japan, there wasn’t even a word from home.
You probably don’t even care whether your daughter comes home or not.
I felt better now that I was abandoned by my father. It was a chain of conflict that was wrong from the start.
When Saki was thirteen, her father said something to her while stroking her head.
– In this world, if you are not the best, you will be forgotten in history. Look at me, even though I am the head of a country, I am not neglected when I am with my senior, the sword master. I do not want to pass on that humiliation to my children. At least I want my children to reach the top. However, I do not intend to force my children to achieve what I could not. Even if you lack the qualifications, at least show them that you can reach Chilseong. If even that is impossible, I will find it difficult to embrace you as my son. I, as a father, do not have the time for that, third child.
My father never called me by my name. When I was little, I just thought it was because I was strict.
But as time passed, I couldn’t help but realize its true intentions.
Saki Kojima tells you that you don’t call worthless children by their names.
Kanggeomma quietly watched Saki with a complicated expression. He called her name.
“Ryozo, you can’t eat spicy food. I’ll make the kimchi stew a bit more bland than the one you make at a festival.”
Ryojo nodded silently. Then he quickly turned towards the window.
The sky was dark. In the middle of it, a faint moonlight was shining, and it spread across her cheek.
The sound of the chopping board reached my ears. It was really pleasant to hear.
Ryozo hoped that this sound would not end in just one minute.
* * *
My kimchi stew made Ryozo scrape the bottom of the pot with his spoon.
It seems that the spiciness was killed and the sweetness added with sugar suited his taste.
I laughed silently at him. When we first met, Ryozo didn’t even put anything else in his mouth except for yokan.
But, as I watched that kid scraping the pot clean, it was hard to hold back a smile.
And another funny thing is that they serve Korean food to Japanese people.
In my previous life, I was a Japanese food seller targeting Koreans, but it was the complete opposite.
It was a very new experience. I feel like I have contributed to the globalization of Korean food. Should I say that I feel a little patriotic?
After everything was over, I seriously considered opening a Korean restaurant.
… … .
I rubbed my face. Yes, this kind of exhilaration is good. Up to this point, it’s proper patriotism.
But if you go any further, it becomes nationalism. From there, it becomes uncontrollable. I felt a sense of crisis.
I don’t know what Korea’s status is on Earth, but in this world, it’s already enough. It’s overflowing.
As I said before, it is the world’s second largest country and the country where Joaquin Academy is located.
But here’s where they put me in a set.
Korean + Joaquin’s Cadet + □□□
The ripple effect of the combination was too strong.
The thumbnails patched together with that combination and the comment section constantly looking for ‘host~!’ The nationalism that reached a lethal dose was madness itself.
‘I’m going to go back.’
I was suffering without being able to resist. The magic of the legion commanders was cut down well. But I was helpless in front of the images. I wish I could cut them down like magic.
‘… I wonder if I can ring the bell?’
If you can cut and slice anything, why not make a YouTube video?
I’ve even tried cutting off a peer and giving an ogre a heart attack. It wouldn’t hurt to try.
match!
I hit my cheek. You’re cutting YouTube videos into sashimi? I’m so upset that I’m thinking of something that doesn’t make sense.
I’m sure my mind is completely crazy. If this continues, I’ll be looking for a partner soon.
“Why are you slapping yourself like that?”
Ryojo asked, slowly taking off his rubber gloves. Since I cooked the meal, he said he would do the dishes.
Before responding, I glanced at the sink. Oh, I guess I’ll have to wash those dishes again.
Well, there’s no way a Japanese princess could have washed dishes. But it was better than Chloe, who broke plates.
“It feels like there’s a bug on my cheek.”
“It’s so cold outside, how could there still be bugs? And bugs don’t come to a clean room like this. There’s nothing to eat.”
Naturally, Ryozo sat down next to me. A new wrinkle appeared on the bedsheet.
There was a moment of breathless silence before she asked an unexpected question.
“Geumma, what do you want most in life?”
I turned my eyes and looked at Ryozo. Several emotions were floating in her eyes.
Emptiness, sadness, anxiety.
All the emotions I read were negative. I don’t know why Ryozo has such a dreamy expression.
One thing I noticed for sure was that she was asking herself this question. And the underlying meaning was that she was asking for advice from me.
‘Because that’s what you want… … .’
Looking back, I was so impatient that I didn’t plan for the future at all.
At least that’s what I dreamed of at the beginning of the first semester. It was ‘peaceful, safe, and smooth.’
Of course, now it’s all gone. The reason is obvious. It’s because I kicked it with my own feet.
And the political situation has long since become twisted like a twisted pot, so we cannot just ignore it.
Anyway, I also got involved in the narrative. I felt like a supporter who helped the hero Leon from behind. I actually did that several times.
… But then what happens after the Demon King is defeated?
Right now, it’s like I’ve been running my life with only three years left.
However, I will remain here even after the end of World War II.
‘What should I do from then on?’
Ryozo’s question, thrown out without thinking, led to a long period of thought.
“Sorry. I was so out of the blue. It just seemed like you, Geomma, were too greedy for anything. I was wondering if there was something you wanted.”
At that moment, Ryozo waved his hand in a still atmosphere. I opened my mouth briefly.
“family.”
“… … ?”
“I don’t have parents. But things don’t happen just because you wish for them. So, I literally just want them.”
I was serious. I have never felt the warmth of a family in my entire life.
It may be natural to some, but what I long for more than anything else is family.
Ryozoh’s eyes blinked and then opened wide. Her face turned bright red.
Did I stare at you too much? As I was thinking that, a faint voice leaked out.
“Just make a family… … .”
“hmm?”
Ryozo quickly got up from her seat. She ran towards the Dododo door.
“That, that! Talk to me again in three years when you’re an adult!”
With those words, Ryozo disappeared with his sky-blue hair fluttering.
I stared blankly in that direction and then shook the bed.
Rollin~
At that moment, the phone lit up.
[Manager Seong: Mr. Geomma, I have prepared a schedule for you to go to the Korean branch of the association tomorrow. And Mr. Geomma… a bit of a difficult situation has arisen.]
Knock knock knock.
[Me: What if you’re in a difficult situation? Like you can’t access the monolith or something?]
[Manager Seong: That… You spoke with the vice president this afternoon, right?]
[Me: Yes. It was a cliche like, “I want to buy you a meal when you come to Korea later.”]
[Manager Seong: Yes, but after Mr. Geomma left, the Vice President contacted me separately. He said that he wanted to see the real man quickly after discussing the sword.]
I’ve never had a sword fight before? Changseong, is asking that gentleman to have a meal like a verbal sword fight?
[Me: That aside, if you rush the schedule, when are you talking about?]
[Manager Seong: He is expected to arrive in a few hours.]
Rollin~
[Manager Seong: He even added that he wanted to be the guide for Mr. Geumma’s visit to the Korean Association. I tried to stop him, but it wasn’t enough. I’m sorry. ㅠㅠ]
Talk.
[me: ?]
