Chapter 48. You Said You’d Be with Me Today

***

People’s moods are truly fascinating.

Just this morning during lectures, I thought I’d be down all day, but now I felt incredibly refreshed, as if I could fly.

“It’s fortunate that the misunderstanding and everything else worked out well.”

As I sat in the park waiting for Grecia after lunch, I couldn’t help but smile.

Originally, I had planned to be stuck in the training ground every day after entering the academy, but now that I’d achieved unexpected growth and gained support from Kali, I felt a sense of ease in my heart.

I even treated myself to a delicious steak with the gold Grecia had given me, so both my body and mind were at peace.

Just as I stretched widely to loosen up,

“…”
“…”

My gaze accidentally met Grecia’s as she entered the park, and I awkwardly lowered my arms.

Click. Click.

Grecia approached me briskly after our eyes met and sat down right next to me. It seemed so natural that it was almost surprising.

“Grecia. Did you enjoy your lunch?”
“It was fine.”

A short answer to my casual greeting. Even that felt familiar now as I looked at her.

I thought Grecia’s white A-Class student uniform looked pretty, and I was once again reminded how people can look prettier depending on their clothes.

I also knew that I should speak to her first.

“So, how are we going to spend our time today?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well… you said yesterday that you wanted to be with me. So I thought you might have something you wanted to do with me, or some plan for how to spend our time?”

As I asked, half-expecting, Grecia gave me a very transparent look.

She met my gaze without any hesitation or wavering. Those clear blue eyes held a natural confidence.

And I realized.

‘She… really has no thoughts about this at all.’

Unbelievably, Grecia’s words about wanting to be with me meant exactly what they sounded like.

It wasn’t that she wanted to do something specific with me today, or had some other purpose… she just wanted to be with me.

“Han Chunsung. Do I need a reason to be with you?”

As she asked me if that was really necessary, I was momentarily at a loss for words.

…Once again, I felt that Grecia’s way of speaking was too strange.

How could she throw such straightforward statements, easily breaking 150 km/h, with such a calm face?

“No, well… I guess you don’t necessarily need a reason.”
“Then there’s no reason. If I have to say, it’s just because I want to be with you.”

Calmly and composedly.

But seeing Grecia casually say things that anyone would misunderstand, I could only laugh awkwardly now.

Honestly, last night I had felt excited by Grecia’s words. But now I didn’t feel that level of excitement anymore.

“I see. Alright then, should we just go to the training ground?”

It seemed funny to think about taking Grecia somewhere else when she didn’t have any romantic feelings for me at all.

As I suggested lightly, Grecia nodded slightly.

“Okay.”
“Great. Let’s go then.”

I stood up without hesitation.

Our destination was the A-Class training ground. And I didn’t think that was bad at all.

‘No, it’s actually good.’

I felt quite pleased about being able to enter the A-Class training ground.

Better facilities and environment for training, and,

‘It would be nice if I could see Leonhardt too.’

Over the past few days.

I was quite curious about how much stronger he had become.

…

Click.

As Grecia entered the A-Class training ground, I matched her pace calmly while feeling a sense of novelty.

Compared to when I entered on the day of the entrance ceremony a few days ago, I felt much more confident now, and I was curious about what monsters might be training here.

ㅡ!
ㅡㅡㅡ!!

Fierce gales swept through, and bright red flames intensely scorched the air.

In addition, shockwaves of bursting air violently decorated one side of the training ground, and seeing these various sights made me think, “This is indeed A-Class.”

‘This is A-Class.’

Although I hadn’t visited the C-Class training ground many times, I could say with certainty that the air density itself was different between C-Class and A-Class.

The air in the A-Class training ground was heavier and stickier. There was even a sense of pressure that seemed to weigh down on my body just by walking here.

And beyond that, the gazes of the students in the training ground all felt different.

Despite clearly being superior to lower-ranked students, their intense focus on training showed a strong will in each of them.

The will to move forward and develop. A kind of winning mindset seemed fundamental to A-Class students.

“Han Chunsung.”
“Yeah?”

As I met Grecia’s gaze at her voice, she was staring at me intently.

“Can you… watch me train?”

As she suddenly asked in a pleading tone, I blinked for a moment but then nodded.

What’s so difficult about that request?

“Sure. I can do that.”

Grecia nodded, pursing her lips as if satisfied with my answer. Seeing that, I couldn’t help but smile.

‘Is this how human language develops?’

As I spent more time with Grecia, I became able to somewhat understand what she was thinking even from her short answers or slight gestures.

I was adapting to Grecia without even realizing it.

As I headed to one side of the training ground with Grecia, I felt subtle gazes directed at me.

“…”
“…”

Gazes filled with interest, curiosity, and even questions.

Just as the rumors of my duel with Leonhardt hadn’t spread only in C-Class. Perhaps the attention I was receiving was natural.

To A-Class students, I was clearly an irregular.

Having dueled with Leonhardt, this year’s top student, and achieving a draw, I understood how strange I must seem to them.

‘It would be hard to believe even if I were an A-Class student.’

As I was dismissing the gazes nonchalantly,

“Han Chunsung!”

My head turned involuntarily at the bright voice calling me.

There was Leonhardt, looking at me as if genuinely glad to see me. Yumia was stuck close to his side, but the impression was completely different.

‘He’s definitely gotten stronger.’

Just by facing him, I could feel his aura.

As he approached us, we naturally stopped walking.

“It’s been a few days, Leonhardt.”
“Yeah, it has. Han Chunsung. Did you come to train with Grecia?”
“It ended up that way somehow. But is it okay for me to be here?”

I asked unnecessarily, knowing the answer, and Leonhardt shook his head as if it were obvious.

“It’s fine. There’s no problem at all with you coming to the training ground together. I’m glad you came. I was actually curious about you too.”

I couldn’t help but smile at his words.

It was as if he and I were thinking similarly.

‘Well.’

That duel wasn’t just a significant event for me alone.

Leonhardt also reached Level 3 in one go through our duel, which he normally would have taken weeks to achieve.

The evolution of one’s Talent is something everyone desires, after all.

“Hmm. Looking at you two again… you really do make a good match.”

As Yumia gave us a very strange look, I realized my mistake.

‘They saw us yesterday.’

The only people who heard that strange statement were Leonhardt and Yumia. Just these two.

“Yumia. Let me say this first, that’s a misunderstanding.”

This time, I corrected it immediately.

I didn’t want any more strange rumors about me circulating.

“Pfft… I just said that you and Grecia look really~ good together, that’s all.”

As she played innocent, I felt uneasy, but then,

“Han Chunsung, don’t worry so much. If you say it’s a misunderstanding, then it surely is. Neither Yumia nor I are the type to easily spread such things around. Right, Yumia?”
“…Ah, yes. That’s right.”

As Leonhardt timely came to my aid, I found myself looking at him anew.

‘He’s really kind, isn’t he?’

It’s honestly rare to feel someone’s kindness so clearly. How is it that this guy’s kindness is so apparent every time I see him?

And while kind people are often oblivious or frustrating, he wasn’t like that at all.

Whenever conflicts arise with others, he immediately notices and mediates.

“Leonhardt, thank you.”
“No, it’s nothing. By the way, are you two going to train now? I think it would be quite good if you trained with us. What do you think?”
“If you’re offering, I’d be welcome to it. Honestly, I’m curious about how much stronger you’ve become.”

Leonhardt and Yumia. They were essential existences in this world, destined to wield overwhelming influence in the future.

Training together would surely be beneficial for me as well…

“That’s not possible.”

My thoughts were cut off by Grecia’s firm voice.

“Huh…?”
“Grecia?”

As even Leonhardt and Yumia looked at her in surprise, Grecia suddenly turned to me.

With a gaze filled with clear determination, unlike before.

As if reproaching me for trying to accept that proposal on my own, I couldn’t understand Grecia’s behavior.

‘Did I say something wrong?’

Leonhardt, who approached with clear goodwill, and Yumia, who maintained boundaries despite her slightly prickly attitude.

I thought it would naturally be good to become friends with them and train together, but.

“Han Chunsung.”
“…Yes, Grecia.”

As I answered, I suddenly found myself swallowing hard.

Why?

Meeting her gaze, an inexplicable anxiety enveloped my whole body. There was nothing to feel anxious about, yet my body seemed to be warning me.

As if something strange was about to burst from Grecia’s lips. As if I should stop her from speaking even now.

…But I didn’t know how.

At that moment.

Grecia’s lips parted.

“You clearly said yesterday that you’d be with me today. You promised to give me your time… So why are you trying to be with other people?”

Grecia’s unusually long speech was pure and unrestrained.

Her words were all so direct that I couldn’t even think of what to say for a moment.

“…”

I opened my mouth unconsciously, but my thoughts were cut off.

Where should I start to refute this?

‘I did say that, but…’

I’m pretty sure I didn’t say I’d be alone with her.

It’s like the saying “A and B are different”… Grecia’s way of speaking now was at a level where it would be strange if people didn’t misunderstand.

“Um, Grecia?”
“…Speak.”

Grecia’s cold response, unlike before, gave me a headache.

No, responding so coldly in this situation would only make others misunderstand.

“Ahaha… Han Chunsung, sorry. It seems we’ve interrupted your private training.”
“Yeah. You two need to spend some sweet~ time together, we must have been oblivious.”

As the two of them said this and quickly moved away,

“W-wait.”

I thought I should try to stop them, albeit belatedly, but,

Grab.

At that moment, my arm was grabbed instead.