Chapter 29. Student Han Chunsung. Excuse Me for a Moment

***

Thud. Tap.

With different footsteps echoing, Chunsung was now walking with Kali.

The atmosphere between the two had changed significantly compared to before entering the instructor-only cafeteria.

“…”
“…”

A silence where neither opened their mouth. An incredibly strange atmosphere enveloped in silence.

Yet they were matching each other’s pace.

While previously Kali had led the conversation in a comfortable atmosphere, now a strange mood lingered between them… making it difficult to speak carelessly.

Glance.

As Chunsung gently looked at Kali walking beside him, he felt uncertain.

Kali, who had suddenly stopped him.

She had spoken to me with a visibly flustered appearance.

ㅡStudent Han Chunsung? There’s a… place I’d like us to go together for a moment.

But she didn’t actually tell me where it was.

Though I’m moving in step with Kali now, I was also flustered by the sudden situation.

‘Still, should I take it that my words were well received?’

Those embarrassing and shy words I had conveyed.

They were partly to cover up for my careless mistake, but more than half was sincere. Since those words I couldn’t say again if asked were received well, perhaps that’s why Kali wants to go somewhere with me now.

As I was thinking this, our eyes suddenly met.

“…”

Red eyes with a strange ripple.

She soon smiled awkwardly.

“First, I’m sorry. You must have found my behavior a bit sudden?”

As she spoke very carefully, I immediately smiled and answered.

“Not at all. Rather, I should apologize. I ended up unilaterally getting up to leave first. I should have clearly heard your response before rising…”

Though I meant to leave her alone thinking it would be better, looking at just the situation, it seemed like I had been rude to her.

“No. You don’t need to worry about that at all. I’m not the type of woman to nitpick about such things. And I think you were being considerate of me then.”

“…If you saw it that way, thank you.”

As I carefully replied, I felt much more at ease.

Unlike before, Kali’s attitude towards me was cautious, but still, seeing her appearance, it was clear my words hadn’t been taken badly.

But it was inevitable to feel some regret at that appearance.

‘I liked the Kali who spoke without reserve.’

The feeling of excitement I felt when she approached without distance, smiling playfully and speaking lightly, was still vivid even now.

But now that seemed to have disappeared. Kali’s charm was in that unintentional approach, but now I could feel her clearly trying to keep her distance from me.

Then as she smiled brightly, I still found my gaze drawn to her.

“And. To explain belatedly about where we’re going now, it’s a place you’ll surely like, Student Han Chunsung.”

“A place… I’ll like?”

“Yes. Actually, it’s a space any academy student would like. In fact, after hearing about yesterday’s duel and having this direct conversation with you, Student Han Chunsung… I wanted to do something for you. To be really honest, it might be seen as favoritism towards you now. But since discrimination is commonplace in the academy anyway. It should be fine.”

Kali’s voice continued softly.

But the more I heard those words, questions filled my mind.

It was clear just from her words now that she viewed me favorably.

The indirect statement about showing favoritism. And saying she wanted to do something for me sounded very subtle to me.

‘Where exactly are we going for her to say this?’

I couldn’t immediately guess any space.

She could just properly tell me where we’re going, but Kali was deliberately not telling me now.

Then as Kali smiled slightly with her eyes, it looked like she was expecting me to be surprised… so I found it difficult to ask.

“Then. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Still, if Kali was building up anticipation like this, it must be a place of that much value.

I thought I’d find out once we got there anyway.

“Yes. You can really look forward to it.”

Seeing her smile more naturally at my words, I too found myself smiling.

‘As expected.’

A beautiful woman was even prettier when she smiled.

***

After re-entering the academy like that, Kali slowly guided me through several secret spaces that only instructors could enter.

It took quite some time to get there.

It took almost 20 minutes of walking after leaving the cafeteria to reach our destination.

Click.

As I looked at the space I had reached, I felt an indescribably huge shock.

“This place…”

Even as I opened my mouth blankly, I couldn’t believe it for a moment.

A training room entirely in blue. And various mysterious glowing items inside with unknown uses.

All of it was unfamiliar, yet ironically, I had a feeling about it.

Though I was clearly seeing these things for the first time, I knew to some extent the uses of those items.

Because… I had to know.

This was a space that the protagonist of this world, ‘Leonhardt’, would only enter in the middle of the novel.

This was the space that greatly helped Leonhardt overcome crises when he faced strong enemies and found himself in danger.

That is…

ㅡKali’s personal training room.

To the extent that there was even a term called ‘protagonist correction’. It was also a training room that Leonhardt made good use of with Kali’s permission.

“Student Han Chunsung. You probably don’t know what’s what looking inside this training room now, right?”

As Kali asked as if finding my surprised look cute, I could only answer awkwardly for a moment.

“Ah, yes… There seem to be a lot of amazing things… It’s just surprising.”

Though I knew many of the magic engineering items I saw now, I couldn’t pretend to know them.

For a student who just entered this year to know this space,
And even the items here, didn’t make sense.

Everything here was items that Kali had been able to obtain through her achievements.

Tap.

Kali, who took a step inside, pointed around and smiled brightly.

“Actually, each item in this training room would be amazing and surprising to you, Student Han Chunsung. But they’re also very valuable items. Even among instructors, only those who are quite renowned… it’s awkward to say myself, but there are some expensive magic engineering items that only instructors who have shown great achievements on the battlefield can apply for.”

Kali, speaking as if boasting a little, looked a bit cute despite being older, not fitting her age.

As if excitedly showing off her own items like a child, I too could express sincere admiration at her words.

“Magic engineering items… That’s amazing.”

Knowing such items exist doesn’t mean I’m not amazed.

No, rather, because I know, it was even more amazing.

ㅡDiscrimination is rampant in the academy.

‘Discrimination’, one of the key keywords of the Groa novel.

And it wasn’t just applied to the ‘students’ of the academy.

Even for instructors in very high positions within the academy, various discriminations clearly existed. Higher-class instructors received better treatment befitting their status, and instructors who had shown achievements on the battlefield received even more support from the empire, almost extravagantly.

Kali’s achievements on the battlefield were truly overwhelming.

It wasn’t strange at all for her to receive support for not just one, but several expensive magic engineering items.

“Hmm… But what would be good for Student Han Chunsung.”

As Kali looked around at various items and pondered, I felt my heart swelling as I watched her.

‘…This is crazy.’

While thinking words I couldn’t dare say out loud, my emotions were greatly excited.

I had to forcibly suppress even the corners of my mouth trying to rise.

I immediately understood what Kali was trying to do for me now, or rather what kind of help she was trying to give.

Of course I knew. I had to know.

Everything about how Leonhardt had trained here, how he had become stronger, and how he had been able to overcome crises and hardships.

And now. There was no reason I couldn’t become strong like that Leonhardt.

Even if my Talent was Common. Because becoming stronger wasn’t impossible.

“If it’s your first time using magic engineering items, you’ll need time to adapt too. I’m quite troubled. I’m really sorry, Student Han Chunsung. Could you wait just a moment?”

“It’s, it’s fine!”

As I opened my mouth, my voice trembled without me realizing.

More than those moments when I had been excited by Kali’s charm today… my heart was beating even more wildly now.

Thump!
Thump!

It was truly an unexpected huge opportunity.

Even as I watched Kali fiddling with the strangely glowing light green object, or the odd gray gem about the size of a fingertip, or various other expensive magic engineering items, my heart showed no signs of calming down.

I wanted to tell her directly what was good, my mouth was itching to speak, but I absolutely couldn’t open my mouth.

I had to accept whatever Kali gave me.

And that alone would be more than enough for me.

“Ah, this would be good.”

Then as Kali finally seemed to make a decision and smiled brightly, my gaze unconsciously went to the pair of earrings in her hand.

They were beautiful earrings decorated with rubies.

‘What are those?’

It was something I hadn’t seen before either.

What I really wanted was either the light green object or the gray gem, one of those two.

But what she chose was a completely different magic engineering item.

And soon Kali approached me with a faint smile.

Tap.
Tap.

As the distance grew closer like that, I found myself quietly looking at her.

As I waited patiently, thinking she would explain on her own.

Tap.

…As that distance became closer than expected, I felt my body freeze.

“Student Han Chunsung. Excuse me for a moment.”

At her seductive voice whispering near my ear,
Thump!
My heart fluttered again, for a completely different reason.