Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost
51. Student representative general election (9)
Yeom Junyeol’s goal was to see Hongryong of Red Wall Thief, his revered master, in person.
The moment he achieved it, Yeom Junyeol was both delighted and in despair.
Yeom Junyeol, whose father was the team master of pro Player team Red Lion, one of the world’s top ten teams, and mother was a descendant of the Yong tribe with a deep history, had many strong people around him.
There always existed strong people, who the current Yeom Junyeol couldn’t defeat, around him, like Cheongryong, Yong Jegeon, Yeom Bangyeol, his master with wanderlust habits, etc.
But because there is only one Gwangrim in this world, no one was able to manifest his power in the form of a flame dragon.
So he couldn’t feel that ability gap as much.
‘This is master-nim’s Hongryong…!’
The instant his eyes met the eyes of Hongryong summoned by Red Wall Thief, Yeom Junyeol had a feeling as if he was looking at a star beyond the sky.
His master’s level was so high it felt so terribly far away.
‘… It’s so distant, huh?’
Yeom Junyeol, who lost his soul for a moment when he saw Hongryong, gradually bowed his head.
Unconsciously, Yeom Junyeol didn’t dare to think about looking at his master and his Hongryong and lowered his gaze.
On the other side, Yong Jegeon, who knew that Yeom Junyeol was going to visit the old school to meet with Red Wall Thief, hid his body behind space and observed this scene.
Yong Jegeon watched Hongryong from space in which nothing could be seen.
Yong Jegeon felt ecstatic about the level of Hongryong summoned by Red Wall Thief Jo Uisin, and about the despair and pain of growth felt by Yeom Junyeol.
* * *
Space quivered very subtly in the corner of the old school classroom.
It seemed that Yeom Junyeol didn’t detect it, but there was no way I saw it wrong.
‘I guess Yong Jegeon is hiding there.’
As the time for me to stealthily call Yeom Junyeol came, it was certain that he followed Yeom Junyeol for protection.
Was he more agitated because he couldn’t see Hongryong he said he would see even after crushing through the maze’s walls and going wild?
Yeom Junyeol, who had no idea about this fact at all, couldn’t take his gaze off of Hongryong called by me, and then bowed his head.
“Master-nim, are You perhaps… future me?”
This appearance borrowed with the Player’s Trajectory was a grown Yeom Junyeol, but in a strict sense, I couldn’t say it was this appearance right now was the future of Yeom Junyeol.
At the point of Yeom Junyeol, who I used through Gwangrim, he was someone who lost a lot of things.
He had an ability to awaken through the runaway caused by death of his friends, but this appearance wouldn’t become Yeom Junyeol’s future.
I planned to teach Yeom Junyeol so he would acquire that ability, but not through such a trigger.
Finishing my short thought, I spoke decisively.
“No.”
At this answer, Yeom Junyeol lowered his head even more.
The enthusiasm completely disappeared from his voice.
“Is that so? Master-nim appears so very distant. I don’t have even a bit of confidence that I can become like master-nim. So there is no way that master-nim is my future appearance, correct?”
… I misspoke!
I expected Yeom Junyeol, who was looking forward to seeing Hongryong summoned by me, to be just happy!
Though Yeom Junyeol was a mature descendant, he was still in his teenage years, and as he was shooting Playlist, practiced with the cheering squad and had midterm exams ahead of him, he might be mentally unstable.
As I didn’t consider my disciple’s mental health, I was disqualified as a master.
Hongryong summoned by me, fidgeted, while slowly floating around Yeom Junyeol, who bowed his head.
“No one would call master-nim’s Hongryong Small( 小).”
Because I couldn’t watch my disciple slowly digging a hole[1], I stretched out my hand.
The appearance I borrowed was a bit older than the current Yeom Juneyol, so because he bowed his head, my hand easily reached Yeom Junyeol’s crown.
As I stroked him a few times, Yeom Junyeol raised his eyes from his bowed head position, and looked at me.
“… Master-nim?”
If Yeom Bangyeol or Cheongryong were around, they might cut off my hand, but I stroked his head one more time and then took my hand away.
“You will grow more than the current me. I’ll teach you well.”
Yeom Junyeol raised his head.
At first, he made a face as if he couldn’t believe it, but I firmly looked at Yeom Junyeol from behind the mask.
As if my thoughts were truly transmitted, the expression of Yeom Junyeol, who pulled himself together, turned resolute.
“I apologize for making a weak sound. Master-nim believes in me so much, but I actually didn’t believe in myself.”
Yeom Junyeol raised his hand in the air.
Paat!
The subspace gap opened above his fingertips, and from beyond the flames and heat, Hongryong materialized.
Hongryong of Yeom Junyeol, who appeared from the subspace gap, had a smaller body and the flames coiling around it were weaker when compared to Hongryong called by me, but its eyes looking at Hongryong summoned by me were twinkling brightly.
It seemed that Yeom Junyeol’s mindset was reflected by Hongryong.
“Then I’ll ask for today’s lesson!”
I gladly nodded.
I continued training so harsh that Yeom Junyeol’s Hongryong lost its form, but Yeom Junyeol didn’t make a weak sound again.
Even though he didn’t gain anything at all through today’s lesson, Yeom Junyeol was making a bright expression throughout.
Before ending the class and parting, as I advised him on prioritizing preparing for election and reviewing today’s class, rather than ranking this time, because I was worried he may overwork himself aiming for the 1st place during the midterms, Yeom Junyeol replied with a powerful ‘Thank You for worrying about me’.
From this answer, it seemed that Yeom Junyeol would be doing his best to get the first place during the midterms again.
When I was sneaking out of the old school, while thinking about my disciple, the new message notification rang from the device.
Ding.
Even without checking the sender’s name, I thought I knew who it was.
[Yong Jegeon] Uisin-ah, I’ll keep the fact that you stroked Junyeol’s head a secret from Cheongryong and Yeom Bangyeol.
Following my identity, Yong Jegeon caught another weakness.
Yong Jegeon wouldn’t use that weakness against me, but it seemed he would request something for his amusement[2].
Matching that ominous premonition, Yong Jegeon informed me about the price he wanted straight away.
[Yong Jegeon] It’s a pity I couldn’t express my thoughts of seeing your dragon in person. Show me it a bit more closely next time.
[Yong Jegeon] ^^
^^ emoticon seemed to overlap with Yong Jegeon’s smiling ecstatically face.
It seemed I will have to show Hongryong to Yong Jegeon pretty soon.
* * *
Sunday morning, time promised with Jang Namuk.
I decided to meet with Jang Namuk earlier than Yu Sang-hun to do an interview.
Jang Namuk arrived earlier than me and he brought company.
Tao Sihu, who spotted me first, before Jang Namuk, greeted me.
“Hi! We followed him!”
I knew that just from seeing him.
Tao Sihu was whatever, but I was bothered by the person beside him.
It was our first meeting, but I saw her in a picture not a long time ago, it was Namkung Gyu-yeon.
“That’s the Unknown Supernova, right~? He isn’t as suspicious as the rumors say.”
What in hell did you hear and where to say that?
There are many parts in which she resembled Hong Gyubin, but besides that, I felt a subtle sense of déjà vu.
“Ah, Uisin-ah. Those guys had an appointment around here today. Sihu is going to receive a complete medical examination at the Hwang Myeong Eungwang Hospital before returning home, and Gyu-yeon plans to meet an Eungwang School friend, so they said they would wait at the cafe with me until the promised time…”
“We worried Namuk would get bored alone. So we offered to accompany him!”
“Accompanying for flag bearer-nim’s sake, sir~.”
As if Tao Sihu and Namkung Gyu-yeon were quite close, the three played and got along without a hitch.
In fact, the two were heirs of TC Group and Namkung Group, but it was admirable that they got along with other children as pre-soldiers, regardless of their background.
It was even more so if we considered people entwined with the current TC and Namkung.
‘With those two’s backgrounds, Jang Namuk may get involved in another incident.’
While I observed the three exchange jokes with a complicated heart, the reasons behind the deja vu gradually became clear.
It was Namkung Gyu-yeon’s speech pattern.
‘That speech pattern resembles one of my Playable Characters.’
Was Namkung Gyu-yeon’s Eungwang School friend perhaps that person?
Both of them often added ‘sir’ to the sentence ending.[3]
But as this speech pattern was often used on the internet and was actually used by many people, I could only speculate.
“Ah, it’s time. I think I’ll have to go.”
“I also got a message from a friend that she arrived, sir~.”
“Okay, be careful and don’t return late. If you think it may take longer than planned, contact me first. I’ll send an overnight stay form.”
“Yep.”
While Jang Namuk’s constant nagging continued, Namkung Gyu-yeon came to me.
“Nim, give me Your device code~.”
“Okay.”
It was common to speak informally[4] to a friend of a friend and to exchange device codes.
I couldn’t figure out what oddball she was only from Hong Gyubin and Jang Namuk’s words, but when I obediently exchanged device codes with her, while thinking she is more sociable than I thought.
“Ah, thanks for this time. And contact me if there’s something to help with. Shovel around our oppa as much as You like~.”
With those last words, Namkung Gyu-yeon left without looking back.
‘Did she notice that I interfered in this case? She seems to know I’m the culprit behind her biological brother’s overwork… But it wasn’t that she couldn’t guess if considering that I’m close with Jang Namuk and Hong Gyubin.’
Was it because she was Hong Gyubin’s dongsaeng?
It wasn’t a sound I would make, but Namkung Gyu-yeon subtly resembled Hong Gyubin, who had a somehow suspicious impression on the first meeting.
When the two left the cafe, Jang Namuk took out a folder file with dozens of A4 papers and put one in front of me, and one in front of himself.
“Uisin-ah, I prepared answers to the questions you gave me, and answered addition questions I expected by myself beforehand!”
Jang Namuk wrote down his nagging with a small like sesame seeds handwriting on the A4 paper.
As I expected, it seemed that the biggest work with this article would be summarizing to write this interview article.
As I scanned the paper with the device and was making a summary, Yu Sang-hun arrived.
Even though Yu Sang-hun came exactly on time, there was no end to that summary work yet.
“I expected that. Jang Namuk talks a lot.”
“I also thought that I talk a bit too much. So I came prepared like this. I reduced it on my own, but…”
“What?”
Yu Sang-hun glanced at the paper pile and burst out laughing.
After listening to Jang Namuk’s nagging for around 30 minutes, I decided to give up organizing an interview here and just go to play.
The place Jang Namuk made a reservation at was a rib buffet, and the special sauce with yuzu cheong[5] and the vegetable leaves like radicchio, ashitaba and perilla leaves[6], prepared to be eaten as ssam[7] with ribs, were outstanding.
Jang Namuk and Yu Sang-hun, who ate their fill at the cheering squad and basketball representatives team dinner parties, ate the meat and ssam very well.
I couldn’t guess how many portions of the meat we ate, but I remember the grill being turned on at least seven times.
The next one on the schedule was heading to the coin batting ground to help digestion.
“Last place buys snacks.”
“Let’s go!”
Was he frustrated because Yu Sang-hun monopolized the victories when we went to the VR game room to play last time?
Or was it because of losing by a narrow margin in the basketball?
Jang Namuk happily accepted the fight.
But regretfully, the hardcore fan of Ju-Oh Dragons Jang Namuk was the worst performer.
‘Liking baseball is different from playing, huh?’
It seemed that Jang Namuk thought of using the Eyes of the Star Maiden because he couldn’t see the ball, but he gave up following the silent rule of usage of superpowers being banned.
As a snack, we ate ice cream at a chain store.
Jang Namuk chose the product made with a collaboration with the championship candidate in the winter baseball season, Ju-Oh Dragons, and I and Yu Sang-hun decided to respect the financier’s choice.
Yu Sang-hun asked with an apathetic face.
“What is that?”
“Yong-Yong.”
The ice cream stamped with the Ju-Oh Dragons logo came with the mascot Yong-Yong strap, so I and Yu Sang-hun decided to give those straps to Jang Namuk without any regrets.
When I played to my heart’s content and headed to the dormitory.
Ding.
As if waiting, Hwang Jiho sent a message.
[Hwang Jiho] Come to the mansion.
Before I could ask why are you telling a person to come and go? Hwang Jiho added a reason.
[Hwang Jiho] I decided to talk with Heuk-ma through a magic circle. I can’t let you participate in the conversation directly, but come to watch.
*~*~*
[1] digging a hole — literally: dig ground, idiomatic for doing something useless.
[2] amusement — or game, same word as his category.
[3] Both of them often added ‘sir’ to the sentence ending — In raws ‘Both of them often added ‘요 (yo)’ to the noun endings. 요 is a polite ending (when not added to nouns, look note below), so you may have seen it reflected as ‘sir’ or capitalized You. And nouns are often created by adding ‘ㅁ’, which makes it sound a bit cuter very often, so you see me reflect it as ‘~’.
[4] speak informally — while I present it as if 요(yo) added to a noun is a polite tone, it really isn’t. (As I learned very recently or maybe forgot completely) 요 (yo) is a shortened version of a certain grammar form, it doesn’t show respect to the listener. But because it sounds like it, and I have no idea how to present it otherwise, I’m continuing to just treat it like a joke-polite tone.
[5] yuzu cheong — 청 (Cheong) are marmalade and syrups. Yuzu cheong is usually added to tea.
[6] radicchio, ashitaba and perilla leafs — radicchio Cichorium intybus var. foliosu, 신선초 (sin-seon-cho) Angelica keiskei/Angelica achangelica, perilla leafs (Perilla frutescens) are often mistranslated as sesame leaves, as the same name is used for them.
[7] ssam — leaf wraps with rice and other ingredients.
Translator’s note: For the first face-to-face meeting with Namkung Gyu-yeon to be in such a chapter…
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