Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost
6. First lesson (1)
The black history.
It was slang for a past you were ashamed of and wanted to dispose of.
Even a perfect and extraordinary genius who didn’t lack anything: abilities, character, popularity, wealth, wits and appearance, the title hero of PMH, Ju Su-hyeok had a black history.
On the day of Ju Su-hyeok and An Dain’s first lesson…
During the lesson ‘Player’s combat practice 1’, An Dain met her close friend Kim Yuri and smiled brightly for the first time since entering the school.
Seeing this smile in front of him, Ju Su-hyeok took a great tumble.
It was bad enough that if not for the player’s body, he would have suffered a concussion or his body would have broken somewhere.
Even Ju Su-hyeok, who was second to none, was just a highschool student with a trembling heart before the smile of the woman who he fell in love with at first sight.
‘An Dain doesn’t smile often, so Ju Su-hyeok was caught off guard. Because even the polite smile on her cold face was only the subtly raised corners of her mouth.’
Ju Su-hyeok’s wretched slapstick comedy show attracted the gazes of a hundred people, including the woman he fell in love with.
In a state of shattered spirit, he had a 1 on 1 spar with An Dain.
The spar ended with Ju Su-hyeok’s crushing defeat.
An Dain was a bit suspicious of Ju Su-hyeok’s poor appearance and Ju Su-hyeok who was aware of it, suffered even more.
It was the key event during the first lesson, which was about to take place now.
5 minutes before the start of the lesson.
Everyone from class 0 arrived at the gym 1 used by 1st years.
Following Kim Yuri’s words, who said that maybe other class 0 kids will come to school, we waited in the classroom until the last moment.
However, just like before, today only four students from 1st year class 0 came to school. Me, Hwang Jiho, Kim Yuri and Han Yi.
The four of us moved together, but the moment we arrived, I pretended to look around the gym and positioned myself behind Ju Su-hyeok.
“Yuri!”
An Dain discovered Kim Yuri and greeted her.
An Dain waved her hand with an expression as if hundreds of flowers bloomed all at once.
Her beautiful face, which was usually criticized as looking as if it was sculpted in ice, showed a sunlight-like smile.
The students looking at An Dain made surprised expressions.
But it was the fact that An Dain and Kim Yuri remained completely oblivious as they started to chat.
Thud.
At the side, I caught Ju Su-hyeok who was about to trip over.
I had no idea how he fell, but Ju Su-hyeok’s feet were instantly dangling in the air. [1]
Thanks to me being prepared, the disaster where we both fell didn’t happen.
“Are you okay?”
“….Ah, sorry. I’m ok.”
Ju Su-hyeok leaned against my shoulder with a stunned expression like before.
Though, even a blank look was an art piece on Ju Su-hyeok’s handsome face.
There were even a few people behind us who stared at Ju Su-hyeok’s face with even more stunned expressions than him.
“Are you really okay? It seems you’re going to spar with An Dain during today’s lesson. Your grades are the same.”
“What? Ah, that. Yes, okay.”
He looked completely not okay.
The moment Ju Su-hyeok heard the words ‘An Dain’, his cheeks were dyed deep red.
But soon he took a deep breath and started to calm down.
His heart trembled before his first love, but Ju Su-hyeok was also one of the main characters in this world.
Now he won’t show such an ugly appearance like in the game.
‘It should be okay now.’
When I was about to leave Ju Su-hyeok alone and step aside, Ju Su-hyeok spoke to me:
“Thanks, Jo Uisin.”
Ju Su-hyeok knew my name.
I felt strange because the main character from the game called my name before me.
“…You know my name?”
“During the practical exam, my exam’s ground was just beside yours. I saw your faces and name tags when you were taken to hospital after the incident. You also know my name.”
There was no indication of blanking out from a moment ago on Ju Su-hyeok’s face who spoke with a refreshing smile.
‘What a good memory.’
Did he say that he remembered the faces and name tags of the people who brushed past him in that confusing and chaotic mess?
If that’s right, then he may remember Jang Namuk and Yu Sang-hun.
“There is no one among first years who doesn’t know the names Ju Su-hyeok and An Dain.”
“Haha. If you come out like that, the same is for Unknown Supernova.”
Ju Su-hyeok continued the conversation extremely naturally.
He had an ability to easily make another person smile and be comfortable.
‘When I saw him in the game, I thought he was just a sociable guy.’
Actually seeing him now, he had attractiveness that pulled a person towards him and an eloquence that seized that person.
‘That’s why even Jin people must have reached out to Ju Su-hyeok‘
The class bell rang and we stopped talking.
“This class bell…”
The feast of string and wind instruments spread through the air, leaving a magnificent echo.
The magic created by brass, woodwinds and strings evoked a melody full of liveliness.
I heard occasional conversations in lowered voices in order not to disturb the students who were appreciating the music.
“Are they performing in person? What is the title of it? I think I heard it somewhere.”
“It’s the Pomp and Circumstance March no.1 in D, composed by Elgar…. Wow, they even organized the 2 pipe section.”
“This is the first bell, so I guess they gathered the entire orchestra for the string and wind part.”
“I like this music. I should download it.”
As the music continued, the sound of conversation gradually diminished.
Here and there, students opened the holograms to download the music.
In the Eungwang School, the class bell’s music changed every day and every hour.
The one in charge of the class bells was the Music Club.
String instruments, wind instruments, orchestra, piano, samul nori[2], rock, traditional, vocals, choir, self-composed, etc. music was used to make a class bell.
Any song was possible if they played it themselves.
From today’s classical music to hit songs, to even self-composed works.
Even trot or pansori[3].
Every song played by students was put on the homepage of the Eungwang School’s Broadcast Club.
The class bell rang for 1 minute, but on the homepage you could download the full version.
‘I should make a donation and download it today.’
You could get the full version of the class bell for free, but if you wished, you could also make a donation.
The one minute given to the class bell passed, but the music still didn’t fade after teachers appeared.
After the conversation stopped and we appreciated the music, me and Ju Su-hyeok returned to our seats.
“See you next time, Uisin.”
“Okay.”
Ju Su-hyeok went to meet with the students of his own class, 1st year class 2. I turned towards class 0 kids.
***
Three teachers introduced themselves before 104 students standing in 2 columns specific for each class.
The homeroom teacher of the 1st year class 0, Ham Geun-hyeong.
The homeroom teacher of the 1st year class 1, Kim Sinrok.
The homeroom teacher of the 1st year class 2, No Yeong-mi.
Ham Geun-hyeong was a playable character and No Yeong-mi was a non-playable character.
However, Kim Sinrok was someone I saw for the first time.
In the game, the homeroom teacher of class 1 was a trash called Choe Pyeondeuk.
⟨Character not registered in the database. Character data cannot be read.⟩
I couldn’t read the character information with the Exclusive Menu.
The homeroom teacher of the 1st year class 1, where title heroine An Dain belonged, ought to be an important role.
But he was a character unregistered in the database.
‘Choe Pyeondeuk is still perfectly alive, so why would you change the homeroom teacher?’
After I stared at Kim Sinrok and examined him closely, I found his face familiar somehow.
‘He is the supervisor who appeared dying during the unnamed supporting character’s tutorial…!’
He was the supervisor who, during the entrance practical exam, appeared almost dead and shouted to us to run.
‘According to the setting, he was critically injured in the Ung tribe’s surprise attack and then thrown into the gym with the Enemy and died with the students taking the exam…’
I guess Kim Sinrok was originally the homeroom teacher of class 1.
Then in the game, Choe Pyeondeuk took over Kim Sinrok’s place after he died.
“Hello. Everyone enrolled at the Eungwang School, this is your first lesson of the ‘Player’s combat practice 1’.”
The homeroom teacher of the 1st year class 2, No Yeong-mi, began the lesson.
“Some of you may not have the interest in combat or and wish to avoid it. Of course, players’ future prospects aren’t only limited to the conquest of otherworlds. The students of the Eungwang School don’t have to join the professional player teams after graduation and may become doctors, lawyers, businessmen, civil servants or even teachers like us.”
No Yeong-mi words pricked the faces of a few people.
It was because, rather than to become a Player attacking the otherworlds, quite a few guys applied just because the Eungwang School was the most prestigious highschool in Korea.
‘Jang Namuk was also such a case.’
Korea’s education fever and ambitions to join prestigious highschools were the same even after the Clash of different words.
“However, you cannot know when or where the otherworld will appear. Whether at the company where you work or during your holiday visit at the resort, the otherworldly crack can open and the Enemies can appear anywhere.”
No Yeong-mi’s words continued.
“Only we, the Players, can face those Enemies. To protect yourself, your family, your friends and your neighbors, you have to hone your battle skills and refine your Player’s basic knowledge.”
All the guys here at the moment were 17-year-old 1st year highschool students.
Before, they were in a position of being protected, even when they possessed outstanding battle abilities, because the usage of Gwangrim was impossible.
However, once they became 17 year old, they received approval of the Association and became Players.
No Yeong-mi’s words would now make them realize that their position changed from those who had to be protected to those who had to protect.
“The condition to enter the Eungwang School was to ‘Possess at least 1 combat skill’ and to ‘Disclose that skill’. We, the teachers, will do our best to improve the skill you trusted the Eungwang School with and disclosed to us.”
At No Yeong-mi’s gesture, Ham Geun-hyeong and Kim Sinrok entered, pulling carts, each full of item cards.
“We prepared weapons in the form of item cards in accordance with the battle skills all of you here disclosed during the entrance examination. Rarity of all of them is R.”
At those words, a few students raised their hands.
“Teacher-nim! I prepared my own item card.”
“Me too.”
I guess, for the students who possessed high rarity weapons, even SR or SSR ranks, thanks to their parents’ wealth, the R rank items weren’t satisfactory.
No Yeong-mi shook her head.
“Today we want to assess your pure combat abilities.”
It was only natural that the homeroom teachers, who had to guide the first years, wanted to accurately grasp their students’ combat abilities.
They troubled themselves by conducting the lesson with more than two classes to assess the students’ abilities relative to the absolute norm.
Because the conquest of the otherworlds was basically a team play.
Some looked dissatisfied, but No Yeong-mi stern words continued.
“Your homeroom teacher will distribute the item cards. When the distribution finishes, we will gather again.”
***
I didn’t want to disclose my skills.
Exclusive menu? Fate? Communication?
I’m probably the only one who has those skills in this world.
I could imagine nothing but my future days as a test subject of the Player’s Association or government the instant I disclose them.
However, it was Eungwang School’s rule to disclose at least one combat skill.
‘I could disclose only one skill.’
The sole combat skill I possessed.
The disclosed skill was ‘Use of Everything’ which allowed me to use all weapons and armors.
“It’s all for Uisin? Whoa!”
Kim Yuri spoke with an admiring face.
Most students received only one card.
‘Isn’t it a bit too much?’
I received 300 cards.
A stir spread around the people who saw me holding a plastic case full of item cards.
Even the eyes of Hwang Jiho, who stood beside me holding one item card, sparkled when he looked in this direction.
“The ‘Use of Everything’ skill is rare even among the Jin people. That’s impressive, Jo Uisin.”
He had to know in advance if he saw my school’s submission papers.
Hwang-ho was very good at feigning innocence.
But with that degree of shamelessness, you could pretend to be 17 years old and mix with students even when you were over 5000 years old.
“Actually, I wanted to see you use all kinds of existing weapons. It’s the first time a student possesses the skill ‘Use of everything’, so it’s only what I could prepare right away.”
Ham Geun-hyeong looked at the case full of cards with regretful eyes.
“Since the skill is still level 1, the way to improve it is by usage of various weapons…”
“Level 1? What a waste.”
I heard a loud voice from the direction of the 1st year class 2.
*~*~*
[1] Ju Su-hyeok’s feet were instantly dangling in the air — Jo Uisin, you don’t understand. He was about to ascend to heaven!
[2] Samul nori — A genre of percussion music played on four traditional Korean instruments… I, who know nothing about music, say they look like simple drums and gongs.
[3] Trot, pansori — Trot is the genre of pop-music with repetitive rhythm and vocal inflections (said the wiki, I advise you to look for it and just try listening), pansori is a Korean traditional musical storytelling.
Translator’s note: And that will be the last of No Yeong-mi’s prominent appearances… No, I’m sorry, this book has a lot of characters, so I may actually not remember, but does anyone know of No Yeong-mi appearing during any particular event…?
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