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 [Chapter 127]

[Your Heart is Heard (2)]

Monsters appeared again.

Mana imbalances are frequent today.

The limousine arranged by Kaguya's consideration encountered mana imbalances several times on the way to Yokohama.

This caused traffic congestion.

The limousine was in a state where it couldn't move at all with the road blocked front and back.

"...Why does the coffee taste like this here? The Americano I know doesn't taste like this..."

"It's not Americano but iced coffee. Here, drip coffee is more widespread than espresso coffee, that's why."

"Wow, you who lived in a place like this are really amazing, Seo-hyun. Weren't you quite picky about coffee taste too?"

"...You get used to it as you live."

Han Do-young took a different limousine and headed to the meeting place first.

Han Seo-hyun and Choi Ye-jang were riding in the same limousine to go shopping at Yokohama Station.

I'm not sure how many times the road has been blocked already.

Choi Ye-jang who gave up counting now frowned after tasting coffee brought by a player.

In contrast, Han Seo-hyun calmly savored the coffee.

"Really... With so many mana imbalances, can people openly walk around outside? There's nothing better than Korea..."

Choi Ye-jang grumbles.

Han Seo-hyun looked out the window without answering his words.

The world she saw was no different from Korea at all.

It was just a difference of whether you felt the disaster people always live with or not.

There was no safe place anywhere in this world.

Han Seo-hyun personally realized that fact after coming to Japan.

"─What did you just say?"

"What?"

Just then.

The Japanese man who had been looking displeased, perhaps offended by Choi Ye-jang's remarks, spoke in Korean.

Hikigaya Hayato.

He was a student Kaguya sent along with the limousine to escort Han Seo-hyun.

A male student considered one of the most promising future players at Yokohama High Academy currently.

He was also from a noble family that still subtly remained. In a very distant way, he was related by blood to the current Emperor of Japan.

"ソヒョンさん,結婚を約束したという人って,本当にこの人ですか?"

(Seo-hyun-san, is this really the person you said you promised to marry?)

"ええ,そうよ."

(Yes, that's right.)

"礼儀も知らない人だとは….ソヒョンさんが絶対に惜しいですよ!"

(To think he's a person who doesn't even know manners... Seo-hyun-san is absolutely too good for him!)

A mere academy student, not even a player.

Nevertheless, Kaguya often sent him as an escort for Han Seo-hyun.

It was an obvious ploy.

Kaguya wanted her to stay in Japan connected with him.

And as for Hikigaya Hayato─.

─Red.

Seo-hyun identified the emotion tinged with desire in Hikigaya Hayato's eyes and soon closed her mouth.

From when they first met, he always looked at her with such a gaze.

In fact, it wasn't just him.

Though it happened occasionally when she was young, since entering middle school, she lived caught by that gaze from men.

"What? What did that kid just say in Japanese?"

"...He says the weather is nice."

Meanwhile, Choi Ye-jang was dumbfounded by Hikigaya Hayato's behavior.

Choi Ye-jang who didn't know his background seemed quite displeased with him interfering between himself and Han Seo-hyun from earlier.

But Han Seo-hyun didn't care. She who didn't want to cause unnecessary commotion just casually replied.

Choi Ye-jang seemed uncomfortable, but when Hikigaya Hayato ostentatiously showed off the sword at his waist, he could only groan and close his mouth.

"...But it seems you have an eye to recognize my katana."

"What...? What nonsense is this kid talking about?"

Regardless.

Hikigaya Hayato now openly started explaining about the sword at his waist.

Choi Ye-jang looked at him explaining as if proud with a dumbfounded gaze.

Here we go again.

How little must he have to boast about...

Han Seo-hyun quietly let it pass.

After first meeting Hikigaya Hayato, he would often show off his sword and tell anecdotes about it.

So now the story about his sword automatically played in her head.

"This sword is Totsuka no Tsurugi! It's a device my grandfather received as a reward for subjugating the 3rd rank monster, Yamata no Orochi. And thanks to Totsuka no Tsurugi, my grandfather was able to become one of the current Twelve Heavenly Generals."

Totsuka no Tsurugi.

It was an artifact treated like Korea's Eulji grade in Japan.

The fact that he had such a sword meant he was that promising a talent within Japan.

In fact, even Han Seo-hyun who witnessed his divine technique once thought he was quite strong.

In the end, that was all though.

"Yeah, good for you. As expected of God Japan."

"...God Japan?"

"Japan is the best."

"Aha! Now I see you were someone with an eye for katanas!"

Choi Ye-jang who likewise wasn't very interested in swords waved his hand and cut off the explanation.

Choi Ye-jang who leaned his body deeply on the backrest crossed his legs and said.

"Forget that, go out and buy some coffee. You said there's not much espresso coffee, but there should be iced Americano somewhere, right?"

"...I came here as a body to escort Seo-hyun-san..."

"But I who can't even speak Japanese can't go out and buy it. I'm asking, so could you just buy one cup?"

"...Understood."

Choi Ye-jang took out his wallet from inside.

Hikigaya Hayato hardened his face and received the money he handed over.

"Have a hard time finding coffee. Huh? The control is lifted?"

As he left the limousine, Choi Ye-jang snickered as if pleased.

Soon the cars in front started moving.

It seemed the mana imbalance was resolved.

Soon the limousine in the middle of the road had no choice but to depart abandoning Hikigaya Hayato.

"Ye-jang oppa, that person..."

"He's someone Kaguya-nim sent, but we can't treat him like this. Seo-hyun, contact him. Yokohama Marui City? Yes, tell him to meet us there."

When Han Seo-hyun was about to say something, Choi Ye-jang cut off her words.

Han Seo-hyun couldn't remove his hand.

☆

There's a cheat key called Hoshimiya Kaede.

Moreover, Eun-ha had friends with outstanding abilities besides her.

Jung Ha-yang guided the way, and Yoon I-byeol found monsters along the way.

Thanks to that, Eun-ha was able to find the restaurant without getting lost, and even obtain mana stones.

"But No Eun-ha did this one thing for sure."

"Right, I don't know how much I hated Eun-ha when we came to Japan."

The instructor's question waiting in front of the store was easy enough to solve with friends' abilities.

Friends who entered the restaurant at once were able to sit down guided by the waiter.

Only then did Kim Min-ji and Cha Eun-woo's expressions relax.

"See, I told you to just trust me?"

"Hmph, why are you acting proud when we came thanks to Kaede?"

"Because Kaede is mine, and what's mine is just mine."

"No Eun-ha's personality..."

"...Since when was I yours?"

"I know you're embarrassed."

"黙れ."

(Shut up.)

Actually, it didn't end just by solving the instructor's question.

There was one more hurdle.

Students had to order food using Japanese.

But Kaede took care of it. Kaede ordered food so neatly the waiter was surprised.

"Damare?"

"It means shut up."

"Okay, damare."

"..."

"You're not upset, are you?"

"...It's just too childish to be worth dealing with."

Hoshimiya Kaede who straightened her shoulders after receiving friends' praise.

Soon she furrowed her brow receiving Eun-ha's joke.

Eun-ha soothed her mood while drinking warm tea.

Soon after, the food arrived.

""""Wow....""""

Sweet and sour pork, fried rice, stir-fried vegetables, gyoza etc. coming up on the turntable one by one.

And jjamppong placed neatly in front of each person.

Friends drooled seeing the steaming food.

Eun-ha drooled too.

It was understandable since they hadn't had a chance to eat proper food since starting the comprehensive evaluation.

"Kaede is so great! So full of sense too...!"

"...Don't cling. It's hot."

Moreover, Kaede even ordered cold beer.

Ariel emptied one glass of beer and hugged Hoshimiya Kaede.

Kaede said to get off but didn't try to remove Ariel.

In Eun-ha's eyes, she seemed to secretly like it.

"But Japanese jjamppong isn't red? I like it spicy... Still, the white one looks quite tempting too."

"I know. I thought jjamppong was red too... it's interesting. And looking at the model displayed outside earlier, it seems there's no jajangmyeon here."

Bong Gu-rae and Yoon I-byeol closely examined the jjamppong's condition.

The soup is white and oily.

Yoon I-byeol hesitated to eat for a moment, while Bong Gu-rae didn't hesitate and sucked up the thick soup.

"Hmm... it's quite edible."

Starting with Bong Gu-rae.

Friends also started tasting the pure white jjamppong one by one.

It wasn't a bad taste.

Still, friends reacted that Korean-style jjamppong tastes better.

...It doesn't feel like eating since the soup isn't spicy.

Eun-ha was the same.

He who tasted the soup a few times soon put down his spoon.

The soup is oily and salty.

Eun-ha decided to just eat the contents.

There was a lot to eat besides jjamppong in the first place. There was no need to obsess over the soup.

"Ah, but it's a waste. It's delicious to mix rice in the soup after eating everything..."

"Still, the gyoza is really delicious. Eun-ha, try this once."

"...You're right. The outside is nicely browned and tasty."

Min-ji smacks her lips.

Ha-yang also regretfully turned her gaze to other food.

Then she tasted a gyoza and quickly recommended gyoza to Eun-ha beside her.

Eun-ha who tasted the gyoza nodded affirming her impression.

It was then.

"So... delicious..."

"What. Are you crying now?"

Kang Si-hyeong who was eating jjamppong well soon burst into tears.

He who lowered his head sniffles while pushing noodles into his mouth.

Min-ji and friends widened their eyes seeing him eating jjamppong while shedding tears.

"I... I came all the way to Japan just to eat one jjamppong... It's so so... so delicious..."

""""...""""

The atmosphere became solemn.

Friends sympathized with the reason Kang Si-hyeong was shedding tears.

Cha Eun-woo and Jung Ha-yang soon dropped tears too.

"Th-this little thing... why are you crying..."

Kim Min-ji said that while wiping her reddened eyes with the back of her hand.

Bong Gu-rae who handed a handkerchief to Eun-woo tightly closed both eyes.

He seemed to be holding back tears.

His eyes flashed for a moment.

"Why are these kids like this... Why are you crying on a good day? If you keep crying like that, I'll eat it all?"

Eun-ha laughed.

He wasn't unaware of their feelings.

He tried to encourage them by playfully soothing them.

"Unnie, unnie! Can't you order me one more glass of beer?"

"Why am I your unnie."

"Anyone who buys me food is my unnie! Aw, don't be like that!"

"...Wait."

Meanwhile, Ariel clung to Kaede and whined.

In the end, Kaede who couldn't overcome her called the waiter and ordered beer. Eun-ha asked too in the middle.

...Anyway, we ate well.

The meal soon came to an end.

Eun-ha who put his hand on his stomach enjoyed the feeling of fullness after a long time.

Friends also had satisfied faces and conversed.

"What are you guys going to do now?"

The comprehensive evaluation ended with this.

Now all that remained while staying in Yokohama was having an exchange meeting at Yokohama High Academy in the morning.

In other words, it meant students were given free time in the afternoon.

Shopping, sightseeing, hobbies, rest, etc.

At Jung Ha-yang's question, friends each said what they would do in Japan.

"What about you, Eun-ha?"

Finally, Jung Ha-yang asked Eun-ha too.

Eun-ha's answer was obvious.

"I'll go around looking for delicious things. I'll just sleep the rest of the time..."

Since we came to Japan after a long time, he'll go around looking for good restaurants.

Friends made expressions saying they knew it at Eun-ha's answer.

"That's so like you, Eun-ha. You'll take me along when you go looking for good restaurants, right?"

"Depends on what you do."

"Tch, how can there be such a thing?"

"Okay. Ah, of course you'll come along too, Kaede?"

"...Why are you naturally thinking I'll follow you?"

Including Jung Ha-yang and Yoon I-byeol, several friends decided to accompany Eun-ha's schedule.

Meanwhile, Hoshimiya Kaede sighed with a displeased face.

You think I don't know you'll follow along even while saying that?

Eun-ha knows.

That Hoshimiya Kaede will end up following along in the end.

Eun-ha shrugged instead of answering her question.

"Then let's get up now and go find lodging."

""""Agreed!!""""

First, I should eat a lot of yakitori tonight.

Eun-ha who joined forces with friends was about to get up from his seat now.

They decided to return to the ship once, pack lightly and look for lodging.

But just then─.

─Thud─!!

As if an earthquake occurred.

The ground shook and a sound of something being hit strongly was heard.

Soon a sound of something shattering too.

"─Huh?"

""""...""""

As if cold water was poured on their heads.

Friends were at a loss for words.

It's impossible.

They wanted to deny reality.

Nevertheless, the mana imbalance caught in their detection net gradually revealed its presence, and eventually rapidly increased in number.

Kyaaaaaaah!!

In the end, the mana imbalance burst.

Simultaneously in multiple places.

People's screams were heard from outside, and sounds of monsters craving life forms were heard.

"─We ate delicious food well, but what on earth is this?"

While all friends were frozen.

Eun-ha spread his mana and made them

The Eunha spread its mana, allowing them to shake off the presence of high-level monsters.

My friends, who were frightened by the aura of mass omnipresence, only then came to their senses.

"Don't be scared, just act as you normally would. This isn't the first time you've been in trouble."

Eunha said it nonchalantly.

If you, as a leader, don't be afraid, they won't be afraid either.

Eunha, who had taken out the black thorn tree, soon saw her friends ready for battle and approached the door.

Open the door and you find yourself in a city consumed by screams.

"─From now on, wake up and follow my instructions."

On that day, the cocoon protecting Yokohama was attacked by a monster and temporarily stopped functioning.

The time that was only a short while ago was a time when a large army of monsters

Invading the coastline, the omnipresence resulted in the entire city being swept away.