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It was painful because my disciple was extremely kind.

How the hell did Yeom Bangyeol and Cheongryong raise Yeom Junyeol to become such a kid?!

I was starting to truly worry about how Yeom Junyeol will survive in this dangerous and harsh universe[2].

'… I tried to raise Yeom Junyeol to be strong, but if it is like this, even I may end up being overprotective.'

I couldn't shield Yeom Junyeol like those good for nothing bastards[3] and ended up obstructing his growth.

"… Master-nim?"

I snapped back to my senses at Yeom Junyeol's lifeless voice.

I fell into thoughts for so long I made my disciple anxious!

I spoke my thoughts straight away:

"This time it's my fault."

"Yes? What are you saying? Master-nim, what 'fault'!?"

"Obviously it's because I made you worry that I'd stop teaching you."

"That… but that… My worries aren't master-nim's fault, it's because I'm all lacking… Because I'm missing sufficient knowledge and character…"

Because Yeom Junyeol bowed his head, I almost unknowingly stroked his head.

If the Yong tribe caught me on it, they might have cut off my hand so I decided to restrain myself.

Instead, I tapped his shoulder a few times to make him raise his head.

"I'll play my role as a teacher better in the future so you won't worry."

"Teacher-nim is already sufficient…"

"I was worried about you, you know? It would have been better if I gave you my contact information earlier. If you have any worries like this in the future, contact me first."

"…"

Yeom Junyeol was about to say something more but shut his mouth.

It seemed he didn't know if he should laugh or cry.

"And thank you for passing Sawol Seeum's story to me. I'll think a bit more if I should accept that child's thanks or not."

If possible, I didn't want to reveal my identity.

However, during the summer break incident, if I'm not to make any sacrifices, I may have to borrow Sawol Seeum's power.

At that time, I'll have to reveal my identity to use his power.

For that reason, there was still a lot to worry about.

"And that child won't ask for teachings from me. Don't worry."

"… Then I would be your only disciple, correct?"

After Yeom Junyeol asked as if confirming, I nodded.

"Yeah. I won't accept any other disciple until you do your entire part."

I was a lacking master who couldn't soothe the mind of nothing but just one disciple.

If I tried to unreasonably accept a disciple, I would be rude towards Yeom Junyeol and the new disciple.

"Thank you! I'll become a disciple who meets master-nim's expectations!"

At last, Yeom Junyeol smiled brightly, without any shadows.

Looking at that face, I was relieved.

***

After finishing the schedule after parting with Yeom Junyeol and participating in the studies.

"Because it's so dark outside, I have a feeling like we studied for a long time."

"Ah… I want to throw up…"

Under the moon and satellite hanging in the night sky.

The road I was using to return to the dormitory together with the 1st year class 0's dormitory children.

Currently there were only three people walking together with me, Maeng Hyodon, Sawol Seeum and Han Yi.

Kwon Lena remained at Kim Yuri's house for a supplementary lesson.

'She said that she planned to take Kwon Jane's private lessons on Saturday, so she has to study in advance, right? Thanks to that, Kim Yuri won't be left alone at home and won't be lonely. That's lucky.'

Recently, Kwon Lena was almost living at Kim Yuri's house and Han Yi also seemed to sometimes stay for a sleepover.

Kim Yuri was seriously happy about it, and other children also seemed to want to stay for a sleepover.

Though everyone else declined, if we looked at the exam range that makes you 'want to throw up' as Maeng Hyodon expressed it, we may have to make a study camp together soon.

In particular, Master Small Stone Maeng Hyodon who chose math will have to participate unconditionally.

"Ordinary general highschools do 'self-study time', correct? I wanted to try that. Our study group doing self-study seems nice!"

"Are you talking about night self-study?"

"Yes!"

Are you talking about the 'forced' night study class disguised as self-study?

Sawol Seeum conversed with Han Yi with an excited face.

"You play and study with friends for the entire day and night, and then go home, you know? You eat midnight snacks and try to remain awake and go on a walk under the night sky to go around the playground…"

"I think I know what you're talking about."

"Is that so? That's so novel."

At the story about self-study time, I recalled my highschool life.

It was a highschool life which started after I lost everything, both my family and chess.

There should be good moments, but I couldn't recall them well.

From the memories of the night self-study class I had nothing but the memory of it being hard and me being exhausted, sleepy and hungry.

"… I want to do self-study without studying."

Master Small Stone Maeng Hyodon spoke nonsense.

Self-study without studying was like an Eternal Lake team without Kwon Jane, or in other words, Jane's team without Jane.

"Hahaha, if you aren't studying, it's not self-study, you know?"

"Right."

As I chatted with children about nothing in particular, I soon arrived at the dormitory.

Kim Yuri's house couldn't compare to Hwang Myeong-ho's mansion, but strangely, I had the same exact feeling when I returned from the mansion.

'… Today also seems spacious.'

To change the mood, I opened the window wide to ventilate the room.

The wind which touched my arms, exposed by the short sleeves, felt a bit chilly.

'A self-study class supervised by teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim and held with our classmates seems fun.'

As I had useless thoughts comparing my previous world and the current world, I soon fell asleep.

***

Next day's morning, road heading to school.

A message arrived from a person I couldn't expect.

[Mun Saeron] Suspicious vice class president-nim! Please do an interview with Maeng Hyodon-ssi! I'm currently busy interviewing Sir's bread shuttle!

Maeng Hyodon? Bang Yunseop?

Why interview those two in the morning?

When I contemplated where I should start asking about that sound without context.

An additional message came from Mun Saeron.

[Mun Saeron] Tak the Great and Maeng Hyodon-ssi made a bet, but… You will hear the details in person! In any case, pretty please!

Tak the Great?

No way, you're talking about ascetic Tak?

I couldn't guess what happened with that characterization overflowing with chaos and destruction.

'As Mun Saeron is busy, I'll have to personally ask Maeng Hyodon.'

The 1st year class 0's classroom, in which I arrived after rushing a lot more than usual.

The only one who came to school right now was Maeng Hyodon.

I asked him, who had a soulless face as if something happened.

"What happened?"

"… That ascetic became a temporary coach of the Eungwang Training Course."

Eungwang Training Course was a training curriculum I forced Bang Yunseop to take, you know?

But what is Maeng Hyodon's relation to that?

"How?"

"That ascetic continued to pester me to become his disciple, so…"

Maeng Hyodon explained the events from the morning with an exhausted face.

While Maeng Hyodon was running around the Earthly Wings Hall training ground alone as a morning training.

He said that ascetic Tak had jumped out from somewhere as if he had been stalking him and clinging to him, asking to become his disciple.

"How is it related to the Eungwang Training Course?"

"It ended up like this because at that moment we ran into the bastards taking that course and the teacher in charge of that, who were around."

Maeng Hyodon said that impulsively he had declared to ascetic Tak 'I would rather take Eungwang Training Course rather than become ascetic's disciple.'.

At that, ascetic Tak yelled that he would then prove his outstanding guidance abilities.

Ascetic Tak's suggestion was as follows:

— Point out any guy among them. In a month, I will raise them to be stronger than you currently are! If you lose, you will become my disciple!

What nerve ascetic Tak had to make such a sound when he has never accepted a disciple before?

Thinking about it, I had a rough guess.

'As he saw Maeng Hyodon fight, he discovered a few weaknesses. Does he plan to pierce them and teach Maeng Hyodon a lesson to influence him?'

In any case, at those words Maeng Hyodon pointed at the easiest guy among the students taking Eungwang Training Course.

It was my bread shuttle, Bang Yunseop.

He said that Bang Yunseop had freaked out and tried to refuse, but ascetic Tak had finished the conversation with the teacher in charge, who was there, and Bang Yunseop was taken over.

"I didn't seem to have particular feelings of guilt even if that fucker got tormented by ascetic, so I chose him. While he learns under ascetic, he won't be smoking, right?"

"Well done."

"Yeah, and when I beat up that fucker, ascetic won't bother me either."

Maeng Hyodon clenched his fists, while starting imagination training for beating up Bang Yunseop in a spar.

It seemed that after the final exams would end, one more big event would explode.

Small Stone Master Maeng Hyodon VS Suspicious Vice Class President's Bread Shuttle.

It looked like a lot of people would come to watch.

'I should rent the most spacious gym among the 1st year gyms.'

After I turned my conversation with Maeng Hyodon into a short article, I made a reservation for a gym.

***

Lunch time.

I sent a message to Hong Gyubin.

[Me] Hello, team leader Hong Gyubin-nim. I wanted to ask about something.

[Hong Gyubin] Ah. Sure. Uisin. Hi.

[Hong Gyubin] … Speak.

Hong Gyubin seemed a bit nervous.

Why was he like that?

[Me] Won't Association be recruiting interns among highschool students during the summer break?

The reply message didn't come for a while.

[Hong Gyubin] Because I almost didn't use paid leave, I have a lot of leave days piled up. I planned to take teacher Jegal-nim somewhere nice during summer and rest a bit or something like that. Teacher Jegal-nim will naturally refuse, but if I offer it a hundred times he might give an 'okay' one time, you know?

[Hong Gyubin] Uisin… Will a major incident explode, worthy for you to come to Association as an intern? Will I have to work overtime during the entire summer break…? ㅠㅠ?

Not exactly that.

Because I was looking into intern positions for Song Daeseok, who even today was curling up as if he was dead.

[Me] No, I'm just asking.

[Hong Gyubin] Okay, that's lucky ^^! I almost canceled all the reservations just now!

Hong Gyubin already made summer vacation reservations?

Considering the future's developments, I sent him one more message.

[Me] Even so, I think it would be better to not make vacation plans.

Because thinking about the incident that will explode during summer break, the Player's Association will be busy.

Even if he goes on vacation, he may have to go back straight away.

[Hong Gyubin] ^^?;

[Me] You may have to pay a cancellation penalty.

The reply didn't come for a few minutes after that.

[Hong Gyubin] Okay… It's like this, huh… it'll be like this, huh…

He didn't have an overwork mission today, but Hong Gyubin was broken.

[Hong Gyubin] (file attachment)

[Hong Gyubin] This is an intern recruitment notice, which was planned to be published today's afternoon.

I guess they planned to publish it to inform about intern recruitment.

[Me] Thank you.

[Hong Gyubin] Sure, contact me anytime when you need something or something happens… ㅎㅎㅎ[4].

Hong Gyubin was laughing with 'ㅎㅎㅎ', but it didn't look like he was laughing somehow.

When I finished contacting him like this.

"You were here, eh?"

I heard the voice of Hwang Jiho.

As I looked up, I saw Hwang Jiho standing outside of the tree shade, looking this way.

Why did this bastard appear in this place where people were rare?

"Did you track me down?"

"No, I know you usually rest here during the lunch breaks."

You already tracked me down here beforehand, huh?

But if he knew about it before and suddenly came to find me today, it seemed that there was something.

As I silently stared at him, Hwang Jiho approached until he was in the shade I was in and got to the point.

"Kwon Jane contacted us."

Did she perhaps contact Hwang Jiho on the topic of the honorary teacher position?

"Was it about senior-nim becoming an honorary teacher?"

"… Well, there was also that. She asked about becoming a teacher even when she was very anxious."

Anxious?

She didn't show such signs when I brought up the story of the honorary teacher.

"Jeop found her to pass information."

Nabiryeong came to look for Kwon Jane, huh?

If she moved, it means she passed on important information.

Hwang Jiho's words continued.

"She said that during summer break, 'that guy' will use Eungwang School's 1st year students as a sacrifice. In the current Eungwang School among the events planned for summer break, there is only one where the 1st year students move as a group."

Hwang Jiho opened a hologram.

Its content was a notice of the event schedule confirmed by the Student Council.

"Youth Training Camp."

The 1st years Training Camp.

It was an event where Kim Yuri's Gwangrim went into a run-away before.

*~*~*

[1] No title – 'Final test (5)' =-=

[2] universe – not The Universe, not even cosmos, just world, but you see. This world is often used when talking about fictional worlds, so not long time ago I ended up translating it as worldbuilding… or world setting. Literally it means 'worldview' and would refer to how the world and its fundamental nature is perceived.

[3] good for nothing bastards – literally 'eight things that shouldn't be taken out' and referring to boasting about 1. themselves 2. lover/partner 3. child 4. ancestors/family 5. education 6. wealth 7. siblings 8. friends, which was considered impolite in the past.

.

[4] ㅎㅎㅎ — 'hahaha'

Translator's note: Jo Uisin, I'll pet Yeom Junyeol's head if you aren't going to do it! I don't care about my hands!