chapter 16
016. Worst Group (2)
“Hey, what was the special healing grade today?”
“It came out as it was in the status window. C.”
“Crazy, isn’t that the top rank among men!? Then, you can choose who to do the joint training with!”
“Why did I decide that? If there is a suggestion from the other side, you can think about it then. And although there aren’t many of them, there are female healers above me.”
“Ah, you probably want to do it with a guy over there too! If it was a male grade C, he would really try to take everyone here and there……. Wow, I really envy you.”
“Kheuheum! That’s right! Hmmm, I’m thinking of accepting it even if the party leader is at least a B-class.”
“You are very humble. If it was me, I would have said I wouldn’t get it unless it was A grade.”
As I approached the assigned training camp, I heard the sound of students talking.
‘Nine people…… ? There are three empty seats. Ah, it looks like there are three quotas for men.’
It seemed that 12 cadets were living together in one camp.
They were already exchanging trivial stories to see if they had become close.
Kikik─
Let me grab the doorknob and open it.
For a moment, silence fell inside the training camp.
Eighteen pairs of eyes turned to me.
Then whispered voices.
“…… It’s quota right?”
“Oh, he went up on the podium with Cheonhwa earlier.”
“Crazy, you came in while sucking honey and stayed with Cheonhwa?”
“A guy who makes all men curse at me.”
“By the way, where are the other two?”
At the same time, the two remaining quota students entered behind me.
“Excuse me… ….”
“Oh, hello.”
Then the atmosphere sank even colder.
Anyway, the quota system seemed to be a nuisance not only among women but also among men. No, it was rather blatant.
They took the test even though they were men, but we weren’t.
The two people behind me seemed to have grasped the atmosphere, and they huddled together and took their seats.
‘Ah, this is how it works.’
The climate change quota system is a thorn in the eye that is not welcomed anywhere.
So, the quota system must unite with quota agents.
However, I gave them a double bath a while ago.
Because of this, even the quotas avoid me, and the general students do not hide their hostility.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’
The reason I was reluctant to be known as the male quota system was not because I was afraid of the eyes of these chaffs.
Only named characters.
I was worried that even those who would need it in the future would look at me wearing colored glasses like this.
I took a seat right next to the door, in the farthest corner.
‘Then, let’s go to sleep until dinner later.’
Today is the last time I can relax like this.
From tomorrow, a hellish schedule awaits for three weeks.
What I needed right now was a desperate break.
I heard the children chatting again, but I laid down and went to sleep.
And how long has it been?
Knock. Knock. Knock.
I woke up to the sound of someone knocking on the door.
“Excuse me.”
I could hear the voice clearly, probably because I was right in front of the door.
It was a woman’s voice.
There was also a commotion in the room.
“…… What is it, girl?”
“Couldn’t it be that the party contact came from the first day? You don’t even have permission yet…… ?”
“Who are you?”
The person who knocked on the door took out the business right away without opening the door.
“Is there a trainee Jin Yu-ha inside?”
“…… Jin Yoo-ha? Who is that?”
“I don’t know, none of us are.”
Ah, it was hard to understand at first because it was a made-up voice, but now I get it.
This is soup.
I got up and opened the door before the other kids came out.
Let’s open the door.
Yuri was standing there with her face blushing red.
I smiled wide as soon as I saw her.
“What were you doing standing there? Just open the door and come in.”
“…… Stupid How do I open the door to the men’s dorm and enter?”
“Ah, is that the case again in this world?”
“Huh?”
“No. Anyway, did you have something to say? It seems to be evening time soon……. Shall we eat together?”
“Bar, Bob? That, yes.”
We came out of the camp.
The Velvet Hunter Academy is an army-like institution that teaches how to fight monsters,
The overall atmosphere and system actually felt like a university.
‘In other words, when you eat, you don’t get food, but you have to go to the restaurant and pay for it.’
I opened my mouth while watching Lee Yoo-ri walking with a slightly awkward expression on her face.
“Gukbap. Don’t you want to eat cup noodles today?”
“…… Cup ramen?”
“Uh, is it because I came to the training center for some reason? It feels like being in the army. How about triangle kimbap with cup noodles at a convenience store? Let me know if you want something else to eat.”
“… Triangular gimbap in cup noodles. Good.”
Lee Yu-ri made a puzzled face for a moment, then straightened her face.
We entered the convenience store inside the Velvet Academy.
And what I chose was a small cup of yukgaejang and tuna. Lee Yu-ri’s beef bulgogi triangular gimbap with a large lid.
We each paid for our own food, got hot water, and sat down at a table outside the convenience store.
“I like the combination of cup ramen and swallowed seaweed. Just the right amount of filling and delicious.”
“Right. So do i.”
I was in the middle of waiting for the ramen to cook like that.
─ Hey, isn’t that him?
─ Hey, have you already seduced a girl since you entered the quota system? The school is really being reorganized.
‘Do it in moderation.’
All you can see is quota quota.
If I was alone, it wouldn’t have mattered, but I feel uncomfortable when Lee Yoo-ri and I hear cursing together.
As I said before, what I’m most anxious about is being reluctant to name characters like Lee Yoo-ri.
“You are being criticized because of me.”
I apologized to her, kicking her tongue at her tsk.
“I think it was like that during the day, but why is this because of you?”
“Because I was handsome during the day, or because I am a cadet who came in while sucking honey?”
When he said it lightly with a joke of his own, Lee Yu-ri spat out a blank laugh.
“Sounds funny. I don’t think you could afford to take the test, and the male quota wasn’t your intention either. Perhaps it was unavoidable. Am I wrong?”
She said, staring at her ramen.
‘What, how does he know that…… ?’
Actually, at the time I possessed, Yuha Jin applied for a male quota system, and she had already been accepted.
That’s why I was dragged in without any choice.
“How do you…….”
Then Lee Yu-ri took her eyes off her ramen and lifted her head.
“Yeah, what about me… …. Oh no! I know just by looking at your skills! The kid who came in without taking a test cuts her goblin into pieces. Aren’t you stupid if you don’t know that?”
“Sorry though.”
“Hey, Jin Yuha.”
“Huh?”
“I don’t care about that. No matter what other people say I believe only what I see with my own eyes and hear with my ears.”
Yuri Lee said that with serious eyes.
A word that removes my anxiety at once.
Yes, this is soup.
I really thought it was fortunate that I had built up a friendship with him before he came.
Can a real person be so reassuring?
“So, don’t apologize for anything like that, just be normal.”
“Okay. Rice soup.”
“It’s done now. Let’s eat.”
Slurp—
Slurp—
“…… Well, and to be honest, I’m looking forward to it.”
Yuri Lee said in passing while eating ramen.
“What?”
“Are you curious? What would everyone look like when they found out that the person everyone ignored and despised was actually an incredibly great person?”
Ssik─
She had a mischievous smile.
Yup!
A strand of ramen was sucked into her lips.
Lee Yu-ri, who took one shot of her broth, looked satisfied, and the corners of her mouth went up.
Large. Greatness.
She cleared her throat in front of me, as if she was embarrassed that she was so absorbed in the meal.
Then he whispered in a slightly lower voice.
“Speaking of which… …. Jin Yoo-ha. You haven’t been invited to a party yet, have you?”
“Party? Can anyone apply for that?”
“No, only the students with the highest grades in training for each position are given the right to be the party leader. Then, take turns selecting the party members one by one in order of grades.”
Ah, I know roughly how the board works.
The cadets with the highest grades for each position serve as the party leader. And party member selection is sequential.
If you do that, you’ll be able to prevent people with excellent skills from being thrown into a party.
It was a clever way to be fair.
I smiled mischievously.
“So, you mean you want to accept me as a party member, already confident that you will get a high grade on the first day?”
“Kuhm! That, then what!!! No!? Now that you’ve covered the stigma of being a quota, you can buy at the bottom! And ooh, we got along pretty well! Please protect me!”
Lee Yu-ri was shy, but she said her words clearly.
‘Remember what I said and watch what you say with your own mouth. At that time, he hated it.’
A smile leaks out of me without realizing it.
Ah.
Party with Yuri Lee.
I really want to do it.
But, I don’t think that will work this time…….
“That’s it, sorry.”
I said scratching my forehead.
“Uh…… !? Seo, could it be that someone has already contacted you!?”
“No, not that. This time, it is compulsory for the male quota cadets and the special admission cadets to form a party.”
“…… What!?”
I wonder if I didn’t know this information, Lee Yu-ri shouted in surprise.
“I can’t help it. I wanted to party with you too…….”
“What is that! It’s a scam!!! The two special admission students are amazing too, including you!”
“So there will probably be a big penalty. Otherwise, it makes no sense.”
“By the way, you will avoid that penalty. It’s a quota.”
“Well, I guess.”
“It’s lethal.”
Lee Yuri narrowed her eyes and glared at me.
I laughed.
“Well then, I will tell you some names. Would you like to take a look?”
“Huh? Do you know anyone?”
“Hmm, it’s not that great, but it’s usable…… ?”
When I said that, Yurii’s eyes twinkled.
“Ugh! They are chosen sequentially, so those guys are more important than those who do exceptionally well!”
“Well, then… ….”
I’m not that big of a character in Velvet’s, but I told you the names of those who showed decent performances in the beginning.
Yuri muttered the name over and over again, then nodded her head.
“Yeah, I remembered everything. Thank you.”
After exchanging meaningful information, we went back to the training camp.
* * *
The next morning.
Originally, the scheduled time for training was 8:00, but I came out about 30 minutes early.
‘You should warm up beforehand. The amount of Kang Do-hee’s training is no joke.’
Thought so, I went outside, but Kang Do-hee was already there.
Beads of sweat were beading on her forehead, as if she had already trained for quite some time.
I walked towards her.
“Did you come early?”
“Huh.”
Kang Do-hee glanced sideways at me and then jerked her head away.
Taat!
Then I started running right away.
In an instant, Kang Do-hee arrived on the other side.
I watched her red horsehair hair blow in the wind for a while.
I also began warming up meticulously from my fingertips to my toes.
Around the time I was stretching for about 30 minutes.
The instructor in charge and all other students have arrived.
“Then, I will start basic training in the morning. As I said yesterday, it is a training tailored to the standards of special admission cadets. Quota cadets are free to give up at any time, so feel free to say it.”
She got right to the point without a word of greeting.
“Then, let’s start with running. First of all, lightly canter 50 laps at the training ground. Start!”