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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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“Move aside! If you don’t want a hole in your back!”
“Ugh! Wait a minute!”
As soon as Han Min-ha sharply veered to the side, Yoo Hee-won’s Eye Rays grazed past that spot.
Two deadly golden rays of murderous light accurately struck the rapidly moving target.
Beeeeep!
A loud alarm sounded, indicating a hit on the target.
Right now, Han Min-ha and Yoo Hee-won were learning joint combat in the comprehensive combat training ground.
This was the place where the interpersonal combat evaluation had been held, and normally, it could simulate an environment similar to an actual field by operating various types of targets.
Originally, to use the training ground on such a small scale, one had to make a reservation and wait quite a while, but we were lucky.
With the current chaos due to the reorganization of the educational system, it was very dangerous to conduct such training immediately with a hastily formed team.
However, Han Min-ha and Yoo Hee-won had already received guidance from me together for one semester, and I also knew them both well, so we started training immediately.
Sitting in the control tower, I held the microphone and directed the training.
“Student Min-ha. If you’ve dodged, perform evasive maneuvers. The moment right after changing direction is the most dangerous.”
“Understood, Professor! Uwaaah!”
Han Min-ha, who had dodged Yoo Hee-won’s Eye Rays and was flying thoughtlessly, was startled by a target shooting up from below and activated her Aura.
The target collided with Han Min-ha’s pure Aura and shattered into pieces.
Han Min-ha’s heavy and solid Aura itself became a considerable weapon when wrapped around her body.
“Excellent improvisation, student Min-ha. However, if the target had been an actual villain, what would have been broken would probably have been student Min-ha, not the target. In such cases, it’s better to avoid direct collision by deploying a defensive barrier or disengaging with rapid flight.”
“Yes! I’ll keep that in mind!”
“And then, if student Hee-won’s attack immediately follows against the villain who suddenly lost their target. Ah, that’s right. Good.”
Before I even finished speaking, Yoo Hee-won ascended at tremendous speed and pierced the target by shooting Eye Rays from both eyes.
“Let’s stop here for today. Land. Everyone did well.”
I left the control tower and informed the training ground manager that the training was over.
Soon, tracked cleaning robots emerged from under the training ground spectator seats and began to suck up the fallen debris.
Yoo Hee-won and Han Min-ha, who had landed on the ground, were brushing off their suits, which had become dirty from flying debris.
“Good work. Are there any injuries?”
“None. Though I was a bit annoyed.”
Saying that, Yoo Hee-won glanced at Han Min-ha.
“I keep telling you. You can’t stand between me and the target, okay?”
“Yeah. I got it. I’ll move quickly.”
“Seriously, if I see that big butt swaying in front of me one more time, I’ll skewer you both together!?”
“Heek!”
Han Min-ha flinched and cowered.
Indeed, wearing the form-fitting practice suit did accentuate her curves to an absurd degree.
It would probably be better to get a mechanical suit when she gets a new one around graduation season.
Mechanical suits have armor and various combat support devices on the outside, which has the effect of dispersing attention.
They also have radio communication, can check vital signs, and have various other miscellaneous functions.
I also used a mechanical suit when I was in Secreto.
However, they have the disadvantage of being incredibly expensive.
That’s why the sidekick Ivy Runner, whom I encountered on the highway last time, was wearing a plain latex suit with no support functions.
“Ah, it’s so hot. This is total garbage.”
Yoo Hee-won complained, roughly pulling down the zipper of her suit.
Right, one more thing.
Mechanical suits have cooling and heating functions.
As she pulled the zipper down to her navel, a white T-shirt, soaked in sweat and almost transparent, was revealed through the gap in her suit.
“Wow, look at this. It’s like I fell in water.”
Yoo Hee-won flapped the T-shirt clinging to her stomach and grimaced.
On the other hand, Han Min-ha, despite sweating profusely, absolutely did not pull down her zipper.
Even though her hair was plastered to her face like seaweed and sweat was dripping from her chin.
She just took off the goggles she wore instead of glasses and sighed.
“Phew. Hot.”
Even though it was already past mid-September, the midday sun was still hot.
Autumn usually meant hot days and cold nights, but this year the difference was particularly severe.
“Everyone did well. The workday is almost over, so let’s all go back and prepare for physical training.”
“Heeey? Professor? You’re telling us to go to physical training again in this state?”
Yoo Hee-won, having completely removed the top part of her suit so it dangled below her waist, protested.
A black sports bra was clearly visible under her wet T-shirt, so I politely averted my gaze and said.
“Physical training is about inertia, student Hee-won. If you skip even one day, you’ll want to keep skipping.”
“Who doesn’t know that? Hey, Han Min-ha. Have we ever skipped physical training even once?”
“Never.”
As Yoo Hee-won looked back at me as if to say ‘See?’, I smiled at her.
“Good. Then go and prepare. Good work.”
“Wait a minute, Professor. Something’s strange.”
“What is it?”
“Everything has changed with the team system, so why is only physical training the same? If you’ve become our homeroom teacher, shouldn’t you be guiding us through physical training as well?”
“Well. There were no instructions from the faculty department to do that for physical training.”
“Still, that’s not right, is it? Don’t tell me, Professor, you’re the type who only does what the faculty department tells you to do? What do you think, busty?”
Han Min-ha, sweating, looked back and forth between me and Yoo Hee-won.
“Is, is that so? I’m not really sure….”
“Don’t you think it would be nice to run with the Professor too?”
“Ah, that’s true. But the Professor must be busy too, so he doesn’t necessarily have to come out for physical training….”
“Anyway, you’re saying it’s good, right?”
At Yoo Hee-won’s insistence, I finally smiled and opened my mouth.
“Alright. Then let’s do physical training together today, the three of us. Let’s meet at the parade ground later.”
And so, for the first time since coming to the academy, I participated in physical training.
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As I changed into my training clothes and loitered near the reviewing stand, the physical training instructors acknowledged me.
“Hello, Professor.”
“Hello. You’re all working hard.”
The physical training instructors for the freshmen were the famous Maroon Berets.
A special rescue unit composed only of those with physical abilities almost equivalent to heroes.
I had seen them rescue incapacitated comrades after battles several times when I was in Secreto.
“What brings you here today? Are you here to observe?”
“No. My students insisted they wanted to do physical training with me.”
“Is that so? The students must like you very much, Professor.”
“Haha. Is that so?”
Just then, students wearing green and white striped gym clothes entered the parade ground.
It wasn’t very difficult to find Yoo Hee-won and Han Min-ha there.
Shining blonde hair and an incredibly voluminous chest were easy to spot anywhere.
After finishing the group stretching and as everyone was lining up for the run, Yoo Hee-won dragged Han Min-ha, broke from the ranks, and approached me.
“Professor. What’s this?”
“What is what?”
“Why are you in better shape than I thought?”
Yoo Hee-won looked me up and down in my training clothes and asked in a very skeptical tone.
“I don’t know how to answer that. Let me ask you one thing. Then, student Hee-won, what did you think I would be like?”
“A skinny weakling? Because you’re always gloomy and only wear dark clothes.”
Yoo Hee-won said unfiltered words casually, and only Han Min-ha recoiled as if she were the one being spoken to.
“Hee-won. What kind of way is that to talk to the Professor…!”
“It’s alright, student Min-ha. I’m not offended. Student Hee-won always talks like that.”
Yoo Hee-won grinned at my smiling words.
“Anyway, let’s run together. I’ll pay you back exactly as much as you ruthlessly trained us usually.”
“That’s perfectly fine. You got first place in the physical fitness part of the end-of-semester evaluation, right? I’ll learn a thing or two from student Hee-won this time.”
While we exchanged sharp words with smiles, only Han Min-ha clasped her hands and fretted.
But I really wasn’t offended.
I already knew what kind of child Yoo Hee-won was, and I also knew that there was no malice in her words.
Just as malice eventually reveals itself no matter how much you hide it, so does affection.
“Then let’s go.”
We walked side by side and stood at the very back of the running formation.
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Twenty minutes later.
Yoo Hee-won felt her breath catching for the first time since she started physical training at the academy.
She couldn’t even dare to try to catch up with Professor Kyo Soo-hyun, who was running calmly ahead.
Looking back, she couldn’t see Han Min-ha, let alone anyone else.
Kyo Soo-hyun, who had been at the very back of the formation, had shot out at tremendous speed at the start, far outpacing the formation, and had been running at that speed ever since.
As she passed the lecture building, which usually appeared around the forty-minute mark of the run, Yoo Hee-won vaguely felt a sense of fear.
He retired as a C-rank even with that kind of stamina…? And it’s been a long time since he retired, hasn’t it?
What on earth is that man…?!
But she couldn’t walk here.
Yoo Hee-won’s pride wouldn’t allow it.
Even if my heart bursts, I’ll follow him to the end!
As soon as she completed the running course and arrived at the parade ground, Yoo Hee-won collapsed onto the ground and began to vomit bitter fluid.
“Good work, student Hee-won.”
Kyo Soo-hyun approached Yoo Hee-won, smiling.
Looking up at Kyo Soo-hyun, who was looking down at her without much sweat and with even breathing, Yoo Hee-won suddenly remembered the time she had dragged Han Min-ha by the scruff of her neck while running.
At that time, Han Min-ha had crawled on all fours like Yoo Hee-won now, and Yoo Hee-won had looked down on her like Kyo Soo-hyun.
“Get up. Get up, puff out your chest, take deep breaths, and slowly run around the parade ground. That’s more effective.”
At Kyo Soo-hyun’s words, Yoo Hee-won felt a sense of powerlessness and answered obediently.
“Yes….”
“Then I’ll go get student Min-ha.”
Kyo Soo-hyun said that and then ran very lightly, disappearing into the distance in an instant.
She had thought she was confident of winning in terms of stamina, if nothing else, but that was tremendous arrogance.
Watching Kyo Soo-hyun’s retreating back, Yoo Hee-won wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand and slowly got up.
And, as Kyo Soo-hyun had instructed, she took a deep breath and slowly began to run around the parade ground.
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Thanks for the chapter!