Episode 100
Gaon’s Portal Zone.
The first day departing for Japan for the competition. Gaon’s freshmen lined up in a row. The person they are looking at is Shin Yoo-seong, a participant in the competition, and the party members. Principal Jin Byeong-cheol said with a satisfied face.
“Heh heh! At Gaon Academy, one of our most prestigious schools! In a way, it is very natural that participants in the national competition came out.”
Applause from some professors and instructors.
“The national competition is a place to prove the honor and heighten of one’s country and academy! Please Shin Yuseong students and party members! I hope you get satisfactory results on your own! Based on Gaon’s learning…”
Byung-Cheol Jin’s endless speech.
By the time the students were exhausted, Shin Yoo-seong walked toward the microphone.
“I will win and come back.”
Shin Yoo-sung’s thick and short words echoed through the portal zone. The students all started chanting the name of Shin Yuseong.
“Shin Yuseong! Shin Yooseong!”
“Cheer up!”
And the stories of other party members were gradually heard.
“Amy! I am a big fan!”
“Aya! Come back quickly!”
“Class F fighting!”
“What is it, Lee Si-woo and Yoo-seong are at a party?”
“Sumire! your curry! It was the best!!”
After Lenia’s words, the students’ cheering ended. Jin Byeong-cheol smiled and activated the portal.
Wheein-!
A portal that glows with blue waves. Now it was time for Shin Yoo-seong and the party members to head to Japan.
Jin Byeong-cheol approached Shin Yoo-seong, who was leaving, and cheered him on.
“Yoosung. your skill is the best You have the potential to become stronger than the King! So please win!”
“…Nobody. I will not disappoint you.”
Shin Yoo-seong smiles softly.
Shin Yoo-seong, who had never been defeated so far, was a very reliable presence for Jin Byeong-cheol.
“okay! Yoosung! Let Gaon give birth to another winner of the national competition!”
Jin Byeong-cheol’s wish. Cheers from classmates.
Siwoo Lee laughed and scratched the back of his neck.
“This really won’t even come my turn, so I’m nervous for no reason.”
“then! Then~ Support our Eun-ah and the party leader! It’s our job~”
After saying that, Amy smiled and looked at Yoosung Shin. In addition, Sumire unknowingly grabs Shin Yoosung’s clothes tightly. Shin Yoo-seong spoke to everyone in a caring voice.
“…then shall we go?”
* * *
Tomorrow is the national competition day.
Isshin, the national representative of Japan, was supposed to practice hard, but he didn’t.
A complicated mind that doesn’t know why. Isshin felt strange.
“This feeling is…”
Ever since he met Sumire at Choten, Isshin has been in a bad mood. The first emotion I felt was anger.
Sumire is a traitor that Isshin will never forgive. Isshin was always angry at the fact that he abandoned his party members and went to Korea without saying a word.
Bubbly.
Isshin walks through an empty school in silence.
The more he walked, the more Isshin saw familiar objects and places. Isshin arrived at a classroom.
‘This is…’
Front row. corner close to the window.
Let Isshin’s gaze stop there. Old memories became clear in Isshin’s head.
[Isshin. What are you looking at?]
[Ah~ You’re blunt today too~]
[Fool! Isshin’s bluntness is really cool!]
The women who were talking in groups around him. Where Isshin looked, there was always someone with a notebook open and studying hard.
[Suddenly. It’s a creak.]
Rumor has it that he won the top rank with only his written grades. Attribute is F-class. An opponent that Isshin doesn’t need to worry about. The evaluation of the girls was similar.
[What is it? Why is he looking~ Issin~ rather look at me~]
[But his ability. don’t you feel a bit bad? A skull with hair… It’s kind of shady…]
[Ugh- I feel bad. I don’t want to lend mine even if I die.]
Until then, Isshin hadn’t been impressed by Sumire. Sumire is one of the normal students in her class. The impression was just that.
Bubbly.
Isshin walking through the classroom again.
The sound of footsteps echoed through the long hallway. This time we arrived at the central entrance of the school. Isshin looked up at the dry sky without a word.
The second memory of seeing Sumire was the day when it rained like a downpour.
shoot it
Sumire was holding something in her arms with her umbrella beside her.
[Is it still cold?]
The identity of something is a cat shivering in the rain. He might have some kind of disease, but Sumire didn’t care about that.
Rather, she took off her school uniform jacket and wrapped it around the cat so it wouldn’t get cold.
[Nyaaaang. Nyan…]
Let the warm cat make a pleasant sound. Sumire smiled briskly at the cat, then headed home holding an umbrella in one hand and holding the cat in the other.
Naturally, the next day, Sumire coughed as if she had caught a cold.
Seeing that, Isshin clicked his tongue, saying he couldn’t understand Sumire.
[…stupid.]
Still a bright sunny sky.
Isshin felt strange again. My heart started beating fast, like an anxious person, and my chest felt stuffy as if a heavy burden had been placed on it.
‘…it’s me who’s stupid. What the hell do I want to do?’
trudge.
Isshin, who had been walking helplessly, looked at the flower bed. Where her eyes rested, Sumire, who was staring at the white violets with a blank face, overlapped them.
Obviously, Isshin’s evaluation of Sumire was the same.
even if you’re just staring
Strange.
It’s frustrating.
looking stupid
A woman who is the complete opposite of herself.
However, Isshin reached out to Sumire.
[Don’t be alone. Come into my party.]
Why did you say that?
why did you make that choice?
Isshin couldn’t figure out why, neither then nor now. However, the party life with Sumire wasn’t so bad.
[Don’t be alone. …Why do you drag all the cats in the neighborhood?]
[That’s what I’m good at…]
Isshin’s idea of Sumire is as strange as it looks.
[Don’t be alone. …what the hell is that bird on your shoulder?]
[Huh!]
Frustrated.
[W There’s an exit here!]
[Don’t do it. …that’s the entrance. That’s where we came in.]
[Ah… sorry.]
Stupid woman.
But the party member I care about more than anyone else. When Isshin slowly opened his heart, the incident exploded.
[Isshin! Did you hear the story!? In the dungeon yesterday! Sumire is…]
An accident that happened in the undead dungeon.
There were no casualties due to Sumire’s traits going wild, but the entire class was caught up in the incident.
[…so now…where is Hanajima?]
[I don’t know. Because he wasn’t hurt. I’m not in the hospital, and I haven’t been to school since yesterday. why? I know a house, tell me?]
[…No. No need.]
From then on, Isshin waited for Sumire. For nearly a month, the party had been vacant.
[Isshin~ If the party is empty~ Can you include me? Huh~?]
No matter who asked, Isshin left the seat empty. And time passed by one month. two months. three months. Even if he suffered damage due to the lack of personnel, Isshin continued to wait for Sumire.
Isshin had the skills to handle it, and the vacant seat belonged to Sumire. I had no intention of changing party members.
But as graduation approaches.
It was only then that Isshin heard the news.
Not Sumire’s words or letters, but rumors in the school.
[Did you hear? I heard that Hanajima went to Korea.]
[I didn’t go to school like that, but you go on to a higher education? I should have fallen for it too~]
[I feel like I’ve suffered a loss like that~]
Isshin didn’t believe the talk of the female students. I thought it could never happen. At least I would have told myself.
At that time, Isshin ran like crazy.
[Is it still cold?]
Strange.
[That’s what I’m good at…]
Frustrating.
[Huh!]
Stupid, but.
The time Isshin spent with Sumire wasn’t bad. Surely, if Sumire had the same thoughts as herself. There was no way I could just leave for Korea without talking.
[Ha ha…]
Isshin caught his breath in front of Sumire’s house. And when I rang the bell, it wasn’t Sumire who came out.
[Oh, you…]
The opponent is Suika, Sumire’s mother.
[Don’t be alone. Where is Hanajima?]
Isshin asked blindly where Sumire was.
[It’s been a long time since I came here… I’m sorry. That child left for Korea yesterday.]
That’s when Isshin found out.
That Sumire Hanajima is a traitor who abandoned herself and her party members. What I thought was a party was just my own illusion.
[…I was an idiot.]
That was the end of my meeting with Sumire.
Isshin had long since forgotten Sumire. However, Sumire, who disappeared, appeared at the most important moment and shook Isshin again.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been standing in the sun for a long time. With his head heating up, Isshin muttered as he turned his steps.
“For a walk… this should be enough…”
My head was still pounding and my chest was stuffy. Isshin walked towards the inn with an expressionless face.
