Chapter 215
Anyway, Da-eun’s ambitious plan ended in failure.
If there was any gain, it might be that she discovered a small hobby to pass the time when she’s bored.
“Hmmm…”
Until just a moment ago, I was sure it was a failure.
But if Da-eun’s real plan was to recruit a companion to share her hobby, then maybe it wasn’t a total failure after all.
And to paint me in her colors…
‘…?’
I paused mid-thought and tilted my head.
…That sounds a bit strange.
Anyway, having already spread her hobby to me, Da-eun was now extending her claws toward Yuki.
“Yuki, you’re not into manga?”
“I haven’t been reading much lately, but I don’t hate it.”
“Oh! Really? Then, have you seen this?”
“No.”
“What about this?”
“I haven’t.”
“Wha…? This one was super famous! You haven’t seen it? Then, what about this?”
“That one too.”
Looking flustered, Da-eun kept showing Yuki various manga, but Yuki shook her head every time.
After about five rounds of this, Da-eun narrowed her eyes.
“…Just to check, what manga have you actually read?”
“Hmm. What was it again…”
Yuki seemed to search her memory for a moment before answering.
Hearing the answer, Da-eun nodded.
Then she exclaimed.
“You fraud! Nisemono! Casual reader!”
“?”
Even if I wasn’t sure about the rest, the last word didn’t feel like an insult, did it?
While I was wondering about this, Da-eun didn’t stop.
“I thought you were a fellow fan because you said you liked manga, but that was a lie! You traitor!”
“I said I didn’t hate it, not that I liked it. And why am I a fraud?”
“All the ones you mentioned are old! They’re aimed at kids, too.”
“Aren’t those still manga?”
“…They are, but still…!”
Da-eun, hesitating, finally exploded.
“That’s not what I meant! This is worse than normies saying, ‘I’m such a nerd’!”
“If we’re talking about being a normie or not, you’re a normie too.”
“Ahhh! I don’t care!”
Yuki quietly watched Da-eun, who was now covering her ears and shaking her head.
Then, suddenly, she turned her gaze toward me.
…Nod.
Nod.
I nodded, as if to say, “Yeah, we’ve both got it rough,” and Yuki nodded back in agreement.
In that moment, a sense of camaraderie was born.
Of course, it might’ve been just my imagination.
But seeing Yuki’s warm gaze, I couldn’t help but assume she was thinking the same thing as me.
That both Yuki and I were victims here.
Honestly, I can’t say I haven’t regretted teaching Yuki.
She often pesters me to spar or bombards me with questions at all hours, which can be quite annoying.
But at times like this, I genuinely feel lucky to have met Yuki.
‘If it weren’t for Yuki, I’d have to deal with Da-eun all by myself.’
Just thinking about it gives me chills.
I brushed my hand over my arm, where goosebumps had risen.
_
After the commotion caused by Da-eun’s rampage was settled.
“S-Someone… my whole body aches…”
“You brought it on yourself.”
“You have the nerve to say that after stabbing me with a wooden sword?!”
“Getting hit by me is still less painful than getting hit by Kana.”
“Even if it hurt more, I’d still rather be hit by Kana. When Kana hits, there’s love behind it, but you don’t have any of that!”
“…?”
“Kana looks confused.”
“She’s just embarrassed. Embarrassed.”
“…??”
“Yuki, what does that even mean?”
“Yuki, stop trying to tarnish Kana’s innocent image! How kind and caring Kana is!”
No, she’s physically subduing people.
Yuki dragged the still-complaining Da-eun to the corner of the gym.
Not to a shady spot for some kind of physical altercation, but to sit down and eat.
I followed behind the two with quick steps.
The gym Yuki had been using alone had recently seen various amenities brought in for convenience.
As a result, the gym now looked quite different from when I first saw it.
There was even a mattress for sleeping—enough said.
Still, it was a gym at its core, so it lacked certain things.
For instance, cooking facilities.
Sure, you could manage with portable cooking tools, but cleaning up after cooking in a place not designed for it was a hassle.
The gym’s water facilities were for washing your body, not for rinsing out food waste.
While you could manage once or twice, like when Da-eun and I went camping, doing that for every meal was a bit much.
Because of this, we usually kept our meals simple or relied on delivery food.
Like now.
Of course, not everyone was happy about that.
“Kana should eat healthy foods instead of things like this…”
“You sound like my mom.”
Just as how any strange occurrence could often be traced back to Da-eun, the culprit this time was also predictably Da-eun.
“…Why is that just assumed?! Who even says stuff like that?!”
Though Da-eun shouted indignantly, no one paid her any attention.
Included in that “no one,” I casually picked up a piece of glossy chicken and popped it into my mouth.
Slurp
“…Spicy.”
At the same time, the signature sweet and spicy sauce of the chicken tingled on my tongue.
To be precise, it was more sweet than spicy, but my tongue couldn’t even handle this mild level of heat.
…What’s the point of reaching higher levels if I can’t endure something like this?
I read online that spiciness isn’t actually a flavor but a sensation of pain. How could I brush off stab wounds but find this so intense?
‘Some things just don’t make sense.’
Slurp
Haaah
I stuck out my tongue and let out a hot breath.
After just one piece, Da-eun looked at me worriedly.
“Is it too spicy? Should I have ordered something else?”
“…It’s fine.”
I swallowed the piece of chicken rolling around in my mouth and replied.
It was spicy, yes, but not to the point of being inedible.
“It’s much better than what you gave me before, Da-eun.”
Back then, I really thought I was going to die.
I had always imagined that if I ever died, it would be in battle. That incident completely shattered that belief.
Recalling the memory, Da-eun’s shoulders slumped.
“…I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
Well, sure, it had been tough, but at least it broke up the monotony of my everyday life with some excitement.
“It is a bit spicy.”
While I was thinking this, Yuki commented after popping a piece of chicken into her mouth.
“Is it? I don’t think it’s too bad.”
“That’s because you’re Korean.”
“Is this the only time you pretend to be Japanese? You’re worse at Japanese than me.”
As if they weren’t tired, Da-eun and Yuki started bickering again.
People might call Da-eun strange, but it takes two to argue, so Yuki wasn’t exactly normal either.
I wish they’d at least be quiet while we’re eating.
“Moshi moshi?”
“Why are you saying ‘moshi moshi’ now?”
…Listening to the two, it seemed my wish for a peaceful meal wouldn’t be granted anytime soon.
I’d have to give up, as much as I didn’t want to.
Speaking up would only draw attention to me, and I hated the thought of dealing with that hassle.
Ignoring them, I focused on my food.
Rather than the glossy, heavily sauced chicken, I turned my attention to the thinly battered fried chicken.
Thankfully, the fried chicken tasted as good as it looked.
There wasn’t even a hint of spiciness.
Munch munch.
No spiciness, no annoying people.
Above all, none of the dishes had anything green in them, which I found most satisfying.
Thanks to these three excellent factors aligning, I was able to enjoy my meal peacefully.
After setting down the bare bones and stepping back slightly, Da-eun, who had been bickering with Yuki until now, finally turned her gaze toward me.
“…Huh? Kana, are you already done eating?”
“Yeah.”
“But we were supposed to eat together….”
Da-eun trailed off mid-sentence.
It seemed like she had just remembered the argument she’d been having with Yuki at the dinner table moments ago.
Looking visibly embarrassed, Da-eun cautiously spoke.
“You didn’t eat much. Are you full already? You don’t need to hold back for our sake. If you’re still hungry, we can just order more.”
“Mmm.”
However, that wasn’t what had happened.
I didn’t stop eating because I thought they wouldn’t have enough food. I’d simply eaten until I felt perfectly full.
Shaking my head, I declined her repeated offers, and Da-eun reluctantly gave up, though she looked a little disappointed.
At last, the gym was quiet again.
Aside from the occasional sound of chewing or rustling plastic, it was practically silent compared to the racket Da-eun and Yuki had been making earlier.
“Hm.”
Time felt oddly empty now.
I had finished eating quickly, and even if the two of them finished their meal soon, it wasn’t like I could make them engage in intense activities right after eating.
Doing so would undoubtedly lead to something unpleasant.
I could see what they were eating now, but there was no need to upset myself by looking too closely.
I might be different from those two, but still.
Anyway, I had roughly an hour to kill.
I could indulge in my newfound hobby until my stomach settled.
‘Maybe I should stretch a bit for a change.’
Instead, I picked up Crimson Aegis.
Having been engaged in mostly sedentary activities recently, I suddenly felt like loosening up.
Ignoring Da-eun’s wide-eyed surprise and Yuki’s undisguised interest, I stepped into the center of the gym.
To avoid repeating the disaster from last time, I decided not to use mana and just focused on moving my body lightly.
Hoo…
Gripping the handle of Crimson Aegis tightly, I felt its warm energy rather than the usual coldness of metal.
And just as I was about to swing it through the air—
“…”
A sudden instinct told me to stop.
It wasn’t the time for this.
An unexpected warning.
But I didn’t ignore my instincts.
After all, they had been a key reason for my survival up to this point.
Swish!
Following my instincts, I shifted the trajectory of my blade, and the sound of something thin being sliced echoed in the air.
It was a sound akin to flesh being cut or a thin piece of fabric tearing.
But—
“…What’s this?”
Sensing something odd, I halted my sword.
The blade was so close it could easily draw blood with just a slight movement.
Stopping at the point where even the finest hairs could be split, I asked,
“An angel?”
The mysterious intruder carried an aura that was all too familiar.
It was the holy power of Edel.
—
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