Chapter 39

<Episode 40> Denial of Emotions is the First Step to NTR

Chul-soo, hospitalized, stared blankly at the ceiling.

Maybe because this wasn’t his first defeat, the shock wasn’t as severe.

What bothered him was how that guy had learned Master’s martial arts.

‘As far as I know, he was supposed to be an enemy of Hwagcheon…’

Was there something wrong with his knowledge? Or had Hwagcheon pulled some trick?

No matter how much he thought about it, there was no way to know.

Chul-soo eventually shook his head.

‘The important thing right now isn’t that.’

His goal was to defeat Yu-jin Kim and rescue Young-hee. There wasn’t enough time to think about anything else.

‘At least I made some progress.’

Of course, Yu-jin was overwhelmingly strong—so much so that Chul-soo couldn’t even imagine winning.

But it was also true that he himself had grown significantly. Thanks to the Class President’s help, his skills had improved by leaps and bounds.

‘And I even managed to injure him for the first time.’

With his original technique, ‘Blue Lightning,’ a pure bolt of magic power that even Yu-jin Kim couldn’t evade. Though the guy had shrugged it off and attacked several times after, Chul-soo had definitely left a mark.

‘Since I’ve found a weapon that works, all I need to do is strengthen it.’

There were countless ways to utilize it. He could increase his magic output to start with a shock from the beginning or wrap his sword in lightning for attacks. Of course, for that, further growth would be essential.

‘If only I could get better equipment somehow…’

Unfortunately, there was no source of money. While dungeon runs could earn cash, hero-grade equipment was ridiculously expensive. And at Chul-soo’s level, mediocre weapons wouldn’t cut it against someone like Yu-jin Kim.

‘Not to mention, average gear wouldn’t work on him anyway.’

At least B-rank equipment would be necessary, but how could he acquire it while balancing studies and training? Even if he tried saving up bit by bit, it would take too long.

While Chul-soo was lost in thought…

“Excuse me.”

A woman in a suit entered the room.

She must be from the association.

“Are you Chul-soo Kim, a student at the Academy?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

Chul-soo looked at her curiously; he didn’t expect anyone to visit him now.

“Oh my, I heard you were badly injured, but you’re recovering quickly!”

“Yeah… A good healer helped me out.”

Definitely Young-hee’s doing. Despite saying she hated him, she still reached out in the end. She was still such an awkward kid.

“That’s great! You’ll be able to return to school soon then.”

“Yes, I should be back in a few days.”

The Academy was still the best place for training, and attendance mattered. Chul-soo tried not to miss classes whenever possible.

‘Besides, the Class President is there.’

The only friend who stood up against Yu-jin Kim’s tyranny and helped him. Her abilities and advice had been crucial to his growth. Even though he’d worked hard himself, without her help, could he have grown this much in such a short time?

At least half of it was thanks to her.

“Ho ho, you have amazing determination. You’ll make a fine hero someday.”

“Thank you.”

It was a sincere compliment. The woman smiled approvingly before getting to the point.

“Actually, there’s an anonymous sponsor who wants to give you a scholarship.”

“Sponsor?”

Chul-soo’s eyes widened in surprise. No one or no company had ever supported him—not since Yu-jin Kim had cut off all connections. Who would dare defy the terrifying Hwagcheon to support him?

“Is something wrong?”

“No! It’s definitely Chul-soo Kim. Though their identity is completely hidden, they insist on supporting you.”

“Uh… Yes…”

Chul-soo felt warmth in his chest. He’d thought he was fighting alone, but someone had been watching over him.

“Just a little encouragement goes a long way.”

“Not only that, but your orphanage has received a donation. Double the usual amount!”

“Double?!”

Chul-soo was shocked. The orphanage had already lost all donations except from Hwagcheon due to Yu-jin Kim’s influence. Even so, doubling the usual amount was staggering.

“Could it be some insanely rich benefactor?”

Scholarship, donations… the cost must be astronomical.

“Why anonymously…?”

“Perhaps they truly believe in Chul-soo Kim’s future. They even donated hero equipment.”

The employee smiled and handed over a box. When Chul-soo opened it, his jaw dropped in amazement.

“Wow…”

Inside were a sword and protective gear. Everything was top-tier, especially the sword. Its sharp blade gleamed with obvious magical properties.

…This was at least Scorpion-class equipment. If converted to cash, its value would be enormous.

‘How could they provide such generous support…?’

Honestly, even high-level guilds rarely offered such aid. If they did, they’d surely demand future service to recover their investment. But this was given anonymously, just like that?

‘Who could it be…?’

With this level of extravagance, the possibilities narrowed considerably.

Someone who could observe his abilities closely, someone interested in him, and someone with this kind of wealth…

One person came to Chul-soo’s mind.

‘Could it be the Class President?!’

As far as he knew, the Class President’s parents were top-tier heroes, which meant they had the funds and connections to procure such equipment. Moreover, she was the only one who watched over him, understood his situation, and offered help. She was also the only student who didn’t fear Yu-jin Kim.

‘I haven’t even properly thanked her for helping with training…’

Tears welled up in his eyes.

He’d thought he was fighting alone, having lost his parents, backing, friends, and even the person he loved. He’d believed he’d also lost the mentor who had been like a father to him. Though he hadn’t shown it, Chul-soo had been feeling extreme loneliness.

‘I wasn’t…alone…’

But here was a friend who continued to help him. That alone was a great comfort. Feeling his resolve strengthening, Chul-soo mistook Yu-jin Kim’s anonymous support for the Class President’s gift and shed tears of gratitude.

Yu-jin Kim met the Class President again today, as usual for training. For the past seven days, they’d been meeting regularly.

However, something was different about the Class President today.

“You changed your outfit?”

The Class President usually wore a neat school uniform, but today she was in a white t-shirt that exposed her belly button and black dolphin shorts that showed her thighs.

Though he had no right to comment on her attire…

‘Doesn’t this seem a bit too revealing for two people of opposite genders?’

He glanced at her prominently emphasized bust and smooth thighs.

The Class President blushed slightly and turned away.

“W-what? I changed because I got sweaty and uncomfortable! Doing laundry every day is such a hassle, you know?”

“Ahh, I see.”

True, after helping with training, the Class President always ended up drenched in sweat—not just damp, but soaking wet to the point where her underwear showed through her white school uniform. Honestly, it was quite embarrassing after training.

If this prevented that, it might actually be better.

‘Still, I feel bad about it.’

Apparently, the Class President’s ability carried significant risks. After each training session, she always panted heavily and struggled to catch her breath. She was so exhausted that her legs wobbled. And she’d been washing her uniforms daily because of the sweat. He hadn’t considered that before.

“…Thank you.”

Yu-jin Kim muttered softly.

They’d seen each other almost daily for several days now. This level of communication was manageable.

Most importantly, he genuinely felt grateful.

“Eh…?”

The Class President’s eyes widened in surprise. After a moment of stunned silence, she blushed and turned her head sharply.

“Fine, fine! I’m just doing this because the homeroom teacher asked me to!”

“That’s right.”

He’d heard that the Class President helped students grow in exchange for scholarships. Until now, her main beneficiary had been Chul-soo, right?

“So when Chul-soo comes back, this will be over?”

“Eh?”

“When that happens, you’ll have to help Chul-soo train again.”

“……Right.”

The Class President suddenly jumped, surprised. She hadn’t realized her voice betrayed a hint of regret.

“No, it’s fine! Let’s just hurry up and start! I want to finish quickly.”

“Ugh…”

As usual, Yu-jin Kim offered his back. As she placed her hands on it, the Class President unconsciously swallowed hard.

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