Chapter 499

After finishing indoor training, I stepped outside.

Under the bridge where vehicles pass, there is a straight walking path for people.

Since it was a path that no one used, I often favored it as my training spot.

I tied my shoelaces tightly and prepared for the 100-meter dash.

Tatadatak-!

I controlled the muscles in my entire body with aura.

By replicating the Actinen A gene, I maximized the power my muscles could exert in an instant.

With a single leap, I soared for a distance three times my height and sprinted to the finish line.

Beep-!

My heart pounded as if it would burst.

I forced myself to move my legs and spun around the finish line, knowing that sitting down immediately would not be good for my body.

Once I calmed down a little, I placed my hands on my knees and gasped for breath, saying, “Hah! Hah! 5.97 seconds! Hoo! Haaaa!”

– Wow hahaha

– Crazy lol

– At that speed, a human would seriously get wrecked.

– Only using pure physical strength at 60 km/h ddd

– Does this even make sense?

– Namye’s flexibility is insane, spreading her legs like that ㅎㄷㄷ

[‘NamyeS2Della’ donated 5,000 won!]

– How many seconds would it take without using aura?

“Hah hah… For the 100-meter dash, I haven’t practiced without aura. The reason is that when a difference in scale occurs, everything from posture to muscle movement changes in detail… Instead, I did plyometric exercises like squat jumps or lunge hops, which can develop speed and agility.”

Without using aura, maybe 16 seconds? Honestly, with my current body, even that seems tough.

And in an actual competition, running faster than this wouldn’t make much sense.

If you simply want to increase speed, you can use magic or external manifestation as an addition, so I wasn’t one to frequently do sprint training.

My body becomes limp for a few minutes and my mind feels blank.

The viewers were seriously discussing Love Kim, who lost in the recent Japan-Korea match a few days ago.

Occasionally, they would cross the line with their chats, but the managers promptly cut them off, yet the sheer number of people kept the outrage flowing.

“Didn’t Love Kim Unnie only lose once in this year’s evaluation match? Ah, 4 wins and 1 loss… That’s not bad. But why is everyone so angry? Hmmm?”

All sorts of reasons came out.

Some said the four who first competed were completely unworthy opponents, while others argued that at least in the Japan-Korea match, they should have tested their full power, and Narita Hiroyuki was considered several levels below Emika.

“Still, it’s just a practice match. Even if you think you’re giving 100% in a practice match, that might not actually be 100%. For those who took the KGSAT to meet the minimum for college, everyone must have been fighting for their lives, right? But the truth is, they probably didn’t mean it when under threats from terrorists pointing guns, saying they’d kill you if you didn’t meet the minimum.”

In martial arts competitions, there’s bound to be a significant difference between practice and actual performance when compared to sports like soccer or baseball.

Since it’s a sport that thoroughly stresses both the brain and body, mental fortitude cannot be ignored.

[‘eeechinnoma’ donated 5,000 won!]

– So if the two went back to the 1940s and said if you lose this match, our country can’t gain independence, are you saying they’d definitely win?

“Haha… Wouldn’t that be too much pressure for them? Right now, just cheer us on as much as you can. To be honest, now that the national representatives have been decided, mindless cheering is poisonous. Are you going to go fight in our place?”

– Hahaha

– What can you guys do about it?

– All we can do is cheer haha

– Wow, refreshing~~

– Yeah, this is right haha

– Anyway, if we win, this kind of public opinion would just magically appear again.

[‘loveevol’ donated 30,000 won!]

– From Love Kim’s perspective, there’s no need to analyze Narita’s style. They’re in completely opposite brackets, so unless they both make it to the finals, they won’t meet.

“The viewer’s words are absolutely correct. That’s why I haven’t watched any of Narita-san’s matches except for the evaluation match. Oops, it’s been so long since I exercised, I should go train again. I’ll do interval training for about 30 minutes and then wrap up the stream.”

I stood up, hopping in place.

Wearing the weighted vest I had prepared in my bag, I started jogging lightly.

Even though the sun had set, it was still humid; I felt like I wouldn’t be able to sleep without air conditioning tonight.

– ???

– Aren’t Narita and Namye in the same group I?

– Hey, Namye…?

– Regardless of Love Kim, you should have done a thorough analysis!!!

– Is this a joke? It must be a joke…

– ddddd

– If they’re in the same group, please let them recognize each other!

– No way haha, seriously, this is getting ridiculous.

* * *

At dawn, as the day was breaking.

I usually wasn’t one to take meals seriously, but today was different.

“When you go to France, you’re going to crave Korean food a lot. Eat as much as you can while you’re here.”

Professor Cheon kindly placed well-seasoned bulgogi on top of steaming rice.

“I heard there’s a Korean chef in the hotel.”

“Ha ha, still, what’s cooked in a restaurant and what I make are different, right?”

“Of course Dad’s cooking is far tastier. If I ask you to pack a lunch for me, will you make it anytime?”

“If Namye asks, I’ll definitely do it. I should bring some gochujang sauce in advance.”

“When will you and Saetbyeol arrive?”

“Let’s see, around 8 PM.”

“Hehe, I’m so excited for the trip to France!”

Having barely opened her eyes and dozing off, Saetbyeol finally spoke up.

“Why aren’t you answering my calls? I will send you back to Korea if you don’t.”

“Grrrr! But does the errand runner really need me? Can’t you just have the manager do everything?”

“Dad said we are going just the two of us. Saetbyeol will stay home and guard it.”

“Ah, giving it and taking it back is cheating!”

Besides Saetbyeol and Eborum, many other people were expected to gather in France.

First of all, Yuna’s family decided to attend all the matches I would be in, from the preliminary tournament to the finals.

Academy friends who succeeded in convincing their families also started posting ticket screenshots in the group chat one by one.

“How did the friend who helped you with sparring agree to go with you?”

“No, So Wol Unnie can only come to the finals due to her university schedule.”

I received a lot of help from Ban So Wol.

In terms of pure aura strength alone, she far surpassed the level of a national exchange match, easily recognizing the physical weaknesses I had.

After brushing my teeth, I returned to my room to change into semi-formal clothes.

At the entrance of the apartment complex, a jumbo-sized bus that seats 45 was waiting for just me.

“Hello, Namye Madosa!”

“Wow! So cute… No, so cool!”

I exchanged greetings with a few coaches who got off the bus.

A familiar drone camera whirred and flew up.

“Hello. Thank you for your hard work so early in the morning. Is this for the documentary? Annyeong annyeong.”

I smiled and waved at it.

“Yes, yes. We plan to capture the team’s behind-the-scenes stories, training processes, and interviews under the name Tour de France. Did you feel uncomfortable coming out this morning, Namye?”

“The weather is really hot. I took a warm shower before coming, and my body feels all heated up.”

“Haha, we have the air conditioning on the bus! You should hurry up and get on.”

As I climbed the stairs, the cool air caressed my cheeks.

I could finally breathe again after feeling like I was suffocating.

I sat in a front seat, and across the aisle, a documentary PD settled in.

We exchanged simple greetings and diligently filmed all the way to Incheon Airport.

“Did you face any difficulties or discomfort while training alone?”

“I spent most of my time on physical training, so there weren’t really any issues. My dad and Ban So Wol Unnie dedicated their time to help with training as well.”

“Among the 64 participants this year, it seems like Namye Madosa is the most enigmatic. You haven’t even competed in the evaluation rounds. Do you think this could work to your advantage later on?”

“Hmm, I didn’t hide it on purpose. I occasionally conducted open training sessions via live broadcasts, and heh. I figured that when it comes to the group preliminaries, everyone’s weaknesses would be exposed anyway, so it would be better to assess my skills through evaluation matches. However, in my case, I opted for personal training since I needed to raise my weight class.”

“Oh, did you happen to watch the evaluation match between Love Kim and Narita Hiroyuki from last week?”

“I did watch it live, but… I didn’t think it was a match worth assigning much meaning to. I know well enough that Unnie Love’s skills and think she will achieve great results in the national exchange competition.”

“Thank you for the interview! Would you like a lollipop?”

“Oh, how did you know I like sweets…! I can’t have these kinds of things at home. You have to keep this a secret from my dad.”

Zzzptzzpt-

I rubbed the candy inside my cheeks.

Doing this keeps a bit of the sweetness in my mouth even when I finish eating it all.

Hmm, sweet.

The start of the day felt refreshing.

* * *

As soon as we landed at the airport, numerous flashes went off.

While moving under the guidance of the staff, I also took time to sign for fans.

In the distance, Love Kim was there to greet me.

Maybe it was because of her height, but she looked great in her suit. I envied her…

“Namyeee!”

“How have you been, Unnie Love?”

“Uweeeh, it was hard.”

“It’s normal to be hard, isn’t it?”

“You heartless girl…”

“Originally, martial arts are cold.”

We exchanged brief pleasantries as we entered the mixed zone.

William Robinson, the GM, made a few positive remarks on behalf of the team, stating that we had prepared diligently, so please show us your support.

The coach adeptly brushed off all the reporters’ questions regarding the Japan-Korea evaluation match.

Rather than spend the remaining time doing a Q&A with the journalists, we had a time to meet the fans.

We took commemorative photos with parents who brought their toddlers.

“Can I hold him for a bit?”

“Of course, here!”

I rocked gently, and the baby turned his head to look at my face with wide eyes.

“Hehehe.”

He dropped the pacifier he was holding and smiled broadly.

“Hey, hey. Is my face funny to you? You’re cute.”

“Hahaha, our baby can recognize pretty people. He should remember the fact that Royul got to be held by Namye.”

I returned the baby to the parents, who seemed regretful.

On the other hand, there were also passionate fans who brought along a 10×10 meter banner to cheer me on.

A girl with a sword surrounded by mist.

“That photo is from the video of the departure ceremony, right? It turned out really cool…”

While I was satisfied, feeling a bit like a celestial being living on Hallasan.

Flap—

“…?”

Suddenly, a man flipped the banner over.

And there it was, a picture of me being cute during the behind-the-scenes of an idol music video plastered right there.

The fluttering drew the attention of everyone at the airport.

“Ahhhh…!”

I covered my face with both hands and bent my head deeply.

And then I grabbed Love Kim’s hand and quickly led her to the departure inspection area.

She was dragged along but didn’t let go of her phone.

Click click—

“Don’t take pictures, Unnie. What are you doing…!”

“Why? It’s cute, isn’t it, Namye hehe.”

“Can we just go already…”

“If I display that kind of aegyo too, I think I can exert my strength!”

“I’ll do it for you on the plane later…”

“Okay, that’s a promise!”

It seems like it would be better for my mental health not to look at online communities today.

I felt like I needed to brace myself and prepare for the national exchange competition with these petty attacks hitting me until the end.

As I boarded the plane, my steps felt heavy.

* * *

“Namye, please memorize the spell that makes lemonade delicious here.”

“Magic is prohibited by aviation safety laws, Unnie Love.”

“What if it’s magic that doesn’t require mana?”

“Huh, is there such a thing? I’m a bit intrigued.”

Love Kim gave a grin that sent chills down my spine.

And as I realized what it was, I was horrified and trembled my hands.

“Ugh… O… Oishiku nare, oishiku nare, ugh… Muuhuhuu. Kuuh…!”

After that, I collapsed from exhaustion and fell deeply into sleep.