Chapter 139
“Understood. Thank you for calling.”
“Who was that calling?”
“It was a call from Hunter Yoo Chaerin. Apparently, the two Cambodian nationals who previously caused an intentional car accident in Busan have had their prison sentences finalized.”
“Oh my gosh.”
Wasn't that already about five months ago? I thought I'd completely forgotten about it. Turns out they'd been locked in a legal battle the whole time, but apparently they didn't have money anyway, so they just used public defenders, kept things quiet, and were getting ready to go to prison.
The charges were a mix of various things, but because it was aggravated injury using an awakened ability, the sentence was heavier than I expected.
“Twelve years!? That's huge….”
“That's because the punishment level is set high for deterrence.”
“I see….”
So if I used my awakened ability to just beat other people up, I could end up like that. But wait, I don't have any strength at all—I’m super weak?? Then does that mean my golems can't hit other people either?
Of course, the law isn't that sloppy. If a legally recognized summon hurts someone against the summoner's intent, there's a hefty liability for damages, though no prison sentence. The summoner isn't the bad guy, but compensation for the harm still has to be paid.
But if someone is injured by the summoner's orders, then of course they go to prison.
“Are you ready?”
“Yep. Let's go.”
Today's school commute was a little exciting. There was only one reason.
'An exchange student… I'm so excited..!'
* * * * *
From the time the exchange students arrive until summer vacation starts, Hunter class students undergo a 'reinforcement training period.' To put it simply, it's like a midterm exam for Hunter class students.
The term sounds a little grand, but basically it means we go to external gates more often, the part where first and second period are taken with the regular students disappears, and some theory classes get cut, so we end up using our awakened abilities a lot more.
So starting today, it's okay to come to school in the school tracksuit instead of the uniform. In the old days, this was something I'd wanted to do so badly, but Hunter class students are allowed to do it during the reinforcement training period. But not on the first day, so today I came in my uniform.
“Ah, Choa!”
“Eve, welcome. You heard the news, right?”
“You mean the exchange students?”
“Yeah. Looks like they're coming during second period?”
“Ohh…. I see.”
The exchange students from Kannagi High School spent the night at an external hotel affiliated with Aegis, and they're scheduled to come in starting second period today. In first period, they're not doing anything else; apparently, all the combat-track students except the research-track Hunter students are gathering in the auditorium to introduce the teachers from Kannagi High School and whatnot.
“We should head to the auditorium too. Let's just drop our bags at home base and get out quickly.”
“Okay.”
When I got to the classroom, the reaction from the class was even more intense than usual. Of course, the reason was that Japan's incredibly famous S-rank Hunter, Tennoji Utaha, had come to our school.
“Yoo Choa! Please, just get me one autograph?”
“Yep, no.”
“Come on, I'll really give you money.”
“What are you talking about? I'm richer than you.”
“Eve!! Please take a picture of Utaha and send it to me, please!!”
“Sorry…. that's kind of….”
“Ugh, that's so unfair. Why can't the general students see her?”
Well, that's because they're exchange students for the Hunter class, I guess. Anyway, after single-handedly fending off the little kids' shrieking, I hurriedly put my bag down and headed to the auditorium.
“Almost everyone’s gathered.”
“A class is over there. Let's hurry and sit down.”
“Yeah.”
Since it was a huge auditorium that could even hold the general students, of course now that it was only Hunter class students, even though it looked crowded, everyone could still sit together in the front.
ㅡKrrrshh..!
'It's been a while, Principal.'
Principal Han Baek-ryeong, the quasi S-rank spatial-type Hunter, had come out from first period and spent a ton of time explaining the civic sense our Aegis Hunter class students should have, the model code of conduct, the good things to do, the bad things not to do, and all sorts of other things.
It was so boring I could've just dozed off, honestly none of it registered.
As soon as the bell for the end of first period rang, everyone completely slumped over and started asking when the Japanese students were finally coming.
“Ugh, this is boring.”
“Th-that is true….”
ㅡBeep….
“Doggie, you were bored too?”
ㅡBeep..! Beep-beep-beep….
Doggie was raging, saying the principal's lecture should legally be limited to five minutes.
ㅡWoooooooiiiiiiiing
When second period rang in, the dome roof of the main auditorium opened a little faster than usual. The sunlight, along with the cool May spring breeze, whooshed in, and it felt like the air was getting refreshed too.
“Hey there~ take your seats.”
“Let's not embarrass ourselves too much, okay?”
The Hunter class teachers hurried around, quieting students down and getting them seated.
Then, through the back passage near the front stage of the auditorium, came the person who was the headmaster of Kannagi High School and a retired S-rank female Hunter from Japan.
“Nice to meet you. Students of Seoul Aegis, representing Korea. I am Kurahashi Shizue, the headmaster of Kyoto Kannagi High School.”
'Wow, she speaks Korean really well.'
Surprisingly, she spoke Korean extremely fluently and just gave the speech without even looking at a script. But she also kept it short and wrapped it up in just five minutes, so applause broke out.
The content was basically that Aegis, with its decades of history, is one of the bulwarks protecting East Asia, and blah blah blah, and she hopes we build a good relationship and so on.
After that, a total of 32 exchange students from Kannagi High School came out in a line, and as usual, they said, 'Please welcome them with a big round of applause,' and then.
“Woooah.”
“They look way taller in person.”
Lastly, the presence of Tennoji Utaha, who walked out at the very back of the line, was, as expected, overwhelming. She also gave the remarks as the representative of the Japanese students, and to be honest, her Korean was so clumsy it was cute. I thought maybe she could just do it in Japanese and have it translated, but since it was short, I guess she practiced hard for it.
“I’m Tennoji Utaha. I’m very happy to be able to spend time with the students of Seoul Aegis. I hope that Kannagi High School and Aegis can continue forward while respecting one another. Thank you very much.”
And then, a deep bow.
It was applause and cheers five hundred times over, with a whole horde of monkeys suddenly appearing. Ooh-ooh, kyaaah—total chaos.
And then, into that heated atmosphere, came the veteran buzzkill Teacher Baek Sangjun, who naturally showed up to pour cold water on it. He grabbed the microphone, and with a shrill squeal from it, casually tapped the mic with his hand before stepping forward and speaking with one leg cocked.
“Alright, alright, our Japanese student friends are here. Like the principal said, if you start fighting or causing trouble, that really won't do. We're good at this, right? I'm already terrified something's going to happen.”
ㅡBoo.
ㅡThis is boring, get out, boo.
“Yeah, yeah, quiet down. The detailed schedule will be posted on the bulletin board later, and each class will also get a notice. That's all.”
Of course, this was our first time, but the seniors had already seen exchange students several times, so they knew roughly how things would go. Apparently each Hunter class takes turns sharing classes and the like.
“Eve, Choa. You sat in the back, huh? Could you see well?”
“Ah, it was fine. But what do we do now?”
“It probably won't be much different from usual. We just take our own classes, and the Japanese students rotate in and take classes with us.”
“I see.”
According to Yeonwoo unnie, we'd take turns going to external gates with the Japanese students and doing some sparring practice too. Just because the exchange students had arrived didn't mean the schedule changed much from normal. Now we had to change into tracksuits and head out to class on the field.
“No, I'm serious. You know that orange-haired girl who was standing around 14th? She was just totally into me.”
“Byeongho, there’s a beast sitting in a human seat, so maybe she just looked because that was weird. Please wake up and face reality.”
“Ah, that bastard Ahn Gyeongwon is jealous again because I'm doing well.”
“Your bullshit is extra long today. Hurry up and change clothes.”
Senior Byeongho and Senior Gyeongwon were, as expected, still fighting while saying ridiculous nonsense. They weren't actually fighting for real, but it sure looked like they were.
“Eve, let's go to the locker room too.”
“Ah.... okay....”
I always changed into my tracksuit in the restroom, but today all the Hunter class students were moving together, so going to the restroom felt a little weird. But then again, even when there were a ton of people, I never went to the locker room—so why am I going there now?
'Oh my gosh. What am I supposed to do.'
As soon as the Hunter class students started pouring out of the auditorium after second period, the general students who were already outside were peeking around next to the auditorium. Most of them were middle and high school students.
“Hey, did you see Utaha?”
“Are the Japanese girls pretty?”
“Do they look strong? How are they?”
The barrage of questions clogged the path too, but the Hunter class teachers were also shouting for us to hurry because they were busy, so everyone just fled in a rush. In the end, I got swept along with the wave and ended up at the Hunter class building locker room too.
“What are you doing? Get in here already.”
“Uh,uh....”
This insane sense of guilt. This feeling like I was doing something I absolutely shouldn't be doing..! Oh my gosh. I really wasn't trying to do it, but with the situation being what it was, I had no choice but to come in..!
“Ughhh....”
The scandalously forbidden scene of a bunch of Hunter class girls packed together. I ducked into a corner and stood there facing the wall like I was being punished, then shut my eyes hard and changed clothes.
“Ah, Ha Yeonwoo. Your bra hook is bent.”
“Really? Where?”
“The top one. Didn't it come undone? Is it okay?”
“I didn't notice.”
Oh my gosh. Why is that bent?
“Stop growing already, seriously. It keeps getting bigger, so the hook can't hold on and pops off.”
“Weird, it fit perfectly when school started.”
“So you're saying it got even bigger in just two months?”
Please stop talking..!
* * * * *
“Now then, you troublemakers. Your teacher's energy has been completely sucked dry.”
“Teacher, you didn't even do anything, so why are you drained?”
“Because you're old.”
“Jinseo, Jiho, come out here and get down for push-ups. Do I really have to do this in front of the other school's friends too?”
Unfortunately, there wasn't any lucky chance to take the same class as Utaha right from day one. It seemed E class was taking the class together. Teacher Baek Sangjun used the two seniors as a footrest and a chair while introducing the two Japanese students standing beside him.
“Now… uh, what was it. Hang on.”
Teacher Baek Sangjun, rummaging around in his pocket, pulled out his phone.
“Hey, how do you say introduction in Japanese?”
ㅡIn Japanese, 'introduction' can be expressed in several different ways depending on the situation. The most common term is 'shōkai'!
“Uh, Japanese students. Shokai! Shokai, the…”
“Ah, jikoshōkai..?”
“Huh? Right, right. You understood that well.”
Teacher Baek Sangjun, borrowing the power of AI, was working hard to communicate with the Japanese students. If it weren't for the fact that he was sitting on a student, he'd look like a truly excellent teacher. Seems like he even shaved his beard for the occasion.
“I-I’m Saionji Reika. H-high school first-year…. Uh…. Nice to meet you!”
Just by looking at her, you could tell she was very pretty. She had that cute sort of look, and her Japanese-accented Korean was cute too. Naturally, the boys' reaction was extremely good.
“Reika, boyfriend? Yes? No?”
“Na Byeongho, get out here. Dragoon pose.”
“Ah, teacher.”
Oh my gosh. Our class is way too embarrassing.