Ch. 70
Namgung Il was able to arrive safely at the Vermilion Bird Hall as planned.
It could be said that it was good up to that point... but the situation of being in the same room with Ak Simin now was not originally in Namgung Il's plan.
"..."
Currently, Jong Seo-eon and Gwangcheon were also in this room.
The three who had boldly broken the school rules on the first day of the entrance ceremony.
The rest of the new students were proceeding with the admission procedures as originally scheduled, and the three problem children were now called here separately.
'To think that even I would get caught... did I underestimate this brat's skills?'
Namgung Il was still a little resentful of that fact.
In the past, he had never been caught for something like this.
But by being discovered by Ak Simin this time, he felt that his brilliant career had been tarnished.
Tremble—
Next to him, Jong Seo-eon was trembling with a pale face.
And next to him, Gwangcheon, whose lips had been curled up from a while ago, as if he were so excited.
Looking at the three people standing in front of him with various appearances, Ak Simin finally opened his mouth.
"For a new student who was late on the first day of the entrance ceremony to boldly try to break the school rules."
"..."
"You've got a lot of nerve, huh? I've never seen brats who cause trouble like this from the first day in my life."
Although Ak Simin was saying that, a slight smile was felt on his expression, as if he were amused.
Just then, Namgung Il suddenly said something to Ak Simin.
"They are the kids that you passed, senior."
"What?"
"If you had failed us in the second exam at that time, we wouldn't be here now."
In the second exam, the three people here had been caught by Ak Simin while fighting.
Although it was normal to be eliminated as it was at that time, Namgung Il was now bringing up the story that they were able to enter safely because Ak Simin had just let them go.
"Indeed, you guys were different from the start."
"..."
"I had a feeling I would meet you again, but to be honest, I never thought we would meet again like this."
"Isn't it life that you can't predict so easily?"
When Namgung Il said that, Jong Seo-eon's heart became even more anxious.
Why was he continuing to say such things when it was not enough to apologize to Ak Simin right now?
He might have made the situation worse and only increased the punishment they would receive.
Just then, Namgung Il's gaze changed slightly, and he opened his mouth again to Ak Simin.
"I have a favor to ask you, senior."
"You're asking me for a favor in this situation? Do you even know your own situation?"
"Isn't it because I'm in this situation that I'm asking for a favor?"
"..."
He's a strange brat.
Usually, in this situation, it was normal to be intimidated and not be able to say anything, but Namgung Il was acting as if he had done something great, not something wrong.
As if he found that attitude amusing, Ak Simin decided to listen to the favor once.
"Go ahead."
"The mastermind of this incident is me. So if you're going to punish someone, please only punish me."
Look at this brat?
To be honest, Ak Simin had only thought that Namgung Il would ask him to reduce the punishment or to let him off just once.
But to think that he would break his expectations and say that he would take the blame alone.
Just then, Jong Seo-eon and Gwangcheon opened their mouths for the first time from the side.
"Wh-what are you talking about! For you to take the blame alone, Captain!"
"I'd rather take all the punishment. I'm confident in taking a beating!"
"That's right! Even if we get expelled, we can't let you be punished alone, Captain!"
It was unexpected.
Gwangcheon aside, to think that even Jong Seo-eon, who had been trembling all this time, would say such a thing.
As if he found that interesting, Ak Simin just watched quietly.
"There's no need for that. I'm the one who said we should do this in the first place."
"That's..."
"Since the result is like this, someone has to be punished. Whether the result was good or bad, the responsibility is all on me."
Namgung Il said to the two and looked at Ak Simin again.
"These brats were just dragged along by force. So if you're going to punish someone, please only do it to me."
"You're cool."
"..."
"But I think you're mistaken about one thing. Do you think I have the authority to decide your punishment?"
"Of course you do."
Namgung Il immediately affirmed.
"You're not just an ordinary senior, are you?"
"..."
"Since you're the class president of the Vermilion Bird Class, how you dispose of us will depend on your discretion."
There are a total of four classes in the Flying Dragon Academy.
If the class head was the teacher who represented each class, then the class president was the student who represented each class.
Of course, the authority of the class head, who was a teacher, would be greater, but Namgung Il already knew that the authority of the class president, who represented the students, was by no means to be taken lightly.
Grin—
At Namgung Il's answer, Ak Simin's lips curled up even more than before.
"That's right."
"..."
"But how did you know that I was the class president?"
"Weren't you leading the new students? If a student who is not a teacher is doing that, of course I would think you're the class president."
To think that he had realized that he was the class president with just that.
To be honest, Ak Simin was a little surprised.
That keen eye for grasping the surroundings without being flustered even in a situation where he was caught violating the school rules. And that boldness to commit a violation of the school rules from the first day.
More than anything, Ak Simin was most surprised by that confident attitude of not being intimidated at all even in front of him, the class president.
'There was a reason why my eyes kept going to him.'
To think that such a brat would enter the Vermilion Bird Class this time.
Ak Simin smiled quietly and said to Namgung Il.
"As you said, I'll decide your punishment on my own."
"..."
"I could give you a few days of confinement, or I could punish you until you collapse from exhaustion."
"It's fine. As I said earlier, if you only punish me."
A slight thorn was felt in Namgung Il's words.
A semi-threatening tone that seemed to say that he would not leave him alone if he did not limit the target of the punishment to himself.
A junior, and a new student at that, would naturally be thought of as arrogant if he spoke like that.
However.
"I don't dislike brats like you."
"..."
"I heard you could have entered the Azure Dragon Class but chose the Vermilion Bird Class instead. I'll just let this incident slide as my own way of repaying that."
"Then..."
"Go. The other new students are probably being assigned to their dormitories by now."
When Ak Simin said that, Namgung Il's two eyes widened slightly, as if he were a little surprised.
He had just said that, prepared for punishment, but to think that he would just let it slide.
'What a windfall.'
Does that mean one has to be nice?
Namgung Il thought that Ak Simin had been moved by his spirit of sacrifice and had just let it slide this time.
"Thank you, senior!"
"Do you only call me senior at times like this? Never mind, just go quickly."
"Then, goodbye!"
Namgung Il said and left the room with the other two.
Click—
Only Ak Simin was left in the room.
'Namgung Il... for some reason, it's like seeing my past self.'
No, to be honest, it could be said that he was worse than him.
At least he hadn't caused trouble from the first day of the entrance ceremony.
Probably, in the past few years, such an incident had never happened at the academy.
"Anyway... the Vermilion Bird Class will be different this year."
The fact that he had become the class president of the Vermilion Bird Class was the first step. And Ak Simin thought that the fact that Namgung Il had entered the Vermilion Bird Class was the second step.
* * *
Plop—
As soon as he entered the room, Namgung Il lay down on the soft bed.
The place where Namgung Il was now was the first-year male dormitory of the Vermilion Bird Class. And this room was the room that Namgung Il had been assigned.
'It's kind of empty.'
Looking around, all that was visible in the room was the bed that Namgung Il was lying on now and a table.
Ah, there was also a wardrobe.
In a way, it seemed that everything that should be there was there, but compared to his room at the main house, it was a room that felt quite modest.
'Well, this is enough to live in.'
It was probably because he had gotten used to the life of a rich man that he felt that way.
Thinking about the life he had lived on the streets in the past, this room could be said to be at a level that was sufficiently comfortable.
"Captain, are you already lying down?"
Just then, closing the door, Jong Seo-eon belatedly entered the room.
"What, are you already nagging me?"
"It's not nagging... it's because I'm worried you'll get indigestion if you lie down right after eating so much at the banquet earlier."
When Jong Seo-eon said that, Namgung Il sat up straight on the bed and lay down.
And Namgung Il, who was silently staring at Jong Seo-eon.
This room was Namgung Il's room, but at the same time, it was also Jong Seo-eon's room.
'My roommate is Jong Seo-eon. I'm quite lucky.'
The dormitories of the Vermilion Bird Class basically had two people using one room.
He didn't know what the other classes were like, but all the new students of the Vermilion Bird Class had been assigned rooms like that.
And so, the person who had been decided as Namgung Il's roommate was Jong Seo-eon.
Although he would have disliked sharing a room with another brat because it was uncomfortable, at the fact that he was sharing a room with Jong Seo-eon, Namgung Il thought that this was better.
'If I share a room with this brat, I'll have more time to teach him on the sly.'
Of course, he was talking about the Beggar's Staff Style.
In the first place, the reason why Namgung Il had chosen the Vermilion Bird Class was all to teach Jong Seo-eon the Beggar's Staff Style.
But not only the same class, but to think that they would also be sharing a room.
Since it seemed he would have more opportunities to pass down the Beggar's Staff Style to Jong Seo-eon, Namgung Il was happy about this situation.
"I'll be in your care from now on, Jong Seo-eon."
"Pardon?"
"We're roommates. I'm asking you to take care of me."
"Ah... I'll be in your care too."
In fact, Jong Seo-eon was quite nervous about sharing a room with Namgung Il.
Of course, he was happy to be sharing a room with Namgung Il, whom he knew... but still, wasn't Namgung Il a benefactor of the Beggars' Sect who had the Benefactor Beggar Bamboo Plaque?
That fact felt a little burdensome to Jong Seo-eon.
'And also...'
Namgung Il could be said to be quite the opposite of him in terms of personality.
He had fully realized that from the things he had experienced so far, and especially from what had happened today.
Whether he could get along well with such a Namgung Il... Jong Seo-eon was a little worried about that.
"Then I'm going to sleep."
Namgung Il suddenly said and lay down on the bed again.
Jong Seo-eon, who was silently looking at him for a moment.
Since there had been quite a lot of things today, Jong Seo-eon was also about to go to sleep.
Knock-knock—
It was then.
Suddenly, the sound of someone knocking on the door was heard from outside.
'What is it?'
Who is knocking on the door at this hour?
Thinking that he might disturb Namgung Il's sleep, Jong Seo-eon hurriedly approached the door.
"...?"
When he opened the door, a person he had never seen before was standing there.
Although he had wondered if it was one of his classmates, among the faces he had seen at the banquet earlier, there was no one who matched the man in front of him now.
"Uh... who are you?"
"Who? You don't even recognize your senior?"
"...?"
"Come out right now."
What on earth is this?
Although Jong Seo-eon was flustered by this situation for a moment, before he could even grasp the situation, the man barged into the room without giving him a chance to say anything.
"The brat lying there!"
"..."
"For a new student to be sleeping so peacefully on the first day without permission. Get up right now!"
The man was shouting at Namgung Il.
But as if nothing had happened, Namgung Il was still lying on the bed without moving.
Just then, Jong Seo-eon belatedly approached to stop the man.
"What on earth are you doing! It's late at night, so if you have business, please come back later..."
"Oh? Look at this?"
The man ignored Jong Seo-eon and grabbed Namgung Il's shoulder.
"Get up right now, you bastard! In my time..."
It was then.
The man, whose eyes met with Namgung Il's, who had turned his head, was at a loss for words for a moment.
His domineering appearance from just a moment ago had disappeared without a trace.
"What are you?"
Namgung Il asked the man with an indifferent gaze.
At that moment, the man barely came to his senses and opened his mouth again.
"Uh... I'm your senior..."
"Aha."
Namgung Il clapped his hands as if he understood.
"So?"
"...Huh?
"Does being a senior mean you can just come into a junior's room who is sleeping in the middle of the night and wake him up?"
"..."
This isn't right...
Usually, when they just heard the word 'senior', the new students would listen well with a disciplined look.
But even when he heard that he was a senior, Namgung Il was asking with a nonchalant expression.
'Is this right?'
It was then.
Namgung Il's expression, which had been filled with displeasure for a moment.
At Namgung Il's subsequent words, the man's body froze as it was.
"Do you perhaps... want to die?"
Namgung Il asked, full of respect for his senior.
(End of Chapter)