Chapter 136 : Chapter 136
Chapter 136: Rome academy (8)
A night at the Rome Academy had fallen.
After the room assignments were finished, the children all unpacked their luggage in their respective rooms and took a break.
And to relieve the fatigue of the flight accumulated from Korea and the exhaustion from touring the exterior of the Rome Academy during the day.
All the students of Class A went straight to the showers.
Showers provided in each room.
The sound of water echoing from those shower rooms was louder than expected.
No, it wasn't because of the water, but because of the chaos happening inside.
“It's a total swimming pool!”
“What is this shampoo scent? It's a scent I haven't even smelled in the country of bathhouses?”
“Let's have a water fight!”
“Wow, it's a hotel, a hotel.”
“Ah, it's warm.”
“I'm happy.”
It was called a shower room, but it was a bathroom better than a penthouse or a hotel royal suite.
Subtle golden lights fell over the white marble floor, and the bathtub was on par with a spa.
There were even three shower booths.
They didn't understand why the room was made in a studio type if it was going to be like this, but the children entrusted their bodies to the hot water, thinking there must be a reason for the high-ranking people.
Well.
It wasn't that only happy voices could be heard.
“Don't, don't, don't drop the soap!!!!”
Dormitory Room 1005.
That is, screams did not cease in the shower room of the room where Seong-hyeon was.
“Hey bro! A healthy mind in a healthy body....”
“Get out!!!!!”
Like that, the first night of the Rome Academy was drawing to a close.
***
Dormitory Room 1001.
It was when Jin-ho and Tae-wook, who had finished showering, were resting in their respective beds.
Knock knock.
“I'm coming in.”
As soon as the knocking sound was heard, the door opened and Yoo Jin entered.
Seeing Jin-ho and Tae-wook who quickly stood up from their seats, Yoo jin raised his hand.
“Jin-ho and Tae-wook okay. You are okay too.”
Confirming the Model student who was sitting in a corner of the room looking into a smartphone, Yoo jin nodded.
Yoo jin's gaze headed toward the bunk bed on the opposite side of the children.
His eyes met Leo Valentino, who was sitting on the edge of the bed.
Capturing the blonde child in his eyes, Yoo jin smiled slightly.
“Everyone is doing well.”
Nodding his head, Yoo jin moved his gaze toward Jin-ho and Tae-wook.
“You worked hard on the first day. There's a field trip schedule tomorrow too, so go to sleep early. Don't fight, don't drink alcohol, don't smoke, don't gamble, and don't sneak out.”
At the nagging that stretched out long, Kang Tae-wook's eyes hardened into a straight line.
“I don't do those things. Why are you using school trip lines after coming all the way here.”
“But what is sneaking out?”
“It's probably dawn escape.”
“Is it a contraction or something?”
Looking at Tae-wook and Jin-ho, Yoo jin wore a playful smile.
“I felt regret because I couldn't say those words during my school trip, you punk. Anyway, roll call ends with this. Go to sleep early because you have to eat breakfast tomorrow.”
“Yes.”
“.....”
The door closed and Yoo jin disappeared.
Thud―
Although it was informal, Leo got up from the bed at the same time the roll call ended.
And then he started moving toward the door.
“Leo, where are you going?”
Just a question.
Jin-ho's voice echoed, but Leo only gave a slight glance once and left the door without answering.
“What is it? Is he going for a walk?”
“You're talking about something peaceful like a walk. Hey, aren't you even angry?”
“Angry?”
“He ignored us. Leaving without answering even though he clearly made eye contact is ignoring us, what else.”
“You saw it from earlier. Him radiating bloodlust. Instead of ignoring us, maybe he just hates us?”
“That's the same thing.”
After that, Tae-wook continued to curse at Leo.
Jin-ho only stared blankly at the door Leo had left through.
No matter how much I thought about it.
I couldn't tell.
Why he hated them so much?
***
Quite some time had passed since Yoo jin visited Room 1001.
Probably by this time, the roll call for all other dormitories would have ended.
The time was already heading toward ten o'clock.
That is.
“I'm sleepy now.”
It was time to sleep.
At the same time, it was time to turn off the lights.
“Should we turn off the lights and sleep?”
“Let's do that, Teacher will wake us up again from early dawn tomorrow anyway.”
“I'll turn off the lights.”
“Thank you.”
Jin-ho came out of the bed and moved toward the switch.
“What are you doing there?”
The way to the light switch.
The Model student was standing vacantly.
With his gaze fixed somewhere.
“Is something there?”
At Jin-ho's question, the Model student's gaze turned toward Jin-ho.
Without the Model student opening his mouth, he moved his gaze again.
It wasn't ignoring him.
This time, a silent story was contained within.
Since his hand was also pointing toward the desk.
Jin-ho approached the place the Model student was pointing to.
A single sheet of paper placed on the desk.
Jin-ho picked it up.
And then he read it aloud.
“Come to the Western Sparring Room No. 2. Disciples of the Returnee.”
As soon as Jin-ho's voice ended.
Clatter bang!
Loud footsteps echoed.
Kang Tae-wook, who had flown over at some point, snatched the paper Jin-ho was holding.
Grin.
The corners of Kang Tae-wook's mouth soared toward the sky.
A devilish expression was made on his face.
“This... is it, right?”
“....”
At Jin-ho's trembling voice, the Model student nodded.
“This fellow Leo is doing something interesting. A letter of challenge? Fine, let's play all night.”
Kang Tae-wook's face was crumpled a lot, but he was wearing a happier expression than anyone.
Watching that appearance, Jin-ho and the Model student met eyes.
“But...... shouldn't we tell the Teacher?”
“....”
Whish!
The head of Kang Tae-wook, who had been frowning a lot, turned toward Jin-ho.
“We can't tell the teacher. We received a letter of challenge. And what would we say? If we say, 'Teacher, we received a challenge from an S-rank,' do you think Teacher would let us fight.”
“Well... that's true. What? Fighting?”
“Since we received a letter of challenge, we should respond to it.”
“.......”
“.......”
Seeing Kang Tae-wook, whose motivation had already exploded.
Jin-ho lost his words.
Worry clouded his mind, but well, what can be done.
Now he is not the loser of the past either.
He knows how to distinguish a situation where he shouldn't run to the teacher and say I'm worried about my friend!
Kang Tae-wook moved his steps quickly to the door.
“Are you going right now?”
“Of course. I shouldn't make him wait long. The youngest S-rank.”
For someone wearing a wicked smile, the sound of turning the doorknob was very small.
He must really want to fight a lot.
Seeing how he's trying not to get caught.
At that moment, a shadow passed by Jin-ho.
“Are you going too?”
“.......”
The Model student nodded.
“Well...... it would be better for us all to go together.”
Jin-ho lifted his heels and followed them so that footsteps wouldn't sound.
***
The Rome Academy shrouded in darkness was quiet.
The light of the Magic tower was covering the entire school while emitting a subtle blue light.
Below it, three shadows were heading toward the Western Sparring Room.
They went around alleys to avoid the dormitory entry area and sneakily avoided the security mana sensors.
To Tae-wook and Jin-ho, who received special training from Yoo jin, it wasn't that difficult.
“You're following well?”
“True. Come to think of it, you made an opening when we fought that Supreme King mister last time too, didn't you?”
“....”
Even at Tae-wook and Jin-ho's voices, the Model student still had no words.
“You really don't answer. You're worse than Leo, you punk.”
“Haha.......”
In the meantime of laughing and chatting like that, Tae-wook's group arrived at the sparring room at some point.
“Then, let's go in.”
Tae-wook and Jin-ho.
And the Model student permeated into the darkness and entered Sparring Room No. 2.
.
.
.
And there was someone watching them hidden in even deeper darkness.
The roof of the building overlooking the sparring room.
Yoo Jin was standing there.
“As I thought....”
With the sound of the wind brushing past, the corners of Yoo jin's mouth slowly rose.
“I knew it would be like this.”
Yoo jin's pupils reflecting under the moonlight twinkled as if he knew everything.
It would be strange not to know.
From the time they received room assignments.
Until the time he entered the children's rooms for roll call.
The bloodlust was enormous.
“Now... what should I do.?Should I pretend not to know. Or should I stop them? An opportunity to fight an S-rank doesn't come that easily...... but the kids shouldn't get hurt...... hmm.......”
Yoo jin, who was twisting his body while crossing his arms.
Snap!
Flicked his fingers as if he found the answer.
“I can just be the referee.”
Like teacher.
Like student.
***
The small entrance at the innermost part of Sparring Room No. 2.
Bright mana lights were already turned on inside the circular dome structure.
When Tae-wook and the children entered there,
They could face a student with golden hair standing in the center.
“Did you wait long? Leo Ballerina?”
“Tae-wook, it's not Leo Ballerina, it's Leo Valentino....”
“....”
White school uniform.
Long golden hair.
Blue eyes as if they held the sky.
The top student of Rome Academy.
Leo Valentino turned his body.
“You came.”
Leo slowly scanned the children.
There was not even a bit of shaking in that gaze.
Then.
He met eyes with Kang Tae-wook.
“It's fine if you attack one by one, and it's fine if you attack all at once. There should be at least that much advantage.”
“Man, you don't have friends, do you. Even most rude people wouldn't be able to hold a candle to you.”
“Why this? I just gave a chance.”
“Annoying bastard. You remind me of someone from before.”
Beside Tae-wook, who was wearing a bitter smile.
“That's probably a story about himself.”
***
Nod, nod.
Jin-ho and the Model student were nodding their heads.
“Hey hey, I can hear everything. Whose side are you guys on.”
Kang Tae-wook, who was shouting at the children, turned his head toward Leo Valentino again.
A restrained posture.
A hand calmly placed on top of the sword handle.
Unshaking eyes.
He knows.
Just by facing him, it's certain that this fellow is strong.
The bloodlust is also tingling.
Only.
“Hey, let me ask one thing though. Why are you radiating such bloodlust? Did we do something wrong?”
Contrary to the expectation that a punch would fly first as soon as they met, Kang Tae-wook spat out a quite gentlemanly question.
Regardless of what the answer to the question was, a chill was already blooming in one of his hands.
“There is no such thing. I just dislike you.”
A cold answer that came back quickly.
“Ah, really? That's a relief. I felt the same way.”
At the same time the corners of Kang Tae-wook's mouth rose, his surroundings began to be covered with ice.
***
The ice of Absolute Zero advanced while freezing all of the air.
The ice, which advanced while freezing everything in the direction Kang Tae-wook's hand pointed, swept over Leo Valentino.
Crack!
Cr-crack!
A large ice crystal formed in the spot where Leo was standing just a moment ago.
However, the inside was completely empty.
As soon as he confirmed that, Kang Tae-wook created an ice shield with his other hand.
A high-speed natural-type ability that required neither incantation nor magic circles.
Even so.
Slice!
Ziiing―
The ice shield that appeared in an instant was cut in two just like that.
Between it, the blade of a sword that even cut the air could be seen.
“This is a bit unexpected? I intended to cut your body in two.”
“You're the unexpected one? You're quite rough for someone who looks like a goody two-shoes.”
Even in the short moment they finished an exchange, their war of nerves did not end.
They, who were glaring at each other.
Flash!
Started moving quickly again.
At a speed hard to follow with eyes.
To a degree hard to believe it was a fight between high school students.
The youngest S-rank.
And the best prospect of South Korea.
They were fighting with all their heart.
And Jin-ho and the Model student were the ones watching that appearance from the closest distance.
“Wow...... Leo is really amazing. He's dodging all of Tae-wook's ice.”
“.......”
“As expected, is an S-rank an S-rank...... no, if you think like that, is Tae-wook amazing? He's not falling behind at all even though he's fighting an S-rank.”
“.......”
Since the Model student was still not saying anything.
It became a shape where Jin-ho talked to himself alone.
Even so, Jin-ho continued his monologue.
“It's okay for now. But the balance will break somehow, now. Because quite some time has passed.”
“.......”
“Because Tae-wook's ice attacks started reaching Leo little by little from a while ago. Well, the same goes for Leo, though.Tae-wook started being unable to follow the speed of Leo's sword which disappears and appears. Because the last ice shield was cut before it could even fully form.”
“.......”
“If it goes on like this, won't someone really get hurt?”
Although he knew the answer would naturally not return just as the Model student had been until now, Jin-ho raised the end of his words.
“I should tell them to take it easy before that happens.”
????
Jin-ho, surprised by the answer that came back, turned his head.
Yoo Jin was standing there.
“.......”
“.......”
Jin-ho and the Model student.
Could not open their mouths, for different reasons.