novelraw Chapter 55 : Chapter 55
Chapter 55 : Chapter 55
Chapter 55: Five Days of Time (3)
"Why are the two of you so surprised? It is good for cadets who attend the same academy to be close to one another."
Cha Yu-na spoke words that were entirely unlike her, acting as if our reactions were no big deal. For someone who moves strictly based on profit and loss to tell us that being friendly is a good thing—was she actually being serious?
'For now, I should just stay quiet instead of talking back.'
I was not staying quiet because I was afraid of answering her. There was only one reason I held my tongue: the situation Cha Yu-na presented was not necessarily bad for me.
'I have always been worried about how to establish a connection with Ryu Jin-oh.'
In the case of Ju Ha-yeon, with whom I am currently not very close, I could become much friendlier if I increased my standing. I could easily approach her by using her ultimate goal of inheriting the family business as an excuse.
'But Ryu Jin-oh is different.'
Ryu Jin-oh is a guy who already has everything he could ever need. His family, the Ryu family, is a prestigious name recognized worldwide. His skills are top-tier, competing for the first or second rank in Glory. To top it off, he is even handsome. He is literally the guy who was born with it all.
Why would someone like him, who lacks nothing, feel the need to form a connection with me? Therefore, no matter how ridiculous the situation seemed, it was better to wait and see what else Cha Yu-na had to say.
'She probably thinks this is ridiculous too. She will likely add a reason why we should become close.'
I still could not think of how this would benefit Cha Yu-na, but that was something I could figure out slowly. I remained silent, thinking that if things went well, I could establish a connection with Ryu Jin-oh. Sure enough, Cha Yu-na spoke to us once again.
"This is not a bad deal for you two either. Of course, I am not telling you to make friends in a materialistic way, but there are certainly benefits involved."
"......"
"Think about it carefully. For you, Yu-seong, just being able to build a rapport with the Ryu family is already a massive gain, is it not?"
Unlike Cha Yu-na, I had never entertained such materialistic thoughts, but I nodded along for now. From a common perspective, nothing she said was wrong. I liked Ryu Jin-oh for the person he was, but who would actually believe that? I could not exactly say, "The truth is, I have been transported into a novel," just to make her believe me. So, in times like this, it was best to just play along.
Cha Yu-na seemed satisfied with my reaction and began to speak to Ryu Jin-oh in an alluring voice.
"And for you, Jin-oh, this is honestly not a bad deal either. You know how close Yu-seong is with Shin Yu-hwan, do you not? If you get close to Yu-seong, you will certainly have a clear connection to Shin Yu-hwan as well."
Unlike when she was persuading me, Cha Yu-na explained things at length and in great detail to him. I felt a bit left out and almost felt slighted, but I decided to be understanding since her target was Ryu Jin-oh. Instead, I focused on the words she used to persuade him.
'Will something like that actually work? I feel like that is a bit of a stretch.'
I had learned from the recent incident that Ryu Jin-oh harbored a sense of admiration for Shin Yu-hwan, much like I did. However, I wondered if that admiration was large enough to make him want to become friends with me. Furthermore, someone of Ryu Jin-oh's stature probably did not feel the need to go through me just to meet someone else.
It was then, while I was looking at Cha Yu-na and Ryu Jin-oh with doubt, that a clear voice pierced directly into my mind. It came so suddenly and without warning that I was momentarily startled, but I was able to hide my surprise quickly. I knew this voice was being delivered through one of Cha Yu-na's talents: Sound Transmission.
You look like you do not quite believe my words, so just watch.
Cha Yu-na smiled brightly at me while speaking into my head. I did not nod or react this time. It would look strange if I nodded at Cha Yu-na when she was the only one who could hear the voice. Therefore, I decided to just observe the situation as she suggested.
'Anyway, I have only heard about it, but experiencing it in person feels strange.'
The Sound Transmission Cha Yu-na just sent me was a common technique in martial arts novels and was explained in detail in the original story, so I never really thought about its actual structure. But having experienced it directly after only knowing it existed... how should I put it? It felt truly bizarre. It felt like someone was peeping into my head, which was not a very pleasant sensation.
'Still, considering the future, it is an insanely broken talent. It is also the talent that played a huge role in bringing Cha Yu-na to this position.'
This becomes clear when one considers Cha Yu-na's epithet. Due to her incredible beauty and high social standing, she was given the epithet Celestial Flower, meaning "an unattainable flower in the sky." However, those who know her well call her by another name: One of a Thousand Conversations.
Before the Horizon Guild gained the prestige of being the number one guild, she was a figure who fought on the front lines. At that time, people said her ability to give commands was at a level no one could match, so no one could deny that her Sound Transmission talent was a cheat.
It was while I was thinking about her talent that Ryu Jin-oh finally finished his thoughts and slowly opened his mouth. I could not help but be shocked by his answer.
"...Understood."
It was because Ryu Jin-oh had accepted Cha Yu-na's proposal, which I had thought was a total stretch. As the question 'Why on earth?' lingered in my mind, Cha Yu-na's Sound Transmission echoed in my head once more.
Hehe, did you see that? This big sister is someone who proves herself through results.
I felt like there was a bit of an age gap for her to call herself a "big sister," but I did not nitpick such a minor detail. The current situation was something truly surprising to me.
'He accepted that so easily? Even with that legendary Ryu-pride of his?'
My doubt was quite reasonable. I could see no reason why Ryu Jin-oh would feel the need to accept the merit of becoming friends with me. Fortunately, this mystery did not remain unsolved for long. Cha Yu-na immediately provided a supplementary explanation as to why Ryu Jin-oh made such a decision.
The reason Jin-oh dreamed of becoming a player is actually because of that guy Shin Yu-hwan. For your information, you should hear the details from the person himself after you two become close. It would be a bit awkward if I told you, would it not?
"......"
Furthermore, unlike me, he is not the type to use what is already available to him. Since his personality dictates that he only uses what he has earned through his own power, this proposal worked on him.
She was right. Ryu Jin-oh had always shown a strong aversion to doing things by relying on his family's power. It was not that he hated his family, but he believed that constantly relying on their strength was not a way to move forward. From a normal perspective, it was hard to understand, but that was the version of Ryu Jin-oh I liked.
'But more than that, the fact that Ryu Jin-oh's dream of becoming a player was because of Shin Yu-hwan is quite shocking.'
Having the will to do everything on your own is only possible if you have a desire to do something in the first place. I was quite surprised to learn the reason that desire existed. Since their relationship was never mentioned in the original work, I had no idea such a background existed.
'Well, I suppose it makes sense in a way.'
Considering the time when Shin Yu-hwan and Ryu Jin-oh met their deaths in the novel, it was not strange that this background never appeared. They died in different places at around the same time. For Ryu Jin-oh's background to be revealed, there would have needed to be a scene where he reminisced about the past while witnessing Shin Yu-hwan's death, but there was never an opportunity for that to happen.
'Well, it is not a particularly important story anymore.'
I have no intention of letting that tragedy repeat itself anyway, and I have already learned about Ryu Jin-oh's background. Although I did not hear the details, it is a story I will eventually hear if I become close to him. Therefore, I decided to focus on a more important issue. The very important question of why Cha Yu-na was telling me all of this.
'We are not close enough for her to be sharing this kind of information with me.'
It was true that we had met a few times and shared some conversation. However, those were strictly formal exchanges, and there was absolutely no friendship between us. So why was she telling me this? I could see no reason for it, no matter how hard I thought.
It was while I was lost in those thoughts that she spoke again.
You are probably wondering why I am telling you this. We are not close enough for me to share such things. Is that not right?
Cha Yu-na sent me a Sound Transmission while simultaneously conversing with Ryu Jin-oh. I thought it was impressive that she could maintain two conversations at once, but regardless, I could not help but frown slightly. Cha Yu-na had read my mind, and having my thoughts read was not a pleasant feeling. Noticing my expression, Cha Yu-na gave a faint smile and continued her transmission.
Perhaps because you are still young, what you are thinking shows clearly on your face.
"......"
It would be better to fix that quickly, especially if you consider what you are trying to do.
What I am trying to do? I have done so much that I was not sure what she meant by that. However, I understood what Cha Yu-na was trying to say with her next words.
Shin Yu-hwan tried to deny it, but honestly, you were the one who sent Yu-hwan to the villains during the practical exam, right?
'Ah...'
How you knew the villains were there that day is not very important to me. What matters is that Yu-hwan broke his promise to me.
I did not know what promise she was referring to. However, one thing was for certain: Cha Yu-na was currently speaking with conviction, not just suspicion. Perhaps because of that, I felt a bit bothered.
Actually, even if he broke a promise, it is not really my place to argue. Yu-hwan liked you, and that is likely why he did you a favor.
"......"
But Cadet Yu-seong might not know this, but Yu-hwan is quite a precious person to me.
As if I would not know. I know very well. That is why I am keeping my mouth shut so quietly.
So I thought about it, and it seems like that guy will continue to break his promises if you keep asking him for favors. Do you not think so?
'...I cannot say that is not true. Shin Yu-hwan is someone who is built to live however he pleases.'
So, I came up with something perfect. During these five days, I will help you improve your skills while building your network at the same time. Of course, I am included in that network.
"......"
That way, you will not have much reason to ask Yu-hwan for favors anymore. Of course, that is not the only reason I am doing this, so do not be too suspicious.
I nodded silently at her words. It was likely that she was moving this way because forming connections with people like Ryu Jin-oh and Kim Su-hyeok was also beneficial for her. Of course, the main reason was Shin Yu-hwan, just as she had said.
'...Well, it is not a bad deal for me either.'
As a result, these were things that would benefit me immensely. I would improve my skills and build my network. Since Cha Yu-na had provided several reasonable justifications in between, I did not even feel uneasy about it. It was a massive gain. There were even rumors that if one went through Cha Yu-na, even an F-Rank player could easily clear a D-Rank gate, so what more needed to be said?
But how should I put it... I felt an immense sense of anxiety wash over my body. A sense of dread that I would be working myself to death over the next five days.
I realized that my prediction was spot on through her next words.
So, let us build a good relationship over the next five days. Oh! As you know, the things I just told you via Sound Transmission are a secret, okay?
I felt like I heard a follow-up thought like, "Because I am going to put you through some seriously intense training," and it did not seem like I had misheard. It appeared that the price for recklessly using my admired hero was going to be very high.