novelraw Chapter 69 : Chapter 69
Chapter 69 : Chapter 69
Chapter 69: Club (1)
"Has everyone been doing well? It has been a week since we last saw each other face-to-face."
Im Seong-cheol offered a formal greeting to the cadets who had returned to school after a long break.
Although the tension that had gripped their bodies and minds over the past week might have relaxed, the cadets all listened to Im Seong-cheol's words with passionate glints in their eyes.
Even within the incident-prone Glory, I could only say it was a relief to see such a dedicated Class A.
Since the major characters were gathered here, it was the kind of world-view where a villain difficult to defeat might have snuck in if given the chance, was it not?
However, considering that there was none of that, and that all the cadets in Class A were working hard without going astray, I was truly grateful to the author.
Im Seong-cheol also seemed to like the attitude of Class A, as he continued speaking with a faint smile.
"Some of you may have continued to move forward without rest during that time, while others may have taken a short break. It may have been a time where a gap formed between you."
"..."
"But even so, there is no need to be happy or discouraged. The important thing is whether you can run persistently until the very end. So, everyone, keep that in mind."
It was the kind of advice from Im Seong-cheol that could be felt as common, clichéd words.
However, precisely because they were words one heard often, they were also correct.
If I had to use a metaphor for the process of cadets becoming players, I could say it felt like a marathon.
'Just because you rush ahead in the beginning does not mean you will be standing in the front at the end.'
Since they were still first-years, everyone was running with passion, but there was no guarantee they would still be like that in their second or third years.
There are those who show brilliance at first but later fall into despair because there is no significant progress, and there are those who eventually give up while comparing themselves to other outstanding individuals.
Even if one were not a player, it would be the same, but the point was that the consistency of not giving up was what mattered.
'It is a cruel story, though.'
Telling people to run consistently when everyone is not born with the same talent—is that not a truly cruel thing to say?
The reality was that someone starts with brilliant talent, while another starts with mediocre talent.
'But what can you do? Reality is reality because you cannot escape it.'
No matter how cruel and unequal the conditions are, there is no way around it. In the end, one just has to clash against it and endure.
Because I knew that reality all too well, I could not help but wear a slightly complicated expression at the advice Im Seong-cheol gave, despite it being a cliché.
Perhaps I was not the only one wearing such a face, as Im Seong-cheol cleared his throat and delivered warm words to the cadets.
"I suppose I said something unnecessary. It was just a way of telling you to keep working hard in the future, so do not take it to heart too much."
"We understand!"
"Good. Then, from now on, I will relay some brief announcements."
Feeling that the atmosphere had been refreshed to some extent, Im Seong-cheol began to talk about the main purpose of the morning assembly: the announcements.
"First, it would be good to talk about the midterm exam grades. Separate notices are scheduled to be sent out, but it is only right to offer a word of praise to the cadets who received good grades."
Since Im Seong-cheol did not usually have that kind of personality, it seemed that separate instructions had come down from the upper management of Glory.
They probably made the instructors do it for the purpose of increasing the cadets' competitive spirit.
'It will not work on Class A, though.'
In terms of praise for grades, who would receive it?
If I were to pick from Class A, it was obviously Kim Su-hyeok and Ryu Jin-oh.
But since these two were individuals where a comparison would be embarrassing in the first place, it was clear that the competitive spirit Glory management wanted would not work in Class A.
However, that expectation of mine was miserably shattered by Im Seong-cheol's following words.
"Cadet Choi Yu-seong. Your midterm exam grades were very good this time. Especially in the theoretical part, seeing as you ranked second in the whole school, I can feel that you put in a lot of effort."
"...What?"
"Your rank will rise once it is combined with your final exam grades, so always do your best until the end."
After saying that, Im Seong-cheol went on to praise Kim Su-hyeok, Ryu Jin-oh, and Ju Ha-yeon, who had succeeded in taking first place in theory, but it did not really register in my ears.
That was because I was more interested in the other sounds currently hitting my ears.
[You have acquired 200 Influence Points.]
[You have acquired 150 Influence Points...]
[370 Influence Points...]
'It is a hit!'
It seemed that because Im Seong-cheol mentioned my name, other cadets were sending various forms of attention, which resulted in Influence Points coming in.
It could be positive interest, or it could be negative interest.
But the important thing was this.
I was once again filling up the Influence Points that had been lacking due to the excessive spending I had done yesterday.
I checked the Influence Points I currently possessed with a joyful heart.
[Owned Influence Points: 15,400P]
'There is still a sense of it being insufficient, but with this much...'
Could I say that the immediate crisis has been averted?
At the very least, I had earned points that I could pull and use if an unexpected situation occurred.
I smiled contentedly to myself and listened intently to Im Seong-cheol, who had provided a great deal of help, even if it was not his intention.
"Then, I will move on to the next topic. Since we have talked about the midterm exam grades, it would be better to talk about the final exams first."
"..."
"As you all know, there is only a little over a month left until the final exams. The final exams are more important than the midterm exams, so listen carefully."
Final exams.
One of the major events in Glory where many significant things took place.
Considering that it was currently May, one might ask if there was too little time left.
In a normal high school, final exams take place in July, after all.
'But Glory does not have a long period during the semester.'
Even if they looked like this, they were all individuals who had been called the best across the country.
Time during the semester was certainly helpful, but the truth was that the vacation period was actually more helpful to the cadets of Glory.
It was the basic growth process for a Glory cadet to contact various guilds in advance and grow while receiving this or that kind of help.
Since Glory also required the performance of its future graduating cadets to be good, the semesters were short because they actively encouraged such a process.
"First, the final exams are scheduled to be held on one of the deserted islands operated under Glory's jurisdiction. The exam format will be survival, so keep that in mind."
In contrast to Im Seong-cheol, who spoke in a voice that made it seem like it was nothing special, the expressions of the cadets looked complicated in many ways.
A survival exam was by no means a simple subject.
And although the thoughts in our heads might be different, I could only wear the same expression as they did.
'Sigh, that is why the villains were able to approach so easily.'
Even after suffering like that, they still have not learned their lesson and are going to take an exam on a deserted island; it was a situation where curses naturally came out.
I could only think, 'Is it even safe to take the exam inside Glory? Is the choice to go outside not truly foolish?'
'I hate my past self for finding that entertaining.'
Back when it was not my situation, I had read it without much thought, but now that it had become my situation, those kinds of thoughts did not occur.
I just felt like I could die from hating the author who had created such a setting.
'But well, at least there is enough time to prepare.'
Furthermore, it was not a bad situation because there was a villain with whom I had established a friendly relationship, sort of like recruitment but not quite.
Therefore, rather than spending too much thought on future events that had not yet happened, I looked at Im Seong-cheol with the intention of focusing on the present.
Im Seong-cheol, who had been about to say more regarding the final exams, looked at the time and closed his mouth.
"Hmm, it has already become this late. Then I will quickly relay the final announcement."
"..."
"Due to the past week, the club activities, whose schedule had been slightly pushed back, will begin starting today."
As soon as those words ended, the serious atmosphere from before vanished instantly, and cheers could be heard from various places.
"Club activities are finally starting!"
"Which one are you going to join? I am thinking of joining the Gate Research Club."
"I am interested in real combat, so I do not think I will join the research club."
It was a truly lively atmosphere.
It was not that I did not understand this kind of atmosphere.
That was because club activities were like a breathing room in Glory.
'Doing what you want to do is important, after all.'
For cadets who always move according to a set curriculum, time where they can do what they want is a very precious thing.
This also did not differ much from a class in that they eventually had to learn something and be evaluated, but was it not fundamentally more enjoyable when doing what one wants to do?
While a lively atmosphere, rather than the usual quiet one, filled the class, someone threw a question toward Im Seong-cheol in a loud voice.
"Instructor! I have a question. Is it also alright for first-years to establish a club?"
It was obvious, but the one who asked this question was Kim Su-hyeok.
Why was he saying this here when he could have visited separately to ask after the morning assembly ended...
They say that every single minor action of a protagonist is bound to stand out, and it seemed there was not a single word of that which was wrong.
Still, Im Seong-cheol answered Kim Su-hyeok's question seriously.
"If you have a clear vision and enough members, there is no reason you cannot. There is no regulation stating that first-years must not establish a club."
"A clear vision... I understand!"
After showing a look as if he were thinking about something for a moment at Im Seong-cheol's answer, Kim Su-hyeok sat back down.
After that, Kim Su-hyeok glanced at Ju Ha-yeon and then suddenly began to sneak toward my side.
For what reason was he coming this way?
But before I could even think about the reason, Kim Su-hyeok was already by my side, speaking to me.
"Yu-seong, I have something to say..."
"Yes?"
"You ranked second in theory this time. So, regarding that vision... could I ask you for a favor?"
"..."
"I have already brought up the club topic with Ha-yeon, but Ha-yeon is a bit prickly. If it is a burden, I will think about it on my own!"
Kim Su-hyeok made his request in a quiet voice while appearing to hesitate slightly.
He says I can refuse, but how could I possibly refuse?
But at the same time, I could not help but have many thoughts.
'There is no such thing as a vision in the club Kim Su-hyeok is trying to make...'
Later on, the club itself gains a solid status because of the protagonist's characteristic of getting caught up in incidents, but it was not like that from the beginning.
The initial purpose was a club that felt like it was made to escape from a daily life exhausted by busy training, so to speak.
Therefore, even in the original work, the only reason the club could be established was because of Ju Ha-yeon's connections and Glory's rotten structure.
'Damn it... Just leave it to Ju Ha-yeon like in the original work.'
I was grateful to Kim Su-hyeok for relying on me, but at the same time, I also started to dislike him.
But what can I do? I will have to talk my way through this as best as I can.
I felt that if I packaged it well and spoke, I might be able to be persuasive.
'I feel a bit sorry toward Im Seong-cheol since things have turned out like this.'
I had troubled him so much regarding the outing permissions, and it seemed that my troubling him was not over yet.
But what can I do? I feel a bit sorry toward Im Seong-cheol, but this club must be established.
Therefore, carrying a burden that was far too heavy for an extra on my shoulders, I began to rack my brain to think of how to persuade Im Seong-cheol.