Chapter 85
Dormitory Move-In
After passing the Geumgang Academy.
I made an effort to spend time with my family as much as possible.
As I would be leaving for Seoul and living in the academy city, it would be challenging to see my family for a while.
I wondered if I was the only one who felt that way, as my family also tried to stay home as much as possible.
“Do you have anything you want to eat? Or should we go out since Dad said he’d be back early today?”
“Oppa! I went to the martial arts center, let’s take Mongsoon for a walk together!”
“I’m here. I took some days off next week, where should we go to have fun?”
Mother didn’t make plans with anyone other than going to Pilates, and Yeeun came back home after finishing at the martial arts center to play with me.
Father, who used to work late due to overtime, started coming home earlier.
Thanks to that, we could have dinner together, play games, take trips, and make joyful memories.
[Eunbi]: Hey, how are you all doing? I miss you guys! (≧◡≦)
[Chubby Geum]: (Picture of the triplets doing 1 person 1 chicken)
[Chubby Eun]: We’re eating chicken!
[Chubby Dong]: Make sure you enjoy your dinner too kekeke
[Eunbi]: Wow, what’s this!? Can you eat a whole chicken by yourself?
[Me]: What if a hunter can’t finish even one? To become a hunter, you must at least do 1 person 1 chicken.
[Eunbi]: But won’t you gain weight doing that?
[Me]: Don’t train as much as you eat?
[Eunbi]: ^^;
[Me]: Train as well as having fun
[Eunbi]: Yes… I feel like I’ve been eating too much and gaining weight lately so I’m trying to lose it…
[Me]: I’ll design a training course for you. Will you follow it as is?
[Goeunbi]: Huh? Really? Then, that’s great for me! Is it the course taught at the Divine Sword Academy?
[Me]: I modified it a bit. I’ll send it via text.
[Ttommani Geum]: Please, sir.
[Ttommani Eun]: Don’t cross that river.
[Ttommani Dong]: Don’t cross it, please.ㅠㅠ
[Me]: Sigh.
[Ttommani Geum]: Loyalty, loyalty!
[Ttommani Eun]: Loyalty, loyalty!
[Ttommani Dong]: Loyalty, loyalty!
[Yeon Haneul]: I feel like I’ve gained weight lately, so I’m trying to eat less TnT
[Goeunbi]: Oh, my comrade!
[Me]: Why are you holding back? Eat more.
[Yeon Haneul]: No, I really gained weight.
[Me]: Doesn’t seem like that to me.
[Yeon Haneul]: Really? Seriously? If I see you tomorrow and say my face looks chubby, is that not allowed?
[Goeunbi]: Hey, Gyenwoo? The way you treat Haneul and me seems a bit different??
[Me]: Haneul does well even without me saying anything.
[Goeunbi]: That’s too much. *sob*
[Goeunbi]: By the way, what part of the chicken does Haneul like when eating?
[Yeonnah-eul]: I like chicken legs!
[Me]: I prefer chicken breast.
[Yonghaerang]: Dogyunwoo! We think alike! Firm chicken breast is what makes a man!
:
[Lisa]: I’m sorry. I just saw the message.
[Lisa]: I also want to eat chicken…
From Yeonnah and the triplets to the friends made during the entrance exam, it seemed like everyone was spending their time similarly.
And before we knew it, the day to leave for the academy city was approaching, just a few days before the entrance ceremony.
“We’ll be back soon.”
“We’ll be waiting for you, Mom, Dad. And Yeun.”
“Take care, both of you. If you get sick, don’t endure it, make sure to go to the hospital, and don’t skip meals.”
“Yes, let us know once you arrive.”
“Oppa! Unni! Have a safe trip!”
Early morning at the end of February.
Family members who had come outside on a chilly day bid farewell to me and Yeonnah.
We said our goodbyes to our families and made our way to the station where the triplets were waiting.
Unlike when we went to take the entrance exam, we had more luggage with us this time.
“Give me the carrier. I’ll carry it for you.”
“It’s okay. You have a lot of luggage too. I can handle it on my own.”
“Is it really okay to walk on this slippery ground because of the snow? Be careful.”
“Yes, Dogyunwoo, you too.”
“If you knew this would happen, why didn’t you accept Dad’s offer to drive us earlier?”
“It’s not that… I just wanted to take a walk around the neighborhood.”
“I think I understand that feeling. You’ll miss them a lot. Once you start living in the academy city, you might not see them for a while.”
“Well, I’ll be back during the holidays anyway.”
As we chatted back and forth while walking towards the station, our breath formed mist in the cold air.
“There they come!”
“Yaaay! Dogyunwoooo!”
“Are you late again?”
“So, what’s the complaint?”
“It’s not about that… Our words were not meant to convey that….”
“Yesterday, there was a lot of snow, wasn’t there?”
“They should have come more slowly since the road was slippery! Ahahahaha…”
Joining the triplets in front of the station,
We moved to the Academy City through the warp gate at once.
◈
Students of Geumgang Academy are obliged to live in the dormitory.
Unless there is a special reason, they couldn’t find separate accommodations.
As a result, we had to live in the dormitory on the grounds until graduation.
The reason we arrived at Geumgang Academy a few days before the entrance ceremony was precisely for that.
“We need to move into the dormitory before the entrance ceremony to unpack.”
Since it would be chaotic once the semester began, we had to organize our belongings in advance.
Carrying bags and dragging suitcases, we headed towards the dormitory location.
“I thought the grounds were huge when I first came here.”
“Exactly… It would be difficult to leave once you start living here. I understand why the senior students in the administration department ride bicycles or kick scooters inside the grounds and rarely go outside.”
Just walking around could count as exercise.
That’s how vast the grounds were.
Moreover, the dormitory was deep inside, so we had to walk quite a bit.
It wasn’t too difficult for us who entered the combat department, but for students entering departments that didn’t require physical activity like Yeonhaneul said, it seemed quite challenging.
“If I knew it would be like this, I would have come through the back gate. I should use the back gate from now on.”
I regretted belatedly.
Nevertheless, we were gradually getting closer to the dormitory.
I noticed other students pulling suitcases in the same direction as us.
Soon, the dormitory area came into view.
“Wow… Is that the dormitory? It looks like an apartment.”
“Even with over 10,000 students in the combat department, it’s still huge.”
“That’s where we’ll be living….”
Looking up at the distinctive buildings,
The triplets exclaimed in admiration.
And they weren’t the only ones.
“Wow…”
Yeonhaneul also stopped in her tracks and stared blankly at the buildings.
Her rabbit-like ears twitched back and forth.
She seemed excited.
I understood her feelings.
“It must be exciting to have a room for the first time since birth.”
Yeonhaneul, who had lived in an orphanage, never had her own personal space.
She used to share a room with girls her age.
Under the patronage of the seven-colored witch Hong Ye-na and the divine sword Do-ga, the orphanage did not see significant changes even after its expansion.
The decrease in the number of people sharing rooms was the only noticeable difference.
Of course, she could have had a room to herself if she wanted, but that wasn’t her wish.
“Do you not have your own room?”
“The headmaster agreed to give me a separate room as thanks for my contribution to the orphanage’s expansion. But I don’t want any special treatment.”
To Yeon Ha-neul, the people at the orphanage were precious family. She didn’t want any rifts in those relationships over trivial matters. That’s why she didn’t hesitate to decline the offer of getting a room.
“I used to want a room before, but now I don’t think about it much. Because I’ll become a hunter next. Hunters earn a lot of money, so I can get a room then.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to buy a house by then?”
“Oh, that would be nice too. A garden, a spacious house, that sounds good.”
“And raising rabbits there wouldn’t be bad either.”
“…I have no intention of raising rabbits?”
“I do.”
“Huh? In my house?”
“Why not? Can’t I raise them at your place?”
“No, that’s not it…”
I remember that conversation vividly.
I was well aware of Yeon Ha-neul’s admiration for a room of her own.
“Let’s go get a dorm room quickly. You said you want to decorate your own room.”
“Oh, yes!”
I woke Yeon Ha-neul up.
She suddenly came to her senses, flashed a warm smile, and ran towards me.
We continued walking together.
—
In the combat division and beyond,
In the Gyeonggang Academy, where the number of students easily exceeds ten thousand, there are twelve dormitories.
Gyeonggangseok, Cheongok, Hongok, Geumnokseok, Hwangok, Seongnok, Namok, Chwiok, Jasujeong, Gamnamseok, Danbaekseok, Noksongseok.
Dormitories with different names provide varying services and facilities in the order mentioned above.
As can be inferred from this, students cannot freely choose the dormitory they want.
Dormitory assignments are strictly based on the grades students achieved in the previous semester.
“Is it because it’s Chwiok? There’s an emerald on the dormitory plaque, isn’t there?”
“As far as I know… that gem probably has a protective spell on the dormitory.”
“Are there others in different dormitories as well?”
“As far as I know, yes. The magic inherent in the gems must have had different effects, right?”
“To differentiate even in protective magic… It’s all about skills, isn’t it?”
“In the world of hunters, skill-based hierarchy is prevalent. It’s not surprising. Come on, let’s go inside.”
Of course, for us who haven’t even had the entrance ceremony, there wouldn’t be any previous semester grades.
Instead, for new students like us, the previous semester grades are replaced by middle school records and entrance exam scores.
However, the dormitories available for assignment were limited to the lower five: Chwiok, Jasujeong, Gamnamseok, Danbaekseok, and Noksongseok.
If you wanted to live in a better dormitory, it meant not being satisfied with the current state and striving for further improvement.
‘They probably intend for us to be less capable than the typical 2nd or 3rd years.’
For those like Na Yeonha, who showed excellent results in the entrance exam, she was assigned to the top dormitory, Chwiok, out of the five.
The triplets, Goeunbi, Lisa, and Yongha, who ranked in the top 20%, were also assigned likewise.
Perhaps Minarin, Nam Yuri, and Cha Eunsol, who are unaware of the news, would have been assigned to similar dormitories.
Anyway.
“Student Dogyeonwoo, Student Yeonha. And students Ugeumdong, Ueundong, Udongdong. You just need to take the key cards here.”
Upon arriving at Chwiok dormitory, we completed the move-in process at the 1st-floor desk.
We then took the elevator to go to our rooms after receiving the key cards.
To use the elevator, you had to authenticate the key card on the machine installed in front of the door.
From Noble mtl dot com
“Anyone can come and go on the 1st floor, but you need a key card from the 2nd floor onwards.”
“It must be for security. Hey, Yeonha, which floor should I press?”
“I’ll go for the 14th floor.”
“We prefer the 7th floor!”
“But we’re still sharing rooms even after coming to the academy….”
“A triple room side by side….”
It seemed that the dormitory was divided by gender, with men using odd-numbered floors and women using even-numbered floors.
My room was on the 15th floor.
Following Yeonha and the triplets’ instructions, I pressed the elevator button.
The triplets, who confirmed they were assigned to the same room at the desk, had gloomy expressions.
“We’re also in the top 20%….”
“Why a triple room instead of a single room?”
“This is too much.”
“They must be differentiating based on grades even within the same dormitory.”
“Darn it, this skill-based system….”
“If we knew this, we should have lowered our grades to get into Jasujeong dormitory….”
“Then we would have gotten a single room.”
“Isn’t it more convenient for you to share a room? You’ve been together in the same room since you were in your mother’s womb until now.”
“That’s why we need more single rooms.”
“Dogyeonwoo, you don’t understand us.”
“We also need personal space….”
“Did you ask your mother not to give birth to triplets?”
“Wow… Dogyeonwoo, you crossed the line?”
“He’s really being sarcastic now.”
“Is he cursing our mom right now?”
“Your mother has never been cursed at. Come on, let’s get off now.”
The elevator stopped on the 7th floor.
I quickly ushered the grumbling triplets out.
Waving them off vaguely, I pressed the button and closed the doors.
Soon, I stood on the floor with the room under the clear sky.
“The 14th floor is different from the corridor. The floor the twins got off earlier seemed ordinary.”
“Yeah… the walls and lighting are beautiful. Well, I’ll go check it out then.”
“Contact me later.”
“Okay.”
Yeonha got off the elevator.
She swiped the card key on the machine installed in the corridor and went inside.
Watching her disappear down the hallway, I felt a sense of regret.
“Do I have to authenticate on each floor? At this rate, even if I can go down to the men’s floor, I might not be able to go down to the women’s floor.”
I often wanted to visit Yeonha’s room or eat the food she made.
Sadly, it seemed like that wouldn’t be possible.
I sighed as I turned my gaze away from the closing door.
[15th floor.]
Soon, I arrived at the top floor.
Just as Yeonha had done earlier, I swiped the card key on the machine in the corridor and passed through.
“Let’s see, where’s my room…”
The room was at the far end.
I unlocked the door with the card key and opened it.
The first thing that caught my eye was a package placed in the entrance.
“Thankfully, it arrived safely.”
It was a package from my father back home, timed for my move into the dorm.
After checking the names written on the three boxes, I stepped into the room.
I set down the luggage I brought and looked around the room.
“Not bad at all.”
It was smaller than my room back home.
Still, it seemed comfortable enough for me to use alone.
With a bed and a bathroom, as well as a fridge, and a modest kitchen area.
“I wonder if I’ll cook here… Maybe I’ll use the microwave over there more. Or just make cup noodles with a kettle.”
It wasn’t bad to have these options.
Since I’m not bad at cooking, I might end up using them occasionally.
I turned on the faucet in the kitchen to check the water flow.
Then, I walked towards the sunny spot.
Dampening the curtains, I opened the door and stepped onto the balcony.
“…I like it here.”
The lighting was good, and the scenery was beautiful.
From the 15th floor building, the view of the academy grounds bathed in sunlight was visible.
Feeling refreshed by the cold wind brushing against my face as I walked by.
Not bad.
I quietly enjoyed the view.
This was where I would be living until the end of the semester.