12 – The Weight of a Hero (3)
Thump.
Geumgye Jun… no, Drill Instructor Geumgye Jun placed a large box on the floor.
It was a box containing gloves.
“Today’s lesson will be replaced with this catchball!”
It’s so absurd that I can’t even pray. The other students gathered in the indoor training ground had a similar reaction.
“hahahahaha! Look at that face saying, ‘Why catchball of all things!'”
The lesson title assigned to Combat Specialist and Drill Instructor Geumgye Jun was “Fostering Creative Thinking.”
Grading is not based on a grade system, but rather on a pass-fail basis. It can be seen as a more relaxed course compared to general education, perhaps even freer.
As a result, the content of the lectures is also quite arbitrary. Depending on Kim Kye-jun’s mood that day, it changes whimsically.
Just this week, for instance, they played catch ball. It was a lecture that sparked creativity.
“This catch ball, you see!”
Thunk. Kim Kye-jun put on a glove in his hand. His hand was so big that I thought it was not a glove, but some kind of glove.
“It can be considered training that requires a high level of concentration. You have to put all your strength into each throw.”
Kim Kye-jun winded up.
Then he continued with connecting movements like kicking, striding, and throwing.
Whoosh!
“It’s also a great training to build camaraderie with the opposing catcher! Don’t you think it’s essential training for our awakened ones?”
I just want to play baseball. Why make all these excuses?
“All right, let’s end the explanation with this! Everyone, grab a glove!”
Since it’s an instructor’s order, I decided to put on the glove.
Now, the next step is to find a partner to toss the ball back and forth.
“Hey, Spoon. Wanna play with me?”
The first one to come was the guy with tattoos.
Well, he might be suitable for a catch ball opponent. With this guy, I can sprinkle in some trash talk, and it won’t be boring.
“Just a moment.”
But then Arna intervened. Arna spoke to the tattooed guy.
“Can I borrow this person for a moment?”
The person Arna was referring to was me.
Borrow me? What am I, some object?
“Oh, um, sure… of course.”
From Noble mtl dot com
Tattooed guy readily sold me out without a moment’s hesitation. Ungrateful guy. I won’t play with this guy again. Hmph.
“What are you doing? Come on quickly.”
In the end, I was dragged away by Arna’s hand. It felt like being taken to some weird auction.
….
Come to think of it.
Arna came to me first? This is probably the first time, isn’t it?
Usually, I’m the one who goes first to annoy her.
This time, it was completely the opposite.
“Arna.”
“Why?”
Arna’s voice was sharper than usual. She blatantly exuded a strong dislike.
No, then why did you come looking for me?
“By any chance, did your period start?”
“…”
Silence. Arna glared at me. For a moment, it felt like my heart dropped.
But I shouldn’t back down. I am a formidable villain.
“Well… when I’m with you, it seems like my period that had stopped might start again.”
“A girl like you has no manners. Lacking in etiquette.”
“Ugh… You were the one who started talking first…!”
But anger only lasted for a moment. Arna took a deep breath to calm herself.
“Phew, forget it. Just be ready to catch some balls by yourself.”
“Before that, have you ever played catchball? If you’re a beginner, it’s better to start from a close distance.”
“What do you take me for? Do I look weak to you? I’m a powerhouse, you know? I used to be a quarterback in American football.”
Arna loosened up her shoulders, turning her body.
Quarterback is acknowledged. Then there’s nothing to worry about. I have created some distance between Arna and me.
─ I’ll throw first.
“Okay.” I nodded.
Swoosh─
Arna passed the glove behind her head.
Starting from the wind-up, lifting her left leg high into a kicking motion…
“Huh…?”
What’s going on? Did my eyes deceive me? Why is there a glow coming from Arna’s body? And it’s golden.
At this rate…
“Arna, don’t tell me you’re using magic…”
Swish─!
But it was already too late. After the striding motion, she finished with the throwing. Soon, a white baseball bounced off Arna’s fingertips.
The speed easily surpassed 100 miles.
Thud─!
Direct hit on my stomach.
I lost consciousness and collapsed on the spot.
This was clearly intentional.
***
“Even so, you shouldn’t throw a ball at a fellow student during class. This time, Arna, you’re in the wrong.”
“I’m sorry….”
This was the administration office, specifically a counseling room specializing in psychological therapy. Arna and I were in the midst of receiving a lecture that felt like a reprimand.
“If you had hit your head, what would you have done?”
Continuing the lecture was Professor Han Seyoung, from the administration department.
During free periods, she listened to students’ concerns in this counseling room.
“Arna, you don’t attract attention any differently than other students. Engaging in such risky behavior could make you the target of journalists.”
“Exactly. You’re also a face of our Hanyul Officer Training School. Professor thinks you need to think more calmly and act more carefully.”
“Alright. Alright.”
Suddenly, Professor Han Seyoung’s gaze turned towards me.
“Yun Seonga? We’re in the middle of counseling, and your constant interruptions might be disruptive. How about having some macarons?”
“Sure.”
I obediently closed my mouth and decided to eat some macarons.
They seemed to have just been taken out of the refrigerator and were quite cold. Perfect for eating.
Han Seyoung continued speaking.
“You were on the broadcast yesterday, right? The public will now pay even more attention to Arna. That means Arna, you need to be more careful.”
Above all, Han Seyoung was emphasizing the issue related to the media.
Arna is an awakened individual being watched by the whole world. Every word and action of Arna stands out more than others.
This makes her an ideal target for the media.
If Arna makes even a small slip of the tongue during an interview, the media will not let it pass. They will exaggerate it somehow, use it to create an article, and resort to any means to gather people.
Soon, those who read the article will point fingers at Arna.
Han Seyoung was concerned about that aspect.
“Arna is a smart kid, so I believe they’ll do well without me explaining further. Right?”
“Yes…”
“Alright then, I’ll leave now. You two can discuss the rest together.”
Han Seyoung stood up and left the counseling room. Now, only the two of us remained.
“…”
“…”
A moment of silence followed. Arna seemed on the verge of saying something but hesitated, merely mumbling beside me.
“What’s the matter? You seem like you have something to say to me.”
“Uh…”
Arna reluctantly spoke up.
“I’m sorry for throwing the ball forcefully earlier… I’m sorry for hurting you…”
“Hmm? I can’t hear you well. Can you speak up a bit louder? It’s not that I have good hearing.”
“Ugh…!”
Arna suddenly stood up.
“I’ll apologize for throwing the ball! That was my mistake for not controlling my strength! But! I won’t apologize for the motive behind throwing the ball! I absolutely won’t apologize for that!”
“What…?”
What nonsense is this?
They’ll apologize for the act of throwing the ball itself but refuse to apologize for the motive behind it?
“Anyway, that’s how it is!”
Arna crossed their arms and swiftly turned their head away, showing no sign of remorse.
Well, I never expected an apology from the beginning.
I, too, have no plans to stop teasing Arna in the future. Arguing here is utterly meaningless.
“Ah…! That’s my macaron…!”
Taking advantage of Arna’s distraction, I snatched the macaron away, quickly licking it to prevent them from taking it back.
“Oh no…!”
Lick. Lick. Slurp.
I licked it meticulously, making sure to get into every nook and cranny.
I rolled my tongue so much that the sugar coating completely melted.
“Arghhh…! What on earth are you doing…! Just eat it quietly!”
The smooth surface of the macaron turned into a messy, bumpy crater.
I offered Arnah a heavily damaged macaron.
“Would you like a bite?”
“That face… Would I make it look like the macaron I’m holding?”
—
“Let’s take a short break! I’ll be back for the reshoot in 15 minutes!”
This was a filming studio—a massive stage, expensive camera equipment, and even computers for graphic work were all part of this large studio.
“Phew…”
Following the staff’s words, Arnah briefly stepped down from the stage.
Rumble…
“…”
From lunch until this late hour, not having had a meal made thunder roar within her stomach.
There was no choice. Today was the day for a sportswear photoshoot. The attire itself clung tightly to the body, leaving no option but to fast.
Yet, it wasn’t much longer now. Just a little more endurance was required.
Once the shoot was over, she’d rush straight to a sushi restaurant. It was spring now—the perfect time for fresh flounder.
She wanted to eat quickly.
“Arnah, are you really okay? Even with additional reshoots?”
“Yes…?”
While resting, the director approached.
Arnah widened her eyes.
“Additional reshoots…? Wasn’t it supposed to be just one more shot…?”
“Hm? They said it’s possible to do nighttime shoots earlier.”
“Really…? When was this for me…?”
She had no recollection of such words. Despite her busy schedule lately, Arnah was someone who remembered her own words as clearly as she spoke them.
Especially when it came to matters related to time.
“The manager just mentioned it and left.”
“The manager…?”
What was the director talking about?
By the way, Arnah didn’t have a manager. She handled all her schedules by herself. She even used taxis for transportation.
“That person, isn’t he Arnah’s manager?”
The director pointed somewhere. It was the graphic team working fervently on editing.
“─Stop. The photo of the bread roll came out better. Let’s go with that.”
“…”
Why is that man casually present at the filming site? After school, and now here… It’s not like he’s a tick or anything.
Arna spoke to the director with a chilly face, capable of extinguishing a forest fire.
“Could you call the police right now? It seems like a stalker has come.”