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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 47
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47. The Truth About the Rumors
***
"...Student Han Cheonsung."
Watching Kali answer blankly, I felt as if I had somehow gotten swept up in the moment.
Kali had absolutely no need to look for magic-engineering items, yet I had simply accepted it.
"Excuse me, Instructor. You didn't come to the training room to train, did you?"
"Ah, ah. Right. That's true... I must have been distracted. My apologies."
Anyone could tell Kali was flustered as she gave an awkward laugh. Even that looked incredibly unnatural.
It made me wonder if my words truly warranted such a reaction from Kali.
Still, correcting the misunderstanding was the top priority, so I had to talk.
Click.
As Kali approached me again with awkward steps, I calmly gathered my thoughts and spoke.
"Things have gotten complicated, but first, all the rumors circulating about me are false."
More than anything else, I had to clarify the truth about the rumors first.
"Not true?"
"Whether it's that I like Luna, or confessed to her. Or about all the rumors related to Luna and me. None of those rumors are true."
"All lies..."
"Yes. All lies. I don't like Luna. It's true that I sparred with Luna yesterday. But it seems there was a strange misunderstanding during that process. A really odd misunderstanding that made Luna think I liked her."
"..."
Seeing her so surprised that she couldn't speak, I finally felt a sense of relief.
Honestly, I was surprised Kali apologized, but this whole situation shouldn't have escalated this much in the first place.
Even with the false rumors, I initially thought they'd die down in a few days and tried to dismiss them. But I had no choice but to clarify things properly with Kali.
Of course, it would have been best to openly clarify in front of the other students. But at the time, there was no opportunity to speak, and saying it wasn't true later wouldn't have made much difference.
The most terrifying thing about rumors.
It's that once a rumor spreads, even if it's not true, the fact that many people heard it that way is what matters.
Even if I explained myself later, it would already lose its significant meaning.
'And now, even if it's out of my own frustration, I can't let it go.'
Throughout today's lecture, I clearly felt Luna glancing at me.
It wasn't my imagination; I saw Luna looking at me several times, as if she was truly sorry. Once I realized that, I had to make the most of the rumors myself.
Rumors spread by misunderstanding are uncontrollable. It's already water spilled by someone, so rather than trying to scoop it back up, I'll turn it into a kind of debt.
'I'll get healing from Luna no matter what.'
Given how much I've been put through, if anything were to happen to me, Luna wouldn't be able to turn away.
Rather, I planned to use this as leverage to bind Luna firmly to me.
So that if I get hurt, she'd have no choice but to heal me.
"Student Han Cheonsung. Is that... all true? No, since Student Han Cheonsung said it directly, it must be true... Then what did I...?"
As Kali grew extremely confused, I lightly nodded.
"It was all a misunderstanding. Neither you nor I are at fault. Although, I didn't expect you to say such things to me in the lecture hall..."
When I looked at her with a slightly hurt expression, Kali visibly panicked.
"I-I'm so sorry! I don't know what to do, I'm so incredibly sorry! So I really... did something foolish, didn't I?"
"It's fine now, Instructor. Though it might sound a bit like a trade-off, I was hoping you could grant me one request."
"A request? Tell me, and I'll listen carefully. I made a really big mistake, so I want to grant it as long as it's not an unreasonable request."
Even as I met her gaze, filled with repeated apologies... Kali suddenly seemed cute.
'...She's five years older than me.'
It hadn't even been an hour since she displayed such a cold demeanor in the lecture hall. But now, her restless desire to somehow compensate me was such a drastic change that I couldn't believe she was the same person.
Nevertheless, I spoke with extreme caution.
"My request is simply this: I'd like to use Instructor Kali's private training room... twice a week. Yes, just twice. If you grant permission, I will always obtain your permission before using the training room afterward."
My tone was calm yet serious, conveying strong determination.
Although it was an incident caused by rumors stemming from Luna's misunderstanding, and my heart was greatly shaken, as a result, I had now gained a 'great opportunity'.
A great opportunity to confidently request use of the training room.
"My private training room..."
Kali didn't answer immediately.
As her gaze went to the various magic-engineering items inside, I understood.
Magic-engineering items cannot be bought, no matter how much money one has. They are treated as treasures among treasures.
Even Kali, known as the 'Pillar of the Empire,' is only given them on loan. Their value is immeasurable.
Allowing a mere student to frequent a space containing such treasures would not be easy.
Yet, I needed this space.
To progress without falling behind other students, if I could only use the magic-engineering items, I wouldn't fall behind them.
'Perhaps I could even progress faster.'
As I met her gaze, filled with earnestness, Kali slowly nodded.
"Thank you so much!"
In that moment, an overwhelming surge of emotion washed over my chest.
"...There's no need to thank me that much. I also made a big mistake with Student Han Cheonsung."
"I learned and felt so much training in this space. That moment kept replaying in my mind for days... I desperately wanted to come back to this space somehow."
As I spoke, revealing my true feelings, laughter kept bubbling out.
It was truly a blessing in disguise. Could anyone be more suited to that phrase than me?
For me, today had been a truly major crisis, and I was even worried that my relationship with Kali might be completely severed.
But now. I had not only repaired my relationship with her but also gained permission to use the training room.
"The reason Student Han Cheonsung wants to be in this training room... it's because of the magic-engineering items, isn't it?"
"Yes, that's right. The perceived effects were so good when I used Elimiang's Benevolence last time."
"I thought so too. I figured Student Han Cheonsung would be like that, after all..."
As Kali murmured to herself with a faint smile, I was momentarily puzzled.
'Did Kali already anticipate that I would ask about the training room?'
Just as I was thinking that.
Kali suddenly moved towards a corner of the training room.
And just like a few days ago, she picked up a pair of dazzling ruby earrings and approached me, and I found myself instinctively excited by the sight.
But that excitement was fleeting. I remembered my schedule for today.
"Um. Instructor Kali?"
"Yes?"
"...Today, I have another appointment, so immediate training won't be possible, I'm afraid. I really appreciate the consideration."
"Ah... I see. My apologies, I got ahead of myself again."
"No, it's fine. I'm just grateful that you're showing such kindness. And I also know that your anger towards me today was all out of concern."
As I spoke casually now, Kali paused, then gave an awkward laugh.
"...Even thinking back on it, I'm truly sorry."
"No, it's alright. I tend not to dwell too much on past events."
As I answered, almost all traces of lingering hurt were gone.
—I don't dwell on the past. I don't regret it, nor do I cling to it.
It was a phrase that was like a conviction in my life.
Because dwelling on and clinging to the past doesn't change it. Rather, the more I looked back, the weaker my heart became, and the more foolishly I acted.
...At least, that's how it was for me. I didn't want to be like that anymore.
Thinking this, I decided it was time to leave.
"Then I'll be going now. Thank you again regarding the training room."
"Alright. I'm truly sorry about today."
"It's really fine now."
Thump.
Even as I walked away, a sense of regret lingered in my heart.
The misunderstanding was resolved, and if I had continued training with Kali like this, it would have been good. But I had a prior appointment with Glessia today.
The appointment was at 2 PM. If I ate lunch late and headed to the park, the time would be tight.
Click.
***
Click.
As Han Cheonsung left the training room, Kali was left alone. She stood still in that spot for a moment.
Standing there with a blank look in her eyes, she appeared as if a storm had just passed.
"..."
Even as I spoke to Student Han Cheonsung and answered him, my heart kept strangely fluttering.
It wouldn't calm down, as if giant waves were continuously crashing against my chest.
Moreover, realizing that I had done something absurd due to a misunderstanding, I felt so lightheaded I wanted to hide myself in a hole.
"It's a relief... that it all worked out."
As I uttered the words, I felt as if all the energy had drained from my body.
The time spent with Student Han Cheonsung was short, but it intensely shook my heart.
...Looking back, it was all just foolishness.
I made a big mistake towards Student Han Cheonsung, and I apologized for it. And Student Han Cheonsung generously accepted my apology, that's all.
"It's quite strange, though."
The more I thought about it, Student Han Cheonsung felt mature for his age.
Mentally... he definitely felt different from other students.
Other students wouldn't have accepted it so easily. It wouldn't have been strange for them to hold a grudge against me.
"He said twice a week, didn't he?"
What Student Han Cheonsung requested wasn't as unreasonable as I had thought. Honestly, the moment he said he had a request... I couldn't help but think something strange.
Whoosh.
I shook my head and let out an involuntary dry laugh.
"What on earth was I thinking...?"
Although I had indeed thought something strange, Student Han Cheonsung's request was both reasonable and quite commendable.
He said he wanted to use the training room to progress.
Yet, the hair brushing my face felt particularly ticklish today.
I unconsciously brought my hand to my cheek.
'It's hot.'
It wasn't just my cheek that was hot. My whole body felt flushed with heat, lightheaded.
That intense heat, which usually required hours of training to feel, was strangely filling my body.
"I must have been really... very embarrassed."
I gave an awkward laugh, thinking perhaps the heat in my body was due to embarrassment.
After all, I showed too many unseemly sides to Student Han Cheonsung today.
Without any dignity, poise, or authority as an instructor... I ended up showing countless foolish sides.
Even if I hadn't been an instructor, wouldn't Student Han Cheonsung have seen me as quite pathetic?
I misunderstood baseless rumors as truth, made a mistake, and foolishly got angry. Even though I was older than him, I wasn't mature in any way.
Then, a sudden thought struck me.
"Why am I... thinking these thoughts?"
It felt like my thoughts were constantly straying from the main point.
Student Han Cheonsung and I... we were just an instructor and a student.
But my thoughts kept going beyond that, as if feeling something else....
"..."
Even as I shook my head, my gaze suddenly fell to my hand.
The pair of ruby earrings I had picked up to personally put on Student Han Cheonsung.
I gently brought Elimiang's Benevolence to my own ear.
"Today, I need to focus on training."
When my mind was this cluttered with distractions, training was the answer.
Just as Student Han Cheonsung had burned with resolve in the training room before, I too needed to focus on training and move forward.
If a student is trying to progress like that, I, as an instructor, can't stand still.
...
Click.
With Elimiang's Benevolence equipped, Kali then began her own training, imposing extreme limitations on herself.
—! ———!!
Her true capabilities, which she hadn't shown in her previous spar with Han Cheonsung, were revealed.
How strong and destructive her 'Vibration' ability, which belonged to the supernormal series, truly was.
CRASH!
As she continuously unleashed her power within the specially designed training room.
Kali didn't realize it in the slightest.
Even in this moment, as she diligently focused on her training, clearing her mind of distractions...
The fact that she was thinking of 'Han Cheonsung'.