Chapter 21
Ju Yu-cheon tilted his head.
“I say, Instructor Sa. Are you then acknowledging Young Lady Mae as assistant homeroom instructor…?”
“Of course!”
Before Ju Yu-cheon could finish his words, Sa Bigang looked back at Ju Yu-cheon with sparkling eyes.
The fierce arguing Sa Bigang from just moments ago was nowhere to be seen.
Ju Yu-cheon still tilted his head with an expression that showed he didn’t understand.
“But just until a moment ago, you said you couldn’t acknowledge Young Lady Mae as assistant homeroom instructor…”
“Me? Kahahaha! Dean, really. That was because I was at a loss from your excessive consideration…”
“No. That wasn’t excessive consideration. I was simply trying to assign an assistant homeroom instructor to the Special Purpose Class according to custom…”
“Hahaha! Since you’re being so considerate, how could I coldly refuse? Since you put it that way, I have no choice but to…”
“No, if you find it disagreeable, it’s fine to refuse…”
“Dean!”
“Hm? What is it?”
Sa Bigang suddenly looked at Ju Yu-cheon with a serious expression and continued with a face dripping with sincerity.
“Are you truly planning to make me into a heartless fellow who would spurn even the Dean’s goodwill?”
“That’s not the case, but…”
Sa Bigang suddenly performed a cupped hands salute.
“I’m truly grateful for the Dean’s consideration. We were actually short-handed anyway. In fact, our Special Purpose Class absolutely needs an assistant homeroom instructor.”
“Hmm. Then it would be fine to assign Young Lady Mae as the Special Purpose Class assistant homeroom instructor?”
“Of course. Rather, I wonder if Young Lady Mae should take on such a lowly position.”
Then Mae Seol-lan smiled brightly.
“I consider any work glorious. I may be quite lacking, but please treat me well from now on, In.struc.tor Sa.”
Sa Bigang firmly grasped her hand.
“Thank you, young lady! No, Young Lady Mae. No, I should call you Instructor Mae.”
“Hoho. Please call me whatever is comfortable for you.”
“Truly, Young Lady Mae’s heart would make even fairies weep!”
The Dean stroked his beard and said.
“Ahem. Then, I’ll consider that matter settled and handle it accordingly.”
“Thank you, Dean. Ah, Young Lady Mae.”
Sa Bigang looked back at Mae Seol-lan.
“Our class will be departing on a Martial Arts Study Journey soon. Did you happen to know about that?”
“Yes, I heard about it. I’m quite excited, you know? A Martial Arts Study Journey with the students. We’ll be touring many places, won’t we?”
Sa Bigang nodded.
“Of course. We’ll tour many places, taste many things, and touch and feel many things…”
“Pardon?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. Anyway, welcome.”
“Thank you, Instructor.”
Mae Seol-lan smiled freshly.
Meanwhile, Deung Bu-hyeong, who had been quietly watching this scene, inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and smirked.
‘Huhu. Enjoy yourself to your heart’s content, Sa Bigang. Walk slowly down the path of ruin like that.’
Just then.
“In, Instructor! Instructor Sa Bigang!”
At the young voice, they turned to see a student running over helter-skelter, shouting urgently.
The student holding his knees and gasping for breath was none other than Cho Mun-tak.
His face was deathly pale.
Sa Bigang furrowed his brow and asked.
“What’s the matter?”
Cho Mun-tak seemed to hesitate, glancing at the Dean and Deung Bu-hyeong.
Sa Bigang spoke again.
“Speak.”
“Well, that is… Ja, Ja-ryang…”
***
“There are six stab wounds, so I’ve applied medicine. Vigorous movement will be difficult for a while. There are also quite a few bruises.”
Busin Pavilion Master Jin Baek looked down at Yeom Ja-ryang on the bed with pitying eyes as he spoke.
Sa Bigang, standing beside him, asked in a sunken voice.
“Will he be able to depart for the Martial Arts Study Journey?”
“As a physician, I wouldn’t recommend it. It would be a faster recovery if he rests and takes care of his body a bit more.”
“No! I can go!”
Yeom Ja-ryang bolted upright and shouted.
Then, perhaps feeling pain again, he grimaced and lay back down.
“Urgh.”
“Be careful. You’re badly hurt.”
A clear voice rang out and a fragrant scent brushed past his nose.
Glancing over, he saw some woman supporting his shoulder with her hand as she spoke.
Since she was bending over, her already noticeable cleavage was even more clearly visible.
‘Gasp! Th, this person is… the one I met during the day…! Her name was… Mae Seol-lan, I think?’
When Yeom Ja-ryang’s face turned red, Mae Seol-lan was startled.
“Oh my, he seems to have a fever too!”
“Ahem. That doesn’t seem to be something to worry about.”
At Jin Baek’s words, Mae Seol-lan placed her delicate hand on Yeom Ja-ryang’s forehead.
“But it’s so hot…”
“Young Lady Mae. If you keep touching him like that, he’ll get even hotter.”
At Sa Bigang’s words, Mae Seol-lan said ‘Oh my, really?’ and withdrew her hand.
While Yeom Ja-ryang regained his composure with a somewhat regretful expression, Sa Bigang said bluntly.
“I’ll take him on the Martial Arts Study Journey.”
“Yes. Ah, but…”
Yeom Ja-ryang’s expression darkened rapidly again.
It was because he remembered the fact that all the money he had was stolen.
Reading his expression, Sa Bigang asked.
“Speak. What happened?”
“Well… it’s actually my fault. I went down to the village carrying the class fund…”
“Why to the village?”
“I was trying to meet Student Yeon U-gyeong.”
“Yeon U-gyeong?”
Sa Bigang’s expression twitched for a moment.
He already knew well about Yeon U-gyeong.
What a cunning bastard he was.
Yeom Ja-ryang explained the whole story from beginning to end.
“I’m sorry, Instructor. If only I hadn’t left the hall…!”
Yeom Ja-ryang bit his lip hard.
Sa Bigang shook his head.
“It’s not something for you to blame yourself for. The real bad bastards are those bandits.”
Of course, that bastard Yeon U-gyeong also smells fishy.
As he swallowed that thought, Mae Seol-lan happened to pat Yeom Ja-ryang’s shoulder.
“That’s right, don’t blame yourself too much like the Instructor said. Ja-ryang did nothing wrong.”
“Did you know Ja-ryang?”
Sa Bigang asked in surprise.
“No. I just met him briefly during the day.”
“To remember even his name from just that much. Young Lady Mae truly is remarkable.”
“Oh my, I’ll be embarrassed if you praise me too much.”
Sa Bigang grasped Mae Seol-lan’s hand again.
“Young Lady Mae. Let’s protect these students together!”
“I’ll trust only you, Instructor.”
“Young Lady Mae.”
Meanwhile, watching the somewhat sticky behavior of the two, Yeom Ja-ryang’s expression gradually cooled.
‘What are those two doing in front of a hurt student right now? Ugh, perverted instructor…‘
Just then, Sa Bigang’s expression hardened coldly as he looked back at Yeom Ja-ryang.
“That aside… where is Gok Bo-ok?”
“I don’t know either. He said he was going to fetch Yeon U-gyeong…”
“Then he must have gone to the tavern. I understand.”
Sa Bigang turned around with an expression so cold it was unthinkable compared to his appearance just moments ago.
Mae Seol-lan quickly approached his side.
“What are you planning to do?”
“I’m going to fill in what was lacking with this opportunity.”
“What’s lacking…”
“Well then, please take care of that boy.”
Sa Bigang glanced back and smiled.
For a moment, Mae Seol-lan was startled very briefly.
Thump.
‘This man… what?‘
While she was flustered by the unfamiliar feeling, Sa Bigang was already leaving Busin Pavilion.
***
The second floor of Shinseon-ru (Divine Immortal Tower), the largest teahouse in the village.
“Hahahaha! Really, at times like this you seem like a genius.”
When Gok Bo-ok spoke heartily, Yeon U-gyeong chuckled.
“Anyway, good work. With this, Instructor Sa will be troubled for a while.”
“Hehehe. Since he completely lost the class fund, disciplinary action will probably come down from the hall too.”
“The Martial Arts Study Journey will probably be canceled too.”
“There are only five days left, but with such a major incident happening, well. Ah, you should have seen Yeom Ja-ryang’s expression then.”
“I can picture it clearly without seeing it.”
“That guy was incredibly flustered. By now, Yeom Ja-ryang must have been carried to Busin Pavilion. Now the instructor will find out too. That he blew the class fund. I’m really curious about Instructor Sa’s expression.”
“He was too presumptuous. When he was just a mere Assistant Spear Instructor.”
“That’s right. He probably can’t even dream that we orchestrated this incident…”
Gok Bo-ok, who had been speaking, felt Yeon U-gyeong’s ice-cold gaze and shut his mouth tight.
Yeon U-gyeong spoke in an ice-cold voice.
“Watch your mouth. Well, even if the instructor finds out, there’s no evidence. All work must be done so that even the left hand doesn’t know.”
“S, sorry. I got too excited…”
“Anyway, good work everyone. Now let’s just sit back and watch.”
Just then.
“What are you going to watch?”
At the voice that suddenly rang out, everyone turned their heads.
Sa Bigang was just climbing up to the second floor of the tavern and approaching Yeon U-gyeong.
Gok Bo-ok and Yeon U-gyeong looked startled.
‘In, Instructor, why is he here…? Did he already see Yeom Ja-ryang and come down here?‘
But it seemed too fast for that to be the case.
While the students stared blankly, Sa Bigang said coolly.
“Why are you so surprised? Like people who’ve committed a crime.”
“How did you get here…?”
Gok Bo-ok asked with courage.
Sa Bigang shot him a cold glance.
“Ja-ryang was carried to Busin Pavilion. No, he came to Busin Pavilion on his own feet. In a state where his whole body was beaten up. Cut and torn and beaten everywhere. He fought desperately and endured, then barely escaped to Busin Pavilion on his own feet.”
Gok Bo-ok swallowed dry saliva.
Sa Bigang pulled over an empty chair and sat down with a thud next to the table.
Then he picked up some refreshments from the plate and continued speaking while chewing.
Crunch crunch.
“Truly remarkable. Even though he’s my student, I can’t help but praise him. He said there were three opponents. Even so, that boy fought with all his might to avoid having his class fund stolen. Though he didn’t win, he fought well. Compared to the bastard who ran away saying he’d call for companions.”
Sa Bigang’s pitch-black eyes stared at Gok Bo-ok as if boring through him.
Just meeting those eyes made Gok Bo-ok feel like his breath was being cut off.
“Th, that’s…”
Cold sweat ran down his spine.
“Let me ask.”
Sa Bigang’s eyes narrowed.
“What are you doing here?”
“Th, that’s…”
“Why is the bastard who left saying he’d call for companions still here giggling and chattering? Are there complex and subtle circumstances that I wouldn’t know about?”
“Th, that’s… I, I just arrived here too…”
“Really? You just arrived here now?”
“I didn’t know which tavern he was at…”
Sa Bigang’s gaze looked at the teacup placed at Gok Bo-ok’s seat.
Just then, Yeon U-gyeong interjected.
“I ordered that in advance.”
“The cup you ordered in advance is already empty.”
“Bo-ok was late, so I just drank it.”
“But your teacup is full?”
“I ordered again. I like tea, you see.”
Yeon U-gyeong smiled brightly.
Sa Bigang watched quietly and asked.
“Was it you?”
“What do you mean?”
“The one who orchestrated this incident.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Yeon U-gyeong averted his gaze and picked up his teacup.
“Opportunities like this don’t come often. Even now, if there’s something you did wrong, prostrate yourself and beg for forgiveness. Then I’ll forgive you.”
“Well, I don’t know what you’re talking about. What happened to Yeom Ja-ryang?”
Sa Bigang grinned.
That shamelessness.
“Huhu. I like it. Yes, you have to be that shameless for the person giving the guidance to enjoy it too. Right?”
“……”
“You just kicked away your last chance. From now on, if there are any facts I discover that reveal your wrongdoing, I’ll punish you severely.”
“Well, go ahead.”
Yeon U-gyeong chuckled.
Sa Bigang looked back at Gok Bo-ok again.
“You.”
“What is it?”
Gok Bo-ok pretended to put his hand on his waist and stood up boldly.
Sa Bigang pointed to the stairs with his chin.
“Lead the way.”
“Lead the way… where to…”
“Guide me to the place where you encountered those masked men.”
Gok Bo-ok sighed and shook his head.
“Please stop this. There won’t be anything there anyway. Since it’s already too late, I’d just like to drink some more tea here…”
Smack!
Crash bang clatter!
Gok Bo-ok, who was slapped across the face, tumbled about, breaking tables and chairs.
Not only the students but the surrounding customers were also surprised and murmured while looking this way.
Shocked, Gok Bo-ok rubbed his cheek and looked up at Sa Bigang.
Sa Bigang approached him step by step and crouched down.
Sa Bigang grinned.
“Guide me. While I’m asking nicely.”
“A, are you assaulting me right now! A student!”
“How could that be? I’m giving guidance. To you, a bastard who defied the instructor’s words and acted impudently. As a proper instructor.”
