TRPM 344

chapter 344

After satisfying my trivial curiosity, I returned to the room with a piece of toast.

Just in time, I finished breakfast with Teacher Son Ji-hye, who had just come out of the shower, and the kids who were still half-asleep.

“Where are we going today?”

When I asked that, Lee Ha-eun, who had just finished her toast and was drinking milk, pulled out her smartphone.

She showed me today’s list of valleys we had to visit.

Since her mouth was full of milk, she didn’t answer with words, just showed the destination.

“Ah, another valley?”
“The whole point of this five-day trip is to collect valley water from all over the country. Yesterday we got sidetracked with the festival, but that was just a hiccup.”

At Ryu A-min’s grumbling, Ryu A-yeong responded like that.

…Of course, she still didn’t know that collecting valley water was a pointless task.

But A-min, who had already heard from me that valley water wasn’t really useful for making potions, just gave her twin a look full of pity.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No reason.”

When her twin looked at her as if she were pathetic, A-yeong glared back with the exact same look, unwilling to lose.

“And why are you looking at me like that then?”

The difference was that A-yeong made sure to explain her reasoning.

“It’s funny hearing that from someone who managed to get lost as a high schooler. Why?”
“Kh-koff…!”

I already knew the story because A-yeong had sent me the video yesterday.

Not only had A-min left her smartphone back at the hotel, she even forgot the name of the hotel… and, above all, completely forgot that she could just call her own phone to find it.

‘It wasn’t just her, the others who didn’t come with us were laughing too.’

Elena and Elliot in the UK, Kang Ga-ram stuck in heir training, Jin Cheon-ha, Kim Eun-yeon busy with alchemy research, and Lee Du-min who couldn’t come because of training.

Everyone in our class had gotten the video from A-yeong, and apparently the entire group couldn’t hold back their laughter.

Thinking about it now, it almost looked like our whole class was ganging up on A-min.

‘Well, that’s basically bullying, isn’t it?’

…Let’s set that aside, it’s not important.

Anyway, A-min took heavy damage from A-yeong’s words and collapsed dramatically.

Leaving her sister behind, A-yeong turned to Ha-eun.

“So, what kind of festival are we going to today?”
“A Hanok Village Festival. Looks like they’re doing some kind of parade there.”
“Even if it rains?”
“Yeah, even if it rains.”

This time Ha-eun actually spoke, since her mouth was empty.

“They’re also holding a modern weapons exhibition and a military ration discount event.”
“…At a Hanok Village?”
“Apparently because there’s a defense company nearby.”

…An odd combination, but honestly, I kind of liked it.

As someone who practices sorcery, I wanted to see the Hanok Village, and as an awakened being, I was curious about the weapons and rations.

‘Not that there’ll be much to gain, but still.’

While I was thinking that, Teacher Son muttered,

“Combat rations these days are expensive, but they taste better than most restaurants… Maybe I should sample them and buy a bunch if they’re good?”

She seemed interested in the discount event too.

Well, that settles it.

“Alright, then I’ll go wash up first, okay?”

After finishing my toast, I decided to head in before the others.

Teacher Son had already washed, but the other three hadn’t.

If all three tried to wash after finishing breakfast, things would get crowded, so I might as well go first.

In the morning, we followed Ha-eun’s planned route, stopping by several valleys to collect water. Lunch was a quick bite at a highway rest area.

On the way to the Hanok Village—

“Ugh… traffic’s jammed.”

Too many cars clogged the highway, trapping us in place.

“Looks like there’s an accident up ahead?”
“Yeah… that’s what it seems like.”

Accidents were common on highways.

Sometimes they were just regular car collisions, but often monsters descending from nearby mountains attacked vehicles or damaged the road.

‘Rest areas have low-frequency devices installed, and there are guards patrolling the roads, but…’

There still weren’t enough people to cover an entire highway.

Casting protective barriers across the whole thing wasn’t realistic either.

So, accidents on the highway were really nothing unusual.

‘Of course, no accidents would be ideal, but that’s not reality.’

Anyway, because of the accident up ahead, traffic was blocked.

Once cleanup was done, though, the road would open again. Nearby guilds or association awakeners were probably already clearing wrecks and transporting the injured.

If the road itself was destroyed… well, that couldn’t be helped.

“Ah, looks like we’re moving again.”

Almost immediately, the cars began to move at a normal pace.

Fortunately, the road hadn’t been destroyed.

“With luck, we might make it before the parade starts.”
“With luck?”
“Yeah. If we hit another jam, we’ll definitely be late.”

Teacher Son glanced at the navigation ETA.

Technically it said we’d arrive before the parade began, but…

“Forget good seats then.”

As Ha-eun pointed out, by the time we found parking and entered the village, the parade would likely have already started.

Even if not, the best spots would already be claimed by earlier tourists.

“Well, worst case, we can skip the afternoon parade and just watch the one at night—”
“No way. The afternoon and night parades are completely different.”

According to Ha-eun’s research, the afternoon parade focused on samulnori performances, while the night parade centered around jwibulnori (fire play).

In other words, we had to see both.

“Geon-woo, can’t you just move the cars out of the way?”
“I could, but I won’t.”

Shoving vehicles aside wouldn’t be difficult… but obviously, that wasn’t happening.

“Then what if you just carried our car and ran with it?”
“Not happening. Also illegal.”

I told them to just be patient.

And in the end—

Clang! Clang-clang! Clang-clang!
Boom! Deok! Koong! Deok! Koong!
Ziiiiing~!

We finally reached the Hanok Village in time to catch the samulnori parade.

Our viewing spot… wasn’t great, though.

The people in front of us were taller than A-yeong and Ha-eun, and with everyone holding umbrellas because of the rain, the view was even worse.

So, the two girls could only stretch their arms up high and try to record with their phones—though most of the footage was blocked by umbrellas anyway.

“Huh? Geon-woo, aren’t you recording?”

A-min, also struggling to film, turned to ask me.

I raised my hand and pointed upward.

“…Ah.”

Up above, a digital camera was hovering, recording everything from the sky.

The same one I’d used to film the kids during fall training.

“It’ll give us way better quality than a phone.”

Smartphone cameras were good these days, but not as crisp as a proper digital camera.

“…Then why didn’t you use it yesterday?”

A-min’s question made me fall silent.

Truth was, I had completely forgotten about the camera.

If I hadn’t stumbled upon it last night while sorting my subspace, I probably would’ve just used my phone again today.

“Haha… Well, since Geon-woo’s recording, no need for us to bother.”

Teacher Son put her phone away after confirming the camera.

Instead, she just watched the parade, even if the view wasn’t much better.

While I maneuvered the camera through the air—

“Kyaaah!”

A-yeong suddenly screamed.

Everyone’s eyes turned toward her.

“Pervert!”

She shouted that while grabbing the wrist of a man standing right next to her.

“Pervert?”
“What’s going on?”

The crowd murmured, watching A-yeong and the man.

‘Hm? That face… looks familiar.’

The man she caught looked oddly familiar to me.

He seemed about our age.

“No, A-yeong! I wasn’t trying anything like that!”
“…How do you even know my name…?”

Strangely enough, he knew her name.

From his flustered look, it seemed he wasn’t trying to harass her—just trying to say hi, but messed up.

“You really don’t recognize me?! We didn’t go to the same middle school since you transferred, but we were in the same elementary school!”
“…Huh?”

He pleaded desperately, but A-yeong clearly had no idea who he was.

So, I turned to her twin, A-min, who had gone to the same elementary.

“A-min, do you know who he is?”
“Not really…?”

But she didn’t recognize him either.

“You don’t know either? Ah, wait!”

The man then looked at me.

“You! You should recognize me—you were my rival for A-yeong!”
“…We’ve met too?”

His face was familiar, but… rival?

I’d gone to a different elementary and middle school, so what was he talking about?

And—

“What do you mean by rival for A-yeong…?”

That moment—

Flashes of memory struck me like lightning.

[Those guys! They’re the ones who bullied me in elementary school!]

During summer break in middle school, when A-yeong had recognized a group visiting our school.

[Ryu A-yeong… If our school wins this exchange match… you’re going out with me!]
[This time, I’ll defeat you and win back A-yeong…!]

The leader of that group had shouted, making A-yeong hide behind me.

[Just you wait!]

Then later, he’d run away after seeing Yeon Mi-rae’s lunchbox during the match.

And—

[I’m sorry… for the stuff I did back in elementary, and for barging in during break to say those things…!]

He had apologized afterward.

[Take care of A-yeong for me.]
[Someone like you can make her happier than I ever could…]
[What the hell are you saying?!]
[Whack!]

Only to get kicked in the groin by A-yeong after assuming I was her boyfriend.

“……”
“……”
“……”

Not just me—A-min, A-yeong, and Ha-eun all seemed to remember at the same time, falling into awkward silence.