58) Chapter 10. Hey, You—Come Out. (4)

I walked a few steps past Hyeonji, then stopped again.

Calling him out was fine. Honestly, I regretted it a little, but it felt like something that was bound to happen eventually.

But now…

Where was I supposed to go?

Even in an academy‑battle story, you can’t just fight anywhere and expect a monk from the temple to come down and referee. Usually there’s a designated dueling hall.

…That instructor really forgot to teach me the most important part.

“……”

I turned back around.

Trying my hardest to look confident.

Soi and Chae‑yi were staring at me, stunned. Hyeonji, whom I hadn’t seen since we met, also looked dazed.

Behind them, the boys—including Jinwoo—were frozen with identical dumbfounded expressions.

My face grew hotter and hotter, but I forced myself to speak.

“Um… but…”

I couldn’t stop stuttering.

“D‑Does anyone know where we’re supposed to duel…?”

*

Hyeonji wasn’t a disciplinary officer yet.

It was funny to think about disciplinary committees in a 21st‑century Korean school, but in a world with superhumans, maybe it made more sense.

Even if she wasn’t one yet, she clearly knew the school well—probably because she’d eventually become one.

“But.”

We somehow made it to the gym, standing in front of the dueling arena.

“How are you planning to get permission?”

“P‑Permission?”

When I blinked blankly, Hyeonji dragged a hand down her face.

“You didn’t know? You can’t just duel whenever you want. If that were allowed, strong kids could legally beat up weaker ones every day.”

“Oh.”

That was true. If one side couldn’t refuse, bullies could drag honor‑students out daily and beat them “legally.”

I vaguely remembered a scene like that in the original—Jinwoo running away from duels he didn’t want.

Though every time he refused, his class reputation plummeted.

“And depending on abilities, someone could get seriously hurt. So of course you need approval.”

“B‑But…”

“But?”

“T‑The instructor said it was fine…”

“Instructor? Which instructor?”

Hyeonji tilted her head.

“T‑The one from the cathedral…”

My voice shrank the more I spoke.

“…Cathedral?”

Even Hyeonji didn’t seem to know her. That nun‑instructor wasn’t famous among students yet. With that face and that personality, she’d probably become famous soon, though.

Then again, she didn’t seem to care about who I was either.

“What exactly did she say?”

“S‑She said… if someone’s being mean… I should… f‑fight them…”

My face burned so hot I thought it would explode.

Even Soi and Chae‑yi looked increasingly unsure how to defend me.

Hyeonji stared up at the gym ceiling for a moment, then sighed.

“…Fine. I don’t really have the authority to do this, but…”

She muttered like she was making excuses, then turned.

“…You.”

“…What.”

The boy who’d been glaring with his hands shoved in his pockets looked up.

“Are you willing to accept the duel?”

“If I wasn’t, would I have followed you here?”

One of Hyeonji’s eyebrows twitched.

Come to think of it, he’d tried to say something to her when he picked a fight with me before. Something like “you too.” Maybe he thought she disliked me and assumed she’d agree with him.

Maybe hearing it from someone else annoyed her.

“Alright.”

Hyeonji sighed again.

“I’ll go get an instructor. Wait here.”

“W‑Wait, that—”

“You know an instructor?”

“……”

I didn’t.

But maybe Hyeonji did.

Her parents were heroes—she might know teachers or instructors personally.

Hyeonji walked off briskly, leaving only us in the gym.

Silence.

…But wait. It was lunchtime.

Why was the gym completely empty? Maybe because the semester had just started. The outdoor field was full of people. Maybe this gym wasn’t for regular exercise—maybe it was only for duels.

At least no one was here to watch.

I felt bad for Jinwoo, though. He’d somehow gotten dragged along into this mess. Maybe because of my past‑life memories, I felt a strange sense of solidarity with him.

“Hey, let me ask you something.”

The boy spoke first.

“You really think you can win?”

“Y‑Yeah.”

“What?”

“I‑I said yeah…”

Even as I answered, it felt strange.

Why did I think I could win?

I thought Chae‑yi could win. I thought Soi could win. But why did I think I could?

“Why?”

“T‑The instructor said so…”

As soon as I said it, I regretted it.

It sounded like a kid saying, “The teacher told me to!”

But that was the only reason I had.

The nun‑instructor had said it so matter‑of‑factly.

And I’d believed her.

Because she was an instructor. And because…

…she didn’t say it like encouragement. She said it like it was obvious.

“What, an instructor?”

He looked annoyed. His friends snickered.

Of course. Saying that to a delinquent group wouldn’t make them take it seriously.

“Wow, how pathetic do you have to look for an instructor to say that? And you believed it? She was just comforting you because you were whining. Teachers are all like that.”

“N‑No, she wasn’t.”

Even though part of me wondered if he might be right, I denied it instantly.

I didn’t want to agree with someone who insulted Auntie Yujin.

“Hey, still—”

“You.”

What makes you so great?

“You… what… are you?”

But my weak vocal cords compressed all that into a much shorter sentence.

The boy froze.

“Why do you think you’ll beat me?”

Blink.

He blinked rapidly.

Right.

He had no reason to think he’d win either. Now that I thought about it.

This was a duel between superhumans—height or gender didn’t matter.

Why was he so confident?

In the original, he was “Delinquent #1,” not even named. No illustration. Just a disposable extra who got beaten by a not‑yet‑awakened protagonist.

So why was he acting like this?

Then it hit me.

Maybe he’d never been scolded before. Maybe he was spoiled at home.

Some delinquents came from rough backgrounds, but the ones who hung out with smart or privileged kids were often the opposite—never disciplined, so they thought they could do anything.

“Do you not want to fight?”

I asked.

His face twisted in confusion. Like he couldn’t understand why he was being asked that.

And kids like that—

“Are you scared you’ll lose?”

—always reacted to this.

Coward?

Actually, that sounded pretty good.

In these situations, the one who talks more is usually the scared one.

My body trembled a little, but I lifted my chin.

Soi and Chae‑yi looked at me with something like awe.

Honestly, I was scared too. I hated pain.

But I’d been hurt before. Badly.

It couldn’t be worse than that.

The boy’s face slowly reddened. Jinwoo just blinked blankly.

The delinquent opened his mouth to say something—

Rumble.

A huge crowd of footsteps echoed.

“Huh.”

I turned instinctively.

And my mouth fell open.

At the front was Hyeonji, looking mortified.

Next to her was a monk in temple robes.

And beside him—for some reason—was the nun in her cosplay‑like habit.

Behind them, a swarm of students followed.

“Heh.”

I shrank back instantly.

Why… why was this happening?

“……”

I shot a betrayed look at Hyeonji.

She looked away, face full of embarrassment.

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Pub: 05 Apr 2026 06:48 UTC

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