"So, if Haru hyung gets first place in the end-of-month evaluation, they'll let Pia grow?"
"Yeah."
"Really? You can use a wish ticket for that?"
"That's what I said."
Back at the dorms, as they discussed what happened in the principal's office, Haewoon looked puzzled. Understanding his thoughts, Sihyun took a seat nearby.
When asked if Pia had gotten hurt, Hamin, who had previously been tense, said there were no injuries and hurried off to the bathroom to wash up. Seeing Haewoon follow him and sniff suspiciously at the closed door, Sihyun called out in a cautious voice.
"Uh, Sihyun...?"
"I'll handle it."
"Huh?"
"You're asking for help with the partner evaluation. Since we'll be evaluated together anyway, it'd be ridiculous not to bring Pia. Well."
Truth be told, he couldn't bring himself to refuse help, especially considering what had happened during the previous evaluation. If it hadn't been for Haru's score, he might still be enduring ranking taunts. Though he still occasionally heard them now, it was less frequent since the switch to the ranking system. Haru had played a part in that.
It felt somewhat heartless to ask for help and then refuse when Haru needed it. He agreed to help just enough to bring back his lost conscience. Haru was overjoyed by the offer of help, expressing gratitude, while Sihyun just sighed. Upon reflection, it should have been him who went to the terrace yesterday, not Haru.
Regretting yesterday's events, Sihyun stared at the calendar hanging on the wall. There was a little over two weeks left until the end-of-month evaluation.
Sihyun recalled the skills he could copy.
He had telekinesis, the inspection skill Seowoo taught him, Geonu's provocation, Haewoon's buff, Haru's concealment; there were quite a few things he could manage now.
He needed to try and use the most efficient one. Considering he could only reuse a copied skill after 15 days, during training, there were very few skills he could copy.
He needed to list out skills that would be efficient ahead of time. He'd pick a few to practice for three days, and with just over two weeks left, all he could do was pure healing skills and basic stamina. Or perhaps...
Should he try sparring?
Unlike other students of different classes, Sihyun had never sparred. Realizing this only now, he extended his hand. Memories of dealing with the spider or threatening Donghyuk were still vivid in his mind, the sensation lingering in his hand.
Perhaps sparring could help him handle combat situations a bit more proficiently.
Even if he was a healer class, as long as he had the ability to copy, he didn't need to be constrained by his position. Whatever happened, practicing wouldn't hurt, Sihyun thought, looking at Haru.
"Hyung."
"Yeah?"
"Do you want to spar with me during personal training time tomorrow?"
"…What?"
He blinked as if he couldn't believe what he'd heard. Shrugging, Sihyun said it wouldn't hurt to try, and Haru, looking surprised, nodded. Come to think of it, there was a time when Hamin sparred with Haru.
What was said back then?
He couldn't quite remember, as at that time, he had been avoiding Hamin, not really listening to what he said. Struggling to recall, Sihyun furrowed his brow. He only vaguely remembered bits and pieces, unable to recall what exactly Haru had said during that sparring session. If he couldn't remember it at all, that was fine, it probably wasn't that important anyway.
It was a careless thought.
***
Crack!
A chillingly distinct sound echoed nearby. It was so clear that it rang right beside his ears. Sihyun chewed on his lip.
'Is all that calmness just an act? During sparring, he was charging like a madman. If anyone saw, they'd think it was a real battle.'
Only now did Hamin's words come to mind. Experiencing the current situation, those words resonated deeply with him.
During sparring, Haru was truly merciless, to the point where there was no room for leniency. Even if his blade had only grazed past his hair, he hadn't stopped. No, it was more accurate to say he didn't know how to stop.
Swish! The blade that had grazed past his ear moments ago now returned to Haru's hand. In its trajectory, it had clearly targeted his face, prompting Sihyun to hastily turn his head to avoid the blade.
Haru, holding the blade, charged again. When he copied the acceleration ability before, it had been at a similar speed to this.
His view of the training ground narrowed abruptly. He dodged the blade aimed at his neck by twisting his sword.
Clang!
There were several precarious moments.
Then, with a sharp snap, even the shield he had put up in advance shattered. A crimson light flashed before his eyes.
Thud!
Crossing his arms, Haru demonstrated the effectiveness of his swordsmanship. As it was a dagger, its speed was even faster. It compensated for the weaknesses of the blade by having weak grip strength and impact when grabbing it or striking.
Crash!
As he couldn't keep up with the speed, even the pre-prepared shield broke, and a red gleam flickered before his eyes.
Crack!
The crimson energy vanished, and the blade flew towards his face. Sihyun hurriedly opened his mouth.
"Haru hyung!"
"…!"
Haru's hand stopped abruptly.
Right before my eyes, the dagger truly halted in its tracks. In that moment just before the blade could graze my face, Sihyun, his breath hitched, stared intently at Haru, who was panting heavily. Haru blinked, his shoulder tensing, and slowly lowered his hand. His once indifferent crimson eyes now held confusion.
"Sorry…"
"...It's okay."
Truthfully, it wasn't okay. My heart continued to thud loudly. The eerie feeling of almost being pierced by Haru's blade still lingered. This was a different kind of battle compared to facing Donghyuk, Wormman, or the Earth Spider.
A drop of sweat trickled down my jawline. Sihyun wiped the sweat off his arm and glanced at the dagger resting in Haru's hand. It looked no different from during the placement test, except it wasn't surrounded by that crimson energy.
A sharp crimson aura.
Sihyun instinctively sensed that if that aura had been just a bit sharper, it could have torn through skin.
"Kang Sihyun, when did you acquire that? Wasn't that skill restricted to the Inspector class only?"
"I thought so too, but as an Awakener who wields a sword as their main weapon, they can acquire it regardless of class... although, it's easier to learn for Inspectors."
That makes sense, doesn't it?
Sihyun sighed at Haru stating the obvious as if it were a revelation. Kanggi, something that felt straight out of a martial arts novel, was known to be a skill limited to a few Inspector classes. A skill that required a certain level of mastery and skill to use. Naturally, those Inspectors who were suited for the class due to talent and effort had a higher chance of acquiring it. But Haru was an Assassin.
"..."
A chill ran down my spine anew. Among those Awakeners classified under the Inspector class, there weren't many who knew how to wield Kanggi. Yet, despite his inexperience, Haru already possessed Kanggi. That meant Haru had a greater talent for assassination than inspection.
What if it hadn't been a sparring session?
Facing each other in a sparring match felt far from assassination. Sihyun thought that it was only due to it being a spar that he was still alive. The boy who had just moments ago charged at him relentlessly, as if about to take his life, now stood there, still embarrassed and awkward.
Sihyun's eyelashes trembled slightly.
Meeting Haru's gaze brought back memories of those emotionless crimson eyes. Facing those narrowed red pupils felt akin to facing the terror of death head-on.
"Did you always... spar like this? Even with others?"
"Ah... I, I've only sparred with you and Hamin..."
"Ah..."
This was only the second time. Sihyun held back the words bubbling inside, feeling like he might understand why. If it hadn't been a spar but an actual attempt to kill, perhaps others didn't ask Haru for a spar for that very reason.
Fingertips trembled slightly. If Sihyun hadn't called out to Haru, he couldn't predict what might have happened. Haru might have dramatically halted his actions or maybe...
"...Let's just practice with each other for now."
"Huh?"
"In spars. It feels less... intense."
"...Sorry."
Sihyun didn't often find himself in situations like this… stammering, he raised his head towards Haru. It wasn't his intention to diminish Haru's self-esteem.
"Did the lab... not have any spars or such?"
"It wasn't really a spar back then, just..."
"...Ah."
Haru stopped there, and Sihyun, guessing what he meant, sighed softly. It seemed like he had brought up something he shouldn't have.
Maybe that's why.
The immediate reaction during the placement test, the seeming lack of hesitation while wielding a blade, the charge towards the opponent as if intending to kill during spars.
That might be it.
Understanding bit by bit, Sihyun felt like he was falling into a maze. Despite hearing so much, there was still so much he didn't know about Haru. It was hard to imagine just how much more he didn't know.
Exhaling, Sihyun felt a stinging pain while splashing water on his face. Checking, he noticed a faint mark on his cheek.
But he hadn't actually been struck by the blade…
He mostly deflected or shielded himself, and the final attack that he couldn't stop, Haru stopped it himself. As Sihyun replayed the spar in his mind, trying to understand the injury, he let out a soundless gasp.
It seemed Haru's Kanggi was stronger than he had thought.
Realizing this, Sihyun quickly turned to heal the mark on his face. It was faint, and in the confusion of the moment, Haru might not have noticed. But if Haru had seen it even later, he would've blamed himself.
Confirming the mark had vanished, Sihyun turned back.
"Let's continue tomorrow."
This time, maybe... let's spar a bit more like an actual fight. Until we sync up.
To gain practical experience and understand how to spar with someone like Haru, Sihyun felt it necessary. As there might be more sparring sessions ahead, it wouldn't be right to always aim to harm the opponent.
While others might not, as a healer, he could heal injuries on the spot. Taking this into account, Haru, who had hesitated a few times to speak, nodded his head.
Sihyun lowered the training sword he held and sat down. He felt drained. Come to think of it, he hadn't exerted himself this much before...
Thinking about the aftermath, Sihyun swallowed hard.
He should've suggested doing this the day after tomorrow.
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