The teacher clapped his hands once to break the silence.
"So.. who's next?" he asked, scanning the students. "Or should I start calling names by roll number?"
Just then, someone stepped forward from the boys group. It was Sungwoo.
"Can I?" he asked, voice gentle and polite.
The teacher gave a small nod. "Sure."
He turned to the rest of the boys. "Alright then, who's going to face him?"
Sungwoo raised his hand again, calmly.
"Actually... I'd like to choose someone." he said.
The teacher blinked, then gave him the go ahead.
"Go ahead."
Sungwoo lifted his left arm, pointing his index finger toward a boy standing quietly at the edge of the group.
The boy wore transparent glasses that covered his eyes completely. Behind the lenses, his sharp red eyes shone faintly. A few loose strands of red hair fell over his forehead. He didn't respond. He simply stepped forward without a word.
The moment he did, the rest of the students took a collective step back moving to the far corners of the field, giving the two boys plenty of space. Only the teacher stayed in place, arms folded behind his back, watching silently.
Sungwoo glanced around, confused for a moment by the sudden retreat of the others. Then he turned his attention back to the boy now standing in front of him.
"Hey," Sungwoo said with a small, warm smile.
"I don't know your name, but I know you're the top student in science."
He gave a respectful nod.
"So.. I challenge you."
The boy looked at Sungwoo for a few seconds.
"Huh. What does science have anything to do with a duel? And as for my name... Song Sihyun," he said as he lightly bounced on his heels, stretching his legs a bit.
Sungwoo smiled calmly.
"I'll remember it. So.. shall we?" He raised his hands into a basic guard stance.
"Sure," Sihyun replied casually.
And in the next instant he was gone.
Sungwoo's eyes widened. He tensed up, turning slightly to search for him.
Then a loud crash exploded behind him.
BOOM!!
The ground shook, and a gust of wind swept past him, kicking up a heavy cloud of dust.
Sungwoo turned fast, coughing slightly from the dirt. He squinted through the haze.. until it finally settled.
And there it was.
Sihyun's head was buried deep in the ground, his legs sticking out awkwardly behind him. His body wasn't moving. Unconscious.
Sungwoo just stood there, staring at him. His expression is blank.
He slowly tilted his head.
"..What just happened?"
The teacher let out a loud sigh, shaking his head as he walked a few steps forward.
"Don't think much. It's not new for him he's fine."
He stopped, hands still behind his back.
"You probably thought he's some super-powerful student. Since that's why everyone stepped back to the edge of the field. But they just know what happens when he fights."
He gave the half-buried boy a quick glance and pointed lazily toward the hole.
"He's insanely fast. But he can't control it. Every time he tries to move at full speed, he launches himself like a bullet and forgets to slow down."
The teacher sighed again.
"Honestly? This is better than usual. At least he only crashed into the ground this time. He usually ends up tearing through the school main building and someone gets hurt."
He turned to the rest of the students. "Anyway, he's done. Can someone take him to the nurse's office?"
Sungwoo raised his hand.
"Should I take him, sir?"
The teacher nodded. "Sure."
Sungwoo walked over and knelt next to Sihyun. Carefully, he grabbed his shoulders and pulled him out of the dirt with a soft grunt.
He adjusted him over his back and stood up, holding his balance. Without saying much, he turned and began walking back toward the school building, still glancing back over his shoulder at the crater like he was trying to figure out what kind of fight he just won.
The teacher turned to the rest of the class, scanning their faces one by one. None of them looked the least bit interested in stepping forward.
"So? Who's going next, or should we just end the period here?" he asked, his tone carrying a hint of disappointment. "Other classes treat this time like a chance to spar, to test their skills, and here's my class, not a single one of you stepping up unless it's some personal grudge."
Silence hung thick in the air.
"Coming, coming! I'll be next," a cheerful voice rang out, breaking the lull.
A boy with messy black hair stepped forward, a playful grin stretched across his face. His hands were stuffed casually in his pockets as he made his way to the center of the training ground, his energy light, almost mischievous.
"Ah, come come on now, Jinhwan," he called out, still grinning.
"Do I need to send you an invitation or something?"
Jinhwan said nothing. He stepped forward in silence, his expression unreadable, calm. His footsteps were steady, deliberate, as he walked to face the boy. The space between them was just enough for tension to settle in.
The black-haired boy chuckled, stretching his arms lazily as if warming up.
"I heard-I heard you awakened recently," he said, eyes gleaming with excitement.
"So show me what you've got. I'm tired of just having normal matches with you."
His smile never faded. The mood shifted, anticipation thickening the air.
As the teacher heard that, his eyes widened slightly as he turned to Jinhwan, surprise written all over his face.
"Is that true, Jinhwan? Did you really awaken?" His voice carried a mix of curiosity and disbelief.
"News spreads pretty fast, huh..." Jinhwan muttered under his breath, then looked up at the teacher.
"Yeah, that's true, Mr. Park."
Mr. Park straightened his posture, brows raised.
"Which rank?" he asked, his tone is more serious now.
Jinhwan hesitated for a beat.
"Hmm... it's E Minus," he finally said.
"E... Minus?" Mr. Park echoed under his breath, a puzzled frown forming.
"E Minus!! E Minus!!"
Hyun-soo suddenly burst out laughing, holding his stomach as he bent over in amusement.
Jinhwan's jaw clenched. He shot him a sharp look.
"Shut the fuck up, Hyun-soo. And stop repeating every damn word."
"I'm not-I'm not repeating any word," Hyun-soo said between chuckles, trying to compose himself.
"Whatever, whatever, let's start." He paused, his grin curling up with mischief.
"Don't, don't worry, I won't use mana. Just pure strength, like always. Mr. E Minus."
Jinhwan exhaled slowly, the corner of his mouth lifting.
"Oh, I see. But aren't you getting a little too proud... when you've never won a single match against me?"
[Episode 15 End]