Today, Wednesday, we had another combat class as our first lesson. But unlike yesterday, when we fought monsters, this time it was a sparring session. The class, called "Anti-Personnel Training", consisted of duels between two cadets who paired up to fight each other. The class lasted two hours, and the cadets used training weapons designed to reduce pain and facilitate performance evaluation. It was a perfect opportunity to hone reflexes, strategy, and endurance in simulated confrontations.
On the way to the training area, I walked alongside Nayun. The trail to the arena passed through wide corridors with reinforced concrete walls and posters. The sound of combat boots echoed on the floor, mingling with the chatter of other cadets heading to class.
"Did you have a good night? Did anything happen to you yesterday? I waited for your message for a long time."
"Err! No, nothing happened. It's just that after training yesterday, I got really tired when I got back to the dorm and decided to take a short nap, but I ended up sleeping too long... By the time I woke up, it was too late to message you. Sorry about that."
"Ah, I see. I'm glad it was nothing. Did you eat anything? I'm sure you went to bed on an empty stomach last night."
"Yeah, I made some quick food when I woke up in the middle of the night and ate, and this morning, before coming to class, I stopped by the cafeteria and had breakfast."
I noticed how she avoided eye contact while speaking, fiddling with the strands of hair that escaped her tight ponytail.
"What?! Don't you believe me? I really ate, seriously."
As she tried to convince me that she had indeed eaten lunch yesterday, I noticed her eyes glancing at some cadets whispering around us.
"Urg! This is so annoying."
She, who had been walking beside me, suddenly stopped, her eyes narrowing and a vein almost popping on her forehead. She looked around at the cadets, most of whom were women.
"Umh! Now I get it..."
"That face of yours... I need to do something about it."
"Uh!? Do something? What kind of nonsense are you talking about?"
"It's annoying walking around with everyone staring at you, and it's all because of you, that grumpy face of yours..."
She grumbled, crossing her arms while her face turned slightly red.
The mix of irritation and compliments in her words was hilarious. However, something occurred to me. Did she really think people were acting this way just because of my appearance? If so, there was a slight misunderstanding here.
"Did you see my video?!"
"Ãh?! The recording of our fights in training?"
She shook her head in response, showing she hadn't seen it yet.
"Yeah, they're acting because of that. Let's just say I became pretty famous from yesterday to today."
Without saying more, Nayun quickly accessed the Cube's page on her device. In the trending section, a video with millions of views and thousands of comments topped the list. The title was catchy: "THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING THE CUBE."
"Almost two million views and over a hundred thousand comments. It's more than I expected."
Without realizing it, we leaned closer to each other to watch the video.
"Uh!? Really, it seems like you really did something big yesterday."
"Of course, I told you, the guy who likes you is a bit special."
"Urg! Don't say that, idiot, others might hear..."
"You worry too much."
As we continued walking at a leisurely pace, I responded softly, and Nayun, hearing these lukewarm words, sighed.
"Sigh! Fine! If that's how it is, then so be it."
"That's it, you idiot!"
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Nayun glancing at her smartwatch. She paused for a moment, stood on her tiptoes, and while pulling my arm, made me stop. Before I could ask her anything, something soft touched my cheek.
"Hump! Who said I care what others think."
She murmured with a challenging smile.
The truth was, although Nayun tried to seem reluctant, she didn't care about others. Her real fear was how to act if she accepted getting involved with me. She had never dated or been romantically involved before, and this was so new that it deeply scared her.
"Oh yeah?! You're lucky we're in class..."
Pausing for a few seconds, I looked at her relaxed expression and, with a gentle smile, leaned in to whisper something before continuing to walk.
"...I won't let it end . Today, you'll come to my dorm to be properly held accountable."
Nayun, who had just heard what Theo said, froze as her heart raced uncontrollably. Her young mind began to conjure various scenarios that matched his words, and she felt a strong urge to hide.
After a few seconds, she cleared her mind and watched Theo's back as he walked away. The corner of her mouth curved upward, and a genuinely beautiful smile appeared on her lips.
"...Maybe I'm overthinking everything. Let's let things flow naturally and see what happens."
There was no rule in the world dictating how long you should like someone. Whether it was a day or a thousand years, this thing called the heart was cunning and quick in its choices.
With these thoughts wandering, Nayun ran after Theo with light but hurried steps.
After arriving at the training field, the instructor in charge of the class began pairing up the cadets, starting the training session.
In this class, Kim Suho paired up with Yi Yeonghan, while Shin Jonghak teamed up with Kim Horak. Nayun paired up with a girl I had never seen before, Rachel trained with someone else I didn't know, and Hajin, just like in the original, had to pair up with the instructor. This happened because of the danger a firearm could pose to new cadets; it was better to avoid situations where they couldn't keep up with a projectile traveling at 300 or 400 meters per second.
"Phew... Phew... Ahh! Stop there, Theo!"
Exclaimed the green-haired girl, leaning on her knees while trying to catch her breath.
In one of the many areas designated for Anti-Personnel Training, Hazuki begged for a break, her sweaty body molding the Cube uniform to her feminine curves.
Observing that scene, I couldn't help but feel a slight sense of satisfaction. I'm not a pervert, just someone who appreciates great beauty...
It's worth remembering that, although Hazuki wasn't one of the main characters in this world, her beauty was well above average, rivaling figures like Yeonha, Rachel, Tomer, Boss, and Nayun. The truth was, all these girls were incredibly more beautiful than any illustration from TNE suggested; not even the manhwa adaptation could convey half of how stunning they really were.
If it weren't for the ability I acquired through synchronization with Anos Voldigoad, which allowed me to maintain composure in any situation, I would certainly have been a bit embarrassed just talking to them.
"Huh? I didn't do anything. It's attack versus defense, remember? You attack, I defend. Then, I attack, and you defend."
Shrugging, I responded calmly.
"What's the point of that? Every time you dodge, but when it's my turn, you always hit me!"
Retorted Hazuki, still panting. Exhausted, she let herself fall to the ground, clearly frustrated.
Thirty times. That was the number of defeats she accumulated in that session.
Of course, Hazuki knew Theo was strong, much stronger than her. Like the other cadets, she had watched the video of him defeating the Gray Wolves with simple sword movements.
However, fighting against him and experiencing this disparity in strength firsthand made her wonder if Theo was really a Cube cadet like her.
Unaware of the girl's thoughts, I sat down beside her on the floor.
The instructor, who was nearby monitoring the pair's progress, saw us sitting on the ground and nodded, indicating that we could rest for a while, considering Hazuki's state of exhaustion. After doing so, the instructor headed toward another pair.
Something cold touched Hazuki's cheek. Turning to look, she saw me offering her a bottle of cold water.
"Uh! Yes, very. Thanks, Theo."
Without questioning where the water had come from, she accepted it and quickly opened the bottle, taking a long drink...
"Ahh! I never thought water could taste so good."
Watching her drink so desperately as if she were dying of thirst, I sighed...