Creator’s Favoritism

Senior Jang Haeseo was a boy who appeared notably small, with a thin build and height that seemed less than 160cm.

Next to Gil Seungwon, who was large in build with notably dark skin, Haeseo looked young enough to pass for a middle school student.

“Just forget everything I said before and remember one thing.”

Jeong Changgyu raised his index finger stiffly. Thrusting his finger close to Kang Chagyeong’s and my face, he hissed in a hushed voice:

“Never, ever mention height in front of Senior Haeseo, got it? Especially you, being tall as a refrigerator, you’re better off staying out of his sight. And Senior Haeseo’s nickname…”

The ‘especially you’ phrase was accompanied by his finger pointing at me.

Even so, calling me a refrigerator is a bit much. If you think about it, I’m about the same height as Kang Chagyeong.

I snorted and cut him off mid-sentence.

“I’m not that tall.”

“Hey, is that what’s important?! Anyway, Senior Haeseo’s nickname is…”

♪♬♪♬∼

Right on cue, the clear melody of the third period bell rang through the speakers across the field.

“Is everyone here~! Sit comfortably!”

A booming voice called from the school building. A robust physical education teacher was coming down the stairs with a broad smile.

There was a ‘pung’ sound as Tito began drawing panels in earnest. By now, I remembered to close my eyes at the right time.

The PE teacher, with his warm demeanor, looked over the third-years one by one with undisguised satisfaction.

However, his expression soured upon spotting Je Hyunbin, like someone finding dried pollack between bookstore shelves.

“Je Hyunbin. Is this college? Planning to stay four years?”

“Hehehe, you think I want to be here? I’m sick of it too.”

Je Hyunbin retorted while blatantly picking her ear. Her face wore a relaxed smile as she twisted her lips. 

The teacher shook his head and placed his hands on his hips with gravity.

“Anyway. First-years! Your third-year seniors are back, right? It might have been easy to keep up until now, but things will get tougher from here on. The real training begins now.”

So everything they’d put us through until now wasn’t considered training?

The memory of having every muscle in my body wrung out like a dry towel during each PE class was still vivid.

The vitality instantly drained from the faces of all first-years, including mine.

In contrast, the PE teacher’s face was radiantly bright as he wore a whistle around his neck.

“Teacher, we haven’t finished introducing ourselves to each other yet, maybe a quick self-introduction…”

Gil Seungwon cut in with an awkward expression.

“Shut it. You’ll learn everything about each other during one-on-one matches, whether you want to or not.”

The teacher crossed his arms, dismissing his suggestion outright. The forearm muscles on his thick arms bulged.

He instructed the first-years and the remaining seniors to sit facing each other. A space as large as a wrestling ring was left empty between the two groups.

“Teacher. Please excuse me. It’s embarrassing to have one-on-one matches with freshmen when I’m twenty.”

Je Hyunbin, resting her head crookedly on Ju Young-in’s shoulder, grumbled reluctantly.

“Oh boy…”

Though an implicit rebuke of ‘You know better, don’t you?’ could be read in the teacher’s eyes, Je Hyunbin just shrugged with a sly smile.

“Give it up, kid. Alright then, excluding Je Hyunbin, we’ll pair one first-year with one senior each.”

I glanced sideways at Kang Chagyeong. He was busy examining each senior one by one with tense eyes.

Even now panels were still being created, but it was hard to guess how Tito planned to develop this. The PE teacher began explaining with a serious expression.

“This year’s first-years include both S-rank and A-rank students, but no matter the rank difference, you can’t beat experience.”

“That’s right, that’s right!”

Je Hyunbin, sprawled out in an irreverent posture, raised her voice in agreement. A banner reading ‘Korean Academy for Gifted Talents 4th Class’ was sewn onto the right breast of her combat uniform.

For some reason, she felt like an incredibly distant senior, so I lowered my head to avoid accidentally making eye contact with Je Hyunbin.

“I guarantee, not a single freshman here can win against even one of these seniors in a one-on-one match.”

“Right on, right on!”

Je Hyunbin continued providing commentary. Undeterred by the minor disruption, the teacher continued speaking with a serious face.

“If you can take down even one second-year senior, I’ll pass you for this semester’s PE final right here and now.”

I was thinking this must mean how difficult it is to beat the seniors, when suddenly:

“If we beat a third-year, will you pass us for next semester’s final too?”

The bold question came from Hong Ji-sang. I wouldn’t have been more surprised if he had poured ice water on my head.

“What did you say?”

Even the PE teacher asked back with a face of disbelief.

A silence fell over the completely hushed field. There was clearly a challenging glint in Hong Ji-sang’s sharp eyes.

「Tito draws Hong Ji-sang thinking to himself, ‘I trained twice as much as I exercised, I should be able to beat someone with that level of physique.’」

“I’ll fight that senior. One-on-one.”

Without waiting for the teacher’s response, Hong Ji-sang impatiently pointed to one side of the field. At the end of his index finger was a small figure sitting with knees hugged to chest.

Someone’s small gasp of “heok” could be heard from somewhere.

Jang Haeseo’s right eyebrow twitched slightly. Despite his youthful face remaining expressionless, an ominous feeling that we had seriously offended him began to fill the field.

“…I was trying to tell you earlier. Senior Haeseo’s nickname is Mad Dog.”

Jeong Changgyu, his face deeply furrowed as if sensing the coming ordeal, muttered. Even the teacher let out a groan with an extremely troubled expression.

“Ji-sang, wait…”

“It’s fine, teacher.”

In contrast, there was no change in the expression of Jang Haeseo who had been singled out. He simply dusted off his bottom as he stood up and looked at Hong Ji-sang as if examining him.

“Let me ask you one thing.”

There was no light in Jang Haeseo’s pitch-black eyes. An ominous feeling crept up my spine.

“Why did you pick me? You don’t even know me.”

Hong Ji-sang, standing askew, rolled his eyes as if bored.

“…You’re C-rank. I thought I might have a chance.”

“Is that all?”

Jang Haeseo asked in a flat voice. After hesitating for a moment, his lips quivering, Hong Ji-sang spoke again.

“You’re short and skinny. I didn’t think you’d be specialized in one-on-one combat.”

Pyo Eonsu, Hong Ji-sang’s senior partner, could be seen completely covering his face with his palm as if he couldn’t believe the reality before him.

“…You must really hate taking the semester-end exam.”

Jang Haeseo’s low mutter was as bleak as a winter north wind. Though bright flashes kept clicking, I could maintain some vision by squinting.

“I’ll make sure you don’t have to take it.”

Jang Haeseo stepped forward after giving his ready answer. A narration box appeared before my anxious eyes as I watched them.

「Tito inputs Jang Haeseo’s inner thoughts: ‘If I half-kill him, he won’t be able to take the semester-end exam anyway.’」

Ugh… what is this person thinking?

The sentence in the narration box was utterly horrifying. In contrast to his vicious inner thoughts, Jang Haeseo’s face remained indifferent as if wearing a mask.

“Haeseo! Go easy on him. He’s just a first-year!”

From across the field, Je Hyunbin shouted with concern showing in her expression for the first time.

Hong Ji-sang, standing over 190cm, and Jang Haeseo, whose head wouldn’t even reach the other’s shoulder, faced each other in tense atmosphere.

Looking at that height difference, even knowing Jang Haeseo was a third-year, I couldn’t help feeling like he might lose.

The PE teacher alternately watched them both with clear unease. He spoke in a gentle tone as if trying to soothe wild beasts:

“Listen carefully. Absolutely no using abilities…”

Like a compressed spring suddenly released, that’s when Jang Haeseo shot out like a bullet. His small body jumped high and kicked straight into Hong Ji-sang’s solar plexus.

Unable to react to the sudden situation, Hong Ji-sang took the powerful strike head-on.

Everyone watching, including myself, had their mouths hanging open. It was impressive that Hong Ji-sang could even remain standing after taking that kick.

Grabbing his stumbling opponent’s collar, Jang Haeseo relentlessly threw uppercuts into Hong Ji-sang’s face.

Finally, with a thud, Hong Ji-sang collapsed onto the grass.

“You little shit, who are you to look down on me?!”

Jang Haeseo, straddling Hong Ji-sang’s body, shouted in rage.

Red blood dripped steadily from Hong Ji-sang’s palm as he clutched below his nose.

The bleeding was substantial, suggesting his nose might be broken. Seeing this, Jang Haeseo’s lip corner twisted upward.

-Kuuuu.

At that moment, a massive stone wall rose up between them, separating them. The person holding up their hand with a furrowed brow was Ju Young-in.

As Jang Haeseo, seeming to have lost his mind, ran around the stone wall, she calmly extended her other hand.

Blue energy flowing from Ju Young-in’s long fingers became rectangular rocks that completely blocked Jang Haeseo’s running path.

“I didn’t use abilities! Get rid of this!”

His eyeballs gleamed with a fierce light as he kept kicking the stone walls. Looking at Jang Haeseo’s face, which was a mix of irritation and pleasure, sent unpleasant chills down my spine.

The PE teacher hurriedly climbed the stone wall and restrained Jang Haeseo by grabbing both his arms.

“So uncivilized, really…”

Ju Young-in spat out these words while watching the dogfight with contempt-filled eyes.