Why Is Everyone in This Dating Sim Trying to Kill Me?!

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Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: Combat Practice (5)

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'…I lost?'

Instructor Hong Jina stared blankly into space, her eyes trembling uncontrollably as if denying reality.

'I… lost?'

She felt no humiliation or sense of defeat. That was because she simply couldn't accept that she had been defeated.

'…How, exactly?'

Excuses like being ambushed three-on-one or being careless wouldn't fly. She was the one who told them to attack simultaneously, and even if the three of them fought hard, there was no way she should have lost.

The skill and time she had accumulated until now were a wall that three first-year students simply couldn't overcome.

'Right, there's no way I could have lost. I shouldn't have lost… And yet…'

She lost.

Defeat.

That shocking word was etched into her mind.

Hong Jina's gaze turned to the three students who had handed her this defeat.

First, the orange-haired student, Lee Min-young. Her performance was admirable.

Though her skill was lacking compared to the other two students, her tenacity in throwing herself into the fray like a straw doll, following instructions, and forcibly extending the combat situation was truly commendable.

Next, Hong Jina's gaze moved to the red-haired student, who was biting her lip in frustration.

Kang Do-hee.

Her skill was astonishing. No, to call it merely astonishing was an understatement.

The sharp fangs she had hidden and revealed at a crucial moment were threatening even to an instructor like herself. In addition to that overwhelming offensive power, there was her speed, fighting spirit, instinct, and intuition.

A genius born with every element required of a frontline dealer, lacking nothing.

It was clear that in time, she would easily surpass someone like herself.

Kang Do-hee showed potential and skill that left no doubt she would become a hunter who would support Korea in the future.

And finally—

Hong Jina's thick neck creaked as her gaze shifted to the training arena.

Among the countless weapons stuck in the floor.

*Click.*

The black-haired boy calmly sheathed his sword.

Jin Yuha.

The male student who had entered through the male quota system.

'…He completely hid himself from my perception.'

It was unbelievable.

Let's grant that he has exceptional talent with a sword, given that the Butcher maniac is so obsessed with him. And let's also understand that he has a keen eye for seizing weapons, since Instructor Park Jinsu, known as a genius of theory, admits he has a superior mind.

But to conceal his killing intent and erase his presence in front of an S-rank hunter like her at that age?

She hadn't even noticed when he drew his sword and swung it.

It was fortunate that this was a training arena where life was protected by the Chairman's authority; otherwise…

*Shudder—*

"Ha…"

A hollow laugh escaped her lips.

"Baek Seol-hee, just what kind of monster are you raising now…?"

She spoke, thinking of the stoic-faced woman who wasn't present.

* * *

Eyes wide, as if they might pop out at any moment.

The students' mouths hung open, wide enough for a fly to enter. What's more, every single one of them wore the exact same expression.

"Oh…"

"Are you serious?"

"No, how… how could this be…?"

"An instructor lost to a student…?"

Mutterings escaped them, as if they were utterly bewildered.

"No, it's Hong Jina…"

Even as she said it, the female student who spoke covered her mouth with her hand, as if unable to grasp the reality of her own words.

Students enrolling in Velvet Academy generally heard endlessly about the formidable power of the instructors who educated them.

No, it wasn't just talk.

The instructors of Velvet Academy were practically living legends. They were the ones who had rebuilt Korea after the gates appeared and the country was on the brink of destruction.

Their achievements were immeasurable; they were, in essence, heroes. And among them, Hong Jina's name also stood.

Hong Jina, the Combat Maniac, or Weapon Master.

Her overwhelming martial prowess allowed her to wield all types of weapons. Her courage never wavered, even in the most dangerous situations. Monsters and demons trembled and soiled themselves at the mere mention of her name, and the number of gates she had closed reached triple digits.

When she first appeared for the 'Personal Combat Practice' class, the students tried their best to suppress their excitement, but they couldn't hide the sparkle of admiration in their eyes.

"Th-They teamed up…"

"Maybe she went easy on them?"

A few students offered excuses, but their voices echoed hollowly, devoid of conviction.

Because they had seen it.

They had seen the overwhelming scene at the beginning, when she unleashed various weapons like a downpour and wielded the scattered weapons interchangeably.

Could anyone present have withstood even a few blows against her?

The students shook their heads inwardly.

But then, that Hong Jina…

Three students, not only working together but actually *winning*.

This was a shock of an entirely different magnitude than when Jin Yuha had surpassed Kang Do-hee.

"…Does anyone know what happened at the very end?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

No one spoke.

It wasn't because they hadn't seen it. Rather, it was precisely because they had seen it so clearly that they couldn't form words.

While Kang Do-hee and Hong Jina were fiercely grappling, Jin Yuha approached, drew his sword, and struck.

But what was astonishing was that no one had paid attention to him until he was left standing alone in the center of the training arena.

There are experiences where a person's form clearly enters your vision, but it recedes into a secondary scene, only to vividly resurface when recalled later.

The sword Jin Yuha had shown was precisely that.

The gathered students rubbed their arms as goosebumps erupted.

"…What is he? He's scary…"

* * *

"Ugh, I'm tired."

I blinked against the surging fatigue and cracked my neck.

Had I ever poured this much focus into anything before? Even when sparring with Instructor Baek Seol-hee, I don't think it was like this.

It was a strange experience.

The surroundings fell silent, even my breath and heartbeat seemed to vanish, as I extended my sword. It felt as if only the sword in my hand and that single moment of extending it existed. It was like I was momentarily intoxicated by the sword itself.

'…How did I do that?'

A single strike, perfectly aligning an opening, a skill, and my focus.

I clenched and unclenched my fist, trying to replay the sensation from a moment ago, but it wouldn't come back.

'That was definitely my best sword just now…'

Hmm.

'But even after all that, I still failed.'

Some might chide me for being ungrateful, saying that I achieved my initial goal by defeating the instructor, but I couldn't be satisfied.

Of course not.

I turned my head to look at a certain woman grinding her teeth in frustration.

'Because in the end, I couldn't protect Kang Do-hee.'

Of course, in this space, death didn't lead to actual death, so it might be considered fine.

However, if I thought of this as a real battle, my heart would sink.

Even if we won a battle against monsters or demons stronger than us, if a party member died in the process, could that truly be called a victory?

'Absolutely not.'

This isn't a game where you can just reappear perfectly fine after a turn, even if you lose.

'So, I need to get stronger.'

I reaffirmed my resolve.

"Kang Poppi!"

"…What, Mutt?"

She frowned and glared at me, clearly not fond of her new nickname.

"Nothing."

I chuckled.

"Oh, right. Can you tell Shin Se-hee I won't be able to make it to class today?"

"…What?"

"Just that. I'm about to pass out."

I watched Kang Do-hee's flustered expression as she rushed towards me through my blurring vision, and then I let go of the thread of consciousness.

.

.

.

"Student Jin Yuha."

Instructor Park Jinsu, from the 'Understanding Position Formations and Organizations' class, called out attendance with a cold expression. His voice, as he called Jin Yuha's name, was laced with venom.

'Hmph, I've brought the assignment I researched all night. Let's see if he still dares to utter arrogant words like it's easy. We shall see.'

"…"

However, despite his name being called, there was no answer.

Park Jinsu frowned, looking around at the students.

"…Is Student Jin Yuha not here?"

Then, a female student with long, straight hair raised her hand.

'Shin Se-hee?'

"What is it?"

"Well… Student Jin Yuha said he couldn't attend class today."

"Couldn't attend?"

A feeling of displeasure surged through Park Jinsu for a moment, but he nodded, indicating for her to explain further.

Shin Se-hee hesitated, then opened her mouth.

"Well, it seems he had a sparring match with Instructor Hong Jina in the previous class, 'Personal Combat Practice'…"

"A student, with an instructor?"

"Yes, and he apparently passed out from the after-effects…"

Hah.

Park Jinsu slowly closed his eyes.

All the frantic effort he had poured into preparing to challenge Jin Yuha vanished in an instant.

'Instructor Hong Jina, what a useless thing to do…!'

He bit his lip, burning with anger towards Hong Jina.

And so, Park Jinsu's feelings towards Hong Jina grew a little colder.