I Became a Troublemaker at the Academy

Thud!

“Ugh…”

Thump!

“Wow! No way… He really won.”

“Kyaaah~!”

“… Has Hwang Dongsu been slacking off in his training? How could a B-rank player lose to a first-year rookie from the academy? Last time, I left him to clean up after two new recruits, and he brought them back as corpses. Lately, everything he’s done has been really disappointing.”

Hong Jinwoo, the Guild Master of the First Guild, watched the duel between Hwang Dongsu and the first-year rookie from a distance, speaking in a bored tone.

“I apologize. I will make sure he’s properly trained. However… It may not have been a coincidence that the first-year cadet, Choi Kangho, defeated Hwang Dongsu. According to the information we obtained, Choi Kangho was the top student among the freshmen this year, and during the entrance exam, he easily defeated a B-rank academy instructor.” 

Im Yuhwan, the second-in-command of the First Guild, replied as he observed Choi Kangho, who was smiling warmly and waving at the female cadets cheering for him.

“… Is that so? He’s that impressive? I’ve never heard of him before. Is he the son of some famous player, kept hidden until now?”

“No, that’s not the case. Choi Kangho only started gaining attention during this year’s academy entrance exam. We couldn’t find much about his past, so we had to request information from the White Flower Guild.”

“So? What did you find out about his past? If he’s not the son of a famous player, is he someone’s disciple?”

“No, he doesn’t fall into any of those categories. According to the White Flower Guild’s information, his parents were ordinary people who died in a gate accident 12 years ago when he was five.”

“A gate accident? Which gate accident are you talking about?”

Hong Jinwoo was now intrigued by Choi Kangho’s unusual past. He turned away from watching the duel and focused his attention on Lim Yuhwan.

Im Yu-hwan felt Hong Jinwoo’s interest and adjusted his glasses and continued explaining.

“Twelve years ago, in Seongnam City, an A-rank plant-type monster, Spore Wood, emerged from a single-gate incident.”

“Ah, that gate! I remember. Even though it was a single entity, its ability to spread spores over long distances caused massive casualties.”

“Yes, exactly. And Choi Kangho was the sole survivor of that gate incident. We’re not sure when he awakened as a player, but he grew up in an orphanage before entering the academy.”

“Hmm… So he has no affiliations anywhere? And yet, in a year when so many noteworthy freshmen have enrolled, he’s the one who took the top spot… Yuhwan, try to approach him. Offer him favorable conditions and see if he’ll join our guild.”

“Yes, understood.”

With that, their conversation ended.

Hong Jinwoo appeared like someone who had discovered a gem in the mud. He looked at Choi Kangho, who was smiling brightly and chatting with his classmates from afar, his eyes glittering with greed.

***

Tap.

“I told you to stop.”

Fortunately, Lee Dohyeok’s fierce punch never reached Kim Baram.

Instead, he felt a soft yet slightly cool sensation on his lips — the back of Baek Arin’s hand.

‘How did she get here in one swift move?’

Kim Baram quickly stole a glance at Baek Arin, whose stunning beauty had intercepted Lee Dohyeok’s punch for him.

Then, without turning his head, Kim Baram shifted his eyes to the top floor of the distant central building of the dungeon experience facility.

“Move now!!!”

By this point, Lee Dohyeok, blinded by rage, couldn’t suppress his anger even in the presence of the White Flower Guild’s supreme leader. He raised his other fist, aiming it straight at Kim Baram.

“No matter how much of the association head’s son he is, this time he’s crossed the line.”

Baek Arin remarked quietly. Despite her firm warning, Baek Arin frowned as Lee Dohyeok ignored her and continued acting recklessly, muttering in a cold voice.

Thud.

‘Did Baek Arin do something?’

In the end, Lee Dohyeok’s aggressive move came to nothing. 

Before he could even swing his other fist, he suddenly collapsed to the ground. 

From where Kim Baram stood, it looked like Baek Arin had done nothing but stand there. However, as an undisputed SS-rank player, she must have taken some action that Kim Baram couldn’t see.

“Sunah, please take care of the ones who collapsed.”

“Huff… Yes, Guild Master.”

Kim Sunah, who had followed Baek Arin over to our side, responded while still catching her breath. 

She then hurried over and picked up the unconscious Lee Dohyeok and Lee Jiha, slinging them over her shoulders.

Meanwhile, Baek Arin offered her hand to me, her pale and slender fingers standing out.

‘Does she want me to take her hand and stand up?’

After staring at her hand for a long moment, Kim Baram realized her intentions and grasped it, allowing her to pull him up. Her hand, though cold like when it touched his lips earlier, felt unexpectedly rough and firm rather than soft.

Ding.

[Player ‘Kim Baram’s unique ability has been activated.] 

[You have gained affection from the character ‘Baek Arin’. You have earned 100 VP. Baek Arin’s current affection for Kim Baram: “Interested.”]

[You finished first in Baek Arin’s event, ‘Tag.’ You earned 1000 VP.]

‘Nice. Just as I expected, I gained VP.’

Hearing the notification sound as he held Baek Arin’s hand and stood up, he celebrated inwardly.

Baek Arin, who had been watching Kim Baram curiously, asked, “Cadet Kim Baram, what exactly did you say to Cadet Lee Dohyeok? I’m curious what made him so angry.”

“Huh? Oh… It was just something ordinary. I think Lee Dohyeok misunderstood on his own.”

“Hmm… Is that so? Well, congratulations. You came in first, just as I predicted. Right, Sunah?”

“Huh?! Y-Yes… That’s right…”

Kim Sunah, who had flinched at Baek Arin’s question, replied with her shoulders slumped and an expression of defeat.

Kim Baram didn’t know why Kim Sunah seemed so down, but from the conversation, it was clear that Baek Arin had predicted that our team, not Lee Dohyeok’s, would win.

‘It was probably because of Han Suyeon that she picked our team.’

Step. Step.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Kim Baram turned his head to see Han Suyeon, looking refreshed and satisfied with her first-place victory, and Ko Jooyeon, who had a bright, expectant expression on her face as she tightly hugged his Aegis shield.

Seeing the two of them approach him, Kim Baram smiled and spoke.

“Good work, both of you.”

“Mm.”

“You too.”

Ko Jooyeon and Han Suyeon each responded in turn.

Immediately after, Baek Arin stepped between them, staring intently at Kim Baram’s Aegis shield that Ko Jooyeon was holding.

“That… Can I take a look at that shield?”

“Well… Sure…”

Kim Baram nodded absentmindedly in response to Baek Arin’s polite request.

But before he could react, Ko Jooyeon, who had been holding the Aegis tightly, suddenly twisted her body, distancing both herself and the shield from Baek Arin.

“No, sled mine.”

‘Oh, wow. Instead of her usual two-word sentences, she used three words this time. It seemed Ko Jooyeon was genuinely excited about using the Aegis as a sled.’

***

In the end, Baek Arin didn’t get the chance to examine the Aegis. 

Ko Jooyeon enjoyed using it as a sled, as she said she would, and shortly after, when they entered the central building of the dungeon experience facility, Baek Arin was called away by an 

urgent message from the guild staff.

With a look of regret, Baek Arin left, and the rest of the cadets disbanded. 

Those who were injured or unconscious were taken to the guild’s treatment center for recovery.

That left only Kim Baram, Ko Jooyeon, Han Suyeon, and Kim Sunah, who was supposed to guide them to the second-tier storage.

‘I wonder what kind of reward I’ll get for coming in first. In the novel, they were only described vaguely, so even if I see them in person, I might not recognize what most of the items are, aside from a few unique ones.’

“Let me guide you to the second-tier storage…”

For some reason, Kim Sunah, who had been looking downcast for a while, led the way.

As he followed her, Kim Baram glanced at Ko Jooyeon, who looked satisfied after using the Aegis as a sled, and Han Suyeon, who appeared to be deep in thought.

In the novel, Han Suyeon had visited the White Flower Guild’s second-tier storage multiple times as a reward for her contributions to the guild. Each time, she had chosen different items, so she probably knew what was inside ahead of time.

‘Maybe I should subtly ask Han Suyeon for advice. If she’s the same Han Suyeon from later in the story, she’d know the best items to choose. As for Ko Jooyeon, she always chose the same thing in the original, so it’s probably best if she picks ‘that’ again… Wait, what?’

While thinking about what to choose, Kim Baram noticed something odd: Ko Jooyeon was fidgeting with her fingers.

Curious, Kim Baram moved closer to get a better look, and he saw that all her pale fingers had turned bright red.

‘Could it be…?’

Perhaps from handling the cold snow too much while making snowballs during the game of tag, Ko Jooyeon’s hands, including her fingers, appeared frostbitten.

Tap.

At that moment, before his mind could process it, his hand moved on its own volition. 

Without realizing it, Kim Baram reached out and grabbed Ko Jooyeon’s small, fidgeting hand out of concern. Her small and delicate hand, which he had grabbed unconsciously, felt like ice cubes — it was extremely cold.

Ko Jooyeon turned to Kim Baram with a questioning look, surprised by his sudden action. 

He spoke to her in a voice filled with concern, a hint of apology, and a bit of reprimand.

“Are your hands okay? You should’ve gone with the others to the treatment center earlier. The reward could’ve waited. Are you sure you don’t have severe frostbite? You’ve been fidgeting with your hands a lot.”

Despite his repeated questions, Ko Jooyeon didn’t bother to answer. She just continued to look at him intently. 

Frustrated by her lack of response, Kim Baram gently wrapped both of his hands around hers to warm them up with his body heat. 

Her small, pale hands, which he had originally thought would feel soft, had hard calluses on the thumb and index finger from using her bow.

“From now on, if something’s wrong, tell me right away. If you just think it’ll be fine later, it could get worse. Got it?”

“… Got it.”

Ding.

[Player ‘Kim Baram’s unique ability has been activated.] 

[You have gained affection from the character ‘Ko Jooyeon’. You have earned 100 VP. Ko Jooyeon’s current affection for Kim Baram: “Friendly.”]

When Kim Baram scolded her with a concerned look and a firm tone, Ko Jooyeon stared at his eyes for a moment before nodding obediently, agreeing with him.

At that moment, Han Suyeon, who had been watching our exchange with an annoyed expression on her face, suddenly pushed Kim Baram aside with a surprisingly strong shove, separating him from Ko Jooyeon.

“Move aside.”

Han Suyeon then took his place, held Ko Jooyeon’s hands and warmed them up with her fire-attribute magic, which glowed faintly with a red hue.

Ko Jooyeon, who had been alternately glancing between Kim Baram and her now-warmed hands with a dazed look, suddenly puffed her cheeks, as if she, too, had started to feel annoyed.

Grit.

Meanwhile, Kim Sunah, who had been observing the situation, suddenly shot Kim Baram a fierce glare, her face full of frustration. She then snapped at him in a voice brimming with irritation.

“Hurry up and follow me, Kim Baram.”

‘Why is everyone standing still, but only I’m getting blamed…?’

‘And why does everyone seem so upset all of a sudden?’