noveldrama
Chapter 127
Chapter 127
The weekend—the brief period without Winter—passed by quickly.
Sia and Alice were engrossed in their studies, while I took on the role of their diligent tutor.
As for my mentor…
---
*Embrace.*
**"Disciple, look at the news. So many believe you’ll surpass me soon!"**
**"Oh, come on. There’s no way I could…"**
**"Nonsense. The sooner you surpass your master, the better. Nothing would make me happier."**
**"……."**
**"So, let’s get to training again today!"**
Every night, she was relentless, pushing my stamina to its limits.
Thanks to my three wives, it was a busy weekend in many ways.
Of course, there were other obligations besides my wives.
---
**"Mr. Yujin, let’s skip this week’s treatments."**
**"I can’t do that. Handling around 30 people isn’t a burden for me. I’ll finish quickly."**
**"If that’s your decision… By the way, has Alice done something recently?"**
**"Pardon? What do you mean?"**
**"Well, uh… attacked… Ahem. Never mind. Let’s go."**
**"Alright."**
There was the hospital treatment montage, so to speak…
---
**"Someone’s coming from the U.S. for research?"**
**"Yes. They’re planning generous support."**
**"Is the Saintess really that valuable for research?"**
**"There’s no guarantee another monster of her type won’t appear."**
**"That’s a fair point. Fine. I’ll get things prepared."**
**"Thank you."**
---
*Ding.*
**[‘???’ apologizes deeply, bowing for the trouble caused by our child.]**
And there were arrangements with my father-in-law, the head of the Cheonhwa Clan, for research collaboration with the U.S. on the Saintess.
I was so busy that the weekend felt like a blur.
And before I knew it, it was the start of the eighth week of the academy—the much-anticipated midterm exam period.
---
### * * *
At the Pentagon Academy, the midterm exams were surprisingly low-key.
Combat sparring between cadets?
Survival tests on a mountain or deserted island?
A villain attack on the academy?
Nope.
Awakened individuals are precious resources, so there’s no reason to pit them against each other unnecessarily.
Sparring? Most of our battles are against monsters, so where would hand-to-hand combat skills even come in handy?
As for villain attacks…
---
*If Winter had taken down the Chairman in a mutual destruction scenario, then maybe… but now? Not a chance.*
In the game, that was only on the hard difficulty—only if Winter and the Chairman went down together.
But right now? No worries.
After the previous terror attack, where we took down fifty villains, there was no chance of another ambush.
---
*Back in my gamer days, I wondered what they’d do for midterms with this setup.*
This was a point of curiosity when I played the game.
What would they do for midterms, if the terror attack was successfully thwarted?
In my newbie days, I had failed to stop Winter’s attack, so the midterms were an utter mess…
But if you successfully defended against it, then what?
I had tried to answer this question by carefully advancing through the game and saving the Chairman…
---
**[Hmm? What do we do for midterms? Of course, we just have exams.]**
*I never would have guessed it was just a regular college midterm.*
So that’s what I found out.
Midterms were just ordinary written exams.
In the game, it was so uneventful it skipped a whole week.
Even in my first playthrough, nothing major happened.
It was no wonder I was so relaxed.
---
*Murmur murmur.*
**"Article 3, Clause 1 of the Special Act on Awakened Individuals: Duties during gate occurrences…"**
**"Ugh, too many Chinese characters. I miss English…."**
I was the only one who seemed calm, though.
The cadets all seemed nervous.
Even Sia and Alice had arrived an hour early for some last-minute cramming.
It made sense. Scoring well here could help them get into a top clan.
Seeing them work so hard, even though both were already guaranteed A-ranks, made me smile.
---
**"Everyone, take a break. Want me to grab some coffee?"**
*Glares.*
**"Quiet, you! I’m about to smack you if you don’t shut it."**
**"Yeah, Yujin, you’re being so annoying right now."**
**"……."**
I quickly dropped my smile.
…I guess they had a point.
The top student, who didn’t even study, telling them to relax—it must’ve felt like taunting.
Especially with only an hour left before the test.
I could understand why my wives reacted sharply.
After all, both of them were aiming for S-rank and were quite serious.
What would the Hypnotic Master’s response in the second round be?
---
**"Oh, sorry! Didn’t mean to bother you!"**
I quickly made my escape.
No point in hanging around my tense wives and risking their wrath.
The best strategy was to retreat.
All married men would agree with this decision.
---
*Wandering aimlessly.*
*Still, I put in a lot of effort to help them study. Was it really necessary to be so harsh?*
Despite my slight disappointment, I wandered the academy grounds aimlessly, trying to shake off the thoughts.
---
*Halt.*
*This place… This is where I first met Alice after the regression.*
I’d ended up in front of the vending machine in a secluded spot—the very place where I ran into Alice, dressed like Mario.
Seeking solitude had naturally led me here.
A small smile crept onto my face.
---
*She was so adorable back then. Her Korean was a little awkward compared to before the regression.*
It brought back memories.
Back when I first enrolled.
Those two weeks of chaos, followed by finally meeting my wives for some much-needed healing.
They seemed so youthful in their early twenties, so much that it made me feel a bit awkward.
Of course, now I was used to it, but still.
---
*Click.*
*Things really changed after that. Compared to my life before the regression.*
I pulled out a can of the same pine-needle drink that symbolized my new path.
It was this drink that helped Alice and me get closer, bonding over our shared interest…
*But it wasn’t just because of this.*
No, the real moment that won her over was different.
Clearing the tenth level of the entrance exam.
The first time I did something truly S-rank-worthy.
…The first round was a mess.
The game and reality were nothing alike.
Back then, I’d never even touched a katana, let alone mastered the Zahah Swordsmanship.
I fought while desperately pleading with hypnosis to work—enough to make even Alice, the Queen of Positivity, say, *"Honestly, it was a bit embarrassing."*
That’s how I left my first impression on my wives before the regression.
Not great, to say the least.
---
*But in the second round, I cleared it almost flawlessly. That’s how I won her over.*
My actions now were completely different.
I aced the entrance exam, which made my relationships with my wives warm and friendly.
In the end, what brought us closer…
was simply showing them my capable side.
---
*Not moping around here over a little bit of scolding.*
My thoughts returned to the present.
I refilled my love for my wives and downed the drink in one gulp, solidifying my resolve.
---
*Let’s give it my all for the midterms.*
*Gulp.*
There was no time to dwell on the past here.
I’d head back to encourage them, maybe even share some of my knowledge from before the regression.
Let’s go all-out on these midterms, aim for the top, and make them proud.
I took a deep breath, feeling refreshed by the sharp pine flavor.
Then, with newfound determination, I turned back toward the academy.
---
**"———So, you’re done sulking?"**
**"……!!? S-Sia? Why aren’t you studying?"**
So much for my confident exit.
Sia had shown up out of nowhere, startling me.
Her eyes curved into playful crescents.
---
**"I thought I was a bit harsh earlier. I came to apologize. I know you take these things to heart."**
**"……."**
Wow, my wife really knew me well.
I quickly shook my head.
---
**"It’s fine. I was the one who spoke carelessly…"**
**"You’re not denying you were a bit upset?"**
**"…Yes. I was a bit hurt, honestly."**
**"Goodness. You’re so cute."**
Though I tried to deny it, she saw right through me.
She gently pulled my cheeks, stretching them playfully.
---
*Stretch.*
**"Now, to cheer you up——."**
For some reason, Sia glanced around briefly and then…
---
**"I’ll give you a kiss?"**
*Chuup.*
She leaned in, standing on tiptoe, pressing herself close to me.
Our tongues intertwined.
---
*Chu-rup, chup. Chu-rup.*
*Wow… this is what a real kiss is like. Both in technique and feeling.*
Thanks to her, my spirits were restored quickly.
Compared to Winter’s clumsy, aggressive kiss yesterday, this was on a whole different level.
There was happiness in being connected with someone you love.
An exchange of affection
that brought joy the longer it lasted.
A kiss should be like this.
Not some mischievous prank like my eldest daughter had pulled.
---
*Chuup.*
**"…Feeling better?"**
**"I’m so happy I could die."**
**"Pfft. You’re silly."**
After the kiss, we held each other, exchanging words softly.
Even the way she patted my back was endearing.
I was so blissfully happy, as if we were the only two people left in the world…
---
*Hurried footsteps.*
**"……!!"**
*Someone’s here!?*
The sound broke the moment’s magic.
I quickly let go of Sia.
---
**"S-Sorry, Sia. I didn’t realize someone was coming…"**
I mumbled an apology.
After all, Sia had asked to keep our relationship a secret.
I’d gotten so caught up in the moment that we’d been caught kissing.
Surely, she’d be upset this time.
---
**"It’s fine."**
**"What?"**
**"——It’s only someone who can know."**
She wasn’t angry at all.
Instead, she said something cryptic.
---
**"Do you know who it was?"**
**"Of course I do."**
**"…Who?"**
The tension was killing me.
I looked at her, confused.
She only smiled.
---
*Swoosh. Lick.*
**"You don’t need to know."**
**"What…? Who was it?"**
**"Knowing could get you hurt, dummy."**
**"Aw, come on, who!?"**
I tried to follow, but she wouldn’t reveal who it was.
Who could it be? It’s driving me crazy.
---
### * * *
Later, back in the lecture hall for the first midterm exam, we were all fired up.
---
**"Let’s do this, Yujin. And… fox girl."**
*Grinding teeth.*
**"Just watch, Sia. I won’t lose."**
The rivalry between Sia and Alice was especially intense…
but a little friendly competition was good to see among peers.
I joined in with their fiery enthusiasm.
---
**"I won’t lose either! I’ll get a perfect score so we can all tie for first place!"**
**"Pfft. Alright, go for that perfect score."**
**"…Geez."**
**"……?"**
For some reason, Alice didn’t seem too impressed.
What was this? Was she disqualifying me from being her rival because I was annoying?
It was a bit disappointing, but…
---
**"Alright, everyone, please take your seats! We’ll start sealing mana shortly."**
*Smirk.*
*Guess I’ll just have to be so annoyingly amazing that I’ll earn the right to annoy her.*
I planned to shatter that reaction, taking full advantage of this midterm exam.
---
**[Question 13: Describe in detail the most effective strategies for dealing with the giant monster Boitata.]**
*Scratch scratch.*
**[The answer says to have tank-class Awakened handle the berserk patterns and withstand the attack…]**
**[But if you press down on the scales near the tail, it’s immobilized. This answer is so inefficient.]**
**[And, questions 2, 3, and 4 all have minor errors too. Let’s speed through.]**
**[The most effective core-processing method is…]**
I didn’t hold back my knowledge anymore.