Chapter 26: The worries of the leader

After school.

The warm sunlight pierced through the windows of the counseling club.

This club room, taken from the old counseling club, was really comfortable.

On the round table in the center, there was a bowl full of snacks that Na Yuna brought, and on the shelves, various types of beverage powders and coffee sticks were neatly arranged.

‘What should I drink today?’

I felt drowsy because I was languid, so I chose coffee.

After brewing the coffee with the machine, I sat down and quietly looked around the club room.

‘We did well to take this.’

And the best thing about this club room is that it has another small room attached.

That place is used when a counseling client wants a one-on-one meeting.

Many students are reluctant to receive counseling with several people at the same time, so when I appealed to the existence of a one-on-one counseling room, quite a few students started to come.

‘But there’s no one here today.’

Normally, there would be one or two counseling clients, but there’s no one today.

Both Na Yuna and Kim Noeul didn’t come, wondering if something was going on.

Even when I texted them, I only got a reply that they were having ‘girls’ time’.

In other words, I’m alone in this club room now.

“Ugh~”

I stretched and groaned, and slumped on the desk.

‘I have to study…’

There are days like that.

Days when you don’t want to study.

Today is that day.

‘I wish someone would come for counseling.’

As if the sky heard my wish, someone knocked on the door of the counseling club.

Knock knock.

“Yes. Come in.”

When I told them to come in, the door of the counseling club opened.

A familiar girl was standing at the door.

A female student wearing a disciplinary armband on her arm and a wooden sword on her waist was looking down at me, slumped on the desk.

“Huh? Head of the disciplinary department?”

“I stopped by for a brief inspection.”

“Ah, patrol?”

Patrolling the clubs was the job of the disciplinary department.

But usually, the members do it, not the head of the disciplinary department.

‘Did she come for counseling?’

“And… um…”

“Did you come for counseling?”

“…Yes.”

Han Doa seemed embarrassed to reveal it herself, so when I scratched the itchy part, she had a relieved expression.

“Sit there. What would you like to drink?”

“Do you have green tea?”

I knew it.

I knew Han Doa would come for counseling someday, so I prepared green tea powder in advance.

“It’s instant powder, is that okay?”

“I don’t mind.”

While I was making the green tea, Han Doa looked around the counseling club.

“It’s a nice club room. The air freshener also has a calming scent.”

“I agree.”

When I gave her the green tea, she bowed her head to me.

She held the teacup and stretched out her other hand to support the bottom of the cup.

And she quietly drank it, bringing it to her lips.

Strangely, there was no sound of drinking, and her Adam’s apple barely moved, so I wondered if she was really drinking.

Eventually, she took the cup away from her lips and placed it silently on the desk.

‘Was that tea ceremony etiquette?’

When a male character in the webtoon did that, I thought it was pretentious…

But seeing her, who has the appearance of a young lady, perform the etiquette in front of me, it looked dreamy.

“Junior Maru.”

“Yes.”

She’s finally getting to the point.

At the moment when I was raising my concentration, she stretched out her finger and pointed to the button part of my shirt.

“You can only unbutton the top button.”

“…Yes.”

I buttoned it up without a word.

Only after that did Han Doa speak.

“Actually, my family has been a kendo family for generations. It’s a family that only those in the know know, but it has quite a reputation among martial artists.”

“I’ve heard of it. Hangageom Style.” (TL note: 한가검법, literally “Han Family Sword Style”)

“You know it?”

Of course I know it because I saw it in the original.

Kendo human cultural asset Han Doyoung and culinary artisan human cultural asset Kim Namsu married and established a martial arts family.

Kim Namsu’s family was very wealthy, so Han Doyoung’s kendo family could concentrate only on swordsmanship, and as a result, they became masters of Korean kendo.

In the midst of that, Han Doyoung became pregnant with Kim Namsu’s child, and that child was Han Doa.

“I’ve seen it in passing on the internet. Actually, at first, I thought it was a word that only appeared in martial arts novels.”

“I won’t deny it.”

Han Doa drank green tea and continued the topic.

“My mother gave me a sword when I was young. She wanted me to follow in her footsteps and walk the path of kendo. On the other hand, my father respected whatever career path I chose.”

“…….”

“But I…”

She stopped talking for a moment, perhaps because she was choked up, and then opened her mouth again.

“I have no great interest in kendo.”

“You’re interested in a different career path.”

“Yes, I want to focus on academics.”

Han Doa wants to go to college like most students, not kendo, which is her family business.

But Han Doyoung did not welcome it.

Perhaps the reason she stayed at her parents’ house for a long time instead of Haneul High School recently was because of this conflict.

There must have been a conflict of opinion with Han Doyoung.

“My father is encouraging me, but in the end, the decision maker of the family is my mother… In addition, the servants are also martial artists, so they support my mother’s opinion.”

Han Doa sighed and drank the green tea with a tired look.

Even with a tired look, she still followed the tea ceremony etiquette.

“Um… Actually, in this case, showing results is the fastest.”

“Results?”

“There was a 1st year junior who came for counseling the other day, and that friend wanted to go into art. But her parents forced her to study.”

“So?”

She showed deep interest in the story of a student in a similar situation to her.

“I told her that if she showed results at the upcoming Hakdo Art Competition, her parents might change their minds. The student who accepted my suggestion threw a gamble to her parents. If she proves her results with art, please support her dream.”

Han Doa forgot to drink green tea and urged me with twinkling eyes for the next story.

“Surprisingly, her parents concluded that if she showed results, she could do whatever she wanted. The gamble worked.”

“But what if she doesn’t show results?”

“Parents actually want to respect their child’s career path very much. But they oppose it because that career path is opaque. If you show the possibility that you can change that opacity into transparency, parents have no choice but to lose to their child.”

“Possibility…”

“Yes, possibility.”

Han Doa, repeating the word possibility, crossed her arms and pondered.

She closed her eyes tightly and fell into thought.

I made a suggestion to her while she was thinking.

“If you want, shall I help you?”

“Junior Maru?”

“Yes. Because you helped us the other day.”

“I’m not sure if I’m taking up your time…”

“Not at all. Skills improve while teaching.”

And it wouldn’t hurt to get close to Han Doa.

She is a capable warrior who can add strength next to Kim Noeul.

Human resources who can deal with Ojakgyo’s executive level are valuable.

I need to attract talent in this way.

Han Doa was tempted by my suggestion, but she didn’t give an answer readily.

I wondered why.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

“It’s not that. I’m grateful for the offer, but aren’t you a 2nd year, junior Maru?”

“Ah.”

I realized what she was worried about.

“I took last year’s college entrance exam and got all 1st grades.”

“!?”

Han Doa’s pupils widened at my bombshell.

It was funny to see her, who has a refined appearance, making that expression.

“Of course, it was a home mock exam without the field feeling, but I still already know the 3rd year curriculum.”

Korean and English are virtually ungraded, and I’ve finished the common and calculus parts of math.

“It’s embarrassing to say this myself, but people like me are rare in the tutoring market. But you, senior, are using me for free.”

“Using junior Maru for free…?”

“Yes. Free.”

“Junior… for free…”

Han Doa’s face turned red as she muttered.

She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head.

And she shouted.

“Th, that’s outrageous!”

‘Why is she like this.’

“I think junior Maru needs to use language clearly.”

“Clearly?”

“Yes! If you say it like that… girls will misunderstand.”

I thought about what I just said.

‘Using me for free…’

…Did she perceive it as that I was thinking of?

‘No, a disciplinary department head.’

I saw Han Doa, who couldn’t meet my eyes and was sweating.

She was drinking green tea, perhaps because she was thirsty.

Even in this situation, she followed the tea ceremony etiquette.

“Phew… Let’s calm down for a moment.”

“…Please do.”

She closed her eyes and concentrated as if to clear her mind.

Eventually, the red-stained cheeks returned to white.

“Ahem, then I will gratefully accept junior Maru’s favor.”

“You made a good decision. Ah, and have you thought about going to an academy?”

“I haven’t considered it. But I’m a stranger to that side…”

“Then let’s find out together.”

When I stood up from my seat and packed my bag, Han Doa was flustered.

“Are you saying we should go find out now?”

“You have to strike while the iron is hot. Honestly, if you want to see results within this year, there isn’t much time.”

Han Doa groaned at the words that there wasn’t much time.

She knows that it’s difficult to achieve academic achievement within a year.

“Junior Maru is right. It’s not enough to start right from today.”

“Fortunately, Hakdo is a central school district, so there’s no shortage of content. Top instructors also come to academies in Hakdo for on-site lectures a lot. Recently, even the subject of inquiry has been almost monopolized by Hakdo, so external students come to Hakdo just to take on-site lectures or break the Hakdo online lecture pass.”

Han Doa tilted her head as if she didn’t understand my words.

She looked like an owl tilting its head.

“You’ll know when you go. Let’s go to the academy district near the rotary, it’s famous.”

“I understand.”

The two of us went straight to the academy district.

Both me and Han Doa are not lacking in execution, so once we set a goal, we just run towards it.

When I arrived at the academy street, I was immersed in reminiscence as I looked at the academy signs lined up everywhere.

‘In the original, TT was famous.’

The Top.

It’s an academy that means the best, and in the world of Hakdo Yeon, it can be said to be the home of private education.

It was a place with high significance, with various events taking place only at TT Academy.

Fortunately, TT has two branches in Hakdo, so accessibility is good.

I entered the TT Academy building.

Inside the academy, advertisements for all kinds of curricula and textbook promotion posters were plastered.

-Premium mock exam, first-come, first-served sale

-Korean is feeling. Unmae/Hwajak complete summary N-system published

-4th mock trend analysis special lecture, apply with student ID

Han Doa seems to be in culture shock, as if she’s come to a foreign country for the first time.

She was busy looking around inside the academy.

Unlike Han Doa, I went straight to the desk to find out about the registration process.

“Hello, I came for registration counseling.”

“Yes. Please wait a moment.”

The man at the desk left his seat for a moment, perhaps to call a counseling teacher.

In the meantime, I thought about reading a book at a nearby chair, but I saw familiar faces.

“Senior Yuna, how about this? It’s a math half-year curriculum, and since you’re already good at Korean and English…”

“I’m choosing probability and statistics, so I want to focus more on the common…”

Kim Noeul and Na Yuna were standing close together and looking at a poster attached to the wall.

I approached them out of curiosity.

“What are you doing here?”

“…Huh? Maru?”

“M, Maru. Hello.”

The two girls who turned around at my voice were embarrassed.

It was as if they never imagined they would see my face here.

“Why did you come here?”

“Why did I come, I came to register.”

When Kim Noeul asked, I answered simply.

“Maru is already good…”

Na Yuna scratched her neck and expressed her doubts.

I added an explanation.

“Actually, I’m still debating, and I came to find out for someone else. That person doesn’t know much about the academic side.”

“Is it a girl?”

“I, is it a girl…?”

Kim Noeul and Na Yuna spoke at the same time.

Their eyes became dull.

‘Why are they suddenly asking that.’

When I was dumbfounded and lost for words, someone tapped my shoulder from behind.

“Junior Maru, the counseling teacher is here…”

Han Doa, who was talking, stopped talking when she saw Kim Noeul and Na Yuna.

Kim Noeul and Na Yuna also stared blankly at Han Doa.

A strange air flowed between the three girls.

For some reason, the surrounding air became cold.

‘It’s still early summer…’

It was too cold.