Chapter 466 – Passing Through the First Floor of the Academy Building.
Thanks to Elcia, I was able to enjoy a hearty lunch without spending a dime.
To be honest, the food that came out afterward wasn’t exactly edible.
I thought it was because it was mass-produced and couldn’t be tailored to foreign tastes.
Generally, foreign food tends not to sit well with people anyway.
‘So, people from Kyoto can’t get the seasoning right, huh?’
[Must be because there aren’t many festivals there.]
Kyoukyou probably didn’t even think about that.
“I’m sorry… it was tasty before…”
“It’s okay. We ate well anyway.”
“Don’t be so down, just like Shinwoo said.”
“I got it, haha.”
And we exited the Japan Hunter Academy cafeteria.
Feeling quite full, I rubbed my belly.
“I’m still hungry!”
“You ate so much, and you’re still hungry?”
“Of course!”
Except for Elcia, of course.
“Kyoukyou, you can’t grow up to be that kind of adult, okay?”
“Hyeji-chan, don’t worry, haha. The only thing falling to that level is the Elfu coin, haha.”
“Seriously, this crazy girl is Japanese, but why does she talk so spicy!”
One might wonder at this point.
Why did Elcia come out hungry if she was still hungry?
But honestly, I was sure that even if we stayed there, the situation wouldn’t have changed much.
And for good reason.
“This girl isn’t eating to cheer us on but to stuff herself, haha.”
“But is that okay? We’re leaving anyway, but you’ll be the one who suffers.”
“If you’re really worried, just say so, Kyoukyou. I’ll make it into an academy issue.”
“Hyeji-chan, it’s okay, haha. That brought losses to the academy, so now it’s called Zainichi, haha.”
Because there were no more ingredients left in the cafeteria.
Given its size, many people must use it.
And since it’s festival time, they must have stocked up on ingredients.
But today, most of those ingredients vanished into Elcia’s stomach.
Thanks to that, even though the festival was still going strong,
the cafeteria firmly closed its doors before lunch hour had even ended.
With a sign reading “Ingredients exhausted” left behind.
“I wonder how many times a day one needs to go to the bathroom, haha.”
“Sis, please let me hit that fcking btch just once!”
“Stop acting like a kid and bear with it.”
“Aaaargh!”
Anyway, having solved our lunch task,
we quickly started walking towards our next destination.
This time, it was a place Ayeon had asked us to come to.
The fact that it was nearby meant we could get there quickly,
but there was a slightly special point about that location too.
“By the way, Kyoukyou, where is this place?”
“We’re inside the academy building, haha.”
Right inside the academy building.
“……How on earth did she get this place?”
“She was on the phone non-stop from yesterday morning!”
In other words, it meant a good opportunity to explore the inside of the Japan Hunter Academy.
Although I no longer had ties to the academy,
touring someone else’s school was a new pleasure in itself.
Besides, the South Korean academy had vanished for quite unfortunate reasons.
[That’s because you broke it, you heartless b*stard.]
‘That was a natural death, you know.’
This was also a chance to vicariously experience the feelings of graduates to some extent.
Anyway, we entered the academy building to visit Ayeon’s booth.
As soon as we saw the interior of the Japan Hunter Academy building, my first impression was that it felt familiar.
A sense of déjà vu.
The typical hallway with classrooms lined up in a row.
Though it was slightly similar to the South Korean Hunter Academy,
it was exactly like the high schools often shown in Japanese romantic comedies.
“Shinwoo, this feels familiar, doesn’t it?”
“It seems lifted right out of manga or anime or books.”
“Isn’t this the cultural powerhouse called the Greater Japan Empire? Haha.”
“And it’s surprisingly quiet here too!”
Indeed, as Elcia said, it was quite peaceful here.
Especially considering it was a special period like a festival.
Thanks to that, we could see the whole structure.
[Isn’t it because there are classrooms for soon-to-be graduates?]
‘Or maybe it’s just because it’s the first floor, so they left it undisturbed.’
It only made the feeling of déjà vu even stronger.
However, just because it felt similar didn’t mean it was exactly the same.
There were significant differences from the South Korean academy.
And not in a good way.
“By the way, Kyoukyou, isn’t there an elevator here?”
“Only stairs, haha. And there’s only one at either end of each floor that alternates.”
“Wait a minute! So to go up a floor, you have to cross the entire one?”
“It’s the academy policy to develop Yamato spirit, you idiot.”
Any semblance of convenience had been stripped away,
all while emphasizing mental discipline.
Definitely felt like Japan here.
[Is there really a need to do it like that?]
‘They probably did a half-assed job on the construction and made up an excuse for it.’
[This is something common between Japan and Korea, huh.]
If not, there wouldn’t be a need to cling to such an analog sentiment.
Anyway, since Ayeon’s booth was on the third floor,
it was a bit unsatisfactory, but we decided to move on calmly.
No one was going to carry us if we complained.
“Well, let’s head up for now.”
“Still, from the upper floors, it should be the real festival, so there will probably be a lot to see, haha.”
And I just said it wasn’t raucous before,
but that didn’t mean there was no one here.
Since this was an academy, it was only natural that some students were around.
Of course, the academy treated this like a university, so they weren’t wearing uniforms.
But it was clear enough that they were students of the academy by feel.
Since it was a floor for senior students, conversations typical of seniors were going back and forth.
“Graduation is… hard to believe…”
“Yeah… Time flew by too fast.”
Most of the discussions were about graduation.
Naturally, those in senior years would have plenty to say about it.
They had spent almost three years in the academy,
so numerous memories must have piled up into one big nostalgia.
“Oh, but I have something to ask.”
“What is it?”
But always remember and keep in mind.
“Is your younger sibling on their period today?”
“No.”
This was unmistakably a Hunter Academy.
“That’s strange, I thought it tasted like blood coming from you.”
“Today it’s Mom.”
“That explains the strong taste.”
Of course, the fact that there were no real human beings present was undeniable.
[Wow, f*ck. Seriously.]
’This isn’t even surprising anymore…’
At that moment, in front of us were a pair of male and female students from the academy, facing each other.
The guy had a very awkward expression, scratching his head,
while the girl was fidgeting with her hands as if she had something to say.
There were no words exchanged, but the atmosphere was quite tender.
At that moment, the girl cautiously spoke to the boy in a pitiful voice.
By now, large tears were hanging in her eyes.
“……What if we don’t graduate…?”
[Pure love is the best! Pure love is the best! You should yell too!]
‘Oh, this is a classic senior-junior graduation cliche.’
It was obvious from the look of it.
The boy was probably a graduating senior this time,
and the girl was likely a junior admiring him.
A typical Japanese graduation cliché you’d only seen in media.
Moreover, as said before, this hallway had the classrooms for seniors.
So it was completely normal for such a scene to be recreated.
After all, if it were common enough to become a cliché, it must occur quite often.
It was a bit odd that the junior girl was speaking casually,
but it could be taken as their close relationship.
Those two might already be in a relationship.
“Please, don’t graduate…”
“No way.”
“I don’t want… I don’t want to let you go…”
Whatever it was, the fact they had some bond was apparent.
When seeing such a scene in a book, it could feel cute yet slightly cringy, but
seeing it in front of my own eyes brought an entirely different feeling now.
[The power of pure love is indeed great! You can feel this tenderness beyond national borders!]
‘The power of pure love…’
It was a moment that was both nostalgic and warming.
“While saying that, you’ll just make me postpone my Master’s graduation, right, you crazy girl!”
“Let’s just work together for one more year this time.”
“I’m already in my fourth year for my Master’s by myself, you b*stard!”
It was a brutal and heart-wrenching scene.
‘That’s not the power of pure love, that’s just the misuse of professor’s power…’
[No, f*ck. The pure love junkies will die, you idiots!]
The male student turned out to be a graduate student in his fourth year for a Master’s,
and the woman talking to him wasn’t a student, but a professor.
A mental one at that.
“That’s really slavery!”
“Is there a class system at the Japan Hunter Academy too, Kyoukyou?”
“Naturally, since it’s a medieval Japan, haha.”
Anyway, as we passed by them, we started heading upstairs.
That place was now an entirely different realm from the quiet downstairs, being a vibrantly loud space.
A true festival scene taking place inside the academy building.
[Now, this is truly the festival culture of Japan!]
‘Are there really any human beings here?’
[……Probably not.]
For some reason, I felt a slight unease, but…
