Chapter 189

Chapter 189

I Became the Academy Mafia Chapter 189“Picnic~ picnic~ picnicpicnic~!”

Maybe because it had been a while since we'd gone out together, Ji-yoon's energy was even higher than usual.

“Ji-yoon, you have to stay still. Alessia can't tie your hair like that.”

“Yeees!”

Perhaps because it had also been a while since Alessia had seen Ji-yoon this excited, she was smiling brightly.

“There, all tied up. Young Lady. How is it?”

“It's always pretty when Alessia ties it!”

“Aaaah! Young Ladyyy!”

Now there are two people fussing over her...

Once we finished getting ready to go out and tried to leave the estate, the servants came rushing out to see us off.

“Young Lady! Be careful out there!”

“Young Master. Make sure you take the lunchbox.”

“Have lots of fun!”

It reminded me once again just how affectionate the servants in our house were.

“Yes! We'll be baaack!”

Ji-yoon gave the servants a deep bow, then grabbed my hand.

“Let's go! Big Bro!”

“Yeah.”

We left the estate and got into the waiting car, which immediately departed.

At least one fortunate thing was that the security team wouldn't be following us on this outing.

Originally...‘Even so, both the Young Master and Young Lady are going out together. Shouldn't the security team accompany you?’The chief of security had pleaded in an earnest voice like that, and Father had also urged that there was no harm in being safe, but...‘This time, Elder Kwak Chun-sik and his granddaughter will be with us.’‘Then it should be fine.’The moment I mentioned that Elder Kwak Chun-sik would be joining us, Father gave his permission.

Of course, the chief of security looked utterly dejected afterward... but what could be done when one of the strongest people in the Republic of Korea was coming on the picnic?

The car soon passed through Calione's grounds, entered the expressway, and made its way into downtown Seoul.

“By the way, Big Bro. Where are we going?”

Perhaps she'd finally gotten curious about where we were going to play, because Ji-yoon looked at me and asked.

“Somewhere not just anyone in the Republic of Korea can go for fun.”

“A place not just anyone can go?”

“Yeah. It's my first time going there too.”

Of course, I never dreamed we'd choose a place like this for a picnic either.

The number of cars visible outside the window gradually began to decrease.

Gyeongbokgung Palace came into view ahead of us. But we passed that as well, and what finally appeared was none other than a checkpoint.

When the man at the checkpoint waved his hand, Han Seo-jun stopped the car.

“What brings you here?”

The man peered inside through the driver's window Han Seo-jun had opened.

“We came at Elder Kwak Chun-sik's invitation. I was told everything had already been arranged.”

“Ah. It's been confirmed. Have a pleasant time.”

The checkpoint was passed in an instant simply by using Elder Kwak Chun-sik's name.

After passing the checkpoint, the building that came into view ahead was──“Aah! Big Bro! Big Bro! I've seen this place on TV! It's really famous!”

“Right? I never thought I'd actually come here either.”

A place that could be called the pinnacle of power in the Republic of Korea.

The Blue House.

The car headed toward the parking lot, and after finally parking, Han Seo-jun looked back and said.

“I'll remain here and wait. I hope you have an enjoyable time, Young Master, Young Lady.”

“Thank youuu!”

“You get some good rest too. I'll contact you before we come back.”

We quietly got out of the car, and I took Ji-yoon's hand before immediately setting off.

The meeting place Kwak Chun-sik had texted me was ‘the garden of the Blue House.’

I had almost never entered this place normally either, so it felt awkward.

Wow, how long has it been since I entered through the main gate?

-Hey. Have you arrived?

“We just got out of the car in the parking lot. Where are we supposed to go?”

-Tsk. You've never even been to the Blue House?

I came in another life.

Though back then, I'd come to steal something.

“What reason would I have to come here?”

-Is that so? Anyway, wait there. I'll send someone from our group.

Someone from the group?

Is there someone else besides the Elder and his granddaughter?

While I waited with that thought, I saw a man in a suit running toward us from far away...

Huh?

“Haa... haa... You're Student Han Eugene and little Han Ji-yoon, correct?”

“Yes, that's right, but you are...”

“Ah, hahaha! Yes. I'm Kang Sang-rok.”

The man laughed heartily and held out his hand.

That's right.

He was Kang Sang-rok, President of the Republic of Korea in the world of CS.

______________

“Hey. You're here?”

From far away, Kwak Chun-sik, sitting on a picnic mat and smiling brightly, waved at us.

“Elder.”

“Aah! The grandpa I saw last time!”

“Hahahaha! Right, looks like you remember me.”

“Hellooo.”

Watching Ji-yoon greet Kwak Chun-sik and him nod in response, I let out a sigh.

“No, what kind of person tells the President to come pick someone up? You startled me.”

“Brat. Before he's the President, he's my friend. Isn't that right, Sang-rok?”

That's right.

The two of them were extremely close friends.

It was a setting I knew as well, but since it wasn't particularly important, it was such a minor detail that I'd tossed it into the back of my memory.

“Seriously... if you weren't an Awakened, I'd smack you once.”

“Go ahead, brat. You could bring a tank and I still wouldn't budge. Hahahaha!”

The President of the Republic of Korea and the strongest Awakened fighting.

In a way, it was a truly ridiculous sight.

“Grandpaa. Where's the friend?”

After quietly placing her pink bag on the picnic mat, Ji-yoon looked around and asked.

At that, the Elder pointed toward the fountain in the distance.

“She went to look at the flowers over there. Why don't you go see her?”

“Flowers? Okay!”

Ji-yoon ran off with an excited expression, and I quietly sat beside Kwak Chun-sik while watching her retreating back.

“A picnic at the Blue House. Seriously, nobody but you could do something like this, Elder.”

How many people in the Republic of Korea could possibly pull something like this off?

I guaranteed you could count them on one hand.

“It's all thanks to having a good friend. Haven't you benefited from me too, Sang-rok?”

In fact, Kwak Chun-sik was one of the heroes who had benefited greatly from the President.

The reason he had gone to Gangwon Province instead of prison after killing so many villains in the past, and the reason he'd been able to move freely there, were all because of the President's favor.

“Yeah, what pisses me off more is that I can't even argue with that. Come to think of it, didn't you say one more person was coming?”

“Hm? I think he said he'd be here soon. This bastard hasn't contacted me.”

Hm?

“Elder. Is someone else coming here too?”

“Yeah, it's someone you know, so you probably won't be particularly pleased about it. Well, he said he'd bring your friend too.”

Someone I know?

While I was wondering about that.

“Ah, there he is.”

At his words, when we looked back along the path we'd come from, we saw two familiar faces.

“...

You invited the Sword Saint, Elder?”

“Hahaha. We're having a picnic in such a nice place. The more people, the merrier, isn't it?”

The Sword Saint approached from afar with a sigh, and beside him walked a woman...

So that's what he meant when he said he'd bring my friend too.

Choi Yeon.

She had noticed me as well and was lightly waving in my direction.

What is this...

“A gathering of the most influential elders in the Republic of Korea. Is that what this is?”

“Oh, now that you mention it, that's what it became, isn't it? What should we call the group? Kwak Chun-sik and the Extras? Hahahahahaha!”

To think I'd live to see Kwak Chun-sik, the President, and the Sword Saint gathered together.

It was absurd that a scene I'd thought I would never see unless the Republic of Korea government was on the brink of collapse was unfolding in the Blue House garden under clear skies.

“It is an honor to see you, Elder Sword Saint.”

When I stood to greet him and bowed, the Sword Saint gave a brief nod.

“Yes, it's been a while. President, it has also been some time. Have you been well?”

“Haha! Thanks to you, I've been well. I never expected the three of us would meet like this.”

“Indeed.”

Since the President and the Sword Saint apparently only met for official matters, the atmosphere between them was fairly stiff.

It felt like meeting a friend's acquaintance.

“Eugene. Hi.”

“Yeah. Hi.”

Amid that subtle atmosphere, I naturally exchanged greetings with Choi Yeon.

“Thanks to having a good younger sibling, I get to tour the Blue House too. Today seems to be full of surprises.”

Choi Seon-ho spoke while taking a fan from inside his clothes and cooling his face.

At that, Kwak Chun-sik laughed heartily and replied.

“How wonderful is this! The weather is good, the people are good, the place is good! Where else could you find a gathering like this! Come, Brother Choi, sit down too! Hey, Sang-rok. That. Bring that.”

“...

Seriously. Wait.”

At that, Kang Sang-rok glanced toward the Blue House staff behind him, and enormous carts that looked like mobile buffets began coming toward us one after another.

Then, before long, buffets began being set up in the garden.

The most eye-catching thing among them was the premium traditional soju placed on the picnic mat.

“Brother Choi, didn't you say last time that you wanted to drink this? So I prepared some.”

“Ahem...! I do like this. Mr. President must have gone to some trouble.”

“Compared to the deeds of the Sword Saint, it's nothing. Haha! Given the setting, today please see me not as the President, but as your younger brother.”

“S-shall I, then. Younger Brother Kang?”

“Yes. Elder Brother Choi.”

It was becoming uncomfortable to stay here any longer...

I feel like I can already smell alcohol.

Just as I quietly stood up and tried to head toward the children, Choi Yeon grabbed my sleeve.

“...

Where are you going?”

“To see the younger ones.”

“Younger ones?”

“They ran off earlier saying they were going to look at flowers. Want to come?”

“Yeah.”

Right.

I couldn't exactly leave her alone in this retirement-home atmosphere.

“Let's go.”

Leaving behind the elders, who were already exchanging drinks, I walked with her in the direction Ji-yoon had run.

Perhaps the place where the President lived really was different.

Just looking at the old-fashioned trees and neatly trimmed bushes was calming.

“How far did the kids go...”

“Over there?”

While I was looking for them, Choi Yeon pointed into the distance.

Far away, two small children were crouching in front of a flowerbed.

Judging by the headband, one of them was definitely Ji-yoon.

Then was the girl beside her Elder Kwak Chun-sik's granddaughter?

As we slowly approached, the children's giggling laughter gradually became audible.

“Ji-yoon.”

When I called her name, the two children looked back.

“Huh? Big Brooo! And beside you... pretty unnie! Hellooo.”

“Hellooo.”

The two children looked toward us and greeted us.

For some reason, Choi Yeon also bent her waist exactly ninety degrees and greeted them in the same way.

“Hello.”

Do children from martial families receive especially strict etiquette education from a young age?

Caught up in the atmosphere, I ended up bowing too.

“Ji-yoon. What were you doing?”

“I dunno! We were talking about what to play!”

I'd wondered why they were sitting by the flowerbed, but it was nothing special.

“Really? Is there anything your friend beside you wants to do?”

I said that and asked the child next to her.

For someone who was Elder Kwak Chun-sik's granddaughter, she was an extremely adorable little girl.

The child, who made it easy to understand why the Elder cherished and protected her so much, frowned and went, Hmm... while thinking.

Then, as though she'd gotten a good idea, she looked at us and said.

“Tag! Let's play tag!”

“Tag? Shall we? Ji-yoon, what do you think?”

“I like it too!”

And so, by majority vote, the game was decided.

Tag.

First, when all of us played rock-paper-scissors to decide who would be ‘it.’

“Ah.”

Choi Yeon alone threw scissors while everyone else threw rock, making Choi Yeon ‘it.’

“Eugene.”

“Yeah?”

“Can I use aura?”

“You think I'd allow that?”