Chapter 213

Chapter 213

I Became the Academy Mafia Chapter 213On the way to the auditorium for the closing ceremony.

The kids' eyes were filled with anticipation and excitement.

“Jin-woo. Do you have any plans for this vacation?”

Young-je, walking beside me while leading the class, asked Jin-woo.

“Huh? I was just going to spend all day playing the games I bought but never got around to?”

At Jin-woo's predictable answer, Se-ah sighed.

“That's why you keep getting stabbed by our goddess. What's the point of having a strong father? At least train or something!”

“I'd rather ask that cra──mentor of mine. My father is even worse, you know? He seriously thinks you have to drive your own child to the brink of death to make them stronger. It's not like I'm some alien combat race or anything.”

Antonio's methods certainly were a little extreme.

Even so, I hadn't expected him to choose Han Yeo-eun instead.

“Then, Glasses. What are you doing over vacation?”

“Me? Probably training?”

“Ugh─. Do you have some disease where you'll die if you don't train?”

Young-je snickered at Jin-woo's horrified reaction.

“I need to get stronger for my goal.”

Young-je's master was still trapped in Dante's Inferno(La Divina)

.

Because of the dungeon's difficulty, they hadn't even been able to properly organize a rescue operation yet, but one thing was certain.

Compared to when I first made that promise with Young-je, we had grown much stronger.

At this pace... it probably wouldn't take that long.

Apparently displeased that only they had answered, Jin-woo glanced at Se-ah.

“What are you doing over vacation that has you looking so excited?”

“Huh? Me? Of course I'm going to have fun! Normally, I'd spend it working part-time jobs to cover living expenses... but I've saved up quite a lot from Familia activities! During vacation, I'm going to travel with my siblings and relax at home! Ah, and train sometimes? Too.”

Looks like everyone had plans of some sort.

“What about you, Mr. Eugene? Aren't you going anywhere?”

Then suddenly, the question came to me.

“Me?”

“Yes. You must have something to do over vacation too, Mr. Eugene.”

“Hmm... vacation, huh.”

In truth, I had more than enough things to do over vacation.

Family work alone never stopped regardless of whether it was vacation, and with both the materials I'd obtained this time and the items I'd accumulated before, it was about time to start upgrading my equipment too.

In short, the problem wasn't that I had nothing to do.

It was that I had so much to do I didn't know where to start.

So.

“I'll probably be busy going around here and there too.”

“Yeah, if it's the President, you probably will be busy.”

“President. Instead of that, come over to my house and let's play games. Hm? I'm telling you, they treat me completely differently when my friends are over compared to when I'm alone.”

“You think Mr. Eugene is as free as you are?! Just stay home and play games!”

Maybe they were more excited than usual?

The kids bickered while laughing.

Seeing that, I couldn't help letting out a snicker.

Whenever I see them like this, they really are just kids.

We continued walking while exchanging meaningless chatter and soon arrived at the auditorium.

All the Academy students, including us, were gathered there by section.

“Ah, there's Ms. Choi Yeon! Mr. Eugene, looks like the first-years are over there!”

Se-ah smiled brightly when she spotted Choi Yeon sitting blankly in the distance.

Choi Yeon seemed to notice us too, because she looked over and lightly waved her hand.

Se-ah waved back enthusiastically.

But what caught my attention more than anything was Jung Eui-hoon sitting at the very front of that group.

Unlike the excited kids around him, he was staring at the stage with a gloomy expression.

Of course, it wasn't hard to guess why he looked like that.

After all, last night the entire nation learned about the incompetence of the Awakened division of the police headquarters.

Maybe he'd read the comments under some article?

“Well, it's none of my business.”

Our Year 1

-Class A also headed toward our assigned seats.

Our class was considered the ace of the first year, not only because we had the highest average grades, but also because we'd won the Class Ranking Match.

Maybe because of that, the chairs we sat in felt fairly comfortable and luxurious compared to the other classes.

The chairs in the worst class were... those one-piece desk-chair things?

Who the hell made those things?

At that moment, someone stepped onto the previously empty stage.

Long, neat black hair, sharp eyes, and bright red irises.

A woman who drew everyone's attention just by appearing.

-Greetings. I am Yuli Rodman, Vice President of the student council of Seoul Hero Academy.

It was Yuli.

-Normally, Student Council President Ray Pendragon, the representative of the student council, should have presided over the closing ceremony, but due to the President's personal circumstances, I will be taking his place. I ask for your understanding.

She began speaking in an extremely calm and clear tone.

She slowly swept her gaze across everyone, then smiled softly.

Hmm, I feel like our eyes just met...

A refreshing smile that looked extremely pleased.

Well, it was only natural she'd be in a good mood.

The President had been urgently recalled, so she was practically taking over his role.

I couldn't exactly blame her.

After the basic greetings and introduction came the dean's speech.

-Greetings, my beloved and cherished students of Seoul Hero Academy. I am Dean Heo Seok-gi.

As expected, it was an incredibly boring speech.

Be careful around water during vacation, be careful in dungeons, be careful of villains, rest well and stay healthy.

And don't forget your vacation assignments.

Of course, there was also an incident midway through where Jin-woo yawned and screamed after getting hit by a ballpoint pen sent flying with spatial magic.

“With this, the Academy's closing ceremony will come to an end. Students, I hope you all have an enjoyable vacation.”

With Yuli's final words, the closing ceremony ended.

One by one, the students stood up, and the inside of the auditorium creaked

- and shook all at once before filling with the cheers of students as if they'd been waiting for this moment.

“Woooohooo! It's vacatiooooon! Gaming seasooooon!”

And of course, the loudest bastard was right in front of me.

“Seriously, you're so loud! Oh, right, Mr. Eugene. Aren't we going anywhere?”

“Hm? A trip?”

“Yes! A club group trip! We wrapped up the first semester spectacularly, so I thought it'd be fun if we all went somewhere together!”...

A trip.

I guess vacation means travel after all?

It certainly wouldn't be bad to have an event like that.

“A trip sounds good.”

“Wow!”

A bright smile bloomed across Se-ah's face at my answer.

“Then how about we head home for today and make detailed plans in the group chat?”

“Sure, let's do that.”

“Yes!”

It'd be perfect if I called the kids together under the pretense of a club trip and then made them train.

That's what club trips are for, after all.

The special vacation training event gets the full training-rate bonus, so it was an opportunity if anything.

“Then are all the people under Familia going to swarm over too?”

But Jin-woo had a question about the words club trip.

“No way. How many clubs are we protecting right now? If we all went together, wouldn't that practically be a large-scale troop movement?”

Young-je waved his hand dismissively at the absurd suggestion.

“Most of them are interns anyway. Can't we just gather the official members and go?”

“Come on, if there are too many people there's no romance! Let's just go among ourselves for now!”

And just like that, our travel plans were settled.

“By the way, Mr. Eugene. You said you'd be going around here and there during vacation, right?”

“Hm? Well, yeah?”

“Then is there anywhere you've already planned to go? I feel like someone like you would go somewhere amazing.”

Se-ah asked with sparkling eyes.

“Somewhere I've planned to go? Hmm...”

The places I'd be traveling to during vacation.

And if I had to pick one place among them that immediately came to mind...

“I'll be going...”

______________

An island like paradise, with a pleasant breeze and warm sunlight.

The cool wind tickled the grass around it, making it bend down, and caused the trees to shiver gently.

A pair of birds flew over the meadow.

Beneath the two birds flapping energetically as they enjoyed the sunlight shining from the sky, a blonde girl with a blue ribbon in her hair walked slowly.

“Hmm-hmm-hmm~♪ Hmm-hmm-hmm~♬”A basket that looked handwoven rested atop her pale white hands.

As though something was inside, the girl gently placed her other hand against the basket and checked the warmth of its contents.

“It's still warm. I should hurry.”

The girl's steps gradually quickened.

Like the invisible wind racing across the meadow, or perhaps as if she had become one with it.

She ran with extremely light movements, yet the basket in her hand barely shook.

Soon, when she spotted her destination in the distance, a smile began forming on her lips.

Though far from the city, and therefore more peaceful and quiet than anywhere else, stood a small cabin.

Behind the house was a steep cliff, but because of that, merely turning her gaze out the window revealed the brilliant blue Mediterranean Sea.

To the girl, it was her most precious place.

As the girl reached the area near the cabin, her pace gradually slowed.

She fixed her hair and clothes, disheveled by her speed, and began walking slowly.

Finally, standing before the door made of wooden planks, she checked whether her expression was too stiff before entering, then raised the corners of her lips in a smile.

-Clunk.

“Grandpa! I'm here!”

She entered with a bright voice.

Once inside, she smelled the sea breeze tickling her nose, the scent of old wood, and the warm aroma rising from the basket as she placed it on the table.

“I wasn't too late, was I? I'm really sorry. I tried to come as quickly as possible, but Mom made me do all sorts of chores, even the laundry.”

The girl naturally continued talking while opening the basket.

“Still, thanks to that, Mom seemed to be in a better mood than usual and packed a ton of food. Doesn't it already smell amazing? You know it too, Grandpa, but Mom's Alla Norma

is incredible.”

The instant she opened the lid of the basket, the fragrant aroma of tomato-based sauce, freshly baked bread, and cooked meat spread through the room.

“Oh, and I brought some Stigghiola

too. You really love this, Grandpa, don't you? I asked Mom for some.”

As she filled the table with the food she'd taken from the basket, she suddenly felt something strange.

“...

Grandpa?”

Normally, the moment he smelled the food, Grandpa would have come out with an apologetic smile.

But for some reason, he was silent.

At that, the girl slowly approached her grandfather's room.

She carefully put her ear near the door, but she could hear nothing from inside, nor could she sense anyone there.

“...

Is he not home?”

They had known each other for a long time, so the girl knew her grandfather well.

Including the fact that he almost never left the house.

“Where in the world did he go?”

At the same time, worry began sprouting in one corner of her heart.

If someone who normally never went outside had left his place, then something significant must have happened.

And then.

She sensed someone outside.-──! ── ─.

That familiar laugh.

It was Grandpa.

Embarrassment that she'd worried for nothing washed over her, and at the same time, the girl let out a sigh of relief and smiled.

Since he'd made her worry, she could repay him with a prank of her own.

The girl hid beside the door, pressed herself close against the wall, and barely held in her laughter as she planned to surprise her grandfather.

Creak

- The door opened.

At the same time, the girl suddenly jumped out and lunged toward the doorway.

“Boo!”

But.

“...?”

Soon, she realized that the person whose eyes she'd met wasn't the grandfather she'd been waiting for, but a boy around her age.

Jet-black hair and red eyes.

And a boy looking at her with eyes that said he had no idea what was going on.

“...

Who are you?”

Frozen in the pose she'd used to scare him, the girl asked first.

The boy opened his mouth.

“My name is Eugene Han Calione...”

“Eek?”

Thud!

Calione.

It was a name more than sufficient to make her rigid body fall backward.