Academy Bully in Charge Episode 26
Chew, chew—
The corners of Dang Jain's eyes twitched. Suppressing the rage boiling up from within, Dang Jain pointed at Baek Iljin's mouth and asked.
“Student Baek Iljin, what do you think you're doing right now?”
“I'm chewing gum.”
She knew that. Who wouldn't? What she meant was, why on earth was he chewing gum right now.
“What flavor is it, that you're chewing it so deliciously during lecture?”
“It's grape-flavored.”
“Ha……!”
A blue vein bulged sharply on Dang Jain's delicate forehead. Then she began to take a deep breath.
'You have to endure, Jain. Hold it in.'
Her heart was pounding from the anger surging up that fiercely.
Gulp—
She had nearly spat out a vulgar curse, but swallowing her saliva made her feel a bit calmer.
The students' hearts were pounding just the same. They had seen Baek Iljin's outrageous acts countless times, but they could never get used to such behavior.
'That guy is completely insane.'
'I know, right. At least he wore his gym clothes today, though.'
'If he hadn't even worn his gym clothes, that'd mean he's truly gone off the rails.'
'Doesn't he already go around without his school uniform?'
'….'
'Anyway, look at Professor Dang. She looks really mad. Isn't he going to get beaten to death?'
Namgung Jongsu, who had recovered at some point, thought a little differently from the other students. Logically, there was no chance Baek Iljin could overpower a professor, yet he couldn't help but think, what if.
'That bastard, surely he won't pass this time too?'
Hwangbo Cheolsu, who had cautiously approached Namgung Jongsu's side, examined his body and asked after his well-being.
“Johnson, no, Jones, are you okay? You looked like you were in a lot of pain.”
“Recovery magic is quite good. Or perhaps that part of me is exceptional……!”
Hwangbo Cheolsu, who was asking after him, was not in a normal state either.
“But did you get your wisdom tooth pulled or something? Your face is swollen like a steamed bun.”
“…….”
Instead of answering, Hwangbo Cheolsu shifted his gaze toward Dang Jain. Then he lifted his chin to point at her.
“I'm not one to talk, but it seems you made yourself a target too. Of all places, you got hit in the face.”
“Iljin will get revenge for me.”
“Oh-ho, as if he could.”
“It's started!”
Dang Jain bit her lip tightly. She suddenly recalled the words her senior professor and mentor, Dan Gyehong, had thrown at her before class.
'Professor Dang, among the freshmen, there's a peculiar fellow named Baek Iljin. He may look like a delinquent on the outside, but if you see his talent, he'll be exactly to your liking.'
“No, I don't like him at all.”
Far from liking him, she wanted to beat him until he was covered in blood. What good was talent and ability when his personality was like that?
'And he only looks decent on the outside; I can't see an ounce of talent no matter how hard I look.'
If appearance could be called a talent, that might be his only one, because Baek Iljin looked hopeless.
'I don't feel any energy from him, his eyes look empty…….'
And the most lacking thing of all was his attitude.
When she had attended the Academy, professors were existences like the sky to students.
But here he was, coming up to receive instruction, chewing gum with loud smacks?
'Tsk, I need to properly teach him some character. If only I could use a shot of Seven-Step Poison, I could easily instill some manners.'
She regretted having declared she wouldn't use poison.
Swish—
Unlike before, this time Dang Jain moved first. The distance between them closed in an instant.
The students who noticed the rising momentum contained in that footwork swallowed their exclamations.
'It looks slow, yet it's fast. Is it because she's stepping through the shortest route?'
Baek Iljin didn't stay still either. Raising his hand toward the space between Dang Jain's brows, he muttered low.
“Air Gun—”
Bang—
It was the moment the magic he learned from Hwangbo Sujeong manifested.
The spinning air bullet of the fired Air Gun rapidly rotated and targeted Dang Jain's body.
“Hmph.”
Snorting, Dang Jain caught the air bullet with her bare hand, without even coating it in internal energy.
“Student Baek Iljin, what are you doing with 1-star magic? Are you playing aroun—... Huh?”
Unable to withstand the bullet's rotation, Dang Jain's palm tore with a ripping sound, spraying blood.
'What kind of Air Gun power is this…….'
She had seen the magic called Air Gun hundreds of times in her life. But this was the first time she had seen one with this level of speed and destructive power.
'Is this the talent Professor Dan Gyehong spoke of? Is he magically gifted?'
Nod—
If so, she acknowledged it. To unleash this level of destructive power with 1-star magic.
“Whoa—”
Having wounded a professor for the first time, the excited students shouted.
“Did you see? What the hell is up with Baek Iljin!”
“Is that really Air Gun? Air Gun is that strong?”
“Idiot, the professor just fought hundreds of people. Her palm must already be worn out.”
“Right?”
Meanwhile, Baek Iljin drew another magic circle and fired Air Guns in rapid succession.
No matter how lowly a 1-star magic was, firing them in rapid succession like that was not something an ordinary talent could imitate.
Thud— Bang— Bang ratatat—
'It's dangerous! It'll be terrible if I block this.'
But there was no time to admire it.
Of course, if she used the Dang Clan martial arts, blocking wouldn't be difficult, but she had publicly announced beforehand that she would only use Taichi.
“Haap—”
Dang Jain evaded all the air bullets with a single movement lightly twisting her upper body. Then she swung her hand toward Baek Iljin's solar plexus.
It was a fist swung lightly as if tossed, but the speed contained within was anything but light.
However, Baek Iljin, without a hint of movement in his characteristic expressionless face, raised his chin and let the fist slide past.
Surprised by his unexpected reflexes, Dang Jain pursed her lips into a circle and clicked her tongue.
“Your magic is strong, and your movements are better than I thought.”
“Thank yo—...”
“Here I come again.”
Before he could even finish, Dang Jain's hand shot out. Again, Baek Iljin deflected the fist.
Several strands of hair touched by the fist scattered into the air.
“Nice.”
Normally, missing a strike disrupts the body's center, creating openings before the next movement. However, she naturally connected into the next motion.
That movement flowed as naturally as water, making the missed strike seem not like a mistake, but rather a foundation for the next move.
Baek Iljin didn't stay still either.
Using the Drunken Step to step on the true angle, he launched his body into the air, gripping a blazing Fire Arrow in his hand.
“Fire Arrow.”
The flaming arrow left Baek Iljin's hand and struck Dang Jain's body. With a boom—, black smoke billowed up.
Dang Jain revealed herself through the thick smoke. Her shirt was stained black.
“It was an expensive suit…….”
Clack—
She kicked off her shoes. After neatly arranging the scattered shoes and returning to her position, Dang Jain spoke.
“From now on, I'll raise the tempo a bit.”
Swish—
Closing the distance in an instant, Dang Jain pressed firmly on the back of Baek Iljin's knee.
'You won't fall? Then endure this too.'
Baek Iljin mimicked Dang Jain's movement and threw a punch at her. But the punch missed by a wide margin, and Dang Jain's counterattack, having seized the opening, surged like a thunderbolt.
From then on, it was one-sided offense. Dang Jain didn't give him a moment to breathe, and Baek Iljin was desperate just to defend.
A crunching— sound came from inside his forearm.
'Hmm, did the bone break?'
Maintaining his defensive stance, Baek Iljin used the Drunken Step to escape the attack range. Then he shook his arm loosely again.
'He's closed in again.'
Baek Iljin took up the Taichi stance again. Then, stomping his foot hard, he instantly burrowed in and swung his fist. His hand cut through empty air.
'Why isn't it hitting? Is Taichi not working?'
Having no choice, Baek Iljin abandoned the Taichi he had learned by sight and lowered his body to create distance.
'If Taichi doesn't work, I'll have to try it the way I did back then.'
Recalling the time he met bandits while descending the mountain, he gathered all the internal energy he could contain in an instant and clenched his right fist tightly. Then he threw the punch.
Feeling the energy gathering in Baek Iljin's hand, a chill ran down Dang Jain's spine.
'This is dangerous!'
Making a quick judgment, Dang Jain hurriedly dropped down to avoid the attack.
Kwa-boom—
A corner of the ceiling blew away as if struck squarely by an area-of-effect magic.
'Wh-what is this nonsense…….'
Dang Jain looked at Baek Iljin with a blank face.
She hadn't even felt any qi flowing. If she hadn't sensed the energy gathered in his hand, she would have been caught in that explosion.
A heavy silence fell over the training hall for a moment.
Even Seol Hayun, who always wore an ice-cold expression; even Louise, who was called a prodigy; even Namgung Jongsu, who had been chatting with Hwangbo Cheolsu; and all the other students opened their eyes wide and thought the same thing.
'He's no genius. He's a monster.'
No, it wasn't just the students who thought that—Dang Jain was the same.
'That just now was definitely not martial arts.'
It was merely a crude punch fired with only internal energy loaded into it.
Come to think of it, because Baek Iljin's fist was quite fast, she hadn't realized it until now. She had simply thought the forms of his martial arts were crude because the level of martial arts he displayed was low.
That was not it.
He had simply never learned martial arts and had swung his fists haphazardly with Taichi learned by sight. And even then, his skill had continued to improve every time he threw a punch.
Indeed, if this student had properly learned martial arts.
'Could I win?'
One thing was certain.
If there was an opportunity, it was only now.
'Huu.'
Dang Jain wiped all traces of a smile from her face and assumed a ready stance with a serious expression. And finally, she threw a punch.
It contained all her realizations.
Every hand movement she extended held meaning, and every step she took carried intent.
Beginners who first learn Taichi call the principles of Taichi “Softness Overcomes Hardness” (using softness to subdue strength).
And intermediate practitioners who have mastered Taichi to a certain degree call its principles “Softness Within Hardness” (there is strength within softness).
Finally, experts who have awakened to the ultimate meaning of Taichi express its principles as “One Movement, Nothing Unmoving; One Stillness, Nothing Unstill” (in one movement, the entire body moves; in one stillness, all movement ceases).
Simply put, the unity of mind and body.
This was why Taichi was essential as a foundational martial art, and also why it was used as calisthenics for physical health.
The fist containing all the essence of Taichi surged like a storm toward Baek Iljin's chin.
Baek Iljin did not avoid the fist containing all those principles. He stopped still and observed all her movements.
'Taichi. Softer than vicious, more efficient than terrible.'
The moment he took all her movements into his eyes, realizations flooded in like a burst dam.
Without even taking a defensive posture, Baek Iljin closed his eyes.
“W-wait!”
Dang Jain's fist stopped just below Baek Iljin's chin. If she had stopped even a moment later, it was unimaginable what would have happened.
'What is with this guy? He just closed his eyes when a fist was coming?'
She had never seen anyone like this.
He must clearly have gained some enlightenment. But even so, she had never seen someone become completely defenseless on the spot like that.
“……Ha.”
Perhaps because she was so dumbfounded, the anger from earlier had vanished without a trace.
Dang Jain raised her palm. Her torn, reddened hand was still trembling, unable to forget the excitement.
Letting out a low sigh, she stared blankly at Baek Iljin.
'No matter what, class is in session. Should I wake him?'
Professor Dang Jain said to wake him, but martial artist Dang Jain of the Sichuan Dang Clan said to watch over him.
'Tsk, no matter what, I shouldn't wake him. While Student Baek Iljin is consolidating his enlightenment, I should teach the other students.'
Having thought of a way to preserve her position both as a professor and as a martial artist, Dang Jain clicked her tongue.
Just as Dang Jain approached the students.
“Huh!”
“Huh?!”
“What!”
The students' line of sight was not on Dang Jain, but beyond her.
“Why is everyone doing that?”
“B-behind you!”
When Dang Jain turned her head, Baek Iljin was holding a flag he had pulled out in his hand.