Infiltration
Geumgang Academy’s dormitories are reassigned every semester according to overall grades.
Because of that, students would return to the academy before the semester began in order to prepare for moving dormitories.
It was the same for me, Yeon Haneul, and our other friends.
“Gyeonwoo-Gyeonwoo! Haneul-Haneul! And everyone, it’s been so long! I wasn’t allowed to leave the family grounds all vacation, so you have no idea how bored I was! Did you all do well!?”
“Did everyone have a good summer vacation? But Haerang… is it just me? I feel like your skin got even more tanned while we weren’t seeing each other.”
“Hmph! Summer is the season of men. During vacation, I trained under the blazing sun at Gwangalli and got properly roasted. My family has training facilities there, you see. Thanks to that, I was able to increase the definition of my muscles!”
“I’m jealous…. Even when I try to tan, I just turn red….”
“Sigh, Gyeonwoo….”
“Ah! Come to think of it, there was a video uploaded on Hellobai recently. Was that you, Haerang? It was a video of someone in a swimsuit running along Gwangalli while pulling several cars tied to ropes…. It was filmed from far away, so I couldn’t see the face….”
“If it was cars, then it was probably me! There was nothing quite like the feeling of dragging scrap cars across the sandy beach.”
“Yum…. Seafood is good at Gwangalli…. You must have trained while eating delicious food. Lucky.”
Today, three days before the start of the second semester, when the results of the dormitory reassignment were announced.
After returning to the academy, we gathered in my room and caught up on everything we hadn’t been able to share over the vacation.
‘Looks like everyone had fun. …Especially Eunsol.’
The friends I was seeing for the first time in two months each showed small and large changes in their appearances.
In Cha Eunsol’s case, perhaps because she had spent the vacation eating a lot without moving, her face seemed to have gotten a little rounder.
And Nam Yuri, who, with the help of Yeon Haneul and Go Eunbi, no longer insisted on wearing only white dresses, had accessories attached to her clothes.
When I asked about the accessories out of curiosity, she answered in a cheerful tone.
“Ah, these? I was going crazy because all I had for fun while living locked up in my family was killing monsters! Then Eunbi-kkabi sent me a video of metalworking, and wouldn’t you know it, I got interested. I also thought I could make something better than that. Don’t you think I actually made them better? Anyway, I tried making some as a test, and surprisingly, it helped relieve stress! So while I was at my family, I made a ton of them. Here. These are gifts for you guys, so don’t refuse and take some!”
As if the timing was perfect, Nam Yuri poured out the accessories she had made herself from her pocket.
We were surprised by the sheer quantity and impressed by her skill and aesthetic sense.
‘Yuri had a talent like this? That’s amazing.’
It was a part that hadn’t been revealed in the game.
Feeling inwardly amazed, I picked out some useful accessories.
Yeon Haneul, Go Eunbi, Lisa, and Min Arin rushed in with their eyes blazing.
They didn’t stop there and even placed separate orders with Nam Yuri.
“Yuri, is it possible to make a bracelet in the shape of a rabbit? Um… a rabbit pounding rice cakes with a mortar….”
“Yuru-Yuri! Yuri-Yuri! My friend! Can you make me a keychain too? With an anime character!”
“Working with metal can’t be easy, but you expressed the details so delicately. Yuri, I have a request as well….”
“I have the metal and gemstones. Could you make an accessory using my family crest with them?”
Unlike Cha Eunsol, who calmly took some accessories while lamenting that metal couldn’t be eaten, the four of them showed passionate interest in Nam Yuri.
Nam Yuri readily nodded at their requests.
“Sure! Friends can ask each other for favors, right? Just bring me the materials, and I’ll make them for you!”
At that moment, the four of them shouted hurrah in delight.
I couldn’t help but laugh as I watched Yeon Haneul’s rabbit ears hop.
‘Still, it doesn’t look like they just lazed around and played the whole time.’
Meanwhile, I quietly opened the status window and checked my friends’ physical abilities.
Fortunately, including Cha Eunsol, who had probably lazed around the most during vacation, there wasn’t a single person who hadn’t grown.
Among them, Go Eunbi’s growth stood out.
[Personal Information]
Name: Go Eunbi (Female · 17 years old)
Alias: Social Butterfly and 4 others
Affiliation: Geumgang Academy
[Owned Gift]
—(Unlock Condition: Mana 60 or higher)
[Physical Abilities]
Stamina: 47 → 54
Strength: 45 → 52
Endurance: 36 → 44
Agility: 43 → 52
Mana: 38 → 48
Luck: 44 → 47
Remaining Points: 0
Compared to when I first met Go Eunbi, her stats had risen quite a lot overall.
It was probably because her physical ability values had been low, so her growth threshold was relatively low and her growth efficiency was good.
Most of all.
‘Even if it looks like she’s only playing around on the outside, she must be working hard in places we can’t see.’
It was likely a result made possible because Go Eunbi’s effort had supported it.
In any case, after confirming my friends’ growth, I felt relieved inside.
* * *
Dormitory placement was done according to grades in the order of Diamond, Sapphire, Ruby, Chrysoberyl, Topaz, Garnet, Lapis Lazuli, Emerald, Amethyst, Peridot, Opal, and Turquoise.
At this time, grades did not simply refer to academic performance, but encompassed various factors such as volunteer work and outside activities.
As a result, most of the friends, including Do Gyeonwoo, were assigned to the Ruby Dormitory, the third-highest in status.
Separate from their academic performance in the first semester, the merits they had accumulated and points from other activities had been added.
Considering that they were scheduled to attend the second semester of their first year, it could be called an extremely rare case.
Throughout the history of Geumgang Academy, it was rare enough to count on one hand.
However, the result Kang Hanbyeol received was on a level with no precedent at all.
It was the first.
‘Even in the first semester, I was only with Sagun, and since my dorm was different from the others, I couldn’t hang out with them much… but this time, I’m the only one in a different dorm.’
Kang Hanbyeol was assigned to the Diamond Dormitory, where only the top 999 students among all combat department students could enter.
According to Do Gyeonwoo, it seemed to be because he had fought Oh Junsu of the Black Horse Oh Clan in a ranking match.
By defeating Oh Junsu, ranked 999th at the very end of the Triple Numbers, he had taken his place.
‘I should’ve just had an ordinary spar instead of accepting that ranking match back then….’
Kang Hanbyeol, who had never expected that incident to affect things in this way, let out a sigh.
If he had his way, he felt like going to an administrator and asking to be demoted to the Ruby Dormitory.
Of course, there was no way that would be possible.
Having already resigned himself to it, he packed his luggage and decided to move into the Diamond Dormitory.
In the process, he had a tearful farewell with Park Sagun, with whom he had shared a room for a semester.
—Hanbyeol, I’m really going to miss you. I’ll never meet another roommate like you. I feel like I’ll miss the sound of you snoring so much. I’ll keep in touch. Eat well and stay healthy. We’re still friends even if we’re apart, right?
—Of course! I’ll miss you too. Eating late-night snacks in the room with you was one of my pleasures…. It won’t be easy to do that anymore, will it?
—Let our friendship last forever!
—Forever!
Only after the two embraced each other and vowed eternal friendship were they able to sort out their emotions.
As an aside, the triplets were assigned to the Chrysoberyl Dormitory and ended up each using separate rooms side by side.
At that, they seriously began devising a way to knock down the walls and connect the rooms into one.
—Should we ask the dorm supervisor? Or should we talk to an administrator….
—If we ask Gyeonwoo, maybe the Divine Sword Do Clan could put some pressure on them?
—Ah, I really hope it works…. Then the room would get super huge! There’d even be three bathrooms!
Also, Cha Eunsol was assigned to the Emerald Dormitory just as she had been in the first semester.
Other factors had been evaluated highly, but her academic performance had been extremely poor.
On top of that, the fact that she had been caught having someone attend in her place a few times and had points deducted was also a major factor.
Having to send her friends off and remain alone in the Emerald Dormitory, she felt alienated.
—I want to go to Ruby too….
Cha Eunsol grumbled in dissatisfaction.
But her complaint lasted only a moment.
She quickly changed her mind.
—Now that I think about it, if I move dorms, I have to pack my luggage all over again. Too much trouble. I won’t do it. I’ll just live here for the rest of my life. It’s cozy and comfortable, so I’m already at ease. If I ever hang out with you guys until late, I can just sleep over in your rooms. Yum yum.
It was an opinion extremely characteristic of Cha Eunsol.
Of course, there were also quite a few students like her who found dormitory reassignment troublesome.
The friends smiled wryly, but since they understood the feeling, they agreed to some extent.
Kang Hanbyeol, who was moving his luggage to the Diamond Dormitory, felt similarly.
‘Maybe Eunsol is the real winner…. To think we’ll have to do this every semester from now on….’
Pockets, which could store any item as long as the capacity of the subspace allowed, were not omnipotent.
The weight of the items occupying that space did not magically disappear.
Because of that, Kang Hanbyeol, his pocket filled to the brim, had to drag his heavier body toward the Diamond Dormitory.
And his suitcase was included in that.
“Phew, I finally made it.”
If there was one fortunate thing, it was that he didn’t have much luggage.
Unlike Go Eunbi, who had needed her friends’ help to make several round trips to the dormitory, he was able to finish the move in one go.
Having entered the Diamond Dormitory, Kang Hanbyeol looked around.
‘The facilities look better than the Emerald Dormitory where Gyeonwoo lived.’
The first-floor lobby, which served as the place used to promote the dormitory, boasted a neat and luxurious atmosphere.
The plants and paintings decorating the space looked at a glance as if they possessed value that could not be commonly obtained.
Moreover, when he examined the floor guide, admiration naturally escaped him.
‘An entire floor is used as a training ground, and there’s a movie theater and a swimming pool in the basement?’
They were facilities that had not existed in the Peridot Dormitory where he had lived before.
Looking at the floor guide, Kang Hanbyeol checked the other facilities as well.
‘First, once I get to my room and unpack, I’ll take a look around the dorm.’
What he was most curious about was the food.
He didn’t ask for too much, but he hoped meals would be served buffet-style like in the Emerald Dormitory where Do Gyeonwoo had lived.
Deciding to visit the dining hall first as soon as he unpacked, Kang Hanbyeol walked toward the elevator.
It was then that he happened to run into Do Sieun coming out of the elevator.
“Ah, Hanbyeol. As expected, you were assigned to this dorm. Congratulations on officially becoming a ranker.”
“Come to think of it, you lived here too, Sieun noona, didn’t you? I was worried because I didn’t know anyone, but that’s a relief! Did you have a good vacation?”
“Yeah. What about you?”
Do Gyeonwoo’s older cousin and the student council president of Geumgang Academy.
And a Single Number, ranked 1st.
Having met Thunderflower Do Sieun, Kang Hanbyeol gladly exchanged updates with her.
Soon, she made a suggestion.
“Do you have time later? If you don’t mind, I’ll show you what’s in the dormitory. People who come here for the first time don’t even know how to use the training rooms properly.”
There was no way Kang Hanbyeol would refuse.
He replied in a bright tone.
“I’d be grateful if you showed me around, noona. I definitely want you to tell me where the dining hall and training rooms are.”
“Got it. Then as soon as you unpack, I’ll guide you there first. And… since we’ll be going to the training room anyway, how about we have a light match? I’ve wanted to fight you for a while.”
“That’s exactly what I’d hoped for! If possible, I’d like to spar with weapons on the line… but since you’re Gyeonwoo’s noona, let’s fight without staking any weapons.”
“Yeah, okay.”
* * *
According to the game’s story.
Kang Hanbyeol, who became a Triple Number by defeating Oh Junsu of the Black Horse Oh Clan, would live in the Diamond Dormitory from the second semester of his first year until graduation.
At this time, during the period when he moved from the Peridot Dormitory, he would meet Do Sieun and receive a tour of the dormitory.
And they would spar for the first time.
‘Right about now, he must be crossing swords with Sieun noona.’
Unfortunately, due to the game’s compulsion, the result of the spar was set as Do Sieun’s victory.
Even if the player controlled Kang Hanbyeol and defeated Do Sieun in battle, the outcome would not change.
In the scene after the battle ended, she would praise his skills and, in a subtle way, feel threatened by him as an opponent.
Meanwhile, he would realize just how powerful she was as the one reigning at rank 1 and vow that someday, he would definitely defeat her.
‘And that time is the day Sieun noona graduates.’
After that, Kang Hanbyeol would only have two chances to face Do Sieun.
The first opportunity came in the ranking matches, content the player could enjoy regardless of the story.
Naturally, even if he won a duel there, it had no effect on the story whatsoever.
But the second opportunity—her graduation ceremony duel—was different.
In the game’s progression, this was the point where he could finally surpass her.
‘I feel bad for Hanbyeol, but he won’t be able to beat Sieun noona.’
This might not be a world where things were forced the way they were in the game, but the gap in skill couldn’t be ignored.
Even if Kang Hanbyeol was growing quickly, Do Sieun was still ahead of him for now.
She was someone even I couldn’t beat easily.
‘Though we’ve never fought at full strength in the first place. If we did… I wonder who would win. In terms of pure swordsmanship, we seem about equal… but if other factors are taken into account, I’m not sure.’
In any case, unless something unexpected happened, the duel would end in Do Sieun’s victory.
I could only hope that this duel would become a good experience for Kang Hanbyeol.
Anyway….
‘I thought I didn’t have much luggage, but I had more than I expected.’
As I unpacked after moving into Hongok Dormitory, I couldn’t help but feel the same thing I’d felt when packing.
I’d thought I’d been living simply, only keeping items necessary for daily life, but apparently that wasn’t the case.
‘Then again, Haneul and the others brought all sorts of things to my room, so I guess it couldn’t be helped.’
I realized it while organizing my things this time.
Before I knew it, traces of my friends had seeped deep into my daily life.
There were more than ten sets of tableware alone, and even the toothbrushes they used were there. What more needed to be said?
‘On top of that, I even kept snacks Haneul likes, and medicine in case Haneul gets sick….’
Those little odds and ends had piled up until they became a lot.
I filled the fridge with strawberry milk and gave a wry smile.
“Let’s hurry up and finish organizing, then go see Haneul. She’s probably having a hard time organizing too, so I should help her. As for Eunbi, I’ll help her too if I have time while I’m at it….”
That evening, we’d decided to gather our friends and throw a party in my room.
Kang Hanbyeol’s dorm was much nicer, so why were we gathering in my room…?
I wasn’t sure myself.
If I had to guess, it seemed like my friends thought of my room as some kind of hideout.
‘Well, I don’t really mind since Haneul feels comfortable here.’
The room was larger than the one in Chwiok Dormitory, so it would be more comfortable to hang out in.
On top of that, the kitchen was spacious, and there was even a water purifier.
“The bathtub’s big too, which is nice. It has buttons and… what, it can do bubble baths too? Haneul’s room should be similar, so she’s going to love this.”
Satisfied with my newly moved room, I went back to unpacking.
Afterward, my friends and I welcomed the evening with an all-night party.
It seemed other students were holding parties of their own, as the corridor was filled with constant noise.
Meanwhile, Do Sieun attended the party along with Kang Hanbyeol.
From what I heard from the two of them, the duel had gone just as expected.
Three days later.
“Everyone’s been doing well, right? You must have rested plenty at home in the meantime, so from today on, make sure you get your heads back in the game. And as for the class representatives… there are various events in the second semester, including the Geumgang Festival, so we need to move forward with the curriculum, all right? So if no one volunteers separately by the end of today, Arin and Gyeonu will take it on like last semester.”
“Kids! Didn’t you miss your instructor!?”
At long last, the second semester began.
I became the vice representative again.
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss