After Ham Minju and I wagered what we'd call each other, betting on the cat's true identity.
She brought the cat right away.
And then thrust it toward me.
"There, look! How could something like this... be that, no matter how you look at it?"
Beforehand, I had warned not only Ham Minju but our other friends as well.
If what I said was true, if this cat really was a Goehori.
To avoid arousing its suspicion, we mustn't let slip any information that might tip it off.
Ham Minju, seeming to remember that, trailed off mid-sentence.
'She was probably going to argue that no matter how you looked at it, it couldn't possibly be a monster.'
Reading Ham Minju's inner thoughts from her sulking expression.
I turned my gaze to the cat.
Meow.
The cat cried as if happy to see me.
With its bright, round eyes, it was quite the cute kitten, impossible to suspect of being a monster.
Though I prefer rabbits.
But when I checked with my status window...
'It is. A Goehori.'
A 4th-rank monster, Goehori.
It could disguise its outward appearance, but it couldn't hide the essence of its existence; its true nature was revealed.
Having quietly confirmed its identity, I asked Cha Eunsol, who was eating snacks beside me.
"What do you think?"
"Yum yum."
Cha Eunsol possessed eyes that could peer into souls.
She nodded.
With that.
"..."
The verdict was settled.
My friends hid their turmoil as best they could, stiffening their expressions.
Meanwhile, Ham Minju's face, as she held the Goehori, had gone pale.
I suggested to them.
"Then shall we go eat some pork cutlets?"
"Y-yeah... okay..."
Laughing awkwardly.
Kang Hanbyeol and the other friends agreed.
Soon, a smirk tugging at my lips, I led them to the Dimensional Center.
To use the artificial gate.
Just then, Yeon Haneul sidled up to me and spoke.
"Gyeonu."
"Yeah, what?"
"But why a gate, of all places? We could do it somewhere else."
"Ah, that? Because..."
Yeon Haneul tilted her head curiously.
Her drooping rabbit ears to the side looked exactly like question marks.
As expected, rabbits are better than cats.
Rabbits are the best.
The feeling of them against my arm, too...
Suppressing my excitement, I answered her question.
"Just in case. In case another black lightning bolt falls."
"Black lightning? Ah... that?"
"Yeah, that. Think of how much we've suffered because of it so far. Every time things look like they might go smoothly, it tries to overturn the board..."
"Yeah... that did happen..."
"That's why I'm going into a gate. It's a separate world, cut off from this one. Surely it won't interfere there? If it does..."
"If it does?"
"I'll cry."
"What? You're good at jokes."
Yeon Haneul giggled.
Her laughter was so pleasant to hear.
But Haneul.
'I'm not joking, I'm serious...'
No matter how I looked at it.
It probably wouldn't look cool if I said it honestly.
I decided to let Yeon Haneul continue her misunderstanding and kept my mouth shut.
Before long.
"Let's go in."
We arrived at the artificial gate.
And just as we tried to proceed toward the artificial gate rippling with white light.
Nyaaaooo!
As if sensing something was wrong.
The cat, which had been docilely licking its paws, showed a sensitive reaction.
It thrashed violently to break free from Ham Minju's embrace.
Meow!?
I grabbed the scruff of its neck...
"Now, now, we're going to eat pork cutlets."
Nyaaaooo!?
And flung it straight into the artificial gate.
"..."
The friends were all dumbfounded.
Regardless.
I stepped into the artificial gate without a care.
[You have entered the gate.]
[White: A Certain Farmer's Tangerine Farm I]
[Transmitting clear conditions.]
[There is a basket in the watchman's hut.]
[Fill the basket with tangerines. The tangerines must be of commercial quality.]
I had chosen the White Gate—A Certain Farmer's Tangerine Farm I to eliminate any chance of the creature clearing the gate and escaping back to the original world.
I waved away the floating messages and looked around.
'The Goehori... ah, there it is.'
Nyaaaoookeeeyaaaah!
They say cats hate the smell of tangerines; could it affect the Goehori too?
The creature ran around the area frantically, crying out as if it were suffering.
Unable to maintain its energy any longer, reverting to its original form...
Before long.
Keeeyaah!
"..."
A huge, ferocious-looking creature reminiscent of a cross between a fox and a cat revealed itself.
A Goehori.
Deciding to face the creature, I said triumphantly to Ham Minju, who happened to be nearby.
"See? I was right, wasn't I?"
Ham Minju was out of it.
She muttered desolately.
"G-give me back my affection...."
* * *
How dare it exploit her sympathy.
Absolutely unforgivable.
"I'll kill it. I'll definitely kill it...."
Grinding her teeth in rage.
Ham Minju fought the Goehori the most aggressively among Do Gyeonu's group.
She nocked a poisoned arrow and aimed at the creature while commanding her wolves.
"Solar, Luna. Press harder."
Bark bark!
In exchange for the mana within Ham Minju's body.
The wolves, larger than usual, kept the Goehori in check.
Without rushing in simultaneously, they struck one at a time and fell back, trying to drain its strength.
Keeeyaaah!
The creature struggled desperately to shake off the wolves, but to no avail.
Because the wolves clung persistently yet didn't get greedy or take unnecessary risks.
They knew exactly when to retreat.
That was how cunning and experienced they were.
Moreover, Do Gyeonu's group was launching coordinated attacks alongside the wolves.
Keeeyaah....
The Goehori, unable to fully restore its existence, could hardly find an opportunity to counterattack.
It was almost completely helpless.
Above all.
Fwiiish!
While it struggled so.
Min Arin, Lisa, Yeon Haneul, and others took up the rear, led by Ham Minju, and even launched ranged attacks.
At this point, the arrows fired by Ham Minju and Go Eunbi often found the creature's openings.
Eventually, as time passed...
The creature rolling beneath the tangerine trees could only draw closer to death.
In the end.
"Die."
Keeeya...!
Thud!
...Ahh....
The Goehori perished.
Pierced between the brows by Ham Minju's arrow, it collapsed to the ground.
It dissolved into mana particles.
"Whew... so this is what tricked me?"
With this, her grudge was settled.
Ham Minju, who had been able to personally kill the Goehori thanks to the consideration of those around her in the end, let out a breath.
But she couldn't rest easy.
Because...
"Minju."
"...Urk."
"You remember the bet, right?"
She had a bet with Do Gyeonu.
Seeing him approach with a grin, Ham Minju scrunched up her face.
Regret washed over her belatedly.
"If you lose the bet, what are you going to call me from now on?"
"Ugh..."
She shouldn't have made the bet.
Ham Minju stomped her feet.
She wanted to call it off as if it had never happened.
"Ah, I got it... I said I got it. I'll do it...."
But a promise is a promise.
Though her personality had changed somewhat since hanging out with Do Gyeonu's group, her foundation hadn't changed.
Still inflexible and upright, Ham Minju couldn't cancel the bet and resolved to keep her promise.
Her lips moved.
"D-Do Gyeonu o-..."
"Comfortably drop the surname."
"Kk. G-Gyeonu o-..."
Now she just had to say 'ppa.'
Enduring her embarrassment, Ham Minju spat out the rest.
"...ppa."
"Huh? What?"
"I said it."
"It was too quiet; could you say it again?"
"Ugh..."
"Gyeonu... o...ppa... Is that good enough?"
"Are you going to say it with pauses?"
"Gyeonu... Gyeonu oppa."
Gyeonu oppa.
The unfamiliar form of address was cringeworthy.
Ham Minju's face turned red from sheer embarrassment.
Meanwhile, Do Gyeonu was smirking triumphantly.
'Annoying. So annoying I could die.'
She couldn't bring herself to hit a senior, but she wanted to punch him.
Couldn't she just hit him once?
Just one real hit...
Ham Minju seriously weighed it against her values.
"Well done. It feels friendly; I like it. Make sure to call me that from now on."
"...Forget it. From now on, I'll call you without any honorifics."
Looking up at the satisfied Do Gyeonu made her feel awkward for no reason.
Ham Minju replied bluntly, but...
'Hmph, what's so good about calling him oppa... It's not like it wears me out, so I'll let him have his way.'
She made a different decision inwardly.
Soon, she snickered.
"Gyeonu senior, what about me? Can I call you oppa too from now on?"
"You've called me that before. What's with the sudden..."
"Come on, occasionally calling you that is different from doing it regularly."
"Do you need my permission? Do as you like. Call me comfortably."
"Yes, oppa!"
And thus, starting from that day.
Ham Minju and Yu Gaeul came to use the terms 'unnie' and 'oppa' for Do Gyeonu's group.
Future Festival
Not long after clearing the Ham Minju episode.
The second-semester midterms took place.
The results were...
Yeon Haneul and Min Arin tied for first place overall.
Yeon Bada ended up in 3rd place overall by just a few points.
Naturally.
"Ah, why! No, why! How come! I'm a Yeon too, just like Haneul...."
Yeon Bada was greatly discouraged.
For a while, she drooped her rabbit ears and pouted so much her lips stuck out three feet.
We had to do our best to console her.
'...Wait, isn't 3rd place overall an amazing score? Plus, Bada had transferred in and this was her first exam, yet she got 3rd overall. She did better than me.... Should I be consoling her or not?'
The sudden doubt left me feeling empty, but...
Anyway.
Yeon Bada regained her spirits thanks to our efforts.
"Right, you're right. It's only a few points difference anyway? I'll make up for it in the finals. Thanks for the advice, Gyeonu! I love you!"
"Haha..."
Yeon Bada's words weren't wrong.
Perhaps that was why Yeon Haneul and Min Arin weren't particularly happy despite achieving the top rank they'd wanted.
They checked their grades impassively and had already begun preparing for the final exams.
Really...
Such admirable kids.
Meanwhile.
"I expected as much, but things are no joke from the very first day...."
A grand festival opened in the Academy City after the midterms ended.
Called the Future Festival, meant to showcase the potential of the Academy City to the world.
People flocked to Academy City to see the festival held once every three years for two weeks.
From all over the country, and even from around the world.
You could say it was that prestigious.
'Actually, normally the Geumgang Festival would be held around this time....'
This year, when the Future Festival is held, is an exception.
The same goes for the other academies that had festivals scheduled for this period.
Instead, all academies in Academy City, including Geumgang Academy, participate in the Future Festival.
The stage for students to show off had expanded to a city-wide scale.
And the student-participation event that garnered the most interest was.
'The Academy Competition.'
The Academy Competition, where academies competed against each other across almost the entire Academy City.
It was a hugely noteworthy event, with many industry insiders as well as ordinary citizens citing the competition as their reason for attending the Future Festival.
Reflecting that popularity.
['Run Through the Sky of District 23!' Students participating in the match, please line up at the starting line!]
Below the rooftop of the building I was on.
People were packed so densely they filled the streets.
And around me, drones, helicopters, and Gate Eyes were floating about too.
They were broadcasting the match on screens in the air so the people below could see easily.
Taking in that spectacle, I truly felt the prestige of the Future Festival.
[Please stand at the starting line for a smooth match! The match will begin shortly!]
A drone shouted overhead.
Weariness seemed to seep from the voice assisting with the proceedings.
And it's only the first day....
'Is Haneul doing that right now too? I should buy her some throat lozengers later.'
I was worried about Yeon Haneul, who would be assisting with the match as part of the student council.
Thinking of her, I stood at the starting line like the other students.
[Beginning countdown!]
[30!]
[29!]
[...]
A countdown appeared on screens floating to either side, visible to the participants.
I checked the decreasing numbers and took my stance.
Soon the number reached 0.
[Match, start!]
The rooftop fence in front of us folded back and stuck to the wall simultaneously.
We stomped against the ground.
Leaping into the air, we landed on the next building's rooftop.
Like that.
[Don't worry if you fall! We'll rescue you with magic!]
[Flying is against the rules! Keep that in mind!]
Following the arrows appearing on the screens.
I kept leaping from building to building.
When tall buildings appeared occasionally, I climbed them like rock faces or used parkour depending on the terrain...
I also responded to hidden traps in the arena and interference from other students.
And so.
[Gooooaaaal!]
[The winner of 'Run Through the Sky of District 23' is Geumgang Academy 2nd year, Do Gyeonu of the Swordsmanship track! As you know, the Divine Sword Do... Ah, there was a slight mistake just now. The student famous by the epithet Lightning Cat.]
I won the match.
As a prize, I received a gold medal, along with cheers, handshake requests, and interview requests from people.
There were also business cards from industry officials implicitly aiming to scout me.
But...
"Thank you. But I have another appointment right now...."
I didn't entertain them and quickly left the area.
Then I headed to the appointed place.
There...
"Ah, oppa! Over here, over here!"
"Welcome. I watched the match just now. It was amazing? As expected of my son. Congratulations on winning."
"Right, Gyeonu. Congratulations on winning."
Do Yeeun and Mother.
And Yeon Haneul was there too.
The three of them welcomed me.
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss