Star Instructor, Master Baek

“Hyung-nim, have you really gone crazy?”

“You gave me the shock of my life.”

As soon as I got off the stage, Ak Yeon-Ho used his foot technique to launch himself at me, arms stretched out like he wanted to grab me by the throat and shake me.

WHOOSH!

When I failed to dodge on time, he shoved his face right in front of mine and said in a heartbreaking tone, “How could you make a promise you can’t keep like winning the Heavenly Martial Festival?”

“Why can’t I keep it? I meant what I said.”

Ak Yeon-Ho’s jaw dropped so far, it looked like a whole melon could fit inside.

No, I’m not kidding.

“Oh no, you’ve really gone mad…”

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“I was about to take a dump, but when I heard your declaration all the poop went back upwards.”

“That’s good,” I said, joking around with Ak Yeon-Ho even as I walked away from the stage.

Suddenly, I saw Jaegal So-Yeong running towards us with an indescribable expression on her face. If I absolutely had to describe it though, it would be as if she had just found an interesting person, but this person was so interesting that he was insane, and she was not sure if it was wise to talk to this lunatic.

“…You’re going to lead the Azure Dragon Academy to victory in the Heavenly Martial Festival? Are you serious?” After a brief pause, Jaegal So-Yeong’s curiosity finally won out.

“Oh right, weren’t you a graduate of the Heavenly Martial Academy? Do you mind if I ask you some questions later?”

“I’m fine with telling you anything you want to know about the Heavenly Martial Academy… but you’ll regret it.”

“Why?”

“…Because it’s flat out impossible for the Azure Dragon Academy to win the Heavenly Martial Festival,” Jaegal So-Yeong declared as if she were stating an immutable fact.

I shrugged and replied, “How could you say something is impossible when you haven’t even tried?”

“Hyung-nim, have you looked around you?” Ak Yeon-Ho suddenly interrupted.

I did as he suggested, only to realize that countless eyes were focused on the three of us, or more precisely, on me.

“What did he just say?”

“Winning the Heavenly Martial Festival?”

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“So he was just a lunatic in the end…”

The faces of the students were a mixture of bewilderment, mockery, and anger.

‘He’s a lunatic…’ Back in the Blood Cult, I also heard this phrase a lot. However, after several months of training, most of the trainees called me something else: Mad dog.

…This time, things were different though. In this life, I was determined to be a Star Instructor and a good teacher, not a demonic instructor of the Blood Cult.

“All the instructors are glaring at us too.”

“Because I made a proclamation that none of them dared dream of.”

Namgoong Su in particular was glaring at me like he had met his father’s murderer on a secluded wooden bridge.

I glared right back at him, trying my best to convey a ‘What, you want a fight?’ look with my eyes.

Noh Gun-Sang casually stepped between us and said, “You…”

“Principal, I don’t think it’s easy to be a good teacher.”

“Hoho, is this your answer to my question?” Noh Gun-Sang placed his hands behind his back and looked at the students in the audience with a hint of sadness in his eyes. “…The Azure Dragon Academy has been ranked last in the Heavenly Martial Festival for the past ten years. Do you know that?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“And yet you declare that you’ll lead them to victory this year. Isn’t it only natural to think that you’re making an absurd joke?”

“So what, you want me to take my words back?”

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“…Will you?”

I grinned. “Of course not, I said what I meant and I meant what I said.”

Noh Gun-Sang chuckled at my cheeky reply, but then turned serious as he said, “Even if you meant what you said, it might not have gotten you a good grade in the student evaluations. For most of the students, the mere mention of the Heavenly Martial Festival is taboo.”

“I guess so.” Considering the hostility and anger I could feel in the eyes of the students, he was right. Still, although it was true that I had turned most of the teachers and students against me today, I don’t regret it.

I already knew this was coming.

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“What are you going to do if you fail the exam?”

“I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but I’m going to open the White Dragon Academy across the street. In ten years, my students will beat the crap out of the Azure Dragon Academy kids.”

“Oh dear, I guess I’ll have to factor that into your assessment.”

“I would be very grateful if you did that.”

“Principal, it’s time for your closing speech,” Vice-Principal Kwak Cheol-Woo suddenly interjected.

“…Oh, what a bother. I have to go now, see you later.”

“See you.”

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My duel was the last one before the closing ceremony, but unsurprisingly, none of the students were interested in it. Their attention was mostly on me, and they kept chattering amongst themselves.

“Kids! Pay attention!” Headmaster Mae Geuk-Lyom shouted, but this time, not even he could quiet the unruly students.

“Hyung-nim, all these stares are stressing me out.”

“Get used to it. You’ll have to deal with it often in the future. By the way, if we both fail, you should teach at my White Dragon Academy.”

“Why can’t you be the only one who fails? You failing has nothing to do with me!”

“Tsk tsk, please say something that makes sense.”

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After the closing ceremony, I walked out of the Azure Dragon Academy with Ak Yeon-Ho, who was somehow more concerned about the exam than me.

“The results won’t be out for a few days, so let’s go grab a drink. Want to join us, Miss Jaegal?” Noticing that Jaegal So-Yeong was nearby, I invited her out of politeness while thinking that there was no way she would accept.

She hesitated for a moment, squeezed her book tightly in her arms, then nodded, saying, “…Okay, though I’m not much of a drinker.”

The exhaustion on Ak Yeon-Ho’s face disappeared in an instant. He smiled coyly and said, “I’ve researched all the best restaurants around here. Is there anything you’d like to try, Miss Jaegal?”

“Uhm… I’m fine with anything,” Jaegal So-Yeong replied, clearly uncomfortable with the shameless flirting.

Poor Yeon-Ho, rejected once again.

“Ah, but what about Il-Oh?” I asked, suddenly realizing that a certain someone wasn’t here.

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Ak Yeon-Ho waved his hand and said dismissively, “Sick people need rest. Let’s not disturb him and go drinking by ourselves!”

“Shouldn’t we at least visit him before we go…?”

“I’ve already visited him today. Is there any point going there again? Besides, if we delay any longer, we might not be able to get a table at the restaurant.”

“Makes sense,” I agreed.

Having come to an understanding, we made a beeline for the restaurant and stopped thinking about Myeong Il-Oh.

A few days after the duel exam, during the quiet time after the lunch time rush-hour, the owner and the waiter of the Hidden Dragon Restaurant (潛龍飯店), a popular restaurant located in front of the main entrance of Azure Dragon Academy that served large portions at a cheap price, were enjoying a late lunch and gossiping about recent events.

“Hey, did you hear? There’s a lunatic among the new instructor applicants this year.”

“Are you referring to the madman who said that he was going to lead the Azure Dragon Academy to victory in the Heavenly Martial Festival?”

“Forget winning, we’ll be lucky if we don’t finish last again this year.”

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“Yeah, but we only got half as many points as the forth place White Tiger Academy last year.”

“That seriously sucked. Even though our seniors kept insisting that it was going to be different, they came back looking like shit that got rained on and… well, some of them even cried in public?”

“Oh, I remember that. They were so arrogant back here, but the moment they left, they were completely and utterly destroyed.”

“Right?”

Even though most of their business came from Azure Dragon Academy students, the two men did not feel guilty about insulting them behind their backs.

“So, the lunatic’s been rejected?” the waiter asked, slurping his noodles.

“The results come out tomorrow, so I don’t know yet…but there’s no way they’ll hire such a braggart.”

“Well, you never know, maybe they’ll treat it as a wild gamble and do it anyway.”

“Tsk tsk, if they really hire him, then the Azure Dragon Academy is truly nearing its end.”

The restaurant owner finished his meal, pulled out a pipe from his pocket, lit it and blew out a long puff of smoke.

The waiter looked at him and said, “But what if, just what if he said that because he’s confident in his teaching skills?”

“People will say anything to get a job, especially since Azure Dragon Academy instructors are quite well-paid… and the kids there aren’t very motivated, so it doesn’t matter if they teach well or not.”

“Speaking of pay, Boss…”

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“Ahh… I want to make easy money too.” The owner of the Hidden Dragon Restaurant blew a long puff of smoke toward the ceiling and avoided his employee’s gaze.

“Boss…” Suddenly, the waiter’s face paled.

“Honestly, that Azure Dragon Academy, I wonder how many more years it will last. Sooner or later, I’ll have to give up the restaurant and find something else to do… Hmm? What’s with you? What, look behind me?”

The waiter desperately tried to convey ‘Behind you! Behind you!’ with his eyes to his boss, but by the time the owner realized it, it was too late.

“I seem to have come here at a most inopportune time.”

“Hic!” The restaurant owner hastily extinguished his pipe, jumped to his feet like he had been struck by a lightning bolt, and looked behind him.

Standing there were several of his regulars, who also happened to be the student council members. When his eyes met Dokgo Jun’s cold expression, cold sweat broke out on his forehead. “A-Ah, my dear student council members… when did you arrive?” he stuttered.

“We came in just in time to hear you say that we were unmotivated kids so it didn’t matter if we were taught well or not.”

Fuck! The restaurant owner immediately bent in half at the waist and began to apologize, “I made a mistake, I’ve been drinking since noon and wasn’t in my right mind… As a way of apologizing, your meals are all on the house today!”

“Do we look like beggars to you?”

“T-That’s not what I meant…”

Dokgo Jun clicked his tongue. In the past, he would have just walked out at this point, but the same thing was happening everywhere now and it made no difference.

“Can we sit on the second floor?”

“Of course, of course! Waiter, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and show our honored guests to their table!”

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“Yes!”

The waiter quickly scurried up to the second floor and wiped a table with a dishcloth, while the restaurant owner went into the kitchen, cleaned off his sweat, and started cooking.

“Baek Su-Ryong, Baek Su-Ryong, Baek Su-Ryong. No matter where I go these days, he’s always the main topic of conversation.” Sitting down, Dokgo Jun let out a low sigh.

The student council members sat around him. The new instructor exam had ended a few days ago, and the final results would be announced tomorrow.

“It was such a shocking declaration of war that it’s no wonder the whole city is talking about it.”

Everyone nodded in agreement even as the waiter carefully and quietly served their food, trying his best to diminish his presence.

“He actually said that he’d lead us to victory the Heavenly Martial Festival…”

“The rumors have probably spread to the other academies by now.”

“Hah…”

The student council members sighed. Ever since Baek Su-Ryong had dropped the bombshell that he was going to lead the Azure Dragon Academy to victory in the Heavenly Martial Festival, the student council was placed in an awkward position.

“If he’s going to promise us something, he should at least have made a promise that he can keep. Victory, my ass…”

“He’ll definitely lose points in the student evaluation for making such a bold statement…”

“He shouldn’t have been so provocative. Even us of the student council are being criticized now.”

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For a new instructor who hadn’t even gotten hired yet, winning the Heavenly Martial Festival was a far-fetched goal. However, it was similar enough to the student council’s goal of not placing last that it was affecting them, too. Some students were already mocking the student council by comparing them to Baek Su-Ryong…

Suddenly, Dokgo Jun said, “I don’t think we can win the Heavenly Martial Festival.”

“……” The atmosphere became somber.

Dokgo Jun ignored them, stared blankly out the window and continued, “…This is my third year participating in it.”

Dokgo Jun, who was said to be the greatest genius of a century, had participated in the Heavenly Martial Festival as a representative of the Azure Dragon Academy since his freshman year.

Three times.

The result: an overwhelming last place every year.

I’ve always felt the gap between us and the other four schools, and I’ve witnessed many seniors give up hope in front of that unscalable wall.Winning theHeavenly Martial Festival**? Even I think that goal is too idealistic.The other three academies are one thing, but… overcoming the Heavenly Martial Academy is impossible.

If the Azure Dragon Academy was the eternal loser, then the eternal champion was the Heavenly Martial Academy. It was the elite school among elite schools where only the chosen geniuses could enter after much hard work, and simply being born into a good family wasn’t enough.

Just entering the school was the ultimate goal of all those born in the orthodox sects.

The world’s best martial arts school, the Heavenly Martial Academy.

Recalling the geniuses he’d met at the Festival, Dokgo Jun clenched his fists. The disrespect and humiliation he had suffered then was still fresh in his mind.

He looked at his comrades with slightly bloodshot eyes. “I’m sure you feel the same way I do. As long as the Heavenly Martial Academy exists, it’s impossible for another school to win the Heavenly Martial Festival. Even if the other four schools join forces… it won’t be easy.”

The few first years in the Student Council looked disbelieving, but the second and third years who had experienced the Heavenly Martial Festival firsthand nodded gloomily.

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“But…” Despite knowing that it was impossible, Dokgo Jun couldn’t get Baek Su-Ryong’s bold statement out of his mind.

“First, let me help you get rid of your inferiority complexes. Then, at this year’s Heavenly Martial Festival, I will lead the Azure Dragon Academy to victory.”

Baek Su-Ryong had proclaimed that line out loud with a confidence that bordered on arrogance, as if he could do anything he wanted as long as he set his mind to it.

Who else in the Azure Dragon Academy dared say such a thing with zero hesitation? Certainly not him, not the Principal, not the Headmaster, and not Namgoong Su, the academy’s one and only Star Instructor.

He can only say that because he doesn’t know anything, because he hasn’t watched the Heavenly Martial Festival with his own eyes. It’s just the typical overconfidence of a newbie instructor. Still…

Do we have anything left to lose? If there is a time for insanity, isn’t it now?

“For better or worse, from that day on, there is an energy in the school that has never been there before…”

“…Never before have so many people talked about the Heavenly Martial Festival, because it was a taboo subject,” Vice-President Tang So-So finished Dokgo Jun’s line for him, and everyone in the student council nodded in agreement.

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If this is what Baek Su-Ryong intended… Wait. No way. No. Fucking. Way.

Dokgo Jun shook his head and turned to Tang So-So. “Vice-President, have you delivered the student council’s new instructor evaluation sheets to the academy?”

“Not yet, sir. Today is the deadline for submission.”

“Then…”

Tang So-So smiled, as if she knew what Dokgo Jun was going to say.

“Formally announce that the student council strongly recommends Baek Su-Ryong’s candidacy, and that we will make up for any shortfall in the student evaluation score.”

“Yes! Word-for-word.”

“…Please don’t add any of your own nonsense.”

“Ohoho, don’t worry, I’ve already got you covered.”

Tang So-So’s innocent smile gave Dokgo Jun a bad feeling, but he didn’t say anything more.

“Now let’s eat.”

After militantly finishing his meal, Dokgo Jun stood up from his seat. It was time for afternoon training, and if he was going to prepare for the Heavenly Martial Festival while fulfilling his duties as Student Council President, he couldn’t waste any time.

“Vice-President, make sure you pay for all the food we ate and… find us a different place to eat next time.”

Tang So-So nodded. “Naturally, especially since this place is probably going to go out of business soon.”

“The food doesn’t taste very good.”

“And the owner and waiter are unfriendly.”

“We’ll have to make sure no students patronize it in the future.”

“Of course.”

It was only during times like this that the two proud youngsters got along well.

After that day, the number of customers gradually decreased and the Hidden Dragon Restaurant eventually closed down. It was then bought over by a merchant named Heo Cheon, who renamed and reopened it as the White Dragon Inn.