Retire 397
by Cristae397 The Path of Learning (2)
‘Get inside the classroom!’
‘Don’t come out!’
‘Hurry!!’
The commands were sharp and firm.
There was no time to ask what was happening. Woo Hee-jae dashed out to the field, Kim Chaemin following in his wake.
Still, those stern words were enough to make her hesitate and head for the classroom, where the Hunters from Dasun approached. They repeated the same warning.
‘Don’t come outside.’
The school staff gathered as well—nurses, cafeteria workers. The Dasun Hunters positioned themselves in the classrooms and hallways. The weapons in their hands and the tension in their faces made it clear this was no ordinary day.
Even when she saw the vines climbing the building, she didn’t know what was happening. In fact, she still didn’t know exactly what had gone on. She just figured some bad people had caused trouble. That was about as much as Woo Hee-jae explained later.
And last winter, there had been the time the pension exploded. Compared to that, the school building was better off. Maybe it was because she’d seen Kim Chaemin tending the flowerbeds whenever she had time. The vines blooming from the flowerbeds now wrapped around the building. There probably weren’t many in the world who could break through the archmage’s vines.
What mattered wasn’t what had attacked the school.
The first to move toward the window was Yoo Ji-eun. Though the vines covered the glass, if she positioned herself just right, she could see the field between the leaves.
She couldn’t tell exactly what was happening… but instead of the usual dirt, green grass was rippling across the field like waves.
She saw her teacher in black training clothes, holding a spear he rarely used.
And then.
And then.
And then…
Flowers scattered through the air.
Yoo Ji-eun pressed her face to the window, eyes wide. The other kids crowding the glass were just as transfixed.
Even with their limited view, they could see Woo Hee-jae moving swiftly. They couldn’t see what he was fighting, but they could see red petals driving back something invisible. Woo Hee-jae wielded his spear as if even the petals were part of his weapon.
It was the first time she’d ever seen a Hunter fight up close.
For the first time, she felt that even blinking would be a waste. Everyone held their breath. Even the smallest sound might disturb that battle. Not that he could hear them, but still. That’s how focused they were.
‘It’s beautiful…’
But no one said anything about the sigh that slipped from Yoo Ji-eun’s lips. They were all thinking the same thing.
That day, Yoo Ji-eun learned for the first time that battle could be beautiful.
“That’s why I decided that day! I wanted to learn the spear from you, teacher!!”
“……”
Woo Hee-jae looked at Yoo Ji-eun in silence.
Yoo Ji-eun met his gaze without flinching.
Before coming to Woo Hee-jae, she’d gone to her senior classmates for advice. The topic was simple.
‘I want to learn the spear from Mr. Woo!’
And the responses were just as simple.
‘Just ask him. If you say you want to learn, he’ll teach you.’
‘No! Not like that. I want to be his disciple!’
‘Disciple? Like, the way mages do it?’
‘Are mages the only ones with disciples? Hunters have them too. The Dasun guys talked about it.’
‘Well…’
‘Mr. Woo is Principal Hong’s disciple, too!’
‘That’s true, but…’
But everyone’s reaction was lukewarm.
After all, they were already learning from Mr. Woo. What more was there to ask for?
‘The spear? Mr. Woo always says Hunters should know how to use every weapon. He even teaches us how to throw rocks, so of course he’ll teach the spear…’
Oh Hyun-wook said, swinging a wooden sword with indifference.
‘That’s not what I mean!’
‘Then what?’
‘…I want to be a Hunter who can fight as well as Mr. Woo.’
‘You haven’t even been in a dungeon yet.’
‘Ugh, come on!’
‘And honestly, if you just keep up with class, you’ll get there.’
No one took Yoo Ji-eun’s words seriously. The answers were all the same.
Wasn’t the whole point of Yangseong High to break away from that old apprentice system and train Hunters more professionally, to raise survival rates? If Mr. Woo took you on as a disciple, it would go against the school’s purpose and his and the principal’s future plans…
At least Kang Tae-woo nodded vaguely, with an ambiguous look.
‘I don’t really get what you’re saying… but Mr. Woo is kind of a softie with you. If you ask, he might actually do it.’
Yes. That was the kind of answer she wanted!
Of course, Woo Hee-jae didn’t exactly appreciate Yoo Ji-eun’s passion.
“Yeah…”
“Yes!”
“Um… It’s good to learn the spear. It’s the easiest weapon to find in a dungeon. Just pick up a sturdy branch and you’re good to go.”
“So you’ll teach me the spear?!”
“…I think your definition of ‘teach’ is different from mine.”
“How is it different?!”
Yoo Ji-eun clenched her fists, speaking with fervor.
“I’ve been saying this since I first saw you last year!”
“…Hmm.”
“I want to be your disciple!!”
“No… I don’t plan on taking on disciples.”
“Great! I don’t want anyone else to be your disciple but me!”
Woo Hee-jae clutched his head.
“Let’s just learn the sword, okay? Swords are good. I use swords all the time.”
“But teacher, when it’s really urgent, you use the spear. Isn’t the spear your special move?”
“Special… It’s just what I’m most comfortable with.”
“Because you learned it from the principal?”
“Not exactly, but…”
“You’re the principal’s disciple, too!”
“That’s different! And I’ve told you before—you’re already my student.”
“That’s not the same kind of student!”
Woo Hee-jae looked at her like he couldn’t understand a word she was saying. Whether she noticed or just ignored it, Yoo Ji-eun pressed on.
It wasn’t just that the invisible battle on the field had been beautiful—she had her own stubborn reasons.
Seventeen.
An age to think seriously about the future.
“You just said it yourself, teacher. If there are no new students, the school might close.”
It’s also an age where you can be ruthless, or cunning, if you want.
“When the older students graduate, that’s it. Tae-woo oppa said the first graduating class always gets special attention. It’s good for appearances.”
“…What do you all talk about?”
“Tae-woo oppa is even thinking about whether he should graduate or not.”
“……”
“But not me. I can’t graduate yet, and I have to worry about whether the school will even exist in two years? I chose to come here, so I don’t regret it!”
“You don’t?”
“I want to be a really famous Hunter! So even if the school closes, I need a backup plan!”
“What does that have to do with this?”
“If I’m the student of Mr. Woo, who’s the student of Hong Seok-yeong, everyone will recognize me!”
“……”
Yoo Ji-eun clenched her fists behind her back.
Woo Hee-jae’s expression softened compared to when the conversation began. That meant her words were having some effect.
“So, please? Please take me as your disciple.”
That was Kang Tae-woo’s advice.
‘Even if Mr. Woo is soft on you, just demanding to be his disciple won’t work. He’ll just get annoyed.’
‘Ugh. Then what should I do?’
‘Appeal to his sympathy.’
‘Sympathy?’
‘Find his weak spot… Tell him you don’t know how you’ll survive after graduating from a school like this.’
‘Wait, are you just making this up to convince Mr. Woo? Do I really need to worry?’
‘…….’
‘Hey, don’t just laugh! Tell me!’
‘I’m just going to graduate this year.’
‘Traitor!!!’
Yoo Ji-eun forced her face to smooth out.
He might be a traitor, but his advice was useful.
“Disciple… no.”
So much for that advice!
“But, teacher!”
“No. I get what you’re saying. I’ll talk to the principal for you. For that purpose, his name will be more effective than mine.”
“Oh…”
Yoo Ji-eun blinked in confusion. Of course, that made sense. But… she hadn’t even considered the alternative of being the principal’s disciple.
Woo Hee-jae looked at her and sighed.
“And, the spear?”
“…Yes. Yes! The spear! I want to learn the spear!!”
“Yeah…”
He crossed his arms and thought for a moment.
But the silence didn’t last long.
“I’ve always emphasized this in class, but a Hunter needs to be able to handle just about any weapon. You know why, right?”
“…Because you never know what’ll happen in a dungeon.”
“Exactly. Your weapon might break or get lost. That’s why everyone carries dozens of weapons.”
“In subspace.”
“That’s what they’re made for.”
Woo Hee-jae nodded.
“If you’re unlucky, you might have to make your own weapon inside the dungeon.”
The rest of what he said was the same as always in class.
“The spear is one of the most commonly used weapons. Of course you should know how to use it.”
“What I mean is…!”
“Yeah. You want to use the spear as your main weapon, like I do.”
“Yes!”
“…The spear isn’t always the best weapon for a dungeon.”
“But the principal and you use it, don’t you?”
“That’s true, but it’s also a fact. The spear is long, and that’s both its strength and its weakness. Dungeons aren’t always wide enough to swing a spear.”
“Hmm…”
She’d never thought about that before.
“In those cases, I use a sword. Honestly, lately I’ve used the sword more than the spear.”
Noticing her falter, Woo Hee-jae spoke gently.
“I’ll teach you the spear, but don’t insist on just that. Start with other weapons, one by one, in order. All right?”
“……”
“I know you’re impatient, but you can’t skip steps.”
“…Okay.”
“You don’t think the principal will stop looking out for you and your sister just because you graduate, do you?”
“…No.”
“Or that he’ll suddenly ask you to pay him back?”
“…No.”
“You don’t have to be strong. The principal and I just want you to do what you want and stay safe.”
“……”
Woo Hee-jae gently patted her shoulder.
Yoo Ji-eun, staring at the ground, didn’t see it, but if she’d looked up, she would have seen Woo Hee-jae gritting his teeth.
‘Why is she suddenly like this after being so well-behaved?!’
Students never do what teachers want.