Chapter 32 : A Wrong Encounter (2)

In the past, the only standard by which prestigious families were ranked was martial strength.

Superhumans were beasts intoxicated by power, and wars were constant as they sought to possess more.

However, as time passed and the modern era arrived, technological advancements gradually began to shift even the rigid values held by these superhumans.

As such, the criteria for ranking prestigious families became more detailed.

Although martial strength still held the most weight in evaluations, it was no longer enough on its own to stand at the top.

Still, there are always outliers who refuse to follow the flow of the times.

Ryuga, ranked 5th among the world’s prestigious families, was one such outlier.

They valued only martial power as the sole measure of a person’s worth, and it was through such sheer force alone that they secured their position as the 5th-ranked family in the world.

And Ryu Jia was the one who proudly claimed the position of heir in that very family with nothing but her own strength and talent.

“Who are you?”

“H-hngh…”

Having grown up in such a household, Ryu Jia disliked the gray-haired woman trembling behind Yang Woobin’s back the moment she laid eyes on her.

A woman hiding behind a weak man, not even showing her face properly?

To Ryu Jia, such a person didn’t even deserve to be called a woman.

So, although she wanted to immediately say, “Hey, if you’re just going to hide behind a man, then ditch those boobs,” she held back since it was their first meeting and the girl seemed to be a friend of Yang Woobin’s.

“Um, this is, uh…”

But Ryu Jia’s eyes remained sharp, and sensing that the mood was tense, Yang Woobin tried to ease the atmosphere by speaking.

“Newbie, I wasn’t asking you. I’m talking to the one behind you. Who are you?”

“H-hngh…”

But Yang Woobin’s attempt was easily shattered by Ryu Jia’s cold voice, and Fuyuno Tsubaki had no choice but to face that piercing aura head-on.

Just standing in front of Ryu Jia made Tsubaki realize that all the rumors she’d heard about her had actually been toned down.

A true beast, unlike those lightweights like Sunhee or Jinsook.

The look in Ryu Jia’s eyes was that of a top predator, reminiscent of the current head of the Fuyuno family, and it made Tsubaki’s vision blur and her whole body tremble.

“It’s okay. She’s a little rough, but she’s not a bad person. Say hi.”

“Ah, y-yes…”

But when Yang Woobin’s large, warm hand rested on her shoulder and his gentle low voice entered her ears, her trembling stopped, and the fear faded.

It felt almost like a spell, and surprised by the sensation, Fuyuno Tsubaki followed his lead and greeted Ryu Jia.

“H-hello! I’m F-Fuyuno Tsubaki…!”

“Fuyuno…? That Fuyuno?”

“Huh? Ah, y-yes…”

However, the courage that had briefly risen vanished in an instant with the next question.

It wasn’t strange—after all, courage only lasts when it comes from within.

“So why did someone from the Fuyuno family come to Daecheon? Don’t you have an academy in your own country? Japanese superhumans usually go there, don’t they?”

“T-that’s, um…”

“Hey! Captain, what era do you think we’re living in? Who divides academies by nationality anymore? Besides, there are plenty of people from other countries here in Daecheon too.”

Tsubaki was put in a tight spot by the difficult question, but once again, Yang Woobin stepped in, and to her, it was as if he were radiating light from behind.

“W-Woobin…”

He was the first person in her 20 years of life to step forward and help her whenever she was in trouble, and so, overcome with emotion, she called out his name as she always did.

“That’s not the issue—sure, there are a lot of foreigners here, but if she’s from the Fuyuno family, then logically she should’ve gone to the Japanese academy—wait, what?”

That’s when the mistake happened.

“What did you just call the newbie? W-Woobin?”

In the superhuman world, the most important thing was power.

Second was lineage.

In a world where talent was inherited through bloodlines, the value of a good lineage was as precious as gold.

That’s why even in the modern age, prestigious families valued chastity education more than teaching family secrets.

As a result, newly emerged superhumans tended to have extremely conservative views about relationships.

Of course, the longer one stayed in an academy, the more likely they were to fall in love with someone due to the laws of nature, but for first-year students, it was considered normal to barely even talk to the opposite sex.

“You two… what’s going on? You’re calling each other by first names?”

To Ryu Jia, who had only been out of her family and in the academy for about a month, calling someone by their first name instead of their full name was unthinkable.

In the first place, a man and a woman calling each other only by their first names was something that only happened if they were childhood friends or engaged through a family arrangement.

Well, maybe it wasn’t quite that serious, but as far as Ryu Jia knew, that’s how it was supposed to be.

“What’s your relationship? Don’t tell me… is she that one and only friend you mentioned before, the one you said you were preparing for the midterm with?”

Due to the chastity-focused mindset instilled in her from a young age, Ryu Jia had naturally assumed that Woobin’s “one and only” friend must be a guy.

Because that’s what was considered normal in the superhuman world—studying with same-gender friends.

That’s why her gaze toward Yang Woobin sharpened.

“Uh… well…”

“W-Woobin? Am I your one and only friend?”

“Ah.”

Just Ryu Jia’s piercing red eyes were enough to make Woobin extremely uncomfortable—and now, to top it off, Tsubaki’s gray eyes sparkled as she looked up at him from behind, doubling his distress.

But he knew that if he stayed silent, the misunderstandings would only grow, so he quickly organized his thoughts and responded.

“I’ll answer each question. First, Tsubaki—your question.”

“Tsubaki?! Hey, newbie, you—!”

“Hey! Captain, quiet! You’re not even some old lady—why are you getting worked up over a title? What, you think calling her by name means I got her pregnant or something?”

“W-what…!”

Sure, she was a girl, so “old lady” wasn’t technically wrong, but Ryu Jia couldn’t say anything in response.

It was the first time she’d heard a guy say something like “got her pregnant.”

To her, pregnancy was always something where the woman took charge—like getting on top of the man and saying, “Heehee, I’m going to get pregnant now.”

So hearing a man say “got her pregnant” was incredibly shocking.

“…”

And the shock Ryu Jia felt spread to Tsubaki as well, silencing the once noisy hallway in an instant.

In the rare quiet that followed, Yang Woobin finally answered Tsubaki’s question.

“First, Tsubaki—you asked if you’re my friend, right? No. Not yet. You’re not my friend.”

“Ah… r-right… I figured…”

The two who had been stunned by Yang Woobin’s response snapped back to their senses.

“Huh?”

Unlike Fuyuno Tsubaki, who looked disappointed but accepted it, Ryu Jia wore an expression that said she couldn’t believe it.

“You said you were preparing for the midterms with your one and only friend. But if that Fuyuno Tsubaki or whoever isn’t your friend, then what is she?”

“I did say I was preparing for the midterms for my one and only friend. But that friend isn’t Tsubaki. She’s still a long way from being my friend. Right now, she’s my precious lackey. Right, Tsubaki?”

Yang Woobin looked at the droopy-shouldered Fuyuno Tsubaki and smiled as he asked.

“P-precious… ehehe… Yeah.”

Strangely enough, when Yang Woobin spoke to her, Tsubaki’s gloom lifted, and she smiled along with him.

“A… precious lackey? What does that even mean…”

The two of them giggling and smiling at each other looked, to anyone, like close friends—making Ryu Jia the only one who found the situation bizarre.

But since she had technically gotten answers to her questions, even if they felt weird, Ryu Jia finally crossed her arms and moved on to the question she’d originally intended to ask.

“So? Why’d you bring your precious lackey here? Just to show her off?”

“Nope. There’s nothing about her worth showing off.”

“…Even if it’s true, isn’t that a bit harsh to say right to her face?”

“It’s fine. I have a daily quota of mean things I need to say anyway. And besides, starting today, I’ll be helping her build up something worth showing off for the next week. Hey, Tsubaki. Let’s go in.”

“O-okay!”

The two of them walked past Ryu Jia and entered the Violent Dragon clubroom.

Ryu Jia, who still didn’t have a great impression of Fuyuno Tsubaki, hesitated for a moment as if to block their way—but ultimately only thought about it and didn’t act on it.

“Build up something worth showing off… What kind of crazy stunt is he planning this time?”

Because for the past week, Ryu Jia had found herself completely captivated by Yang Woobin’s antics.

He had taken what used to be boring, monotonous days and made them entertaining—and now, she found herself unable to cast him aside.