Star Instructor, Master Baek

Chapter 114: Have I Been Misjudging Him All Along?

TL: FoodieMonster007

It feels desolate.

Baek Suryong couldn’t help but notice the barrenness of Namgung Su’s office. Although it was mostly buried under mountains of paperwork, the room was bare, with only the most essential furniture, and the chill in the air was more a reflection of the man before him than the lack of heating.

Feeling uncomfortable in the awkward silence, Baek Suryong began, “ You have a guest here, at least offer me some tea…”

“I have no tea to offer you. State your business and leave,” Namgung Su replied, his voice as icy as the room.

Baek Suryong found it weird that there was no tea in the office, but he didn’t press the matter. After all, he was the one asking for a favor.

“Where’s Jaegal Soyeong? I thought she worked here. Did she leave early?”

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“Stop beating around the bush and get to the point,” Namgung Su barked irritably.

Baek Suryong shrugged, deciding to end the small talk and cut to the chase. “Two years ago at the Heavenly Martial Festival, you were the supervisor for the sophomores, right?”

“…I don’t know why you’re bringing this up now, but yes,” Namgung Su replied drowsily, massaging his temples.

Baek Suryong studied him for a moment, then asked bluntly, “Do you know what happened to Geo Sangwoong there?”

Namgung Su’s hand froze mid-motion, and an uneasy silence settled over the room. Now fully awake, he slowly replied, “…He was broken beyond repair. Is that all you needed to know?”

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“A student addicted to gambling and suffering from binge eating disorder is just ‘broken’ to you?” Baek Suryong said in a low voice, eyebrows twitching.

Namgung Su smiled bitterly. “You don’t get it. It’s not uncommon for our students to lose their morale after witnessing the overwhelming prowess of their Heavenly Martial Academy peers.”

“Not uncommon?” Baek Suryong stared at Namgung Su with a mix of disbelief and dawning realization. Until now, I’d always thought of the Heavenly Martial Festival as a fun and friendly competition for orthodox prodigies, but was it actually far more brutal than I imagined?

“What exactly happened back then?” he pressed.

Namgung Su stiffened. “Why should I tell you? You’re being a nuisance, so go away,” he said curtly, pointing at the door.

However, Baek Suryong remained unfazed, folding his arms stubbornly. “I’ll leave once you tell me what I want to know.”

“…How arrogant. What makes you think you can act like this?” Namgung Su roared, releasing his aura and focusing his killing intent on Baek Suryong.

Baek Suryong immediately felt the cold touch of a blade against his neck, but he merely smirked and glanced around the office, whistling softly, “Whew! If we start a fight here, all these documents will fly everywhere.”

“……”

“You know, cleaning that mess up will take longer than just telling me what happened.”

“…Sigh. Just where on earth did someone like you come from?” Namgung Su sighed, resigned.

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Closing his eyes in recollection, he conceded, “All right, I’ll tell you what I know. Two years ago, Geo Sangwoong was an excellent student who was passionate about martial arts, proactive, and a capable leader. He was so highly regarded that he and Bang Baekhyeon were known as the Azure Dragon Duo, but… even back then, he was a troublemaker, though in a different sense compared to how he is now.”

Namgung Su paused for a moment, brows slightly furrowed as he considered how to phrase his next words. Then, taking a deep breath, he continued, “During the Heavenly Martial Festival, interactions between students from different academies are forbidden outside of designated times to prevent unnecessary conflicts. However…”

“There are always those who sneak out,” Baek Suryong interjected.

Namgung Su nodded. Baek Suryong was right. The Geo Sangwoong of two years ago was energetic, curious, and bold, with little self-discipline.

“Most of the students who snuck out were juniors or seniors. Geo Sangwoong was the only sophomore. However, on that day, those who slipped out… got into a fight with Heavenly Martial Academy students.”

The Heavenly Martial Academy… Baek Suryong bit his lip. The chances that the person who used the Soul Reaping Demonic Art on Geo Sangwoong was from the Heavenly Martial Academy had increased.

“So? They had a brawl, and Geo Sangwoong got badly beaten?” he pressed.

“No. On the contrary, it seemed that he looked fine on the outside, except for his vacant expression.”

“Your choice of words is very unusual. Were you not present at the scene?”

Namgung Su nodded. “Although I was the sophomore supervisor, I had to attend a family meeting that day, so I asked another teacher to oversee them temporarily.”

“Who?”

“Don’t bother looking for him. He won’t answer your questions, and he was reportedly out drinking that night,” Namgung Su said, not bothering to hide his contempt.

“……”

“Later, I asked Geo Sangwoong what had happened, but he refused to answer me. He just kept apologizing with a blank face. That’s all I know.”

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“Do you regret not being there?” Baek Suryong asked abruptly.

“……” Namgung Su didn’t answer, but under the flickering lamplight, his face looked haggard and despondent.

Still, Baek Suryong couldn’t completely trust him. After all, it was Namgung Su who tried to enroll Cho Maksaeng, a victim of Soul Alteration raised in an orphanage sponsored by the Namgung Clan, into the Azure Dragon Academy.

If the Namgung Clan is connected to the Blood Cult, then Namgung Su might be part of it too. Although my gut feeling tells me that he isn’t lying, you never really know with people.

Baek Suryong scrutinized Namgung Su’s speech, actions, and expressions closely, and Namgung Su stared intently back at him. This was the first time they were having such an open exchange, and each of them was trying to understand the other.

In the end, Namgung Su broke the silence, saying, “Let me give you some advice. Don’t waste your time on failures. It’s more efficient to teach students with potential.”

“Failures…?”

“Like Geo Sangwoong.”

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BOOM!

This time, it was Baek Suryong who lost control of his temper and released his aura.

Feeling the prickling sensation on his skin, Namgung Su smirked. “Aren’t you quite attached to those problem students in the Remedial Class?”

“……”

“I’ve heard you’re trying to reform them, but it’s a waste of time and effort. You should instead focus on more promising students like Dokgo Jun or Bang Baekhyeon.”

“Wanna bet?” Grinning wickedly, Baek Suryong unfastened his sword, Moon Shadow, and placed it on Namgung Su’s desk. “I’ll make those Remedial Class kids the stars of this year’s Heavenly Martial Festival. I’ll even wager my sword on it. What about you?”

“…You really don’t know your place.”

The two men locked eyes and began to stare each other down. Though no swords were drawn, the tension in the air felt almost tangible.

Several minutes passed.

“…Forget it. Talking to you is a waste of time,” Namgung Su groaned.

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It was a clear dismissal, and having gotten what he came for, Baek Suryong stood up without hesitation. Before he could leave, however, Namgung Su called out to him.

“Wait. Since I answered your questions, I want you to answer one of mine.”

Baek Suryong turned around. “Go ahead.”

“Why did you choose Defense Against the Unorthodox Arts? It’s a meaningless class.”

For days, Namgung Su had been baffled by Baek Suryong’s decision. All of his classes were popular, but for some unknown reason, Baek Suryong had chosen the least important one as a prize for winning a bet.

To his surprise, Baek Suryong’s answer was simple.

“I wanted a class where I could teach various things, not just swordsmanship or outer arts, and a general class suited that better.”

Namgung Su scowled. “Teaching even one thing properly is hard enough.”

“Maybe that’s true for you, but it’s no problem for me.”

“…Hah!” Stunned speechless, Namgung Su couldn’t think of an immediate retort, so he muttered under his breath, “You’re truly insufferable.”

“Don’t you get that a lot yourself?”

“……” Namgung Su fell silent. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t aware what others often called him behind his back—a workaholic, a perfectionist, cold-hearted, insufferable. He had always chalked it up to petty jealousy, but now he understood what it felt like to be on the other side.

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It was both unpleasant and absurd.

“Haha…” He couldn’t help but chuckle. Damn it, talking to Baek Suryong always throws me off my game.

“Fine, that’s all I wanted to ask you. You can go now.”

“Hey… about that notebook.”

Suddenly, Baek Suryong’s gaze shifted to the notebook Namgung Su was holding, titled “Comprehensive Evaluations of Students’ Behavioral Characteristics”. He had only caught a brief glimpse of its contents, but that was enough for him to conclude that the thick, heavy book was overflowing with notes on each student’s martial arts skills, habits, and teaching guidelines. Most importantly, Namgung Su’s ink-stained hands showed how diligently he had worked on it.

“Did you write all that yourself?”

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“Of course. I only teach based on my personal evaluations of the students.”

“You’re quite dedicated.”

“…Do you think you’re the only instructor aiming for results at the Heavenly Martial Festival?”

Baek Suryong stared greedily at the thick notebook, hastily making up an excuse to look through it. “It seems unfinished. Want my help? I have a very good eye for people.”

Namgung Su scoffed, hugging his notebook protectively. “You can’t fool me. You just want to see this, but that’s not happening. Come back when you’re qualified.”

“And what do I need to do to be qualified?”

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Namgung Su grinned mischievously, a face he had never shown any other instructor before. “Become a Star Instructor,” he replied.

“Oho?”

Within the span of this short nighttime conversation, both men had learned a lot more about each other.

“However, if you lose to someone like Pung Jinho, you can forget about ever becoming a Star Instructor,” Namgung Su added, his grin vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

“Don’t count on that.” Baek Suryong chuckled, turning to leave.

However, as he opened the door, Namgung Su sent him a telepathic message.

[One more thing. The instructor who took my place that day…was Pung Jinho.]

“Why didn’t you just say that out loud?”

[…Sigh, I seriously can’t stand you.]

Leaving the office, Baek Suryong strolled across the Azure Dragon Academy grounds. As he walked, he reflected on his conversation with Namgung Su.

At first, I saw Namgung Su as an obstacle to becoming a Star Instructor, but…

“Have I been misjudging him all along? I guess I’ll keep observing him for now…”

Eyes shining with renewed interest, Baek Suryong brushed back his wind-swept hair and headed home.