CHAPTER 123 - Class Competitions (Part 4)

Friday, 5:00 PM.

Inside the main auditorium of Cube. All the cadets were sitting, waiting for the start of the singing competition that would mark the end of the first day of Class Competitions.

"Oh, right. Class Competitions are only for first-year" Chae Nayun said as she looked around. "So that's why there are so many seniors here."

There were around 4.000 students inside, which was almost the entire capacity of the auditorium. Most of them were students from second and third years. This was because First-Year students were occupied with their own classes, and the freshmen totaled to only 1.700, which was a lot, taking into account that Cube's entire population only went up to around 5.000.

"Yeah, our second-year seniors can't participate even if they want to, so they're spectating instead." Yoo Yeonha, who was sitting beside her, retorted lightly while looking at her smartwatch.

"Is Kim Hajin really going to represent our class?" Chae Nayun asked as she looked around trying to catch a glimpse of him. He was inside the waiting room, and she couldn't help but worry. After all, he didn't have the looks of someone who could sing well, and nobody had gone with him to karaoke, so it was hard to expect him to be a good singer.

{I hope he doesn't embarrass the class…} Nayun thought.

"He looked confident." Yoo Yeonha said as she turned off her smartwatch, smiling as she looked at the stage. "He also told me to look forward to it, so I'm actually doing so."

On another part of the auditorium, Rachel sat with Olivia and Cristopher, who had his usual water bottle with a few snacks.

"What do you say? Will he sing well?" Olivia asked as she ate popcorn.

"Mm?" Cristopher took a sip from his drink, before smirking. "I would say that he will surprise more than a few."

"Really?" Olivia tilted her head. "I always thought he was tone-deaf"

"Why?" Rachel, who was the only one who wasn't eating or drinking, asked.

"He doesn't look like it." Olivia said. "It's actually a surprise that he offered himself."

"Haha…" Cristopher chuckled. "That's the thing. He didn't."

"Huh? Oh, right. He just offered himself for archery." Olivia said with a smirk.

"Haha…" Looking at them, Rachel could only chuckle awkwardly.

At that moment, the MC finally appeared on stage, and after a brief interaction with the audience, he started the singing competition by presenting the first singer, a girl from World Class.

The first singer started with an R&B song, and soon, more singers followed her, each one with different songs.

{Why is it that no one here sings some rock or metal song? I'm officially disappointed.} Cristopher frowned as he sipped from his drink.

"Hey, give me some of that." Olivia said as he nudged at Cristopher's arm, pointing at the bottle.

"Mm? Sure."

She quickly took a long mouthful, letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Haaa… Thanks." She said as she gave him back the bottle. "It's amazing how you keep that thing cold even when you've been carrying it all day."

"It's actually because of the bottle." He said. "It's quite costly, but was worth every cent I spent on it."

"It sure did."

"Um…" Rachel suddenly poked at his arm. "I want a sip too…"

"Huh? You sure?" Cristopher lifted an eyebrow.

"Yes…"

"If you say so…" Cristopher gave her the bottle, while both he and Olivia looked at Rachel with curious expectation.

Rachel shyly took a sip from the bottle but soon started coughing.

"It's bitter…" She said while pouting.

"I guess it could be if you're not accustomed to drinking beer." Cristopher said with a smile as he patted her head. "You should drink some water to pass the taste."

"Here, this chocolate will also help you, Princess." Olivia said with a smirk as she handed her a chocolate bar.

"Nope, you won't." Cristopher rolled his eyes as he took the chocolate bar which had quite a high content of cocoa, making it really bitter. "That's mine. Here, take this."

He gave her a sweet one instead.

"Tsk." Olivia clicked his tongue and turned to look at the stage.

"Why is it that you guys are always so noisy?" Yi Yeonghan, who was sitting close to them, alongside Kim Suho, Yoo Yeonha, and Chae Nayun, asked.

"Why is it that you are always so bothersome?" Olivia retorted with a frown.

"What?" Yi Yeonghan opened his eyes in surprise. "I'm the bothersome one? You're the ones that never shut up!"

"He's right, Olivia." Cristopher nodded. "You never shut up."

"I'm talking about you too!" Yi Yeonghan said.

"Dude, don't shout. You are not letting me hear the singer." Olivia rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, dude. Shut up. You're bothering the others who only want to hear some singing." Cristopher also rolled his eyes as he sipped from his bottle.

"Now, now… calm down guys." Kim Suho intervened and calmed Yeonghan down. "Let's just enjoy the competition."

As he spoke, someone else started walking up to the stage. It was now the turn for the ninth singer to appear, on the stage appeared a nicely dressed Kim Hajin, with a nicely-fit black jacket and jeans.

"Oh, look at Hajin~" Kim Suho said as he looked at the stage with a wide smile.

Chae Nayun, who looked at this, couldn't help but be dumbstruck while looking at such Kim Suho.

[Please, present yourself.] The MC said as Hajin reached the center of the stage.

Hajin looked around, and all he could see were cadets talking around, mostly because they were still excited at the previous singer who was one of the favorites.

[I'm Kim Hajin from the Veritas Class]

As Hajin spoke, almost every cadet present went silent. He just needed a single line to silence the entire auditorium.

{The art sure paid off, the same with that flute…} Hajin thought as he looked at the whole auditorium.

His voice sounded quite pleasant to the ear through the entire auditorium, which is thanks to both the mix of his new singing art, which he made specifically for this competition and the flute that he bought on Clancy Islet.

[I prepared a song called 'If'] Hajin continued.

['If'?] Asked the MC

[Yes, I don't think many people have heard of it. It was released in 2008.]

At his words, the entire auditorium filled with mutters from the audience. Some were confused, while others were simply deeming him an attention whore for using such an old-fashioned song, as most of the singers until now used more modern songs.

2008 was actually the year where most of these cadets were born, so it's not that weird for them to think that an almost two-decades-old song was actually an old-fashioned song.

[Then, I'll start.]

Unperturbed, Kim Hajin spoke through the microphone once again, and the lights went off, leaving only the one shining over Kim Hajin. A monotonous piano accompaniment started to sound in the background, and Hajin's breath slowly melted into the piano sound.

[If I were to go…]

A single line was enough for the complaints in the auditorium to disappear. His soft vocals seemingly embraced the auditorium, and every cadet present couldn't help but grow quieter as the song progressed. Leaving only his singing voice to ring through the entire place.

[Because I'm like a fool, and can only watch you from afar…]

Hajin kept singing line after line of the song with his eyes closed. Everyone enjoyed the moment in complete calmness, as his unexpectedly beautiful voice captivated everyone present. It wasn't filled with high notes or fancy techniques, but his heavy, delicate, sweet and temperate singing caught everyone's heart.

"...His voice." Chae Nayun couldn't help but mutter in a daze as she looked at Kim Hajin's figure on the stage. His voice captivated her more deeply than any other singer could, and she could even feel how it fluttered in front of her eyes as if she could actually touch it if she reached out in front of her.

[Because I'm afraid of the sadness and hurt that comes after our meeting.]

The final line of the song came, and Hajin finished with a beautiful, but cold falsetto, that melted through the song into the heated atmosphere of the auditorium.

Even after the song ended, everyone sat there in a daze, as if they just woke up from a dream. A daze that soon broke with loud applause from the audience. No one knows who started, but it just extended through the entire auditorium in an instant.

At least most of the cadets present. Chae Nayun just sat there, still in a daze with her eyes closed as she still savored the lingering sound of his voice fluttering in her ears like a beautiful melody.

"Thank you." Kim Hajin said as he bowed with a bashful smile.

As he stood up, his eyes met with Chae Nayun's eyes. They looked into each other's eyes, and Hajin's bashful smile soon turned slightly sour, until it disappeared. He quickly turned around and walked out of the stage.

[You obtain 105 SP]

[Luck bonus activates! You obtain 15% additional SP!]

Soon after leaving the stage, a notification came into his smartwatch.

***

Time passed, and soon the competition came to an end. While Kim Hajin didn't reach first place, he was indeed the first topic of conversation among the cadets. Officially though, he made it to fourth place, as he didn't use many falsettos, which was also used to judge the singers in this competition.

It was already 10 PM, and the night was already present.

Chae Nayun, who went out last after going to the restroom in the auditorium, walked towards the cadets that were waiting for her.

Yoo Yeonha and Shin Jonghak.

"Chae Nayun, where are you going next…? Huam…" Asked Shin Jonghak as he yawned.

"Back to my room." She shortly answered as she looked around. "By the way… Where did he go?"

"Who?" Yoo Yeonha tilted her head.

"...Kim Hajin." She said as she looked at where Rachel was, she was talking with Cristopher and Olivia, but Kim Hajin was nowhere to be seen.

"That person went that way." Yoo Yeonha said as she pointed to a road. "To the church."

"Church?" As she heard her, Chae Nayun turned to look at Yeonha with a confused face.

"Yep." She nodded.

"Why a church?"

"I don't know… why? Does it bother you?" Yeonha asked with a small grin.

"Oh please…" Chae Nayun rolled her eyes as she turned to look again at Rachel and the others, only to find out that Cristopher wasn't there this time, and that both Rachel and Olivia started walking towards the dorm. {The hell?}

"Well, if you aren't doing anything else, I'm going to bed… Huaam…" Shin Jonghak said with a yawn, as he turned to leave to the dorms.

"Yes, please. Go back and sleep." Said Chae Nayun as she lazily waved at him in a non-interested manner.

"...Hmm." Yoo Yeonha meaningfully looked at her strange temperament with a grin. "Nayun, what are you going to do?"

"Nothing." Nayun said with a shrug. "Just gonna go back and play some games before sleep."

"Mmm…" Yeonha's grin widened more. "You're not gonna go to the church, right?"

"W-Why would I-I go there?" She stuttered and grumbled with an uncomfortable face. "I never believed in religion in my entire life. Anyways! I'm leaving."

Chae Nayun started walking towards the dorms grumpily.

"Haha." Yoo Yeonha chuckled and turned to look at the way the church was. {But… What would he go there for? And where did Cristopher go? Maybe…?}

As she thought that, he turned to look at the dorms, before walking towards the church.

"I guess I need to talk to him about the project of the orphanage…" She muttered as she walked.

***

One of the multiple reasons why Cube was considered as the most important and big academy for heroes, was that it had installations for virtually anyone, and this included people with religious beliefs.

There were different places in Cube that were dedicated to religion, and one of them was precisely a church that concentrated some of the major religions in the world.

And right now, Kim Hajin was walking into this particular church.

{This place is bigger than I imagined…} I thought as I made my way towards the praying chair, sitting down on it and looking up at a big cross that hung on the wall.

The place was dark, the only light coming from the moonlight that filtered through the art-filled glass that adorned the sides of the church.

This was considered a holy land, the house of God. The place where all your doubts and troubles could be cleansed.

Where I could find an answer to my dilemma. A place to sit and reflect by myself, surrounded by eminence and holiness.

Or so I thought.

"Ha… This isn't working." I awkwardly smiled.

Contrary to what I expected, I felt nothing. No answer to my doubts, nor comfort to my soul.

{I'm still on the same spot.} I thought as I looked up at the cross. {Maybe it is because I'm an extra and not the main character?}

"Huam…" I yawned, before turning on my smartwatch. Looking at it I could still see the message that I received not long ago.

[Boss: You might have to kill a person. But you will receive a hefty reward.]

[Boss: You won't have to worry about hiding your identity. As Jeronimo Mercenary's apprentice mercenary, we will guarantee your identity will be kept a secret. If you want, we can extend this guarantee even when you become an official mercenary.]

This was the answer I got when I asked how much I would be paid, as it seems they already selected a job for me. It isn't as if I needed more money, but it was the best way to go around with the Chameleon Troupe.

Boss in particular was someone that was highly focused on money, and being as socially inept as she was, money was the only way she knew to appease people.

{Kill a person, huh…} I thought as I read the message again.

Jeronimo Mercenary and Chameleon Troupe, two sides of the same coin. Joining them would mean that I would have to do this kind of job more often than not. I, for sure, didn't know if I was ready. But...

{I have to do it…} I thought as I turned to look at the cross in front again.

Chae Jiyoon. That name came to my mind every time that I saw Chae Nayun's face. The one person I have to kill.

"Ha…"

"Never took you for a religious person." A sudden voice came from behind.

"I'm not, actually. What about you?" I asked as I turned to look at the new visitor of the church.

"I pray to no god, As I'm my own god." Cristopher said as he walked closer, looking at the cross in front. Hands in his pockets.

"Wow. I'm surprised by such a show of humility." I said with a grin as I turned to look at the cross too.

He chuckled.

"It's not that far from reality, though." He continued. "Anyways, what is it that plague your head so much to bring you here?"

"Killing." I said shortly.

"Oh." He nodded.

"Was it difficult for you? The first time, I mean..." I asked.

He tilted his head for a couple of seconds and then shook it. "I would be lying if I said it was."

"That's not helpful..." I sighed.

"No, it isn't." He chuckled. "Look… you and I…we're too different. I grew up in a violent place, even if my family was relatively calm, violence was always part of the equation. And if that wasn't enough, as I grew up, I was filled with senseless hatred. Hatred without any other target but myself."

At his words, I kept quiet without answering, and he sighed.

"When the moment came, all I just had to do was redirect all the hatred that I've accumulated without reason. Killing is easy. You just have to find a trigger." He said as he turned to look at me. "What's difficult is what comes after, but… it gets easier."

"I don't think that I want it to get easier…" I sighed.

"No, you certainly wouldn't. But…" He said as he turned to look at the cross. "That's the path you chose. You can't just live this life the way you're planning to, and not dirty your hands with blood, after all, it's harder not to kill."

"…" I looked down. No matter how I thought about it, killing it's not something that I would want to do, but he was right, and I knew it. This path I chose was something that would require killing from time to time. The only way for me not to do it is to stay in the background, quiet, unannounced, without participating in the main story, and live my life like any other civilian.

"Also, I might be speculating things here, but…" Cristopher said as he turned to walk away. "It's not so much about killing, but who you have to kill, huh?"

"…" He was right.

"Ha… Look." He said as he stopped a few steps away from me, not looking back at me. "I won't tell you to make up your mind on what you have to do. But… just know that, whatever happens, I'm your friend and ally, I'll be here to help you out whatever way I can."

"Thanks, really." I smiled as I heard his words. "It means a lot."

"Sure thing, man." He said, before turning around. "Why don't we hang out a go drink some beer? It will surely hype you up."

{Does this guy only thinks about drinking?} I smiled awkwardly. "No, I'm tired, I think I'll go back to my room."

"Oh, well, suit yourself." He said as he turned around a walked towards the exit of the church.

I gave one last look to the cross, before smirking and following him outside.

{I did not find the help I thought I would get, but at least I found some calmness.} I thought for a moment.

Once outside, there was an unexpected sight waiting for us.

Talking in front of the entrance of the church were Kim Suho and Yoo Yeonha.

"Mm? What are you guys doing here?" Cristopher asked as he tilted his head. "I would expect it from you Kim Suho, but why are you here too, Yoo Yeonha?"

"Huh? What do you mean that you would expect me here?" Kim Suho tilted his head.

{The hell is this guy talking about?} I thought as I also tilted my head.

"Well, you look like a goody-two-shoes that would go to church every Sunday." Cristopher shrugged with a smirk.

I just sighed at his answer.

"Ha… I'm not a goody-two-shoes…" Kim Suho also sighed as he shook his head. "I'm not even that religious…"

"Is that so?" Cristopher asked, before turning to look at Yoo Yeonha. "And you?"

"I was looking for you, I thought you might be here with him." She said as she gave a quick nod towards me. "Do you have time?"

"Sure." Cristopher shrugged as he turned to me. "I guess I'll go drink a beer with her instead. See you later, dude."

"B-Beer? But I don't drink…" Yoo Yeonha muttered dumbfounded as she looked at Cristopher, before saying goodbye and going after him.

"I don't really know how you can simply ignore his antics…" Suho said as he sighed.

"Haha… I guess it's just a matter of getting used to it…" I smiled awkwardly as I scratched the back of my head. "Also, he's not really that bad, it's just his mouth that doesn't have a turn-off button…"

"Right…" Kim Suho also smiled awkwardly. "He seems to say whatever he thinks without any care."

"Haha… Yes, that sums it up pretty well. So? Where you going to the church?"

"Yes, actually." He said. "But I don't think it's necessary now."

As he talked he turned to look at Cristopher's back with a serious face.

"Hey." He suddenly asked me. "Do you know… Ha… Forget it. I guess we all have our secrets, right?"

As he asked, he turned to look at me with a smile.

"…" I looked at him, and also smiled. "Yes, I guess we all have our secrets."

***

On one of the restaurants inside of Cube, Cristopher sat with Yoo Yeonha, he was currently eating a hamburger and fries, while drinking beer.

"So? What was it that you wanted to talk about?" I said as I picked a fry.

"...Suup, Mm? Ah? Ah! Yes… Yes…" Yoo Yeonha nodded as she looked at me eating the fry. "I-I wanted to talk about the orphanage."

"The orphanage? What about it?" I tilted my head as I picked another fry.

"W-Well…" Yeonha locked her gaze on the fry. "… I had this plan about… the infrastructure. The orphanage has a shelter underground, but it's not sturdy enough to defend against monsters…"

"Yeah, I know." I said as I picked another fry, eating it slowly. "Actually, the entire building would crumble at any monster's attack."

"Yes…" Yeonha nodded as she stared at me.

"You're drooling." I said with a smirk as I pointed at her mouth with a fry.

"Yes… Ah! suuup." Cleaning the drool from her mouth, she turned red, looking away. "Did you have to buy such gross food?"

{How can you deny something so obvious?} I thought as I chuckled at her muttering and gritting teeth.

"You can eat too, you know? The gross food, I mean." I smirked.

"N-n-no… thanks. I don't like that type of food." She said as she looked down at her salad, before sighing. "As I was saying… I was thinking about reinforcing the shelter and making a better environment in there, right now it's no different than a metal box…"

"Sure, but I don't know why would you tell me this. You should consult with Fran, though I'm sure she would just tell you to do it." I told her before taking a bite from my hamburger.

"I don't wish to do something without consulting it with you or her… And well, you are in Cube, and I don't have much time to go out to the orphanage directly." She said as she took a glance at the hamburger.

"Ha…" I sighed as I put down the hamburger and leaned my head on my hands while my elbows were rested on the table. My eyebrow raised. "I have to ask, why are you so hellbent on denying that you like this type of food?"

"B-Because I-I don't like it! It's disgusting." Yeonha said as she snorted. Saliva dripped from her mouth as her eyes locked on the hamburger and fries. "...Suup… Anyways, you haven't answered me."

"Mm…" I smirked. Leaning back on the seat. "Eat a fry, or I won't answer you."

"Ah? W-W-WHY!?" She shouted.

"Mm? Why-" I was going to ask why not, but couldn't even finish my line when she already picked a fry.

"Kuhum… Well, if you say so, I guess I-I d-don't have any c-choice." Yeonha said as she gulped hard and took the fry to her mouth. "I need that answer soon, if I have to e-eat t-this disgusting fry… I'll have to sacrifice myself… Yes…"

{If you're going to lie like that, at least make sure not to have stars in your eyes…} I thought as I sighed. "Yes, yes…"

I sat there for a moment as Yeonha kept eating fry after fry without even looking at me.

"You know…" I said after she almost emptied the plate. "I only said one."

"Ñom, ñom… Mm? Ñom… Ah...?" Yeonha froze, with a fry halfway in her mouth, and one more in her other hand.

"Ho…" I smirked amused. "See? You totally dig this kind of food. Stop trying to fool yourself. Life's too short to deny yourself the little things that you enjoy."

{Funny thing to be saying that with how much I've been alive.} I thought for a moment, but quickly pushed the thought away, after all, it wasn't me the one denying himself a small pleasure of life.

"…" Yeonha quietly ate the last three fries, before cleaning her face with a napkin, and looking at me. "As I've said before, I don't like such disgusting food."

"Right…" I chuckled. {You look more like a tomato with how red you are right now, kid.}

"Anyways, we were talking about the orphanage reformations." Yeonha said.

"Yeah, go ahead. Make those reformations." I said as I finished the fries that remained when a thought suddenly came to my mind. "Also… make sure to build it as sturdy as possible."

"Huh?" Yeonha tilted her head. "It's a safety bunker, of course it should be sturdy."

"Don't build it as just a simple safety bunker. Make it as if you were trying to build the strongest, most unbreakable and impenetrable bunker, that won't allow anything to go in or out of it when necessary."

"…" Yoo Yeonha tilted her head. "...Why?"

"Just do it." I said, before stopping. "You know what? Forget it. Build that one as you were going to. But, I do need one bunker like that. Do you happen to have any property at hand in a secluded place where I can build that unbreakable bunker?"

"…" She just looked at me with her mouth slightly open and lost eyes. "...I-I guess I know of a place…"

"Perfect, can you arrange it?" I asked. "Money's not a problem."

"N-No! I mean yes! It's not a problem at all!" She said suddenly. "I'll arrange it for you. But-"

"Sorry, no question asked." I said. "Anyways. Thanks for that."

"No need to thank me…" She said as she looked down.

"Well." I stretched and stood up. "I lost my appetite, so I'll take my leave now."

"Huh? Already? But you haven't finished eating." She said as she looked a the hamburger.

"It's okay, you can give it to someone who needs it." I shrugged as I started walking outside, only to stop beside her. "Hey, what I said before. Think about it. Life's really too short, try not to stop yourself from enjoying whatever you like. Of course, you can also keep lying to yourself, whatever fits you best."

I shrugged before I started to walk again outside.

"What does it have to do with you…" A mutter from Yoo Yeonha came from behind.

I finally left the store with a smile on my face.