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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: New Goals
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That night, after Dayin finally left.
The four members of the PMC were gathered in the room, their spirits sinking into gloom.
"...Did Teacher Dayin really go...?"
Number 2 mumbled, burying her face in her knees.
Towards Number 2, who mumbled with her face hidden by her beige hair,
Number 3, with short red hair, sitting cross-legged, then spoke with an effort to sound cheerful.
"...Still! He said he'd come see us a few times a week. Let's not be so disheartened!"
"No... I want to see him every day... Teacher Dayin..."
However, Number 3's words were cut short by Number 4, a small figure whining and slumped on the floor.
"...Actually, I miss him too."
Even Number 3 then admitted her true feelings in such a dejected voice, and slumped her head against the wall.
The three of them slumped down again.
Having lost everything—home, friends, and family—and abandoned, they had volunteered for this PMC, grasping at straws.
And the only one who encouraged, comforted, and acknowledged these wounded girls, gathered together, was Dayin.
They had felt the warmth of a guardian's presence for the first time, something they had never experienced before.
Therefore, the shock of his departure was immense, as they had relied on Dayin and leaned on him psychologically to such an extent.
Just as everyone was sinking into gloom.
Number 1, the man with his gray hair tied back, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, snorted and then spoke.
"...Are you all fools?"
"What? Hey, Lee Se-geom, aren't you even sad that Teacher Dayin just left like this?"
"Of course I'm disappointed, but what will change if we just slump around and whine like this?"
Having said that, he opened his eyes, gripped his sword, and spoke.
"...Have you already forgotten what Dayin told us? A great crisis will come to the world, and we are the ones who must step up. Are you going to abandon Dayin's will?"
"What does that have to do with Teacher Dayin abandoning us now..."
"It does. If we work harder and ascend to a higher level of strength, won't he look at us again?"
As Number 1 spoke with such passionate, burning eyes, everyone seemed to be swayed, thinking, '...Is that so?'
And sensing that mood, Number 1 drove the point home even more firmly.
"Yes. What did he say was the reason he had to leave us? Didn't he say he couldn't help it because he had more important work within the company? So if we grow further and become that 'important work,' won't he return to us?"
Saying so, he mumbled, looking at the starlight in the dark night sky outside the window.
"Yes... if we become strong like that hero, Stardust... won't he look at us again?
Number 1.
Among these four, he was the youngest after Number 4, a minor.
Although young, he had seen all the worst of the world, having been an enforcer for a criminal organization since childhood, making him mature for his age.
But no matter how mature, a child is still a child. Having lived as an enforcer from a young age, his heart was sick, and though he pretended to be indifferent on the outside, he lived with a deep wound inside.
And it was Dayin who first recognized his true feelings.
'It's okay to cry. Shedding tears is nothing to be ashamed of.'
That night, after a heart-to-heart conversation with Dayin, Number 1 made a decision.
That he would consider him his true master, and that he would live as his sword from now on.
After a brief recollection, Number 1 spoke to the remaining three, who were slumped.
"So, we have no choice but to train like hell and move forward. When that crisis he spoke of, whatever it is, finally comes, he will eventually seek us out again."
"...Still."
"And besides, Dayin always said he would visit us every week. If we show stagnant progress and don't improve, wouldn't he be disappointed in us?"
"Ugh... Is that so..."
The three of them seemed somewhat convinced. Yes, it sounded right. If they kept growing, wouldn't he look at them again?
Just as everyone was filled with such thoughts and a certain hope.
Number 2, who had been listening quietly, raised a finger and spoke to everyone.
"And, there's something else we need to do."
"...What is it?"
At Number 1's reply, Number 2 fell silent in thought.
Number 2, with her beige hair.
Enraged at a classmate who teased and bullied her for not having parents in her childhood, she unconsciously shot a light arrow with her ability.
Fortunately, there were no casualties, but the child was injured, so the parents were furious. As the story got twisted, she was quickly branded a monster, as if she had gone on a rampage with a knife, and she fled school as if escaping.
Since then, she developed a fundamental distrust of others.
She became always prickly and hostile towards others. Yet, deep down, she harbored a desire to befriend others.
And it was Dayin who brought this to the surface and comforted her wounds.
'It's okay to make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. Even if everyone else slanders and curses you for a single mistake... I, for one, will believe in you.'
She initially pushed him away. She thought he was just like other adults, steeped in pretense.
But he continuously and sincerely treated her well, even when she was prickly.
Having opened her heart only to Dayin, she had no intention of letting their relationship end as merely a formal one of teacher and student.
With such thoughts, Number 2 spoke.
"So, we'll train like that, and in our spare time, let's investigate Teacher Dayin."
"Investigate... Teacher Dayin?"
"Yes, think about it. Is it possible that someone of his skill has never been exposed to the public before? He must be hiding his identity and active somewhere. Whether as a hero or something else."
Having said that, Number 2, Seo Chae-yeong, smirked and said.
"That way we'll discover his true side... Then he'll tell us everything without hiding anything, and we can get closer. What do you think?"
"Oh, not bad at all?"
"...Sounds right. I'll start looking into former heroes now."
While everyone was burning with enthusiasm at the thought of investigating Dayin.
Number 1, who should have stopped them, was quietly deep in thought, leaning against the wall.
'He's probably hiding his identity and active, yes. That's possible.'
Even in the organization he belonged to, it was rare to see someone with Dayin's skill. And the way he helped with their training implied battle experience that would be impossible otherwise.
Thus, Dayin's statement to them that he 'just works as a clerk at Yoosung Group' was very likely just an excuse. He might truly be doing something else.
Especially considering his connection to Yoosung Corporation...
'My organization explicitly told me never to touch anything related to Yoosung Corporation, no matter what.'
They pretended to be a clean company on the surface, but in reality, they were the shadowy figures controlling South Korea.
Given his connection to such a company, Dayin might quietly be operating as a villain in the shadows.
Number 1 then conveyed his opinion to the other three, and they all nodded, saying they would keep it in mind.
"Well, it doesn't matter much if Teacher is a villain or a hero."
Number 2 merely said that much.
Thus, from that day forward, the PMC members had two major tasks.
One was to train and spar daily, growing to a higher stage.
The second was to secretly investigate Dayin and uncover his hidden identity.
Only these two.
***
"I feel like the net is tightening..."
"What do you mean, Oppa?"
"No, I just have a strange feeling..."
In the original story, Stardust had two abilities.
Physical enhancement and flight ability using the power of starlight.
And another ability she possessed, though not officially recognized, was extrasensory perception.
But these days, I've been thinking about something else.
Actually, if you think about it, Stardust and I share the same source of power... so maybe I have extrasensory perception too?
Otherwise, this strange feeling I sometimes get can't be explained.
Well, that's probably not the case. It's probably just my imagination and a matter of my condition.
But, more than that...
"Kids, how about you back off a bit now?"
"No way, Oppa, who knows where you'll run off to again?"
"Yeah, yeah, that's right."
"Alright~ Just endure it~"
Seo Eun holding my right arm, Eun-wol holding my left arm, and Seo Ja-young even lying with her head on my lap.
"No... I'm back now, where would I go? I'm hot..."
"I'll turn on the air conditioner."
"It's almost autumn, what air conditioner..."
Beep. With that sound, the air conditioner turned on.
I let out a sigh of resignation in the midst of it all.
"Hmph. Didn't you know this would happen after coming back after two months?"
"Dayin-ssi. Have some fruit."
"Ah, thank you, Soo-bin-ssi. Seo Eun, could you move your hand so I can eat the fruit..."
"No, I'll just feed it to you."
"Wait... Mph."
Chewing on the orange Soo-bin-ssi gave me, I rested. My arms and legs were numb, but...
Anyway, I successfully finished raising the PMC after investing a full two months.
So, now...?
Time for more terrorism, I guess.
Stardust is never strong enough, no matter how much she grows.
With that, I began to devise my next plan.
First, I'll rest a bit...