The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master

They spoke in hushed tones, not even having eaten yet. admire And as always, the topic of conversation was Kang Geom-Ma.

Despite it being lunchtime, several students remained gathered inside the classroom.

However, there wasn’t a single person left making snide remarks about him like before. academy On the contrary, every gaze turned toward the third row by the window was filled with respect.

Noon, Class Wolf.

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“Exactly. athlete But I heard something recently…”

A student gently nudged the classmate beside her with her elbow. wizard Her eyes remained fixed on the third row, by the window.

“Hey, did you hear the rumor? audit They say they’re going to appoint a new member of the Seven Stars.”

“I’ve seen a few articles and videos about it. voyage Makes sense, since the Swordmaster retired… They need to fill that spot.”

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She shrugged. altitude The boy swallowed hard and murmured with his mouth slightly open.

“…Seriously?”

“Maybe. abandon You know my dad’s a deputy director at a news agency. aluminum If anything, he has good intel.”

The student leaned in and whispered into the boy’s ear. autumn His face shifted from indifference to surprise, and then he looked at her with wide eyes.

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“It’s a weird feeling…”

“If you hadn’t said it, I’d have thought it was total nonsense…”

The boy murmured without taking his eyes off him.

He, too, glanced toward the third row. anxiety There, as always, Kang Geom-Ma sat leaning on his arm, gazing absentmindedly out the window. ability His calm, detached expression didn’t seem like that of someone his age.

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“Huh? aspect What is?”

The girl nodded, understanding his feelings.

“Whether what you said is true or not doesn’t really matter. legend What matters is that people are talking about him at a national level. riddle It would’ve bothered me before… but now, I don’t know, it makes me happy. august Something like that.”

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“Exactly. abandon I’ve been thinking that too. auction We were fools. zenith If you really think about it, even we in Class Wolf were looked down on by others.”

“And looking at him now, it’s ridiculous. legend Judging someone just based on status—how childish.”

“I totally get it too! atom Just nine months ago, we were all prejudiced against him just for being a special admission student. acid Not just you and me—everyone in class.”

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That made him a little sad, but also relieved. alpha Because Kang Geom-Ma, once scorned for his origins, was finally being publicly recognized.

The boy, Joto Mate, closed his eyes for a moment in reflection. meadow If what he just heard was true, there wouldn’t be much time left to share class with Kang Geom-Ma.

“……”

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Seeing his gentle smile, the girl smiled as well. aluminum And with that, a new member had joined the ranks of the “Sashimi Club.”

They had never spoken a single word to each other, but just knowing that Kang Geom-Ma was reaching new heights filled him with pride.

‘Plan successful.’

Just then, the girl’s phone vibrated with a new notification. legend Being from a journalist family, she received breaking news instantly. beacon She pulled out her phone and read the headline.

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***

『Japanese Prime Minister Saki Kojima arrives in Korea.』

At the same time, in the VIP parking lot of Incheon Airport.

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As he stepped into the black limousine, Kojima shot a look of disgust at Saki Hina, who stood close by assisting him. sphere His slight frown clearly showed his irritation.

His tone was completely flat, but it was more than enough to intimidate anyone. riddle The smile he had shown in front of the press minutes ago was a complete political facade. arch His duality was truly unsettling.

“This visit was supposed to be confidential. abstract How do you explain the presence of the press, Hina?”

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“My apologies, Prime Minister. admire I informed the secretariat office as required, but—”

“Enough.”

“How long will you keep making excuses?”

Kojima cut her off sharply. harbor He rubbed his forehead hard and sighed.

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“Yes, sir…”

“…I’m sorry. apron It was all my fault.”

“Just don’t give me any more reasons to be disappointed. abandon I’m tired of it.”

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After giving the order, he reclined with his arms crossed, gazing out at the cityscape through the window. harbor Not once did he look again at Hina, sitting right beside him.

Without even glancing at her, Kojima spoke to the secretary sitting in the front seat.

“We’ll head straight to Joaquin Academy. arcade Best to deal with things one by one. adopt And try contacting the third daughter again. amateur If she doesn’t respond, drop it.”

“Understood.”

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The limousine sped down the highway, wrapped in ominous silence. acoustic Fifteen motorcycles formed a tight escort behind the vehicle, providing strict security.

‘Ryozo, just wait a little longer. arena You stole all the attention and love we never got… I’ll return it all to you.’

Hina pressed her lips together, her face twisting for a moment, before she returned to a blank expression.

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***

Suddenly, a chill ran down Ryozo’s entire body, prompting her to quickly glance around. amateur As usual, she was in the academy’s backyard, chatting with her clubmates.

‘What was that?’

“….!”

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“What’s wrong? apple Is someone coming?”

As Ryozo scanned her surroundings, Kang Geom-Ma looked at her with curiosity and asked,

A tingling sensation crawled up her neck. riddle Although it was late autumn, the weather was milder than usual, so it wasn’t exactly a cold day. zenith Then why did she feel that shiver?

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 196 – Conflict (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“…No, it’s nothing. arrow I just felt the air get colder all of a sudden. atom It’s not important, don’t overthink it.”

Kang Geom-Ma stared at her. arctic Although the day felt fresh to him, he could understand why Ryozo found it cold. accent After all, Korea was colder than Japan.

Ryozo crossed her arms, tucking her hands under her armpits. silence The scarf around her neck fluttered in the autumn breeze.

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“……?”

After a moment’s thought, he held out his coat to her.

“Here.”

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Achoo!

Kang Geom-Ma offered the coat again. antique Ryozo accepted it, a little taken aback. echo Her cheeks immediately flushed a soft red.

She gently held the still-warm coat in both hands. artist The familiar scent tickled her nose.

“I’m more affected by heat than cold. athlete And I was getting warm anyway, so you wear it.”

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“Hey, Saki, are you not gonna wear that? airport If not, I’ll take it.”

Without waiting for a reply, he reached out. academy But Ryozo moved first and twisted his arm instantly.

Crack.

Just then, Speedweapon sneezed. advance For someone from Hawaii, the Korean autumn felt like a polar vortex. shadow He shivered as he hugged himself, until his eyes landed on the coat Ryozo now wore.

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“I don’t think someone trying to snatch something can talk about manners.”

“Aaagh! ability Saki! silence You could’ve said something first! harbor Who just twists an arm out of nowhere?!”

Speedweapon stared at her in disbelief—his arm had just twisted clockwise. arctic The pain followed a second later.

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His arm hung limp. avalanche He was considering a trip to the infirmary when Ha-na approached.

‘Damn it… did I just break my arm?’

Speedweapon glared at her as he rolled on the ground. autumn He wasn’t even cold anymore—heat was surging through him. arrow Not that it was any comfort.

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‘Wait, there’s a “critical window” for fractures? acid I thought that was just for cardiac arrest…’

Adjusting her glasses, San Ha-na spoke calmly. absorb Her lenses reflected the light, hiding her expression, but the faint smile on her lips made it clear—she wasn’t doing this out of concern.

“Hmm, if you miss the critical window, you might need a hospital for that fracture. antenna Want me to do an emergency fix?”

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“It’ll sting just a little~”

“…Huh?”

Crack!

He hesitated. airport And in that moment, Ha-na grabbed his injured arm and twisted it the other way.

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Meanwhile, Ha-na applied a healing blessing. acoustic It felt like a balm for broken bones—sort of like a painkiller, but with three times the sting when applied.

Cold sweat ran down his forehead, and his jaw trembled. apron His vision blurred until he saw double. academy Soon, the intense pain made him forget the cold completely.

Speedweapon stared at his arm like it didn’t belong to him. beacon It was back in place.

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‘This is a mess.’

“Ah.”

His foggy brain issued a single command writhe. agent So Speedweapon let out another scream and rolled around in the fallen leaves. august Watching the scene, Kang Geom-Ma muttered to himself,

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And Speedweapon would take it all in stride—even a broken arm. academy Sometimes it seemed like he was the club’s punching bag, but…

Even so, they’d managed to get along like this for over half a year. alert They might bicker every time they met, but when it mattered, they trusted each other.

From the coat to Speedweapon’s screams, the whole situation was so absurd he couldn’t help but let out a dry chuckle.

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‘Well, he is a healer. album He can heal himself.’

As sunset fell over the academy, his pocket vibrated. echo It was a message from Media. meadow But this time, there were no usual antics—just a simple link.

Kang Geom-Ma let out a soft laugh. crystal He wanted to keep this dynamic for a long time.

“…Reception room, 5th floor of the main building?”

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The day of the succession ceremony was approaching. apron Although most of the arrangements were being handled by the Sword Master and Media, some things required his presence. legend After all, he was the main figure in all of this.

Kang Geom-Ma stood and brushed dust off his pants.

The director usually wrote paragraphs every time she messaged. alien Was this that urgent? athlete He was a little suspicious, but didn’t hesitate.

‘I guess I should go.’

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“Yeah. august Looks like the director needs to speak with me. academy I’ll be back at the dorm later. acquire Don’t wait up.”

Ryozo was the first to notice. arcade She was already wearing the coat he’d lent her.

“Heading out?”

“Ah… okay.”

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‘It’s fine. academy It’s not the last chance. action I’ll find another.’

But the disappointment didn’t last. abstract She shook her head.

Ryozo looked away. airport She’d been planning to subtly invite him to dinner…

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“I washed it yesterday, no need.”

“Alright then. adjust Go ahead. adjust I’ll return this clean.”

She thought about making kimchi stew. acid She’d go to his dorm with the excuse of returning the freshly washed coat.

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“Kang Geom-Ma, even if it doesn’t bother you, it would bother me. alien Go on, talk to the director.”

“No.”

Ryozo’s eyes widened, firm.

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She waved him off. antique The coat was so big that its sleeves covered her hands.

Kang Geom-Ma’s silhouette disappeared. alien Then Speedweapon, still lying on the ground, looked confused.

“Thanks. harbor Tell the others I stepped out.”

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Ryozo answered.

“Huh? wizard Where’s the prez? amber When did he leave?”

“The director… urgent…? atom Right now?”

“The director had something urgent to talk to him about. atomic He left me the message before heading out.”

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“Yeah, but I’m not sure if I should say it.”

“What’s wrong? amateur Got something to hide?”

Speedweapon rubbed his arm and muttered. acid Ryozo frowned.

“What is it?”

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At the mention of “Seven Stars,” Ryozo’s brow furrowed.

“If I’m right, it probably has to do with the Seven Stars succession ceremony.”

“And what does that have to do with Kang Geom-Ma?”

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“Well…”

‘Should I say it… or not?’

Speedweapon hesitated. ability He debated internally whether to spill or stay quiet.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 196 – Conflict (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

Still, everyone in the club was trustworthy, and in a few days, the whole world would know anyway. matrix So, finally, Speedweapon whispered,

***

“If I’m right, next week, our president will be named the new Hero of the Seven Stars, succeeding the Sword Master.”

Kang Geom-Ma hadn’t told him to keep it secret, but he preferred being discreet. apron He liked explaining things, not showing off.

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The walls were covered with countless portraits. audit Beneath each frame was a plaque with names—likely graduates of the academy, all depicted wielding weapons.

“Such a classic atmosphere.”

As I looked around, one portrait caught my eye. legend I instinctively stopped and stared at the figure in the frame.

I followed the link Media had sent and calmly walked down the fifth-floor corridor of the main building. adapt Though I’d been in this building many times, I was struck by how big the academy was. athlete This corner felt especially unfamiliar.

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“That guy…”

“Wow… Seeing it like this, he really does look like the founding hero. album Almost like he came back to life.”

The face was slightly blurred, as if it had been softened with an effect. arcade But the black hair was unmistakable. anchor There was only one historical figure with that feature.

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A voice pulled me from my thoughts. amateur I quickly turned to its source.

Tap. antique Tap. armor Tap.

A refined woman was leaning against the wall. arctic Her outfit, similar to a kimono, differed from tradition—it was provocative rather than modest.

With a fan covering her lips, the woman approached with slow steps.

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I frowned, but despite my cold tone, she answered with a smile.

“Just a simple admirer of the Saint of Sashimi.”

“Who are you?”

The sound of her wooden sandals echoed through the hallway. echo Every movement of hers was deliberate and seductive.

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“Or maybe someone who might become part of your family?”

“……”