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After finishing the conversation with Master, I returned to the dormitory and explained everything to Hayoon.

Long story short, the two of us have to go to Gyeongju, complete Master’s mission, and come back. All expenses will be covered by the card in my hand. The mission details will naturally become clear once we arrive in Gyeongju.

Every morning, we have to attend remote classes with Teacher Choi Ye-na. The duration is unknown even to Master. Depending on how we do, it might end before the vacation, or we might spend the entire vacation in Gyeongju.

“That’s how it is.”

Hayoon, who had been listening quietly, tilted her head.

“But… what about our midterm exams?”

Hmm.

That was a sharp and precise observation.

Does turning dark enhance one’s intelligence?

It was something I hadn’t even thought of.

Not that I’m dumb or anything.

Really.

“You’re right, what about our midterm exams?”

“…Didn’t you ask before leaving?”

“Didn’t even cross my mind.”

“….”

Hayoon almost gave me a look of disappointment but quickly returned to her gentle expression.

Turning dark… that’s quite something.

If it were the old Hayoon, she would’ve definitely scolded me, but now she just lets it slide.

The plan to bring Hayoon back… I think it was a good call to abandon it.

I called Master to ask, and they said they’d send an instructor to Gyeongju for the midterm exams.

‘Is this really okay?’

Well, I’ll just do as I’m told.

Since we were planning to leave early the next morning, I went around the dormitory to say goodbye to everyone.

Most people reacted with disbelief, wondering what kind of field experience learning happens at this time, but the instructors and the dorm supervisor didn’t seem fazed.

Apparently, there have been special cases like this before, so similar things must’ve happened back then too.

Anyway.

Let’s hurry up and go eat some meat.

With the dormitory free use pass I got from the supervisor, I got permission to go out and headed to a Hanwoo (Korean beef) restaurant outside the academy.

Of course, since it’s not my card, I brought Chae-song and Chae-rin along too.

Bragging with someone else’s money is the true way.

“Auntie! First, give us 20 servings of sirloin!”

“Huh? Are you academy students coming as a group?”

“No, it’s just the four of us.”

Hayoon, Chae-song, Chae-rin, and me.

I’ll eat 15 servings myself.

If the others eat 5 servings, it should be just right.

We can finish with bulgogi or yukhoe after the sirloin.

“Four people eating 20 servings? Isn’t that too much?”

“We’ll order more if we need to, don’t worry, we’re big eaters.”

“…Alright, but no refunds once the meat is served.”

“Got it!”

Refunding meat? That’s a luxury only oil tycoons can afford.

Nothing like that will ever happen in front of me.

The Lee sisters seem to have gotten used to my appetite and don’t get surprised anymore.

It was kinda cute when they used to be shocked, going, ‘Eek… can you really eat all that?’

While we were chatting, the side dishes started piling up on the table.

The quality of the side dishes is another strength of this Hanwoo restaurant.

Of course, the usual stuff you see at other meat places is here as standard.

Shrimp sauce, marinated crab.

Hanwoo seaweed soup.

Even domestically grown Korean fernbrake.

I’ve only ever seen Chinese-grown fernbrake at other restaurants, but here it’s domestic.

Domestic fernbrake has broad, thick leaves with a fresh, vibrant green color.

You can tell it’s domestic without even looking at the origin label. This is the real deal.

Honestly, I was a bit skeptical about the restaurant’s quality at first because the auntie spoke casually… but this Hanwoo place exceeded my expectations.

The neatly arranged dishes on the table were as balanced as those in a high-end Korean fine dining restaurant.

Starting off like this already feels amazing.

My expectations for the sirloin that’s about to come out are rising by the minute.

“The meat’s here.”

“Whoaaa!”

A cart carrying 20 servings of meat was wheeled over.

Even the customers eating nearby were staring, wondering what was going on.

The bright crimson base with marbling spread evenly like snowflakes sprinkled on top.

Just by looking at it, you can tell it’s top-grade sirloin.

Even before grilling, my mouth was already watering.

‘There’s so much meat, when will I ever finish grilling it all?’

But I’ll do it. I have to.

Just as I picked up the tongs to welcome the meat into my body.

“You guys just relax, the auntie will grill it for you.”

“Wow! Really?”

“With those slender arms of yours, you’d be sick by tomorrow if you tried grilling this.”

The auntie who spoke casually at first… turned out to be a real gem.

She recognized our academy uniforms, so she must’ve known we’re Awakened Ones, yet she still offered to grill the meat herself, mentioning our ‘slender arms.’

I’ve heard there are people who go out of their way to eat at places with grumpy old ladies.

Maybe they feel the same way I do.

An auntie like this… I wouldn’t mind even if she cursed me out.

“One bottle of soju, please!”

The moment the four of us, young beauties in school uniforms, called out for soju in our youthful voices, all eyes in the restaurant turned to us.

The stares were even more intense than when the cart of meat was wheeled over.

‘Oops.’

My old habits came out because I was in such a good mood.

“Soju? What soju? At least show some sincerity by taking off your uniforms.”

“Sorry, we were just copying the adults.”

“Well, you’re not drinking, right? Then it’s a no. You’ll have to drink when you’re older, whether you like it or not, so just hold off for now.”

“Okay.”

The cool auntie’s nagging didn’t even register in my ears.

Because the meat was already on the grill.

The sizzling sound drowned out the auntie’s voice and pierced my ears.

‘Sluuurp.’

I barely managed to hold back the drool and stared at the meat like I was about to devour it.

“Gyeoul, your eyes are gonna fall out.”

“Haven’t you heard? You eat food with your eyes before your mouth.”

“…Now you’re eating with your eyes too?”

…Do they think I’m some kind of monster?

The look in their eyes says, ‘Are you really going to eat it with your eyes?’

“…I’m not really eating it, just appreciating it.”

“Somehow, I thought you could eat it with your eyes too.”

“…Isn’t that a bit rude?”

For some reason, Hayoon seems to have reverted to her old self at the meat restaurant.

Giggle giggle.

Hahaha.

The Lee sisters are busy laughing.

I thought I heard laughter from above and glanced up to see the auntie laughing while grilling the meat.

But as soon as she noticed me looking, she went back to her serious grilling mode.

‘…What’s with these people.’

Why are they laughing so much at treating me like a monster?

Just as I was about to say something to Chae-rin, who laughed the hardest.

“Don’t even think about fighting among friends, just eat this.”

“Okay!”

Perfectly grilled sirloin was placed on my plate at just the right moment.

I was planning to snatch the tongs if she overcooked it or drained all the juices… but the cool auntie’s grilling skills were just as cool.

As I inhaled the rich aroma of the meat, Hayoon almost made a big mistake.

“Stop!”

“…What, what is it?”

The first bite should be eaten plain, without any dipping sauce or sides.

You have to savor the pure taste of the meat.

“Don’t dip it in anything, the first bite is just the meat.”

“…Young boomer, no, little boomer.”

“Hey, listen to me.”

If I waste any more time, the taste of my precious meat will start to fade.

I need to get it in my mouth ASAP.

Nom-

‘Ahhh, the sirloin is melting in my mouth….’

The perfectly timed piece of meat the auntie grilled started melting as soon as it entered my mouth.

“Auntie… want to come work at my house?”

“This kid didn’t even get any soju, how is she already drunk?”

I was half-serious, but it seems she took it as the ramblings of a child.

“Wow, this is really delicious!”

“Now that I think about it, isn’t this our first time eating beef?”

“Yeah, it’s our first time.”

“…What?”

First time eating beef?

I almost teared up.

Come to think of it, I’ve never heard about the Lee sisters’ family background.

Never having eaten beef before, did they grow up in extreme poverty?

These kids… pulling an emotional attack on me here, that’s cheating.

I discreetly wiped away a single tear rolling down my cheek.

I handed over my portion of sirloin to Chae-song and Chae-rin.

“This time, try wrapping it in fernbrake.”

“Next, dip it in the soy sauce with chopped onions, that’s the best sauce.”

“Finally, try it with a bit of wasabi, and then keep eating with the sauce you like the most.”

I gave up my entire portion of sirloin to teach the Lee sisters how to enjoy beef.

To make me go this far… these sisters are something else.

But I can’t give up any more than this.

I rolled up my sleeves and started inhaling the meat.

Then, I started eating faster than the auntie could grill, and she began to panic.

“…Slow down, you’ll choke.”

“I’m fiiine!”

The moment I mumbled “I’m fine” with a mouthful of sirloin, all the meat in my mouth disappeared.

“Thief!”

“What are you talking about, thief?!”

“The meat’s gone!”

“…What?”

The auntie grilling the meat was stunned.

But…

“The meat in my mouth just disappeared!”

“Quit messing around….”

“Heheh! The sirloin just melts away!”

Ding-dong-

Ding-dong-

Ding-dong-

Other tables, watching my eating show with added nonsense, suddenly started ringing their bells.

“We’ll take 2 servings of sirloin….”

“We’ll take three servings of sirloin, please!”

“Wow, that student is really enjoying it, can we get the same setup as that student’s table? Huh? 20 servings?… No, what….”

A sirloin craze suddenly broke out in the Hanwoo restaurant.

In the end, they ran out of sirloin.

Since only a small amount comes from each cow, they didn’t stock much.

Later on, I heard that the Hanwoo restaurant I was at, ‘Kim Satgat,’ became famous nationwide as the best sirloin restaurant, and their sales tripled.

‘The sirloin just melts away.’

 

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