Chapter 232 – Heavenly Class (1)

A luxury villa near Joaquin Academy. It was a place Media had specially prepared for her sister.

An interior gleaming like a palace. But despite the spaciousness, there were only a few white appliances as furnishings, giving the place an empty atmosphere. The glossy marble floor made the chill even more apparent.

Media placed her hands on her hips as she scolded.

“Sister! Are you crazy or what? Because of you, Geom-Ma had to go deal with Kojima! To clean up your mess!”

She was speaking toward a lump of blankets puffed up in the corner of the huge room.

“……”

No response. Media smacked her chest in frustration.

“Wow, the dog barks, the dog barks! When someone talks, at least try to listen! If you ignore me that blatantly, it just makes me want to keep going. Ugh, seriously… why is everyone in my family like this? I say the problem isn’t just the Poison family. The problem is all the old folks! No one has a decent personality except me!”

Then, the blanket shifted slightly, and a voice came from inside.

“Duri, I think you’re not that normal either…”

“Not normal!? I have one sister, and the first thing she does after showing up is punch the Prime Minister of Japan! My father, who leads the Hero Association, gets lost every other week in some closed-door retreat! And me, the younger sister and director, I have to handle everything! If I’m not the sane one in this family, then who is!”

“But you still have a very obvious weakness for ‘a certain person’ who’s still a student. And that’s wrong if you’re the director.”

Meain giggled from within the sheets. Media’s patience hit its limit.

Her eyes rolled back completely.

“You… damn sister of mine!”

Media lunged at the blanket, fists first. Meain, skillful, quickly rolled herself up and slipped away across the floor like butter on marble. Her movements were fast and nimble.

Media chased her with an expression screaming “I’m gonna eat you alive.” But Meain slipped away with ease, as if covered in oil.

A chase began inside a villa of more than a hundred meters. From the outside, it looked like a comedy sketch.

“Stop right there!”

“I don’t wanna~!”

Hard to believe these were two of the most influential figures, known as the Sage and Meain. It looked more like a childish fight between sisters. The difference being their combined age was 150 years.

Any witness would’ve instantly lost all respect for them. And yet…

“……”

Kang Geom-Ma watched silently from the entrance. A quiet smile appeared on his face.

‘Came here straight from seeing Kojima, and this is what I find…’

He was speechless. He considered stepping in but decided against it. Getting involved in that kind of sisterly brawl would only bring second-hand embarrassment.

He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, wondering how long it would last. Media, fully focused on catching her sister, hadn’t even noticed him.

A good while passed before the ruckus died down.

“Haa… haa…”

Media, sweat dripping from her chin, rested her hands on her knees and wiped her jaw with the back of her hand. Then she raised both arms.

“I give up. I give up, okay? So stop already.”

At that, a head poked out from the end of the blanket. Meain’s light green hair floated, charged with static.

“I win again…”

Her mischievous smile curved, then dropped suddenly.

“…Huh? Geom-Ma… how long have you been there…?”

Media didn’t miss the moment.

“You were the one who told me never to lower my guard!”

Just as Media pounced again, a new presence tapped her on the back. Media turned around uncomfortably.

Kang Geom-Ma was there, arms crossed against the wall. Media’s eyes clouded for a moment and she asked in a shaky voice.

“Uh… how long have you been there? No, wait, how did you open the door!?”

“I just got here.”

A lie. He’d been there for nearly twenty minutes. But he answered that way not to embarrass her further.

‘But the second question’s harder to explain.’

Kang Geom-Ma scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“I opened it… with a certain technique.”

Another lie. He’d rung the bell several times at the entrance, but Media had been too busy chasing her sister to hear it.

At first, Geom-Ma thought something bad had happened. Even if he’d just stabbed Kojima, if the guy decided to retaliate and issue a warrant against Meain, it wouldn’t be surprising. Or if he just sought revenge in some other way.

Did he really think a guy like Kojima would back down with a single threat? He was also a Hero of the Seven Stars. The head of a powerful bloodline and firmly positioned.

‘He’s not someone who bends from a warning.’

And if he chose not to yield, then he would have to pay the price. Geom-Ma had been generous once, for Hina. But not twice. Next time, he’d eliminate him without hesitation.

That’s why, concerned, he had Vixbig breach the villa’s entire security system.

‘Of course, that’s technically a crime.’

And now he’d have to explain Vixbig’s existence too. A whole pile of unnecessary trouble. So he decided to get straight to the point.

“I spoke with Kojima. Asked him to drop the warrant against Meain. For now, he accepted the conditions.”

Media’s eyes widened. Kojima had backed down? Knowing him, that was hard to believe.

‘That guy would rather bite his tongue than give in.’

And yet. Who knows? Maybe Geom-Ma had used some kind of spell to open his eyes.

After all, there wasn’t a single problem he couldn’t solve once he got involved. In his dictionary, the word “impossible” simply didn’t exist.

‘The more I see him, the more I think Geom-Ma was sent from the heavens to save humanity.’

In the end, Media didn’t just trust him anymore. She adored him. To the point that she truly believed he had opened the door “with a technique.”

“Even though nothing’s official yet, I think we should observe how things play out during the rest of today.”

Kang Geom-Ma said.

“Until then, we need to stay alert for any movements from Japan. Oh, and no need to assign a watcher. I already hired someone.”

“You hired someone?”

Yes. Not a person, but an artificial intelligence.

“I left it to someone quite capable and reliable. If nothing unusual happens today, the matter will be mostly resolved. In that case, Meain can participate in tomorrow’s Heavenly Class inauguration without issue.”

Media sighed silently once more. Such caution. Such meticulous preparation and response. He never left anything to chance.

While she kept being impressed internally, Kang Geom-Ma continued his report.

“If the warrant is canceled, Japan will send resources and supplies to the Gehenna Portal area. Oh, and additional support for the Heavenly Class too.”

“W-wait a minute. Are you saying you not only canceled the warrant, but also got all that?”

“Yes.”

Kang Geom-Ma nodded calmly. Media momentarily lost strength in her legs. She had no expressions of astonishment left.

‘How the hell did you negotiate all that?’

Turning an imminent crisis into a brilliant opportunity, and with a vision as wide as an eagle soaring the skies. Kang Geom-Ma didn’t see trees—he saw the whole forest. And that, perhaps, was the greatest quality of a true leader.

‘They say the position makes the man, but… how can someone be at this level less than three months after becoming one of the Seven Stars?’

If he wasn’t a reincarnation, it didn’t make sense. No matter how many times Media was surprised by Kang Geom-Ma, this time, she was truly stunned.

“Wow… Geom-Ma, I knew you were amazing, but I didn’t imagine you were this amazing.”

It was then that Meain crawled out from beneath the blankets. Kang Geom-Ma stared at her and said,

“I heard what happened. They say Kojima asked you to turn Ryozo into an Awakened.”

Meain, hair a complete mess, nodded.

“Yeah. To be honest, until he said that, I was planning to just brush him off with some excuse. But when those words came out… it was like a faucet opened.”

“You know you nearly caused an international incident because of that, right?”

“I know.”

Meain shrugged. Instantly, her expression changed completely.

“But I don’t regret it. Ryozo isn’t just Kojima’s daughter. She’s a clubmate, and a dearly loved student of mine.”

“……”

Kang Geom-Ma’s eyes narrowed. His pupils were nearly hidden beneath his brows. His lips moved as if he were about to scold her, but instead, he said something unexpected.

“Well done.”

Praise.

Meain’s normally calm expression showed a flicker of surprise.

“To be honest, up until yesterday I wasn’t fully convinced about having you as a professor in the Heavenly Class. Even if you’re the director’s sister, that’s not enough reason to trust someone blindly.”

Kang Geom-Ma crossed the wide room and stopped in front of Meain.

A head taller than her. From her angle, all she could see was his chest.

“But now I’m starting to trust you. That willingness to challenge even a nation to protect a student—that’s exactly the mindset I want from a Heavenly Class instructor.”

As he spoke, he extended his hand. A handshake.

“Keep it up. Keep that attitude of protecting your students no matter the cost. I know it might be bold to say this to someone like you, Meain, but I’ve got your back, so don’t worry about what people say.”

Meain stood there, blinking. Her throat felt oddly ticklish.

Then she suddenly laughed and tied her hair up into a neat ponytail.

“Wow, you’re quite the player. And a dangerous one.”

“…Player? What kind of player?”

Kang Geom-Ma tilted his head, confused. Instead of answering, Meain took his hand.

There was no denying it. This guy was a lethal creature to any woman.

***

A day that felt particularly long passed, and at last, the next morning arrived.

I left the dorm dressed and ready. The air felt different than in previous days. Fresher, lighter. Maybe that’s why my shoulders felt lighter too.

“It’s not just a feeling.”

I unconsciously hummed a tune. With each note, my breath drifted out in little clouds.

Yeah. I felt good. And for good reason.

‘Because today was finally the inauguration day of the Heavenly Class.’

There had been plenty of noise, plenty of bumps during its creation. A process full of twists and turns.

And yet, we’d made it.

Maybe that’s why the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction felt twice as strong. I, who rarely even noticed my heartbeat, was actually humming.

At the same time, there was a sense of unease. We’d crossed the point of no return.

Everything was in motion now, and there was no turning back. Even though I had taken the first step, I wondered if I’d be able to see it through to the end. The uncertainty about the future stirred anxiety.

But if I think about it from another angle—if I had known everything that lay ahead, maybe I’d have gotten lazy and wasted time.

The uncertain future, with all its unpredictability, is what keeps me sharp.

And while sorting through my thoughts, I suddenly found myself in front of the classroom.

I looked up at the plaque on the door. The letters engraved in my own handwriting. Though a bit rough, that gave them a human touch.

“A real man always has messy handwriting.”

I muttered that to myself, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

Click.

The gazes of those already seated turned to me. Each with a different expression, they watched me.

Step.

Warriors, heroes, ancients, and demons. All gathered in one place.

Heavenly Class.

It was time to take another step toward the final chapter.