Lee Hyun quickly averted eye contact by hiding behind a girl.
Virtually instinctive reaction for survival!
In Royal Road, he sinned a lot toward Seoyoon.
He secretly made several sculptures of her!
And because of the time he took to avoid her in game, it had become so habitual that he even did so in real life.
Seoyoon also looked briefly where Lee Hyun hid himself before resuming her earlier line of sight.
Lee Hyun mixed himself amongst the girls, and slowly turned his direction away from Seoyoon.
The girls whispered behind him.
“Did you see that? He’s avoiding eye contacts.”
“Wow, so creepy!”
“So stupid.”
He was again, misunderstood.
The deeply seeded misunderstood distrust took roots and budded.
There was no way to undo this.
The MT was led by faculties and senior members.
“This year, the MT event will take place on an island. We’re going to stay near the shoreline and mimic the Neolithic Age…”
The seniors were describing the purpose of the trip, but the freshmen’s only interest was aimed at Seoyoon. They watched her clear eyes and waited on her lips to move for the description.
Of course, there were those at Seoyoon's vicinity.
Yet among the freshmen, chatters about her were carefully spoken.
“That Seoyoon seonbae. I thought the rumors were exaggerated since there’s no way a beauty like that is possible.”
“I think she’s more beautiful than celebrities.”
“But why doesn’t she have any friend?”
“Didn’t you know? Seoyoon seonbaenim was mentally shocked when she was a child, and she lost her words.” (seonbae’s senior, seonbaenim’s more honorific, ill use senior from now on.)
“Really? No wonder she seemed so expressionless.”
“She also doesn’t come to school often, this is like the first time she came this year.”
“She’s really a noble and a pure person.”
Lee Hyun wanted to scream.
‘You all been lied to!’
How can Seoyoon be ladylike and a pure person!
Lee Hyun knew more about Seoyoon's nature than anybody else.
IF you had seen the slaughtering of monsters that Lee Hyun watched for 4 days and 3 nights, you would not be able deem her ladylike.
She did not care for the users’ level and cut them down like flies, such the way of the Berserker! (misunderstanding since volume 1, where she had the murderous ign.)
When she wields her blade, even Lee Hyun was terrified.
‘Such a strong woman in such a small frame.’
Plus, there was another deception people were led to believe.
She could speak.
Lee Hyun also knew a second reason why he thought they were duped.
Right before she was slain by the dragon, she clearly spoke the word, friend.
‘She feared for the loss of her items and registered me on her friend’s list with that word.’
That was not the end of her devious way.
Lee Hyun immediately tried to return her items when she reconnected. But there was no response.
‘Pork, leather, and clothes. She ignored me because she had no need for them. She must have obtained a good quest or busy hunting that she saw no need to reply or come back.’
Seoyoon's cruel nature!
Lee Hyun pitied those who were deluded by her.
The senior continued talking.
“Therefore, today’s top priority is the formation of groups. Note that this is very different from the usual MT. This year concept is the wild.”
“The wild?”
Some of the freshman asked.
Because they didn’t know what that singular word truly means.
“Yep. It literally is the wild. No fixed accommodations, nothing outside of the prepared things are allowed.”
“So what are the necessities?”
“You will decide that on your own.”
“Hm?”
“Each group will prepare your own necessities. However, the budget limit is 50,000 Won per person! The goods and tools need to be bought according to the budget in order for you to participate in the MT.”
The freshmen wre appalled after the senior finished.
“OMG! Only 50,000 Won!”
“What can I do with 50,000 won?”
Not caring for the freshmen’s dismay, the senior spoke.
“Of course, I do think the 50,000 Won budget limit is a bit lacking considering you are to spend 3 days and 2 nights there. However, if you plan well among your group members and form a tighter bond through the ordeal, don’t you think that’ll good? Also, the professor will be grading you based on how well you adapt to the wild; so please work hard everybody.”
A good meal at a decent restaurant was around 10,000 Won. So the restricted budget of 50,000 Won per person was quite tight.
Lee Hyun thought differently.
‘The MT trip is pretty luxurious. What kind of wilderness trip that allows 50,000 Won to sleep for two days?’
It seemed to him that the given expenses can cover for an entire week.
Even with the cold weather nowadays at night, if one could get their hands on plenty of newspapers then that’d be able to cover for the night portion.
The most Lee Hyun need was about 5~6 sheets of newspaper! He wouldn’t even mind going without them if he had to.
If he had to, he could even use a rock to dig the earth for a place to sleep, yank up the trees to eat the roots; because it’s survival for two days!
“Each group has to have 8 people. In this MT, the senior does not need to be in a separate group. Please get together to determine your group correctly. But in any case, the group needs to include at least 3 males and females respectively. Please specify the groups now.”
The freshmen were buzzing trying to find their friends.
“Seona, come this way.”
“Jaejina, come here!”
Each person looked for the senior whom they were familiar with to get together!
Since they needed to be a close knitted group through the trials, they’ve searched for those whom they’ve already made contacts with.
Lee Hyun was just standing around.
‘I don’t know anybody anyway, so I’ll just wait until they’re finish and join a group with vacancies.’
Since the only thing he wanted was the credits, it didn’t matter which group he’d join.
“Donghyeon, this way!”
“Senior Sangho, come join us.”
Lee Hyun thought to himself as people were forming groups.
More and more singular people were reduced until there was only a third left.
Among them were three acquaintances Park Sunjo, Lee Yuu-Chong, and Min Sura who remained undecided. The freshmen uptakes on their senior were too fast and made it far difficult for them to form a group.
There were only 20 people remaining.
Park Sunjo saw Lee Hyun.
“Lee Hyun Hyeongnim, come this way! There are two spots open here!”
In this situation, Lee Hyun figured it’d be better for them to assumed(he was a senior) otherwise.
Lee Hyun scratched his head in embarrassment.
“You don’t need to bother. I don’t think I could attend the MT.”
“Come on! Let’s go together Hyeongnim!”
“I see. Well, if you want.”
Lee Hyun replied with a bit of courtesy and joined Bak Sunjo’s group.
He had already met these guys in a brief instant so it was best for him to join them. Not long after, the group increased with the addition of two girls.
“Hello. I’m Hong Seonye.”
“I’ve heard so much about you (just a greeting). I’m Ju Eunhee.”
“Lee Hyun. Pleased to meet you.”
The two women were a bit reluctant toward Lee Hyun, due to the horrid reputation he had within the Department.
Even so, they did not plainly hate him.
‘Anyway, at least in this way I can go to the MT.’
Lee Hyun felt at ease.
The fact was that he had a little expectation with his first ever college MT!
Then, someone came and stood behind Lee Hyun.
The attention of the auditorium turned to her. It was Seoyoon who approached Lee Hyun.
***
The Seoyoon who have never participated in an MT.
‘Everybody else will not like me.’
She was afraid of meeting people. She was afraid of getting hurt so she bounded herself in a frozen state.
Then, she found Lee Hyun.
‘It’s him.’
If it weren’t for the fact that he looked exactly like how he did in Royal Road, then she would never be able to recognize him.
While she had the chance to meet him and accompanied him, he cooked and created a sculpture.
‘The heartwarming sculpture of a pair of lovers, that man.’
Seoyoon unwittingly reached her hand toward Lee Hyun.
Lee Hyun reacted and turned around, only to find Seoyoon.
His eyes dilated; the instinctive attribute when one perceives a crisis.
“No way…MT..you want to come with…?”
Seoyoon's head nodded in silence.
She thought it’d be fine if she could tag along with Lee Hyun on the MT trip. Surely in his case, he would not abandon her, because they were friends.
To Seoyoon, the moment they registered themselves as friends, she had already regarded Lee Hyun as a real friend.