Star Instructor, Master Baek-Chapter 373: To Be A Group Leader (1)

TL: FoodieMonster007

The White Dragon Inn, located opposite the Azure Dragon Academy, was famous among students for being a cost-effective restaurant with affordable, hearty meals. The inn was always packed during dinnertime, and today was no exception.

"Let's put today's loss behind us! We just have to win all the next matches! Hyonwon Kang declared, standing up and raising his cup high.

He looked around at his group members with the gentlest smile he could manage.

Unfortunately, his smile still made those facing him flinch.

"Everyone, please join me in a toast to commemorate becoming a group!"

""T-To us...""

"Kaaah!" Hyonwon Kang took a long swig from his cup, then slammed it down on the table.

THUD!

While the scene may have been open to misinterpretation, the cup contained a fruit drink popular with students, not alcohol.

"It's my treat today, so order whatever you want! Let's talk frankly and build some strong camaraderie."

"Thanks for the food..."

"Thank you, Senior."

Hyonwon Kang had rented out the entire second floor of the White Dragon Inn for the welcome party, willingly spending a significant portion of his allowance from the Hyonwon Clan.

Truth be told, he had always been secretly envious whenever Peng Sahyuk rented out entire inns. Of course, compared to the places Peng Sahyuk frequented, this place was much smaller. Still, it was a considerable strain for him, and he found himself unconsciously glancing at the prices on the menu.

"I said don't worry about it and order anything you want. Are you ordering the five-spice pork? No, I'm not telling you not to order it. I'm just worried there'll be leftovers. Hahaha! If you leave even one bite, you're de... You know I'm kidding, right? Haha!" he joked, trying to brighten the mood.

Unfortunately, the joke didn't have the desired effect , and ultimately, everyone ordered the cheapest noodles and dumplings.

"Tsk..." Hyonwon Kang clicked his tongue.

Why are they so damn timid? No, it's precisely at times like this that I, as the Group Leader, need to take the initiative to engage them.

He began, "So, about our assignment..."

"C-Cough!" One of the group members, who was eating noodles, started coughing as if he had choked.

"...Are you okay?" Hyonwon Kang asked, genuinely concerned.

However, the freshman who was coughing turned pale in fear instead. "S-Sorry!"

"...Right," Hyonwon Kang nodded. "Be more careful from now on!"

"......" The freshman turned even paler.

Hyonwon Kang turned his attention back to the rest of his group. "Everyone remembers the homework Mr. Baek gave us, right?"

Everyone nodded.

"Analyze the other groups' strengths and weaknesses, and submit a written proposal for how you will counter them in a mock battle at the start of our next class."

Unsatisfied with merely holding intense practical activities in the first class, Baek Suryong had also assigned homework. He was a devil, but no student dared complain about the Azure Dragon Hero, especially not while the teacher from hell was glaring at them.

"What the hell, shall we just finish the assignment here? Let's start with Group One... Oh, is there anyone who writes well?"

"......" The group members glanced at each other, but no one raised their hand.

"No one?" Hyonwon Kang's eyebrows twitched.

The freshman who had choked earlier timidly raised his hand. "I-I'll be the secretary."

"Your name was Yeong Sochun, right?"

"...It's Yong Hosik."

"Alright. Group One, led by Dokgo Jun, is a well-balanced team. They have a solid formation with Dokgo Jun at the center, and they work well together. If I had to find a weakness..."

Hyonwon Kang actively presented his opinions, leading the meeting.

The problem was that, besides him, the other group members hardly offered their input.

"When facing Group Two, let's have someone fast keep Ya Suhyeok in check. He's simple and easily provoked. And the twins..."

"That sounds good!"

Group Three is nimble and fast, but they don't have any particularly outstanding fighters. Gun Sojin is pretty good, though."

"I think so too!"

"Group Five... that crazy bitch Tang Soso is dead meat the next time I face her. Anyway, when we fight them, we should prepare for poison and hidden weapons. A few people could stand in the front with shields, or maybe..."

"I agree!"

"Group Six? They're nothing special. Their group leader, Mok Hyungwoo, is average, and the rest are just okay. Honestly, we'd win if we fought them, but we have to write something. Does anyone want to share their thoughts?"

"We don't!"

"...?"

Most of the time, Hyonwon Kang did the talking while the other group members just nodded and agreed. As time passed, he finally realized that something was strange.

"It feels like I've been the only one talking for a while now," he complained, frowning.

The other group members hurriedly started making excuses.

"No, it's because everything you're saying is right, so we have nothing to add..."

"You said everything we wanted to say first, Senior."

"It's because you're good at this, Hyonwon Kang."

"You decide, Senior. We'll just follow you."

Hyonwon Kang clicked his tongue.

Well, they're not wrong. Honestly, it's better if I do it all by myself.

Be it martial arts, practical experience, or aptitude, he was decidedly superior to the rest of his group members. Although there were other third- and fourth-year students in the group, frankly, none of them measured up to his standards.

He chugged the fruit drink next to him, thirsty from all the talking he had done, then grumbled, "Still, try to contribute sometimes. Anyway, last is Group Ten. Honestly, if we take down Wiji Cheon, it's over. The rest are a disorderly mob. Far from helping, they just drag him down..."

WHOOOSH...

A cold wind blew in through the open window, heightening the already tense atmosphere at the quiet table.

Oh, shit! Hyonwon Kang realized his slip of the tongue belatedly. His description of Group Ten's shortcomings also applied to his own group.

He immediately backtracked, stammering, "N-No, that's not what I meant..."

SCRAPE!

A third-year student roughly shoved his chair back and stood up. "Sorry, but do you mind if I leave first?"

"Leaving already? Why?"

"I have a practical class early tomorrow morning, and I have a lot to prepare."

"Alright. Go ahead."

As if on cue, the other group members began to rise from their seats as well.

"I have another class too."

"I have to leave early for a family memorial service."

"Is the meeting over?"

Before long, the table was deserted.

Hyonwon Kang was dumbfounded. "No, why did everyone leave?"

"Senior, here are the meeting minutes," Yong Hosik said, handing Hyonwon Kang a stack of papers. He was the last group member left since he had been organizing the notes. Getting up as well, he said quickly, "Thank you for your hard work..."

"Hey! Wait a minute. I want to ask you something."

Yong Hosik shuddered and shrunk back. "Yes?"

Did I make a mistake? Why is everyone so uncooperative?" Hyonwon Kang asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"I'm not sure," Yong Hosik replied vaguely. "Then I'll see you at the next class."

"Yeah. Get home safely, Sochun."

"Actually, my name is Yong Hosik, but never mind." Yong Hosik bowed his head and went down the stairs.

Hyonwon Kang scratched the back of his head as he watched the freshman go.

"Damn it! This isn't right," he grumbled softly.

Despite being a third-year student, this was his first time participating in a group assignment. He had taken on the role of group leader with enthusiasm, eager to show how he had changed. However, he felt that something had been off right from the beginning.

"...What a waste of good food."

He asked the waiter to pack up the leftovers, then went downstairs. Just as he was about to head out, though, he spotted a familiar face in a corner of the inn.

Isn't that Cheon?

Wiji Cheon also appeared to be working on the assignment with his group members. However, the atmosphere there was even worse than Group Four's.

"A-Any opinions?" Wiji stammered. As usual, he was shy and nervous when not fighting.

Unfortunately for him, the students of Group Ten knew that, and had also figured out how to use this fact to their advantage.

"Can't you just do it all?"

"...Huh?"

"Not only are you the strongest among us, you're also Mr. Baek Suryong's favorite. You don't need to worry about your grades, do you?"

"But this is a group project..."

"What's our group's strategy? I'll tell you. Wiji Cheon goes out and beats everyone up! All. By. Himself!"

Some of the group members snickered, while others didn't. It was clear, however, that none of them were particularly fond of Wiji Cheon.

"You said it yourself , didn't you? Since you want us to get out of your way, then fine. We won't hold you back."

"Pardon? T-That's not what..."

Group Ten snorted. They all remembered what Wiji Cheon had said during the mock battle.

The senior who fought alongside Wiji Cheon until the end said bitterly, "Honestly, I'm not even angry because it's true. You should just do everything on your own. After all, in every story, the role of supporting actors is just to go along with the main character, right?"

"......" Wiji Cheon's eyes trembled.

"Hey."

THWACK!

A large palm slammed down on the table. Startled, the students looked up to see Hyonwon Kang glaring at them with the eyes of a wild beast.

"Have you bastards lost your minds? Do you think our Jicheon is a pushover? Do you all want to die at once?" Hyonwon Kang growled, rolling up his sleeves.

Wiji Cheon immediately clung to Hyonwon Kang's waist. "W-Whoa, Senior Wonkang! Calm down! What are you doing? Hurry and run away!"

"Let go! Let go of me!" Hyonwon Kang roared.

"Is he crazy...?"

"Let's just go."

Hyonwon glared at the backs of the fleeing students and swung his fist in the air. "Shameless bastards!"

"Senior, why are you so angry?"

"......" Hyonwon Kang stopped to think for a moment, and then he realized why. With a blank expression, he muttered, "Fuck! Group assignments are turning me back into a delinquent..."

"......"

"And you?"

"...I'm thinking of withdrawing from the class," Wiji Cheon muttered dejectedly.

Hyonwon Kang ruffled the sulking Wiji Cheon's hair. He understood how he felt better than anyone. "Let's just go home for now."

They left the White Dragon Inn and headed for the White Dragon Manor.

""Haaah..."

Walking side by side, the two boys stopped and sighed at the same time.

"I really hate group work."

"Me too..."

"If we go back like this, we'll definitely be teased, right?"

"Isn't that obvious? Everyone will make fun of us from the moment we open the door until we go to bed."

The silhouette of the White Dragon Manor was visible in the distance. Wiji Cheon felt as if he could already hear them laughing and joking inside.

"Oh, look who it is! The only two losers among the Five Young Azure Dragons."

"Pfft. They acted all high and mighty, but in the end..."

"What was I supposed to do? I needed to win, too. Sorry not sorry!"

Knowing Geo Sangwoong, Ya Suhyeok, and Yeo Min, there was no way they would miss the chance to gloat over Hyonwon Kang and Wiji Cheon.

Hyonwon Kang trembled, as if the mere thought upset him. "It's not just today that's the problem. If our teams' relationships continue to be this messed up, we're bound to lose again next time."

"...What should we do?"

Hyonwon Kang and Wiji Cheon sighed again.

They were both born with natural talent and had virtually never experienced failure while learning martial arts. As such, they had no idea how to communicate with or fight alongside martial artists of a completely different caliber. Even worse, though it was a team battle, they had never before suffered such a humiliating defeat at the hands of peers they considered beneath them.

"Should we ask Mr. Baek for a consultation?"

"Good idea."

As the saying went, a thirsty man searches for a well. The two turned around and headed back to the Azure Dragon Academy.

Despite the late hour, a time when most instructors would have already left for the day, they knew that Baek Suryong would likely still be working.

"Huh? What's he doing over there?"

On their way to Baek Suryong's office, they spotted their teacher standing on one side of the training ground.

"There's someone with him."

A visitor had arrived before them, but they couldn't see his face because he was standing with his back to them. Plus, Baek Suryong and the visitor were quite far away, so they couldn't hear their conversation...

Suddenly, the visitor lunged at Baek Suryong.

"MR. BAEK!"

Hyonwon Kang and Wiji Cheon's eyes widened in shock as they rushed forward in unison.

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