“You mean the Age Restoration that brings you back your youth?”
“Yes.”
He approached Kang Hyuk, and hung on the arm.
“Hnngh, how could you, Big Brother! How can you become young alone? Your little brothers are getting old and scrawny! Tell me the secret, Big Brother!”
“There’s no secret. You just have to work hard on your martial arts training.”
“Big Brother-!”
“Stop. Get off me.”
Then in the kitchen, Chu Marley said, carefully sticking out his head.
“D-dinner’s ready, sirs.. no one had dinner… yet, right?”
This was a shuddering scary place for Chu Marley, where four big names, including Kang Hyuk, gathered. Then the gate opened and someone came in.
“Brothers! I heard Ruiger’s here.”
It was Ji Chulmook.
‘ And that makes five…’
A new store opened in Nakyang North Town. Miho. The store, which means beauty loving, was a cosmetics shop. It became the most popular store in Nakyang in just three days after its opening. And Miho Cosmetics also quickly became famous among the girls of Hwachun Academy.
“Are you, by any chance, using the powders sold at Miho Cosmetics?”
“How did you know?”
“I knew it! I asked you because you look so good in it!”
“Then you got from there too?”
“Yes.”
“Oh! Isn’t it amazing there?”
The female students were taking care of Yeonkyo Garden’s flower bed, talking about Miho Cosmetics’ cosmetics. Listening to the story, Kang Hyuk stroked his chin.
‘Ruiger always been doing a fantastic job making cosmetics.’
The owner of Miho Cosmetics was none other than Hong Ruiger. He was so envious of Kang Hyuk’s Age Restoration and declared that he would stick by Kang Hyuk’s side until he figured out the secret. In that remark, Kang Hyuk nailed him not to think about getting a job at the Hwachun Academy. Thus, Hong Ruiger’s choice was to set up a store in Middle Town. Kang Hyuk felt that the job suited Hong Ruiger. But Hong Ruiger’s talent didn’t come naturally.
When Kang Hyuk first met Hong Ruiger, he was not a very beautiful young man. Rather, he was considered very ugly. His self-esteem hit rock bottom and as such, his skills didn’t improve. Kang Hyuk then spoke to him on one day.
“Then how much effort have you made to change your appearance?”
“I’ve done a lot.”
“Have you tried harder than you try for fist skills?”
“….”
“I’ll see you again after you try as hard as you can.”
And a few years later, when Quickstorm Regiment was organized and met his assigned subordinates under him, Hong Ruiger was also in it. Unlike others who were forcibly assigned, Hong Ruiger was a volunteer. Kang Hyuk was surprised. It was because the ugly man became a handsome man in a few years.
‘He said he tried so hard.….’
In order to get something, there was price that had to be paid. Kang Hyuk was able to know his efforts by living with Hong Ruiger.
“It’s almost spring break.”
Usually, vacation in usual academy was only during summer and winter, but there was vacation in every season in Hwachun Academy because the Academy was for Martial Artists. Each family had to be taught about its family practice at home. Family practice was a secret to only the family.
The reason for the Hwachun Academy was simply to teach them how to climb to a higher level, to have a broad understanding of weapons not taught by the family, and to interact with Martial Artists.
‘But the biggest purpose is to join the Hwachun Clan.’
Anyway that’s why Hwachun Academy was quite different in its ways of teaching.
‘Well, I guess I’ll have to start our spring evaluation.’
Since there were four vacations, there were also four evaluations. The four evaluations combined to be the evaluation of each year, and that’s how the four years would come together to be the final score. The evaluation of each subject was freely done. Kang Hyuk gave forty percent on attendance, twenty percent on attitude, twenty percent on actual work, and remaining twenty percent on theory evaluation with total of 100 points
The reason why the attendance ratio was higher than others was because attendance was considered basic. Attendance was responsibility and Kang Hyuk valued responsibility. But even by adding all the scores, it was only half points to other essential military subjects.
Kang Hyuk harvested Ten Thousand Years Rose, thinking about the quiz of theory evaluation.
It was because Hong Ruiger asked for five flowers, when saw the rose.
‘I should give him a few more and ask him to make me some powders.’
It was Ten Thousand Years Rose, a perennial, he collected flowers sparingly. Moreover, thanks to Kang Hyuk’s energy close to nature, Ten Thousand Years Rose was not burdened at all. As Kang Hyuk’s fingers brushed the stem of the rose, flowers fell as if cut with a knife, and sprouted again from the stem of Ten Thousand Years Rose. With the flowers in a basket, Kang Hyuk headed to Miho Cosmetics, Hong Ruiger’s shop.
Or he was about to when an unexpected guest came to Yeonkyo Garden.
“What a beautiful place!”
He was Superintendent Eun Myungmyung.