I Became a Swordsmanship Genius at the Academy

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The next morning. Kim Il-shin woke up at 11 AM.

The heaviness felt in both arms.

When he turned his head, he saw Hanarin and Hazuki still sound asleep.

‘Good thing I’ve got talent…’

If it weren’t for my physical strength and regeneration abilities, I wouldn’t have been able to open my eyes like this today.

It was a time that was both exhausting and happy.

‘They look so pure when they’re sleeping…’

Pat. Pat.

Rain was falling outside.

It wasn’t pouring heavily, but you wouldn’t want to go outside.

“Uh, it’s raining…”

Hanarin mumbled in a sleepy voice.

Having difficulty opening her eyes, I pulled up the blanket a bit, and she snuggled in, rustling around before quickly falling back asleep.

“It’s raining…”

Next was Hazuki.

Unlike Hanarin, who was still drowsy, she checked the time and smiled brightly.

“Thanks to you, I slept so well! Can you put me to sleep again like last night? I don’t even remember how I fell asleep…”

But for someone saying that, her face was filled with sleepiness.

Even with such a suggestive expression, it was just adorable.

“Let’s just stay in bed a bit longer.”

“Sure…”

Kim Il-shin covered Hazuki with the blanket as well.

She must still have been sleepy because she fell asleep again quickly.

“…I’m hungry.”

“It’s already lunchtime.”

The two woke up an hour later.

The rain still hadn’t stopped.

“Shouldn’t we get up slowly now?”

“I’m hungry.”

“If we start cooking now, we should be able to eat lunch right on time.”

Despite what was said, nobody was making a move to get up from the bed.

The sound of rain softly tapping outside, the warm blanket, and the cozy bed.

The sunlight peeking through the clouds illuminated the room, and the ticking clock didn’t urge them on.

A drowsy afternoon. This moment lying down, staring at the same ceiling.

Kim Il-shin, Hanarin, Hazuki.

They felt utterly happy.

“So what are we doing today?”

“Hmm? I don’t know. What do you want to do?”

“Hmmm! Hmm! …I can’t think of anything.”

“Should we just lie around all day?”

“Is that okay? Sounds good! Oh wait. I’m hungry…”

“We can eat in bed.”

“…Are you a genius?”

It was during this lighthearted conversation.

“Oh right!”

Hazuki shot up as if she remembered something.

“I brought something!”

Hazuki slipped on just a shirt and went outside.

When she came back quickly, she was holding a large frame.

Hanarin reacted strongly upon seeing it.

“Whoa! Is it already done?”

“Yes. I finished early, and I picked it up on my way back, but I completely forgot.”

The frame held a painting of cherry blossoms that Kim Il-shin had painted a few days ago.

And it wasn’t just any ordinary frame.

A projection frame. It’s a magical tool that allows you to enter the painting when you place a magically treated picture inside.

Usually used for secret vaults or hideouts.

“Cherry blossom outing…!”

Kim Il-shin, Hanarin, and Hazuki had purchased the projection frame for a cherry blossom outing.

Their plans for a cherry blossom outing were ruined by an unexpected heavy downpour.

With just one heavy rain, all the blossoms had fallen, making it impossible to go again until next year.

Hanarin and Hazuki, who had been looking forward to it, were extremely disappointed.

Kim Il-shin felt the same way.

Fortunately, this is a world where magic exists.

Kim Il-shin quickly found a solution, and that was this projection frame.

“Let’s go right now!”

Hanarin jumped up in excitement.

“Hey, you need to get dressed first…”

It seemed she forgot she was still in her birthday suit.

Kim Il-shin closed his eyes for a moment, needing to calm his mind.

“Should we get ready right away? We can grab lunch on the way there too.”

“Great! So great!”

“Let’s start prepping!”

Although the rain hadn’t stopped, the weather inside the painting is always sunny.

The three of them immediately began to prepare for their outing.

“Ah! You can’t eat that yet, sis!”

“Hehe. Just one~”

“Ugh… Just one, okay?”

“Okay!”

“Uh… give me one too.”

“Of course! Aah~”

“You…! That’s unfair!”

They packed a delightful lunch with the ingredients available in the kitchen and grabbed a picnic blanket they had prepared.

“How about a cute dress? Or jeans?”

“Cutie pink or sexy black. Which do you prefer?”

“…They’re all so good.”

After putting on outfits that matched the cherry blossom outing.

They gathered in front of the projection frame, their hearts fluttering.

“Let’s go!”

“Off we go!”

Hanarin, with excited steps, was the first to go.

Next was Hazuki, and Kim Il-shin followed last.

Entering the painting with a bright light, Kim Il-shin first saw Hanarin and Hazuki standing dumbfounded.

“Wow…”

“Really… It’s beautiful.”

Their faces reflected the satisfaction of being well-prepared.

Kim Il-shin looked around, feeling proud.

“…Wow.”

And he was immediately captivated by the scenery.

Endless green fields met the blue sky on the horizon.

Purple wildflowers blossomed everywhere, evoking warm memories in the heart and drawing a smile.

Squeeze.

Hanarin and Hazuki silently held his hands.

Feeling the soft touch of their hands, Kim Il-shin looked up, chasing the shadows beneath him.

He followed the large pillars that supported him with his gaze, peering up.

Branches extended far beyond what he could hold in his arms.

When the branches swayed in the gentle breeze, the fluttering pink petals dotted the sky.

Woooosh—

The sound of the wind flowing through the grass was like gentle waves washing ashore.

The petals that had landed began to dissolve into the expansive canvas, and the overlapping colors wove together more dreamlike than a dream.

As he admired such a mesmerizing view, words slipped from his mouth without him realizing it.

“…Thank you, guys.”

For being with me. For believing in me. For loving me. For promising a future with me.

If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to paint this picture.

Hanarin. Hazuki.

I’m happy to be with you.

…He didn’t speak of the latter part.

If there’s a heart that needs to be conveyed by speaking, there’s also a heart that can be conveyed without words.

Now was the latter.

Kim Il-shin felt full of Hanarin and Hazuki’s hearts, and they would feel the same way.

As they savored the lingering time, they suddenly heard a rumble.

“Grrr.”

“Cough.”

“Cough! Ah, I’m… hungry.”

They burst into laughter at Hanarin’s tummy alarm and spread out the picnic blanket to sit.

When they laid out the lunch they had worked hard on, the blanket was filled.

The menu included kimbap, sandwiches, and inari sushi. Plus, they also brought cup ramen and hot water.

They made everything that Hanarin had said she wanted to eat.

“So delicious…”

“Take your time eating. You might choke.”

“Mm!”

“Seriously, take your time…”

“It’s just so tasty…”

Kim Il-shin understood why Hanarin was eating so quickly.

It was definitely ordinary food, but perhaps it was too delicious with the beautiful scenery and the people he was with.

“Ah! Hubby, you should also eat slowly!”

“…Sorry.”

The meal ended quickly.

The empty lunchbox looked like it had just been washed clean.

“Phew, I’m full.”

“Me too.”

“Same here.”

After finishing their satisfying meal, a wave of drowsiness washed over them, leaving them all feeling sluggish.

Kim Il-shin leaned against a tree, while Hanarin and Hazuki rested their heads on his thighs.

“How long have we been here?”

“I think it’s been about two or three hours.”

“Then maybe we should take a short nap…”

Hanarin yawned and stretched her body.

Kim Il-shin smiled softly and patted her head.

“So, where shall we go next?”

Hazuki asked, fiddling with the cherry blossom petals.

“Hmm…”

It was a thought-provoking question.

They had done many things together over the past year, but the list of things they wanted to do kept growing instead of shrinking.

“What should we do? Should we go for another vampire experience? That was fun.”

“How about going to see the pink dolphins that you wanted to see, sis? We didn’t get to see them last time.”

“I want to go cave exploring too!”

“Really? You said you were too scared to go in.”

“Yeah, you said you absolutely wouldn’t go there.”

“Well, if we go and it’s too hard, I can just draw a picture for you! Let’s just give it a try!”

It seemed Hazuki and Hanarin felt the same way.

Whenever such topics came up, everyone got excited and chatted endlessly.

Sometimes, they had even stayed up all night talking.

But the weather was too nice to do that right now.

“And also… Ahh…”

“I’m feeling a bit drowsy…”

“We need to decide where to go… ”

“Yeah…”

Both of their eyes were starting to close. Kim Il-shin chuckled and patted their heads again.

“Let’s think about it slowly. We have plenty of time.”

“Yeah…”

“Sure…”

Right. We have plenty of time.

There’s much more time left to spend together than what we’ve already shared.

And all those moments will surely be as happy as this one.

‘…I’m so happy.’

Kim Il-shin smiled at the breeze and closed his eyes.

It was a special yet ordinary, beautiful day.