Dokgo Jun furrowed his brow. "Hmm... I've never thought about using gender-based psychological warfare when fighting women."
"That's not what I mean!" Hyonwon Kang shook the water off his clothes and glared at him, frustrated. He even suspected if Dokgo Jun was pranking him.
Don't tell me this bastard knows everything and is just messing with me?
Dokgo Jun, however, was serious. As the Student Council President, he always listened sincerely to students seeking his counsel.
Of course, whether he was helpful or not was another matter entirely.
"Then what do you mean?" he asked, tilting his head in confusion.
Hyonwon Kang's eye twitched, but he replied anyway, "Well, you know. You're popular with girls, right?"
Dokgo Jun cringed at how awkwardly Hyonwon Kang was fidgeting. It was completely out of character. He felt an urgent need to resolve the issue one way or another. "...Popularity? Don't tell me this is about... romance?"
"Ahem!" Hyonwon Kang coughed. "Just so you know, this isn't about me. It's about a friend of mine."
Dokgo Jun tilted his head even further. "You have a friend with that kind of problem? Wait, do you even have any friends in our year?"
"Just shut up and listen." Hyonwon Kang balled his fists, then sighed and began his 'story about a friend.' "My friend's interested in a girl, but he has no idea how to confess. He's never really had a proper conversation with females his age before. He doesn't think she dislikes him, but he's worried she might just see him as a friend..."
"Hmm..."
"All his close friends are either brutish or dimwitted, so they'd just make fun of him if he asked for advice. That's why he's asking you through me."
"Hmmm..."
Hyonwon Kang patiently waited for Dokgo Jun's answer. In his eyes, this young man had all the qualities women liked. He was handsome, smart, a model student, and came from a good family. Although the Dokgo Clan was not one of the Five Great Clans, it had once rivaled the Namgung Clan. Even now, it remained one of the most prestigious families in Zhejiang.
Accordingly, Hyonwon Kang assumed that Dokgo Jun would be experienced in love. In fact, the Student Council President was even nodding his head now.
"I've been confessed to by female students a few times," Dokgo Jun admitted.
"You lucky bastard..." Hyonwon Kang, who had never had such an experience, shot him an envious look. At the same time, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Anyway, that's why I wanted to ask. What kind of men do women like? Does he need to be strong? Rich? Famous? A scion of a powerful family?"
Unfortunately, I can't do much about the Hyonwon Clan's state or suddenly earn a lot of money... but at least I'm confident in my martial arts...?
Dokgo Jun shook his head. "No. The most important thing is trust."
"...Huh?" Hyonwon Kang was dumbfounded.
Dokgo Jun explained, "I've heard that women like a man they can trust. They said they feel confident a man can be a lifelong partner when he consistently looks only at them, his words and actions never waver, and he can be trusted in any situation."
"Who said that?"
"My mom."
Since the advice was from Dokgo Jun's mother, Hyonwon Kang couldn't argue. As expected of Dokgo Jun, it was a prim and proper answer, backed by a firm conviction. Still, this was not the answer he wanted to hear.
He asked sourly, "No, I wanted an answer based on your personal experience, you know?"
"My experience? I've been confessed to several times, but I've never actually dated anyone, so how should I know?"
"You're an even bigger prick than I could have ever imagined."
After learning the truth about the popular Dokgo Jun, Hyonwon Kang sighed in dismay. He had chosen the wrong person for advice, by a long shot.
I should've just asked Senior Mok Hyungwoo or Yong Hosik from Defense Against the Blood Cult class.
"Must be nice to be popular, you handsome scumbag..." he grumbled, but since he had already brought up the topic, he decided to ask everything he had planned. "Anyway, he bought a gift for her, which he plans to give during the school trip. What's the best time to do that? The last day? Or as soon as possible? What should he say? Should he be casual? Or should he show off a little and say he worked hard to pick it out? Would that look too pathetic?"
Seeing Hyonwon Kang scratch his head and worry, Dokgo Jun asked suspiciously, "Uh, this is about your friend, right?"
"Right! This is about my friend. I'm just helping him think it through." Hyonwon Kang panicked for a moment, but quickly composed himself. "But this is a secret, so don't you dare tell anyone! If you spread rumors, you're dead. Got it?"
Dokgo Jun suppressed a laugh as Hyonwon Kang threatened him with a fierce scowl. Hyonwon Kang, you're the only person who thinks this is a secret...
He remembered who had been receiving Hyonwon Kang's constant glances before they left for the Test of Courage. That lady's snow-white hair was bound to stand out anywhere, and besides, he wasn't the only one constantly gaping at her.
It's not just the Azure Dragon Academy. Several Vermilion Phoenix Academy students were staring at her today too.
Suddenly feeling naughty, he decided to tease his friend a little. "Your friend is in for a tough time. Surely quite a few men would fall for such a charming woman."
To his surprise, Hyonwon Kang didn't flip out. In fact, he didn't seem to mind at all.
"Of course!" Hyonwon Kang nodded, grinning. "Anyone with eyes can tell that she's gorgeous."
As if he had heard something forbidden, Dokgo Jun shook his head and scratched the goosebumps on his arm as he walked ahead. "...I think my dinner is about to come back up."
"Hey! Don't just walk off, listen to the rest of my story!"
"What on earth do you want from me?"
A moment later, the bickering boys simultaneously screeched to a halt. They turned to each other, their expressions equally grim.
"...I smell blood."
"It's coming from above us."
Their gazes turned toward the mountain peak, the destination for the Test of Courage where Noh Goonsang was waiting. The metallic scent of blood drifted down from there.
WHOOSH!