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Chapter 54. The Only Way To Move Forward Is To Face Reality (2)
Translator: Atlas / Editor: Swords4Fun
Han couldn’t find enough words to describe how fight was a big turning point for him.
“Did you feel you couldn’t escape the fight against Cadet Leonhard Laurent?”
“Yes. I couldn’t avoid it because there was the possibility of becoming stronger. Even if my opponent had not been Leonhard, my choice would have been the same.”
He answered Carly truthfully. No hesitation, no doubts. He knew he had to accept the only way he could move forward in this reality.
He would not back down even though he would have to travel a thorny path. That was why he had entered this academy, despite his initial desire to make a comfortable living for himself.
“

”
But it didn’t look lik she expected his answer. Carly didn’t ask any questions afterward. Still, she stared at him.
There was now a natural silence in the atmosphere. Han didn’t feel uncomfortable. He knew she had a positive opinion of him.
Now he knew he didn’t have to pretend. Rather, he wanted to show Carly the real him.
If she would help me
 He could become stronger. He could achieve incredible growth like he did yesterday in the fight.
Among the instructors, Carly had a reputation as an instructor who could push the cadets’ growth beyond expectations. He could look her in the face with confidence.
“

”
As he did so, he couldn’t help but notice her lips. The red sauce from the steak left a trace at the corner of her lips. At that moment, his heart fluttered.
Thump thump
Emotions that he thought were calm
 began to throb again. He tried to calm himself as he continued to eat. But it wasn’t as easy as he thought.
Beautiful people are dangerous.
Other people might be defenseless even in the face of the trivial actions done by beautiful people. Everything they did could seem attractive.
“Well
” When she opened her mouth, he hesitated for a moment, but didn’t look away.
“Cadet Han Seong, you are surprising.”
“Huh?”
“That’s a bit strange. Honestly
I didn’t expect Cadet Han Seong to respond that way either. Although I definitely had a good impression of you during the entrance exam. Not only did you believe in yourself, but you did your best. But I
 didn’t expect you to have such deep thoughts.”
Carly spoke without hesitation. Even unconsciously she had lowered her fork. Han didn’t open his mouth because he thought anything he said would look smug. Posted only on NovelUtopia
Instead, he merely smiled slightly.
Carly smiled back.
“Well, I expect my cadets to strive to do better than the others, but that doesn’t mean I can simply tell them they should ‘try harder.’ Because I’m in a different position than the cadets. Some may think that I was born with great talent. Just because I had some talent didn’t mean I didn’t have to work hard for my current position. Because of that, I don’t believe in such things.”
Carly looked at him sweetly again.
“

”
Her eyes seemed to look at him with pride. Even her playful tone was gone.
Her sincerity touched his heart. He felt a tingle in his chest. Only Carly could provoke such a reaction in him with her casual behavior. Not for nothing had he complained that she was not a heroine in the novel.
No, no longer just a character.
Now she was alive in front of him. And he could clearly understand what she meant.
Carly was one of those people who valued effort more than anything else in the world, but she knew she couldn’t push the cadets by just saying it. She was aware that improving by effort might seem stupid in this world, and how that would impact her teachings when judged by her peers.
He only liked this world because of the presence of people like her.
“The only way to move forward is to face reality,” Han began to speak, only recognizing the words after subconsciously. He recognized what he was saying as was what someone had said in the original story. These words were spoken by a person whose light was extinguished on the battlefield. And they were a turning point for Carly.
Unintentionally those very words came out of his mouth. He sat thoughtfully as he watched Carly’s eyes grow large. He regretted that he had said such things, but he couldn’t recover the words he had spoken.
“Han
 Have we’ve met before?” Carly’s voice wavered as she asked carefully.