episode_0060

The time for the Cheongsong Festival was drawing near.

Ring!

And I was receiving a bomb of messages.

[Milky-White Seol Hayeon: Wait]

[Milky-White Seol Hayeon: I’m coming soon]

[Milky-White Seol Hayeon: Just wait there]

The first was my Teacher-nim. Even though she was a Great Mage by name and must have been busy with many duties, I was simply grateful that she would come to her disciple’s school event. Not to the point of being moved, though.

Watching my Teacher-nim’s chat, which somehow felt like she had picked up modern slang from somewhere, I typed with a slight smile.

[Lee Hyunjin: Yeah]

[Lee Hyunjin: Come quickly]

[Milky-White Seol Hayeon: ?]

I had intended to play along as a dutiful disciple, but it seemed I had given the wrong answer.

Countless questioning emotions emanated from my Teacher-nim’s short question mark.

I coughed and quickly exited the chat window. My Teacher-nim’s saved name was updated with constant notifications, but…

I decided to ignore it. I would see her soon anyway.

[Jiwoo Noona: Heya]

The next sender was Jiwoo Noona. Strictly speaking, it hadn’t been that long since I last saw her, but I somehow felt happy to hear from her.

Perhaps it was because I had experienced various incidents and accidents during those short two months.

An emoji of a girl nervously knocking on a door cautiously appeared in the chat window.

Though we had only spent about two days together, I somehow felt like I could guess her inner thoughts.

She was a Noona who, despite appearing otherwise, had a somewhat timid and crumpled side.

Since we hadn’t exchanged personal messages for two months, perhaps she was worrying about various things?

For example, thoughts like, ‘Is it really okay to contact him now…?’ or ‘What if it was just an empty promise?’

Of course, it could just be my assumption.

[Lee Hyunjin: Noona, it’s been a while]

[Jiwoo Noona: Yeah]

[Jiwoo Noona: Nice to see you, Hyunjin]

[Jiwoo Noona: Have you been well?]

[Jiwoo Noona: By any chance, last time]

[Jiwoo Noona: This message has been deleted.]

[Jiwoo Noona: Just a moment]

[Jiwoo Noona: It’s nothing else, but that]

As I watched the chat messages go up one by one, I felt certain that my assumption was exactly correct.

The person who had consistently led me at night was now hesitating like this in everyday life.

It felt a little fresh, somehow.

And quite amusing too.

I briefly considered observing this interesting reaction a bit longer, then decided to make a choice for Jiwoo Noona’s mental well-being.

[Lee Hyunjin: You’ll be coming to the Cheongsong Festival, right?]

A simple, concise question. The endlessly scrolling chat messages abruptly stopped.

And soon, a chat message with a much softened tone flew in. Just one line. Briefly.

[Jiwoo Noona: I’ll definitely go!]

The exclamation mark burned very intensely.

Though there was only one.

Anyway, that settles Jiwoo Noona for now.

Now, the next is the last.

With a slight sense of awkwardness, I scrolled down the messenger app.

[Mother]

“…”

I lifted my head, squeezed my eyes shut, trembled, and tightly gripped my unwilling hand to move it closer to the screen.

Many messages had already accumulated. Even more so since the Cheongsong Festival period approached.

In the end, I touched the screen with a helpless sigh. Entering the chat window.

I forced my lethargic fingers to move.

[Lee Hyunjin: It’s me, Mother]

[Lee Hyunjin: Your unworthy son is very late in contacting you. I hope you’ve been well?]

I carefully considered the most cautious phrasing. I wrote and deleted several times, trying my best to make my tone polite.

[Lee Hyunjin: I heard you’d be coming with Teacher-nim early on]

[Lee Hyunjin: By any chance, how many days do you plan to stay… .]

Dry saliva was swallowed automatically due to my nervousness. My eyes were fixed on the screen, waiting for the messenger app’s unread notification to disappear.

Soon, the ‘1’ quietly scattered and vanished.

At the bottom of the screen, the ‘…’ indicating that typing was in progress appeared instead.

In that tense moment, the chat finally delivered.

[Mother: About ten days?]

“…”

My lips pressed into a firm line. Almost simultaneously, a notification sound echoed.

Ring!

[Father: Sorry, son]

This time, it was my Father.

[Father: (Emoji: Sorry I couldn’t protect you)]

“Ah.”

I let out a short sigh. A feeling of strength draining from my shoulders washed over me, and with that, my schedule was half-confirmed.

Yes. That’s right. That’s how it is.

I was destined to be sucked into an endless hell of nagging by my Teacher-nim and Mother, two S-rank Awakened individuals…

‘…Guess there’s no helping it.’

I sincerely hope nothing happens.

Truly.

*****

Even if Cheongsong Academy was a fairly open educational institution, its essence as an Awakened Academy remained unchanged.

Ultimately, external visitors, excluding faculty and students, were rarely seen.

The Cheongsong Festival was precisely the exception to that rule.

Throughout April, external visitors poured in endlessly, making it difficult to distinguish between those entering and leaving.

Not only the students’ parents, but for this year, a considerable number of people were expected to come to watch the tournament of the top student and the eight runners-up.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the academy staff would also have quite a headache managing it.

‘It’s bustling, so it’s not bad.’

I was watching people come and go, snacking on various street foods from the stalls scattered across the campus.

While perched on a bench.

This spot was also geographically one of the main pathways to the academy’s main building, allowing for quite a few fresh sights.

I could observe various facets of the kids I already knew.

For instance, I saw classmates greeting their parents. It was obvious they were all more excited than usual.

Moreover, I also caught a glimpse of Kim Yijun along the way…

And it seemed I also caught a fleeting glimpse of the Sword Saint, wearing his famous golden sword, so I quickly escaped and ran away from the spot, which is where I am now.

Still, it wasn’t just a day or two that I’d beaten up Kim Yijun, so I felt a little self-conscious.

Well, given his straightforward personality, he probably wouldn’t tattle to his master.

For this Cheongsong Festival season, I really didn’t feel like adding any more new encounters.

Aside from everything else, having to meet Manroe, who is Cheon Soyul’s mother, was already heartburn-inducing, but what if someone like the Dragon King or Gwon Hwang suddenly appeared?

It meant I couldn’t handle it.

To put it bluntly, with my schedule so packed, I couldn’t help but feel depressed.

Immediately, this evening, I had to wear a butler’s uniform—something not in my fate—and work as a server.

‘Thinking about it again, it makes me angry.’

I thought this as I finished off the candy and tossed the remaining stick into a faraway trash can.

Of course, I’m not a good cook. Even if I had to cook for myself, I’d usually just have Cheon Soyul put on an apron.

But to be so restricted that I couldn’t even make a simple dish at a student-run cafe or bar…

It wasn’t enough to call it a blow to my pride, but it certainly wasn’t a pleasant feeling.

Inside, I thought I should definitely check Kanzaki’s skills, as she would be in charge of the kitchen today. Then I subtly checked my watch.

It was almost time for our appointment, wasn’t it?

Just then. I subtly frowned at the two distinct, powerful presences I suddenly felt and turned my head back.

“Hyunjin…!”

On the opposite side, Jiwoo Noona was vigorously waving her hand at me with a bright smile.

I reflexively started to return her greeting, but then fixed my gaze forward again.

Because a very familiar sensation permeated the air.

The flow of a unique magic I had experienced before.

Fundamentally dark and sticky, yet strangely evoking a pure feeling of nature.

‘Ryu Seeun.’

This was the ability of Black Heaven.

I whipped my head around.

Behind the building. A spacious side path where human presence was so scarce it felt like it was blocked by an ‘invisible wall’, floating adrift.

There were two men there.

One was a young man with a very gloomy appearance, and the massive figure positioned opposite him was an old man with abundant white hair.

The former was Ryu Jinseong, Black Heaven. He was my top junior’s adoptive father.

And.

The latter.

“…It’s been a long time.”

The Great Mage Ryu Jinseong was bowing deeply, even if only out of formality, to show respect to the other party.

“Baek Seonbae-nim.”

The old man’s moniker was Gwon Hwang.

His name was Baek Muyeom.

Baek Ayun’s warning might become reality in just a few days.

‘Ah.’

I thought to myself, with sincerity.

Yes.

I really don’t know what it is, but…

I really don’t want to get involved with that situation, I thought.

But whether that’s possible, I’m not so sure myself.