episode_0055

After breaking up with Yeon Myeong-ha, the place I headed to was Professor Kwon Chan-yeol’s office. Since today was not the weekend, I had to get permission from my professor to go out of the crib.

“Here it is. Don’t forget to be back inside the cradle’s front door before midnight today at the latest. You know that there are no exceptions even if you are a recommended student, right?”

“I will keep this in mind.”

He didn’t even look at the reason I wrote down for my reason for going out. With an annoyed expression, he scribbled his signature in the blank space and then handed the paper back in an instant. His dark-bearded face was still covered in fatigue.

“Sorry for bothering you. I have a meeting with a company representative today.”

“Oh, I see. I wondered what was going on again. Since I am a recommended student of Black Lotus, is it S&C?”

“That’s right. You know very well… ?”

“I know. When I was a student, I also signed a sponsorship contract with S&C. Thanks to Jaehyuk, I received generous conditions… ”

In his half-asleep words, I hear a name that momentarily catches my attention.

“Perhaps it’s sweet… Are you talking about someone I know?”

“… Ah.”

As soon as he heard the retort, the gun came back to the professor’s eyes. A light sigh flowed from his mouth.

“… Jaehyuk and I are from the cradle. By the way, don’t tell others. I don’t want to be criticized for having issues with fairness.”

I didn’t even think of this. Now that I think about it, the two seem to be somewhat similar in age.

Maybe it’s because I learned an unexpected fact, but unnecessary questions start to emerge without my knowledge.

“Well, what was he like as a student?”

“… It was amazing. Either in a good way or in a bad way… ”

“What is that… ”

“Okay, let’s stop. Shouldn’t you ask yourself that question yourself? I think I need to get some sleep. You too, hurry up and go do your business.”

-bang!

I was immediately chased down the hallway by a banquet order. I lost track of where I was going and stood there blankly for a while.

I soon walked downstairs and thought about the conversation I had just had with Professor Kwon.

Most of the people I met in the cradle regard the leader as a male human horse.

The epithets given to him are mostly negative expressions such as bastard, scoundrel, trash, and lewd.

However, some of them, such as the principal and Professor Kwon, did not seem to have a particularly bad impression of him. Rather, it feels like he is exaggerating or showing a bit of regret.

And my thoughts are not much different from theirs.

Although his personality was a bit old-like and his grumbling about everything was annoying at times, you can’t criticize someone as a villain just to that extent. If that were the case in the first place, they wouldn’t have taken me away.

At first, I didn’t pay much attention to the leader’s past, but now that I’m here, I’m a little curious.

– Sweet!

“Huh?”

As I was going down the stairs, lost in thought, I suddenly heard the sound of a doorknob turning in the hallway next to me.

When I reflexively turn my head, I see a familiar female student with brown hair who has just closed the door to her office and comes out into the hallway.

“Yena?”

“Tongue, Hyuna… ?”

When I called her name, Yena was startled and turned her head. It was as if he had never expected to see me here.

But his appearance doesn’t look very good. The two round eyes were bloodshot and full of moisture. Just like someone who was crying the whole time.

“Woman, why are you here… ”

As if she was embarrassed, Yena turned her head in a panic when I approached her.

“I had to go out for a while, so I was on my way after getting permission to go out.”

“Well, I see… he… ”

I turned my head and checked the door to the office where Yena had just left. You can see a nameplate hanging slightly above eye level with the words ‘Jongha Noh, Magical Chemistry and Magical Pharmacy’ written on it.

This automatically brings to mind a middle-aged professor with a mustache and arrogant gestures. I am well aware of his notoriety.

It was said that it was visible that students from the outskirts or from Korean-American families were subtly disadvantaged or treated poorly, while on the other hand, students from good families were treated strangely kindly.

They are of even worse quality in that they walk a fine line that does not fall under discrimination regulations.

I don’t like him very much either. I was a little puzzled because he implicitly showed an attitude that I didn’t like, but later I found out that he was publicly known to be receiving support from the Paecheon Baek family.

And if what I know is correct, Jena does not have a background that the professor would be very pleased with.

“What’s wrong with your eyes? Did you get scolded by that professor? If you find something wrong with you, tell the principal… ”

The top floor of this building is the principal’s office. If you’ve been treated unfairly, there’s nothing you can’t do to report it.

“Huh? Oh, no. It’s because I couldn’t sleep last night. Ugh, I’m embarrassed… he… ”

However, when I turn around and try to go straight back up, Yena quickly stops me.

The eyes are like that because he lost sleep while studying, and the reason he visited the office was to ask questions about parts he didn’t understand while studying Magical Chemistry.

Certainly, Yena is now carrying a thick book of Introduction to Magical Chemistry in her arms. I eventually had to turn away due to the troubled look on Yena’s face.

We went straight down the stairs to the lower level of the faculty building.

Even Jena, who always talks lively on behalf of me, who lacks affability, doesn’t say anything, so the atmosphere is awkward.

“… Now it’s the second request. I’m preparing well… ?”

Yena’s mouth opened again only after she had just walked out the door of the faculty building.

“Okay. Where is your group going?”

“We are requesting assistance in patrolling the outskirts of the capital. These days, there’s a shortage of manpower, so I guess I’ll have to lend a cat a hand… I don’t think it’s bad… ”

Yena nodded lightly and said. It’s a request that doesn’t seem too bad, even to me.

Yena is basically a timid person, and thinking about the last request, she seemed to be more afraid of dealing with magical beasts than criminals or mutants…

“Well, you… ?”

“We are on a transport escort mission. Go down to the southern agricultural district… ”

-Good luck!

Suddenly, I had to stop talking due to the sound of something falling.

When I looked to the side, I saw that the thick textbook that had been in Yena’s arms until now was rolling around on the dirt floor. Yena’s face turned white and she stared at me.

“South… ?”

“… ? huh. Southern. So I think it will take some time. Since I’m going down this week, I’ll have to return next week at the earliest… ”

“No, no… !”

Yena suddenly screams. I am a little embarrassed by the sudden and extreme reaction.

“Is it Yena?”

“No… ! The South is dangerous… Cough! Cough!!”

Yena suddenly coughed while speaking. The intensity is so extreme that it makes you wonder if your internal organs are being vomited out.

“Cough! Cough!! Hehe… ! Cough… ! Hehe… ”

“Are you okay? You’re a little strange today. Let’s go to the clinic. I will take you… ”

“Hey… no. It’s just that I felt a little sad for a moment… ”

“It’s not just a sare… ”

“It’s really okay… It’s southern than that… ”

After a few minutes, Yena managed to control her cough and muttered absentmindedly. Then he looks at me and speaks in a pleading tone.

“… Hyuna. You can’t go if you don’t go… ? Or change the request to something else… ”

“It’s much more important than the first request, so how can you not do it? And our mentor must have already submitted the request. You know that once it is approved by the professor, it cannot be changed.”

“An… no… ”

“Why are you doing that?”

“Collok… I’m just worried… It’s too dangerous… It’s far… There are also demonic beasts… And they said the south was the home of the rebels… ”

It seemed like Yena’s weak-hearted and worried temperament had come into play again. But today it feels like it’s a bit excessive compared to usual.

It’s even a bit solemn, as if he’s trying to stop someone who wants to go into battle. It feels even more strange considering Yena’s physical condition, which doesn’t seem to be very good.

“You know my skills. It’s no match for most magical beasts. And it was said that the rebels had already been crushed by the subjugation and had now almost lost their power.”

“Still… ”

“I heard it’s okay.”

“Ugh… ”

Yena now looks almost like she’s crying.

“… Then, can you make me one promise… ?”

“What is it?”

“Promise me that you will never overdo it no matter what happens. Don’t leave alone like you did during practice… ”

I think the fact that I left alone during training is still engraved in Yena’s mind. Sometimes I think back to that time when I pretended to pout and showed concern.

However, this cannot be immediately confirmed. Even though safety is guaranteed, there is always something unexpected. And if you are unlucky enough to get caught in one of those, then it will be like breaking your promise.

“… I can’t guarantee that… ”

“… ”

Yena remains silent in response to my hesitant answer. Then he spoke with a somewhat lonely, resigned smile.

“… I thought you were going to say that… Hyun, your personality… ”

“I told you not to worry. Nothing will really happen.”

“… huh. I hope so too. Hyuna, I think I have to go now because it’s time for the next lecture. See you later… ?”

Yena nodded slightly. He then looked at the clock tower to check the time, gave me a little wave, then turned and left in the opposite direction. His gait was heavy and limp the whole time.

***

I arrived at the cafe about 15 minutes earlier than the scheduled time, but a woman was already sitting there waiting for me.

Her long hair was tied back and neatly organized. At first glance, he appears to be a little older than me, and is wearing a neat and classy suit, giving anyone the impression that he works at a good job.

As soon as the door opens and the bell rings, her eyes turn in this direction. And then he immediately stands up and bends his back to almost 90 degrees when I approach him.

“Nice to meet you, little master. My name is Myo Sang-ah, a member of S&C Defense’s VIP department. It is an honor to be able to meet you in person this time… ”

“… ”

The flowing dialogue suddenly stops with the sound of tongue chewing. Then, an awkward silence filled the surroundings.