21. Jung Ye-won (3)

After my morning class ended, I headed to the Headmaster’s office.

I wanted to inform her about my schedule in advance, and since missing two days a week would mean less time learning from her, I thought it would be good to find time to receive guidance whenever possible.

The tranquil atmosphere created by the neatly arranged furniture was quite pleasant, making me feel like I should have a cup of tea rather than come for training.

As I entered, Sanya-nim, who was sitting in an antique chair, stood up to greet me.

“Welcome. Have you had lunch?”

“Yes, I just ate with Ha-Yul and was on my way back. What about you, Sanya-nim?”

“Me? I just grabbed some bread. I’ve been busy catching up on a lot of overdue work.”

“Even if your recovery is fast, you still need to eat properly. What if you collapse again?”

“Pfft, how can you make such jokes without even batting an eye, Ji-hoo-gun? You’re a real pro, a pro.”

Sanya-nim rummaged through the cupboard and took out an extra teacup.

With skillful movements, she tilted the teapot, pouring steaming black tea into the cup, and handed it to me with a saucer.

As I took a sip, the subtle aroma of the black tea gently lingered in my mouth.

It was a high-quality tea that made me nod in appreciation.

“So, what brings our Ji-hoo-gun here so early? Do you need some counseling? Or, do you want to have sex with your Headmaster after a long time? Want to go inside?”

“Uh… it’s nothing like that. I was wondering if it would be possible to adjust my schedule slightly just for this week. Could I possibly skip today and Wednesday…?”

Dalkak.

Sanya-nim placed the teacup she was holding on the table.

Her thinly raised red eyes quietly stared at me.

“You’re already skipping classes…?”

“Oh, no, well… as you know, my relationships with women are a bit complicated, right? It’s just for this week, so it won’t happen again in the future…”

“I’m just kidding. You worked hard last week, so it’s understandable that you’re tired. Today and Wednesday… let’s see. Hmm, I already have a separate schedule on Wednesday, so it’s a day I can’t do anyway. And I have a lot of work piled up besides looking after you today, so you don’t need to feel so sorry.”

“You’re already busy, but you’re going through even more trouble to take care of me… I feel even more sorry now.”

At my dejected reply, Sanya-nim smiled and patted my head.

Then, even though there was no one around, she whispered into my ear as if someone might hear.

“Actually… Siana’s mistake is bigger. That artifact Siana used last week, remember? It’s an artifact that meticulously manages usage records, purposes, and frequency, so you can get arrested if you use it carelessly even with permission. But as you know, even though Siana looks docile, she’s the type to move without thinking when she’s gone wild, right? Well… so, anyway, she’s having a hard time dealing with that right now.”

Hearing that, Sanya-nim’s eyes looked hollow for some reason. It felt like her dark circles were darker than usual.

Knowing the inside story, I even started to feel respect for Sanya-nim.

Besides what she just said, she must have countless tasks piled up, but she’s somehow managing to handle them all while also taking care of my training…

“…I can only say, ‘Hang in there.’ I’ll bring you some red ginseng tomorrow.”

“Not red ginseng, red ginseng candy.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ve been craving that so much lately. I usually eat one whenever I’m bored, but I ran out the day before yesterday and was wondering if I should go buy some.”

Ah… age is age, after all…

The difference between her appearance, which looks like she’s only in her mid-20s at most, and the being inside is causing too much of a gap…!

“Perhaps then… do you like sweet red bean jelly too?”

“Oh, you’re so thoughtful, Ji-hoo-gun? How did you know I like sweet red bean jelly~ If you’re going to buy some, get the red bean kind, okay?”

Ah, God-isiyeo.

“Ho, do you perhaps like trot music…?”

“Hmm… you mean the music genre? I don’t really listen to that, why?”

Thank goodness…

She hasn’t gone that far yet.

For a moment, I was worried that Sanya-nim had crossed the point of no return and almost became very depressed…

“No, I just thought I haven’t had many opportunities to know Sanya-nim’s tastes until now. Then I’ll bring some snacks when I come tomorrow. Thank you for always taking care of me.”

“Eung, what’s with the sudden formality? I can’t be a Headmaster if I can’t manage my students. Oh, and it’s good to meet your girlfriends, but don’t overdo it. Tomorrow, we’ll continue with magic training, though not as much as last week. Okay, now that you’ve said everything you need to say, you can leave.”

“Then I’ll be going now… Ah, could I ask you for one more favor?”

Just as I was about to leave through the door, the incident from this morning flashed through my mind.

Sanya-nim might be able to find Pira-Hyun.

It’s only been a day, so there’s no need to make a fuss already, but it’s always good to be safe.

“There’s a friend in my class named Pira-Hyun, and she didn’t come to school today without any notice. Everyone thinks it’s a family matter, but… just in case, I’d be grateful if you could look for her when you have time.”

“Okay, she’s a girl too, I see? Alright, I understand. In times like these, an unannounced absence is suspicious enough. I’ll circulate this case to the awakened ones I know for now. Don’t worry too much.”

“Thank you. Then I’ll really be going now.”

I gulped down the lukewarm black tea that had already cooled and stepped outside.

With only about 10 minutes left of lunch break, I had to hurry to not be late for the next class.

…Still, I can’t help but smile at the thought that I can rest for today.

Why is the human heart like this…

To be able to feel such abundant satisfaction from something so small and insignificant.

I was even starting to worry that my threshold for happiness had become too low recently.

“I also wonder if it’s okay to be happy with just this…”

Oh, the pitiful lives of modern people…

I praise all those who struggle with work and return home exhausted, enjoying simple happiness.

* * *

“Let’s see… the address… is it here?”

After escorting Ha-Yul home, I unpacked my luggage in my studio apartment and went outside again.

All the houses in this residential area look the same, so even after looking at the address, I had to wander around for a while to finally see my destination.

Of course, some unique people deliberately paint the exterior differently or add decorations to give it a unique touch, but honestly, I’ve been too lazy to do that so far.

“This is it. Area 4, House 21.”

A house with a pink mailbox…

In this day and age, saying “Who uses a mailbox?” would be pointless, considering the entrance is locked, so it seems to be just for decoration.

I pressed the button next to the front door, and a faint noise could be heard from inside.

Soon, the door clicked open, and Ye-Won Jeong appeared with a flushed face.

“Ah, hello…! You came a little early…?”

“I found the house faster than I thought, I originally thought it would take about 30 minutes. Actually, all the houses in this neighborhood look the same, right?”

“Ahaha, yes, that’s right…! Th, then come inside… I’m preparing the rice cake right now, so please wait in the living room for a moment…”

No way, she’s actually making rice cake?

I wondered why I smelled such a savory aroma…

As soon as I went inside, Ye-Won Jeong, dressed in casual clothes, quickly ran into the bedroom.

She says she’s preparing rice cake, but why is she going in there?

I wanted to grab her and ask for the reason, but I figured she must have a reason, so I decided to just wait quietly.

“Haa… when is she going to come out…”

I was bored and had nothing to do, so I watched some TV program for about 10 minutes, and I started to get bored, so I got up from the creaking body and strode towards the bedroom.

“Ye-Won-ssi, you said you were making rice cake. Why are you in the bedroom after calling someone over? Are you not making rice cake?”

I asked while knocking, and a groaning voice could be heard from inside.

“Wa, wait…! It’ll be done in a minute…! Ah, no, just 10 seconds…!”

What on earth is she preparing that’s taking so long…

I thought I couldn’t wait any longer and was about to open the door slightly, when the tightly closed door burst open.

And what appeared inside was Ye-Won Jeong in an outfit I never expected.

“…Rice cake, is that what this is?”

“I, I wanted to do rice cake with Ji-hoo-ssi…♡ This is rice cake too, right…?”

Before my eyes, Ye-Won Jeong, dressed in a bunny girl cosplay, was standing in an awkward pose.

I’m going crazy, really.