Chapter 17

Chapter 17

I Became the Only Non-mage in the Academy.

Episode 17: Hong Yu-hwa (1)

“We lost?”

Hong Yu-hwa stared at the list.

She and her followers had formed a team and scored 9 points.

Yet, they were only in second place.

1st place, Lee Seo-ha team – 30 points.

2nd place, Hong Yu-hwa team – 9 points.

3rd place, Kim Seo-hyun – 8 points.

.

.

.

30 points. Was that score even possible?

Hadn’t they clearly announced that the maximum score was 10 points, not 30?

“We worked so hard, and yet…”

“30 points out of a maximum of 10, what kind of nonsense is this?”

Hong Yu-hwa’s followers sighed. Seo Woo-ju, the instructor, was known for being unyielding.

Even among the assistant instructors, there was unusual chatter.

Rumors had already spread that Lee Seo-ha, Ershil, and Kim Ara had captured an enormous monster.

“Are, are you alright, Miss Hong Yu-hwa?”

A follower with blue hair asked Hong Yu-hwa with concern.

Hong Yu-hwa lifted her head haughtily.

“It’s fine. We just have to do better next time.”

“Ye, yes, Miss Hong Yu-hwa!”

“As always, so noble…”

“You all did well too. Go and rest well today.”

Hong Yu-hwa turned away from her followers and headed to the penthouse where she stayed.

She habitually checked her surroundings. There was no one around.

Thump.

Hong Yu-hwa lay down on the bed.

“Me, I’m in second place?”

Sss.

Hong Yu-hwa gritted her teeth. It felt so unfair. She had worked so hard!

In the history of this school, barely three people had ever scored 10 points. And now 30 points? Was this a joke?

“This is cheating!”

Tears welled up in Hong Yu-hwa’s eyes.

This time, she had been confident.

She had her followers lure the monsters to one place, and then she would annihilate them with her magic. Simple, but effective, and Hong Yu-hwa, confident in her firepower, had secretly hoped for first place.

The evidence was there in Kim Seo-hyun’s performance. She had outdone Kim Seo-hyun.

But it felt so unfair. To be in second place, her in second place.

She struggled desperately in the ranking exam, having placed fourth in the entrance exam. Yet, she couldn’t surpass the wall that was Lee Seo-ha.

Hong Yu-hwa stomped her feet in frustration.

-Yu-hwa, if you know yourself and your enemy, you will never be defeated. Before understanding yourself, you must understand your opponent.

Her grandfather’s words echoed in her mind.

They were true. Hong Yu-hwa reflected on her grandfather’s guidance. He always led her on the right path.

With her grandfather’s words in mind, Hong Yu-hwa magically levitated a secretly obtained photo of Lee Seo-ha.

Telekinetic magic, a fundamental skill for novices in this discipline.

Hong Yu-hwa then affixed Lee Seo-ha’s photo to the ceiling.

It needed to be visible at all times, especially while sleeping.

In this manner, she could brood over the injustice and plot her revenge.

Morning and evening, and every time she lay down, she would gaze at that face and strengthen her determination.

Hong Yu-hwa glanced upward.

There, Lee Seo-ha smirked down at her provokingly.

“It’s so unfair…”

Why did the photo have to look like that?

The image of Lee Seo-ha looking down on her elicited a peculiar sensation.

Hong Yu-hwa rolled over, hiding her tears in the pillow, and steeled herself.

Next time, she vowed, she would not lose.

Tossing and turning with a heavy heart, Hong Yu-hwa eventually fell asleep.

“There was a time when science alone was advanced. But about 70 years ago, anomalies began occurring in the world. As you’re aware, elements from other worlds started to merge with Earth, and a force known as ‘mana’ began to manifest.”

The professor, his entirely white hair combed back, delivered the facts starkly.

“Much more is understood now than before, but numerous mysteries of this world remain. Towers, dungeons, gates… The world is still replete with the unknown. And then there are the races and transcendent beings from other realms.”

Whirl, whirl.

I spun my pen while listening to the professor’s lecture. It was all familiar content; or rather, I couldn’t concentrate.

Especially recently.

More precisely, since yesterday, I had felt a strong gaze on me.

An intense stare.

From the right side of my seat.

Glancing that way, I saw Hong Yu-hwa.

She was glaring fiercely at the lecturing professor.

-Master, that girl has been glaring at you for a while.

The Black Heavenly Demon Sword, who was sticking close to me, spoke.

‘Ah, it must be about yesterday’s test.’

Since the monster hunting test rankings were announced, Hong Yu-hwa, with her strong competitive spirit, must have been very conscious of me.

Hong Yu-hwa had an incredibly strong will to win.

“…So, you guys. Hmm, it’s time. That’s it for today’s lesson. Enjoy your lunch.”

The professor ended the class. I packed my books and headed outside, where students quickly got up and moved towards the cafeteria.

It was kind of childish, but…

“Seo-ha, let’s go.”

“Okay.”

I went down with Kim Seo-hyun to have lunch. The cafeteria was fairly empty. Since it was quite large and each grade had its own, it wasn’t crowded.

“What monster did you catch yesterday? The assistants were making such a fuss.”

“We caught something good.”

I casually responded to Kim Seo-hyun as I headed toward the Korean food section.

Kimchi and spicy pork stir-fry, seolleongtang, pork cutlet; I got these and found a seat.

“…Pork stir-fry again?”

“You have tteokbokki. Don’t you get tired of eating it every day?”

“No, tteokbokki is always delicious.”

Kim Seo-hyun sat opposite me, smiling brightly.

I looked at what Kim Seo-hyun had gotten: red, spicy-looking tteokbokki with fried foods, dumplings, and Vienna sausages.

Next to it was cream pasta and bread for dipping.

“Can you really get energy from eating that?”

“Huh? Oh, is it too little? Ha, haha. A man should eat more, right?”

Kim Seo-hyun awkwardly laughed and stood to fetch more ice cream and bread.

“Huff, huuh! Ho, Hong Yu-hwa, can you really eat that much?”

“Ho, Hong Yu-hwa is eating commoner food?”

Shocked voices caused me to turn my head. The noise originated from Hong Yu-hwa’s followers, with Hong Yu-hwa herself at the center.

Looking closer, I noticed she had chosen the same menu as me.

Spicy pork stir-fry, pork cutlet, seolleongtang, rice, and kimchi.

“…….”

Wasn’t this a bit excessive?

I hadn’t expected her to pay me so much attention.

As I stared at Hong Yu-hwa in disbelief, our eyes met.

Her gaze was fiery and intense.

Feeling daunted by her stare, I averted my eyes, only to catch Hong Yu-hwa sporting a satisfied smile.

“…….”

Truly unbelievable.

After class, I made my way to the training ground for a workout.

The training ground bustled, with the likes of Park Woon-hyuk hoisting 500kg to show off his muscles and Seo Ga-yeon dripping with sweat.

“There are so many people.”

“Still, this gym is excellent. There’s hardly any smell of sweat, and the equipment is state-of-the-art.”

Kim Seo-hyun remarked with a grin.

“At my previous school, I felt like the smell of kids’ sweat would kill me.”

“That’s quite an exaggeration.”

I did some light stretches, glancing over at Seo Ga-yeon, hoping she’d develop an interest in magic.

‘I can’t force it on her.’

Perhaps I should awaken her powers after that incident, as in the original story.

“Shall we aim for a light 2-hour workout today?”

“…Let’s go for it.”

Kim Seo-hyun replied with a wide smile.

Despite my reluctance, I knew I had to go through with it to survive.

“Let’s start with an easy 50kg.”

Please, be merciful.

Against my wishes, Kim Seo-hyun cheerfully loaded weights onto the bench press.

One after another.

I sensed someone watching me.

Turning, I saw Hong Yu-hwa.

“Miss Hong Yu-hwa? Suddenly doing bench presses?”

“Yes, I’ve realized the importance of basic strength,”

Hong Yu-hwa replied haughtily.

Her follower, puzzled, began to help her get into position.

“Keep your back straight, and the bar should be a little above the chest… Ah, since Miss Hong Yu-hwa has a larger chest, just align it with your chest.”

Hong Yu-hwa lay down, her melon-sized chest not flattening much, which caused her follower to speak in a flustered tone.

“What, Yu-hwa is doing bench presses too? That’s a good idea. Even magicians can benefit from exercise.”

“You, how many kilos?”

“How many kilos? I’m at 5… oh, you mean how much Seo-ha is lifting? He’s at 50kg.”

“Give me 55kg.”

Kim Seo-hyun’s words took the follower by surprise.

“Yu-hwa doesn’t usually do strength training, does she?”

“I thought she didn’t.”

“Eh.”

Kim Seo-hyun whispered softly in my ear. I whispered back, and Kim Seo-hyun’s cheeks flushed red.

…This was getting weird.

I forced myself to look at Hong Yu-hwa. She was struggling with the 55kg bench press.

“Kkheh,”

She made a strange sound.

“Kkeung… Hheut… Kkeuk…”

Her face had long since turned bright red. Gritting her teeth, she brought it down to her chest, lifted it once, then racked it.

Hong Yu-hwa looked at me, panting heavily.

“Huff… Hhut, ha, haak, see, you saw that?”

Then, with a strangely triumphant expression and a proud smile, she moved on to another exercise.

“…Yu-hwa really has a strong competitive spirit,”

I remarked.

“Seems so,”

I agreed, watching Hong Yu-hwa’s proud smile with speechlessness.

That exercise was supposed to be done at least five times.