episode_0014

– Jiwoo Nuna: It’s the start of the semester today, isn’t it? – Jiwoo Nuna: Good luck with the new semester! I’ll definitely come watch during the Cheongsong Festival.

Early in the morning. As I leisurely prepared for school after about a month, my smartphone buzzed with a notification. Checking it, I saw the sender was Jiwoo Nuna.

Normally, our connection would have only lasted two days. But at some point, I realized that Jiwoo Nuna and I had naturally fallen into a relationship where we exchanged private messages.

Even with the A-rank Awakened Uncle who had enthusiastically shared his veteran know-how during last summer vacation, not a single message had passed between us.

Thinking about it that way, the bond between a man and a woman was truly a terrifying thing. I won’t comment on how that bond was formed.

I typed on my smartphone with a soft smile. I was replying.

– Lee Hyunjin: Nuna, good luck with your guild work too. – Lee Hyunjin: I hope to see you at the Cheongsong Festival.

As I was about to put my smartphone away, it vibrated with a hum, less than five seconds after I hit the send button.

It was a vibration indicating a reply had arrived.

It felt like the perfect timing for the conversation to end, so curious, I immediately turned the screen back on.

And there, instead of a normal message, was a file—an image.

– Jiwoo Nuna: (Photo of her biting her t-shirt and revealing her bra)

“Cough.”

Though I had nothing in my mouth, I reflexively coughed. For a moment, it felt like my breath was caught in my throat.

The smartphone’s excellent camera clearly captured her overwhelming chest.

‘This Nuna, really.’

As I pressed down on my flushed face to calm it, another message flew in.

– Jiwoo Nuna: This is a photo to cheer you on. – Jiwoo Nuna: Our Hyunjin, don’t be late because you’re ‘draining the water’ first thing in the morning! – Jiwoo Nuna: Outdoor play with Nuna at the Cheongsong Festival, okay?

“…”

I didn’t reply, just turned off my smartphone. It’s my principle not to reply to messages that aren’t worth answering.

Of course, her suggestion of outdoor play at the academy was somewhat intriguing, but…

Anyway.

I straightened my school uniform tie and stood before the mirror. Even though it had been a long time since I wore it, there was no particular sense of awkwardness. It was the uniform I had worn all year, after all.

“Good.”

I decided to leave the dormitory immediately. Opening the door and descending to the dormitory building’s lobby, I saw several students also preparing for school.

Since the Cheongsong Academy’s dormitory culture basically involved all students from first to fourth year sharing two large buildings, there were quite a few unfamiliar faces despite the large number of people.

Still, occasionally, I saw some of my classmates. Meeting classmates who had gone home or traveled without a word during vacation was truly…

It wasn’t exactly welcoming, just normal.

After all, it had only been a month and a few days since I last saw them. We confirmed each other’s well-being with simple hand gestures.

‘I have to spend another year in the same class with those guys.’

Cheongsong Academy’s basic structure meant that classes formed in the first year usually continued all the way to the fourth year unless something special happened, so maintaining harmony within the class was essential no matter what.

Our Class A was no different. It would be truly great, if it weren’t for the fact that this harmony and familiarity often led to all sorts of chaos.

Anyway, as I walked to school, I observed more students here and there.

There were some pleasantly familiar faces. Like Kim Yijun, Baek Ayun, and Jinyong.

They were my classmates, more famous by their epithets: the disciple of the Sword Saint, the granddaughter of Gwon Hwang, and the successor of the Dragon King, respectively. All of them were in different classes.

‘Baek Ayun is still so small… it actually makes her easier to spot.’

Baek Ayun, the academy’s official shortest first-year, still seemed unwilling to give up her longing for height, using shoes with added insoles. She truly stood out the most.

As usual, I considered approaching her and making a gesture as if measuring our heights to get under her skin, but decided to hold back since it was the first day of the semester.

Being dragged to the disciplinary committee for bickering with Cheon Soyul or Baek Ayun wasn’t a rare occurrence…

Now, I had to pay a little attention to my demerits.

Well, aside from that, Kim Yijun seemed even sharper than before the vacation, and Jinyong had his usual unreadable, dazed expression.

Seeing these many faces after a month made me finally realize that vacation was over. A new semester was truly beginning.

Let’s make this new year meaningful. With that resolve, I sensed a familiar presence approaching from behind and turned around.

And as the person who had also spotted me hesitated, I subtly smiled.

“Hello?”

“…”

I raised my hand, but she didn’t respond, yet I wasn’t disheartened.

I had somewhat expected it.

“Why don’t you at least return my greeting?”

I let out a chuckle and took another step closer to her, the person who reminded me that the semester had truly begun.

Then, she wrinkled her expression as if I were some dangerous substance and extended her palm toward me.

“Don’t come closer. If you come any closer, I’ll fry you.”

“…Hmm.”

What a brutal thing to say.

The crackling lightning suggested that her emotions were indeed in turmoil, but I wasn’t one to back down.

When had our relationship ever been peaceful to begin with? This level of threat and vigilance was an everyday occurrence.

‘It seems that incident when we last contacted wasn’t just a small shock.’

Well, what did her circumstances have to do with me?

If she was going to be embarrassed, she shouldn’t have done it in the first place.

With a bright smile on my face, I lightly ignored her chilling warning.

And I nonchalantly crossed the line she had drawn.

Cheon Soyul flinched, her expression hardening.

I merely uttered one word.

“Cheon Soyul Teacher-nim? So, when’s the third masturbation show?”

A tremendous crash of thunder!

And beneath the clear sky, a massive golden bolt of lightning struck the center of the academy.

While the surrounding students were startled and turned to look our way, Cheon Soyul summoned sharp, blue lightning in each hand and aimed them at me.

“I told you I’d kill you if you mentioned it one more time.”

Her eyes welled up. Her face was flushed, whether from anger or embarrassment, I couldn’t tell.

Her tone, several beats faster than usual, also proved her agitation.

Facing lightning that looked capable of causing serious burns with a single hit, I shrugged my shoulders. Mockingly, at that.

The moment Cheon Soyul’s expression twisted like a malevolent spirit, I wiggled my finger at her.

“Oh, can you actually do it?”

“Die!”

She hurled the lightning.

I burst into a joyful laugh and wrapped a barrier of ice around my wrist, and the collision occurred instantly.

Yes, this was academy life. During vacation, aside from the few days I spent with Jiwoo Nuna, I was bored rolling around in the dormitory.

Feeling as if I had returned to my hometown (?), I began mixing Cheon Soyul’s lightning with ice fragments, setting off fireworks.

Students who were momentarily flustered by the sudden roar soon recognized my and Cheon Soyul’s faces, understood the situation, and went their separate ways…

After bickering for a long time, both of us were soon smacked on the back of the head by the Fourth Year Head Prefect who came running like mad.

“…First Year Class A, Lee Hyunjin, Cheon Soyul. Didn’t I clearly tell you? If this happens again, then I won’t just give you demerits, I’ll deal with you myself first.”

“Hahaha.”

“…I apologize, Senior.”

The senior with faintly blue-tinged black hair stood us up and pressed a hand to his forehead.

I let out an awkward laugh, and next to me, Cheon Soyul slumped like a drenched puppy, bowing her head slightly.

*****

“Why does that Senior seem to get stronger by the day? It’s only a three-year difference, but I feel like I won’t be able to move an inch for another year. Don’t you think?”

“…”

“Well, I kind of noticed it when those blue strands in his hair became even darker than a month ago…”

I prattled on and on, but despite my continuous attempts at conversation, Cheon Soyul exercised her right to remain silent.

Feeling a bit awkward, I scratched the back of my head self-consciously and poked her cheek.

“Are you sulking? Hey. You know it’s a joke, why are you like this?”

“…Sto-op it…”

Perhaps it was the effect of my poking her cheek, combined with her clenching her teeth, but her voice came out half-muffled.

I instinctively choked back the laugh that almost escaped.

Judging even that reaction as me making fun of her, Cheon Soyul immediately glared at me with wide eyes and growled low.

“Keep laughing like that. I’m really going to find a day and burn you to a crisp.”

“…Oh, how scary.”

I immediately took my hand away and stepped back two paces. Thanks to my quick retreat, I avoided being affected by the lightning energy that was beginning to flow down Cheon Soyul’s cheek.

Cheon Soyul brushed her cheek as if something dirty had touched it, then sharply turned around.

I blinked for a moment, then immediately followed after her.

“Where are you going?”

“…Classroom.”

“Why?”

“What ‘why’? I have to go to class.”

“But aren’t we already late?”

“Yes, yes. If it weren’t for someone, I wouldn’t have been dragged to the disciplinary committee office and I could have made it to class on time. This is truly unfair.”

Cheon Soyul said that while glaring pointedly at me, and I responded with a chuckle. Her eyes narrowed even further.

“Laughing again?”

“Hmm, I’m not laughing at you.”

“Then what is it?”

Today, Cheon Soyul was unnecessarily fixated on my laughter. I shrugged and pointed in the opposite direction she was headed.

“Let’s just go straight to the arena. We probably missed first period anyway.”

“…Was there a ranking match today?”

“We should check the schedule in advance.”

“Shut up.”

Cheon Soyul grumbled a reply to me and pulled out her smartphone. She was probably checking the schedule as I suggested.

“…Hmm.”

She seemed to have confirmed it quickly, nodding with a slightly pouty expression. She glanced at me once, then let out an “Hmph!” and turned her head, passing me and walking ahead.

She was truly a difficult arch-rival friend to deal with.

I smiled silently and followed behind her.

And then, I subtly tossed out a suggestion.

“You and I are 13 points apart right now, aren’t we?”

“…So? Why, what?”

“Oh, nothing, just let’s make a bet.”

Cheon Soyul paused her steps and slowly turned to look at me. Even though she tried to control her expression, her reaction clearly showed intrigue.

As a provocation, I lightly tapped her shoulder and proposed the terms.

“Loser buys tonight’s midnight snack. Deal?”

“…Hmm.”

She frowned for a moment, hesitating, then looked at my smirking expression. As if provoked, she immediately widened her eyes and met my gaze sharply. Then she shouted vehemently.

“Fine, I accept!”

The fish, no. Pikachu took the bait without hesitation.