episode_0019

An unimaginably smooth voice tickles my ears, throwing me into cognitive dissonance.

Then, a speech pattern as pure as a newborn baby’s strikes my head like a second blow.

Ah, of course, a freshly born infant wouldn’t be able to speak—but the feeling is the same.

“Ah, uh.”

Too flustered to form proper words, my response stumbles out incoherently.

Perhaps my reaction seemed odd, because the wolf beastman tilts his head slightly before smiling faintly, as if recalling something.

“You must be tired. Grapes and lemons help with fatigue. Broccoli is good too. Lightly blanched, it’s delicious. Would you like some?”

As he speaks, he pulls out a stackable container from his bag and opens the lid.

Inside, seven grapes, four lemon slices, and five blanched broccoli florets are neatly packed.

Did he… bring fruits and vegetables from home?

“Wow… I think he lives more diligently than I do.”

Xiaolin mutters quietly beside me.

Yeah, no kidding.

The dissonance is too much.

He looks like he could dunk someone in a locker, yet his behavior is like something out of a manga—a pure-hearted honor student.

“…Sure, I’ll have some.”

Blinking, I pick up a grape and pop it into my mouth.

Sweet. Just ordinary sweetness.

“I usually don’t have time in the morning, so I replace breakfast with something simple like this. That’s why I brought it today—I’m glad it’s helpful.”

The wolf beastman watches me chew before speaking with a faint smile.

That rugged face of his, grinning so gently…

Yeah, it’s really bizarre.

“Can I have some too?”

“Of course. Please, help yourself.”

“Thanks! You’re such a nice guy! Honestly, when I first saw you, I was kinda… scared to even talk to you.”

“I get that a lot. But it’s fine. In the end, misunderstandings can always be cleared up, right?”

“True, true! Ugh—so sour…!”

Xiaolin, who had just bitten into a lemon slice, scrunches her face and twists her body in discomfort.

The wolf beastman covers his mouth and lets out a quiet chuckle.

Only then do I finally relax.

So he’s just a really rough-looking, kind-hearted student.

Like, unbelievably kind-hearted.

“Your name is… Tsūno Ume. Right?”

I struggle to recall the name I saw on the screen board before asking.

“Yes. Tsūno is my surname, and Ume is my given name. You can just call me Ume.”

“Like you said earlier, I’m Park Junghyun.”

“I’m Xiaolin! A cat beastman! Are you from Kirinus too?”

“Yes. I’m from the Nise region of Kirinus. It’s small but beautiful.”

“Ah! I know that place! It’s famous for its plum blossoms, right? I heard the plum blossom pancakes there are amazing.”

“The subtle sweetness is the charm. If we get the chance, I’ll make some for you.”

“Really?! You can cook too?”

“…I learned from my mother.”

Ume answers with his usual faint smile.

As I study him carefully, I ask another question.

“By the way, what’s with the bandage near your jaw? Did you get hurt today?”

“Ah, yes. Something happened.”

“What happened?”

When Xiaolin follows up, Ume closes his eyes briefly before continuing.

“Hmm… When I left home to go to school, a dog came charging at me, drooling like crazy.”

“Ah… So it scratched you?”

Even if he’s a superhuman, dog claws are sharp.

That makes sense.

“No. I gave it the sausage I was going to eat on the way, and it calmed down.”

Ah, he tamed it.

“After parting ways with the puppy, I was crossing the crosswalk… when a truck ran a red light and came barreling toward me.”

“A—a truck?! D-did it hit you and scrape you along the ground?!”

Xiaolin’s eyes widen as she asks in a trembling voice.

“No. I dodged it.”

Ah, he dodged.

“Then, as I was walking toward the main building… a huge, thick tree branch suddenly fell from above.”

“And it grazed you…?”

“No. It landed right on my head. It hurt a bit, but I wasn’t injured.”

Ah, he endured it.

“After that… I was about to go down the stairs when I stepped on a plastic bag and slipped.”

“……”

“Luckily, I wasn’t badly hurt. But as I got up and headed to the main building, a mosquito bit me under the chin. I absentmindedly scratched it, but I must’ve scratched too hard because it started bleeding. So I put on a bandage.”

“…Huh. That’s kind of an anticlimactic ending.”

Xiaolin mutters in a deflated voice, as if the conclusion was disappointingly mundane.

Wait, but—does this even make sense?

He steps outside, and a vicious dog charges at him.

He crosses the street, and a truck runs a red light toward him.

He walks down the road, and a tree branch falls from above.

He goes down the stairs, steps on a plastic bag, and tumbles.

All of this happened on one trip to school?

Is this guy the embodiment of misfortune or something?

“Is today just unlucky, or is this normal for you?”

At my question, Ume keeps smiling as he answers.

“This is pretty normal for me. But today was actually lucky—I didn’t get pickpocketed.”

Somehow, I feel a little sorry for him.

“……”

“Hang in there.”

Xiaolin shoots him a sympathetic look, and I offer a word of encouragement.

“Yeah~ Let’s all do our best.”

Ume replies cheerfully—

-Creak!

The sound of the classroom door opening cuts through the air.

-Click-clack.

Immediately after, the crisp sound of heels echoes.

For a moment, it feels like the entire class’s attention is forcibly drawn—though it’s probably not an illusion.

Because the one who just entered is none other than A-Class’s homeroom teacher—Eirin.

Wait, what? Yonghee-nim is our homeroom teacher?

No way. She must just be here to make an announcement or something.

Whoa… She’s ridiculously pretty.

Murmurs of similar reactions ripple through the room.

Eirin, seemingly accustomed to such responses, sweeps her gaze over the students without any particular reaction.

“I’m Eirin, in charge of A-Class. As long as it’s not disrespectful, call me whatever you like.”

On the surface, it sounds like she’s giving them freedom—but the sheer charisma and aura she exudes don’t allow for casualness.

Just like before, Eirin will undoubtedly be addressed as Yonghee-nim or Professor by the entire class.

No one forced it. It’s just the natural flow.

“…It’s 8 o’clock, so let’s begin orientation. From now on, any student who enters late will be marked tardy without exception.”

I turn to whisper to Xiaolin—It’s already 8?—but she’s already bolted back to her seat.

Fast as hell.

“First, let me say one thing. I…”

Just as Eirin continues—

-Creak…

A faint noise comes from the back door.

Everyone, including me, turns to look.

There, peeking through the half-opened door, is Serena, slowly scanning the room before—

“Ahaha… I didn’t mean to draw this much attention.”

She scratches her cheek awkwardly with an embarrassed smile.

“Punctuality is a basic requirement for a Purifier, Eldrain. One tardy mark.”

“What a shame. I ran here sweating bullets to avoid being late.”

Her appearance, however, is flawlessly pristine—not a single drop of sweat in sight.

“Take the seat on the far right, fifth row from the back.”

“Yes~”

Without a hint of tension, Serena walks to the window-side seat Eirin indicated and sits down.

Then, she leans lazily against the windowsill.

With her eyes half-closed, it’s impossible to tell if she’s about to fall asleep or is still awake.

“…Let me continue. I’m not a miracle-working mage. So, I can’t transform all of you into high-grade Purifiers like myself.”

Eirin’s voice remains cold as she goes on.

“But I can help you fully realize the potential you already hold. At least, if you diligently follow my lessons—and those of the other professors. So, I’d appreciate it if you’d trust and follow me.”

Trust me, and I’ll draw out the maximum of your latent abilities.

If anyone else had said this, I would’ve scoffed—but coming from her, I find myself nodding without realizing it.

“Of course, to do that, we first need to identify what you’re talented in. Time isn’t infinite, and even now, somewhere in the world, villains are snuffing out innocent lives while Erosion Beasts trample our territory. Wasting time is unacceptable.”

-Tap!

With a flick of her finger, Eirin lifts the entire class from their seats.

A display of immense magical power and precise control—briefly manipulating everyone’s movements.

“So, our first lesson will be to uncover the hidden gem within each of you. Follow me.”

With that, she strides out of the classroom, her heels clicking sharply.

“Hmm… ‘Uncover the hidden gem’—is that a metaphor?”

“Probably.”

I give a vague answer to Ume’s puzzled murmur.

But I already know what’s coming next.

Aptitude Testing.

A test that extracts and analyzes a student’s magical energy, visually representing their innate talents.

What kind of result will my aptitude test show?

“Everyone’s going. Let’s hurry.”

“Right.”

Since I can wield multiple personas, will it show talent in all fields?

Or will it reveal the talent of this body itself—without borrowing any persona’s power?

It’s time to delve deeper into myself.