The Shio-ram was enormous, like a smaller version of Jeju Island – a size I had trouble truly grasping. It’s one thing to know that such a vast island is used for an educational institution, but another to experience it firsthand.
The facilities for Awakened individuals required quite a bit of space, which explained the overwhelming area. Because of its size, the self-driving buses running inside Shio-ram were stationed about every 10 minutes at each stop.
After leaving the dormitory, I plopped down in a bus seat, gazing out the window… taking in the scenery as it zipped by. The sheer scale left me awestruck, realizing I was actually living in a world where such a grand island was allocated for school.
I had been living in this other world for about ten days, and today was the day of the new student welcome ceremony.
While I was holed up in my room struggling with my major, other students began checking into the dorms one after another.
“Hey, is that the one? The special admission student?”
“Looks like it.”
“Feels a bit different than just sensing, doesn’t it?”
The whispers and stares confirmed their suspicions. Even crammed in a corner of the bus, I was easily recognizable. I thought walking around with my eyes closed would attract less attention, yet somehow, that wasn’t the case.
As I reflected, my reputation seemed to precede me, even though I hadn’t been here long. Within less than a day of arriving, my name had become somewhat famous in the student community.
The term “special admission” was floating around. Rather than being a student who passed the entrance exam conducted by Shio-ram, I was directly contacted by someone involved to enter.
If I thought about it simply, I wouldn’t have expected to be such a spectacle, especially since there were students with recommendations from professors and those who had rich connections also gaining admission.
However, realizing that the “involved person” meant only one individual made it clearer: Neriel Claidya.
The founder of Shio-ram.
The owner of the Tower of Growth.
The Silent Sorceress.
A legendary figure who had lived for over 150 years.
Known for suppressing superb dungeons and obliterating dozens of first-class ones, her achievements were mind-boggling. A first-class dungeon going awry could wipe out an entire city, and a superb one could threaten the existence of a country.
Especially during her era, when the world was not one of peace but rather one of turmoil and chaos, referring back to the rare stability we had now, made her feats even more astonishing.
In short, she was documented as a hero who thwarted dozens of city-destroying and country-toppling dungeons.
Also, she was the head of an educational institution that had been churning out superhumans for nearly a century.
So now, a talent recommended by such a figure appeared, nearly a hundred years after the establishment of Shio-ram.
For the very first time.
That alone was enough for juicy gossip, but the fact that the first recipient was a blind and mute person? Now that’s a story worth talking about. I’d be curious too!
“I didn’t think much of it when I was just playing a game.”
In the game, the special admission status wasn’t even a factor I had to care about. Even while progressing in the main storyline, I never encountered Principal Neriel herself, and the interest points in the game just went up and that was the end of that.
But now, in reality, the pressure was real. Honestly, I felt like everyone was whispering about me. And not just good things; I heard rumors too.
“How did a blind person get into Shio-ram?”
“What’s it matter? Their backer is the principal.”
“Wow… is this some kind of disabled admission?”
They thought they were whispering quietly, but my ears were sharp enough to catch it all…
“Disabled admission…”
I had come across that term on the Internet. It didn’t feel particularly bad because, frankly, the label fit.
I swore I would break free from these limitations. I promised myself to become stronger, but honestly, I had no real confidence that I actually would.
Swinging a sword to cut through things, lighting fires in people’s hands, and burning a whole building down… it all felt like a fantasy. There was no way someone like me, grounded in reality, could pull off such feats.
Yet, the familiar sense of reality had been shattered just two weeks ago.
The world I lived in changed in an instant. Suddenly, my eyes were gone, and I developed this strange ability to read the space around me. I could also sense the magical powers scattered everywhere. There was even a little bit of magic floating within me.
When I tried to grasp that, the previous, shattered understanding I held denied it.
Was that even possible? I doubted it.
[This bus will be stopping at the First Banquet Hall.]
How long had I been waiting, feeling like I was sitting on a bed of nails? The bus doors swung open, and students poured out.
I stepped off, following the crowd into the banquet hall. Since everyone was headed there, following the throng was enough to guide me.
Inside the banquet hall was buzzing with students already gathered. However, the spacious layout meant it wasn’t uncomfortable at all.
Checking the time, I noted that there were about thirty minutes left until the event started.
Avoiding the gazes that wanted to pour down on me, I slipped outside, intending to grab something nearby to drink.
“I need to get used to this.”
Having never received this kind of attention before, it felt awkward and burdensome. If it were the old me, I would have just dropped everything and run away, but given my situation, I had no choice but to endure it while biting back tears.
Taking a deep breath, I opened a bottle of water I bought from the convenience store, taking a sip.
Normally, I would have bought fruit juice or something, but with my taste buds being what they are, it only made me feel down that it was flavorless.
Wishing I could at least enjoy some scent… but my sense of smell was in the same boat.
Thinking about it only deepened my gloom. Negative thoughts constantly loomed in front of me… no, I couldn’t see anything, right?
A series of negative thoughts. At this rate, I’d end up digging a tunnel straight to the core of my feelings! Shaking my head, I sighed it out.
…There’s precious little that thinking negatively changes. I shouldn’t just curse my situation.
To escape this negative pit, I had to take action. I needed to transition my thoughts into actions!
“Right, I’m still preparing, aren’t I?”
Muttering that to myself, I began walking back to the banquet hall when—
“Hey, hey! Look out!”
It was a moment.
As I stepped out from the alley where the convenience store was, something rushed out from the periphery and collided with me.
“?!”
“Ah! What the hell?!”
A water bottle flew through the air, spilling its contents. I nearly screamed, rolling on the ground from the shock of the impact.
In fact, I’d already screamed from the moment we collided. And now I was groaning from the pain.
“Geez! Can’t you watch where you’re going? You hear someone yelling to step aside…!”
My neck hurt. I had gotten used to this kind of pain, but it still hurt.
A tear slipped out.
As I was wearing down from the pain brought on by the curse of silence, I suddenly recognized a familiar voice from above. It was a character voice I’d heard often while gaming.
When I reflexively looked up, the trailing words stopped, falling into silence. A silhouette formed from the distortion of space; a woman was looking down at me.
Though I couldn’t make out her features beyond the silhouette, I had a guess based on the voice.
Hong Yeon-hwa.
From the Gop-hwa Clan, one of the three major clans in Korea.
The daughter of Hong Jin-sun, the current head of the Gop-hwa Clan, and the granddaughter of the former head.
She was a valuable child destined to become the next head of the clan, a key player with potential to stand among the strongest in the world.
“Uh, no, um…”
[I’m sorry.]
Before Hong Yeon-hwa, who suddenly fell silent, spoke again, I hurriedly got up and bowed my head.
[My body was a bit clumsy so I couldn’t react properly. I’m really sorry for making you uncomfortable.]
Did I really do something wrong? Wasn’t it the other way around that she bumped into me?
I shelved that thought, realizing it wasn’t a great idea to debate whose fault it was right now.
The unique abilities and a fiery personality that resembled dancing flames were more memorable than her beautiful appearance.
She was just like a ball of fire. Her magic took form as fire, making me feel as if I would get burned just standing there.
Acting like “Hey, stupid! You bumped into me!” wouldn’t evoke a favorable response.
A thought flitted through my mind, becoming kindling.
At least in the game, that was how it was. I doubted that arguing who was at fault here would land me in a good place.
So, I quickly stood up and tapped on my watch.
“No—! No, I’m the one who’s sorry! I was moving a bit fast and didn’t see you. Really, I’m so sorry!”
?
But her reaction was odd.
Instead of me being scolded, she was bowing her head in apology.
Wasn’t it supposed to turn into a battle event in a situation like this, if it were the game?
After a moment’s hesitation, I returned the bow.
“……”
“……”
We shared an awkward silence.
I was perplexed by Hong Yeon-hwa’s reaction, and Hong Yeon-hwa seemed puzzled about why I was acting this way.
“Uh… You’re that one, right? The special admission student.”
[Yes, I’m Lee Ha-yul.]
“I know your name. You’re quite famous, you know? Um… Uh…”
I was aware of my fame — both in a good and bad sense.
I’m aware it was a loaded topic.
While it may have seemed great from the recommendation standpoint, I figured the exam students wouldn’t be too keen about me.
They must have exerted a lot of effort to get into this place, sweating through every step to get here, while I just walked in without even sitting for an exam.
I could imagine them being mad as hell.
After catching stares on the bus and recalling how the other students had dismal opinions of me in the early game, it was no wonder I felt tension.
‘?’
The sentence hung as if trailing off, and for some reason, Hong Yeon-hwa’s reaction felt strange again. She seemed fidgety, her fingers twitching nervously.
“Uh… Sorry. I didn’t mean anything bad.”
[It’s okay.]
I truly had no idea what was up with her.
As we shared another round of awkward atmosphere, I recalled the event schedule and quickly checked the time.
Fortunately, there still seemed to be time left. The convenience store was pretty close, so even a casual stroll would get me there just fine.
“Hold on for a sec!”
Just as I was about to turn, Hong Yeon-hwa waved her hands frantically.
“Um, can I guide you there? I’m a bit sorry about earlier…”
‘No, it’s okay…’
[Thank you.]
I didn’t decline her offer, feeling it would be rude.
*
“Crazy girl.”
That insane girl.
Hong Yeon-hwa cursed herself as she replayed what had just happened.
So, here’s what went down. She had woken up late and had to rush to prepare before bolting out from the dorm.
Facilities were decent. While not on par with the main house, they were sufficient for a good night’s sleep.
But being late, Hong Yeon-hwa ended up having to sprint.
She didn’t take the bus. While slower than the bus, it would have been a good opportunity to kill time, but she ran instead because time was tight.
Looking back, was there even a need to be that rushed? Probably not. There would have been ample opportunity to stroll at a normal pace after a certain point.
…But her sight got so narrow she didn’t notice him. Thinking she was late made her want to sprint until she arrived.
As her focus blurred, she totally missed noticing someone emerging from the alleyway and collided right into him.
There was a small excuse here. The guy was moving around so quietly, his aura was too faint. Given her enhanced awareness as an Awakened, she’d let a ghost slip past her.
Also, she clearly reduced her speed before impact. Even bumping into a regular person should have just caused a slight stumble.
But this was a guy who fell to the ground, rolling like a ragdoll! He seemed like he was dying from a stab, gasping for breath like a wounded animal.
She was flabbergasted, unable to hide her astonishment at how dramatically he was acting.
In her impulsiveness, she revealed her temper and spat out insults, only to immediately regret it seconds later.
Glancing back, she noticed the male student trudging behind her, clinging to her sleeve.
A distinguishing feature would be his small stature. He was already shorter than her, and she was considered tall.
He looked frail at a glance, making it clear why he couldn’t handle rolling on the ground like this.
Also, he walked with his eyes tightly shut, which stirred an odd feeling of protectiveness within her.
…The fact that there were tears on his face struck her oddly. Why was there moisture there? Not something she wished to contemplate, but the answer popped into her mind.
And only moments ago, she crashed into the boy who couldn’t see ahead of him and yelled, “Can’t you look where you’re going?”
‘Damn…’
Hong Yeon-hwa always received advice from family elders, including her grandpa and dad, to tone down her personality.
She was born with a fiery nature, and the pampering atmosphere of her clan only encouraged that. Over the years, various circumstances had exacerbated her impatience and irritability.
Mainly, it was because Hong Yeon-hwa hadn’t paid much mind to them. The repercussions were evident.
In a moment of lashing out, she had made a ruckus.
…Then, even though she brushed herself off earlier, she noticed some dust stuck to her clothes. Reaching out, she tapped his shoulder lightly to clear it off, and he shivered.
“Ah, there was still dust on you.”
[Yes.]
He seemed startled and instinctively nodded while responding digitally.
…Of course, tapping on a smart watch to respond was way less convenient than speaking aloud.
But that wasn’t something she could do.
‘Should I have remained silent?’
It felt weird. I didn’t know how to start a conversation.
He wasn’t someone I was close with, and considering I had just bumped into him, approaching him seemed even more awkward.
Trying to salvage the situation, I offered an apology and decided to guide him, but I doubted that would settle anything.
I had already messed up.
Hong Yeon-hwa mentally berated herself while carefully leading Lee Ha-yul by his sleeve.
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