Determined, I kicked open the door and stepped out, but I didn’t walk for long.
Anyway, Hong Yeon-hwa was living in a dormitory just like me and hadn’t received a house either.
The top-performing student in each year could choose between the penthouse on the top floor and a house; Hong Yeon-hwa had chosen the penthouse.
The dormitory building stretched in a 4×2 layout, so it was a short distance that I could reach in just a few minutes.
Once I spread my spatial perception, I’d easily cover that distance. If I was really worried about Hong Yeon-hwa’s safety, I could sneak a peek with my spatial perception, but…
‘That feels a bit…’
My conscience pricked me.
Even now, I sometimes made blunders and pulled information from odd places. My proficiency in spatial perception was still increasing, but I still worried about making mistakes.
After leaving my dormitory, I walked for about five minutes and arrived at the main hall of Hong Yeon-hwa’s dormitory.
I verified myself with my smartwatch and entered. The exterior and facilities looked the same as my dormitory.
As I waited for the elevator and pressed the button, I exchanged greetings with a few cadets that passed by.
Just as I was returning their greetings, the elevator arrived.
Not stopping there, I chatted with those who got on the elevator with me. I was noticeably friendlier than before.
‘Was it called proof of status?’
Special admission student.
Since the principal brought me in, my potential was expected, but given my strange appearance, many had doubts in various ways.
I would’ve thought the same. After all, with a job as an extreme physical user like a hero, bringing in someone weak, blind, and mute seemed questionable…
Of course, I had improved since then. Hearing the term “blind” made my conscience sting since my spatial perception had really improved…
As for being mute… that was definitely a problematic issue. Communicating through holograms in an emergency was quite inconvenient.
And though it was unlikely, if ever I found myself in a situation where I couldn’t use holograms, my ability to communicate would be completely blocked…
‘Bringing the Confession Necklace would solve that, wouldn’t it?’
The Confession Necklace.
Wasn’t it a mid-low-tier artifact according to the association’s standard grading?
If you looked only at the ability to spill the wearer’s inner thoughts, it would be excellent for interrogations.
However, as one became more skilled, the ability to control the thoughts spilled became possible, and the fact that it gets imprinted on the first wearer made it an artifact that was akin to a double-edged sword.
When I first found it in the original work, I sold it at an auction because it was useless. There were plenty of other good things to carry around.
Besides, there were many other ways to interrogate enemies.
But right now, nothing felt more urgent than the Confession Necklace.
The filtering of inner thoughts and the imprinting effect? Actually, that would be great.
My body was fine, I had better sensory skills than sight, and a necklace to speak for me…
If I just got that, I’d truly become a ‘suffering person with a handicap’. At that time, I could genuinely claim I had no discomfort whatsoever around me.
– Ding!
As I imagined an easy future, the elevator doors opened. Beyond them was a hallway with a red carpet.
Luxurious decorations lined both sides of the hall, creating an atmosphere that made it seem inappropriate to touch anything.
Feeling a bit uneasy, I glanced at the decorations and started walking. The carpet was so luxurious that it felt a bit wrong to step on it.
Of course, the dormitory facilities below were quite excellent by my standards, but this place seemed to be on another level.
It looked like it could easily be mistaken for the mansion of some affluent individual. Just the porcelain sitting there exuded an air that screamed riches.
I stood in front of the door at the end of the hall.
The penthouse on the top floor. Sighing to ease my tension, I pressed the doorbell next to the door.
Soon, someone would…
– Wheeing
“?”
Almost immediately after pressing the doorbell, the door opened.
A woman in attire that seemed out of sync with the times stood at the entrance. Was that what they called a maid?
“Hello. I am Ariel Trident, here to guard Miss Hong Yeon-hwa.”
Her half-closed black eyes blinked, and she bowed politely.
I also bowed in return.
[Hello]
“Miss is inside. If it’s not too much trouble, may I escort you in?”
[Yes, please do.]
“Certainly, I will guide you inside.”
After a somewhat overly polite exchange, Ariel turned and led the way.
Following her into the room, I scanned her with my spatial perception.
Black hair and eyes. Half-closed eyes with a seemingly modern style maid’s uniform that had been appropriately modified.
‘Ariel Trident.’
Seeing her in person for the first time, I recalled some knowledge from the original work.
She was the woman who served as both guard and servant to Hong Yeon-hwa, and in the original story, whenever Hong Yeon-hwa was involved, she was always a part of the equation.
Being the one guarding the Gop-hwa Clan’s heir, it was evident she wasn’t someone to be trifled with.
In her active days, she was a top-tier hunter.
In the 11th round, when Hong Yeon-hwa relentlessly pursued me, it was actually Ariel who was in charge of tracking me down. That was quite bothersome at the time.
“This is it. Young Master.”
As the hall was quite spacious, we walked for a while.
Ariel stood by the door of a room and bowed.
I guessed this was Hong Yeon-hwa’s room. I nodded… huh?
[Young Master?]
“Oh dear, my mistake. Lee Ha-yul, this is it.”
Ariel, who had spoken mechanically, opened the door.
‘……’
What a lavish reception.
The atmosphere felt that way. Since before, something about being treated as a mere guest felt off.
I entered the room with a strange expression.
The inside was incredibly spacious.
All the furniture was of luxurious design, with one wall made of floor-to-ceiling glass letting in ample sunlight.
Against the headboard of the bed positioned in the sunlight, Hong Yeon-hwa was reclining.
Looking somewhat anxious, Hong Yeon-hwa was staring at a hologram, but when she sensed my presence, she turned her head.
“Ah! You’re here!”
Her anxious expression brightened up. The overt joy eased my heart as I closed the distance.
As I approached, I carefully examined Hong Yeon-hwa’s condition with my spatial perception. I skipped checking her external body and first checked her internal mana state.
‘Hmm…’
Her mana was tangled and intertwined chaotically. If it remained like this, it would greatly interfere with her mana manipulation.
Physically, she seemed fine. Of course, if the mana issue worsened, it could impact her physical state as well, but it wasn’t at that level right now.
As I got closer to her call, I pulled a chair and placed it by the bedside before sitting down. Looking closely, Hong Yeon-hwa didn’t appear to be gravely ill, which eased my mind a bit.
“Are you hurt anywhere? You were in pain when you just came down from the tower.”
[As I texted the day before yesterday, there’s nothing wrong. Rather, I’m more worried about you, Hong Yeon-hwa. Are you okay?]
“Yeah, you don’t need to worry at all. It’s nothing but a little weakness, and I’ll recover in a few days.”
Honestly, I was taken aback by Hong Yeon-hwa’s first words.
She was lying in bed, unable to join the afterparty due to her pain, and I couldn’t understand why I was the one receiving concern.
“How was the afterparty? Was there anything special?”
‘Oh, so that’s where we start.’
Hong Yeon-hwa asked with a rather curious expression. She probably felt a lot of disappointment since she couldn’t attend the afterparty yesterday.
I nodded and fervently tapped on my smartwatch, pouring out everything I felt during the afterparty.
I was trying to ease Hong Yeon-hwa’s disappointment even a little bit.
I mentioned the strange stares I received upon entry, how the food and drinks on the table were varied, how vast the banquet hall was, and the different facilities.
I also shared how I awkwardly rose from my seat due to not knowing the proper etiquette for side tables, only to get swept away by the other cadets.
In a daze, I was swept about until I was rescued by Baek Ahrin…
“That girl, ahem! Baek Ahrin didn’t do anything bad to you, did she?”
[Bad things?]
As I tilted my head and asked, Hong Yeon-hwa stared at my face for a moment before turning away, saying it was nothing.
Like that, she would regularly ask questions whenever something curious came up during our conversation.
Particularly about Baek Ahrin, she had many questions; it seemed they really had a good rapport, regardless of their bickering.
“Oh, by the way, I was curious since earlier, what’s that?”
That question came just as I was nearly finished talking about the afterparty.
Hong Yeon-hwa pointed to a gift bag placed on a nearby table. Despite pretending otherwise, her eyes shone with anticipation.
‘Um…’
My fingers, busy tapping on my smartwatch, froze abruptly.
I hesitated for a moment, then brought the gift bag to my chest and held it tightly.
Saying I brought it as a get-well gift felt a bit off…
Given the luxurious settings I had seen since arriving, it felt even more so.
The art pieces that filled the hallway, and just the luxurious appearance of the carpet.
The inside of the dormitory could hardly be called a house; it felt more like a plaza, glowing with bright furniture and lavish décor.
Hong Yeon-hwa’s dormitory was filled with high-quality items…
Compared to that, the gift I brought seemed too shabby and insignificant.
“Hmm? Hmm? What’s that?”
Hong Yeon-hwa’s voice sounded somewhat excited as I gulped.
From her expression, it seemed she had figured out the purpose of my gift.
Was it even acceptable to hand this over? Should I just say I didn’t have a gift right now? No, those expectant eyes would surely cloud over with disappointment. I absolutely didn’t want that. But would she be disappointed to receive something so lackluster…?
In that fleeting moment, dozens of questions raced through my mind. I was surprised by how fast my thoughts were processing.
‘……’
Those eager eyes pierced through me. My body moved on its own. With trembling hands, I subtly extended the gift.
The sentence I had copied in advance was projected through the hologram.
[It’s a get-well gift.]
“Wow! Thank you so much…! I’ll cherish it!”
Hong Yeon-hwa’s expectations burst forth like a dam as she sparkled with joy.
She reached out her hand to take the gift, and in my absent-mindedness, I tightened my grip, but Hong Yeon-hwa’s strength was overwhelmingly superior. She easily snatched the gift away.
I barely held back a sigh of emptiness in my now-void grip. The habit of staving off the curse of silence was becoming solidified.
“Can I open it now?”
[Yes.]
Before I even finished my reply, Hong Yeon-hwa’s hands moved swiftly. She seemed rushed but carefully handled the wrapping paper, slowly unwrapping it.
Watching her treat my gift with such care filled my heart with warmth, yet the thought that her anticipation could turn into disappointment made my heart race.
At last, the gift was unwrapped.
As my heart raced, the contents of the gift slipped from Hong Yeon-hwa’s hands.
A long, red fuzzy chunk sprawled across the blanket.
“A scarf?”
Hong Yeon-hwa’s eyes lit up at the presence of the gift.
The gift was indeed a scarf. Nothing special, just a plain red scarf.
[Gop-hwa users must control their body temperature, or so I’ve heard.]
Those who possess Gop-hwa are specialized in heat. Their bodies grow to better hold heat, and their mana takes on the properties of fire.
Therefore, Gop-hwa users tend to have very high body temperatures. But that doesn’t mean their temperature is high all the time.
Just like how the desert is hot during the day but cold at night.
If the body temperature of a Gop-hwa user drops, it can fall dangerously low, as seen in Hong Yeon-hwa’s case.
Hong Yeon-hwa blinked as she mindlessly fidgeted with the scarf, then turned her gaze towards me.
I swallowed hard, waiting for her response.
Within the information felt through my spatial perception, I was anxious about what she would say next.
“Really, truly thank you…! I’ll treasure it!”
With gratitude laced in her voice, my heart raced. It wasn’t from tension, but from joy.
As I relaxed, Hong Yeon-hwa gleefully examined the scarf, moving it around.
I scrutinized her face closely, wondering if she was pretending to be happy to spare my feelings, but there was no sign of such.
‘What a relief…’
My anxious heart warmed up. This was exactly why people exchanged gifts. Seeing someone so happy receiving a gift brought a smile to my face.
“Seriously, it’s really soft… where did you buy this?”
Hong Yeon-hwa, while fidgeting with the scarf, asked, seemingly impressed by its texture.
I had indeed paid attention to the texture. I didn’t sleep a wink last night for that reason.
Taking a sip from the drink Ariel had brought me in the middle of all this, I tapped on my smartwatch.
[I made it myself.]
“Ah. So Ha-yul made it… what was that?”
As Hong Yeon-hwa spoke with a soft tone, she suddenly halted and turned her head sharply. Her round eyes made me flinch.
Did I say something wrong? I checked my hologram, but there were no issues.
Concerned it might appear differently from her perspective, I tapped on my smartwatch again.
[I made it myself.]
“……”
This time, no reply came.
She merely gazed blankly at me.
…What’s going on?
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