The one-sided sparring session called “practice” finally came to an end after more than an hour of relentless combat.
Huff… Huff… Hek…
A blonde female student collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath.
Her torn training suit was drenched in sweat, accentuating her curves even more. Due to a hair tie snapping in the middle, her beautiful blonde hair was a messy disaster.
Her limbs, limp on the ground, occasionally twitched as if suffering from cramps.
Today, Jin Yeseo didn’t even have the strength left to pick up a branch.
Huff… Heu…
Yet, unlike her previous devastating defeats, there was an oddly satisfied smile lingering at the corners of her lips as she exhaled.
Even though she felt a throbbing pain in her lower abdomen and throughout her body, Jin Yeseo couldn’t care less.
The experiences of the past few days had been a refreshing shock unlike anything she had ever felt.
The training, almost torture, was severe enough that she couldn’t even match the cradle’s educational methods. Being pushed to the brink of fainting like today had already become a daily routine.
But amidst all this, one thing became undeniably clear: she was diligently acquiring her own skills every day.
Jin Yeseo knew this movement was exactly what she had truly desired.
Although she was sprawled on the floor in a pitiful state, her heart felt light, as if soaring in the sky.
Ouch…
With trembling arms, Jin Yeseo forced herself to prop up her upper body.
At least there was the silver lining of her quick recovery.
The body of a wizard, honed over decades under pressure from particles, was superior in every way compared to an ordinary person.
Moreover, she belonged to a prestigious family, having undergone generations of selective breeding for improvements throughout history.
Even if she treated her body like this, she’d still recover to just severe muscle soreness by tomorrow.
“Here.”
Jin Yeseo reflexively caught something that had flown toward her.
A cold energy drink can and a dry towel were in her hands.
Before she knew it, the masked male student was sitting a good distance away.
“…”
As Jin Yeseo wiped her hair with the towel, she glanced sideways.
After offering various pieces of advice, he would shut his mouth like a liar once the sparring ended.
The only words he had given on the first day were that she should wipe off the sweat and replenish fluids before it cooled down.
So they would sit in silence and then leave the training room, each taking different paths.
Whether it was his natural personality or he simply didn’t want to engage except for work remained a mystery.
Being treated like a lump of baggage was undeniably humiliating, but Jin Yeseo didn’t voice it.
After all, there was only one person who could give her the only joy she desired.
No matter how much she personally disliked him or felt like she was on a leash, that fact couldn’t be denied.
“What kind of circulation magic are you planning to learn?”
Suddenly hearing a voice, Jin Yeseo turned her head.
It was the first time he had asked a question in days.
Although she was confused, she opened her mouth.
“… I plan to search among the universal magic formulas published by the particle transformation committee. I’ll sneak in next time I go to the capital.”
“Universal magic formulas don’t perform all that well, do they? Their enhancement areas are limited, not full-body.”
“What can I do? It’s not like I can ask you to teach me projections.”
Family’s unique magic is the culmination of several generations’ worth of achievements. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it the family’s very essence.
Naturally, it was common sense for knowledge to only be passed down to direct descendants or members who joined due to marriage or other reasons.
Even though she felt like she was clinging to the hem of his pants, he clearly hadn’t thought to ask for anything in the first place.
“Although it’s not projections, if the combinations are good, something useful might come out. There have been people who reached a high level just with universal magic since the dawn of magic. For now, I’m satisfied with that.”
“Is that so…”
Hearing Jin Yeseo’s answer, he nodded.
Then he took a glance at the clock and, as usual, prepared to leave the training room.
However, as he turned toward the door, Jin Yeseo’s voice suddenly rang out from behind.
“… Wait a moment.”
“What is it?”
He turned with a puzzled expression.
“You should keep your promises.”
“Promise? What promise?”
“You promised to teach me. Instead of me teaching you circulation magic.”
He had no idea she had impulsively reached out, feeling a bit unfair.
Her fate had already fallen into his hands, but it wasn’t like her body and mind had all surrendered.
The fierce sparring of today only stoked those impulses further.
Jin Yeseo was sprawled pathetically on the floor, as if she had suffered some terrible ordeal.
Awareness of her late humiliation made her face flush red.
She needed something to repay him for putting her in such a state.
But it couldn’t be a duel. With her black flames honed over a lifetime, she couldn’t defeat him. Let alone now, when she had just taken her first steps into circulation magic.
So there was only one method Jin Yeseo could pursue.
“I mean, we did say we’d do that… but here and not at the library?”
“What’s stopping you? It’s usually the ones who can’t study who get caught up in the details.”
“… ”
His reluctance abruptly changed.
Jin Yeseo swallowed hard.
Thought to be competitive by nature, she poked at him, but it was working better than she imagined.
And considering he had avoided the topic despite promising it… he was undoubtedly ashamed of his own insufficient learning.
Unlike his natural physique, he might be lacking in the studying department.
“Come on and sit down, will you? We don’t have much time before curfew.”
With that final nudge, he turned without complaint and walked back.
Seeing this, a smile crept onto Jin Yeseo’s face internally.
Having taken from him, she wasn’t about to take it easy. But it didn’t mean the process had to be gentle. He hadn’t been so kind either.
It was time for her to return the humiliation she had received.
*
‘… What’s this?’
The green-eyed boy, holding several sheets of paper, was trembling slightly.
‘Why is this going so well?’
The masked male student had solved all the basic problems Jin Yeseo had given him even before the allotted time.
It was needless to say he had merely applied the few formulas she had taught him.
‘Did I teach him too kindly? No, that can’t be it…’
Jin Yeseo’s mind was reeling, confused by the current situation.
Regardless, the speed at which he was learning was exceedingly fast.
Was he actually not lacking in intelligence? But what about the past version of him?
It felt more like he hadn’t been able to come into contact with the raw knowledge at all.
‘That can’t be right. Was he raised directly by Heukryeon…?’
Disappointment swirled in Jin Yeseo’s heart due to the unexpected outcome.
“… What score did you get?”
In that moment, a voice came from the masked male student, who had been sitting at a distance.
Though his expression remained calm, she could sense a hint of excitement and anxiety mixed in.
“… A hundred. You got all twenty questions right.”
Jin Yeseo let out a resigned sigh.
At her words, the masked male student approached and took the problem sheet from her.
Then he stared at it as if it would bore a hole through it.
“Is this what it is…?”
There was a satisfaction he felt, yet also a sense of innocence and purity in his small murmuring.
This was a side of him Jin Yeseo had never known until now.
“…”
Overcome by a strange indescribable feeling, Jin Yeseo found herself gazing at him intently.
*
Having left the training room later than usual, the outside world was now bathed in the hues of sunset.
I intentionally chose not to head straight to the Beech Tree Dormitory, opting for a winding route across the campus instead.
Although I held a certain advantage, it was still crucial that the relationship not be made public.
As I walked, I replayed earlier events in my mind.
I had no special teaching methods. There was no knowledge or talent. I was merely mimicking the processes I had experienced.
In contrast, Jin Yeseo’s abnormally quick growth made her seem even more exceptional.
I kept increasing the difficulty daily, yet she managed to keep up with everything.
I could truly feel her inherent talent. Considering how long I had wasted in the output system… it was only natural to feel frustrated.
Thinking back to the perspective of the situation… teaching someone was surprisingly enjoyable too.
Perhaps my instructor felt this way when he was teaching me as well…
“Huff… Hah… Wait…!”
In that moment, I heard a presence behind me and turned around.
A strange student was crouched down, breathing heavily.
Looking at the badge, they were a second-year upperclassman.
Who could it be…?
“… Did you call for me?”
“Huff… Yeah… I’ve been looking for you for a while. How come no one knows where you are? Don’t you make any friends?”
The unfamiliar female upperclassman finally caught her breath before speaking again.
“Do you want to follow me for a moment?”
“What’s this about?”
“My friend is looking for you. It won’t take long.”
“A friend…?”
“You’ll know right away when you see them. Just come on, it won’t take too long.”
There was no one who seemed to want to call me. Who could it be? Yeon Minha? But she didn’t seem hostile…
Or perhaps she was scheming something from behind?
“…”
I concluded my brief deliberation.
No matter which outcome, it couldn’t possibly be a major issue.
Even if the person calling me wasn’t Yeon Minha but someone from the opposing faction… it would be the same.
Following the urging upperclassman, I began to walk.
She led me toward the reception room set up in the annex.
As if she had made a reservation, she smoothly entered a certain room and motioned for me to sit as well.
“Just sit there for a moment. They said they’d be back soon after the student council meeting.”
With that, the upperclassman left immediately.
If it was the student council… did Yeon Minha really call for me?
If there was something to discuss, we could have done it at the dormitory… why meet up here?
With a hint of anxiety lingering in the air, I was stuck dwelling on uncertain questions.
And maybe five minutes had passed when I heard the click-clacking of heels growing closer in the hallway.
The presence stopped right outside the door to the reception room where I was sitting.
And after a considerable delay, the door finally creaked open with a screeeech!
“… Ah, there you are.”
As soon as the door opened, a voice sounded, filling the reception room with a refreshing scent of forget-me-nots.
I halted, moments away from turning around.
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