As I walked out of the classroom, I was pondering how to approach Sung Suah while heading to the cafeteria.
'It's not easy to just ask her to eat together…'
If I asked Sung Suah to eat with me at the school cafeteria, she'd likely agree.
But asking her out of the blue didn't seem like a good idea.
[Even if we proceed cautiously, we'll still need some kind of method.]
This is a long-term mission, so if I approach it with the mindset that it'll work out eventually, I'll end up in big trouble.
Sometimes, in games, the choices you make early on can lead to completely different outcomes.
'I need some kind of plausible reason to get close to her… Ah!'
[Did you think of something?]
'Seo Ji-eun.'
Seo Ji-eun from Class 7 of the Magic Department.
Sung Suah is currently very worried about Seo Ji-eun, a cadet.
I thought I could use Seo Ji-eun as a conversation starter and keep the dialogue going from there.
'Sung Suah seems like the type to work hard even outside of work hours, right?'
[Unlike Cho Seo-hyun, it's highly likely, given Sung Suah's personality.]
'Is she still there? Maybe I should head back to the classroom…'
I turned around and headed back to the classroom.
My plan was to use Seo Ji-eun as an excuse to have a meal with her.
Not long after, I arrived back at Class 7 of the Magic Department.
'She couldn't have left already, could she…?'
When I opened the classroom door, fortunately, Sung Suah was still there.
But… unlike before, she had a gloomy expression on her face.
As soon as I entered, I asked her with a puzzled look.
"Huh? Instructor Sung Suah, you're still here?"
"Instructor Seong Suho? Is there something you need?"
She forced a smile, rubbing her face unconsciously.
Seeing her expression made me feel awkward about asking anything.
It's not like Sung Suah to look so serious, which made it even more concerning.
"Ah… I had something to ask, but I'm sorry. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Oh, no! It's fine."
She forced a smile and approached me.
"Well, I was just feeling hungry. Why don't we eat together and talk?"
***
"Ah… about Ji-eun?"
"Yes, am I being too nosy?"
"Not at all! I actually think it's admirable."
Sung Suah smiled and explained about Seo Ji-eun.
When she first enrolled as a magic cadet, she was at the top of her class.
In terms of skill, there wasn't a single cadet in the Combat Department who could match her at the time.
Even Song Ara, the current top of the Combat Department, couldn't compare to her back then.
But around the middle of her first year, she started having trouble controlling her mana, and by the beginning of her second year, she reached a point where she couldn't control it at all.
The top magic guild, 'The Tower,' has been struggling to figure out the reason, but they haven't found any clues yet.
Sung Suah talked about Seo Ji-eun without even touching her food.
"…Even watching from the side, I couldn't understand it."
The flow of her mana was chaotic, following a pattern that was impossible to comprehend.
And that chaotic mana…
"Cadet Seo Ji-eun… attacked herself."
"She attacked herself?"
"Yes, Cadet Seo Ji-eun's specialty is shadow magic."
"…?"
"It's probably unfamiliar to you."
She explained that it wasn't the usual fire, water, earth, wind, or lightning attributes, but a special magic talent that allowed her to manipulate the shadows of living beings.
It wasn't just unfamiliar—I'd never even heard of it before.
After all, it didn't exist in Stura.
"That's why The Tower has been so invested in solving Cadet Seo Ji-eun's problem."
"…They don't want to lose such a rare talent, right?"
"Yes. She was clearly a talent suited for The Tower…."
To summarize her abilities, she could materialize the shadows of humans or animals.
Those materialized shadows could then be controlled like limbs, using her own mana and the opponent's abilities as a base.
"She can fight using the shadows she creates, and she also has the ability to support herself using her own shadow."
"…Just hearing about it, it sounds almost like cheating."
"But it's said to drain her mana heavily."
Depending on the shadow's abilities, her mana depletion could skyrocket.
There was a risk of overreaching and getting overwhelmed if she tried to steal shadows from opponents she couldn't handle.
But as good as Seo Ji-eun's abilities were, she was also incredibly intelligent.
On top of that, she was strong at improvising, even as a mage.
"She had great situational judgment."
"…That's unfortunate. Did she say she'd return to school next week?"
"Yes, she was supposed to come back this week, but… another issue came up."
"…? What kind of issue?"
"Her leg condition worsened again. Last year, a shadow she summoned attacked her own leg."
The critical issue now is that whenever she materializes a shadow, her own shadow attacks her.
Moreover, during the last incident, the shadow she summoned was one she had no intention of summoning.
In other words, without any thought, the shadow tried to assassinate her.
'…Crazy. Just hearing about it is terrifying.'
[It's fascinating. How could someone so talented suddenly lose control like that?]
'Exactly…'
It's not like she was incapable from the start—she was using her abilities just fine, and then suddenly, she couldn't.
Every time I heard about her, I felt a pang of sympathy.
'I was planning to learn her abilities as soon as I met her, but now I'm not so sure...'
[If you could learn and use them efficiently, it would definitely be helpful.]
'Yeah, I was planning to learn and use them efficiently… for certain purposes.'
[....]
A long silence.
Nothing feels better than leaving Armonia speechless.
As I closed my eyes, enjoying the silence, Sung Suah started to look worried.
"Um… is something wrong?"
"Ah! Sorry, I was just lost in thought…"
"What kind of thoughts…?"
I messed up.
'Damn, I gave the wrong excuse…'
[....]
Our CEO, still silent, doesn't seem like she's going to give me an answer.
I quickly made something up.
"I injured my leg a while back, so I guess I can relate…"
"Ah… How did it happen…?"
Sung Suah looked at me with concern.
I just blurted out whatever came to mind.
"I got seriously injured because of a colleague. It was my fault for being so incompetent."
"Ah! I'm sorry for bringing up bad memories…"
Sung Suah covered her mouth, thinking she had made a mistake.
'Phew… she probably won't ask more.'
[…Did you really injure your leg?]
Armonia, who had been silent, finally asked.
I thought back to the past as I communicated with her.
'Back when I was running a relay race, I tripped while passing the baton.'
[….]
'Heh, the guy I passed it to also tripped. It was hilarious. Hahaha…'
At the time, I was upset because I was the only one who fell, but when the guy I passed the baton to also fell, it made me feel better.
By the way, the reason he fell was because I messed up the handoff, causing him to stumble.
What a guy I am…
'Back then, when I fell, I slammed my knee into the ground. I couldn't walk properly for a while.'
[Are you okay now?]
'No lasting effects, but I still have a coin-sized scar on my knee.'
Honestly, I don't even pay attention to that scar anymore.
I only remembered it because I brought it up, so it doesn't mean much to me now.
After that, Sung Suah stopped talking about Seo Ji-eun and started discussing today's class.
***
"Sigh…."
A bright light pierced through the dark room, accompanied by a sigh.
A luxurious private room that was nothing like where Seong Suho stayed.
It was the penthouse of this dormitory.
One of the perks given to high-ranking heroes like Sung Suah.
But Sung Suah had always found such perks burdensome, both now and in the past.
Even during her time at the consulate, she had given up a good dormitory and preferred a standard private room like the other students.
But in the end, she had moved into this place to keep up appearances for the person she loved.
"…He never even visited once."
She had hoped for a visit, but in two years, it never happened.
Sung Suah placed the files she had brought on the table and sat down on a chair.
"But it's a good thing. This time, it seems like a really good person…"
She recalled her conversation with Seong Suho earlier, which had been filled with talk about the cadets.
Instructors are human, and it's a job, so they tend to avoid any trouble that might come their way.
Especially assistant instructors—their position made it understandable.
At first, Sung Suah thought he was asking to prevent any trouble.
And that was actually why she thought well of him.
Most instructors don't prevent trouble—they just pass the bomb to the next person.
But from their conversation earlier, Sung Suah felt that he wasn't asking for his own safety.
It really seemed like he wanted to know about Seo Ji-eun.
"…It felt like he genuinely wanted to know as an instructor."
The files on the table contained information about Seo Ji-eun.
She had brought them to give to Seong Suho the next day.
Sung Suah had high expectations for him.
During her time at the Hero Academy, she had built relationships not only with full instructors but also with many assistant instructors.
But Sung Suah wasn't fond of the irresponsible behavior of those instructors.
She understood their position.
They had worked hard to become heroes, and suddenly being told to teach kids made them furious.
Three years.
Wasting their prime years in their 20s wasn't something Sung Suah could simply accept.
But Sung Suah couldn't turn a blind eye to the students who had entrusted their futures to this school.
In two years, she had worked with six assistant instructors.
And out of those six, not a single one had asked about the cadets first.
Sung Suah had tried her best to inform Seong Suho about the cadets on his first day.
He had listened intently.
Up to that point, he was similar to the other instructors.
But from their conversation today, she saw something different in him compared to the other instructors she had worked with.
He was actively trying to understand.
"Now that I think about it… he said he injured his leg…"
It was only now that she realized she hadn't properly looked into Seong Suho's background.
She recalled briefly glancing at his profile the day before and only talking about what she wanted during lunch.
Sung Suah felt so embarrassed by her actions that she muttered to herself, even though no one was around.
'Sigh… I was the one being rude to him.'
In the midst of her hectic schedule, she had unintentionally pushed aside her interest in the assistant instructor.
A normal person would just let it go and move on.
But Sung Suah wasn't the type to let things go so easily.
She was the type of person who would follow traffic signals even on a deserted country road.
She wasn't someone who cared about others' opinions—she cared about her own.
"It's late today, so I'll make sure to find out more tomorrow."
Sung Suah neatly organized the files on her desk and looked out the large window.
Outside the window, she could see the male dormitory.
The penthouse across from her, which she always looked at.
The privacy glass made it impossible to see anyone from the outside.
But she always ended her day by gazing aimlessly at the penthouse across from her.
Today, however, the lower floors caught her attention.
Sung Suah suddenly became curious.
"Come to think of it… what does he think of me?"
As she said this, she stared aimlessly at the lower floors of the dormitory.
***
Seong Suho lay on his bed, looking out the window, and screamed internally.
'Damn it!! I really want to get with Sung Suah!!!'
[...….]
***
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