Chapter 32
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MJK
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Dragon's Shadow (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Today, I just wanted to quietly sit through class and swing by the prep room to sort out some potions.
But the moment I closed the classroom door and turned around, all those gazes stabbed right at me.
It wasn't like they were staring outright.
Still, dozens of eyes darted away just a bit, only to sneak glances my way.
Normally, there'd be that usual mix of 'Ugh, F-rank again' or 'Why's she even here?' vibes, but not today.
These were unfamiliar. Cautious, even.
No one said a word, but it felt like everyone was swallowing whatever they wanted to say.
The air hung heavy with uncertainty, like nobody knew what to even utter.
I fiddled with my bag strap for no good reason.
"Jin Hari!"
Yi-seo waved from her seat.
Her usual sulky expression actually put me at ease.
As I headed to my spot, Hee—sitting right in front of me—glanced back quick, then dipped her head and murmured,
"Hari, hey."
"Hey, Hee. Everything okay? The vibe's off since this morning."
And now Erich was snickering away.
While I bickered with Erich through mind-speak, Hee leaned in and whispered,
"Word is you saved two people yesterday."
"Me? When?"
Had I even cast a single heal?
"Guess someone you gave potions to still had some left. They say it patched up two seniors from another dungeon—critical injuries and all."
Looking closer, Hee's angelic smile came with veins popping on her forehead.
"Third-years have their own healers, so who knows why they'd trek all the way there just to pop one of your potions."
I traced her subtle glance and clamped my lips shut.
'Lee Sang-hee.'
A brown-haired girl pretending not to stare, but shooting icy glares my way, stood out clear as day.
"Did I screw up somehow?"
Why the death stare?
I'd kept my F-rank status on the down-low, never flaunting it, partly to avoid drawing aggro from Lee Sang-hee.
Figured if I knew my place, she'd leave me be.
Guess not.
"What screw-up? What'd you do wrong?"
Hee balled her fists chubby-tight and hissed in a whisper.
It was so unbearably cute that I crouched down to her level and whispered back,
"Nah, she was glaring daggers."
Hee blinked at me all dazed, then flushed pink and narrowed her eyes in a pout.
"You didn't mess up at all, so quit worrying, Hari."
She flicked my forehead lightly as she said it, and I clutched my chest.
"You okay? Hurt?"
Hyun Yi-seo shot the question deadpan the second she spotted it, so I shook my head.
"Hee's just too damn cute."
"Piss off."
"Poor Yi-seo—you have no idea how adorable our Hee is."
"Shut it."
Like always, Hyun Yi-seo grumbled while conjuring her game screen in mid-air.
We burst into giggles. Lee Sang-hee was already ancient history.
So no one clocked her boring holes into me without so much as a blink.
Yoo Han-seong couldn't hide his stare as he stepped into the classroom.
Student chatter would've normally bounced right off him.
But not today.
Jin Hari's seat.
The air around it.
Gazes heavier than before, no doubt.
Han-seong clocked it crystal clear: the F-rank healer who'd been treated like dead weight had shot straight to the center of attention overnight.
Maybe time to reevaluate her worth.
F-rank or not, she might hold S-rank crafting skills as a producer healer.
Still, he hesitated.
Couldn't say why.
Suddenly, Hari's worried gaze flashed back—those eyes curving bright and sunny.
'Way more survivors than I figured.'
He shoved the random thought aside and mulled it over.
His own party had made it, sure—but so had most of the volunteer student groups that followed.
Results blowing past his estimates.
Those little lights Hari had scattered? They'd snagged lives.
'Dungeon where folks started dropping before they even twigged it was the Final Dungeon's kickoff.'
Now the shock was dialed so low, nobody even noticed.
Good news? Jury's out.
One thing for sure: in that irregular S-rank dungeon, F-rank Hari had become the beacon of hope.
He glanced at his party—temporary in their minds, for now.
His soon-to-be S-ranks.
The crew to tackle the Final Cataclysm with.
Maybe rank wasn't the be-all-end-all.
A queer sense of freedom swirled around his chest like a spring breeze, then faded.
'No. Can't.'
Too close for comfort, probably messing with his head.
If his judgment was shot...
'No way. Can't slot Hari into this party.'
It'd get her killed.
Ah, but he had to save this world.
Not some noble calling—just the sole anchor keeping him tethered after all those time loops.
His reason to keep breathing, for ages now.
So, Jin Hari.
I...
Even after landing on a decision, that feeling lingered on him awhile.
Since the Moon Halo Dungeon, Han-seong hasn't come around as much.
We're still cool, but he seems buried in work.
Party's grinding hard too—faces rarer than ever.
Me? Long as potions flow smooth, I'm golden.
Today, Yoo Han-seong breezed past without a word.
But his eyes lingered long on my hand as I set the potion notes on the desk.
That fleeting presence stuck around weirdly forever.
I wrenched my gaze elsewhere.
Today? Act like yesterday never happened. Total normie mode.
Yesterday's drama stays yesterday.
Today, plain old F-rank healer.
Bell rang, and classroom buzz crept back to life.
Sounded like it snapped all the awkward stares the kids had been holding.
In that beat, Hae-sol slipped in.
Face ashen, dark circles faintly red.
Yesterday's scars still etched on his expression.
A few kids shot worried looks, but he dodged eyes and parked quietly at his desk.
Then, for one split second, his gaze flicked my way.
I gave a tiny wave.
'You good?'
Hae-sol didn't answer—just eased his head down slow.
But his fingertips quivered ever so slightly.
The sight hit me: this is where my meddling ends.
Push deeper, and the timeline tangles.
'Mental mana residue's cleared via barrier potion, but aftershocks? He's gotta sort those solo, step by step.'
I drew a breath, flipped open my notes.
Today onward: Moon Halo fallout cleanup.
Next dungeon prep.
Jotted the date on a scrap of paper, musing.
'Next up: Blood Dragon.'
Strictly speaking, the Cataclysm Dungeon's first wave wrapped here.
Wild anomaly—two S-ranks popping off with a time gap.
I balled my fist tight.
First period kicked off, classroom hushing down.
Not focus, though—more like tiny shards pattering endlessly from somewhere.
I rolled my pen over the recipe in my notes.
Brain sharp as ever, but fingertips kept twitching faint.
Not leftover tension from yesterday. These stares now.
Teacher must've known about the Moon Halo fallout—kept it theory-light and breezy.
"Tons of you feeling rough, so we'll keep it easy today."
A few let out instant sighs of relief.
I snuck a peek at Hae-sol.
Face set hard, but hollow cracks in the mask.
Yesterday's pattern grinding him down replayed, weighing on me.
'Not just the curse messing with Hae-sol.'
Probably poked some old childhood trauma.
Break time hit, kids stirring slow.
Today's vibe? Laser-focused—who's heading where, who's eyeing who.
Hee sidled up to my desk and hissed,
"Hari, play it safe today."
"Huh? Why?"
"Some dumb rumors floating around."
Rumors. Word alone sparked a headache.
Interest in my low-key potions? Fine. Anything else? Hard pass.