Chapter 77
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 77
"Wow... they definitely did that on purpose, right? How bold!"
Before stepping into the building, Cheol-jin looked up at the sign attached to the exterior wall of the top floor and muttered quietly to himself.
"What is?" Si-woo asked, glancing at him.
"That 'Co.' in the parentheses... it's supposed to stand for 'Company,' right?" Cheol-jin said, his comment coming out of nowhere.
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?" Si-woo looked back up at the sign Cheol-jin was staring at and questioned him again.
"People who know... they'll definitely recognize it for what it is!" Cheol-jin started muttering to himself again. He pulled out his smartphone and began taking pictures of the sign on the top floor.
Click!
Click!
Click!
Si-woo watched him for a while, his expression making it clear he couldn't understand what Cheol-jin was doing.
"I'll give this to you as a riddle later, so see if you can figure it out!" Cheol-jin laughed excitedly, as if he were having the time of his life, and hurried into the building first.
What a weirdo, Si-woo thought to himself as he followed Cheol-jin inside with the girls.
* * *
"Oppa, look over there!"
As soon as they entered the first-floor lobby, Se-young pointed toward a standing sign placed right in front of the stairs leading to the basement.
"Hmm?"
It appeared to be an advertisement for an event cafe called 'Witch and Cat.' It seemed they sold drinks and snacks while also offering services like tarot readings.
"The academy runs that place! Aunt Seon-ju bought me an ice cream cake there last week! Hehe." Se-young smiled brightly, bragging to Si-woo about her previous visit to the cafe with Aunt Seon-ju.
The standing sign featured several photos of the cafe's interior. It was decorated quite convincingly in a medieval European style.
"Oh, really? Then should we go there together next time? I'll buy you whatever you want, Se-young!"
"Yes! Su-a, you come too! I think they do tarot readings there. Like romantic compatibility or your future spouse!" Se-young answered innocently, making sure to include Su-a.
"Sure! Sounds good! Su-a's coming too!"
Since he had the card his mom gave him, Si-woo didn't hesitate to make the promise. He found Se-young incredibly cute and lovely as she clung to him so affectionately.
The spacious first floor housed a bank, a convenience store, and a pharmacy. Si-woo and the girls scanned the interior briefly as they passed through the lobby and headed deeper into the building.
* * *
Cheol-jin had gone ahead and was holding the elevator for them. Once they were all inside, he pressed the button.
3rd Floor—
'Empirical Sensory Training Research Center.'
That was the name of the academy written on the directory. It was a bizarre and complex name, sounding almost socially inept for a magic academy catering to children and parents.
"So it wasn't 'Extrasensory' after all?" Cheol-jin continued to blurt out remarks as if he were constantly being surprised by something.
Click!
Click!
Click!
Cheol-jin was meticulously taking photos of the elevator's interior, acting like a detective gathering evidence for a mysterious case. On one wall of the elevator, there was a brief introduction to the magic academy.
Manipulation
General
Illusion
Stage
Street
Psychokinesis
Psychometry
Astrology
Tarot Reading
Hypnotherapy Counseling
Cognitive Learning Counseling
...and so on.
The various types of magic and programs taught at the academy were listed alongside photos of classes and performances. It seemed the magic programs Se-young was taking were related to astrology and hypnotherapy. Since Se-young had requested it and it served a therapeutic purpose, the academy seemed to be placing more emphasis on those areas for her.
The elevator reached the third floor, and a loud chime announced their arrival. The doors slid open with a smooth shhh.
Just a few meters ahead of them was a pair of translucent double glass doors with the academy's name on them. As Si-woo approached and pushed the doors open, a chime rang out with a cheerful tinkle.
* * *
"Welcome!"
A somewhat familiar female voice greeted them. A young, pretty girl about Si-woo's age was sitting at the academy's front desk, welcoming them. She was wearing what looked like a stage costume—a form-fitting orange long hoodie worn like a dress.
Si-woo stared at the girl intently for a moment, struck by a sense of familiarity that felt strangely out of place. Slowly, her face began to register in his mind, like a video using morphing techniques.
"Huh? Isn't that Shin Seul-gi? What are you doing here?" Si-woo asked, stepping forward in surprise.
"What the—?! You're connected to this place too?" Cheol-jin shouted as he lunged forward, looking equally shocked.
The person sitting at the front desk was indeed their schoolmate, Shin Seul-gi.
(15 years old, a friend who attends the same Intermediate Academy as Si-woo, and Shin-bi Noona's younger sister.)
"Keep your voices down! There are classes going on! And why are you so surprised? It's a part-time job! Haven't you ever seen someone working before?" Seul-gi scolded Si-woo and Cheol-jin for their loud, exaggerated reactions.
"You never mentioned you worked here!" Cheol-jin said, sounding a bit hurt.
(Cheol-jin and Seul-gi were always bickering, but they were friends who got along surprisingly well when it came to certain topics.)
"Why would I bother mentioning it? I'm keeping it a secret at school for now! I'm just helping my aunt out as a working student!" Seul-gi gave them a brief explanation of her situation.
Just as Si-woo was about to ask a question about her "aunt," Se-young and Su-a, who had been standing by his side, suddenly ran forward.
"Seul-gi Unnie! We're here!"
Se-young and Su-a greeted her happily, practically diving into Seul-gi's arms. Seul-gi hugged them both and patted them on the bottom as she welcomed them.
"Are my little kittens here?"
Seul-gi and the girls looked incredibly close.
"Wait... were you guys always this friendly?" Si-woo was taken aback by the intimacy between his sisters and Seul-gi.
"Hehe, I love Seul-gi Unnie!" Se-young said with a bright smile, looking back at Si-woo while still in Seul-gi's embrace.
Si-woo and Cheol-jin found themselves standing opposite Seul-gi and the younger girls. Si-woo felt a slight pang of exclusion.
"What's with that outfit, anyway?" Cheol-jin asked, sounding dissatisfied.
Seul-gi's orange hoodie dress was loose and wrinkled in some places, yet it clung to her body enough to subtly reveal her curves—likely because it was a stage costume.
"I told you, I'm working! You're just a tag-along, so why are you complaining the moment you get here?" Seul-gi snapped back.
Si-woo figured their usual school banter was starting up again.
"T-Tag-along? Who?! I... I came here for an official consultation!" Cheol-jin stammered, clearly embarrassed at being caught snooping.
For some reason, Seul-gi seemed to know exactly why Cheol-jin had come to the academy. She stared at him for a moment with a mocking smile.
"Well, whatever. Since you're here, make sure you check out everything you're curious about!" Seul-gi stood up, her expression turning bright. "The Director is waiting for you. Want to follow me?"
With that, Seul-gi led Si-woo and Cheol-jin further inside.
* * *
Seul-gi led Si-woo, Cheol-jin, and the girls to an office with a sign that read 'Director's Office.' After a quick knock, she opened the door.
Following Seul-gi's lead, Si-woo and Cheol-jin entered the office with the girls. Standing there was a beautiful woman who looked to be in her mid-to-late twenties, dressed in a purple blouse and a tight black knee-length skirt suit. She had wavy brown hair that cascaded down to her waist. Her figure, face, and attire were all flawless.
Her beauty was on par with his mother's or his aunts'. She looked somewhat familiar, but Si-woo was certain he didn't know her.
"I've been expecting you. I am the Director, Yoo Ye-na."
Teacher Yoo Ye-na greeted Si-woo and Cheol-jin warmly. Her voice was refined, clear, and had a pleasant resonance.
"Ah... yes. Hello. I'm Se-young's brother, Yoo Si-woo."
Si-woo introduced himself, feeling a bit dazed. Cheol-jin and the girls followed suit, and they all sat down on the sofa.
A moment later, Seul-gi brought out mugs of cold drinks with ice for Si-woo and Cheol-jin before leaving the office.
And so, the meeting with Teacher Yoo Ye-na at the magic academy began.