Twenty Years Old
Twenty Years Old
February 4, 2030.
With just over a month left until the entrance ceremony, Nam Seo-hee visited the academy.
"Verified."
"Thank you for your work."
After receiving a temporary pass at the checkpoint and hanging it around her neck, she walked along the quiet path and carefully opened the envelope in her hand.
'I wonder if she'll like it.'
Inside were meticulously wrapped, high-end aroma candles, the kind favored by beast-type Transformation-type Awakened.
She had come to the academy today because she'd been invited to celebrate Baek Ha-na's birthday.
After the entrance exam, they hadn't been in touch much—until she ran into Baek Ha-na while getting fitted for their uniforms.
Ha-na's ears and tail drooped as she took a scolding from the sweet-voiced professor whose tone tickled the ear.
And before she could even greet them, the professor had invited her to Ha-na's birthday celebration today.
"Hey!! Nam Seo-hee!!"
As she walked, recalling that moment, Nam Seo-hee turned toward the voice calling her name from a distance.
She quickly spotted Idni, waving enthusiastically with her pink hair neatly braided, her presence distinct even from far away.
Nam Seo-hee approached her.
"What's that? What'd you get?"
"Aroma candles."
"...Whoa. That's crazy expensive."
After checking the envelope's contents, Idni looked at Nam Seo-hee with a slightly taken-aback expression.
They looked like pretty candles, but the cheapest from that maker cost over a million won, so the one in the envelope was likely even pricier.
"...Because I don't know what Ha-na likes."
So she'd simply chosen the safest option. As for the money, when she mentioned celebrating a friend's birthday, her mother unexpectedly lent her a card, which solved the problem.
Heading toward the Street of Light, Idni spoke to Nam Seo-hee.
"Ha-na likes sweet stuff. Honestly, she just likes anything edible, but sweet stuff especially."
"Sweet?"
"Yeah. I bet she likes Seven Chocolate the most."
"...Isn't that for toddlers?"
"Yeah. You're right."
A chocolate for kids packed with calcium and other nutrients good for growing children.
Nam Seo-hee briefly imagined it.
Herself holding out a chocolate to Baek Ha-na. Baek Ha-na approaching with her tail wagging.
"Hey. You're drooling. What are you thinking about?"
"...Nothing."
Nam Seo-hee wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth, and Idni, who had watched, frowned and shook her head.
"This is the Street of Light. Well, it's not a place you'd normally have a reason to visit."
Not every Awakened serves a god and offers prayers. They know the power they were given wasn't bestowed by the gods.
Of course, it wasn't something they discovered on their own; it became known after the God of Amusement, Vuar, casually allowed his followers to spread that fact to the outside world.
"Okay, come in."
"Okay."
Nam Seo-hee entered the temple of the God of Amusement with Idni.
"Right on time."
Maria, descending the nearby stairs, waved and greeted Nam Seo-hee.
"Then I guess we can just head out."
"No, wait a moment."
Maria poked her head toward the staircase and spoke.
"Executor. Shall we go on ahead?"
'...?'
Before Nam Seo-hee could express her confusion, a woman of such cold beauty that any woman would marvel at her descended the stairs.
A beauty with her flowing blonde hair neatly tied up, wearing a black coat.
'Claire Vin Asen....'
She'd heard that Claire had completely withdrawn from external activities a few years ago. Why was she here now?
Nam Seo-hee's gaze naturally drifted toward the envelope in Claire's left hand.
The antique aura emanating from the envelope itself. Anyone could tell it was meant to hold a gift.
'...'
Nam Seo-hee seriously considered whether she should make a quick stop at a mart to buy some chocolate.
**
"Hellooo~!"
"Pardon the intrusion."
Idni and Maria each greeted in a manner matching their personalities before taking off their shoes and striding right inside.
Nam Seo-hee, flustered for a moment by the unexpected situation, watched Claire calmly removing her boots and hanging her coat beside the one the professor had worn at the tailor shop.
"You should go see Miss Ha-na too."
"...Ah. Yes...."
Faced with a voice as cold as her appearance, Nam Seo-hee nodded and quickly took off her shoes to go in.
-Ack!! Hey...!!
-Well, who told you to just grab and eat it?
-Stupid Idni.
Three voices coming from inside. Nam Seo-hee carefully rounded the corner and headed toward the source of the sound.
An unremarkable kitchen. Food laid out on a large table. And Idni, face flushed bright red, gulping down milk.
Baek Ha-na, who had been giggling at Idni's suffering after she ate a cookie mixed with wasabi, spotted Nam Seo-hee quietly entering the kitchen and approached her.
"Long time no see."
"Uh, yeah.... Here, this is a gift...."
Flustered by Baek Ha-na's unexpectedly warm greeting, Nam Seo-hee handed her the envelope.
"Candles? Thanks!!"
"Yeah."
Faced with a genuine smile, free of any pretense, Nam Seo-hee calmed her flustered heart and smiled back.
'Guess I misunderstood.'
She'd thought she was being kept at a distance because she'd made some mistake, but apparently there were other circumstances.
-Pfft... S-Sorry....
Everyone tilted their heads at the sound of Claire's voice coming from the hallway. And it wasn't long before they understood why.
"Kyaa~! Professor, what's that? It's so cute!!"
"Suits me, right? It's a gift I gave him."
"...Can I, can I take a picture?"
"Hey. Don't be rude. What are you doing? And Nam Seo-hee—send that to my email too."
The four girls swarmed Baek Woo-jin, who had appeared wearing slippers with a cute wolf character face, and refused to detach from him for a while.
Baek Ha-na, the first to regain her senses, quietly stepped back and brought out a tray full of cookies.
"Woo-jin!! Try this!!"
Most of the cookies were made with dough containing strange ingredients. Normal cookies were extremely few in number.
The girls who had been clinging to him stepped back for a moment, and Baek Woo-jin quietly reached out, picked up a cookie identical in appearance and smell to the others, and brought it to his mouth.
Crunch-
After swallowing exactly half, Baek Woo-jin popped the remaining half into his mouth and said,
"Well made."
"Try one more."
Baek Woo-jin crunched another cookie as Baek Ha-na requested.
"Huh...?"
"What is it."
"N-No. I just...?"
"More importantly, it's well made."
Baek Woo-jin picked up another cookie and bent slightly at the waist, bringing it to Baek Ha-na's mouth.
"No, I, I mean...."
Baek Ha-na was flustered, but under Baek Woo-jin's silent insistence as he pressed the cookie to her lips, she blushed slightly and parted her lips.
"...!!"
The moment she bit into the cookie, a pungent pepper scent burst out, and Baek Ha-na quickly rushed to the table to gulp down milk.
"I knew that would happen."
"Ha-na. Honestly, that was kind of a very Idni thing to do."
"What, you wench?"
While Idni and Maria's attention was focused on Baek Ha-na, only Nam Seo-hee was watching Baek Woo-jin.
'...He's smiling.'
Truly faint, but the corners of his lips had lifted slightly upward.
Baek Woo-jin picked up yet another cookie from the tray Baek Ha-na had handed over and held it out to Claire, who was standing behind him.
"Professor...?"
"Give it a try."
"Um... I, uh...."
Like Baek Ha-na, Claire knew the cookie in her hand was one of the 'mistake' ones, yet she blushed slightly at the nape of her neck and parted her elegant lips to accept it from Baek Woo-jin.
Nam Seo-hee, who had also witnessed that exchange, saw the faint bloom of warmth spreading across Claire's otherwise extremely cold face and thought—
'...They don't seem to be dating.'
Perhaps it was a woman's intuition. Nam Seo-hee came to that conclusion.
**
Late at night, nearing midnight.
"Hwaah~"
"..."
Baek Woo-jin sat in the study chair with Baek Ha-na on his lap, and they sipped coffee into which they'd melted the chocolates they'd received, wearing lazy grins.
"It'll be tomorrow soon."
"..."
"Hellooo~"
"..."
"Mr. Woo-jin~?"
As Baek Ha-na leaned fully back against him and began to pester him, Baek Woo-jin closed his notebook and opened the drawer. He pulled out a set of black gloves, brought them to Baek Ha-na's cheek, and said,
"...Now go brush your teeth and go to sleep."
"Mmmph~"
Baek Ha-na happily accepted the gloves from Baek Woo-jin's hand even as her cheek was pushed in.
Clutching the gloves to her chest, Baek Ha-na tilted her head up slightly.
"...Thank you."
She then expressed her thanks shyly and gave the soft smile she reserved only for Baek Woo-jin.
"...That's enough. Go."
"Che~"
Baek Ha-na clicked her tongue briefly and climbed down from his lap. She walked over to the window behind the chair, looked up at the bright yellow moon, and said,
"Woo-jin."
"...What."
"I'll be an adult soon."
"...Right. So from now on—"
"Hmph!! I didn't say it! Woo-jin said first that it's okay for me to act spoiled three times a day!!"
"...That was."
Baek Woo-jin tried to say something but ultimately closed his mouth.
Baek Ha-na smiled silently and looked at the small clock on the desk.
The clock she had given him as a gift. Its hands were gradually approaching the number twelve.
"Mr. Woo-jin."
"...I lost, so go already."
Baek Woo-jin even let out a short sigh. And then the hands of the clock on the desk all pointed to the number twelve.
"I'm twenty now."
"..."
Baek Woo-jin turned his chair to look at Baek Ha-na, noticing the shift in her mood.
"To celebrate becoming an adult... can you grant me just one wish?"
Blinking her impossibly clear sky-blue eyes, Baek Ha-na took a step toward him.
"...As long as it's not something unreasonable."
"Can't do that~ I know."
Baek Woo-jin stared at her for a moment before nodding.
Baek Ha-na drew a little closer and said,
"...Your glasses. I want to see you without them."
The part of him he'd kept hidden from everyone all this time. Baek Ha-na didn't want anyone else to see that hidden part before she did. She truly felt she must be the very first one to see the face he kept hidden. She thought so with all sincerity, and wished for it with all her might.
A long silence followed.
At the end of that long, long silence, Baek Woo-jin's hand slowly moved. Toward the large glasses he hadn't removed even once throughout those years.
"...That's a modest request considering the mood you set."
Unaware of Baek Ha-na's feelings, Baek Woo-jin said so and finally took his glasses off.
And then.
"Ah...."
A small sigh of wonder escaped Baek Ha-na's lips.
Clearly defined eyebrows and sharp eyes. Within them, golden irises that glowed faintly.
Baek Woo-jin's face was far more—
Swoop.
"...?!"
Baek Ha-na was startled by Baek Woo-jin's sudden act of pressing his forehead against hers.
"O-Oh, Woo-jin...?"
"Are you hurting somewhere? You have a fever. And your pulse is excessively...."
Pop-!!
Just then, pointed ears sprouted atop Baek Ha-na's head.
"I-I'm not sick!!"
Baek Ha-na fled like she was escaping, throwing open the study door and dashing outside.
Pit-a-pat-!!
After running away, Baek Ha-na came right back, poked her head through the crack of the open door, and said firmly,
"...Don't take your glasses off in front of other people."
And then she ran off again, as if escaping to her room.
Baek Woo-jin stared at the study door Baek Ha-na had left open for a moment, then put his glasses back on and opened the notebook he had closed.
But his hand wouldn't move easily.
With the faint warmth still lingering on his forehead, Baek Woo-jin closed his eyes and leaned slowly back against the chair.
"...This is troublesome."
That day. For the first time since he began his records, Baek Woo-jin did not transfer his thoughts into his notebook.