The Sound of Turning Pages
Sarak- Sarak- Only the sound of pages turning filled the space. This was the library. [PM 9:00] Despite the late hour of 9 PM, finding an empty seat was nearly impossible. The midterms were about to begin in just a few days.
The midterms at Elphon Academy consisted of two parts: practical and written. The written exam came three days after the practical. The practical exam had no announced content—it was entirely at the discretion of the teacher administering it that day. Preparation was impossible. In contrast, the written exam had a clearly defined scope, so students had no choice but to study diligently for it. I could prepare for the practical since I already knew what would appear, but for now, I was focused on the written portion.
Sleek- I flipped the page in front of me.
['Paimon’s founding year is what year? - 1032]
I was studying history, a subject that could at least be handled with simple memorization. It did not require much brainpower. I had already been staring at this book for two hours. My neck was stiff. I lifted my head to stretch, and my eyes met Jeong Hayeon’s from across the library.
“...?”
She quickly looked away and buried her face back in her book.
Jeong Hayeon had arrived at the library a little earlier. She had just settled into a seat and opened her book when she spotted Nam Doyun in the distance. She glanced at him sideways. He’s studying hard. She returned to her own book. A minute later, curiosity got the better of her and she glanced over again. Just as she looked, he suddenly raised his head. Their eyes met. She hurriedly ducked back down.
[PM 12:00] One by one, the library lights began to turn off.
“Alright, students. The library is closing for the night. Please head home.”
The librarian’s voice echoed through the room. I looked around. Most students had already left. I had been so absorbed that time had slipped away unnoticed. The remaining students began packing their things. I gathered my books into my bag and stood up. One by one, people filed out through the library doors. Only Jeong Hayeon remained seated.
Why is she still here? Ah. If she left now, she would run into Radeon. He was currently patrolling the hallway. She was clearly trying to avoid him. Once he disappeared from view, she quickly packed up and left. I followed shortly after.
By the time I reached the school entrance, I saw her standing there, staring outside through the glass. Beyond the doors, Radeon was lingering nearby. She was waiting for him to leave so she could slip out unnoticed. Suddenly, she turned around—probably sensing someone behind her. Our eyes met. A long, awkward silence stretched between us. I had nothing in particular to say to her.
“...Are you the one locking the entrance today?”
She stared at me blankly for a moment before nodding hurriedly.
“..Ah.. Yeah! That’s right. So hurry up and leave. I need to lock the door.”
“Oh.. Got it. Thanks for the work.”
Just as I raised my hand in farewell and turned to go, a man’s voice called out.
“Students?”
I turned toward the voice. A bright light flashed into my eyes—the beam of a flashlight held by the school security guard.
“Students, hurry along. I need to lock up.”
Jeong Hayeon’s cheeks flushed bright red. Together, we stepped outside. Somehow, we ended up walking back to the dorms together.
Step- Step- I matched her pace. Normally I would have walked faster, but her steps were slow, so I adjusted. It felt rude to just leave her behind after we had exited together. Still, a heavy silence hung between us. I should have just ignored her and gone ahead. The atmosphere was painfully awkward. Then she spoke first.
“Hey.”
“What?”
Jeong Hayeon was staring straight at me.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure. What is it?”
“Last time, when I wasn’t there, you pointed out that Son In-hyeok was wrong in class. Why did you do that?”
“Why do you care?”
“No, do you even know who that teacher is?”
“What about him?”
“At Elphon Academy, teachers personally choose which students take their practical exams, right?”
“Yeah.”
The academy’s practical exam system was different from regular schools. Each teacher selected roughly ten to twenty students to test. Son In-hyeok’s exam had a notorious reputation—almost no one passed it.
“Haven’t you heard the rumors? His test is brutal. And you went and provoked him in front of everyone by saying his interpretation was wrong.”
“Yeah. I definitely said that.”
“Then he’s definitely going to pick you for his practical exam. Why would you do that?”
“Actually, I want him to pick me.”
“What?”
Jeong Hayeon’s expression hardened. I genuinely hoped he would select me. I already knew the contents of his exam, and there was a specific item I could only obtain by taking it—an item I needed to pass the written exam safely.
“You wanted him to choose you? Are you out of your mind?”
She looked dumbfounded. I shrugged.
“By the way, why are you even asking me this? Whether I pass or fail doesn’t matter to you, right?”
She whipped her head away, staring off into the distance.
“..Well.. Well, yeah. It’s none of my business what happens to you.”
She stammered, then added quickly, “I-It’s just.. basic human decency. Yeah. Human decency. Caring about the entire human race.”
With that, she walked ahead of me, her pace quickening with every step.
I returned to the dorm and collapsed onto my bed with a heavy sigh.
“Haaah.. I thought things were going well for a second there.”
A serious problem had recently appeared.
Skill 5 - Footsteps of the Sword Saint [You can use the Sword Saint’s swordsmanship. - LV1.]
This skill refused to activate.
Currently unavailable. Reason: Your body has not fully recovered yet. Once recovery is complete, the skill will become usable again.
The same notification kept appearing.
“Well.. I guess it makes sense.”
My arm and leg muscles still throbbed. The movements I had displayed during the sword duel with Radeon far exceeded what my body should have been capable of. The muscle overload must have been severe. While using the Sword Saint’s techniques, I had pushed far beyond my physical limits. This was the price.
Until this recovers, I won’t be able to use it.
“I should avoid physical activity and just rest while browsing the computer.”
Click- Click- Late at night, I sat in the dorm and surfed the web. A familiar name caught my eye. I clicked the article.
I smirked at the article and clicked the next one.
“Oh. She’s already become president of the Bio division.”
Cha Jiyun had successfully turned around the Oriental Guild, which everyone had expected to fail. As a result, the Samhwa Group chairman had placed her in charge of the Bio industry to test her capabilities. But she would soon face a major failure there. The new drug her company was developing contained a fatal flaw. Because of it, her dream of becoming the Samhwa Group chairman would slip further away.
“Hmm.. I should probably tell her about it.”
I knew exactly what the flaw was and why it occurred. If corrected, her company would soar. I checked my stock account next.
Nam Doyun - 11,990,000 won
“...Damn it.”
No matter how I looked at it, my capital was far too small. Even if I invested ten million won skillfully, the returns would be negligible. “I really need money.” Whether it was to acquire the materials needed to unlock Nam Doyun’s skills or to eventually buy a house and car, funds were essential.
“Maybe I should tell her and ask for some shares in return?”
If the fatal flaw in Samhwa Bio’s new drug was removed, the medicine alone would drive explosive growth. The stock would skyrocket, and if I received shares, I would finally have real money.
“The problem is.. how do I tell her?”
I couldn’t just walk up and say the drug had a problem—especially since it hadn’t even been announced yet.
“Well.. I’ll figure that out later.”
I shut off the computer and lay down on the bed. Midterms began tomorrow.