The Beginning (3)
The Beginning (3)
Some people can't perform to their actual ability when they're nervous.
Their mind seizes up, their composure cracks, and then they make bizarre mistakes on things they can normally handle without any trouble.
That was exactly what happened to me just now.
I had been communicating perfectly fine through the hologram up to that point—so why did I suddenly try to force the words out of my own mouth?
I'd already gotten used to holding conversations through the hologram, so why did I try to open my mouth?
The attention and the stares, things I had brushed off easily before—why did they make me so tense this time?
I don't know.
It was just a mistake... I couldn't answer with anything else.
It was an utterly pathetic mistake.
[I'm Lee Ha-yul, admitted through Special Admission. I will strive to prove my qualifications through results.]
Thank you.
When I projected the hologram, I was met with a round of applause.
The reaction was middling.
Not an explosive ovation, and not the worst-case scenario of chilly silence, either.
- So he really is blind. Can he get around because of a detection-type ability...
- And on top of that, he's mute...
- Hnngh...
Instead, odd looks were fixed on me. Baffled looks... and some gazes that seemed to regard me with something like pity. The muttering was just the cherry on top.
If it were jealousy or resentment, I'd just brush it off, but I don't know how to react to that kind of emotion. I ducked my head and trudged to my seat.
"......."
"Ahem... Alright, that's it for introductions! Since we'll be seeing a lot of each other from now on, let's make sure we don't give each other reason to feel awkward. Next is..."
Professor Liana cut off the gloomy atmosphere with a cough and continued speaking. The intention to change the subject was thick in the air.
The phrase "don't give each other reason to feel awkward" stabbed right into my chest. I was already red-faced...
First impressions are so critically important, and I completely ruined mine.
Just think about how I must have looked to them.
They probably see me as some weirdo who got up on the platform just to introduce himself and suddenly started hacking because he choked on air.
They'll think I'm someone who can't even manage to do a simple self-introduction properly.
I felt miserable. I was so ashamed of myself that I felt genuine self-loathing.
"Ha-yul, are you sure you're really okay...?"
[I'm okay]
"You're not just swallowing it down, are you...? If you're hurting, you have to tell me..."
Hong Yeon-hwa, who had bolted out of her seat in alarm when I started coughing a moment ago, was also wearing a strange expression. Her pale face stood out starkly against her red hair.
Her gaze, which was looking at me like I was a sick patient, made my head hang even lower...
It felt like a bizarre misunderstanding was piling up, so I couldn't bring myself to say anything.
I buried my burning face on my desk.
"Ha-yul, you're in that much pain...?"
No, that's not it.
.
.
.
After Professor Liana left, the theory-focused general lectures continued.
The general lectures I attended in the morning were 'Divine Realm History' and 'Basic Mana Operation.'
Divine Realm History roughly covered history from 200 years ago onward, and Basic Mana Operation covered the history of mana and foundational knowledge about it.
History... I knew bits and pieces thanks to my knowledge of the original work, but Basic Mana Operation was a bit difficult.
What I knew was simply how to develop a character in a certain direction, not the specifics of how a character operated their mana...
Fortunately, they started from the very basics, so even I was barely able to keep up.
But the pace of the lessons was incredibly fast. It seemed like they were just skimming through content that everyone already knew.
The problem was that I didn't know the 'content that everyone already knew.'
In the original work, it would probably have been skipped with a single line such as 'Knowledge +1' or 'Finished today's lecture.' Reality didn't work that way.
Right now, I lack common sense.
There's a gap in common knowledge between a person who has lived in this world since birth and someone like me, who lived on an Earth without supernatural abilities.
To bridge that gap, I need to diligently attend theory classes.
And apart from that, I need to attend them for my grades.
In the original work, you wouldn't get expelled unless you caused some serious trouble... but I don't know if that applies to reality, so I have to manage my grades.
There were a lot of things I wasn't sure about, so I planned to review them separately once I got back to the dormitory.
Looking at the time, it was already a little past 1 o'clock.
Since lectures started at 8, did that mean each lecture took up 2 hours and 30 minutes?
It was about lunchtime. I rummaged through my bag. I was sure I put a calorie bar in here...
"Do you want to get lunch together? I know a lot of good places people recommended."
[Lunch?]
While I was rummaging through my bag, I turned my head toward the voice that reached my ear.
Hong Yeon-hwa had already gathered her things and was looking at me.
[Aren't you eating with Baek A-rin?]
"Baek A-rin? She's, uh... we can eat together later, I guess..."
Even though my eyes were closed, Hong Yeon-hwa turned away as though avoiding my gaze and muttered an excuse.
'Food...'
Because of the Curse of Sensory Sealing, I have no sense of taste.
I've run various experiments.
Sweet, salty, sour—I don't feel any tastes at all. I'd heard spiciness isn't technically a taste, so I experimented with that too, but I can't feel spicy things either.
The only thing I can feel is the fizzy sensation of carbonation? Even that feels so foreign that eating is uncomfortable.
Honestly, trying to apply common sense to something that falls under the category of a 'curse' from the start was pointless.
It's not that my tongue itself has no sensation... but I've come to accept that everything related to 'taste' is simply sealed.
Because of that, I've barely eaten a proper meal since I arrived here.
It was because remembering what it was like when my tongue still worked made me feel even worse.
[Anything is fine with me.]
I feel like crap, but since losing my sense of taste, I've basically become a dog that wolfs down just about anything.
I wasn't a particularly picky eater before, but there were foods I wouldn't actively seek out.
But now, there's no taste or anything, so as long as the nutritional requirements are met, I can literally eat 'anything.'
"O-oh, okay? Anything, huhhh... Hold on...?"
When I said that with that feeling, Hong Yeon-hwa tapped at her smartwatch with a somewhat flustered expression.
She fretted and deliberated for a while, then carefully looked over at me.
"How about... spicy stir-fried pork?"
[Sounds good]
* * *
There are cafeterias all around the learning center where meals are provided to cadets for free.
I remember the setting being that, despite not charging, the quality is high and the menu changes daily, making it a favorite spot for many cadets.
However, because there are also cadets who eat outside for various reasons, various restaurants have been established around the campus grounds.
The restaurant we found this time was one of those.
We settled on lunch with Hong Yeon-hwa at a place known as a nearby spicy pork restaurant.
It was close by, about a ten-minute walk without needing to catch any bus or vehicle.
Hong Yeon-hwa and I each ordered a spicy pork set meal.
Before the food came out, Hong Yeon-hwa, sitting across from me, kept trying to start a conversation but with an overall hesitant and fidgety attitude. No matter how much I racked my brain, it was an attitude I couldn't figure out.
Not heavy topics like family matters, but things like what I usually like, whether I watch a particular show, do I like fruit, and so on...
I couldn't tell why she was asking such things, but I answered them as earnestly as I could, and it killed time nicely until the food arrived.
Hong Yeon-hwa's eyes sparkled when she saw the freshly made spicy stir-fried pork and the soft tofu stew set beside it—a spicy pork set meal that included both.
Hong Yeon-hwa gulped and picked up her spoon, and I picked up my spoon as well.
I scooped up a big spoonful of the soft tofu stew. The deep red broth, glistening under the lights, looked mouthwatering under the lights.
I brought the spoon to my mouth and put it in. It tasted like warm water.
"......."
I hadn't been expecting anything. I already knew that.
Sighing inwardly, I moved my spoon mechanically. Thanks to going at a decent pace, I was able to match Hong Yeon-hwa's speed.
Whether out of politeness or consideration that it's hard for me to use my hands, not much conversation was exchanged during the meal.
"How was it?"
[It was delicious.]
After we finished eating. I answered suitably to the question Hong Yeon-hwa threw out as she sipped her water.
"Yeah?"
Hearing my answer, Hong Yeon-hwa sipped her water again, and through my spatial perception, I could clearly feel the corners of her mouth twitching upward.
...I felt a pang of guilt, as if I'd told a pointless lie. Should I tell her now that I can't taste anything? Wouldn't it be awkward to say it now, though?
Continuing to hide it seems not quite right... I'll pick a better time and tell her later.
I'll explain that I actually can't taste anything, and apologize for lying back then.
After the meal, we split up to attend our major classes.
Hong Yeon-hwa was off to an advanced lecture in the combat major.
And as for me...
▶ Professor Liana: Special Admission Cadets have 1-on-1 lectures with a special professor during major time! Arrive at the designated location by 2 o'clock! (Today 13:03)
1-on-1 lectures.
Professor Liana had guided me about it in the morning, and I'd also received the details by text.
This was also different from the original work. In the original, the protagonist was placed into the Basic Class and took lessons together with other cadets, but here it's special 1-on-1 lessons with a professor, apparently.
▶ Professor Liana: And sorry about what happened this morning (⑅◞‸◟) (Today 13:05)
▶ Professor Liana: [Royal Candy Exchange Ticket] x10 (Today 13:05)
▶ Professor Liana: Buy yourself something tasty with this (Today 13:06)
▶ Me: It was my fault. There's no reason for you to feel sorry, Professor. (Today 13:51)
▶ Professor Liana: I'm really, really sorry! ?(T-T )ノ (Today 13:53)
I ended up receiving another apology over the incident this morning.
Professor Liana hadn't done anything wrong; it was just me who was nervous and made a mistake...
Even when I sent a bittersweet reply saying she didn't have to apologize, a tear-blubbering emoticon came back shortly after.
I sighed and turned my thoughts to the special lecture.
'Is this actually better?'
I suppose a single professor teaching one person is better than one professor teaching dozens.
When I was first brought in through Special Admission, I'd wondered if there were no real perks, but would this count as a perk?
Either way, it was individual instruction from a highly skilled Siyoram professor.
Partly to digest my meal, I walked to the location I'd been guided to.
Most facilities used by first-years were clustered in one area, so if you had time to spare, walking wasn't a bad option.
When people think of Siyoram, most imagine cutting-edge facilities incorporating the latest technology.
And in reality, it's true. Just looking at the dormitory building, almost everything in it was automated.
The training facilities were the same.
Sure, they were overshadowed by the existence of the Tower, but there were devices loaded with technology like augmented reality, sparring dolls whose movements varied by difficulty setting, a gravity room with increased internal gravity, and so on.
All of them were facilities equipped with technology I'd never seen anywhere on my previous Earth.
'Is this it?'
The place I arrived at on foot was far removed from cutting-edge facilities.
When I tapped the ground with the tip of my foot, a coarse sensation was transmitted. It was hard, dry dirt ground where it was hard to find even a single weed.
The impression was more of a field than a training ground. In fact, a white line had been drawn encircling the large, empty lot.
Rough marks here and there told me that this place was used from time to time. Thanks to my spatial perception, I could feel it all the more distinctly.
Not just places where the ground had been gouged out and filled back in, but I could also read traces of straight sword scars, signs of burning, water soaking, and where the earth had been completely overturned once.
It felt like an old-fashioned athletic field, far from cutting-edge technology.
"You came out fairly early."
"?!"
As I was bending my knees and running my hand over a straight carved mark, a presence was felt from behind, followed immediately by a voice, making the fine hairs on my body stand on end.
Startled, I leaped back to create distance. In the spot where I had just been, a woman stood with her arms crossed, looking at me.
'What the.'
Up until just a moment ago, she definitely hadn't been there. I was even more certain because I'd been surveying my surroundings with spatial perception.
"Hm."
Whether I was bewildered or not, the woman came trudging over with her arms still crossed.
As she drew closer, I could tell she was extremely tall. Nearly 180 centimeters? No, she was even taller than that.
To see her face at my eye level, I'd have to tilt my head far back.
"You noticed my presence even before I spoke. Is that right?"
[Yes.]
It's a minor distinction, but I definitely did sense her presence before she spoke. It was different from Vice Headmaster's spatial movement.
With Vice Headmaster, it had felt like he 'knocked' on my spatial perception, announcing 'I'm coming in,' and then entered.
Sensing this woman felt like discovering that someone had been lying on my bed, watching me, without my ever noticing.
"Detection-type. It's been about a month since it bloomed, and you already caught my presence... Not bad."
The woman muttered something, made her own assessment, and nodded. Her blonde hair, which came down to her shoulders, swayed softly.
"Atra Clyde. I'm the professor who will be teaching you combat major-related lessons."
[I'm Lee Ha-yul, admitted through Special Admission. I look forward to learning from you.]
This time it's someone I don't know. Seeing that she stopped talking, it seemed she had no intention of telling me her hero grade.
After writing that, I bowed my head and sensed Professor Atra frown at the part about Special Admission.
'Ah, is this not good.'
It'd be troublesome if she's a professor who dislikes Special Admissions.
"...Let's get one thing straight first."
I lifted my head, wondering what it was, and Professor Atra let out a long sigh before speaking.
"I have no particular thoughts about this 'Special Admission' business. I won't close my eyes and deny it, but on the flip side, I don't intend to blindly affirm it, either."
Professor Atra narrowed her eyes and looked down at me.
"Since you're the candidate Headmaster chose, I'll work with you for now, but it's also true that I harbor some doubts because nothing has been proven yet. Understand? For an ordinary cadet, maybe not, but for someone like you, who came in through a special admission, the expectations placed on you are considerably higher."
Professor Atra, her eyes narrowed, sent me a piercing gaze.
"It's not just me. Everyone is watching. The eyes of the public, too. Personal circumstances aside. Because you are the first and only special admission ever chosen by the Master of the Cradle."
The first and only.
The reason Special Admission was drawing so much attention.
I was part of the 121st Cohort. That meant the system had been in place for 121 years, but there had never once been a Special Admission Cadet.
"...I spoke for too long. It's about time. Let's begin the training."
- Trudge, trudge.
Professor Atra moved to the outskirts of the field and pointed at the ground. A white line was drawn there.
"Run."
"......"
I traced the white line with my spatial perception. The line that wrapped around the large field... in other words, a running track.
[How many laps?]
"Until I say it's enough. Or until you pass out."
Professor Atra jerked her chin.
"This is a physical fitness test. Since you came in through special admission and have no previously recorded data to speak of, I have to gauge it this way. Now—"
Begin.
At Professor Atra's flat command, I shifted my mouth for a moment, then quietly nodded.
It wasn't the sort of lesson I'd been imagining, but I suppose methods like this exist too.
Thinking that, I kicked off the ground.
And I ran until I was genuinely on the verge of passing out.