Kids Naturally Grow Fast (4)
Kids Naturally Grow Fast (4)
After spending some time with Seo-yul, I grabbed a change of clothes and underwear and went into the bathroom.
By now, I was used to the dazzling bathroom interior. It looked like something from a high-end hotel.
A brown carpet covered the smooth white floor, and a long mirror hung on one wall.
Below it were a spotless sink and a shelf with a neatly arranged robe and cosmetics.
I placed my clothes on the shelf and took off what I was wearing.
Since my body was back to normal, I had done physical training with my teacher.
Today's session was more like rehab training, so it wasn't intense, but after moving so vigorously for the first time in a while, I couldn't help feeling a little creaky.
As a result, the casual clothes I'd worn, which I'd rolled around on the ground in, were completely ruined.
The clothes themselves had restoration and cleaning functions, and I'd used purification magic on them too, but I had plenty of casual wear, so I tossed them into the laundry basket without a second thought.
Right after that, I stepped inside the glass partition and carefully operated the controls.
- Shaaaah...
Warm water poured from the sunflower showerhead on the ceiling.
[Worry]
[Concern]
[Trauma]
Without letting my guard down, I reached out to test the water with my fingertips.
Pleasantly warm. Only then did I push my body in, letting the water pelt the top of my head.
- Pwhoo...
My hair became completely soaked, and streams of water ran down my body. Soon, the inside of the glass partition was full of hazy steam.
Standing amidst the steam and letting the water jets hit me seemed to melt away some of the day's accumulated fatigue.
...Though even now, fatigue was stacking up in a corner of my split consciousness...
Anyway, I couldn't just stand under the water forever, so I squeezed some shampoo onto my palm.
I rubbed the shampoo into my hair and lathered up my body with body wash.
- Vrrmm...
Just when it was time to rinse, a cluster of blue light poofed out beside me.
It was a Water Spirit. Its body flashed briefly. The water that had been shooting straight out of the showerhead moved freely, washing every nook and cranny of my body.
'Oh...'
This was extremely comfortable. Before I could even ask why it appeared, I just silently let the easy help take over.
Thanks to that, rinsing off the suds was over in no time.
The bathroom also had a large tub and bath additives, but I didn't plan on using them now, so I skipped them.
I'm planning to try it out with Seo-yul later. Would she like it if I floated a little yellow rubber duck and we got in together?
Leaving the use of the bathtub to a later date, I stepped out of the shower stall.
I stroked the Water Spirit, which was rubbing its body against me as if asking, "I did well, didn't I?" and picked up a long towel.
At the same time, just like before, clusters of light poofed out.
Light green and red... it was the Wind and Fire Spirits.
I waited a moment with eager anticipation.
As if to meet my expectations, wind of an appropriate strength and a warm heat coiled around my body and hair.
[Relaxed...]
I quietly set down the towel I'd picked up.
I could see why Professor Liana warned people to be careful about relying on spirits in daily life.
I got washed while standing still, got dried, and got warmed, so I felt no need to move myself at all.
Was this how Professor Liana felt?
I understood now why Professor Liana's room was a wreck...
It felt like if this continued, I'd become a completely hopeless person.
I soothed the other elemental spirits—who were sulking because they felt they had nothing they could do for me—and picked up the towel again.
.
.
.
"Young master, I'll prepare dinner."
After I finished showering and came out, Eriel, who had been next to Seo-yul, rushed over as I was rummaging through the kitchen.
[Ah, thank you for offering]
[But I'd like to try making it this time]
"You're going to cook, young master...?"
[Yes]
[I know how to cook a bit]
Eriel blinked. It wasn't exactly suspicion, but her reaction held a small hint of concern about me cooking.
[Would you mind pointing out anything I do wrong from beside me?]
[I'm making it early because Yeon-hwa and Ellia said they'll be here soon]
"I see... understood."
But when I added the request for help, Eriel finally nodded. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she actively offered her assistance.
This was Eriel, who had over ten years of experience looking after Hong Yeon-hwa.
She was probably thinking that even if I messed up, she could fix it with her excellent cooking skills.
That's precisely why I trusted her and asked for help.
After making that request, I neatly laid out the ingredients and tools.
The menu was nothing special.
Just bacon fried rice, cream pasta... simple soup, and bagels, that was all.
You might think the menu is too much, but roughly including Seo-yul, there were 4.5 people, and all four of us were superhuman.
Meaning, we consumed far more than ordinary people. Even Ellia, who's a support-type, could easily polish off a bowl of rice.
It might actually be too little, so I planned to make a lot.
There wasn't much free time. I washed my hands thoroughly once more and started cooking.
"...?"
A question mark appeared above Eriel's head as she stood next to me.
Her gaze was fixed on the Sky Wing Feather behind my back, which was splitting into numerous branches.
Under her gaze, as if she were watching a bizarre spectacle, I manipulated the Sky Wing Feather.
I stretched out the branched Sky Wing Feather to grasp tools and ingredients.
The cooking process that followed was swift. The Sky Wing Feather moved deftly, washing and trimming the ingredients.
A few branches put water in a pot to boil, and one dropped the pasta in right when the water boiled.
Another branch oiled a heated frying pan and stir-fried the trimmed vegetables.
The ingredients for fried rice and the onions and mushrooms for the cream of mushroom soup were nicely cooked too.
On another side, I was cutting the bagel bread, filling it thickly, and putting the lid on.
Even the spirits intervened in the process. Thanks to them, the cooking became even more colorful and vibrant.
Was it a sight to behold? Even Seo-yul came closer to me, her eyes shining as she watched.
[Seo-yul, it's dangerous to get too close]
[Shall we watch from a little farther back?]
"Okay."
[That's right, good girl]
I gave a little warning to Seo-yul, who was trying to stick close while I cooked, and continued preparing the food.
Every single process above was carried out after calculation and measurement via Observation.
I had obtained the information by using Observation to rifle through the library and inadvertently studying cooking scenes. With the proficiency from All-Rounder backing me, the process went pretty well.
Honestly, I believe that just following a recipe will yield an edible dish most of the time.
Based on that belief, I used Observation to accurately calculate fire intensity, amounts of ingredients and spices, cooking and boiling times, and so on.
"...Do you perhaps need any help?"
Eriel, who was standing next to me, asked in a daze.
I gave an awkward laugh at her unusually plain display of emotion.
.
.
.
"Whoa... what's all this?"
The group arrived at the dormitory at exactly the right time. Actually, I had intentionally started cooking with that in mind, but I was lucky.
Surveying the dining table, Hong Yeon-hwa's jaw dropped. Her eyes darted nonstop among the dishes as she let out exclamations.
[How is it?]
I found myself smiling brightly at her satisfied reaction.
I stepped forward to stand behind her, and Hong Yeon-hwa quickly turned her head to look at me. Her gaze fell over the apron I was wearing.
"...Did you make all this, Ha-yul?"
"Yes, I attempted to lend a hand, but I found myself quite useless."
Eriel said this with a hint of indignation.
As I was thinking she'd become a lot more expressive since earlier, Hong Yeon-hwa's eyes filled with emotion.
I could see it very clearly. A warm smell tickled my nose, and even my pounding headache eased somewhat.
[Heh heh]
I puffed out my chest with a sense of accomplishment.
- "You've really come back to normal? That's a relief... Yes, you're good now too. The childlike appearance was nice too, but... that made me feel too guilty. Let's sleep together tonight."
Earlier at the front door, greatly relieved that I had returned to normal, Hong Yeon-hwa had even hugged me tightly.
- "It's a little disappointing, but you look cute like this too!"
Ellia also congratulated me while saying something embarrassing.
"Oh? You even made bagels?"
[Yes]
[I heard they eat bagels in England too, so I looked up a recipe and tried making them]
"Whoa! I love these so much I eat them every time I go back!"
Ellia, who had followed in, clapped her hands and was already expressing joy.
It wasn't a bad feeling to see them looking forward to it before even taking a bite.
[Hng hng]
The corners of my mouth kept twitching at the continuous praise and admiration.
"You really have returned to normal? Congratulations!"
Another voice cut in.
Baek A-rin stepped in, her watery-blue hair swaying and her eyes wide as she spoke.
[Yes, I just finished making it]
[But why did you come, Baek A-rin?]
I tilted my head. I asked now about something I'd been curious about since observing roughly when she'd arrived earlier.
"Gasp! What you just said sounds so cold-hearted, Ha-yul... Can't I just drop by to hang out, given our relationship?"
Baek A-rin made a fuss in reply to my question.
She let out a fake sobbing sound and even wiped the corners of her eyes as if drying tears.
A wry expression naturally came over my face.
"Ahaha! Look at your expression... Okay. I'll stop teasing. Would it be rude if I scrounged a meal off you?"
Stopping her giggling laughter, Baek A-rin suddenly asked. At her question, I examined the table with Observation for a moment.
I had intentionally made generous portions.
The amount wasn't insufficient for Baek A-rin to join us.
[There's plenty]
[Let's eat together]
"Thank you! I'll repay you on my end next time, too!"
Baek A-rin laughed brightly and took my hand.
Of course, even if the portions had been insufficient, I would have either reduced my own share or made more food and asked her to eat with us anyway.
Above all, I've received a lot from Baek A-rin. And just a few days ago...
- 'A-rin, do you not produce milk either?'
- 'I might later─'
[Urrrk...]
Suddenly, at the playback of the record in my mind, I clutched my head and bent over. The people around me jumped in surprise and rushed to me.
All of them were the very people involved in that regrettable memory.
[Shame]
[Intense Regret]
Their dramatic reactions clawed at my heart even more...
.
.
.
A cozy atmosphere permeated the dinner table.
The voice from some unknown variety show playing on the TV in the living room drifted out, and the steady clinking of utensils sounded over the table.
Taking a quiet look around, I was able to roughly determine what foods everyone preferred.
Hong Yeon-hwa preferred the fried rice.
Even though it was simple fried rice with vegetables, bacon, and spices, she ate it deliciously.
Did having the fire spirit harmonize the flames make the fried rice taste different?
I was curious, but unfortunately, I couldn't taste it myself.
In contrast, Ellia mostly kept reaching for the bagels.
I had made two types of bagels.
One was a bagel cut horizontally, the bread spread thickly with cream cheese, and stuffed with fresh salmon and tomato.
The other kind was made by sprinkling mustard on corned beef and putting it between the bread... So, two types in total.
Wasn't the beef one what they commonly call a London-style bagel? I prepared the salmon one just in case, and she was thankfully eating both kinds deliciously.
Actually, there wasn't much to cook for these; I only slightly adjusted the seasoning and cheese.
I hear they commonly eat them that way in England, and it seems to suit Ellia's palate since she's from there.
And as for Baek A-rin and Eriel... they seemed to prefer the cream pasta.
The cream pasta didn't have any particularly special aspect either. I just made it the standard way and added a generous amount of bacon, that's all.
Eriel politely declined at first, saying she'd eat separately later, but I insisted she eat with us, and she eventually ended up at the same table.
"Whoa, this is freaking delicious..."
"It really is. It's way better than the ones I bought in London!"
[Hnh hnn]
Watching everyone eating so happily washed away the lingering unease in one corner of my chest.
No matter how much I believed that I hadn't failed thanks to the Observation Authority, and even though all the food was definitely tastier due to the All-Rounder's correction... you never truly know what it'll taste like to actual people.
But now, that unease had vanished. Feeling like my heavy stomach was suddenly cleared, I smiled brightly too and mechanically moved my spoon.
"So, are you going to start preparing for the Tower Entry from now on, Ha-yul?"
While I was in the middle of eating the fried rice, Baek A-rin, who had been watching me wolf down food with a strange look in her eyes, suddenly brought up the Tower Entry.
[Yes, since I've been informed about it]
[I plan to get used to my body now that it's returned to normal beforehand]
The necklace answered instead of my mouth, which was busy diligently chewing food.
"Already Tower Entry? Was it starting next week?"
"Yeah. Same as the first semester, five days from Monday to Friday."
The Tower Entry period had arrived already. Because of this, even Professor Liana and my teacher had gotten busy and couldn't make time for dinner despite my invitation.
The image of my teacher acting as if wronged enough to shed tears of blood, and Professor Liana looking extremely regretful, remained vivid in my mind.
At that, I casually examined the contents of the refrigerator with Observation.
'There are plenty of ingredients.'
Fortunately, the ingredients were sufficient.
I should make extra and bring it to them next time.
Now that I think about it, I received a sandwich from Professor Liana at the beginning of the semester.
I suppose I can think of this as repaying that favor.
"Contemplation... was it a fight against an embodied version of oneself? There won't be any reason to get chased around by other cadets like last time."
"Instead, there will be many other hardships, so we'll have to prepare a lot."
"But it's strange how the more you prepare, the harder the trial becomes."
Listening in on the conversation, it seemed everyone was thoroughly preparing for the Tower Entry.
I was also diligently preparing.
It made my head a bit tired, but where else can you train even while eating or sleeping?
[Seo-yul? Ah~]
"Ah..."
"......"
While I was attending to Seo-yul and eating, Hong Yeon-hwa glanced sideways in my direction.
Hong Yeon-hwa alternated her gaze between her portion of soup and Seo-yul for a moment, then scooped up some soup with her spoon and slowly brought it to Seo-yul's mouth.
Her attitude looked extremely awkward.
Seo-yul frowned and kept her mouth shut. Even though Hong Yeon-hwa was trying hard to win her favor, the inexplicable wall Seo-yul had toward Hong Yeon-hwa remained firm.
Seeing that, I swallowed the sigh that was about to escape automatically.
Seo-yul was far too distant with the person who might later become her m-mother.
Yet she gets along fairly well with Ellia, Professor Liana, and others...
The worry deepened again today.
Forcibly ignoring the headache, I blew on the soup and fed it to Seo-yul.
* * *
The crushing defeat Aiden had suffered at Lee Ha-yul's hands in the tournament.
Not only had he been completely wrecked without landing a single proper hit, but he'd also had the shocking experience of having his Expansion Ability—achieved through painstaking effort—instantly seen through and copied.
To be honest, it would be a lie to say there was no sense of dejection.
Even his classmates, who had always teased him about his loss at the start of the semester, now genuinely worried about him.
Just thinking about how even Attila acted like she was pretending not to notice, it was clear that those around him were worrying about how deeply Aiden had been hurt.
But Aiden shook it off quickly.
Hadn't he acknowledged from the start that the Special Admission Cadet possessed potential on a completely different level from his own?
By now, it was too late to despair.
He was certainly shocked and hurt, but thinking back on it, they hadn't been on comparable footing in the first place.
In fact, the spar at the start of the semester was the one and only moment where Aiden could have won.
He was at the point where people jokingly called him a sage. The gap between him and Lee Ha-yul had simply grown too wide now.
Thanks to that mindset, instead of pointlessly gnashing his teeth over the talent difference, Aiden had been able to quietly visit the training facility starting the very next day after the tournament loss.
It was around the end of the break that he first noticed something strange.
- Thump!
- Kra-kaboom!
A training facility he always visited.
Passing through the first floor with a cold towel draped around his neck right after finishing his workout, Aiden tilted his head at the sound of explosions ringing out.
"What the heck is that?"
He approached the door where the explosions were coming from. He pushed his face close to the small window set in the door.
But thanks to the security device, the inside was completely invisible.
Only faint explosions could be heard.
This wasn't too strange. It was, after all, a training facility, so sometimes muffled sounds leaked out during training.
Especially offensive magic tends to be loud, so it was plausible for a little sound to be audible.
- Kraka-thoom!
"...How long are they going to keep doing that?"
There was something strange.
The light in this training room had been on since around the end of break.
Arriving early in the morning, Aiden had simply passed by thinking, 'Oh, someone's using it.'
And trudging out late at night after sunset, he'd only walk past while letting out a low exclamation of admiration at the sight of the still-lit training room.
The next morning, too, the light was on.
At night after sunset, the light was still on.
...Even if he showed up at dawn after day and night had flipped, the light was still on.
Curious, he'd observed it for a while, but no one seemed to enter or leave that room.
It was as if someone had rented it out and moved in, since the light was always on.
He had overlooked it even up to that point.
It was break, after all. Someone could have locked themselves in doing something similar to closed chamber training.
He just admired that kind of will and resolved to also work harder himself.
- Badabooms!
Another faint explosion rang out.
It didn't come from up ahead.
Aiden turned his head awkwardly.
The training room across the hall also had its light on, and faint explosions were coming from it.
- Krak-a-boom!
From the one next to it, too.
- Crackle-crack!
And from the one in front of that...
At some point, the number of strange rooms that had no one entering or leaving, but always had their lights on and faint noise leaking out, had grown to six.
He had absolutely no idea what the reason was.
Come to think of it, lately, eyewitness accounts of strange phenomena had frequently been popping up on the student community.
Like a book suddenly falling by itself in an empty library, or a weapon lying still rattling on its own...
Wondering if it was a malfunction, he'd inquired with the Siyoram administration, but only received an answer stating everything was operating normally.
"...I don't get it."
Aiden gave up thinking.
Maybe there were six cadets doing closed chamber training clustered right next to each other.
It's not like a ghost... or a spirit-body-type monster crawled in and is training...
Aiden dragged his tired body back to the dormitory.