2nd Year
2nd Year
We were issued new cadet uniforms over the break.
There was no significant difference from the previous ones. The material and functionality were identical.
Only the decorative elements had changed—from green, symbolizing spring, to red, symbolizing summer.
'If you just glanced at it, you'd never notice.'
Even when I tried the new uniform on, the difference didn't really register.
Maybe the tie color stood out at most? But plenty of cadets wore their ties loose anyway.
I dusted off my sleeves with a couple of light pats and nodded, unimpressed.
"Maybe because it's new, but it feels kind of fluffy. What do you think?"
Meaning, that's how I felt.
Yeon-hwa, who'd been checking her reflection in the mirror, turned to look at me.
Her figure came into clear view within my limited field of vision.
She was also dressed in the newly issued second-year cadet uniform. Since she was temporarily included under 'Hong Yeon-hwa,' the clothing was visible to my eyes as well.
Her hair, her eyes, the disposition of her mana—everything red harmonized beautifully with Yeon-hwa.
"Yes! It really suits you!"
[Pretty!]
"Yeah? Glad it looks good on me."
As my mouth and the necklace offered praise in unison, the corners of Yeon-hwa's eyes curved gently.
The soft smile she now showed as naturally as breathing made the Sky Wing Feather flutter softly.
[But Yeon-hwa, don't you find activewear or casual clothes more comfortable than the cadet uniform?]
While tidying the fluttering Sky Wing Feather, a sudden thought made me tilt my head.
Yeon-hwa hadn't originally preferred the cadet uniform.
Her standard outfit had been long pants, a shirt, and—in the original work—a baseball jacket that was practically her trademark.
"...Well, you know, people's tastes change."
[Do they?]
"They do. Before, that kind of outfit felt comfortable, and now I feel fine in this kind of outfit too."
At my question, Yeon-hwa's eyes flickered for an instant. Then she shrugged and turned her gaze toward the window.
I followed her line of sight with Observation, but nothing appeared beyond the blue sky.
"Ahem, enough about the past. Come here."
Clearing her throat lightly, Yeon-hwa smoothed her uniform and beckoned me over.
This time, my eyes trembled. My gaze reflexively flicked past the window, but instead of blue sky, only fog filled it.
In the end, I scurried to her side. Yeon-hwa pulled me tightly into her arms and rubbed her lips against my neck.
"...Smack..."
"H-hic."
[H-heek]
The tickling sensation that followed—the feeling that started at my neck and swept down my spine—made every one of my fingers and toes curl.
When I reflexively squirmed, Yeon-hwa tightened her arms around me and sucked at the skin even more intensely.
"Mwah... Haaah..."
A moment later, her lips parted.
The spot her lips had covered was left with a reddened mark. Blinking in satisfaction, Yeon-hwa even extended her tongue and licked the area.
This was behavior that had continued all through the weekend.
Remembering the events of a few days ago made me laugh bitterly to myself.
I'd had to swallow my embarrassment and act cute to calm down the furious Yeon-hwa.
'But Senior is mentally unstable...'
No matter how fine she seemed on the outside, she was a person rotten to the core inside. There was no way she'd be fine after enduring years in that desolate, dangerous Reverse Side.
Her actual examination results from Siyoram hadn't been great either.
Since her psychological scores weren't good, the people around her had to be considerate.
- Are you really in a position to say that? Hm? You, the little one who stays silent while your mental stats plummet when you're alone?
- What kind of stats are this... You really... Ha.
- Bwaaang...
In the process, I'd been seated next to Senior Daera and examined alongside her, and there'd been a situation where we got scolded collectively, but... Anyway.
"Yeon-hwa... it tickles..."
"It's just a little neck sucking. I've been sucking on you all night while you were sleeping."
[Silence]
Well, when she put it like that, I had nothing to say. As my mouth clamped shut, Yeon-hwa gave a short laugh and pressed a peck to my neck.
"Don't erase it on purpose. Got it?"
"Yesh..."
I'd figured as much today. I shaped the Sky Wing Feather I kept on hand into a strip and wrapped it around my neck like a scarf.
Today was Monday morning, after the weekend.
In other words, the first real day of second year.
.
.
.
Now that we were second-years, our lecture hall had changed.
To be precise, it's more accurate to say the facility changed.
Because now we had to go to Red Summer Hall, the second-year facility, instead of Green Spring Hall, the first-year facility.
[ Ipha Classroom (立夏室) ]
One of the lecture halls within Red Summer Hall. I bobbed my head, checking the bold letters inscribed on the nameplate.
The six second-year classes, all meaning summer. Ipha, Soman, Mangjong, Haji, Soseo, Daeseo.
The class I belonged to was the Ipha Class, meaning the beginning of summer.
"The lecture hall isn't any different from first year. If I had to pick something, the decorations here are red?"
"Maybe because they had the backdrop in mind, the building is slightly reddish overall."
I wasn't the only one who felt that way.
Baek A-rin and Ellia murmured beside me. Yeon-hwa, who was looking around and taking in the surroundings, was in the Ipha Class as well.
"Hey, where exactly are you planting your butt right now? Move."
"Excuse me? This isn't an assigned seat, Miss Hong. Go find an empty seat quickly."
"I can just make the seat empty."
"What? You're going to use violence in this sacred school, right in front of Mr. Ha-yul...!"
"Oh for goodness sake, won't you shut your trap?"
The cadets watching the Hong-Baek Battle? that had broken out since early morning were familiar faces too.
The cadets who'd been in the Ipchun Class last year had moved up to the Ipha Class together.
'Because the original roster is maintained.'
The system was that the class roster stayed the same and only the year advanced.
There were occasional cases where the members changed a little, but mostly it stayed the same, and only the year went up.
'Senior Lee Ji-yeon is now in the Ipchu Class.'
Lee Ji-yeon, who'd been in the second-year Ipha Class, also advanced a year and joined the third-year Ipchu Class.
'I'm glad she came back without being late.'
Through Observation, I saw Lee Ji-yeon amiably exchanging greetings with the cadets in the Ipchu Class.
I breathed a sigh of relief internally.
After the Reverse Side Rampage ended, Lee Ji-yeon had been unable to return to Siyoram immediately due to a family matter.
She'd stayed with her family even through the Freshman Welcome Party and had only managed to enter Siyoram yesterday.
'Senior is in the Ipchun Class.'
Senior Daera had been placed in the Ipchun Class. Other new students evaluated as especially promising had also been assigned there.
The 122nd cohort's top seat and second seat were in the Ipchun Class as well.
'Lee Ha-sol is...'
The top seat of the 122nd cohort, Lee Ha-sol. A connection of this body that I'd encountered unexpectedly.
The moment that name surfaced in my mind, my expression unconsciously turned complicated.
'Uuuugh...'
We'd exchanged brief texts over the weekend, but it was still hard to gauge the right distance.
Since her memories hadn't been restored yet, it was awkward figuring out how to treat her.
I couldn't forget the look of yearning she'd given me.
'Just what happened at the orphanage...'
No matter how much I racked my brain, no plausible guess came to mind.
As expected, cracking open this body's memories using the Authorities of Observation and Knowledge would be the surest way. But if I did that... ugh...
- Rattle
As I was chewing over the dilemma, the front door of the lecture hall opened. The slightly bustling classroom quieted down.
Yeon-hwa and Baek A-rin also stopped their bickering and took their seats. Baek A-rin, who'd had the defender's advantage, kept her spot.
For reference, the seat on my other side was Ellia's.
Baek A-rin blinked and whispered to Yeon-hwa.
"Miss Hong, wouldn't it have been better if we'd just joined forces and driven Ellia out?"
"...This bi... nasty piece of work."
"What was that hesitation in the beginning, Miss Hong?"
"Shut up."
Amidst all this, the professor who'd entered through the front door stepped up to the podium.
"Good to see you all after so long."
The person at the podium was Professor Liana. Like the cadets, her assigned class had been maintained.
She swept her gaze across the entire lecture hall and smiled brightly.
"Good. No one's late, fortunately. For the next bit of catching up... Did you all have a good break?"
Opening with simple small talk, Professor Liana shrugged.
"For the record, I didn't have a good one. There was a ton of work to do, and plenty of things that frayed my nerves."
Her gaze, which had been scanning the cadets, suddenly fixed on one spot. The blunt stare poking at my face made my shoulders hunch automatically.
At my reaction, not only the two beside me but also Professor Liana let out a short laugh.
"Yes, as you all know, there was a truly massive incident during the break. I was present at that scene too. I'll share my experience about that another time... but first, we should go over the announcements, I suppose."
Professor Liana continued her rather long address.
There were no unusual items in the schedule. It was practically identical to the previous year's.
A free semester lasting roughly a month.
Major lectures based on specialization, and tiered lectures according to the start-of-semester grades.
Guidance on various evaluation dates.
And guidance on Tower Entry...
"Ha-yul, what kind of lectures are you going to take?"
As I idly twirled a pen while listening to the explanation, Ellia leaned her face close from the next seat and whispered softly.
"Me?"
"Yes, yes, whose schedule would I be asking about?"
When I turned my head toward her, Ellia smiled brightly and planted a soft kiss on my cheek.
The fuzzy sensation on my cheek made my mouth fall open reflexively.
"I was thinking... lectures in the Crafting Department."
"The Crafting Department?"
"Yes."
Ellia's eyes grew round, as if that wasn't the answer she'd expected. At her reaction, I stroked my uninjured left arm and offered a faint smile.
I had quite a few things I needed to make this semester.
.
.
.
After lunch that day, even though I'd become a second-year, the schedule of training with my master didn't change.
"Hello, Junior Disciple. Did you eat well?"
If there was one point that differed from last year, it was that the number of participants had increased by one.
[Yes, I ate until I was full.]
"That's good to hear. The school food here is really delicious too. I had bulgogi rice bowl. What did you have, Junior Disciple?"
[I had—]
[...I had spicy pork rice bowl.]
Senior Daera was already on the flat training ground, having arrived early for once and waiting.
After all, Senior Daera was also my master's disciple.
My master had asked for my consent and then separately petitioned the main Siyoram administration to personally take over Senior Daera's afternoon lectures as well.
"You're both early. I trust you did eat properly? You didn't skip because it was a bother?"
"Come on, Master. We have to push our bodies; would we be crazy enough to starve?"
As I was chatting idly with Senior Daera for a moment, my master arrived.
A gentle smile spread across my master's face as she looked between me and Senior Daera in turn.
My master's expression had always brightened when she met me, but now her smile was even more natural and radiant.
'It must be thanks to reuniting with Senior Daera.'
A reunion with a precious disciple she'd thought dead. That meeting must have healed the scars left in my master's heart.
'I'm glad we were able to save her.'
A stroke of heavenly luck had allowed me to save Senior Daera, my master's disciple, and to heal my master's inner wounds as well.
Just looking at my master's bright face naturally filled me with pride and brought a smile to my own lips.
And so training began.
My master spoke with me.
She also spoke with Senior Daera.
...
My master sparred with me, then took a short break.
She also sparred with Senior Daera, and pointed out the mistakes she could see.
...
I used magic to spar with my master, and discussed what I'd felt.
She handed water to Senior Daera, who was sprawled exhausted on the ground, and told her to keep up the good work...
...
She stroked my head once, and stroked Senior Daera's head once...
...
The smile that had been on my lips grew faint.
"......"
[?Puf?]
Air slowly filled my cheeks.