Experiential Learning (1)
After Seong Hyun-jin and Serena left, Yeonhui, left alone in the classroom, plopped down into her seat.
“……”
She hung her head with a somewhat vacant expression and sat motionless for a long while. No one but Yeonhui herself could know what was going through her mind in that moment.
How much time passed like that? The emptiness in Yeonhui's eyes began to waver bit by bit, and the corners of her mouth twitched upward.
“Hee… heh.”
Yeonhui let out a hollow laugh, laced with something profoundly meaningful.
—I'm not interested in you yet, senpai.
She mulled over Seong Hyun-jin's words in her mind.
She had been deluded. She had thought he felt something for her, at least a little. She had seen how he hadn't strongly resisted when she kissed his cheek, so that's what she believed. She thought allowing such an act of affection meant he had some interest in her.
But that wasn't the case.
Yeonhui let out a hollow chuckle to herself before murmuring softly.
“Ha… I see…”
His words, stabbing into her heart like a dagger, still lingered in her mind even now that the moment had passed.
After chewing over his painful declaration for a long time, she reached a conclusion.
“…It means I deserved to have my fish stolen by that stray cat, right?”
That she had lost Seong Hyun-jin to another woman because she wasn't good enough.
Thinking back, sure, she had kissed him, but only on the cheek. What difference did that make from a child's prank? She should have been more decisive, more aggressive in making her appeal. Even if Seong Hyun-jin didn't understand her feelings, she should have acted in a way that drew out his instincts toward her.
She hadn't, so another woman had snatched him away.
“I get it now, junior.”
Yeonhui realized she couldn't keep playing the sweet, gentle older sister type. She needed to be bolder. She knew now that timidly inching closer was a method she should have abandoned from the start.
“Alright, junior…”
Yeonhui bit her lip lightly. Then, as if vowing to herself, she murmured.
“I'll make sure you realize I'm a better woman than those bitches around you.”
The lifeless glint in Yeonhui's eyes had returned to sharp focus.
“…Get ready.”
A few days after midterms wrapped up, grades were posted alongside the start of experiential learning week.
“Combat Department top scorer: Serena Eldark. Runner-up: Seong Hyun-jin.”
“…?”
Surprisingly, the top two spots in Combat hadn't changed. Given Seong Hyun-jin's overwhelming performance in the practical exam and its heavy weighting, no one would have batted an eye if they had switched. Even the Combat students had expected a flip this time.
But there was something they hadn't anticipated.
“…Why's my written score this bad?”
“…Didn't I teach you everything?”
Even Serena, who had tutored him, was dumbfounded by how abysmal Seong Hyun-jin's written exam had been. Holding onto second place with those scores was proof of his practical dominance—but conversely, it was astonishing he hadn't claimed first despite it.
Staring at his pitiful written results, Serena couldn't hold back.
“You… you're not stupid, so why did you bomb the exam like this?”
“…I didn't do it on purpose?”
“Were you not listening at all when I taught you? I knew you weren't focusing on studying, but…”
Seong Hyun-jin scratched his cheek awkwardly at her question.
“Guess you're not the cramming type. I really put in the effort teaching you.”
“It's not that…”
After a moment's hesitation about whether to say it, Seong Hyun-jin came clean to Serena.
“…You were on my mind, so I couldn't focus.”
“……Pardon?”
Flustered, Seong Hyun-jin trailed off, but that was enough. Serena's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
“…Ah.”
She smiled warmly, forgiving him for his lack of focus.
“If that's the reason, I forgive you for not concentrating.”
“…Thanks.”
“Hee-hee, sure.”
Her smile made Seong Hyun-jin flinch in surprise.
‘…Was she always this pretty? Wait, she was always pretty, right?’
Serena Eldark had always been a beauty. But what Seong Hyun-jin felt now went beyond simple prettiness.
‘But somehow, even more than usual…’
Was it because their relationship had changed? The new emotions stirring weren't just his imagination.
And he wasn't the only one noticing.
“Don't those two seem… different somehow?”
“They're just flirting like always.”
“No, more than that…”
“You think they'd actually date?”
Some noticed the shift in Seong Hyun-jin and Serena's dynamic; others didn't. As reactions split, Hayes clapped lightly to draw attention.
“Now that grades are out, I have an announcement.”
Hayes shared news sure to thrill the students.
“No classes next week.”
“Woo!”
“As some know, the week after midterms is experiential learning period.”
Experiential learning. Expected news, but students perked up anyway.
“It lasts one week, location is your choice. Of course, only places you can return from within the week—no forbidden zones.”
“What if someone doesn't want to go?”
“All students must participate, no exceptions. But if unavoidable personal issues…”
Hayes explained.
“You'll do makeup sessions with me, depending on circumstances.”
Makeup classes—words every student instinctively dreaded. After hearing that, no one wanted makeup over experiential learning.
“When's the application deadline?”
“This Friday. No application means automatic makeup. Request forms from me.”
“Gotta decide quick.”
Students pondered destinations, but Seong Hyun-jin and Serena had no such worries.
“Can we submit now?”
“Yes, anytime.”
They had a direct invite from the Levatein family's eldest daughter.
Seong Hyun-jin and Serena grabbed forms, filled them out, and handed them over. Hayes glanced and noted.
“Levatein Territory—invited by Clarice Levatein from Swordsmanship, I see.”
“How'd you know?”
“Guessed from your connections.”
Approving their forms casually, Hayes warned them.
“Remember, the border areas of Levatein Duchy are forbidden zones.”
“Got it.”
“We'll be careful.”
To her quick-witted students, Hayes added one more thing.
“First-years heading to quite the challenging spot, huh.”
“Challenging?”
“Dangerous, you mean?”
“Dangerous, yes, but…”
Hayes spoke as if she knew something, then chuckled lightly.
Whatever she imagined seemed amusing.
“…Better to see for yourselves.”
“Huh?”
“Spoiling it might ruin the fun.”
Seong Hyun-jin and Serena tilted their heads, puzzled by her cryptic words.
“Applications accepted. Back to your seats.”
Hayes never elaborated, leaving them in the dark.
But they learned soon enough—whether they wanted to or not. Why Hayes called Levatein Duchy “challenging.”
Slash!!
Seong Hyun-jin cleaved a charging magical beast and caught his breath roughly. He scanned around.
BOOM!!
Serena's flames incinerated a beast.
“So many…!”
「Snow Flake」
Ciela swept beasts away with magic.
Everyone here was on another level, so no real issues—but this was not what Seong Hyun-jin had envisioned.
He turned the other way, blurting out in disbelief at their situation.
“…Clarice, you left this part out.”
“I assumed you knew.”
Clarice stabbed her greatsword into a beast's neck, finishing it with her usual impassive expression, then explained simply.
“Our territory has a lot of magical beasts. The roads get rough.”
Seong Hyun-jin eyed the surroundings at her nonchalant reply.
Dozens of “frosthorn beasts” corpses littered the area.
He stared, dumbfounded.
“This isn't 'a lot'—this is insane, right?”