Unexpected Genius
Dahong sat on the sofa with Seha, sipping coffee. Seoyeun's face came to mind. The moment she summoned the archangel. The mana that filled the hallway. The fierce glare in her eyes.
-I can't let a dangerous demon like you stay by my student's side.
Dahong's lips curved upward. It had been a long time. Since someone had seemed ready to charge at her with such genuine intent.
'An archangel, huh...'
It was exciting.
Scratch. Scratch scratch. Scratch scratch scratch.
Dahong glanced toward the sound. It was Ruby. Squatting in front of the bathroom, digging through the sand. Sand was already scattered across the living room floor.
Scratch. Scratch scratch.
The sandy patch was growing wider.
Dahong looked out the window again. Took another sip of coffee.
"Ahh! Ruby!"
Seha's shout rang out. Ruby sat in the middle of the sandy mess in the living room. Her tail stuck up proudly.
"Ruby."
"Nya."
"Come here."
"Nyaaong."
Ruby didn't go to Seha. Instead, she demonstratively pawed at the sand one more time.
Scratch.
"Ruby!"
"Aeng."
Thud crash. Ruby dodged the lunging Seha and bolted. Thud thud thud. Ruby ran. Seha chased. Ruby leaped onto the sofa, kicked off the backrest, and dropped back to the floor. She zipped past Seha and crawled under the dining table.
Seha got down on his stomach and peered underneath. Ruby sat in the center. Her golden eyes stared back at him. Her tail swayed lazily.
"Come out."
"Nyaa."
"I said come out."
"Nya."
Seha reached in. Ruby took a step back. Just out of reach.
"......"
Dahong watched from the sofa.
"Help me, please."
"Nah."
"Why not?"
"It's fun."
Seha looked at Dahong. She grinned contentedly. It was the same expression she'd had while thinking of Seoyeun. Of course, Seha had no way of knowing that.
Seha sighed. Dahong's such a jerk, he thought as he reached under the table again. Ruby batted at his fingers with her paw.
"......Are you seriously playing around right now?"
"Nyaaong."
She was.
Scraaape. As Seha pulled out a chair, Ruby shot out like an arrow. He was being completely toyed with.
Just as Seha's frustration boiled over—
Ding~
His phone buzzed. Seha pulled it from his pocket and checked the message.
"Huh...?"
"What?"
"No, the teacher suddenly asked if I could meet her this weekend..."
"Hmm~?"
Dahong let out an intrigued hum.
"Where?"
"She just sent an address."
Seha checked the map. It was near a café.
"It's a date."
Dahong said.
"No way."
"A guy and a girl meeting alone on the weekend. That's a date."
Seha stared at Dahong in disbelief.
"She's a teacher. I'm a student."
"Teachers can't date?"
"......Well, that's not it, but."
Seha pocketed his phone.
"She probably just has something to say."
"Then why not say it at school? Why call you out separately?"
"......"
That was true.
Dahong grinned mischievously.
"Better dress sharp."
"I'm not dressing up."
"You wanna disappoint a lady?"
"It's not like that."
"Hit the salon for a haircut too."
"No thanks."
The day arrived. Seha stood in front of his closet for a long time that morning. Dahong's words kept nagging at him.
–It's a date.
"......"
He knew it was ridiculous. Why would a young, pretty teacher like Seoyeun be interested in him? She was an amazing summoner who could call a Pegasus. She must have tons of admirers.
But.
But what if...?
A teenage boy's imagination was powerful. It kept dragging him into sweet daydreams.
'Come to think of it, that counseling session she had with Dahong... no way.'
What kind of question would a summoner ask a summoned beast instead of their own summoner?
He glanced at the full-length mirror on the closet door. For once, he thought he looked pretty good.
'No, just in case.'
Gulp.
He swallowed, hesitated, then reached into the closet.
Seoyeun was already at the meeting spot when Seha arrived. She wore a comfy hoodie zip-up, leggings, and sneakers. Her hair was tied back in a single ponytail.
Seoyeun scanned Seha up and down.
"......What are you doing?"
"Pardon?"
"That outfit."
She looked incredulous. Seha looked down at himself. Crisp slacks, neat shirt, vest. He'd even gotten his hair styled at the salon.
"On your way to meet a girlfriend or something?"
"......No."
Seha silently cursed Dahong. See? I told you. He could almost hear her cackling.
Seoyeun eyed him like he'd seen it all, then nodded toward the building next door. It was low and wide. The café from the map was across the block.
"Let's go in first. We can borrow some clothes."
"......Okay."
The facility was spacious inside. Not as big as the academy's training grounds, but high-ceilinged, with mana-blocking material lining the walls. Multiple training zones divided the space. It felt different from the academy's—smaller, but sturdier by far. You could tell it was for serious hunters.
Seoyeun watched Seha look around, then spoke.
"Curious what this place is?"
"......Yeah."
"Hunter Association special training facility. Regular hunters can't just waltz in."
"Huh?"
Seha glanced around. That explained why such a great place was nearly empty.
"Then how...?"
"I know someone. They pulled some strings."
Seoyeun said curtly. Seha asked,
"Why not use the academy facilities?"
"That leaves records."
"Records...?"
"Grades. Evaluations. Homeroom reports. Everything."
She walked ahead.
"What I'm doing is off the official curriculum. The academy wouldn't approve."
Seha asked suspiciously,
"Like illegal tutoring?"
"......If you wanna call it that."
"......Why are you doing this for me?"
Using personal connections, behind the school's back. What did she get out of it?
Seoyeun opened the training room door without turning.
"Something I need to check."
The door swung open, bright lights briefly blinding him. Two people stood in the center.
One was a dark-skinned, massively built muscular man. Black gauntlets on, sleeveless top showing off his arms. Arms folded—thicker than Seha's waist.
The other was a short woman, smaller than Seha. Big brimmed hat hiding her face. She held a staff taller than herself in one hand.
Seoyeun introduced them.
"My old classmates. The big guy's Oh Daehyeon, the small one's Lee Noeul."
The giant, Daehyeon, grinned broadly.
"Oh, you're Yu Seha!"
A massive hand shot out.
"H-Hi."
Seha's hand was engulfed. Daehyeon thumped his back heartily.
"You look like you need some basic training, haha!"
"Ugh. Heh heh..."
Seha shrank involuntarily. As Daehyeon stepped aside, Noeul approached. Her hat brim tilted slowly. Long lashes framed sleepy eyes.
Noeul scanned Seha up and down slowly. Then made a small sound.
"Hm."
She held out a tiny hand.
"Hand."
"Pardon?"
"Gimme your hand."
Seha extended it. Noeul cupped it with both hands and closed her eyes silently.
About ten seconds passed.
"Your mana capacity's pretty high. No, really high."
Noeul opened her eyes. Her dazed gaze fixed on Seha.
"Where'd you learn it? Mana circuits."
"Pardon? Oh... I just kinda figured it out. My body felt more comfortable this way..."
"Self-taught."
Noeul muttered without letting go.
"Your mana flow's unconventional. You made this yourself."
"Is that a problem?"
"No."
Noeul released his hand. She looked at Seoyeun.
"He's a genius."
"......"
Seoyeun didn't respond. Seha spoke up in panic.
"M-Me? A genius?"
"Yeah."
"No way."
"Why not?"
Noeul eyed him again.
"I-I've never succeeded at a summoning ritual once since enrolling. I couldn't even attend practical classes during eval semester, kept failing."
"......"
Noeul's head tilted.
"You got top grades in theory."
"Yeah... Tried to make up for practicals with that..."
"Then it shouldn't be."
Noeul muttered softly. She pointed at him with her chin.
"Show me. Deploy a summoning ritual."
Seha swallowed hard, gathered mana, and deployed the ritual.
Fwaaah!
A complex magic circle floated before him. Noeul examined it closely.
"No mistakes."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Your failures were external factors. Not your fault."
"Like what...?"
"Dunno. Ah, you can cancel it now."
Seha dismissed the circle. Noeul adjusted her hat and yawned hugely.
"Yawwn... Anyway, doesn't matter now. You have a summoned beast, right?"
Then Seoyeun spoke.
"That's actually why I called you."
"Huh?"
All three turned to her. Seoyeun slung an arm around Seha's shoulder.
"I want you two to train this guy."
"Huh?"
"......?"
Seha was the most shocked.
"......Pardon?"
Slurp. Slurp slurp. Slurp slurp slurp.
Ruby suckled eagerly at the bottle. Dahong sat on the sofa, gazing down at Ruby nestled on her thigh.
The house was quiet.
Gulp. Ruby finished the bottle and nuzzled Dahong's wrist.
"All done?"
"Nya."
Ruby kneaded a few times, then curled into a ball. Dahong scratched under her chin.
Purr purr purr.
Ruby closed her eyes and rumbled happily. Dahong looked out the window. The house felt even quieter without Seha.
"We ate, so wanna go out?"
Ruby's eyes snapped open.
"Nyaaong?"
"Bored."
Ruby's tail rose slowly. Dahong scooped her up and stood.
Time to play.