Surprises in Class A
Whoa, look at that face. "Did I hear that wrong?" My breath caught in my throat.
"The Purifier Association is looking for her. They're calling her the magical girl for now since her identity's hard to pin down, but once they make contact, she'll get an official title."
"Ah, I see."
"There's a bit of a time lag, but you were there at the scene, so I figured I'd ask if you knew anything about her."
That's me. The magical girl you're looking for? I'm her. How do you ask the person themselves?
"Hmm... sorry, nothing useful. I got saved by Lord Yonghui and bolted right after."
I gritted my teeth behind a forced smile. I absolutely couldn't let it slip. If I did, I'd be socially murdered.
"Yeah, figured as much. Just checking. Thanks for answering."
Luckily, Eirin didn't pick up on anything suspicious and backed off without another word. I watched her retreating figure, letting out a small sigh of relief.
Why were there so many heart-stopping moments today?
"...I'm exhausted."
It hadn't even been 30 minutes since I got to the training grounds, but I already wanted to head home. Ugh. Should I just bail?
* * *
In the end, after torturing my body for another hour, I stretched as I stepped out of the showers. That fresh, dry feeling after being drenched in sweat never got old—it was always thrilling.
'Time... about 30 minutes left.'
The walk from the training grounds to Class A was only five minutes, tops. No rush.
I dragged my slightly languid body toward Class A.
"...Still worrying, though."
Unlike the crisp freshness all over my skin, my mind was a bit gloomy. Karen, the protagonist of Insi End, was in Class D. So the future events I knew were mostly from her perspective—Class D stuff took center stage.
'Who was in Class A again...?'
Class A barely got any screen time, so I had no clue what chaos might unfold there or who the good guys and bad guys were. It was usually full of cocky extras used as punching bags for Class D's combat metrics. And even that was just early on—later, they vanished entirely.
Serena and Eirin were the only ones that came to mind. Pretty much the extent of Class A's notable side characters.
Well, seeing faces might jog my memory, but nothing now.
Lost in these thoughts, I soon reached the door to Class A.
As I reached for it, my heart gave a little flutter. Was it excitement for my first real school life? In my past life, I'd dropped out of middle school to hunt early, so craving a bright school experience wasn't weird.
"Hoo."
I exhaled shortly and pushed the door open.
The classroom was spacious and comfy.
"........."
"........."
"........."
The stares of my seated classmates locked onto me instantly. Some wary, others welcoming. A few disliked that I was human; others seemed thrilled I was a celebrity.
It felt like dipping one foot in hot water and the other in ice. I headed to the screen board at the front, displaying a big photo with names and rankings per seat.
Me... ah, there. 678th, Park Jeonghyeon. Seat slightly left of center.
While at it, I checked the neighbor. 213th, Tsuno Ume. No memory of him. Shame.
I eyed my seat and plopped down. Way softer and comfier than middle school chairs. This cushy? It felt like they were daring us to nap.
"...Yawn."
Post-workout shower fatigue hitting? Twenty-five minutes till class. A quick nap wouldn't hurt.
I rested my arms on the desk and bent forward—
"Hi! You're that Park Jeonghyeon, right?!"
A perky, zappy voice made me snap back up. Ah, right. Probably another fan wanting a photo or autograph. Standard routine.
"I saw your acting on Mitoob!"
A cat beastkin with jade-green hair beamed at me. Notably tiny—shorter than Karen's near-160cm.
No memory, so not a main character in Insi End.
"Yeah? Thanks for recognizing me. Want an autograph?"
"Nah, I'm good! Not really into holologicals anyway."
Good? Wait, not a fan? Then why approach if not for pics or signs?
"If not that, then why...?"
"Huh? Just wanna be friends? Never had a celebrity buddy!"
Ah. Worn out by aggressive fans lately? Misjudged this pure peer wanting to hang.
Mentally, I was way older, but physically same age.
"Sorry, my bad."
"No worries! Happens!"
She shook her head vigorously at my quick apology, denying it energetically. Hope her neck's okay. Her vibrant energy kept poking my skin.
"Forgot to ask your name. What's it?"
"Shaolin! Cat beast, from Kirinus!"
Beast—term for beastkin in the Insi End world. Most prefer beastkin; "person" in it bugs them. Trend started when human nation Legacyum headed to ruin.
This Shaolin probably wouldn't mind "beastkin," but courtesy calls for beast.
"Name says Kirinus Cheonun district? Famous for magnolias everywhere."
"Yup! Got pics—wanna see? Last spring, me and Dad under full blooms!"
She fiddled her smartphone, showing me. Wide street lined with lush trees bursting purple magnolias. Below, beaming Shaolin and a smiling man.
But her presumed dad's face... familiar? Seen it somewhere? Nah, imagination?
"Spectacular. You and your dad look great."
"Right? Visit sometime—I'll show you everything!"
A little praise, and she sparkled, puffing her tiny chest proudly. Barely noticeable.
"Sure, someday."
"Yay! Oh, your major? Mine's magic line."
"Major?"
Probably means battlefield role. Providence looked school-like, but trained warriors against erosion phenomena.
But me? No fixed position. Synced consciousness shifted it constantly. Current syncs: artist/actor up close, fisherman mid-close. Long-range later, sure.
"Haven't picked."
"Not picked? Hmm...?"
She tilted her head, puzzled. Wanted to explain, but that'd spill my consciousness synchronization skill. Just wry smile, scratched cheek.
Then.
-Creak...
The front door slid open slowly.
"....."
A wolf beast guy with a brutally fierce face entered. Even I'd—who'd met weirdos over 28 years—swallowed hard.
"....."
He silently scanned the screen board, then strode to the center.
(Whoa, scary as hell... same year?)
Shaolin whispered shakily. I nodded agreement silently.
Face scarred faintly, jaw bandaged bloody-ish. Street fights as kid? Eyes terrifying—like they could kill.
What hellish life? No clue. He approached my neighbor seat.
Up close, terrifying. Back-alley mafioso'd bow and pass quiet.
-Thud.
He sat slowly, turned to me leisurely. Opened mouth.
Gonna threaten? "Don't mess"? "Back off"? Deep growl voice, bet.
"Whoa~ You're Park Jeonghyeon? First time seeing a human my age up close."
A super bright, soft voice tickled my ear. Me and Shaolin floated question marks, blurting in unison.
"Huh?"
"Eh?"
What? Why so nice?