A New Breeze
"Jackie Teacher, you haven't gone home yet?"
"No, no...! I've got a ton of final exams left to grade. Just finishing this up and heading out."
"Whew, but isn't the staff room kinda stuffy? Want me to turn on the AC?"
"Oh, yes please! I'd appreciate it!"
Jacqueline Carol bowed her head slightly in thanks for Class B homeroom teacher Shim Hyo-chan's kindness as he switched on the air conditioner for her. Just as he said, the staff room felt humid and hot inside. Jacqueline had been so focused on grading that she hadn't even noticed the sweat beading on her forehead.
"Huh? Why won't it go below 26 degrees?"
"Pardon?"
"Have you fiddled with the AC controls at all?"
"No? I just hit the power button."
"Weird. The staff room AC is locked under central control."
Shim Hyo-chan stroked his chin, clearly seeing this for the first time too.
"I'll pop over to the admin office and check."
Jacqueline gave an awkward smile and waved as Shim headed off with his overly generous offer.
That's strange. Why would central control be on?
These days, with all the talk of low birth rates and child welfare, not turning on the AC in class could mean hundreds of complaints. And Seferon Academy had plenty of funding, didn't it?
"The AC? Director Kim said we have to conserve after 3 PM. You'll need to check with the foundation for details."
"The admin director?"
"No, Planning and Coordination Director Kim Yong-seong."
"Huh? Why him...?"
Following the admin staffer's guidance, he crossed the sun-baked sports field to the adjacent foundation building. The interior here was also running AC at a weak chill. Just then, a man in a crisp suit descended the stairs. From him, Shim Hyo-chan heard a rather absurd explanation.
"We're over budget, so we have to cut costs elsewhere. It just manifested as electricity savings."
"Pardon? What does that even mean...?"
"Don't come complaining to me... Please, go hassle your principal instead."
"Yes, sorry about that."
"Honestly, the foundation putting up with this for just the elementary division? What a joke!"
"Pardon?"
"They act like the whole academy is their personal playground! Hey!"
Director Kim suddenly exploded in anger. Shim flinched at the escalating fury.
"Haa... We've applied for a budget increase from HQ, so please bear with it until then. There's an ice water dispenser at the entrance—go cool off. Your back's soaked through."
Director Kim let out a weary sigh, his face haggard, and trudged out across the campus. Up close, even his sideburns were drenched in sweat.
"Whoa, was that the director we've only heard about? Gave me a real scare."
2nd Circle Chant: Chill Wind
"Haaah... So cool."
I blew cold air on Ji-hye, who was sprawled out starfish-style on the gym floor.
"But is it okay to just spam magic like this?"
"Got permission. It's fine."
"Got it. As expected of Nami!"
The cooling cycle magic circle embedded in the wand spun diligently in the air, stirring up a breeze.
"Earlier, I said don't close your eyes—watch the incoming spell all the way. You won't get hurt anyway."
"But... I can't help it if it closes on reflex!"
Ji-hye propped up her upper body in protest.
"And when moving, adjust the mana fed into the magic circle. Less when closing in, more when pulling away."
"Hng... I know, but... Hic... My mind just blanks out..."
Ji-hye's eyes welled up with tears in an instant.
"Okay! I'm sorry, sorry! Yeah, casting while moving is super tough."
"Hweeeeng..."
"You've still got plenty of time before the tournament. Practice steadily every day, and you'll get it, Ji-hye."
As I kept patting her back, a girl with half-lidded eyes peered over my shoulder and chimed in.
"You fight like a total polar bear in battle, so why play weak in front of Nami?"
Ji-hye whipped her head around at her bestie Han Se-ri's words.
"I'm not a polar bear!"
"Then glasses bear since you wear specs?"
"Not glasses bear either!"
"Hey, kids, calm down. Haa..."
After finals, Seferon Academy runs shortened classes almost daily. That's why I was sticking around school today, helping with Ji-hye's physical training.
Grades 2 through 6 have no midterms in the second semester. It's to let students enjoy the national inter-academy exchange matches—or tournaments, as they're called. To pick reps, there's a preliminary for volunteers, and getting selected as an academy rep gives huge bonus points on your record.
Ji-hye, placed alone in 2nd-year Class B due to poor 1st-year grades, planned to enter the prelims to join Se-ri and the others in Class A next year as a 3rd-grader.
"They say you can't use portable transmutation circle writers in the tournament?"
"Yeah... Nothing like yours. Probably just bracelets or gloves."
"But those won't have gyro sensors."
"Yeah..."
Ji-hye was a bit of an odd case compared to other kids. The physical tournament focused on aura to shatter barriers. For elementary, you could use aura plus up to three 1st Circle spells. 1st Circle wasn't that hard—controlling aura seemed a hundred times tougher—but she struggled with multitasking.
"Still, if you shop around, maybe there's a wand like that in bracelet or glove form with a gyro sensor..."
Like ordering premium hanwoo kimbap at a regular kimbap joint.
"I'll just work harder..."
Ji-hye gave up quick.
"Okay, Ma Ji-hye! Spar with me now! You're worn out, so I'll take you down this time!"
"You're dead. No mercy."
With that, Ji-hye stood up.
"Wait, hold on! Barrier, barrier! I haven't put it up yet! Nami, save me!"
Se-ri bolted away, shooting me desperate eyes. Where did she get that energy?
Output Mana Pressure (log): 5
Deployment: Mana Barrier
Law is distant, but fists are close. And in Korean society, those fists had the public's support and empathy.
When Nami did her interview, the Blue House national petition site crashed outright. Once the fuse is lit, the flames don't die easy.
The biggest hit was the Major Crimes Investigation Office. Fine, they diligently nabbed politicians for corruption, economic crimes, public official offenses. But they were lukewarm on the Pyre Bridge bombing, Korea's "major disaster."
No "political gain," they said.
The perpetrators were mostly penniless immigrants or illegal refugees Walpurgis subcontracted to the hilt. Nabbing them just filled another prison bed. The tragedy faded with time, and they stonewalled every reinvestigation request with "ongoing probe" excuses. It all came out.
└ Yeah right, still not voting lol
Even if one-person media was overshadowing them, the press still wielded massive power. Having seen too many cases where cover-ups backfired, the Blue House wisely shared info as it came in.
The president vowed a bipartisan special prosecutor team to probe if the Pyre Bridge bombing was truly unavoidable, expressing deep regret over the hostages—all but one—left unrescued.
Some cringed at framing Nami's seven years in the capsule as a "rescue" by the government. Others cheered her recognition as a true victim, wishing her well ahead.
"You're on the core witness list too, Jeong-ho. How'd you end up tangled with such a bold kid?"
"Prosecutor Park..."
"Not prosecutor—special prosecutor. Retired as chief prosecutor a decade ago, and they drag this old dog back out. Anyway, hang in there. Nothing to hide, right?"
"...No, sir."
"Good. Let's keep it clean—no funny business like evidence tampering to make things messy."
Seoul Central District Chief Prosecutor Cheon Jeong-ho gave a wry smile. He'd done all he could, but his seniors' sincere advice rang true: to climb higher, you needed luck too.
The door slammed shut, and the black prosecutor uniform hanging beside it fluttered down.
A wind of change was stirring.
It was a morning a few days into summer break.
I woke to a tiny red LED blinking on the capsule. A message from Yoon-seul, who'd returned home after house repairs? Rubbing sleepy eyes, I shuffled over and pulled the hologram to my bed. Humans want to sit when standing, lie down when sitting—basic nature. I honored it by burrowing under the covers, waiting for my pupils to adjust to the glow.
What? It's Arin?
The cute friend I'd spent two whole months with at the orphanage. Amid rule-obsessed kids, she had a truly free, pure soul. After adoption by some rich uncle, contact had dried up—left me feeling down some days. But I'd seen through him; he didn't seem bad. I trusted him with her, praying from afar she'd grow up seeing only good in a better place. Maybe his family was strict on games and capsules. No way she'd forgotten me already.
My heart dropped.
"..."
I flung off the blanket, jumped up, and fired off a line. Gnawing my thumb, I paced the carpeted floor until footprints marked my loops.
Ding—
"Why's she replying so slow...!"
Why's she talking so ominously? Makes it sound like someone's dead. Why's she even on an uninhabited island?
Phew, not an emergency then. But how's she using the capsule on an uninhabited island?
Argh, so frustrating...!
Mapped it—there's a building, but uninhabited now. No clue how Arin ended up there, but she's asking for help. Gotta go ASAP. If she'd explain why, I could tell Professor Cheon easily.
"Arin... Arin! Baek Arin! What are you doing? Come out quick!"
"Huh...?"
"Hurry! We gotta hide now."
"Min-woo oppa! Nami... Nami's coming! She said she's coming!"
"Dude, hide first! If we're caught, we're both done for today."