Projection: Seferon Academy Middle School Graduation Ceremony
At the Seferon Academy middle school graduation ceremony, children received armfuls of flower bouquets from their parents and friends, reminiscing about their three years together and sharing memories. Meanwhile, a young man and woman strolled through the quiet garden behind the gymnasium, away from the crowds.
What they called a garden was little more than a barren field slated for construction, with not a single flower in sight yet. This was part of this year's student council activities: transforming unused land into a garden for the students. By next year, after the third-years who spearheaded the project had all graduated, lilacs would probably be blooming everywhere here.
"Whoa, the real hell starts now! Welcome to hell! This place already feels like hell—what the heck is waiting beyond that wall?!"
Boarding school was mandatory starting from high school. Gu On-yu stretched her arms wide, reflecting on her three years of memories.
The graduation speech had ultimately gone to Gu On-yu, who took top overall honors. Cheon Byeong-ho's practical scores had plummeted due to his relentless challenges against Ham Chorong, in practice and in real fights alike, racking up defeat after defeat.
Cheon Byeong-ho remained stoically silent as always. Gu On-yu would chatter on endlessly, and he'd respond with his usual indifference—that was their dynamic. The gap between them never closed throughout all three years of middle school.
Gu On-yu steeled herself and grabbed his hand.
"Hold up a sec."
"?"
"Do you... have someone you like?"
"Why ask that out of the blue?"
"Well, you know. Seniors confess to you all the time, even juniors, and you've never said yes to any of them... Honestly, I've even wondered if you like guys or something."
Gu On-yu twisted her hair around her finger as she spoke.
"What nonsense is this? Gu On-yu, lay off the BL stuff."
"Hey! I don't read that crap! It wasn't even mine—my friend asked me to hold it during a bag check!"
"Sure it wasn't."
"Believe me or not... So, no one you like for real?"
"Not telling. Why do you ask?"
"Because... I like you..."
Gu On-yu dropped her head and squeezed her eyes shut. She'd finally said it.
Her heart wasn't just pounding—it was on the verge of exploding. Wasn't the guy supposed to confess first? She'd gathered every ounce of courage she'd built up since birth and unleashed it all in this one moment.
'Say something—anything!' She regretted closing her eyes.
Rustle—
"...?"
"...!"
But that regret was short-lived. Footsteps—not Cheon Byeong-ho's—reached her ears, forcing her to look up.
This wasn't some movie or anime; an interruption at the perfect confession moment? Her insides burned black with frustration.
And who appeared before them? None other than Ham Chorong.
"My role is to set an example for the next generation and lend a hand! For that, I'd stake my life with a smile! That's the cool thing about us old folks, right? Wahahaha! Congrats on graduating, kids!"
Ham Chorong quoted an anime character to express her middle school graduation thoughts in her quirky way.
Contrary to expectations that Cheon Byeong-ho would scowl, he grinned brightly and fired back in kind.
"The child of prophecy is definitely you, right?"
"Oh, Byeong-ho, you caught that scene too! I'm leaving the rest to you guys!"
Gu On-yu was utterly baffled, having no clue what they were on about. But through Cheon Byeong-ho's genuine smile toward Ham Chorong—the deep dimples, the crescent-moon eyes—she realized one thing.
"Right, On-yu, there's something I haven't told you yet."
Whatever came out of Cheon Byeong-ho's mouth next, it wouldn't be the answer Gu On-yu wanted.
"I've decided not to go to high school. So, pretend you didn't hear that just now."
I now understood why Principal Gu On-yu wanted to show me the middle school yearbook.
Sports day, sparring practice, field trips—photos everywhere of Professor Cheon rolling on the ground, filthy and disheveled, dozens of times over.
Considering his usual reserved demeanor, the images didn't match at all.
"Isn't it hilarious, Nami? He hated dorm life so much he went to a regular high school. Ended up passing the GED to get into college too."
From the moment Ham Chorong won the national physical arts tournament with the academy teachers' help, she had no reason to stay. Professor Cheon Kyujin left with her, and Principal Gu On-yu didn't see them again until they were adults years later.
"Professor Cheon once told me something. He had someone he even thought about marrying, but it wasn't meant to be."
"Yeah."
"Was that her?"
"...Probably."
The principal nodded quietly.
"When he suddenly got a daughter, I was shocked too. Wondered how he'd ended up with Nami."
"You recognized me at the entrance ceremony."
"Yeah, first time I saw you. Nami, Professor Cheon is a really pitiful guy. He's lived receiving all the love in the world, but lost everything he loved in the end. So when he says stuff like that, it's because he cherishes you so much. Family worries like that are normal, right?"
"Family... I'm not sure."
My head throbbed briefly.
I knew about Ham Chorong. The Genius Scout Team PDs and writers mentioned her so often that I'd looked her up plenty.
If she was Professor Cheon's fiancée... the ending would be tragic.
Algerian Airlines Flight 8318 Bombing.
It happened in 2024, the year the Fifth Middle East War ended with the fall of Republican Magicism ideology, about a week before Christmas.
The defeated Libyan side, at 10,000 meters over the mana-scarce Sahara skies, detonated a bomb hidden in the cargo hold, downing the plane Ham Chorong was on.
They'd cleverly gotten her parents' address from her TV show and blackmailed her into that flight.
All 189 passengers perished. But unlike reports, there must've been one pregnant woman. Including the baby, 190 dead.
"Whose shadow is Professor Cheon projecting onto me?"
It was a nightmare. One that had tormented Cheon Kyujin for a full 27 years. Even the waves of time couldn't erode it.
As Baek Bong-gon had said, he was still trapped in the past, unable to escape.
5:30 a.m. Too awkward to go back to sleep. He headed to the kitchen, gulping down cold water to quench his thirst.
"Haa..."
He shifted his gaze slightly. Nami's door next to the living room stood wide open—no trace of warmth inside.
Three days now since she'd come home. She'd spent two full nights at the academy.
What the hell was Principal Gu On-yu doing, not convincing her yet? If no word by today, Professor Cheon planned to go to the academy himself and drag her back.
But he had no idea how to broach it with her first.
'Apologize first? Or scold her properly?'
Everything felt clumsy; raising a kid was all new. His days only grew more awkward.
Then a message from Principal Gu On-yu popped up.
'Nami?'
His grip tightened on the phone. Suddenly, Professor Cheon Kyujin had a compelling reason to attend parent observation day.