Reconciliation
“Professor Cheon!”
“Hm?”
His reply came a beat late. Looking from the graduation album to Professor Cheon now, I could really feel how much he'd aged. He must have been the type to get compliments on his youthful looks wherever he went, but compared to his teenage years, time had been merciless.
“I'm sorry for saying something hurtful. That thing about us only knowing each other for a year... it's awkward to bring it up now, but that wasn't my real feelings...”
No matter what else, I truly regretted those words. Especially over the past seven months since Professor Cheon adopted me—I felt like I'd been showered with so much affection. Honestly, if some kid decades younger had spoken to me so rudely, I'd have been furious too.
“Nami.”
“Yes.”
“Thank you. And I'm the one who should be sorry.”
“Pardon? There's nothing for you to apologize to me about, Professor.”
“I've thought a lot about you these past days. I know you're not the type of child who would film something like that without thinking. You just hated the idea of the people around you getting hurt because of you, right?”
“Yes...”
“I'm truly sorry for not understanding your side of things better.”
The biggest victim in that terrorist incident was Yoon Seol. For a girl already dependent on anti-anxiety meds, it had inflicted an enormous trauma. I visited her every day, treating her with aura alongside reassurances that she'd be okay, but shocking events like that don't fade easily.
“Professor, I'm not weak. In just a few years, I'll be the strongest in the world.”
“But even if you become the strongest person in the world, I'll worry about you just the same.”
“Because of Ms. Ham Chorong?”
“...!”
Professor Cheon's eyes twitched faintly. Just as I thought. Principal Gu On-yu had been right. The reason Ham Chorong—a woman strong enough to single-handedly shift the tides of war—had fallen victim to a mere plane bombing. She always operated from a position of strength, acting solely on logic and reason.
The terrorists had disguised themselves as petty thugs after simple loot, luring her onto the plane. No matter how many there were, if they'd faced her directly, Ham Chorong never would have lost. In the end, she couldn't discern the cunning hidden beneath human frailty, and met a pathetic death at 10,000 meters in the sky.
Even if she'd carried a mana stone full of primal mana or a wand, analysts believed the hundreds of layered invisible magic circles enveloping the plane would have thwarted her final struggle. That incident was likely why the exception clause for undisclosed invisible magic was created. Hiding transmutation circles in an invisible state was too easy to abuse, so the nation had indirectly banned it.
“You've been through a lot these past years, Professor.”
The grief of losing a lover in that accident was beyond measure. All I could do was stay by his side and offer these small comforts. Maybe someday, the space I occupied in his life would far outweigh hers.
“It made me a little happy, thinking you cared for me as much as you did her.”
“Principal Gu On-yu and her loose lips.”
“Why act like that? I even saw your childhood photos in the academy album. You were so cute.”
“Hm?”
“The academy graduation album. Adorably so.”
“So that's what you two were whispering about—talking behind my back?”
“Haha. You should've set a better example first. Karma.”
“You can't tease your elders like that, Nami.”
Professor Cheon lightly bonked my head. It was the gentlest tap, but I rubbed the spot and pretended it hurt.
“I deleted the video like you said. Good job, right?”
“Deleted? More like it got censored. Learning to lie now too...? Looks like you need another scolding.”
“You hear fast. I figured you didn't do VTube or SNS, so... Can't you let it slide just once?”
In the end, our positions didn't budge. But just facing each other and laughing easily like this already felt like a huge relief. After all, Professor Cheon had considered my side, and I'd come to appreciate the boundless love and attention he poured on me.
On the other hand, Yuna looked utterly shocked to hear I'd had a huge fight with Professor Cheon.
“You got mad, Nami?”
“Have I only ever shown you guys my nice side?”
“No way? You're always nice, Nami.”
“What do you think?”
Being called nice in that confession letter was genuinely the first time in this life. Of course it felt good... but reflecting on my past days of throwing punches first at emperors, popes, or demon kings regardless—it felt a bit embarrassing now. They were beasts who wouldn't listen to reason anyway. And from age 13 onward, I never treated anyone as a child. That was the law in the continent nations of my previous life. So yeah, I beat up hero Klaus too, but I raised him pretty harshly.
Suddenly, a fun idea popped into my head. I tugged Professor Cheon's sleeve and whispered in his ear.
“Professor, as my apology, I'll show you something fun in fifth period later.”
* * *
Back when Principal Gu On-yu and I went on that overseas trip, she'd asked me to train the kids for the academy tournament. That's why she'd so readily accepted my transfer and opposed my going to America.
Since Principal Gu took office, the elementary division had lost to Alteer Academy four years straight. The middle and high school divisions weren't much better—recent wins were just once for middle school three years ago and once for high school four years ago.
If they lost this tournament too, her tenure would clearly end this year. Thanks to her mediating between Professor Cheon and me, we'd resolved our conflict smoothly. Time to repay the favor.
Sparring practice time, which might feel unfamiliar to non-academy kids. In the vast auditorium's center, a white square outline was drawn, and inside it stood me and 20 other children huddled together. If we'd just been given a ball, we could've played dodgeball—but unfortunately, that wasn't today's task.
“Hoo...”
Aura is the manifestation of will. The first step in handling it is translating the supernatural mana phenomenon created by neurons and the aura heart into something comprehensible within one's personal framework.
In that sense, Ham Chorong must have chosen cherry blossoms, akin to her aura's color, as her medium. Should I go with azaleas?
Reading Jackie Teacher's signal, I immediately began prep work. Clasping my hands in prayer position, I gathered mana. After passing through my aura heart once, it became as docile as a leashed pet dog.
Repeating this process builds the energy truly called aura.
“Um... No Nami?”
Some kids noticed my odd behavior and asked, but I had no time to reply. Slightly parting my clasped hands, azalea petals fluttered between them.
“First batter... alright, Yoon Si-hu, you're up. Don't go outside this square, got it?”
“Wh-what?!”
“Tighten your core and hold steady. You can do it.”
Ham Chorong always incorporated rotation when manifesting aura, they said. Everything in the world rotates. Earth spins on its axis and orbits the sun; the moon orbits Earth for tidal forces. In the northern hemisphere, low-pressure updrafts rotate counterclockwise—so she made atmospheric science her philosophy. Motion and rotation coexist.
I wrapped all the stray petals around my right arm and stepped into position. Thrusting my palm forward at Si-hu's torso.
Following the fluid, natural sequence, a powerful vortex surged. Yoon Si-hu instinctively bent his knees, channeling aura into his legs to lower his stance—but his judgment was one step too slow.
“Waaahhh!”
Unable to withstand the rotational force, his body flew backward. Thud—he crashed back-first onto the mat, letting out a pathetic yelp.
“That's out. Everyone get the rules? Now you guys try to push me out.”
Murmurs rose from the parents' seats. I glanced up, flashing a V-sign at Professor Cheon watching me. Hope you're paying attention. I'll show you right now that I'm several levels above that guy.
To make these kids listen from here on, I needed to dominate from the start. TV had said this was the surest training method. What was the show? There Are No Bad Dogs in the World? Kang Hyung-guk's advice rang true from start to finish—I'd watched it with deep impression.