Double Seal
"A stranger's ceiling."
It used to rank second on my bucket list of things to say before dying, but now it was just an overused cliché that made me sick.
"Awake?"
A familiar, gentle voice drifted into my ears. Just listening to it made my eyes grow heavy.
"But don't fall back asleep."
"Professor Cheon."
"Yes?"
"Are you mad?"
"A little."
"I see... I'll work hard to pay it back quickly. But now that I'm officially a Seferon Academy student, I should get some tax reductions."
"It's not about the money."
Professor Cheon tapped the bulky cast wrapped layer upon layer around my arm.
"I just wish you'd value your body a bit more."
He looked at me with a bitter expression. My body. Truth be told, I was still confused. Was this really my body?
The body was ruled by the mind, but the mind—defined as the sum of thoughts—was fundamentally part of the body too. So what defined me? Memories from my past life? There were countless spells to manipulate memories. Knowledge from my past life? That was no different from memories. If anything, my current body had far superior athleticism. My personality had changed in many ways too. The only reason the disconnect didn't hit harder was because I'd experienced reincarnation once before, but the intense loneliness and emptiness that sometimes crashed over me still terrified even me.
Sometimes reality felt like an endless illusion spun by some malicious prankster. NoName moved like an auto-piloted game character, while I watched from a distance as a mere spectator. I doubted everything in the world—light, sound, smells, tastes. None of it was what I perceived. Discours de la méthode, page 34, line 21: "I think, therefore I am." What good was thinking if I had no idea where I existed?
The more those thoughts swirled, the less I cared about my body. I only existed as myself in relation to others. If I ended up stranded on a deserted island, I'd lose control of my body to some nameless entity forever—that fear sometimes gripped me.
Unable to define my true self, I scrambled for words to reassure the professor.
"I'll be more careful next time."
I lacked confidence in my phrasing. Vocabulary was a form of intelligence, and since I hadn't conversed much, I was unbalanced here. It was ridiculous: nailing a 5th Circle spell on the first try, yet fumbling a white lie any eight-year-old could tell.
"Such a kind heart."
"Pardon?"
"When a baby fell into a well and the whole village ignored it, a passing stranger jumped in to save the child. Mencius saw only that one act—not the villagers—and declared humans are inherently good. The world is beautiful because people like you exist, Nami."
"Ah..."
"I'm proud of you. But next time, contact me first, no matter what. I'll always be on your side."
"Yes... I'll remember that..."
Cheon Kyujin truly was an unpredictable man. But his words cleared the tangle in my chest.
"Anything you want to eat? You must be starving."
"What time is it?"
"11 a.m. You've been out for a full 18 hours."
"I crave that Chateaubriand steak from yesterday."
"Sorry, drink this potion first. You didn't finish your daily dose yesterday, right?"
Professor Cheon chuckled, pulling a pile of potion bottles from his bag.
"Ugh, was that why you asked?"
"Finish every drop to recover faster. I can't bear imagining you sick too."
How could I refuse after that? I chugged two bottles under his watchful eye. My stomach felt bloated.
"Any discomfort with the potions?"
"No, I'm used to it. But... liquid feels off. Something solid would be better. Like, this makes me have to use the bathroom all the time."
"I consulted food science professors. Should hear back in a few days."
"Great news. Hope it's tiny pills."
"Don't get your hopes too high."
At school, girls always went to the bathroom in packs—it was mortifying. Inhaling mana potions as gas in the capsule was convenient, but efficiency issues meant I couldn't meet the daily quota.
"Heard you treated your friend's mom. Incurable disease, right? Where'd you learn that spell?"
"Oh, that... From a Korean Neuroscience Society paper. Heard it's commercialized in the U.S. already?"
"Really? But your Akashic Record—isn't that a materials science spell for molecular printing?"
"What? Akashic Record isn't some basic 3D printer. If you know the molecular structure, it can generate identical substances semi-permanently. It's reversible magic, so reverse reactions are easy. It can mimic biomolecules targeting specific receptors, like hormones. In short, theoretically omnipotent..."
Was I rambling? I paused and gauged his reaction.
"You can keep going."
"No, it's embarrassing."
"You look happy talking magic, Nami."
Any more and my face would burn, so I changed the subject.
"Did you see Yuna?"
"She went home. Met her two brothers, though."
"Two? Oh, her big brother came too. He wasn't there when I was."
"They just kept thanking you. I didn't mention your spell—you'd have done the same, right?"
"Thank you... It's too much money for Yuna's family."
"Seemed like it."
"It's not charity. Yuna could be a great magic scholar—it's an investment. Not dumping it on you, Professor! I'll earn and repay it all—"
"You? How?"
"Like before... internet streaming..."
"Oh?"
"Any idea how much?"
"Guess."
"6 million won? No, 7? 8? Not more, right?"
"Afraid so."
"10 million...?"
"10,810,000 won exactly."
"No way! With academy benefits, over 10 million?!"
"I'll know details at home, but public space misuse halved the reduction."
"10 million... 10 million..."
Professor Cheon laughed it off good-naturedly. Maybe pocket change for him, but I'd decided to repay—no compromises.
"I'll pay it all back. With interest."
Total principal: 10,930,000 won. Suddenly, Sia's promise flashed in my mind.
"VTube pays quarterly, so by end of March, I'll send your share from the collab too."
Right. I grabbed my phone and checked VTube views. Five videos from our session: 200k to 500k views each. Views alone didn't give revenue sense, so I plugged links into an estimator site.
+1,812,618 views
+$2,517 ~ $2,832
Roughly 5 to 5.5 million won. After taxes and splitting with Sia, at least 2 million for me. Still, 9 million short. And I wasn't regular on Twishi; no game content viewers craved, subscribers barely four digits.
I pondered. Challenger LoL streams with my skills could draw crowds, but they'd blend in—no unique hook. Plus, I hated monitoring chat while gaming, and LoL most of all.
World of Arceria instead? More popular than LoL. But what fun could I offer there? Magic-friendly, appealing... I'd consult Sia later.
Knock knock.
"Come in."
The door opened, revealing a familiar yet unfamiliar man.
"Ah, the young man from before. Here to say hi?"
"Yes, nice to see you again."
"I'll step out then—talk nicely, you two."
"Where are you going?"
"Grabbing abalone porridge. Hold out a bit longer."
Professor Cheon groaned, rising stiffly. The young man bowed lightly. Ah, that's why he looked familiar—dead ringer for Yuna's brother Seo Noeul. But at 175cm, average height unlike Noeul's 190cm tower.
"Hi. I'm Seo Maru, Yuna's eldest brother."
The firstborn...?
"Hi."
"Sorry to drop in suddenly. I begged your dad to call when you woke."
"Ah... Dad."
Professor Cheon was my adoptive father, so yeah. Felt awkward hearing it.
"Mind if I sit?"
"Go ahead."
Seo Maru hadn't come empty-handed.
"No clue what kids like these days."
I carefully unwrapped his gift.
"This is...?"
What? Not a simple doll. 30cm, note-shaped, with cute eyes and mouth on the "head."
"Dad insisted you'd love it. It's an otamatone—a musical instrument."
"An instrument?"
Like pianos, cellos, bassoons—grand things. Maybe I misunderstood "instrument."
"Real deal. Here's how: one hand on head, other on stem. Channel a bit of mana like this."
[A human voice from the note!]
"...!!!"
A voice from the note! Seo Maru grinned, demonstrating more.
"Sound changes with mana attribute. Water: soprano. Earth: baritone. Wanna try?"
"Yes!"
Truly the most wondrous thing in my lives.