Chapter 9

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 9

Chapter Title: Is This a Date?

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The rumors spread to everyone at the academy in just one day.

What rumors? Obviously, the one about Wol Ha-yeon—one of the academy's all-time hottest topics—having a real sword fight with the 998th-ranked student.

"Haa..."

I accessed Everytime, the community site for college students, on my phone and read through the posts related to the rumors one by one.

"...Sharper than I thought? As expected of an academy full of elites?"

I honestly hadn't imagined any other students besides Sophia noticing that my mana circle was still unstable.

The reason was simple. S-Rank talents—

Even those labeled as geniuses—could only be recognized by others with genius-level talents.

Yet someone had noticed my unstable circle, which meant one of two things was likely.

Either that anonymous poster was one of the side characters with the same genius-level talent as me,

Or my focus slipped during the fight, making me control my mana worse than usual.

"...Doesn't matter anyway."

If it was the former, we'd cross paths eventually, so no need to worry. If the latter, I'd perfect my control as I grew stronger, so no issue there either.

I scrolled down and tapped another popular post.

"These damn bastards... no."

I almost lost it for a second.

Or had I already? Anyway.

The rumors felt like they were twisting into something weird.

What kind of mindset turns friends casually eating lunch into a dramatic love triangle heading for disaster?

"Haa... I can't understand it. Can't understand at all~"

I turned off my phone and let out a deep sigh.

Rumors spread like wildfire once they catch.

Of course, me taking heat from baseless gossip wasn't a big deal.

But I was already on thin ice just being linked to Sophia. Getting Wol Ha-yeon tangled in because of this nonsense was the absolute worst.

"...Ah, seriously, please don't do this to me. I'm struggling here..."

I was about to flop onto the bed to soothe my gloomy mood when—

Ding—!

A messenger alert rang, and a familiar name popped up on the screen.

"......"

Sophia's sudden cafe study date invite left me staring blankly at my phone before clutching my head.

'No, cafe study at this timing? With all eyes already on us, if someone sees us together there...'

It'd immediately conclude, "See? There is something going on."

A horrific future flashed in my mind. I quickly thought up an excuse to decline, but the next message that arrived was the finisher.

"...Ah, come on!! Why do you do this to me?"

This was why I kept having bad feelings and assuming the worst.

Facing Sophia's obvious self-deprecating mode, I knew my restraint was precarious, but I couldn't flatly reject the temptation.

Even though firmly refusing would maximize the growth bonus from the restraint...

I just couldn't do it.

I let out a deep sigh and got up.

"Haa... I lose. I lost, and no warning messages yet, so it'll be fine..."

Having decided to go, I changed into casual outing clothes and stood in front of the mirror.

I roughly fixed my hair, stuffed a few magic books into my bag, and muttered,

"Please, just let this pass without issue..."

Once fully ready, I locked the door and left the dorm.

The Archive Cafe.

Named like that to evoke an intellectual vibe of study, records, and relaxation?

Recalling the cafe's concept briefly at the entrance, I cautiously opened the door and stepped inside.

The interior was lit by soft bulb lights, with bookshelves lining the walls and antique wooden tables creating the feel of a small library.

There were quite a few students, but they were all reading books or watching videos on laptops—no one was chatting loudly.

"...Wow, the atmosphere's really unique."

I absentmindedly admired it as I approached the counter.

"Welcome. How can I help you?"

"Hello."

The barista smiled and handed me a menu. I scanned the options one by one.

Mana Latte

Ether Blend Americano

Spirit Water Iced Tea

Karma Mocha

"...?"

'...What is this? All names that make me feel like I shouldn't drink them.'

For a split second, I thought Spirit Water Iced Tea was made by squeezing spirits or something ridiculous.

But the students around ordered without hesitation.

'...Just go with something safe-looking.'

"One Mana Latte, please."

"Warm or iced?"

"...Warm."

After paying and getting my receipt, I scanned the cafe for Sophia and soon spotted her familiar teal hair.

By the window, where sunlight slanted in, Sophia sat with her eyes glued to a sheet of worn paper that looked half-rotted.

Twirling her pencil, she seemed deep in thought—probably immersed in her hobby of magic research.

"...Hmm."

Maybe because she looked like an ordinary college student studying? It was hard to believe she was a game heroine.

After watching that dramatic, scenic moment from afar for a bit, I carefully approached.

"Hyun-sol!"

Sensing me, Sophia looked up and smiled brightly.

"You got here faster than I thought. I figured I'd wait longer."

"...Yeah, nothing much to do."

I answered awkwardly and sat across from her.

Moments later, the staff set my Mana Latte down.

Purple foam shimmered faintly atop it, sprinkled with tiny sparkling particles like starlight.

"...This is safe to drink, right?"

I muttered, startled by the drink's shocking visuals. Sophia burst out laughing.

"Tastes normal enough. Just the name and color are flashy for the cafe's theme."

"...Really? Looks like a potion. Feels like it'd inflict some status ailment if I drank it wrong."

"No status ailments, so drink up."

Sophia shook her head amusedly and set down her pencil.

She took a sip of her Americano beside her, then spoke with sparkling eyes.

"By the way, you doing what I told you?"

"Huh?"

"Laying the foundation for your circle. I told you yesterday—solidify the 1st circle first for a stable next one."

"Oh, that. Yeah, been doing it like you said. It's helping a lot."

She nodded approvingly at my diligent response, then opened a small notebook nearby as if remembering something.

Its pages were filled with magic circle diagrams and complex rune formulas.

After flipping through for a while, she stopped at one and showed it to me.

"Check this out! What I've been researching lately. Mages usually make circles round for smooth mana flow, right?"

"Yeah?"

"But why does it have to be round? I tweaked the structure. This is a basic ignition circle made in the shape of the Hangul letter for 'fire.' What do you think?"

"...That's seriously impressive."

I was genuinely amazed.

In the game, Sophia's unique magic circles that broke traditional frames were a mid-to-late game revolutionary system for magic.

Right now, it was early stage, so they looked similar or even more complex than standard ones.

But if Sophia survived to the mid-to-late story, those circles would become a ray ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of hope for humanity's lines, thickening with defeat against demon attacks.

To ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠think she was already researching them at this point—Sophia truly was a genius beyond words.

"Actually, I called you here for this."

"What?"

"Help with the research! With your talent, you might spot errors or gaps I missed."

Sophia pushed the notebook toward me, eyes gleaming.

Her teal hair sparkled in the sunlight, and her eyes behind thin glasses held conviction.

"...."

I stared silently into her eyes for a moment.

'Help with research, huh...'

Honestly, from my position, there was no reason to refuse.

On the contrary, knowing the completed form of her ideogram spells already, I could accelerate it.

The only hang-up was guilt—could I insert myself into spells she'd develop alone over years just because I knew future knowledge?

But.

'...Yeah, saving the world comes first.'

"Got it. I'll help."

I didn't agonize long.

"Really? Thanks, Hyun-sol! It'll go way faster together."

Sophia beamed at my agreement.

'...Hah, not sure if this is the right choice.'

Seeing her joyful face made my heart even more uneasy for various reasons.

Stealing her achievements was secondary; somehow, I'd gotten in deeper.

But another way to look at it: since things were tangled with Sophia from our first meeting, getting pulled in deeper was just a matter of time.

"...But Hyun-sol."

"Yeah?"

Sophia suddenly twirled her pencil on her fingertips, hesitating as she met my eyes.

Her bright expression from moments ago was gone, replaced by a strangely serious one.

"What's your relationship with Wol Ha-yeon?"

"...Huh?"

The completely unexpected question left me speechless. I slowly set down my mug.

'...Suddenly?'

Something told me today would feel awfully long.