The Physical Exam
"I'm the vice class president? Why the hell would I be?"
"Who decided that? I don't want to do it."
Shouldn't someone at least consult the person in question first? I had spent practically all of the first day sleeping through class, and today I'd gone ahead and ditched entirely. And someone like me was vice class president? Had they completely lost their minds? It defied comprehension. Maybe there just wasn't anyone else who wanted the job. Few people would be eager to shoulder such a bothersome responsibility once they were practically adults. Besides, it was baffling that they'd already picked class officers in the first place.
"I nominated you. I am the class president, and you, Ha Seojin, are the vice president."
Her answer made even less sense. After cruelly cutting me off with that abrupt breakup, what was this all of a sudden? From start to finish, she was entirely doing whatever she pleased. Despite all the years we'd spent together, Lee Gayeon's mind remained completely unreadable to me. I used to believe we understood each other without words, but that had clearly been an absurd delusion.
And even if she had nominated me, I couldn't fathom how the teacher and the other students had gone along with it. In every conceivable way, I was far too untrustworthy to be handed the post. Having just ditched class, I had no right to make excuses, but frankly, I hated this.
"Don't worry about missing class. I smoothed things over with a plausible excuse."
And why on earth would you do that? Why did she have to complicate things and give me a headache out of nowhere?
"Thanks, but keep your nose out of my business."
"When someone helps you, expressing gratitude without grumbling is what an adult does."
Gayeon lectured me matter-of-factly. Going by that logic, you completely threw basic decency out the window just yesterday—
A sharp headache flared behind my temples. A dazed numbness crept over my senses, but I pulled myself together and voiced the words simmering inside me.
"I honestly don't get why you're acting like this. Aren't we broken up? If there's some problem, just tell me now."
Gayeon's eyes widened slightly in surprise, as though she had never anticipated hearing such a question. That reaction made me feel utterly sick. Something inside me snapped. Even so, I held my ground. Say something. Anything, please.
I wasn't the type to obsess over trivial grudges. If she gave me even one legitimate reason, I was fully prepared to laugh it off and let bygones be bygones. Even if she was trapped in some awful predicament, I would gladly help her. That was what family did. Though, of course, she'd have to grant me a few favors in return.
"..."
A prolonged silence hung between us. No matter how long I waited, no answer came. At that point, a chill washed through my mind. They say when a person gets pushed past their boiling point, they actually turn calm. All I felt toward Lee Gayeon now, human to human, was sheer disappointment.
"Right... what did I expect? You still have no intention of telling me anything. Honestly, I'm disappointed. Lee Gayeon, I'll do what needs to be done as vice president, but don't pull stunts like this on your own anymore. We're strangers now."
Still, no response. Gayeon just gazed at me with an impassive expression. I would have preferred it if she had gotten angry. It felt like screaming at a brick wall. I saw no reason to waste another second here. I led Han Yurin, who had been hovering nervously between us, away from the scene.
"...And here I thought we were family."
I threw the words over my shoulder, though they tore at my throat.
"Ah..."
A faint gasp died in the empty hallway. Gayeon clenched her fists so hard her fingernails dug deep into her palms, drawing blood that trickled down her pale skin.
"Was that the childhood friend you mentioned?" Yurin asked cautiously.
Come to think of it, this was the first time she had ever seen me lose my temper. It felt strangely awkward.
"Yeah. Though I doubt we're even that anymore."
"I see... Still, I hope you two can get along. Is that... none of my business?"
"No. Thanks for caring."
"Ehehe."
It seemed I'd made her worry. What an unsightly display.
"Anyway, how do you collect that Existence Power?"
I forced a change of subject, having no desire to dwell on Lee Gayeon any longer. Besides, it was something I'd wanted to ask all along. And above all else, I desperately wanted to see my classmate gyaru succubus big sis's private fashion show—
"Geez, do you really want to see it that badly? You're hopeless, Seojin~"
Yurin shook her head with an exasperated, playful grin.
"Is that it? You want to see me in all my glory as soon as possible, huh? Hmm... if Seojin helps, maybe we can speed things up?"
"What do I need to do? Like... kissing, like last time?"
Hearing the words come out of my own mouth made me blush. Uncharacteristically, I even stumbled over my words.
"Nuh-uh, none of that. It's probably best not to stimulate you any further."
I see. Kind of a bummer.
Though I acted nonchalant on the outside, my body had been unmistakably strange since yesterday. Yurin, who had been on the receiving end of it, would know better than anyone. I had no idea why this was happening to me, and not a single clue came to mind. Ignorance truly is a sin. That night, the blood coursing through my veins had taken on a mind of its own, dragging my body about in a grotesque manner that could hardly be considered human. Entirely against my will. It was as though a total stranger had taken up residence inside my flesh. I had to find a solution, and fast.
"Instead, help me hunt! If you lend a hand, I'll probably recover much faster, don't you think?"
Yurin explained that she planned to hunt entities from the Hidden World, absorb their Existence Power, and convert it into mana. It sounded dangerous. But then again, I couldn't bring myself to give up on Yurin's private cosplay photoshoot. Besides, helping her might just shed light on what was happening to my own body.
"...Was that too much to ask, after all?"
"Let's do it. Starting tonight."
Chatting as we walked, we arrived at the academy infirmary. I slid the door open carefully and stepped inside. True to Baekya Academy's reputation, the clinic was far too sophisticated to belong to a regular high school. Even a complete layman with zero medical knowledge could tell at a glance. It was surprisingly spacious, boasting sleek, immaculate decor and a lineup of equipment that looked exorbitantly expensive.
"You are late. Your physical examination was scheduled for the previous period."
A strangely familiar voice echoed from within. We followed the sound into the inner office. The moment I laid eyes on the speaker, my jaw dropped.
"Cecil...?"
"It has been a while, Young Master."
Lee Gayeon's personal maid, Cecil. I had met her once as a kid when visiting Gayeon's estate. With exotic features rarely seen in Korea and an age close to mine, I remembered playing together with her back then. Her precocious poise, so mature for a child, had left quite an impression on my younger self. My fondness for maid uniforms owed plenty to their aesthetics, but her influence surely played a part as well.
Her face had barely changed since childhood, making her instantly recognizable. But why was Cecil here? And wearing a white lab coat instead of her maid uniform, no less. As far as I recalled, the Lee estate rarely employed outside servants. Shouldn't she be busy tending to the mansion right about now?
"By the young mistress's command, I have been appointed as Baekya Academy's school nurse starting this year. I look forward to your favor, Young Master."
Cecil bowed low with measured grace. Every single gesture exuded the refined elegance of a quintessential maid. Her mere presence was enough to give one the illusion of having stepped into Victorian England.
"Well... good to see you too."
Unlike Cecil's courteous greeting, my response sounded curt even to my own ears. After all, I had effectively severed ties with Lee Gayeon.
"Please do not pay mind to the young mistress's affairs. Within these walls, I am merely an ordinary school nurse. Nothing more, nothing less."
She hit the nail right on the head. Had she already seen right through my reluctance? Acting defensive and prickly all on my own was rude to her, too.
"I was being rude. My apologies."
"Understood. Now then, let us proceed with the examination."
"Um, what kind of tests are we doing?"
Yurin looked at Cecil with a puzzled expression. According to Cecil, the checkup items were utterly routine. Seeing all the expensive-looking machinery had gotten my hopes up a bit, so it felt like a letdown. First, she measured our height and weight, followed by vision and hearing tests. Next came blood pressure and pulse checks, along with a brief medical questionnaire. It wasn't until she drew our blood that the examination finally concluded.
Aside from Yurin whining during the blood draw, the checkup went smoothly. Once the two of us departed, Cecil separated our blood samples from those of the ordinary students, letting out a quiet sigh as she murmured that her workload had increased yet again today.
After school, once all the academy's daily routines had wrapped up, the moment I'd been anticipating all day finally arrived. I turned to Han Yurin in the seat next to me.
"We're doing what we promised today, right?"
"Hate to break it to you, but today's a no-go."
My entire world just came crashing down.
"Geez, why the long face? Even if you look at me like that, today is out of the question. I need to find a place to live!"
A place to live? Come to think of it, there was no way she had a house. Such an obvious fact, and only now did it hit me.
"How do you plan on finding a place?"
"Hmm... beats me!"
Yurin broke into a carefree giggle. Look at her beaming like that, without a single care in the world.
"If you really have nowhere to go... do you want to crash at my place?"
The words slipped out before I could stop them. Only after they left my lips did I realize just how utterly embarrassing an offer that was.
Yurin's eyes went wide with surprise, and then—
"...Yeah!!"
A radiant smile bloomed across her face.