Chapter 16
Terminally Ill, but It's Okay — Episode 16
The scholarship student room attached to the department office.
Five cups of coffee sat on a clean white table.
Steam rose lazily from them, and everyone sipped in silence.
The special scholarship students selected this time were Baek Sa-young, Cheon Seo-yoon, Lee Dae-ho, and me.
"Welcome. I look forward to working with you for the next year."
The orientation was conducted by Kim Mi-young, filling in for Lee Taek-jin, who was attending a faculty meeting.
"Scholarship students have a variety of duties. From simple paperwork to assisting with lecture preparation. On days when the professor attends academic conferences, you'll also need to accompany him—"
She explained everything in a calm, measured tone, but it barely registered.
The boundary of Causality becoming weaker.......
The message from earlier kept circling in my head.
If it was a reward I truly needed, there was a high chance it was either a mana-related Armament or information related to Yoo So-young's whereabouts.
But, Armaments aside, was it really going to give me actual information?
.
.
I tried to make some guesses, but how could I possibly?
If I could predict what would happen from a single word, I wouldn't be a webtoon artist.
I'd have gotten a job at NASA and studied space or something.
So there was only one way.
Hurry up and collect SP, then confirm it myself.
If it was related to Yoo So-young, nothing could be better, but I decided not to get my hopes up prematurely.
If it wasn't, the letdown would hit pretty hard.......
Hard enough to make my carefully steadied resolve wobble for a moment.
So I shook off the distracting thoughts and focused on Kim Mi-young's words.
"Starting next week, you'll work in pairs of two, one day per week, and the scholarship will be paid at the beginning of each month, three million won per month."
Right on cue, I was passing through a very interesting part.
Three million won?
For only going out four times a month, they're giving three million?
That's insane.
I flinched in surprise, but it seemed I was the only one.
"Understood."
"Please make sure to deposit it on time!"
Everyone else reacted calmly.
Was the pay high because they were elite talent?
Taehak students were among the top elites in this world, so that was likely.
I was glad, but at the same time, it left a bitter taste in my mouth.
It wasn't much different from what I'd earned drawing webtoons all night.
But wait, do I even have money on hand?
Suddenly, I was curious about the state of my own pockets.
Since most of the facilities were free, I'd been oblivious to it all this time.
Since money was an essential resource for living, I hoped I had plenty.......
I'd have to check soon.
Still, I was a member of a great family, so even if the main house had cut off support, it was probably far more than my own bank balance back in the real world.
"That's all I needed to pass along. Shall we form the pairs now?"
With that, Kim Mi-young held out a square box.
Inside were four wooden sticks.
"This is for choosing your partner for the semester. Drawing lots is the only way to do it right."
Kim Mi-young smiled brightly, uncharacteristically for her, and pushed up her thin glasses.
At that moment, before anyone could say who should go first, our eyes all met.
The people I absolutely had to avoid among this group.
Me and Cheon Seo-yoon.
"Are we really drawing lots? Ah, TA, can't I just pair up with Baek Sa-young?"
The first to speak was Cheon Seo-yoon.
Muttering "I don't want to be with him—" while glancing at me was an obvious provocation.
But who said you could pair with Baek Sa-young on your own? I'm sitting right here with my eyes wide open.
"Do you think whining will change anything?"
"What? Whiiining?"
"Why? Asking for special treatment when there's a fair method isn't something an adult should do."
"Wow, look at that nasty attitude. You think I'm doing this just for myself? You don't want to be with me either."
"Then you pair with Lee Dae-ho. I'll pair with Baek Sa-young."
Honestly, that was the cleanest solution.
Most of the episodes involving scholarship activities centered on Baek Sa-young.
"Are you crazy?"
"Guys, what about my opinion......."
"Ahem. Hm......."
But the atmosphere was turning strange.
Cheon Seo-yoon was one thing, but even Baek Sa-young and Lee Dae-ho looked quite flustered.
Ah.......
Only then did I suddenly realize that I was on awkward terms with those two.
Their faces were so familiar that I'd forgotten.
"The competition is...... fierce. At times like this, drawing lots really is the best."
Fortunately, Kim Mi-young, the lot-drawing parrot, interjected at just the right moment.
When she held out the lot box once more, I thought this might actually be better.
I already knew what Baek Sa-young would draw.
Probably the first and third sticks, and the second and fourth sticks, would be pairs.
That was the order I'd personally set when drawing that scene.
Therefore, Baek Sa-young and Cheon Seo-yoon were in the same group, and the other group was Lee Dae-ho and.......
Who was it again?
Anyway, I thought it was a guy, but since I'd drawn it roughly, my memory was hazy.
"Ugh, whatever. I'll just draw."
Meanwhile, Baek Sa-young reached out first and, as expected, took the first stick.
Now if I drew the third stick, naturally.......
Snatch—
That was when it happened.
A hand like a pot lid suddenly appeared and snatched the third stick.
...It happened so fast I had no time to react.
"I drew first, so no complaints, right? There was no set order. Heh heh."
Lee Dae-ho, who had been doing nothing but breathing, had cut in at the decisive moment.
No, why did that slowpoke suddenly.......
Was he sulking?
"Since everyone was refusing. What could I do? I had to at least draw first."
He was sulking. Definitely sulking.
The guy was built like a mountain, but he apparently hated being left out and wanted to do something.
But why did it have to be the third stick?
As things unexpectedly went sideways and I felt dizzy, this time a pale white hand appeared and drew the second stick.
"Fine. Since it's come to this, I'll carve out my own destiny."
Carve out, my ass. It's already gone to hell.
You couldn't be more late to the party.
Cheon Seo-yoon, who had no way of knowing the inside story, spoke with a newly solemn expression.
"Baek Sa-young, what's written on yours?"
"Me? Number 1."
"Okay, just wait. I may not look it, but my luck is pretty goo—....... Shit......."
Cheon Seo-yoon's face stiffened, then twisted completely, and with trembling eyes she looked back and forth between me and Lee Dae-ho.
Then, as if settling for a chicken instead of a pheasant, she gazed desperately at Lee Dae-ho.
Did she think that would change anything?
"Eheh? Ahahaha, I'm number 3. Number 3."
Lee Dae-ho shouted, even clapping his hands in laughter.
As expected. Expecting tact from a guy whose brain is all muscle is a luxury.
"T-TA. Can't we draw again? Who draws lots without deciding the order first?"
Cheon Seo-yoon clung on persistently, as if grasping at straws.
"It's right here."
But a straw was just a straw.
As befitting the assistant of that professor, she was the type who would never budge once something was decided, so I had to consider it already over.
......Should I just quit?
Getting tangled up with Cheon Seo-yoon seemed like it would only make things more annoying, so I seriously considered it again.
* * *
Thursday morning dawned.
After everything that had happened yesterday, I was exhausted in both body and mind, so I let myself sleep in.
For the first time since falling into this world, I had a proper, restful sleep.
[Remaining Time: 13 days 15 hours 22 minutes]
And I still had that much left, so I was full even without eating.
"People really do need deep pockets....... No, plenty of time."
It was something I already knew, but I realized it anew.
And it became fuel for the will that was already burning.
This week was the control period, and next week an external episode was scheduled, so I'd let those slide.
But starting the week after next, I'd go outside and scrape together time by any means.
If luck was on my side, I could achieve accomplishments and build up SP too.
Then I'd be one step closer to 100 points.
I hurried out of the dormitory.
Today was an elective lecture day, when Taehak students chose and attended one class related to their track.
Since I was in the Sorcery Track, I naturally attended a lecture related to sorcery.
So what did I choose?
There was no choosing or anything.
There was only one lecture: "Understanding and Contemplation of Sorcery Arts."
BANG.
The reason became glaringly obvious the moment I arrived at the lecture hall and opened the door.
One, two, three.......
Even at a rough count, there were fewer than twenty students.
"Good grief."
This wasn't some brand-new literary club. There were really fewer than twenty second-year Sorcery Track students.
I let out an involuntary laugh, then casually walked to a back seat.
Honestly, whether it collapsed or not had nothing to do with me.
"That's the one from the famous sorcerer family, right?"
"Wow, his hair really is navy blue."
"His skills must be no joke."
.......
But what was with this atmosphere?
"Probably not. I heard he's near the bottom of the rankings."
"But Cheol-soo said he was shocked. Said he really showed off during the diagnostic assessment."
Was this how a new Maltese brought into a pet shop felt?
Everyone was staring intently, making my whole body prickle.
Was this a hidden camera?
The thought flashed through my mind, but considering Park Ha-yul's past behavior, it was a fairly reasonable suspicion.
Most of the looks directed at me were warm in a way I'd never experienced before.
......This was really uncomfortable.
Like wearing clothes that didn't fit, I was thoroughly ill at ease.
"Hey. Hi?"
A chubby male student approached hesitantly.
"Y-You probably don't know, but we're in the same department. I'm Choi Cheol-soo. Before you changed tracks, I was the only Sorcery Track student in Class A."
"Cheol-soo?"
It was hazy, but the name was in my memory.
I thought he was someone specialized in information retrieval and hacking.......
But his main track was Sorcery?
Just as I was feeling puzzled, Cheol-soo scratched the back of his head and continued.
"The atmosphere's a bit much, right? Sorry. It's everyone's first time seeing a direct descendant of that family up close. You know how that family is considered the foundation and pride of the Sorcery Track. So....... Uh, so......."
"......."
"......What was it?"
But why was he asking me that?
Did he memorize a script or something?
......This guy's a bit weird.
Just as I was about to let out a hollow laugh, a sharp-edged voice rang out.
"Choi Cheol-soo. Don't you think you should take your seat?"
Tall and slender. A female student with her brown hair tied up high, leaving a strong impression.
That one was.......
Unlike Cheol-soo, she was the representative of the Sorcery Track and its one and only named character, so I recognized her immediately.
Lee Yoon-ji.
Not on the level of Park Ha-yul's family, but from the Byeokrye family, renowned for sorcery, she held an overall ranking of 23rd.
True to her characterization as a genius at interpreting sorcery formulas, she took enormous pride in sorcery and was haughty to match.
"If you like him that much, why don't you ask for an autograph?"
"Th-That's not it."
"Why be shy? Want me to get one for you?"
"N-No. Park Ha-yul, let's talk again later."
When Lee Yoon-ji spoke again, Cheol-soo scurried back to his seat.
"Hm—"
It was a bit excessive, but since this wasn't an ordinary classmate relationship, I understood.
This was one of the peculiarities created by the Sorcery Track's manpower shortage.
A single professor was in charge of both first-years and second-years.
So even for simple proceedings, the representative had to fill that vacancy, and authority naturally followed.
"An increase in numbers is certainly something to welcome. But too much attention can sometimes be poison. How burdensome it must be for the person receiving it."
Lee Yoon-ji, who had been looking around with uncharacteristic kindness, smiled at me with her eyes.
To anyone watching, it was a remark close to consideration, but....
"Well, look at this?"
Inside it, strangely familiar emotions were soaked through.
Negative emotions like disregard, contempt, and hostility.
I had a rough idea of the reason.
It was probably because of the relationship between the Byeokrye family and his sorcerer family.
Now this felt more like Park Ha-yul.
Like wearing clothes that fit perfectly, this was far more comfortable than mindless attention.
The one in a hurry would come to me on their own.
[Using trait, Manifestation.]
Lecture, my ass.
Practicing Samjaegong and raising my comprehension was far more beneficial.