Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Rising Interest
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“Well, the choice is yours. That said, talented auxiliary wizards are so rare that I can’t help but feel it’s a shame. You could always pick auxiliary as your sub-specialization.”
Jang An-cheol muttered to himself before falling deep into thought for a moment.
“…Come to think of it, you placed fourth in the last physical fitness test, didn’t you? In that case, it’d be a waste to give up on reinforcement. You’ve got talent across all three branches. Hmm.”
Jang An-cheol, lost in thought, suddenly remembered something and patted my shoulder.
“My apologies, I’ve taken up your time. Anyway, good work. Gather back here by 2 p.m. after lunch.”
“Yes, sir.”
Lee Seo-jun and I headed to a restaurant near the academy grounds.
Our teammates Yoon Ha-young and Shin Ji-hyuk, along with Jeong Jin-tae, said they had to eat with other friends and vanished somewhere.
Left alone, Lee Seo-jun and I were filling our trays with food at the restaurant.
“Still can’t believe it.”
“What?”
“Untying that barrier. How’d you do it so fast?”
Lee Seo-jun spoke in a tone full of wonder.
“I told you. It’s a field I’ve always been interested in.”
“Even if it’s your interest, no one unravels them that quickly.”
“Guess I’m not the usual type, then.”
Lee Seo-jun laughed at my nonchalant reply.
“It’s hilarious how you say it like it’s nothing.”
“…Then how should I react?”
“No, normally when people praise you like this, don’t you think, ‘Do I have talent in this? Should I switch paths?’ or something?”
Hmm…
He had a point.
But it was too late to act that way now.
“Manifestation suits me better.”
“Heh heh. You’re so different from last year. Are you sure you’re the same person?”
“…Probably.”
“Probably? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just kidding, obviously.”
Lee Seo-jun and I carried our trays to an empty table and sat down.
After that, no real conversation passed between us.
We quietly started eating.
That was when a familiar voice came from behind me.
“Huh? Senior Seo-jun! You’re eating here?”
Lee Seo-jun turned with a pleased smile at the voice.
“Oh? Hey.”
“Senior! Mind if I eat with you?”
“Sure, no problem. You cool with it?”
Lee Seo-jun asked me. I turned around to see who it was.
Choi Seo-yoon stood there, smiling.
She carried her tray over, giving off a faint fragrance as she sat next to me.
As she settled in, nearby students’ gazes poured toward us. Some whispered, others blushed with excitement.
Lee Seo-jun and Choi Seo-yoon.
The academy’s most famous, handsome, and beautiful duo together in one place—it was only natural.
I wondered how I looked, stuck between them.
Not that I wanted to think about it. It definitely wasn’t a good sight.
“Hello.”
She looked at me and gave a friendly eye smile. Seeing it brought the same uncomfortable feeling as before.
It was like knowing the other person was acting with some agenda, yet pretending to fall for it.
But setting aside the fake smile, the eye smile itself was pretty.
“Oh, hey.”
“We met once before, right, Sun-woo?”
“Yeah, I remember. Two days ago?”
“Yes, exactly. We bumped into each other in the hallway. Your reaction was so unique, I remembered it.”
My reaction? What was unique about it?
“Didn’t realize you and Senior Seo-jun were close enough to eat alone together.”
Choi Seo-yoon glanced at Lee Seo-jun and muttered.
Right. She likes Lee Seo-jun, doesn’t she?
“Not that close.”
Lee Seo-jun laughed at my words.
“Nah, we’re close.”
“Really?”
[Character ‘Choi Seo-yoon’s interest in you increases.]
[Character ‘Choi Seo-yoon’s interest level in you is added.]
[Character ‘Choi Seo-yoon’s interest level in you: Lv. 1]
[You acquire 2,000 points as a reward.]
…What.
Interest level. The same thing that popped up for Lee Seo-jun appeared for Choi Seo-yoon.
Just because I’m close to Lee Seo-jun?
“How long have you two been close?”
“About two days?”
“Two days… Hmm. I see.”
Choi Seo-yoon nodded as if pondering something deeply.
“But how’d you get close?”
She asked Lee Seo-jun.
There wasn’t any special reason, but she seemed to need one to accept it.
“We ended up on the same team for Dungeon Exploration class.”
“Oh… Dungeon Exploration…”
Choi Seo-yoon’s gaze flicked toward me.
“Ah, that…”
She trailed off while looking at me, her expression cautious, like she was hesitating.
What was she trying to say?
“…Senior Kim Shin-wook?”
Whoa. Lee Seo-jun let out a chuckle.
Seeing that, Choi Seo-yoon looked flustered and tried again.
“Senior Kim Shin-woo!”
“…Kim Sun-woo.”
“Oh.”
Choi Seo-yoon bowed her head toward me.
“Sorry. I’m not bad with names, but I mixed it up. I remembered your face clearly, though.”
“…It’s fine.”
“You’re not mad?”
“Nah, don’t worry about it.”
“…You seem mad.”
I wasn’t mad at all, but hearing that almost made me mad.
I turned to look at Choi Seo-yoon. She was bowing her head again, her light brown hair spilling forward.
“But why?”
“No, I just thought maybe something bad happened.”
Something bad? Nothing did.
“Hmm. Not really.”
“Really? Your expression’s been stiff since earlier. I was worried.”
“Nothing like that.”
Choi Seo-yoon smiled and nodded at my words.
“Oh, right, one thing I’m curious about—with Dungeon Exploration, did the school assign the teams?”
“No, students pick their own.”
At Lee Seo-jun’s answer, Choi Seo-yoon tilted her head.
“So you proposed teaming up, Senior?”
“No, Sun-woo did.”
Choi Seo-yoon glanced at me.
I could guess what she was thinking, but she didn’t voice it.
So I spoke first.
“You’re a first-year, so you might not know, but this school has adjustment points.”
“Adjustment points?”
“If high-rank and low-rank people team up, the high-rank one gets bonus points.”
“Oh, I see. Didn’t know.”
Choi Seo-yoon looked back and forth between Lee Seo-jun and me. She finally nodded, as if it all made sense now.
We finished lunch and stepped outside.
It was 1:30 p.m. Thirty minutes until afternoon Dungeon Exploration.
Choi Seo-yoon was still stuck to Lee Seo-jun, chatting happily.
“Wow. So you solved it in just one minute?”
Choi Seo-yoon’s gaze turned to me, full of surprise.
“Can’t believe it… Is that even possible?”
“I get it. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it.”
“Doesn’t that mean you’ve got insane talent in auxiliary? Like, historic level? Auxiliary’s super tough. You’re a genius.”
…Genius, my ass.
Actual geniuses calling the bottom of the school rankings a genius—it was ridiculous.
“Senior, you’re manifestation, right? Why not switch to auxiliary now?”
Second time.
Someone telling me to change my main specialization to auxiliary.
But solving the barrier quickly was solely thanks to my trait, not any talent of mine.
Proof: I’m only good at interpreting magic formulas, not creating them.
“I’ve got no talent in auxiliary. Manifestation’s my thing.”
“From what I hear, you definitely have talent in auxiliary.”
Lee Seo-jun chimed in.
“Enough. Teacher Jang suggested changing to auxiliary earlier, but he insisted manifestation fits him better.”
“…Hmm. Still feels like a waste.”
Choi Seo-yoon muttered to herself in a regretful tone.
Of course, I understood their thinking. They had no idea I’d interpreted the formula fast because of a special trait.
They probably thought I had some rare talent I was burying.
“Oh, right. What time is it now?”
As if suddenly remembering, Choi Seo-yoon checked the time on her student handbook.
“1:33… I should head out. Need to prep for class early.”
“Alright, go on.”
“Yes, good luck to you too, Seniors!”
Choi Seo-yoon bowed to Lee Seo-jun and me before heading off. Watching her go, she suddenly stopped.
Then she turned back and approached us again.
I thought she had something left to say to Lee Seo-jun, but she came to me.
Choi Seo-yoon flashed her signature fake smile and said,
“Senior. If I have something to ask, is it okay to contact you through the student handbook?”
1:50 p.m.
In the 1st Year Class A classroom, with ten minutes until the next class, students were chatting away.
Then the door opened, and a girl with light brown hair entered.
Instantly, every student’s gaze locked onto her. The boys especially looked thrilled.
“Hey, Seo-yoon’s here.”
“Seo-yoon, you ate with Senior Seo-jun?”
“For real? You ate with Senior Seo-jun?”
As soon as Choi Seo-yoon appeared, the students bombarded her with questions.
It could’ve been annoying, but she smiled and answered each one patiently.
“You and Senior Seo-jun getting close? Jealous.”
“Nah, nothing like that. Just ate together.”
“The guy next to him—was that the second-year bottom-ranker?”
“Senior Kim Sun-woo? Uh, probably.”
“Why’s that senior eating with Senior Seo-jun?”
Odd questions popped up here and there, but she answered kindly.
‘Yeah, this is normal.’
Choi Seo-yoon thought to herself, savoring the attention.
Normally, when she smiled brightly and acted friendly, others would be desperate to get close to her.
Even the boys right in front of her now—they’d do anything to talk to her more.
But those two didn’t.
Lee Seo-jun and Kim Sun-woo.
Well, Lee Seo-jun made sense.
He had the academy’s top skills and looks, surrounded by girls just as outstanding as her.
She’d long accepted he might not be satisfied with her.
But Kim Sun-woo was different.
Bottom of the rankings, average looks, no standout traits.
He seemed to have auxiliary talent, but it wasn’t his main specialization.
No sign of a girlfriend either.
Yet when she was friendly, he acted uncomfortable.
When she first saw him, she thought it was because of that malicious video online—he must’ve been upset.
Any normal teen would struggle with that.
But no.
Kim Sun-woo was just uncomfortable with her.
Why?
Uncomfortable? It was the first time anyone felt that way about her.
After all her efforts to get attention!
It hurt her pride badly.
‘Maybe he likes guys?’
Choi Seo-yoon seriously pondered it.
Come to think of it, he always seemed to go solo, but seeing him with Lee Seo-jun made her wonder.
‘…No, that’s not it.’
Lee Seo-jun didn’t seem to evoke any special emotion from him either. Indifferent, really.
Maintaining the bare minimum courtesy.
Like using the top student for convenience.
“Ah… Why am I stressing over this?”
Irritation surged. She sighed, covering her face with her hands.
“Seo-yoon, what’s wrong? Got a worry?”
Oops. She’d accidentally voiced her inner thoughts.
Choi Seo-yoon’s face flushed with embarrassment.
“What? Blushing. Cute.”
“It’s about Senior Seo-jun, right? Am I right?”
“What? What? This is exciting.”
“Tell us.”
“Alright, it’s almost 2 p.m. We enter the dungeon right at 2, so everyone get ready.”
At the back mountain where fifty students had gathered, Jang An-cheol shouted loudly.
My teammates and I started warming up. Afternoon Dungeon Exploration class was finally beginning.
“Uwaaaah!”
“Not much time left—let’s wrap this up quick.”