Why the Hell Are We Doing This Useless Class?
“Why the hell are we doing this pointless class?”
“You heard earlier. It's for the students' mental health and all that.”
“That's what pisses me off. What's the difference between this and the upper classes?”
Gu Jun-hyeok grumbled. This morning's classes had all been replaced by some mysterious subject called “Landscape Appreciation and Nature Observation.” It was supposedly for student mental health welfare, depression prevention, and whatever else—they said—but I hadn't paid close attention, so I didn't remember the details well.
But if the goal was preventing depression, why not just let us rest at home? Dragging us up to Eden Hill for a forced hike made no sense to me either.
“Whoa~ Looking at these trees really lifts my spirits. Feels just like reading those suicide prevention signs on Mapo Bridge.”
Gu Jun-hyeok said it with a bright smile, but his tone was pure sarcasm.
I half-ignored him as I took in the landscaping of Eden Hill. Clearing my mind, I had to admit the scenery wasn't bad. Whether it actually helped with depression was another question.
I wandered the hill, lost in various thoughts. Kids from other classes were grumbling just like us as they strolled around. Some faces I didn't recognize.
“Those are from other classes, right?” I asked, nodding toward some passing students.
With such a huge student body, it was common not to know people from other classes in the same grade.
“Yeah. Those are Patience class. That group's Patience too. Oh, the one who just passed is Kindness.”
“All three classes together? For this?”
“Yup. Charity, Patience, and Kindness. Three whole classes! Nearly 300 students wasting their time!”
Gu Jun-hyeok raised his voice in disbelief, sarcasm dripping. He really hated this class. I had felt the same at first. But actually walking the hill and appreciating the views seemed to sort out my tangled thoughts a bit. It had some effect, after all.
As I stared blankly at some scattered rocks, Gu Jun-hyeok spoke up.
“By the way, did you ask her about that thing?”
“What thing?”
Gu Jun-hyeok often lumped everything under “that thing.” Just like my uncle Lee Jin-seong. Weird habit for someone his age.
“You know, that time. The thing I told you to ask Kim Jin-seo about.”
I had a vague idea. The day Kim Jin-seo punched him and his face swelled up. He meant then.
“Haven't asked yet. Haven't talked to her lately.”
More like I hadn't run into her much. And I barely remembered anyway.
“Really? Her reaction's gonna be hilarious—”
“What are you asking?”
A clear voice cut him off out of nowhere. Gu Jun-hyeok froze mid-sentence. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He gulped dramatically.
He stiffly turned his head, forcing a beaming smile.
“Haha. What brings you here...?”
His face was pale, but his mouth grinned unnaturally. Creepy expression.
“What are you asking?”
Kim Jin-seo stared blankly at us, repeating the question. She strode toward us without a sound or change in expression. Time itself seemed to stop in that eerie moment.
“H-hey! Watch your feet!”
Gu Jun-hyeok suddenly pointed at her feet and yelled.
Kim Jin-seo halted abruptly. Nothing was there.
“Yeah. Stay right there. Let's talk like this.”
“...So, what are you asking?”
Gu Jun-hyeok's ploy to keep distance only seemed to rile her up more. The air turned chilly.
“Gu Jun-hyeok said he talked to you about me. At the gym.”
I cut in before things got uglier. Both their faces stiffened—but differently. Gu Jun-hyeok looked terrified and betrayed. Kim Jin-seo... hard to pin down.
“Gu Jun-hyeok said that?”
“Yeah. Said your reaction would be funny.”
“Oh?”
She glanced at him. He flinched, shoulders twitching.
“You coming to the gym today?”
“Nah. Decided to train somewhere else starting yesterday.”
“Too bad.”
She smiled. He smiled back awkwardly, strained.
Me jumping in had made it more awkward, somehow.
Gu Jun-hyeok rushed over, whispering harshly.
“You idiot...! Ask when I'm not around...!”
“Why? This is way more fun.”
“Damn, to think I call a guy like you my friend...!”
For his safety, yeah, ask without him. But right here? Much funnier. And it was delivering.
Behind his wide-eyed complaints, Kim Jin-seo stared straight at me. When I met her eyes, she whipped her head away.
“So what'd you say?”
I had no idea what he'd said to get this reaction. In the end, I never heard what Gu Jun-hyeok and Kim Jin-seo talked about. He dodged, she avoided my gaze.
*
Whoosh...
All sounds drowned in the waterfall's roar. No birdsong, no rustling branches in the wind. Just the deafening cascade.
Kindness Holy Mark holder Yeo Min-seo deployed blessing circles amid the thunder. First one. Then two, three. They merged into a Fusion Blessing Circle.
The ear-splitting roar faded. In perfect focus, she drew quietly. Eight or so fused into one massive circle.
——!
But then the air hummed with vibration, and it exploded. The circles had “collided.” Another damn failure from the collision phenomenon.
“——! ——!!!”
Furious, Yeo Min-seo spat curses unfit for print, kicking wildly. Branches, leaves, rocks shattered pitifully underfoot.
Rumors said Seong Ha-yeon could do Fusion Blessing Circles alone. Yeo Min-seo couldn't. It enraged her. She wanted to smash everything in sight—and did.
Blind rage bordering on madness.
“...”
But it stopped. She sighed deeply, sat, closed her eyes, and meditated.
Inferiority could fuel will and drive. Or drag into despair. Not just inferiority—all emotions were medicine if harnessed, poison if uncontrolled.
So she meditated to master them.
The waterfall faded into darkness. Silence. Nothing seen, nothing heard. In the void, peace.
She opened her eyes.
“——?”
Something loomed. Wings, beak. A bird—but not. Too massive for a bird. Jet-black feathers, snow-white eyes, blade-sharp beak.
A magic beast. One rivaling the “Baphomet duo” in size.
“——. ——!!”
Yeo Min-seo cursed, backing up. The beast tilted its head, preened its wings, stared blankly. Its milky eyes lacked focus.
——!
It flapped, prepping attack. She deployed a circle, but it faltered. The beast charged, wings thundering.
Death loomed. This isn't the death I planned.
She twisted away. The blade-beak grazed her collar, shredding cloth. A mere brush—if direct, her head would've gone.
“——.”
Low curse. Instant death on hit. It readied the next—left arm? Right leg? Head? Unpredictable.
First dodge was luck. This one? Maybe not. No dodge, no life.
She focused on its movements. Might not evade, but standing still guaranteed death. Time for a desperate gamble.
Whoosh...
Senses locked on the beast. Waterfall receded into silence.
Flash.
Lightning far off. She winced. Focus broken, roar returned.
Then it charged—but passed her, vanishing into nowhere.
“...?”
She looked up puzzled. It soared on massive wings. Mesmerized, she followed its path.
*
Kim Jin-seo trailed us by a few steps, probably to keep Gu Jun-hyeok quiet.
“Hey, you know this place is haunted sometimes.”
He glanced back warily, then dropped the ghost story.
Ghosts at Florence? News to me. Made no sense at a clergy academy. But bored, I listened. Sounded fun.
“Night-study kids come for guts tests. Horned devil-thing stomping around. Eight feet tall or so. Head visible over trees.”
“How tall's eight feet?”
“One foot's about 30cm, so 2.4m?”
“Whoa. Mistaking Kang Dae-man for it?”
Knew he was just over 2m. Plausible.
Gu Jun-hyeok shook his head.
“Nah. Had horns. Devil theory too.”
“Devil strolling a clergy academy?”
“Uh... yeah? Devil's Romanican?”
Ghost stories always fell apart logically. That's the fun.
“Anyway. Seeing it boosts grades, rumor has it. Related story—”
“Spill.”
“Three kids guts-testing for the devil post-night-study, 10pm.”
He hunched, eerie face for effect.
“Past 9, pitch black. Can't see ahead. It's a hill, but a hill's a hill.”
“Yeah.”
“Nothing visible. Weird sounds everywhere. Scared, they huddled, chatting. Jokes, crushes.”
I listened silently. Glanced at Kim Jin-seo—she flinched. Pretending not to care, but listening.
“Then suddenly, three voices become four.”
Flash.
Lightning close. Perfect timing, like stage lighting for his tale.
A short shriek from behind.
“One goes, 'Hey, who just spoke?' No answer.”
“Whoa, scary!”
“Right? They bolted for school. Voice from behind yelling, chasing. Know what it said?”
“Play with me!”
“Huh? You heard this before? Spoil it then. Kills the vibe.”
First time for me. His excited face hardened.
“...Who said that?”
He looked around. Thought Kim Jin-seo, but no—didn't match her voice. She looked puzzled too, eyes hinting fear.
Gu Jun-hyeok rubbed his arms, laughed it off.
“Haha. Joke, right? Gave me chills—”
“Play with me!”
Childlike, innocent voice. His faint smile vanished.
Play with me, play with me...
Echoing everywhere. From above.
I slowly looked up.
Two birds on a branch. One parrot-like, eagle-sized. Razor beak. Voice from it.
Other a finch, eagle-huge—bigger. Blunt-sharp beak, bloodied. Both black-feathered, white-eyed.
They cocked heads at us, spread vast wings boastfully. Beaks aimed sharp.
Flutter!
They dove at Kim Jin-seo and Gu Jun-hyeok. No time to resist or dodge. Blinding speed.
Thud.
“Eek?!”
“Ah.”
They landed softly, gripped collars like tigers with cubs. Took them skyward.
“Ah.”
I sighed blankly at their receding forms. Unreal. Dreamlike. Better if it were a dream.
Giant bird magic beasts. Kidnapping Gu Jun-hyeok and Kim Jin-seo. Sudden, swift.
Clouds veiled the sun halfway; forest shadows crept. Darkness layered everywhere.
“Hey!”
Sharp, raspy voice pierced the gloom. Someone running this way. Too dark to see who—or my mind too foggy.
Still dazed.
[You just gonna watch? Better make a move now, or it'll bite you later.]
Legba said calmly. Dry, emotionless. Not concern—just third-party observation.
It snapped me awake.
Who was coming, weather—irrelevant. What was the best choice?
Options many, answer one.
“Bosu.”
(To be continued)