Rushing to the Inevitable Ceremony
The empty classroom was filled with silence. Staring blankly at the vast, unlit room devoid of anyone, an eerie chill crept over me. It felt somewhat unreal, like I was dreaming, and at the same time, unpleasantly isolating, as if the entire school was shunning me.
Jeong In-ah or Gu Jun-hyeok... no, maybe I should call Jeong In-ah. But then I remembered I'd lost my phone. My uncle said he'd get me a new one soon, but who knew when that would be. The real problem was I had no way to contact anyone right now.
"Is this a dream?"
I voiced the hypothesis that suddenly popped into my head. It was unlikely, but not impossible. Through the ring and box my father left behind, I'd experienced hallucinations several times. Or rather, vivid dreams so real they blurred with reality. Ever since, the boundary between dream and waking life had felt hazy.
Those addicted to spells often show such symptoms.
Legba said, his tone laced with cynicism.
"What addiction all of a sudden? I've never used spells enough to get addicted."
It could be early symptoms of addiction. Overusing the intoxication spell before you lost consciousness is likely the culprit.
Legba spoke calmly, but with an undertone that subtly scolded me.
Overuse... At the fire scene, I'd used the intoxication spell to numb the pain. Honestly, not just a little—I'd used quite a lot. But whether that was enough for addiction, I had no idea.
But addiction or not wasn't the point.
"So, is this a dream right now?"
Who knows. What do you think?
Legba asked back with a playful lilt.
"Yeah, kinda."
Right, got it. It's not a dream. Though...
A reality so vivid you'd wish it were a dream!
Someone interrupted Legba's voice. It was Baron Samedi. He'd promised to visit every five days, but sometimes he showed up after four or even three when the mood struck him. Ignoring Legba's irritated cough, Baron Samedi continued.
You'd best head to the auditorium right now. Or check the paper on the bulletin board out front first.
"The auditorium...?"
Yes, the auditorium!
Baron Samedi echoed energetically. Shoving aside the ominous premonition, I headed to the bulletin board in front of the classroom.
You'd have gone anyway even without me saying. That's causality for you.
Baron Samedi remarked. I slowly read the large paper plastered to the board.
The appointment ceremony will be held during this morning's homeroom. All students, please gather in the auditorium.
Ah.
"...This has to be a dream, right? Say it is. Quick."
Hahaha! You'd prefer it to be a dream, but this is undeniably reality. A reality you can't wake from by squeezing your eyes shut. Looks like you're late again.
Who cares about some appointment? Take it slow. Your body's not fully healed yet, is it?
Exactly. No matter how late, the outcome won't change. That's causality!
Legba and Baron Samedi took turns speaking. Their voices buzzed relentlessly in my head. I felt like crying from the injustice, but I had no time for that. I had to sprint to the auditorium now.
"B-Bosu."
Bosu on strike right now.
"Quit messing around and hurry!"
Whoops, sorry. Bosu responds to the call.
Borrowing Bosu's power, I bolted toward the auditorium. Strangely, I couldn't pick up speed. With Bosu's power, I could run insanely fast, but it made turning corners a nightmare. Should've jumped out the window instead of the stairs. Not that it would've mattered—I was late anyway.
By the way, I was genuinely shocked last time! To think you'd alter a fixed future. Causality's been twisted.
As I ran frantically, Baron Samedi's voice rang out.
This twist might be causality too. Anyway, it's entertaining for me...
His voice, brimming with mischief, gradually faded away.
Morning sunlight filtered through the auditorium's stained glass, splintering into a rainbow of colors. Static hissed from the speakers amid the students' murmurs filling the hall. Kim Jin-seo crossed the noise to her seat.
"What? You actually showed up today?"
Yeo Min-seo, sitting beside her, picked a fight the moment she sat. Or at least, that's how it sounded to Kim Jin-seo. The sarcasm dripped openly from her tone.
"Yeah. I did today."
Kim Jin-seo, who would normally clamp her mouth shut, replied nonchalantly.
"Come when you want, skip when you don't~ Real casual with school, huh."
Yeo Min-seo said, smirking with one corner of her mouth raised. Kim Jin-seo met her gaze and slowly smiled back. Their smiles chilled the air, despite the mirth.
Han Su-ryeon glanced between them, a chill running down her spine. She could smell a fight brewing... After weeks of just mediating brawls, she'd gotten good at sensing that scent.
A heavy silence stretched between Kim Jin-seo and Yeo Min-seo.
"What's that smell all of a sudden, ugh."
Suddenly, Yeo Min-seo pinched her nose, frowning deeply. Han Su-ryeon jolted, wondering if she'd read her mind. Nearby, Kang Dae-man sniffed his own clothes unnecessarily.
"Hm, at least it's not my sweat!"
"...Not sweat. You don't smell burning? Like smoke."
Yeo Min-seo said, grinning wickedly at Kim Jin-seo. It was a jab mocking her involvement in the Basar Mall fire.
Crazy bitch?
Han Su-ryeon whipped her head toward Kim Jin-seo in shock. Kim Jin-seo wore an ambiguous expression—neither smiling nor stern.
Ah... that's crossing the line.
Han Su-ryeon tsked inwardly.
"Dunno. I don't smell anything."
But Kim Jin-seo didn't back down. She even flashed a relaxed smile, responding coolly.
Yeo Min-seo let out an incredulous scoff.
"How? Smoke's reeking everywhere."
"Is it?"
Kim Jin-seo shifted her gaze from Yeo Min-seo to the podium and continued.
"Want me to make sure you never smell again?"
"...What? You—"
"Pfft, mmph, ugh. Sorry, Min-seo. Really sorry."
Yeo Min-seo was cut off. Han Su-ryeon had burst out laughing involuntarily.
"No, it wasn't mocking. Just had a funny thought. For real."
"......"
"You're not mad, right? Hear me out. It wasn't mockery, heh. Actually, your flustered face is too cute... Mad now?"
Han Su-ryeon stared at Yeo Min-seo, stifling giggles. Yeo Min-seo's face was uncharacteristically rattled—not just from the laugh, but Kim Jin-seo's utterly different reaction.
"Ah, ah."
Then, Kim Chang-won at the podium tested the mic. That alone silenced the auditorium.
In the ensuing frosty quiet, Kim Chang-won continued.
"First, apologies for the sudden schedule change leading to today's appointment. With limited homeroom time, we'll proceed swiftly and simply."
With that, the auditorium lights dimmed halfway. The remaining glow spotlighted the podium—a dramatic setup for the main event.
"Eek... Ahem."
Seong Ha-yeon, lost in thought, startled at the sudden dark, her shoulders trembling. Though no one noticed, she coughed awkwardly, hyper-aware of her surroundings.
"This Charity Holy Mark re-election caused some confusion, but after deliberation, the final decision is—"
Kim Chang-won paused.
A beat of silence.
"Unchanged from before: Do Seon-woo. Do Seon-woo, please come to the podium."
"...?"
A thick wave of doubt swept the auditorium. Students gaped silently at the podium. Only Kim Jin-seo and Seong Ha-yeon remained composed; the rest couldn't hide their bewilderment.
Do Seon-woo had been late to the ceremony and disqualified. Selecting him anyway was ripe for controversy. The doubt soon turned to backlash.
"All that talk of disqualification when it suited them..."
"Reversing twice? Hell, he was late 'cause of his own fault."
"Heard he got caught in the Basar fire."
"That an excuse? Must be bribes or—"
The uproar snowballed, filling the hall. Students rejected the faculty decision, calling it unfair, blaming him for the fire—impulsive, emotional outbursts.
Screeeeech—!
Sudden feedback pierced the air—Kim Chang-won deliberately shoving the mic into the speaker. Seizing the momentary hush, he spoke swiftly.
"During the Basar Mall fire, Do Seon-woo threw himself into the flames to save citizens and extinguish the blaze. He protected his neighbors as his own body—and beyond, burning his own. That apprentice paladin who impersonated one to aid the Seoul East Knight Command? That's Do Seon-woo."
Silence fell again. But this was different—awed, not hostile.
The figure who'd quelled the fire, saved lives, then vanished was legendary among Florence students, rumored to be one of them. Many idolized him as a hero for leaving without reward. Now revealed as Do Seon-woo, the chaos evaporated instantly.
"Do Seon-woo's sacrificial love and charity, beyond the Holy Mark, make him a model cleric."
The heavy quiet lingered endlessly.
"Various factors were considered, so I hope students accept the school's decision without misunderstanding."
Kim Chang-won concluded. Students remained stunned. Jeong In-ah in the back row felt especially betrayed—he hadn't told her.
"Thus, we now begin the appointment—"
"Ch-Chairman! Um, sorry, haa."
Just as it started, Ha Ye-jin rushed the podium breathless. Kim Chang-won felt a foreboding déjà vu.
...No way?
"No contact again?"
"Haha, uh... I confirmed discharge and even called the day before..."
"...Aigoo."
Kim Chang-won clutched his head. He'd quashed faculty backlash over the International Theological Society by keeping Do Seon-woo's aid secret, revealing it dramatically today to quell students. All per his plan.
But hubris. There was a variable: Do Seon-woo might skip again.
"Keep trying to reach him."
Kim Chang-won urged, inwardly frantic though composed. Another reversal or delay would spark outrage from students and faculty. He'd dodged once cleverly, but not twice.
"Yes, but it says powered off every time..."
"I'll stall; you just—"
Thud.
The door flew open. A familiar sight to Kim Chang-won. He strode through the students toward the podium—not staggering like before, but brimming with vigor.
He crossed the auditorium in moments, mounting the stage.
Thump.
He dropped to one knee before Kim Chang-won. Spotlit in his neat uniform.
"...Did I miss the appointment again?"
Do Seon-woo. He looked up impishly.
Kim Chang-won couldn't help but laugh.
"Cutting it close."
"Sorry."
"...Sorry my foot."
Kim Chang-won reached over his head. Pure white light—bestowed by the Pope—flowed from his hand, enveloping Do Seon-woo.
"I should be thanking you."
Chling—!
A clear, crystalline chime like falling water droplets echoed through the auditorium. The sound of the Holy Sacrament granting the Mighty Strength Blessing to the new Charity Holy Mark holder alongside the appointment.
The light swirling around Do Seon-woo coalesced into a single mass, absorbing into his heart.
Thus, Do Seon-woo joined the Seven Holy Marks.
With that, the ceremony ended.
(To be continued next time)