Chapter 19: Because I Have a Chronic Illness.
“……”
“……”
Ah, this is so fucking awkward….
Personally, I like cafes. They're outside the house but still offer your own little spot, decent desserts worth eating, and drinks that help get the brain gears turning.
Seol Yeonhwa, the Blue Tower genius, preferred cafes if she had to meet someone out in the world. To be precise, she disliked everywhere else, so it felt more like settling for this option.
Here, you could zone out and stare blankly without it being a crime. It felt true to its purpose, with a cozy vibe that wasn't quite as good as your own room but close enough.
This time, too—even though it carried a bit of an escapist vibe—she opted for a secluded corner table in the cafe rather than wandering the streets.
……Air, it's suffocating.
The hand gripping the mug handle trembled faintly.
Seol Yeonhwa subtly averted her gaze, avoiding eye contact with the man across from her.
The guy in front of her wasn't scary or anything. It was just that she'd come out to defend her virtual world's dignity in battle, only to run into a real-world human, leaving her utterly flustered.
They'd bickered in game chat, and who knew it'd be him…
They'd never actually talked before, so they weren't close, but the karma from the virtual world spilling into reality didn't sit well.
……How.
How the hell does this even happen…
Seol Yeonhwa closed her eyes gently.
She tended to spit slightly—okay, pretty roughly—in chat, but this was her first time actively pushing for an IRL meetup.
Sure, she'd barked "If you're pissed, let's meet up IRL!" before, but today was truly the first time she'd followed through.
And on the very first one, she hits the jackpot with a real-life classmate! Not enough to make her rage-quit life in frustration, but enough to curse the damn heavens.
If it were the fifth or sixth time, she wouldn't even feel hard done by. But an apartment neighbor? Academy classmate? Same department, same class? Come on.
This is bullshit, total bullshit.
Seol Yeonhwa sipped her coffee with a sweetly trembling hand, reflecting on her mistake.
Of course, stepping out for a real-life showdown was the root error, but there had to be better ways than just slapping on a mask.
"……Haa."
She knew she was something of a celebrity now—or would be even more soon. That's why she'd ditched the Blue Tower robe and anything that screamed academy student.
Not out of worry for rumors, but because she didn't want to see community gossip posts like "Saw the Blue Tower mage while gaming lol" or "Ran into a Superhuman Academy kid lol."
She'd hidden every identifier and planned to overwhelm him with mana the moment they met IRL. Mess around carelessly, step into reality, and you're in deep shit from now on. That was supposed to teach him not to trash-talk in-game…
But no, how, why like this.
Damn it.
She could've wrapped head to toe so no classmate would recognize her. Or cast an illusion spell. Hell, skipping the meetup altogether would've been ideal, but circumstances forced her hand.
─HAHA!
How long are you gonna keep doing the shoulder dance?! You lazy pig bastard!
Okay, fine—the random jungle ganks were tolerable. Even the repeated emotes and shuffle dances on her corpse? Manageable.
But repeating it dozens of times over 40 minutes? That turns anyone into a demon.
Realizing this IRL meetup was unavoidable, Seol Yeonhwa glared at the man across from her, a mix of irritation bubbling up.
He looked just as awkward. Shin Yuseong. The handsome guy from the level test first place.
He had a different vibe from her—different kind of fame—but inside the academy, his influence was untouchable.
[You found the Lucky Handsome Totem]
Just spotting him on the street caused a commotion. She didn't envy the hype—Blue Tower elders were already nagging her to collab on magic research, which she ignored.
Her proven track record and market eval as the ice magic genius incarnation far outstripped his.
But Seol Yeonhwa rated Shin Yuseong highly. Not just for topping the level test—the solid mana barrier around him right now was miraculous.
A one-off test could be luck or good form. But maintaining that? Only endless training and overwhelming talent.
No chats exchanged, but she'd always admired his constant prowess.
And to meet like this…!
Seol Yeonhwa cursed fate again. And felt a twinge of disappointment toward Shin Yuseong for showing up.
Not sexist like "guys shouldn't risk IRL meetups." More gamer rage: Fuck, why play like such a psycho.
Or extreme praise. No way someone gaming that insanely has a normal brain.
So, surprisingly normal-looking…
Seol Yeonhwa frowned slightly, sighing as she eyed the academy's daily "handsome guy" or "hot totem."
The gods don't give everything. No one's perfect, not even her.
That kinship and relief hit, but the classmate fact remained. Reality crashed in; she exhaled sharply.
"Haa."
"Fuuu…"
He looked conflicted too, sighing with a complicated face. Yeah, serious internal conflict.
Shin Yuseong stared seriously at Seol Yeonhwa's porcelain face, thinking.
No way that pretty face types like a demon licking its chops in chat. Surprising, right?
The Goddess nods in agreement.
As a former hero, how do I scold her? Let her off with a warning? Tough call.
The Goddess expresses regret at the hero coming out to fight a young student, no matter what.
I know, so shut up please.
The Goddess whines that you asked first, hero.
……Yeah, there really was another presence in his mind causing serious conflict.
But staring at each other quietly helped sort thoughts, and soon an answer emerged.
"Sorry for the harsh words…"
"……No, my bad too, that was rude."
No one's dropping out over this. High chance of seeing each other in class for years— no need for grudges.
Even if not classmates, this was the right way to end an IRL meetup. She hadn't come with murder on her mind.
……Though she'd fantasized smashing his hand so he couldn't spam emotes again.
Seol Yeonhwa shoved aside further brooding and stood abruptly. The awkwardness was unbearable.
"See you at school then."
"Would be nice to nod hello if we bump into each other."
"Yeah, I'd like that."
They exchanged closing pleasantries, shaking hands politely.
Mid-shake, Shin Yuseong's face twitched faintly, so Seol Yeonhwa replied with her usual deadpan.
"Oh, sorry. Chronic condition."
That explained the cold. Simple as that.
She'd long accepted it, so she said it lightly, bowed slightly to Shin Yuseong, and left the cafe first.
Fuuu—
She walked far to a deserted spot, then exhaled deeply, releasing pent-up ice-attribute mana.
Crack—crunch!
Pseudo-breath. Her blue-mana-infused exhale froze the spring-warming air with thin ice.
The attribute mage's blessing and curse intertwined—her demonic affliction.
But explaining seriously wouldn't help; no one could fix it. Not even the Tower Master or cardinals.
Seol Yeonhwa chuckled wryly, shaking her head.
"Time to head home."
Chatting with others outside wasn't her thing. Too much mental energy, just exhausting.
She was wired for solitude.
Today was an anomaly—out way longer than usual.
Twitch—twitch—
Turning homeward, she unconsciously fidgeted her hand.
Probably just embarrassment.
……But the palm that shook his felt oddly itchy.
Twitch—twitch—
Seol Yeonhwa kept clenching and unclenching her fist all the way home.
After the IRL meetup wrapped, another issue cropped up for me.
The Goddess boldly declares she recognized that constitution right away.
"Dude, I already knew that."
The Goddess suggests curing her to boost affection.
"Nah, why bother?"
The Goddess frowns and curses the hero's lack of tact.
"Why you gotta—"
In the midst of a heated argument with the goddess.