Chapter 240: Exchange (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 240: Exchange (3)
Surprisingly, Rin and I were in the same class.
Not that being in the same class meant much at this point, but… it was still a clear advantage to have her nearby.
During the first semester, Gaon had also needed mentors for the exchange students. Back then, I had become Yoon Chae-ha’s mentor, helping her adjust to life here.
The situation wasn’t much different for the second semester.
Although I wasn’t given an official mission or anything grand like before, I naturally became Rin’s mentor.
“In any case, since we’re in the same class, we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”
Rin and I walked side-by-side down the hallway, checking our schedules.
“Yes. We will.”
“Where are you staying?” I asked without much thought.
Gaon’s dormitories were assigned strictly by academic rank.
For an exchange student like Rin… she’d probably be in one of the general female student dorms.
I wondered which one. Building B, maybe C?
“...The Pent… house?”
“Huh?”
“That’s where I am.”
I stopped in my tracks.
Thinking I must have misheard, I looked at Rin.
How could she be there?
My expression must have given away my curiosity, because Rin calmly began to count on her fingers.
“First, they said my performance at the last Academic Festival was taken into account.”
Usually, when Gaon selects an exchange school, they hold an Academic Festival. It was their way of establishing exchanges with educational institutions that showed promise.
It seemed Rin had made quite an impression.
“And in the physical ability assessment…”
Rin paused, choosing her words carefully, her gaze dropping slightly as if she was embarrassed to say it.
“I received a rating of ‘exceptionally outstanding’…”
Her original combat style had little to do with physical prowess. The curse had prevented that.
“After the curse was lifted… I feel like my physical abilities have really improved.”
A virtuous cycle.
It was as if her suppressed potential had shattered its shackles and exploded.
Folding her third and final finger, Rin added, “Lastly, it was a consideration from the school.”
“A consideration?”
“Starting with this Exchange Match… they decided to give the top-ranking students from Gaon’s partner academies treatment befitting their status.”
Well… that made sense.
Last semester, Yoon Chae-ha and Joo Seo-jun had been top-tier students at Carlos, but they were just given rooms in the general dorms. Objectively speaking, however, both of them were top-tier even by Gaon’s standards.
It seemed the school had decided they couldn’t give the aces from other academies such shabby treatment. It was a rule that was long overdue for a change, if only for the sake of diplomacy and saving face.
Rin just happened to be the first beneficiary.
All in all, the situation was looking good.
If she was close by, it would be easier to look out for her.
Alright then, for today, maybe we’ll just pick out some options.
“Shall we go check out the classes first today?”
Rin was an exchange student. She had the privilege of choosing any classes she wanted without being tied to a fixed schedule.
But Gaon’s campus was vast, and its curriculum was incredibly complex. To be honest, even I got confused sometimes. It was too much to just toss her a guidebook and tell her to figure it out on her own.
“Yes.”
Rin nodded.
We talked as we walked across the Gaon campus.
“Rin… what is your main weapon, by the way?”
“Talismans… and a fan.”
“A rear support… right?”
The Rin I knew was a rear support. She used talismans to buff her teammates and to stack damage and debuffs on her enemies. Because of her cursed body, fighting on the front lines had been impossible.
As if reading my mind, Rin touched the fan hanging at her waist and added, “Now, I can wield the fan, too.”
Her voice was laced with confidence.
The more I saw, the more I liked her.
In that case, Rin was an all-around supporter. She could stack damage on the battlefield while simultaneously providing buffs.
Just then.
“...Hae-in.”
“Yes.”
She stopped walking and called my name. Her lips parted as if she had something to say, and then she spoke cautiously.
“I’d like it if you spoke to me casually. Just… very comfortably.”
To be honest, that’s what I wanted, too.
If she were still the head of her family, it might be different, but now she was my mentee. And a fellow academy student.
Keeping up the formalities was tiring.
“Should I?” I said, smiling at her.
“Yes.”
“Huh?”
Wait, it’s just me?
“You can drop the formalities, too.”
“No, I’m fine. I’m more comfortable speaking formally.”
“...Alright.”
Her gaze was so resolute. It looked like it would be a real fight to change her mind, so I just gave up.
We diligently made our way through each department’s sector, looking around the training grounds and peeking into lecture halls. I recommended a few classes that seemed good, and Rin nodded each time.
After finishing our tour, we headed to the main desk for final course registration.
I checked Rin’s final curriculum on the screen… and my brow furrowed.
“...”
But this…
From required major courses to elective liberal arts… it was exactly the same as mine.
‘Could I possibly see your schedule for reference, Hae-in?’
The trouble had started when Rin had shyly asked me that earlier, and I’d shared it without a second thought.
I had definitely gone out of my way to recommend some genuinely good classes that would suit her style.
But the final result completely ignored all of them, perfectly synchronized with my own schedule.
What was this?
When I looked at the culprit, Rin feigned ignorance and averted her gaze. I thought I could see a cute little smile playing on her lips.
I sighed, but it was an awkward thing to complain about. I could understand wanting to follow her mentor…
Besides, the classes I chose were guaranteed to be high-quality.
“Well… whatever…”
At Gaon… the time when classes were the least of our worries would soon be upon us anyway.
It was then.
“New kid here?”
A sharp voice came from behind us.
We both turned around at the same time.
Someone had slipped up behind us without us noticing.
With her navy-blue bob and a white headband, it was Cheon Yeo-wool.
Her blue eyes were fixed on Rin, who was standing next to me.
“Nice to meet you.”
With one hand in her jacket pocket, she extended the other for a handshake.
“We’re classmates now, so I’m dropping the formalities, okay?”
Cheon Yeo-wool beamed, watching for Rin’s reaction.
Rin seemed a bit shy around new people. I was about to step in.
“Yeah! Nice to meet you~”
“?”
Rin grabbed Cheon Yeo-wool’s hand without a moment’s hesitation.
“Let’s get along, okay? I’ll drop the formalities, too!”
“Oh?… Uh, sure.”
It was Cheon Yeo-wool who was taken aback. Her eyes went wide at the unexpected energy.
Didn’t Rin just say she was more comfortable with formal speech?
“Yeo-wool, you live in the penthouse too?” Rin asked, her eyes sparkling as she held onto Yeo-wool’s hand.
“Huh?… I do.”
Rin latched onto Cheon Yeo-wool’s arm with a bright smile.
“I live there too! Let’s get along real well.”
She even slurred the end of her words, dragging them out cutely.
“Have you eaten?”
“No, not yet… but that’s not….”
Cheon Yeo-wool tried to say something, but Rin cut her off.
“Then let’s eat together!”
Rin turned to me, beaming.
“Hae-in, let’s go eat together!”
“Huh? Sure.”
“Um… then should we go straight to the dorm? I can cook for you.”
“Sounds good.”
I nodded without complaint.
The problem was Rin’s next suggestion.
Her eyes twinkled as she added, “Or we could each make one dish we want and meet up at my place…”
“No.”
My reply was firm.
That was out of the question.
Cheon Yeo-wool in a kitchen?
Did she feel like chewing on Cthulhu?
If so, I’d allow it.
Poke.
“Why not?” Cheon Yeo-wool asked, poking me in the hip. She tilted her head, looking up at me.
I put on a nonchalant expression and answered brazenly, “Because I’m worried you’ll hurt your hands.”
A lie.
“...”
Cheon Yeo-wool narrowed her eyes and took a step back. She looked unconvinced but didn’t press the matter.
She shrugged and added, “Chae-ha’s home, too. We can all eat together.”
“Let’s do that. Rin, is that okay with you?”
Rin would be seeing a lot of Chae-ha anyway. As fellow all-around supporters, they would have much to discuss.
“Ah… Yes! I’d like that.”
“Great, let’s go.”
We headed straight for the dormitory building.
Beep-boop-beep.
The door unlocked with an electronic chime and swung open.
Rin’s room was on the left, but we opened the door to the room in the middle.
Yoon Chae-ha’s room.
We just barged in.
Rin’s room was a bit of a mess since she hadn’t even unpacked, so we decided to just cook in Yoon Chae-ha’s room right next door.
Of course, we didn’t ask the owner for permission.
Cheon Yeo-wool casually kicked off her shoes and walked into the living room.
“Chae-ha, you must be hungry! We’re he—.”
But no one was there.
“Where’d she go?”
Even Cheon Yeo-wool tilted her head in confusion. She said she was home. I was looking around, wondering if she was in the bathroom.
It was then.
Ah…!
“...”
“...”
We froze on the spot.
Hahh…!
From behind the tightly shut bedroom door, a high-pitched voice drifted out.
Beep.
Just like that…
We closed the door and walked back out.