Chapter 10
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: No Awakening
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Eh? That's not right?
The aptitude test was incredibly simple.
You just had to step onto a machine like a scale and stand there for about ten seconds.
The principle was similar to an MRI.
They sent waves from a mana stone through your body, and if it contained mana, there would be resistance.
Whether that resistance existed or not determined if you had awakened.
It didn't cost much either.
All they needed to check was the bare minimum resistance, and using a strong mana stone could even cause issues in the body, so it was perfect for recycling mana stone fragments or cheap ones.
Of course, figuring out the specific ability type or output level required more precise equipment, but for a basic aptitude test, any neighborhood health center would do it for free.
It felt a bit like getting an InBody scan.
Minors got tested once a year during school PE classes.
Because F-rank or E-rank awakeners during growth spurts often couldn't detect it themselves.
Students got regular checks, but adults weren't forced, so few kept it up consistently. I hadn't gotten one in ages myself.
Ga-eun knew that and was urging me to get tested.
But my reaction was lukewarm at best.
'What a hassle.'
I had zero intention of becoming a hunter even if I had awakened.
It was grueling, dirty, and dangerous.
The epitome of a 3D job.
What good was the money?
I wanted to be a fisherman.
Hunting magic beasts was for high-rankers C-grade and above.
D-grade and below trying to enter a gate was basically suicide.
They wouldn't even let you in to begin with.
E-grade and F-grade went without saying.
So low-rank awakeners rarely took gate-related jobs.
If they did, it was mostly dismantling beast corpses for mana stones and byproducts, or hauling duty.
Day labor for those who couldn't find other paths or needed cash.
Corpse processing was basically the entry-level gig among awakeners.
Though if you had a super rare support ability, even E-grade could get courted everywhere.
"Do I really have to?"
"What do you mean?"
"I don't wanna be a hunter or anything."
"Low-rank awakeners are even less likely to become hunters anyway."
"Don't you have to go through training every year if you're awakened...? There's nothing good about it."
Awakened folks faced harsh penalties for crimes, mandatory safety training, and C-grade and up required obligatory insurance.
It was unreasonable.
The shackles outweighed the perks.
"Even if it's voluntary reporting, refusing to register on purpose is a crime, you know?"
"...I'm not even sure if I'm awakened."
"Ugh, seriously."
Ga-eun stopped walking at my nonstop whining.
She had my left hand gripped, so I had no choice but to stop too.
"Whine one more time, and I'll drag you along stuck to my side."
"......"
Under her icy glare, I subtly kicked at the ground, pretending not to notice.
My slipper half-slipped off, revealing my tiny foot for a moment before it slid back.
"And I told you, you can drop the formal speech. You're still using it."
"...It's fine, really."
"Do it."
"......"
"I said do it."
"Y-yeah."
"Yeah?"
"Uh, yeah... "
Only then did Ga-eun beam and pick up the pace.
This was ridiculous...
"Hey, you're doing this because of what happened earlier... right? I mean, yeah?"
Formal speech slipped out unwittingly, and I felt her grip tighten as she glanced over, so I hurriedly corrected.
Ga-eun smiled brightly again.
'She's scary...'
Did I go overboard with the revenge?
"Huh? What thing? Did something happen earlier?"
"Th-that thing at the cafeteria... where I..."
"Beats me? No clue about anything that might spread weird rumors around school. Or anything that could leak to my subscribers and cause a huge hassle?"
"...You mad?"
"Was there something worth getting mad about?"
"......"
Next time, I gotta pick revenge targets more carefully.
Ga-eun felt great after achieving her goal.
Pretending to be angry was fake.
...Well, she wasn't entirely un-upset, but not that upset.
She just wanted to get one over on this cheeky older kid, and watching her squirm and peek nervously was cute.
Plus, Ga-eun preferred casual talk without barriers, so she always pushed for dropping formalities once they got a bit close, age be damned.
She figured now, while I was minding my manners, was the perfect chance. Otherwise, it'd take forever.
Once I got used to her, she'd drop it too.
'She's really 23?'
Ignoring my constant sidelong glances, Ga-eun hurried along. Eye contact might make her lose her composure.
I trailed behind, flapping the sleeve of my free arm.
Ga-eun gently stroked the tiny, reed-like hand in hers with her thumb.
It was soft.
After drawing a number and waiting, we stood as Su-hyeon's number lit up on the display and headed to reception.
"Welcome. What brings you in?"
"We'd like an aptitude test."
"Fill out your name and contact here, then head to the fourth floor and go right all the way."
I took the pen and paper, filled it out, and the receptionist watched with a fond smile.
"Looks like your little sibling awakened."
"Ah, haha."
Ga-eun gave an awkward laugh, neither confirming nor denying. Not saying "daughter" was progress enough.
I didn't even pretend to listen anymore.
After jotting down my name and phone number, we headed to the fourth-floor aptitude room.
"Take off your shoes and step up here. Don't move... "
I climbed onto the platform, like an automatic height measurer.
A hoop the size of a hula hoop slowly descended from above, scanned my body, and rose back up.
"Guardian of child Kim Su-hyeon? No awakening yet."
"What!?"
Ga-eun stared at me in shock at the unexpected result, and I just blinked.
Getting called a kid didn't faze me.
"C-can we try again?"
"Eh, won't change anything, but sure."
The staffer, used to this, eyed her like a doting parent and sat back at the computer.
"Don't move..."
Weeeeeng, clunk.
"Yep, still nothing. No mana response."
"No way..."
Ga-eun, convinced I'd awakened, was speechless.
Unless I'd lied, or...
"...The machine isn't broken, right?"
The staffer sighed.
"It's fine, guardian. She's young; plenty of chances ahead. Stats show most awaken in puberty anyway. And early awakening isn't always better."
"No, I know, but..."
"It's okay."
I stepped down, slipped on my slippers, and approached.
"Let's go."
"Yeah..."
The kid seemed unfazed, while the guardian deflated.
'The kid's awfully mature.'
From the guardian's reaction, big expectations had been dashed, yet she left the room composed.
But she couldn't hide the way her crown wilted sadly.
She had to be the most disappointed.
The pitiful act tugged at the staffer's heart.
"No awakening, huh."
"Nope."
Of course not.
Saying I hadn't hoped at all would be a lie.
No matter how meh treatment for awakeners was, having power was better.
Even without hunting.
High-grade would be ideal.
Having strength but not using it versus having none were worlds apart.
Honestly, if I'd awakened, I would've done it.
I griped about training and insurance, but if I'd had even mediocre talent, maybe I'd have the guts to rejoin society as a cog.
But like always, just a pipe dream.
"What now... "
"What do you mean? Head home."
Informal speech felt natural now.
I dragged my slippers toward the health center's main gate.
My leaf-like hair looked wilted.
"Hold up."
"Hm?"
"Sunbae, you've got no proper clothes, and those slippers suck."
"Yeah..."
"Let's go shopping."
"Ehh..."
I made no secret of my dislike.
"Can't keep dragging around in hand-me-downs and slippers. You got something on underneath, right?"
"Panties!!"
I yanked up my top, revealing my bare, pudgy belly greeting Ga-eun.
She stared at the pristine white skin for a second before averting her eyes.
White shorts with a soccer team logo.
"What's this? Soccer fan?"
My face flushed at this grown woman lifting my top and peering close in this bizarre situation.
"No, we got them as a group back in school..."
For me, with no one to contact but Grandma, they gave a sense of belonging and nostalgia—my treasured PJs(?).
Haa.
Ga-eun sighed like the earth was caving in.
Felt like I'd become some utterly pathetic person.
Or was it just a feeling...?
"A-alright, stop staring already."
I shoved Ga-eun's head away firmly.
"C'mon, let's go then."
"......Could just buy online."
"With that setup? Sure you would."
Grabbed by the hand again, I headed to the main road to hail a taxi toward the department store.
Up until cafeteria lunch, I'd been leading, but the moment we stepped out, things reverted.
Why...