Chapter 23
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Where College Students End Up When They Mess Up
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Second-year major class day.
Today, too, Su-hyeon headed to school early in the morning to snag a seat in the corner.
Her destination was the lab at the far end of the first floor.
A place used for simple experiments.
As she walked down the hallway toward the lab, she spotted something.
What are these pots doing here?
Pots lined up along the hallway.
Inside them were plants she'd never seen before.
Even Su-hyeon, who had lived in the mountains, was seeing these species for the first time, but they all shared one thing in common.
They were all withered to a pitiful degree.
The faint energy she sensed was the only thing telling her they were still clinging to life.
"Are they throwing them out?"
A scene naturally formed in Su-hyeon's mind.
The professor or someone had been growing them, neglected them until they nearly died, and set them out to discard.
Poor things...
She glanced around.
It was early morning, before the staff had arrived.
After making sure the coast was clear, Su-hyeon placed her hand over the plants.
Just a little... ah.
She'd meant to give them just a grain of sand's worth of energy, but she accidentally poured in a handful.
They were going to be thrown out half-dead anyway, so it should be fine, right?
Might as well make it fair and give each the same amount.
No point starting a fight.
Even low-intelligence plants get mad if they're treated differently.
Su-hyeon divided her energy among the seven pots, checked her surroundings again, and dashed into the still-dark lab.
She looked just like a thief making a getaway.
The soil in the pots twitched slightly, unnoticed.
Having set up her sanctuary in the prime corner spot,
Su-hyeon slumped over her desk and sank into thought.
My energy feels easier to use somehow. No, more like the amount has increased?
She pulled a bean from her pocket—the one she always carried—and tried channeling energy into it, but it just shone with luster as usual.
"It looks a bit puffier... or is that my imagination?"
Su-hyeon rolled the slightly plumper bean around, playing with it until she dozed off completely.
She'd used too much energy since morning.
Chatter filled the air.
"Snoort... ugh."
Su-hyeon, her cheek stuck flat to the desk as she slept soundly, woke to the noisy commotion.
The lab was now packed with students.
Being a second-year major class, they all seemed noticeably closer than in other courses.
Su-hyeon rubbed her cheek with her palm to wipe away the drool mark.
She couldn't erase the red imprint, but fortunately—or unfortunately—human anatomy meant you couldn't see your own cheek.
"Alright, everyone, take your seats."
As Su-hyeon shivered and stretched, shaking off her daze, an elderly female professor entered.
Behind her, what looked like teaching assistants or fourth-years grunted as they carried in the pots.
They set the pots on the empty front-row desks, and the professor spoke up again.
"In our Gate Ecology Observation course, we don't really need textbooks. The field hasn't been standardized yet, and research is still ongoing. We'll observe creatures from gate environments similar to real-world ones, compare them visually, and write reports that day. It's lab-focused, with absolute grading. Attendance and class attitude will weigh heavily, of course? Following safety rules is also part of the evaluation."
The professor began the class gently, but Su-hyeon's mind was elsewhere.
The pots... they brought them for class.
Thanks to the energy boost, the plants looked noticeably perkier.
And Su-hyeon wasn't the only one who noticed.
"Weren't they always that vibrant green?"
"I dunno, they were half-dead when we set them out this morning..."
"Today's lab plants are otherworldly ones from gates. They're not particularly dangerous, but don't provoke them just in case—something unexpected could happen."
The lab proceeded with students handling the plants under guidance. Similarities and differences to real-world plants were highlighted.
"Gates have their own ecosystems inside, and the lifeforms evolve rapidly. But outside the gate, without magic, they weaken dramatically...?"
That was when the professor sensed something off.
A long stem grew toward her, meeting her eyes.
"...Huh?"
That was the signal. Screams erupted throughout the lab.
"Ack! This thing just smacked my hand with its stem!"
"Wh-what?! Why's it acting up all of a sudden?!"
The lab turned into chaos in an instant.
The rapidly growing plants started rampaging everywhere.
Desks toppled, lab tools flew wildly.
Screech!
Crash!
"Everyone, calm down and get down! No poison, and they're not harmful to people! Outside the gate, they'll die off soon!"
The professor tried to regain control amid the panic, but it was tough.
Oh no, I'm screwed!
Su-hyeon floundered in the corner.
It had been a good deed, but these were otherworldly plants? Talk about bad luck.
Students followed the professor's orders, covering their heads and hiding under desks, but the plants showed no signs of calming.
If anything, vines whipped up and down like they were searching for something.
Bang bang bang—bring more of that from earlier!
As things grew dire, Su-hyeon couldn't take it anymore and yelled.
No matter the intent, her actions had caused this mess.
"St-stop!"
The plants filling the lab froze on the spot.
"...?"
"They actually stopped...?"
Plant Empathy worked, thankfully—even on otherworldly ones.
Plants and people alike turned toward the voice.
There stood Su-hyeon atop her desk, palms out in a commanding pose.
Well, she thought it was commanding. To others, her trembling limbs made it look anything but.
"How...?"
The professor, pushing herself up from the floor, adjusted her glasses and muttered in disbelief.
The plants, oblivious to subtlety, extended stems rubbing against Su-hyeon's legs and body.
Like puppies greeting their owner.
Murmurs spread.
The students picked up on the weird vibe and whispered among themselves.
Ah, this screams 'I'm the culprit.'
In the end, Su-hyeon was summoned to the professor's office.
Fortunately, aside from the professor's slightly cracked glasses, no one was hurt.
The professor apologized to the class, promising a thorough safety review before rescheduling.
The students were dazed but happy the class ended early.
Cleaning the wrecked lab fell to the teaching assistants.
Su-hyeon helped pry off clinging plant stems and stuff them into light-proof cases before following the professor.
"Go on in."
"Ex-excuse meee."
The professor chuckled at Su-hyeon bowing to the empty, dark office.
Normally, she'd blush at the reaction, but Su-hyeon was too tense to care.
Anyone could see she was the one who'd trashed the class.
It might even look like terrorism.
If parents complained about student safety, an angry professor suing her would leave her speechless.
If she'd inherited even half her mother's grit instead of her grandmother's, she might've shrugged: 'So what? I can hide till you croak.'
Or asked the elves for a forced settlement.
But for Su-hyeon, still with a fragile citizen's heart, it was terrifying.
"Sorry about class today. I should've..."
"I'm sorry!"
"...Pardon?"
Su-hyeon blurted an apology the moment the professor sat.
The professor, planning to thank her for fixing things, was caught off-guard.
"Truth is, I have this ability to energize plants..."
Understanding dawned as Su-hyeon confessed. The professor smiled warmly, soothing her.
"It's fine, calm down and look up. Student."
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean for it to..."
The professor burst into hearty laughter at Su-hyeon bobbing her head like a duckling toy.
"You're Kim Su-hyeon, right? I've heard about you from other professors, but this is my first time seeing you since you transferred in during your leave. How'd you hide away so much in first year? You're so small and cute."
"Y-yes?"
Instead of scolding, she got a gentle response—contrary to Su-hyeon's fears.
Only then did the tension ease a bit.
"If anything, it's my fault. Even if they're harmless, leaving them in the hall without oversight? Common sense doesn't always apply. You prevented a potential injury—you deserve thanks."
"B-but if I hadn't meddled..."
"No one got hurt in the end, right? This might even add new handling protocols. Spotting safety gaps without major damage—that's on you."
The lab got trashed once per semester anyway, the professor said casually.
It was meant for that, but a week into the term was a new record.
Nothing major broken, lights intact—easy fix.
"I'm always the one scolding; now I'll get it. Hohoho!"
"......"
Is it really okay...? What do the other professors even do...?
"More importantly, I'm interested in your ability—that's why I called you."
The professor then shared her thoughts.
Plant energizing—Awakener rank? E-grade? Can you control that much?
Works on separated tissues?
TL;DR: Help with her research for hourly pay.
"Oh... using the ability seems to cancel residual magic? No, counteract it? Yet vitality flows—maybe magic isn't essential to monster ecology. Huge discovery."
The professor's reaction after Su-hyeon used a tiny bit on an unnamed leaf sample.
No plant attacking the professor this time.
"Yes..."
Su-hyeon nodded along, unsure but agreeing.
But the more they talked, the stronger the sense of déjà vu grew.
What is it? Something important I'm forgetting...
The professor, peering at a slide through equipment, turned to see Su-hyeon still bowed.
Thinking she was shy, she wheeled her chair closer to Su-hyeon's round stool.
"You're such a mystery, Su-hyeon."
"Pardon?"
"When I was a kid, I had a friend like you. Always shrinking like she'd done something wrong, scared of getting hurt. But once we talked, she wasn't bad at all—got lively fast. No one in school disliked her."
Why bring up an old friend?
At the professor's age, school was decades ago.
Decades...?
Su-hyeon jerked her head up. The nameplate on the desk: after department head titles, 'Lee A-young' clear as day.
The girl who'd first spoken to her in middle school was also Lee A-young.
"Her name was Kim Su-hyeon too—boy, unlike you. How are you so small? Awakening side effect? Not my field, so I wouldn't know."
"Suddenly turning young would be scary, I bet."
Ah, but I'm thrilled with my rejuvenation. Hohoho!
The professor's quip nailed it.
Circumstantial, but certain.
"So, no crying—have some confidence. I didn't call to scold. I don't know your story, but you remind me of him, so I got nosy."
'No crying?'
Only when the professor patted her back warmly did Su-hyeon realize she was trembling.
"Sniff."
Being babied by her middle school classmate was mortifying, but the comforting touch felt good, so she stayed quiet awhile.
"See you this weekend then. You're sure it's okay?"
"Yes, Professor. Thank you."
The professor invited her to an exhibition she curated.
To show colleagues her ability, enabling more vivid displays.
Paid hourly plus bonus for a field trip? Su-hyeon didn't refuse.
She wasn't thinking straight anyway.
If it were another professor or she'd been clear-headed, she might've sensed danger and begged off grad school vibes.
...Wait, am I getting kidnapped into grad school?
Unlike Su-hyeon's wasted years, the professor's battle-hardened experience shone.
Su-hyeon shivered at the "betrayal" from her old friend.