Nothing Goes Right
Why did I even come out here...?
I'd promised myself I'd treat Seol-i right, get close to her, but instead, I'd bailed in the middle of dinner, leaving her all alone. At first, I'd rushed out because I desperately needed to figure out what she meant by "only I can make it," but now that I'd calmed down a bit, I realized it wouldn't have made any difference if I'd just gone tomorrow morning while she was still asleep. And yet, I'd told her I was worried and then ditched her at home by herself. I'd already left her alone today for this pointless police work that I didn't even need to do, and now I'd ruined dinner too. Self-loathing washed over me.
Going back now felt awkward—I'd already said my piece and stormed out. I lifted my head from where I'd been banging it against the steering wheel and glanced down at the two vials Seol-i had given me. I'd drunk almost all of it, leaving just a few drops, but even that tiny amount should be enough for analysis. No problem there.
The only issue was whether it was really right to study this at all. The way Seol-i had talked about it felt like she was pleading, don't touch this anymore.
Lost in a swirl of tangled thoughts, I drove on autopilot until I found myself pulling up to the guild building. I was already here—no easy turning back now. I got out of the car and headed inside, taking the familiar route to the elevator and down to the basement labs. It wasn't the world's top research facility, but with all the talented scientists we had, component analysis was well within their capabilities.
Maybe I was just being paranoid. Seol-i's claim that only she could make it had me on edge. And coming from someone who'd demonstrated that absurd level of recovery power? How could I not be anxious? When I'd asked if we could study it, her response had basically screamed that she'd mixed something forbidden into the recovery potion's ingredients. And if only she could make it... didn't that prove it was something tied to her personally?
That might be jumping to conclusions, but considering she'd introduced herself as a witch, it didn't seem so far-fetched. Something tied to her... My mind flashed to hair or tears. But if that were the case, she would've said we needed her hair or tears as ingredients—not that only she could make it. So that couldn't be it.
Which left something too horrific to speak aloud. What the hell could it be?
At first, I'd been tempted by the potion's effects and wanted to research it. But then I'd seen her face—she clearly wasn't on board. Now that I knew she hated the idea, something even more important had come up. What had she put in it? As her guardian, I had to find out.
That's why I'd come here.
"Huh? Chae-rin unnie?"
I turned at the voice calling my name. It was Shin-a, one of the researchers here and someone I knew well, waving as she approached. Her gesture was welcoming, but her expression looked... emotional, like she had feelings for me or something.
"Why didn't you stop by the lab last time? I was shocked when I heard you'd come and gone."
"Ah... sorry."
Truth be told, I'd forgotten. Best to apologize first in situations like this. After my quick apology, Shin-a sighed and said she'd appreciate it if I thought of her next time. Then she put her hands on her hips and asked, "So, what's up? Why show up so suddenly? And at night, no less?"
Was it already night? I needed to get back soon. I pulled the vial from my pocket and handed it to her.
She eyed it curiously, and I put on my most serious face. "Shin-a, sorry, but I need a favor."
"A favor?"
"Could you run a component analysis? And if possible, some research too."
Shin-a's face twisted like she'd misheard me. "What's this...?"
"The potion that cured Suyeon. And... the one the kid I brought home made this time."
"No way! For real?!"
Shin-a snatched the vial, startled, and peered at it from every angle. Naturally, only a few drops remained inside. After inspecting it for a moment, she shot me a look of utter disbelief—like I was the enemy.
I flinched at the chilling glare. "You're giving me this to research? There's nothing left!"
"Is it... too little?"
"You call this enough? How much do you expect me to grind myself into the ground for?"
"Grind yourself," she said—it sounded weird, but there was good reason to ask her specifically. "Just this once, please...?"
"Well... if it's a potion that can cure that kid, it's worth using my ability for research. But handing over basically nothing is too much."
With Shin-a's power, even this tiny sample would be analyzable. A few drops? Component scan would be a breeze.
"I'll start with the analysis. It won't take long—just wait a bit."
She beckoned me to follow and turned to lead the way. Now I just had to wait for the results. I swallowed hard.
Please... don't let it be the worst-case scenario I imagined.
......
Uh... how did things end up like this?
"Ugh... this is hard..."
"Is this... really something kids can understand...?"
I scratched my head as Suyeon whined about how tough it was. I'd said I'd teach her magic, told her to call me master, but I'd never taught anyone before. And even if this was my specialty, explaining it to an elementary school kid like Suyeon was no easy feat.
In the end, she just kept bombarding me with questions she didn't get.
"Unnie... are you really my master...?"
Oof. Her look screamed, You begged me to call you master after this? It hit me with a wave of self-doubt. I'd thought since I knew it so well, teaching would be fine too—but now I got why elementary teachers were such pros. Teaching at a kid's eye level was not simple.
"Seol-a...? Could you explain it a bit simpler? I'm not as smart as you, heh heh..."
Uh... Uncle here had jumped in to learn my magic too on a whim, but even if Suyeon didn't get it, he might struggle despite being capable. Old habits die hard at seventy, as they say. He'd already awakened as an awakener and mastered mana control—picking up magic as a whole new system wouldn't be easy.
"I-I'll try..."
Wait, why was I teaching this uncle who wasn't even my disciple? The thought crossed my mind, making me want to ask why he was even here for my lesson, but one glance at his scary face shut that down quick.
In the end, I let him do whatever and focused on explaining to Suyeon. She'd awakened mana following her dad, but no special ability had settled in yet. Awakening usually imprints the most natural mana-use method for the person, so it made sense hers hadn't stabilized.
Maybe that's why magic was perfect for her. If I could just teach her well... A good master could've done wonders.
"Ugh..."
Where even to start? She'd sensed her mana, sure, but... Magic as a discipline was a lot like math, if you wanted to get technical. Manifesting phenomena through mana allocation and arrays. As a witch, I knew it inside out—not just intuitively, but with full systemic knowledge—which let me explore endless possibilities.
Starting from scratch was tough, of course... I felt so bad for Suyeon, who'd never had a proper teacher.
"Sorry I'm such a lousy master..."
"It's... okay..."
Suyeon patted my drooping head. Weird... I was supposed to be comforting her by petting hers, but here I was getting consoled. I was the teacher, yet she was the one cheering me up.
"Uh... um..."
Uncle turned away, at a loss for words. Honestly, getting comforted by my own disciple was mortifying, so I looked away too. God, I wished this guy would just leave.
"I-I'll try harder, Master!"
"Y-yeah..."
"Pfft... ahem..."
For real.