Cherry Blossoms Bloom with the Exam
Professor Baek Seol-hee was examining my dagger. Even though I had ejaculated, my brazenly stubborn erection refused to go down. I forced it to subside by dredging up the disgusting images I’d seen while scrolling the internet. The process of deliberately recalling those vile pictures was enough to rattle my mind. I still don’t understand why such images even exist.
Though I was in a state of incomplete combustion, I couldn’t afford to waste any time. Professor Baek Seol-hee was a busy woman. The fact that she was sparing time to spar with me one-on-one meant she had carved out a precious slot in her schedule. Even after that embarrassing act, she seemed completely composed.
The professor, who had been inspecting the dagger I acquired from the elf last time, finally spoke.
“This is the kind of engraving elves commonly use.”
“An engraving, ma’am?”
“You know about the St. Peter’s Basilica massacre, right?”
“Yes. You mean the incident where elves that burst out of a gate carried out a massacre?”
“Exactly. The elf responsible wielded thirteen swords with complete freedom.”
The professor traced the engraving on the dagger with her finger as she continued.
“It’s similar to the spell formula engraved on the swords that elf used back then. You said the elf you fought could call the dagger back to his hand, correct?”
“Yes. I nearly died because of it.”
The sight of a weapon, after I had barely disarmed it, crawling back into its owner’s hand on its own. Having experienced it firsthand, it was a memory that sent chills down my spine. If my reaction had been even a fraction slower, my neck would have been sliced clean through.
“I can’t say for certain, but it seems weaker than the swords used in the St. Peter’s Basilica massacre.”
The professor pointed at a section of the engraving with her finger.
“This part is different. Still, the engraving level isn’t particularly high, so with some simple processing, we can transfer ownership.”
“Transfer ownership?”
“The elves’ engraving system has already been studied to some extent. I own a few myself.”
“Um… this is just a hypothetical question, but…”
“Yes?”
“Are elf weapons… expensive?”
It was the impression I’d gotten when I first examined the dagger. Even without maintenance, the blade gleamed with a chillingly sharp edge. That blade had pierced through my Rigid Body ability with ease. It’s not something I brag about, but my Rigid Body is tough enough that even Professor Baek Seol-hee can’t break through it unless she gets serious. On top of that, there was the “return-to-owner” engraving she had just mentioned. If I were a frontline attacker, I would have been drooling over it.
“Well, there was a time when a few of them circulated on the black market…”
The professor rested her chin on her hand as if digging through old memories. Then, suddenly, she looked straight at me.
“……?”
“I don’t remember the exact figures, but I think they went for about the price of two apartments.”
Fuck.
I barely swallowed the curse that shot up my throat. I couldn’t possibly swear in front of the professor.
“This dagger doesn’t have such a high-grade engraving, so I’d say it’s probably about half that.”
In other words, the price of one apartment. I had suddenly ended up wielding an apartment in one hand.
“H-how am I supposed to carry this around…?”
I was the type of person who couldn’t understand those who casually walked around wearing luxury foreign cars and expensive watches. What if it got scratched?!
“Ah… don’t worry too much. At first glance, it just looks like a sword with some decoration. Most people don’t know the value of elf-made weapons. There’s information control in place.”
Ah. So this was the kind of information I wasn’t supposed to hear. I almost shuddered at how casually the professor had dropped a landmine at my feet. Or was it not malice, but pure innocence?
“Modifying the engraving will cost a bit…”
She trailed off, but I could roughly guess her concern. After all, how much money could a mere college student have?
“It can’t be helped. I’ll cover the cost. Consider it a gift to celebrate your safe return.”
The professor handed the dagger back to me, then pulled my head into her embrace.
“P-Professor?”
“You’ve been through a lot.”
With my face buried in her chest, Professor Baek Seol-hee stroked the back of my head and continued.
“When I heard you were injured, I felt so guilty I didn’t know what to do.”
“……”
“If I hadn’t suggested it, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt and would have come back safely.”
“…But thanks to that, I obtained a good weapon and even awakened a special ability, didn’t I?”
“Is that more important than your life?”
“Well… no, it isn’t…”
“You are my student. And soon, you will also be my responsibility.”
The warm body heat I felt against the professor’s chest. The woman’s scent that filled my nostrils. The steady heartbeat that reached my ears. All of it brought me comfort. I almost fell asleep right there in Baek Seol-hee’s arms. If she had let go of me even a second later, I really might have dozed off.
The professor handed me a business card and said I could contact the number on it. After that, I got thoroughly beaten during our sparring session. That marked the end of my training with the professor. I returned to my studio apartment.
When I looked at the business card Professor Baek Seol-hee had given me, it read [DEF Atelier, CEO Boris Alexei].
DEF Atelier, CEO Boris Alexei
…Isn’t this the name of Yoon Seo-yeon’s shop?
I took out the business card Yoon Seo-yeon had given me from my wallet. Hers didn’t list any position.
Didn’t Yoon Seo-yeon say she started her own company? Did she get acquired or something?
Harboring that question, I dialed the number for the person named Boris Alexei.
— Yes, this is Boris Alexei.
Since it was a foreign name, I wondered if I should speak in a foreign language, but fluent Korean flowed from the other end. It was the voice of a boy who hadn’t even gone through puberty yet.
— Hello?
“I’m calling on the recommendation of Professor Baek Seol-hee.”
— Ah, Seol-hee noona?
“Excuse me? Noona?”
I had assumed there would be some level of familiarity since Professor Baek Seol-hee had introduced him, but were they really on a noona-dongsaeng basis?
— Ah, ahem. My apologies. Miss Baek Seol-hee contacted me in advance. This is Mr. Ha Hyun-do, correct?
“Yes. I was told you could help with the weapon engraving issue.”
— I’ve heard the details. When would you like to visit?
“Would tomorrow at 2 p.m. be alright?”
— Understood. I’ll see you at the atelier tomorrow.
“Yes, thank you.”
After hanging up, I collapsed onto the bed. The business card Yoon Seo-yeon had given me came to mind. No matter how little we had talked lately, I should still reach out. I picked up my phone again.
Yoon Seo-yeon didn’t answer. She must be busy. I figured leaving a message would be fine.
. . . . .
The next day, I arrived in front of the DEF Atelier building.
“Damn, it’s huge.”
The Hunter Department building was flashy, but compared to DEF Atelier, it looked almost shabby. It took me a while just to find the entrance. I thought I was at a hotel. While the building itself was extravagant, the people I had passed by so far were mostly nerdy types. So many glasses and plaid shirts that I almost thought it was a uniform. Maybe that was just how it was at a place where artisans gathered. Why did every single person, man or woman, dress exactly the same?
With that thought in mind, I stepped through the main entrance. The information desk immediately caught my eye. Since it was the face of the building, it seemed older women in perfectly tailored suits were in charge of reception.
“Excuse me.”
“Welcome. This is DEF Atelier. How may I assist you?”
“I have an appointment with Mr. Boris.”
“Yes. May I have your name, please?”
“Ha Hyun-do.”
When I handed over Boris’s business card to the receptionist, she smiled and gave me a visitor pass.
“Confirmed. Please take this pass and head to the top floor.”
“Thank you. Have a good day.”
I waved off the offer to be guided to the elevator and stepped inside on my own. Even the elevator screamed luxury—the walls were made of solid glass. The ground fell away in an instant, making me feel like I was flying into the sky.
It didn’t take long to reach the top floor. The doors opened to reveal an ornate wooden door waiting for me. Another receptionist stood in front of it. She looked like the secretaries I’d seen in movies or dramas. At that moment, I realized the person I was about to meet was no ordinary individual.
“Ahem.”
I deliberately made my presence known. The secretary naturally turned to me.
“You must be Mr. Ha Hyun-do, who has an appointment with Mr. Boris?”
“Yes.”
“Understood. I’ll let him know.”
The secretary made a quick call on the internal line, then opened the wooden door for me.
“You may enter.”
With a somewhat burdened heart, I stepped inside. A massive office with one entire wall made of glass greeted me. Against that backdrop, a boy stood gazing out the window. Though his frame was small, his presence was anything but ordinary. The boy radiated an aura that seemed to devour the entire space. Just from his back, I could tell he was on a completely different level from me.
Why the hell is someone like him running an atelier?!
I felt cold sweat forming on my forehead. It was like coming face-to-face with a predator in the middle of a forest.
Perhaps sensing my presence, the boy withdrew his overwhelming aura and turned to look at me. The moment it disappeared, I felt like I could breathe again.
“Ah, Mr. Ha Hyun-do. You’ve arrived.”
The boy greeted me with a bright smile. He had shining golden-blond hair and blue eyes. His mischievous aura somehow clashed with the suit, yet strangely suited him perfectly. Boris extended his hand for a handshake.
“Hello. I’ll be in your care this time.”
“Oh please, it’s nothing. If you’re Miss Baek Seol-hee’s student, I should be the one asking for your good favor.”
Just what was this guy’s relationship with the professor? As that question crossed my mind, another familiar voice rang out.
“Director, why did you suddenly call me… huh?”
It was a voice I knew well. When I turned around, Yoon Seo-yeon was staring at me with wide eyes.
“??”
“??”
“Oh? Do you two know each other?”
Into the heavy silence, the boy’s innocent voice flowed like a gentle breeze.