Chapter 250
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 250
Chapter Title: Lesson 48. Teacher Ban Yu-won - 5
-----------------------------------------------------------------
That evening, for some reason, Yumina called him not to the academy annex restaurant where they always met, but to her own professor's office.
Ban Yu-won felt a chill run down his spine the moment he stepped inside and sensed a barrier forming around the entire office, blocking out all outsiders. But he forgot to even ask about it when he saw Yumina's eyes widen in shock at the sight of him.
"My goodness..."
Perhaps because she'd once wielded the same power, her jewel-like sparkling eyes clearly reflected the starlight shining brightly within Ban Yu-won's body.
She hurriedly sat him down right in front of her and examined him meticulously from head to toe before finally letting out an exclamation.
"You really mastered starlight...! The unique magic of the Starlight Musician, now that she's no longer a constellation."
"Ever since coming to Union Academy, I've realized most things claimed to be 'unique' aren't all that unique. It worked out well for me, too, Teacher."
With those words, Ban Yu-won tapped the bracelet on his arm to show her, but it remained completely still, showing no reaction.
He frowned and fiddled with it more, and suddenly it contracted, tightening around his wrist—as if it was embarrassed.
Yumina gave a faint smile at the sight.
"So, you wanted to meet to tell me about that? Older Sister did it again..."
"Last time, Professor—no, Older Sister."
Caught by her intense gaze, Ban Yu-won hastily corrected himself.
"You talked about starlight magic. You said only fragments remained... I think I can improve it."
"Ah, yeah... I see."
Her lukewarm response made him check her expression, and her eyes showed little expectation.
When Ban Yu-won looked puzzled, she gave a wry smile and said,
"Like I said before, I'm just a professor now. Even if I could wield starlight again, nothing would change. For someone like me, who lost her and retreated behind the stage, I don't have the right to..."
She sounded like an idol who'd retired in disgrace due to scandal, then lowered her head and murmured in a tiny voice,
"No, sorry. Truth is, I just lack confidence."
"I like your honesty."
"I'm scared... What if I can't master it? What if I betray your expectations, Yu-won?"
"It's fine. First, hold out your hand..."
"Hand?"
Before he could finish, she'd already grabbed one of his hands—with speed that skipped the process and left only the result.
"Older Sister, just now..."
"What's wrong with hands?"
"Well, you know."
Ban Yu-won felt a bit awkward but focused his consciousness on her hand in his.
Then, faintly, the concepts within her body rose before his eyes.
He could peer deeper than he'd expected—not just because they shared a priestly bond, but due to their special connection through Cellon.
—What are you doing? Hug her! Kiss her quick!
'Shut up.'
He snapped at Cellon, who was babbling telepathically like a lovesick fool, silencing it before searching for the fragments of starlight dwelling within Yumina.
It was simple: just find the target resonating with the power asserting itself inside him.
Starlight (星光) 337
'There it is.'
Unlike the starlight magic Ban Yu-won had mastered, this one was mixed with other concepts, forming a complex compound—but everything except the starlight was distorted and broken, rendering it non-functional.
Likely, the concepts granted as powers through her contract with the constellation Starlight Musician had been damaged when the contract was forcibly severed.
'What? Then isn't this simple?'
Ban Yu-won tilted his head, noting how intact and radiant the starlight portion remained despite everything.
Just clean away the messy remnants and conceptualize it as pure starlight magic.
That is...
—Kiss!
Right, if he could forge a deep enough connection to alter the concepts within her body.
But let's think for a moment.
Just a little while ago, hadn't he kissed Aska to solve her issue?
At least Aska was a comrade who'd be with him before and after.
Before that, to sever her contract with the Followers of Man-gab, he'd even kissed Keera, a Prominence collateral ability user he'd just met.
She'd shown affection from the start, but without that kiss, their relationship would've stayed at acquaintance level.
But because of it? It created an opportunity to get even more deeply entangled.
'Of course. Interfering with someone's inner concepts requires that level of deep bond. If I go around offering it to everyone just because I can, I'll end up tangled in complicated relationships with them all.'
—Quit yapping and kiss her already! Don't you know she likes you?!
Ignoring Cellon, Ban Yu-won kept thinking.
He wasn't rethinking his relationship with Yumina per se.
To avoid getting tangled in complex ties with others every time something came up, he needed to learn simpler, more efficient ways to wield his powers.
Especially since he'd soon have to fix Shati's powers too.
—Deal with that later—hug the girl in front of you now!
Ban Yu-won finally stowed the chattering Cellon—clearly plotting this from the start—into his Inventory.
Of course, he couldn't block the messages entirely, but at least the direct nagging was gone.
"Ah..."
Once he'd grasped the concepts and let go of her hand, Yumina unwittingly sighed before clearing her throat and speaking up.
"How was it? Is it impossible after all...?"
"No, it should work. All Older Sister lost was the stigmata."
"Stigmata...?"
From there,
Ban Yu-won explained the structure of a constellation's powers to her.
A constellation's unique abilities merge with stigmata to pass to the contractor; Yumina had lost her stigmata, so she couldn't wield the unique power.
Like having a game account intact but losing the password, unable to log in.
Of course, this wasn't common—Cellon hadn't withdrawn its power from Yumina even as it lost its constellation status.
"So, the Starlight Musician..."
"But a contract with a constellation is like a cheat key to easily wield powers humans struggle with. If you truly understand the power, you should be able to use it anytime, even without the contract."
In fact, Ban Yu-won freely wielded powers ripped from various constellations.
Stigmata would amplify them, sure—but without stigmata, the power didn't become an empty shell.
"So, let's remodel Older Sister's perception first. The essence of the power is still inside you. You're just trying to wield the magic through the constellation, that's why it fails."
"Through the constellation, the Starlight Musician. Right... I've always used starlight that way."
Yumina murmured wistfully at his words, then smiled faintly as something came to mind.
"I can't rely on her forever... And Yu-won, I hope you don't feel burdened."
"Huh?"
"She was always so worried, maybe she pestered you with every little thing and stressed you out. But Older Sister isn't that weak, so don't worry too much."
See? Cellon got caught red-handed trying its clumsy scheme—even by her!
Ban Yu-won sighed but reached out again, grasping Yumina's hand.
"Ah...?!"
"Cellon—ah, that's what I call the Starlight Musician. She's helped in many ways, but I'm not swayed by her, so don't worry. If anything, I'm glad for her help in aiding you."
"Really?"
"Of course. She even organized the Level Force for me—how could I not be grateful to her? No way I'd feel burdened by this."
"I see...?"
Yumina blushed but didn't pull her hand away.
She squeezed back a little and spoke.
"If you say it that much... maybe I can have a bit of hope?"
Just a tiny bit.
The affection Yumina held for Ban Yu-won—and the hesitation proportional to it—narrowed the gap between them ever so slightly.
Caught off guard by this first offensive from his 500-year-old "older sister," Ban Yu-won panicked.
'Huh? Isn't the flow a bit off?'
—What did I tell you! What did I say!
Despite Cellon's tantrum—like before its memories were freed—Ban Yu-won found it annoying, yet looking at Yumina's overflowing emotions, he couldn't bring himself to be cold to her.
There was no pure pink affection, sure—but the rest was filled with longing and emptiness.
Emotions he'd never seen in girls his age.
Too heavy a backstory and feelings to handle lightly.
'You're at fault too, Cellon.'
—That's why I'm doing this...
Cellon probably knew Yumina's state was worse than Ban Yu-won thought and hoped he'd soothe her heart.
Ban Yu-won felt a bit frustrated that he, with his power to see emotions visually, knew less about someone he considered close than Cellon, who'd just regained its memories.
'Your method was bad.'
—I was desperate... Sorry.
But human relationships don't improve with outside meddling.
Glad he hadn't acted rashly, Ban Yu-won patted his chest.
"Yu-won, do you know star-finding?"
"The magic needed to borrow power from external stars, right?"
"You learned properly. It's... ah."
A bit closer, then a bit more—Yumina's shoulder touched his.
She flinched at the contact and pulled back slightly, then cautiously closed the distance again.
She wanted to lean on him physically, too.
"When my magic power wasn't abundant, I had to borrow star power to use starlight magic."
Successfully leaning her shoulder against him, Yumina gazed at Union Academy's night sky through the office's massive window and continued.
"So the first thing she taught me was star-finding. Resonating with the stars in the sky using magic infused with starlight, amplifying their sparkle and borrowing their power... It was incredibly beautiful."
"Shall we try?"
"Could you?"
Ban Yu-won nodded and extended one hand.
Light magic surged, broke through into his unique domain, turned to starlight, and formed a magic circle with its distinctive wavelength.
The moment the magic circle completed, the twinkling stars beyond the window began lighting up one by one in sequence.
Hard for non-starlight users to notice, but to Ban Yu-won and Yumina here, it was a dazzling fireworks-like night performance.
'If this were Earth, I'd point out the Summer Triangle.'
Deneb, Altair, Vega...
He'd memorized them to impress a future girlfriend!
As Ban Yu-won grumbled inwardly, something plopped onto his shoulder.
Without looking, he knew it was a tear—and froze.
Yumina hurriedly pulled away, covering her face with her hands.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to. I just got a little nostalgic..."
"It's okay."
"So pathetic, huh? A full professor at the academy."
"Older Sister..."
For some reason, not the most fitting words for the moment.
But observing the vibrations and flows of concepts within Yumina, Ban Yu-won found the answer to his earlier dilemma.
A way to change inner concepts without forging deep bonds.
"Older Sister can do it again."
"But."
"Like I did. Try imitating me."
She sniffled and raised one hand.
Buried in the messy remnants of the constellation's complex concepts, the starlight blazed brightly.
Ban Yu-won's declaration, infused with his will, shot forth with vitality, cleanly sweeping away everything covering Yumina's starlight.
All-Speaking Lips' depth has reached 360.
Dominion's depth has reached 125.
His words empowered by his own command manifested as divine speech, turning declaration into reality.
And the result—
"Ah...!"
The stars in the sky, dimming as Ban Yu-won's magic ended, now blazed even brighter than before.
The magic circle rising from Yumina's fingertips had completed as independent starlight magic.
Yumina's jewel-like eyes widened in awe at her first starlight magic since the contract with Starlight Musician ended.
"Yu-won, I just."
"See? Told you it's simple."
"Really... How?"
Her dazed, age-defying cuteness made Ban Yu-won smile proudly as he took her hand again.
She'd need practice to know for sure, but this erased any worry of earning the "kiss maniac" label.
—Your power growing is great, but why this timing! Why!
Cellon, scheming to pair them, was furious at the undesired outcome—but for Ban Yu-won, it was far more satisfactory.
"Thank you, Yu-won...!"
Though it made Yumina burst into tears again.
After crying her fill, she fell asleep leaning on him, trapping him in her room for a while.
...And from the next day, Yumina's attitude toward Ban Yu-won clearly changed, so everyone noticed something had happened between them!