The Conjurer of the Academy

Chapter 83

“Hehe, thanks. I ran out here without thinking, but when it came to actually finding the way, I didn’t have a clue.”

I caught up with Jeong Ha-rin, who sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.

“By the way, do you have any idea where Jeong Ji-hwan might have gone?”

“Probably.”

Jeong Ha-rin nodded.

Even on the way to the special training room, she seemed somewhat anxious.

“Ji-hwan often locks himself in the training room when things don’t go his way. Did something happen in class today? Ji-hwan isn’t the type to get bullied by anyone.”

“Well…”

I couldn’t exactly say it was because his pride was hurt, so I decided to play dumb for now.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

As we arrived at the training room, the sound of something breaking bricks echoed.

“Ji-hwan!”

When the door to the training room opened, the hot, trapped air inside rushed out.

“Damn it!”

With an angry shout, the large punching bag hanging in the communal area shook violently.

“Jeong Ji-hwan, did you skip lunch again?!”

“Jeong Ha-rin? What are you doing here?”

In the moment Ji-hwan paused to throw another punch,

Bang!

“Gah!”

The returning punching bag struck Ji-hwan, lifting him off the ground.

“Ji-hwan, are you okay?”

“Just leave me alone!”

Ji-hwan wiped the blood from his mouth and got up. His bare upper body was drenched in sweat, indicating he’d been hitting the punching bag all lunch period.

“You skipped lunch again and came here to blow off steam, didn’t you!”

“Blow off steam? I just felt like moving.”

“Liar. You always go to hit the punching bag when you’re upset.”

“Shut up!”

Ji-hwan’s face turned red from Ha-rin’s accusation.

“Ha-rin came here because she’s worried about you. Don’t you think that’s a bit harsh?”

Han Yu-seong, who had been observing, stepped forward.

“Who is this giant? Are you even a high school student?”

Ji-hwan looked Han Yu-seong up and down. It seemed it was my turn to intervene.

“That’s Han Yu-seong and Shin Seo-ha, the ones you’ve been looking for.”

“What?”

Ji-hwan’s demeanor instantly changed. His eyes sharpened, just like when he was hitting the punching bag earlier.

“There’s still time before lunch ends. Clean up, and let’s go eat. If you behave as promised, I’ll make sure you get to face those two.”

“Hey, who decided that!”

Shin Seo-ha, hearing this for the first time, shouted in surprise. It would have been better if we had coordinated our story beforehand, but to get Ji-hwan out of the training room—

“You must be joking.”

Ji-hwan took a fighting stance, like a boxer.

“Why should I listen to a weakling like you when they’re right in front of me?”

“Weakling?”

Han Yu-seong tilted his head in confusion.

“That comment you just made to Ha-baek—”

“Shut up and fight. You’re Han Yu-seong, right? Today, I’m going to see with my own eyes if the rumors are true.”

Jeong Ji-hwan beckoned Han Yu-seong with his finger. Han Yu-seong, looking troubled, waved his hands.

“We’ll get in trouble with the teachers if we spar without protectors. It’s not allowed.”

“Sparring, my foot.”

As he finished speaking, Ji-hwan charged at Han Yu-seong.

“Idiot, this is just a fight!”

As Ji-hwan rapidly closed the distance to Han Yu-seong,

Rumble—!

The space seemed to warp and twist.

“Argh!”

Ji-hwan, who had been charging furiously, was suddenly slammed to the ground as if he was being crushed.

‘Gravity manipulation.’

The moment Ji-hwan entered Han Yu-seong’s range of power, Han Yu-seong immobilized him without lifting a finger.

Lying flat on the floor, Ji-hwan couldn’t even raise his head.

“Wh-what is this—?”

“Sorry, but fighting without wearing protectors is against school rules. Someone could get hurt.”

Han Yu-seong looked down at Ji-hwan with clear, earnest eyes. I quietly approached the fallen Ji-hwan and whispered softly.

“If you’re caught fighting without protectors, it won’t end well. You wouldn’t want an official notice sent to your school about this, would you?”

“Ugh.”

Ji-hwan shuddered slightly.

Though he might have a strong personality, Jeong Ji-hwan is definitely one of Seohun’s top students. Moreover, given how he initially went on about the differences between Babel and Seohun, it’s clear he isn’t lacking in school pride.

“Even if I’m a weakling, you’ll do me this favor, right?”

If he wants another chance to prove himself, he has no choice but to comply with me.

“…Damn it.”

I took that as his implicit agreement.

* * *

‘Tomorrow it finally ends.’

The exchange students are only here for a week. Time flew by, and there was just one day left before they returned.

“Today’s a day out. Make sure to be back by 2 PM. Don’t be late, or you’ll get demerits, so don’t go too far.”

Choi Tae-min muttered as he scrolled through his smartphone.

Today was a special day when students were allowed to go out during the school day. As part of the exchange student curriculum, the idea was to build strong friendships with the students they’d soon part with… but…

“Where are you going?”

“I’m thinking of watching a movie.”

“I heard a new pasta place open nearby. Let’s check it out!”

The students were more focused on using this time for themselves, completely ignoring the exchange students. Since no one had really formed a close bond with Ji-hwan, I couldn’t blame them.

‘But what about him…’

I glanced at Ji-hwan.

He stood there sullenly, not showing much reaction.

‘He’s been quiet.’

Since being subdued by Han Yu-seong, Ji-hwan has been grudgingly following my instructions. However, I couldn’t exactly be happy about it; he seemed more deflated, speaking less and appearing somewhat downcast.

[The current state of ‘Jeong Ji-hwan’ is ‘Depressed’.]

‘At this rate, I can’t expect a good reward.’

Jeong Ji-hwan was clearly feeling down. Not being a mind reader, I couldn’t see into his thoughts.

‘There’s still one more hurdle left.’

Moreover, the difficulty of the situation wasn’t over. The quest required more than just building a relationship with the exchange student.

“Yomi, any suspicious presences around?”

[No unusual signs were detected. By the way, you seem sharper than usual today.]

“I have my reasons.”

I scanned the surroundings.

The peaceful street was bustling with customers in the shops.

[Recently, the government announced plans to increase the number of hunters in each area due to the frequent appearances of monsters.]

Contrary to the media’s warnings, the streets were quiet. But I knew what was about to happen here.

‘Monster attack.’

This incident is unrelated to the C-virus. Monsters appear through dimension portals called Gates, and there’s a slim chance a Gate will open on this street.

Current human technology has limitations in predicting the occurrence of Gates. Announcing that a Gate will open here would just make me look like a lunatic.

Moreover, if a Gate does actually open, I’d be interrogated about how I knew it. So informing others would only backfire.

But there’s no need to try to forcefully prevent it. The core of this event isn’t the subjugation of the monsters. Since it’s close to the city, the hunters will take care of them soon enough.

‘So the key is how the story unfolds between the exchange student and myself during the incident.’

Originally, the player could choose to either flee with Jeong Ha-rin, fight alongside her, leave her behind, and escape alone, or evacuate her alone.

Depending on these choices, the trust built so far could be shattered or the relationship significantly improved.

‘Can’t be helped. Might as well stick together during the outing to boost his mood.’

Regardless of the choice, staying close to the exchange student is essential.

“Then let’s go—”

Just as I reached out to Ji-hwan,

“What the—where did he go?”

Ji-hwan, who had been behind me just a moment ago, had vanished without a trace. He must have gotten impatient and wandered off.

“Just as I thought.”

[Are you planning to chase after him?]

I clutched my forehead, feeling the onset of a migraine. When I removed my hand, my eyes, imbued with spiritual energy, glowed blue.

“Of course. Before he causes any trouble.”

Following the faint traces of spiritual energy left behind, I started pursuing Ji-hwan.

* * *

“Hoo…”

Ji-hwan wandered aimlessly through the streets. His swagger from the first day had long vanished, replaced by slumped shoulders.

‘I’ll just kill some time until it’s time to head back.’

He sat down on the edge of a fountain and looked up at the sky.

The other exchange students seemed to have bonded with their classmates and were enjoying their time.

“…”

As Ji-hwan stared blankly upwards,

“What are you doing here?”

“Whoa, you scared me!”

Ise-ah suddenly leaned in, nearly causing Ji-hwan to stumble and fall into the fountain.

“Why are you here?”

“I was just doing some shopping nearby. I heard there was a nice necklace in stock.”

Ise-ah brushed her hair back.

She had clearly been one of the first to leave among the students. On closer inspection, she was holding a shopping bag with a luxury store logo.

“What are you doing here?”

Ise-ah frowned openly, dissatisfied that he hadn’t answered her earlier question.

“What does it look like? Just sitting here.”

“No, I mean, why are you sitting here with such a miserable face?”

“Who says I look miserable?”

His voice rose reflexively but soon quieted down.

“Sigh.”

Ji-hwan took a deep breath and looked up again. With nothing left to hide, he spoke candidly.

“I feel pathetic. I’m trailing behind Han Yu-seong, sure, but I’m also behind that weakling Seol Ha-baek in every class.”

His confession, made in desperation, wasn’t met with sympathy.

“Are you an idiot?”

Ise-ah looked down at Ji-hwan with a face full of contempt.

“Have you still not understood after spending a week together? Are you just naive or plain stupid?”

“What did you just say?”

Ji-hwan snapped, standing up abruptly.

“Ugh-!”

Ji-hwan’s body was lifted into the air, something invisible and immense choking him.

“Ha-ha, look at your face.”

Ise-ah laughed sadistically as Ji-hwan struggled.

“Sorry, I’m not as kind as Seol Ha-baek. Honestly, I’ve wanted to do this ever since you started acting all high and mighty. How do you expect to beat Seol Ha-baek when you can’t even beat me? Haven’t you realized he’s been humoring you this whole time?”

“Seol Ha-baek…?”

Thud!

As the force choking his neck loosened, Ji-hwan fell to the ground. He coughed repeatedly as his lungs filled with much-needed air.

“Well, you can stay here and sulk like a drenched rat. I’ve got more shopping to do.”

Though people murmured at the sudden commotion, Ise-ah paid them no mind. She calmly left, leaving Ji-hwan on the ground. Of course, even as she departed, a sneer remained on her lips.

“I am…”

Ji-hwan, now alone, was oblivious to the stares from passersby.

“I am…!”

As he kept punching the innocent ground in frustration,

Wooooom—!

The previously clear sky began to darken suddenly.

“A monster! A monster has appeared!”

“Help, somebody, help!”

With a piercing scream signaling the start, people began pouring onto the main road in a panic.