Unlike the excited students moving to the dormitory, the atmosphere in the conference room was undeniably solemn. The dry air made mouths parched, and amidst a heavy, suffocating silence, the one to break it was the principal.
"He's still young and it's risky."
As the highest authority spoke, the teachers who had been holding back their opinions started to voice their thoughts one by one.
"I agree. If we reveal Sihyun's abilities, the Association will surely consider extermination."
"The school's primary responsibility is to protect its students. Just because the Association demands it doesn't mean we can send the student away!"
"Above all, Sihyun is still young. Yes, he handled the Irregulars wisely today, but officially deploying him to Mirgun is too much."
"But the Association will continue to pressurize."
The expressions of the teachers darkened at the words of the man with chestnut hair tied back to his waist. The principal sighed in resignation amidst the acknowledging atmosphere.
"He's too outstanding, it's a headache."
Brushing off his silvery hair, the principal tapped the table lightly with his fingertips. The intermittent sound broke the silence.
"...Is it impossible to keep this hidden from the Association?"
When one of the teachers cautiously slipped in their words amid the ongoing conversation, everyone else around nodded as if in agreement, or at least acceptance.
"That's absurd."
"The Association lacks consideration. Forcing kids into Mirgun from the second year is harsh, let alone Sihyun, who's still in the first year."
"It's the Association."
"And there might be conflicts with overseas awakening centers. That young student could even become the cause of a national struggle."
"They wouldn't attempt kidnapping, would they?"
"...I hope not. They didn't go that far even when the Dual emerged two years ago."
"But this time it's the Quadruple. A Quadruple! Will they just stand by?"
"..."
After several exchanges, silence settled again. The discussion yielded only concerns without solutions. The principal, creasing his forehead deeply, pondered amid the conversation that provided no resolution. Lips chewed in the complexity of the situation, the principal slammed the table, resolute.
Bang. Eyes darted towards him. The principal swallowed as gazes turned towards him.
"Let's do this. As discussed, the school is a space to protect students. We might not be able to avoid the compulsory Mirgun training from the second year onward, but at least until the first year, we will protect Sihyun from external interference."
"But the Association will pressure us."
"Ignore it."
"What?"
"The risks are high."
The worried voices met the principal's gaze. Slowly scanning the many eyes now fixated on him, the principal took a deep breath, reminiscing about his teaching career. He closed his eyes slowly, then, wide awake, clenched his fist. His intensified gaze pierced through the air.
"For the next year, disregard any pressure from the Association related to Sihyun."
"But—"
"All responsibility rests on me."
Emphasizing the negative conjunction, the principal raised his voice. A brief silence ensued. Within that silence, the principal firmly reinforced his command.
"All responsibility rests on me. No matter how exceptional his class, he's still a young student. And we are the teachers."
"..."
Even the dissenting voices among the teachers quieted down. It was only a while later, in the vague and unresolved aspects, that the meeting progressed. With the most crucial issue settled, the atmosphere eased slightly. Sighing in the midst of that sight, the principal leaned against the backrest of his chair.
The forgotten headache returned.
The discussions in the conference room had gone on for a long time.
---
Following the disciplinary teacher, Sihyun walked towards the dormitory building behind the auditorium, gaping as he laid eyes on the five-story luxurious structure. It felt like looking at a high-end mansion.
"This is the dorm? Looks more like a rich estate."
Murmuring his honest impression within himself, Sihyun exchanged light nods with Daun as she moved away, carrying her belongings, before entering the building.
"Simply state your name at the lobby and collect your room key. Unless there's an exceptional case where partners have different genders, you'll be sharing a room with your partner and two others in a four-person room. Please maintain a cordial relationship with your roommate. Also, be cautious not to mistakenly enter floors from the third level onwards, as those are for advanced students."
Listening to the detailed instructions, Sihyun nodded and walked towards where the counter seemed to be, presumably the lobby on the ground floor.
"Kang Sihyun, with Ban Haru."
As he mentioned Haru's name, the teacher behind the counter, wearing glasses, glanced at Sihyun and handed over two keys.
"Room 207."
Checking the room number on the keys, Sihyun felt a bit disappointed that it wasn't on the ground floor. It seemed inconvenient to climb the stairs every time he visited the dorm.
"Our room is 207, hyung."
"Ah..."
As Haru handed over the keys, a short sigh escaped him. Whether it was out of fondness or regret, Sihyun couldn't tell. He glanced at him discreetly and then hoisted his carrier bag, climbing the stairs. With each step Sihyun took, the staircase echoed beneath his feet until...
Staggering, Sihyun slipped.
"Careful!"
His body tilting, as if to ask, "When did this happen?" Sihyun found himself caught by Haru's hand, steadying him. It was the first time Haru had raised his voice, and Sihyun blinked in surprise.
Did he just shout?
Replaying the warning "careful" that had sharply pierced his ears, Sihyun stared at Haru with a puzzled expression. A strange sensation enveloped him.
He had never thought of receiving help in unexpected situations; he only ever considered protecting or looking after others. So being aided unexpectedly left him astonished.
"Thank you."
"...Mm."
Once Sihyun had righted himself and felt somewhat uneasy, he adjusted his carrier bag and let go of Haru's hand, who had been holding onto it. Then, as if to demonstrate, he continued up the stairs. Despite feeling somewhat drained and the bag's weight being burdensome due to his already weakened strength, maintaining his focus prevented him from faltering as he ascended.
"It's fine now. I momentarily forgot I was low on energy earlier due to using my mana."
"Oh..."
Haru sighed as if trying to reassure him. Slowly, he lowered his hand. Only then could Sihyun move his feet comfortably.
After ascending some steps, Sihyun realized Haru was carrying the bag up behind him. Unlike his own precarious first steps, Haru's ascent was remarkably effortless. Sihyun chuckled at the sight of someone larger than himself carrying a bag larger than his own up the stairs; it felt oddly amusing, like a chick worrying about a lion.
As Sihyun swiftly reached Room 207, he turned his head. Given that 206 was immediately visible after turning the corner from the stairs, it seemed the girls' rooms ended at 205.
Though they had to use stairs, Sihyun couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't 210, and he approached Room 207, inserting the key into the doorknob. Haru followed behind. After checking on him, Sihyun turned the key, and with a click, the door opened.
Despite the sophisticated exterior, the old-fashioned way of using keys felt outdated to Sihyun as he stepped inside.
"Wow..."
The sight inside made him gasp in disbelief. Sihyun had never known a second-floor mattress could be this wide.
"This is a dormitory, not a palace..."
His sincere amazement poured out. In a room so spacious it bordered on luxurious for a dorm, Sihyun propped his carrier bag in a corner. Despite feeling an immediate urge to collapse onto the seemingly plush bed due to his overwhelming fatigue, he needed to decide which side to choose.
"Hey, which side do you prefer, top or bottom?"
"Huh?"
"The bed. If you tend to sleepwalk, you might want the bottom."
Considering the size of the bed, it didn't seem likely he'd roll off even if he turned twice on top.
Haru, who had been pondering nonchalantly, replied that he preferred the top. Hastily, Sihyun walked to the bottom bed and seemed satisfied with the surprisingly spacious vertical space before tossing himself onto the mattress.
Sinking into the softness of the blankets, Sihyun felt a wave of lethargy wash over him. As he relaxed into the serene comfort, thoughts of Haru nullifying the wish ticket unexpectedly surfaced in his mind.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
The response came from the top bunk.
"About the wish. Why didn't you make one?"
"...Hm?"
"The number one wish."
"Ah..."
"Is it really because you didn't have one?"
"No..."
"Then?"
Exhausted and with closed eyes, Sihyun probed further, only for the door to open abruptly as he attempted to step out of bed.
Whether it was their roommate or not, as long as it wasn't a top-ranking irregular, Sihyun was fine with anyone. But as he peeked inside the room, his usually composed expression crumpled.
Damn this cursed flag.
Truly, luck seemed to have abandoned him completely.
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