Inside Sihyun Kang's confused mind, thoughts spun rapidly. Perhaps some issue had occurred because of my possession of Kang Sihyun's body. Surely, the sub-main character in my mind wasn't incompetent. If there were problems, they likely stemmed from the 'Yoo Sihyun' side. Sihyun, with a furrowed brow, acknowledged this possibility and glanced back at the teacher.
"Do you know why it's not showing?"
"Usually, if it's an unregistered or new class, or if someone is powerless, the results won't display."
'Powerless.'
That word made Sihyun's heart drop. He looked paler than usual. It seemed pitiable how drained he appeared.
What happens if I'm powerless? Should I just go home? Or will they chew me up, spit me out, and make gossip fodder out of me? How could I be powerless in a school seemingly only for awakened individuals? If I'm dragged off to some lab or something, what then?
Convinced that the tester's lack of response was due to his possession, Sihyun clenched his lips. The teacher, seeing his distress, kindly patted his back.
"Don't worry too much. There has never been a case where the awakening mark vanishes before the class engraving. Could you perhaps tell us where your mark is?"
"The awakening mark?"
"Yeah, like a symbol. It varies by person."
He had never seen anything like that. Not even a suspicious mark during washing. Frowning, Sihyun peeked at his wrist. The teacher mentioned it usually appears on the back of the hand or wrist, yet Sihyun's wrist was pristine.
Am I really powerless?
It was undoubtedly a variable caused by my Reincarnation. The feeling of ruining the once intact life of 'Kang Sihyun' brought a subtle sense of guilt. Just as he was about to nod to convey the absence of the mark to the teacher, a familiar voice intervened.
"It's on the back of his neck. It's a hard-to-see spot, so he can't confirm it himself."
"..."
Daun spoke up. When Sihyun turned to look, their eyes met. In Daun's dark eyes, there was an ominous glint. As if contemplating murder, he stared before casually brushing Sihyun's arm and diverting his gaze to the short-haired girl beside him.
Patting Daun as if consoling, the girl attempted to placate him, or more accurately, it felt like saying, "Be nice, Daun. Just look once. Just this once."
"Indeed..."
Having been told it was at the back of his neck, Sihyun hesitantly showed his neck, partially covering it with his hair, to the teacher, who then confirmed the distinct blue mark on Sihyun's neck.
"The mark is still there."
"Then..."
This time, he felt uneasy for a different reason.
Looking at the teacher with uncertain eyes, Sihyun received a comforting pat on the shoulder and a mix of relief and laughter from the teacher before they addressed the 95 students.
It was the class announcement.
"New classes!"
"Wow―!"
Amidst the tension and silence, the deafening cheers erupted. Though lower-level classes like reinforcement or control might appear, there could also be new advanced classes like healer or dual-class. Encouraged by the teacher's words, Sihyun listened attentively.
A new class, huh? It would have been nice if it were some mediocre ability, not something as mundane as tripping on the street, but the sub-main character in my mind wouldn't have such an insignificant ability. A new class. At this point, isn't that almost like a protagonist?
Feeling like he urgently needed to retract the sympathetic thoughts about Kang Sihyun's career, Sihyun, feeling irritated, muttered the words he had considered several times before.
This talk...
He genuinely couldn't hear it.
"Congratulations, Sihyun!"
"Hey, Kang Sihyun! Congratulations! Please act like you know something from now on!"
Feeling utterly exposed and wanting to dismiss everyone laughing while oblivious to his inner turmoil, Sihyun's gaze dropped. Suddenly, he met eyes with Hamin Lee, who was below the stage.
Grinning or sneering, Hamin, with deep purple eyes, stared at Sihyun. Avoiding his gaze felt like losing, so when they locked eyes, Hamin, finding it amusing, slightly raised the corners of his mouth.
Without uttering a word, Hamin seemed to mock or jest with his mouth, looking at Sihyun with an intimidating gaze before lightly touching someone next to him, a girl with short hair.
Inaudibly conveying something with his mouth, Hamin met Sihyun's puzzled gaze. Soon, a resentful glare could be felt.
Quietly turning his head, Sihyun found Daun. Holding his lips in, Sihyun, with a groan, touched his forehead. It was a complete mess.
It felt like someone had splattered ink on his carefully painted canvas.
When the chaotic and bewildering class test finally ended, teachers began distributing two rings to the students. Just as he wondered if they were admission gifts, the principal began speaking.
"The silver rings we're distributing now are called Assist Pairings. They adjust to fit the wearer's finger circumference. They record the owner's name, class, and heart rate. Inside our school, they serve as IDs instead of student cards. And the remaining one of these pairings is..."
Pausing there, the principal looked at the students with a grin, almost like seeing his grandchildren.
"The remaining pairing is for your partner for the next six months."
"Partner?"
The headmaster tapped the microphone as if urging the murmuring students to quiet down, then resumed speaking once the auditorium had reached a certain level of silence.
"During your three years at Choaegang High School, you will meet a total of six partners. These partners will accompany you in partner classes and assist during the bi-monthly evaluations."
After a brief pause, the headmaster continued the explanation.
"There are no restrictions on choosing partners. It can be a friend, someone compatible with your class, or if it's difficult to decide, teachers can help pair up the remaining students. Once you've chosen a partner, you cannot change for six months, so please be mindful. Partner registration is completed automatically when both wear the pairing device. For any further inquiries, please ask the teachers on the right side of the auditorium."
With that said, a silver pairing device arrived for Sihyun as well. While the headmaster momentarily surveyed the students, holding one bland-patterned device and another in his hand, he confirmed that every student had received their pairings before speaking again.
"That concludes the entrance test. Class-specific imprints will be given tomorrow, and from tomorrow until the end of summer vacation, you'll reside in the school dorms, so please bring your belongings. Now, budding students of Choaegang High School, let's begin partner registration!"
"Wow!"
Despite the long speech, the students, their eyes sparkling, erupted into cheers as soon as the headmaster finished, engaging in conversations among themselves.
Amidst whispers of "Do you want to be partners?" echoing around, Sihyun, still shocked at the news of spending the next four months in the dorms alone, gazed around while the bewildered headmaster descended from the stage.
At the end of the ceremony, Daun, whom I thought might rush towards me, seemed to have already chosen a partner. She was exchanging rings with the short-haired girl I had seen earlier, pushing away the approaching boys.
No way! A cry of disbelief echoed in Sihyun's mind as he witnessed the uproar of cheers.
"Haemin, be my partner!"
"Seowoo, how about partnering with me?"
"Haewoon, I love you! Let's get married!"
"Don't touch Geonu; he's everyone's!"
Astounded.
What a strange statement about 'everyone's.' Haemin and Haewoon, enjoying as much popularity as their classes, and Geonu and Seowoo, both tankers and inspectors, stood amidst the cheers. Sihyun observed the uproar of people cheering indiscriminately and shuddered, stepping back.
Wanting to distance himself from the commotion, Sihyun walked towards a corner of the auditorium, searching for a teacher.
His class was undetermined, implying nobody knew what class they would belong to. New classes required self-discovery of abilities, a process expected to take some time. Until then, nobody could determine if their class would be mediocre or exceptional. Hence, there wouldn't be anyone eager to partner with him.
High risk, high return. It was either a hit or miss. Sihyun reluctantly prepared to call the teacher.
Suddenly, a brash voice echoed behind Sihyun.
"Hey."
Turning at the sound, he faced an impudent face with faint wrinkles on the smooth forehead.
'Why is he calling me?'
Though Sihyun had made sure to avoid causing trouble and giving a wide berth to popular people, he couldn't comprehend why Haemin approached him with an odd request.
There was no memory of doing anything to offend Haemin, so Sihyun, observing Haemin's disheveled appearance, reached out towards him.
"…?"
Unexpectedly, Haemin smiled as Sihyun blinked in confusion. It was an unfortunate smile.
"Hand it over?"
"What?"
"Give me the ring, and I'll pair up with you."
"…."
It was a confident and unreserved demand. The look on Sihyun's face made it evident that he hadn't even considered rejecting the proposal. Yet, before Sihyun could decline, a sizable hand swiftly wrapped around his shoulder.
Out of nowhere, an arm emerged from behind and pulled Sihyun close. Feeling the firmness of the arm against his back, Sihyun raised his head, meeting a familiar face.
"Sorry, he already has an owner."
Accompanied by a gentle tone, the familiar face spoke softly.
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