"Well then, enjoy your vacation and see you again with a healthy face!"
It was a phrase he hadn't heard in a long time. After hearing even the lively greeting from the homeroom teacher, Sihyun felt the reality of the vacation. As he rolled up his carrier and left the school field, Sihyun suddenly stopped in front of the school gate, looking back. His initial appearance, walking with the carrier here, filled the empty field as students rushed out. Walking beside him was Daun.
He closed his eyes slowly and, when he opened them, he saw the Grandmaster and Wisdom walking alongside him, including the events of the day.
"...I guess I'm a bit hungry."
Certainly, he needed to eat something nutritious.
Sihyun, who cleared the illusion in front of him by shaking his head slightly, gripped the handle of the carrier. Somehow, his heart felt a bit uneasy.
Unlike when he entered, he took out his phone with a nervous expression, as he couldn't remember the way home. While opening the navigation app, someone tapped on Sihyun's shoulder. Brown hair filled his blue eyes with a puzzled look.
"Forget the way home?"
"Jidaun?"
It was strange to see him here, considering he had clearly mentioned going separately with Wisdom. Sihyun blinked his eyes slowly, and Daun moved, saying that he would not go with him.
"It turns out, your way home is in the opposite direction. Are you taking this fluffy thing with you?"
"Pfft!"
Sihyun nodded his head in response to Daun's words, learning about the fluffy thing she referred to through Pia's reply. It was the one holding up the carrier with one hand and skillfully balancing a phone on the other, not letting it fall despite the movements.
"If it's not my mana, it won't eat."
"Hmm."
Cute.
The impression was brief. After the math trip, he acted as if he wouldn't see me, but now, as I fainted again, he began approaching. It was unexpected for Sihyun, who felt the distance between him and Daun due to the awkwardness. Now, he couldn't pretend to be Kang Sihyun anymore, and he didn't want to portray someone else's personality to satisfy a few people. Originally, how could he imitate Kang Sihyun's vitality and eloquence? So, with determination, he decided to live as Kang Sihyun, following his whims. If Daun felt uncomfortable and distanced himself from me, there was nothing I could do. He had tried to get closer to Kang Sihyun's influence and effort, after all.
If he rejected me, there was nothing I could do. Thinking so, he tried to eat peacefully, but it was indeed a bit unsettling. However, without realizing it, they became close again, and although it was fortunate, it was also awkward.
Sihyun resisted the urge to ask if Daun was okay now. He didn't want to disturb Daun, who had become quiet again. Asking about evaluations and how he was getting along with Wisdom seemed pointless. The conversation during the walk home was filled with awkward topics. When asked how he would spend the vacation, Sihyun replied that he would rest lying down on his bed. Then, after a while, Daun, who had been silent, finally said a brief word when they arrived at his house.
"Seems like you're back," he said.
Sihyun looked at Daun who had closed the door and turned his head towards the door he should enter. Taking a deep breath about three times, he opened the door and went inside. Sneaking in cautiously like a burglar, the sound of the door closing, the cheerful sound of the mechanical lock, was delightful.
From inside, a voice asked, "Is it Sihyun?" It made his shoulders twitch. It was already unfamiliar, and after not hearing it for a few months, it became even more unfamiliar. But still.
"...I'm back."
A small voice escaped through the lips. Whether it reached inside or not, he wasn't sure, but it was undoubtedly a step he took, adapting to reality and summoning the courage to speak. A crashing sound echoed as something broke. Startled, Sihyun took off his shoes and entered. Inside, he met eyes with Kang Sihyun's mother, who hurriedly came out of the kitchen.
"...You're back?"
Kang Sihyun's mother, wearing a momentarily surprised expression, awkwardly initiated the conversation. After hesitating, Sihyun nodded, and a soft smile appeared on her wrinkled lips. Somehow, that smile reminded him of Kang Sihyun. Perhaps he resembled his mother.
"Unload your things first and come to the living room. I heard some news from the school, but I was worried in various ways..."
His mother spoke, casting a shadow over her expression. Sihyun, realizing something, snapped his mouth shut. As a boarder at the prestigious school, if something significant happened to a student, the guardian would be contacted. Though contact was rarely made, given the criteria of "when something serious happened," he was an exception.
Incredible, having fainted four times and holding the title of a quadruple-class. Sihyun thought about how his parents must have felt hearing the news: first surprised by the news of his son being a quadruple-class, then shocked by the news of an encounter with a disaster, and subsequently experiencing a sinking feeling upon hearing about the third and fourth fainting incidents. Somehow, he became the disobedient child.
"Yes," he replied, feeling guilty in his voice. Sihyun, returning with his carrier, looked around the dust-free room that he hadn't touched for ten months. It seemed his parents had been cleaning every day. Thinking about his parents worrying about their son, who was fainting at school, a heavy feeling settled in his heart.
Another sigh escaped as he unpacked the belongings he had brought. He had a month until school started again. Even though he was an aspiring Mirgun member, it seemed they generously granted a long break during the vacation.
Looking back at the luggage he had packed here just ten months ago, conflicting emotions washed over him. It was a time of confusion, arguments with Kang Sihyun, days of struggling to deny what was happening. Then, finally accepting and adapting to live in this way. As he slowly unpacked, reminiscing about old memories, he realized that all the items he had brought were already familiar. Now it was time to go to the living room and apologize.
Sihyun, swallowing a sigh, stepped out of the room with somewhat dragging steps. The expected worries were heard, and Sihyun repeatedly said he was okay and apologized. Eventually, he picked up dinner his father had prepared, making it the first day of Sihyun's vacation.
***
"Pfft, pfft!"
"...Hmm."
"Pffting!"
A sharp something kept poking his fingertips. Sihyun frowned, covering himself with the blanket, but the sharp object didn't stop and continued to poke him. Annoyed, he lifted the blanket, and Sihyun saw Pia, persistent in her actions.
"Ha."
His words about lying down were not empty. Sihyun, who had been sleeping until before 10 AM, waking up when the sun was high in the sky, had spent a week sleeping like a bum. He ate, checked his phone a bit, and went back to sleep, repeating the cycle. He didn't set an alarm, and every day, Pia woke him up after lunch, crying. Today was no exception.
"...Can't you eat by yourself now?"
Sihyun, still with slightly swollen eyes, reluctantly held Pia and extended his hand. Though he couldn't understand, it seemed as if the creature was saying, "No, you should feed me," with its cries.
Chomp, chomp. A small creature deliciously sucked up his mana. As Pia regained energy, Sihyun, who had been losing it, yawned and, still holding Pia, walked slowly to the desk. After a week of excessive leisure, his body felt sluggish. Sitting at the desk, Sihyun, considering various thoughts, took out a blank notebook and a pen.
'Situation Review.'
The handwriting with a pencil was neat. At the top of the notebook, Sihyun wrote down his memories of the time spent at school. There was a lot to organize. Starting with:
- There will be an occasion to visit the United States during my school days (Russ).
Sihyun, after writing it down, frowned at the sentence that didn't sit well with him. He had mentioned owing a debt, so it wouldn't be strange if something happened that required him to be called. Thinking briefly, he recalled the crazed state Russ was in and decided to stop pondering it further. He seemed to be not only remembering but also figuring out how to call him back. Sihyun sighed, feeling that he had created a troublesome connection. He moved his halted hand.
- Do not imprint anymore.
In red pencil, Sihyun marked this point, a realization after the third imprint. The pain he felt was etched into his memory. He didn't want to experience that unbearable pain again.
- Visit the Orc Stronghold once more (Suspicious altar and writings. Consult with the teachers?)
With a question mark drawn, Sihyun hummed and cleared his throat. Suddenly, the voice of Hamin crossed his mind. The teachers had asked him what he would do if they assigned him something dangerous. Come to think of it, he needed to reconcile with Hamin. Under the note he had just written, "Reconciliation with Hamin," Sihyun turned the pen in his hand. If what he and Hamin saw in the Orc Stronghold was a clue to this world, it was crucial.
He also needed to find out more about the sudden appearance of irregulars and abilities.
However, that was why Hamin's concern was also valid.
If he could really read the strange writings, it might be better not to inform the teachers. Human affairs were unpredictable, and unnecessarily revealing it might lead to being dragged into a research institute for some kind of biological experiment. Deciding whether to tell the teachers or not could be done after confirming the inside of the door in the Orc Stronghold. For that, he needed teleportation.
It had to be kept secret from the teachers, and he couldn't let Hamin and the Four Heavenly Kings find out. As he thought about it, the image of someone's teleportation popped into his mind, and he naturally thought of a face with an unfortunate expression. In his mind, a voice saying, "Shall I help, kiddo?" was heard.
"...Let's put that on hold for now."
With the pencil in hand, Sihyun, having written four characters with strength, wondered if there was more to write. While pondering, his phone, which he had placed on the table, buzzed.
"Pfft, pfft!"
Pia jumped up from his arms and onto the table, whimpering while pushing the phone toward him. Sihyun, amused by the sight, briefly smiled and checked the phone that Pia had handed over.
'Yoo Seowoo'
Seeing the caller ID on the screen, Sihyun narrowed his eyes for a moment and pressed the call button after some hesitation.
"Hello, Sihyun."
The voice, heard after a long time, tickled his ears. It was a voice that seemed even clearer when heard over the phone.
"Why."
"Been busy lately?"
"Not really."
He regretted saying that. After spitting out those words, he wished he hadn't. Suwoo continued, "If you're not busy, how about trying a part-time job?"
"What?"
"They need a student model."
An unexpected voice suddenly came up. Only then did Sihyun recall a sentence he had forgotten.
'Living secretly while my parents are famous entertainment agency executives.'
Come to think of it, Seowoo's profile had such a sentence. Slightly amused, Sihyun thought, 'Isn't this exposing the secret?' The voice in his head said, 'Shall I help you, kiddo?'
"...Let's hold off for now."
With the pencil in hand, he wrote four characters with strength, wondering if there was more to write. While pondering, his phone, which he had placed on the table, buzzed.
"Pfft, pfft!"
Pia jumped up from his arms and onto the table, whimpering while pushing the phone toward him. Sihyun, amused by the sight, briefly smiled and checked the phone that Pia had handed over.
'Yoo Seowoo'
Seeing the caller ID on the screen, Sihyun narrowed his eyes for a moment and pressed the call button after some hesitation.
"Hello, Sihyun."
The voice, heard after a long time, tickled his ears. It was a voice that seemed even clearer when heard over the phone.
"Why."
"Been busy lately?"
"Not really."
He regretted saying that. After spitting out those words, he wished he hadn't. Suwoo continued, "If you're not busy, how about trying a part-time job?"
"What?"
"They need a student model."
An unexpected voice suddenly came up. Only then did Sihyun recall a sentence he had forgotten.
'Living secretly while my parents are famous entertainment agency executives.'
Come to think of it, Seowoo's profile had such a sentence. Slightly amused, Sihyun thought, 'Isn't this exposing the secret?' The voice in his head said, 'Shall I help you, kiddo?'
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