Upon returning to school with Hamin, the teachers, who had been anxiously pacing, were startled and warmly welcomed Sihyun and Hamin. Hamin was immediately laid in the infirmary, and healers dispatched from the association attended to him. Sihyun was called to the principal's office.
"I'm sorry for calling you in immediately when you must be tired. After we finish talking, you'll have 7 days off to rest. Of course, that means a shorter summer vacation."
The principal added with a hint of bitterness. The atmosphere at the school had been disturbed by the disappearance. The students vanished during evaluations without a clue how or who was involved, so it was impossible to continue classes. As soon as Sihyun and Hamin's disappearance was confirmed, the school immediately went into temporary closure.
The parents' backlash was fierce, seemingly due to information leaked by someone close to the parents among the school staff.
Taking a sip of tea, fatigue was evident on the principal's face. His skin, bearing the marks of experience, was laden with weariness. Sihyun, who had thought poorly of the school's handling, softened his heart upon seeing his face. It was an unforeseen accident. The school couldn't have predicted third-party involvement without any prior warning.
The thought that the principal too had suffered calmed Sihyun's heart. Petting Pia in his arms also helped soothe his mind and body.
"Shall we start the conversation then?"
Clatter. The sound of teaware clinking briefly before the elegant teacup was set back on the table. The principal looked at Sihyun, who took a deep breath and began to recount his experience in the Shadow World.
From boarding the teleportation circle intended to return them, only to end up in the Shadow World and the immediate disappearance of that teleportation circle, to wandering in search of an exit until Hamin sacrificed himself in his stead, and the struggle to find an exit and escape. He neatly summarized the events leading up to their departure from the Shadow World, darkening the principal's expression with the grim recount.
"Presumptuously..."
The principal's hand, resting lightly on his knee, trembled slightly.
"...I've checked multiple times, but it wasn't a malfunction of the teleportation circle. It was fine during the last inspection. It's highly likely that there was third-party involvement. Do you have any suspects?"
"With the scant information we have, it's difficult to pinpoint anyone."
"Indeed."
The principal sighed, as if he had been harboring a sliver of hope, then leaned back on the sofa, massaging his forehead. The notion that someone had meddled with a student of the school was evidently a source of stress. While not as dire as Sihyun and Hamin's ordeal in the Irregular World, the principal looked visibly strained. Observing the teacher's sunken eyes, Sihyun maintained a brief silence before speaking.
"But it's not like we have no leads. Ruth warned me before."
"What do you mean?"
"That there's unusual movement among foreign Awakeners, advising me to be cautious. They had mentioned it before."
Being in front of the principal, Sihyun couldn't speak as casually as usual, adding a layer of formality to his words, leading the principal to fall silent. Sihyun fiddled with the teaspoon beside his teacup.
"An attempted kidnapping or murder targeting the Quadruple, possibly by Redem's successor."
"......"
"The domestic Awakener community, as I understand, wouldn't dare disrupt the end-of-month evaluation at Choegang High to target both the Quadruple and Redem's successor simultaneously... Could there be any specific individuals you suspect?"
The principal appeared unsettled.
After stirring the tea with a spoon, Sihyun took a sip of the tea the principal had brewed.
"It's the foreign Awakeners, sir."
"......"
"They are the most likely suspects."
Sihyun had been uncertain up until leaving the Shadow World whether the incident was targeted at him or Hamin. However, upon further reflection, it seemed improbable that anyone domestically would dare such a thing, and Ruth's warning didn't seem unfounded. The suspicion naturally shifted overseas.
The principal stroked his chin, lost in thought. Sihyun drove the point home.
"Please check the movements of foreign Awakeners. It might be easier with Ruth's help."
After finishing his tea, the principal let out a long sigh and straightened up from the sofa. Sihyun met his piercing gaze, striving to keep his breath steady despite making a statement that could potentially spark international conflict. The principal chuckled dryly.
"Sometimes, I find you to be quite mature, Sihyun."
"......"
"Uncharacteristically so for a 17-year-old."
The principal offered a faint smile as he lifted and then lowered his eyelids. Sihyun, swallowing hard under the sharp gaze, barely lifted the
corners of his mouth. To be agitated would be beneath him.
After all, hadn't he faced far greater challenges related to possession? Comments like "Kang Sihyun wouldn't have..." were laughable compared to being told he was acting beyond his years.
"...It's not an age to be merely youthful."
"Is that so?"
Their gazes locked briefly before falling back to their teacups. With much left to discuss, they moistened their throats with the fragrant tea and continued the conversation.
The next topic was about what happened when they went to rescue Hamin and about the mythical species.
"You've done well, Sihyun. I appreciate you talking to us despite being tired. I sincerely apologize for the trouble caused by the school's oversight and assure you we'll manage more diligently to prevent such incidents in the future."
"It's okay. I'll be going then."
After about an hour of conversation with the principal, Sihyun stood up from his seat. He bowed slightly in farewell and exited the principal's office. The respect the principal showed in his send-off contrasted starkly with the probing and subtly unnerving attention Sihyun had felt throughout their talk.
Could he be under suspicion?
This was the problem with standing out too much. The principal was perceptive. It was entirely possible he sensed something off about Sihyun.
After all, a normal 17-year-old would have spent at least a week unconscious after escaping the Shadow World, followed by days tormented by severe PTSD.
But Sihyun had already been through too much for that. He bore heavy burdens on his shoulders and had many immediate issues to address. There was no time to be immobilized by the past.
Glancing back at the principal's office one last time, Sihyun took a deep breath and headed to the infirmary. The principal's doubts posed no threat to him. Such suspicion was expected, so Sihyun quickened his pace and opened the door to the infirmary.
"Sihyun!"
As soon as he entered, Haewoon's eyes widened before he rushed towards Sihyun. Pia, startled, quickly flew up. Sihyun, left to bear Haewoon's weight alone, staggered and bumped his head on the infirmary door.
"You're back!"
"Kang Haewoon, a bit...!"
Sihyun struggled under the weight of the larger boy clinging to him. After pushing away the boy who had hugged him tightly, Sihyun frowned. Then, Geonu approached, prying Haewoon off and checking the back of Sihyun's head for bumps.
"Are you okay?"
"Uh, yeah..."
Barely settling in, Sihyun nodded in response to his concern. Then, Haru examined Sihyun for injuries, checking his face, hands, and legs for cuts, bruises, or swelling. After thoroughly inspecting and then embracing Sihyun, it was already the second hug since entering.
"......"
Haru's seemingly delicate hand stroked the back of Sihyun's head before holding him tight. With Haru remaining silent, Sihyun blinked and looked over Haru's shoulder at the Class A students.
Blink, blink.
Through eye gestures, Sihyun asked Haru what had happened.
Jihye shook her head, and Seowoo, who had been wearing a chilly expression, smiled upon making eye contact, while Daun clicked her tongue, mouthing "karma."
"Are you hurt?"
"Yes."
"...I've been waiting."
"You did well."
The familiar conversation ensued, a nearly obligatory process whenever something happened, allowing Sihyun to naturally pat Haru's back. Then, an unfamiliar voice reached his ears.
"...But how long are we going to wait?"
"...Hyung?"
It was an unusually low voice, reminiscent of the time Haru was trapped in the laboratory. Startled, Sihyun called out his name and tried to push Haru away to see his face, but Haru didn't budge. It was a first.
"Hyung?"
The question in Sihyun's voice grew more pronounced when Haru, who he tried to push away, refused to move. Then, after hugging Sihyun once more, Haru sighed deeply and slowly let go.
"Sorry."
Haru, now showing his face, apologized briefly. Dumbfounded by Haru's sudden behavior, Sihyun checked the reactions of the other kids before awkwardly saying it was okay. Haru's abrupt actions had turned the infirmary's atmosphere strange.
Slyly, Sihyun signaled to Haewoon. If anyone could lighten the mood, it was him. That's when it happened.
"I still don't like it."
Seowoo, sitting on a folding chair, suddenly spoke up. His gentle voice belied the unease in his words. Confused, Sihyun looked at Seowoo, realizing his gaze was fixed on Haru, and then scanned the other children.
What happened?
When they only responded with silence, the tension thickened. Unable to break the palpable quiet, Sihyun resigned himself to silence and looked towards Hamin, sitting in the corner.
Things might have been less tense with him around.
He surely would have broken the ice with a "What's going on with you guys?"
It was his trademark.
Suddenly reminiscing about their time by the sea, Sihyun chuckled softly, drawing the children's attention.
"...Why."
Feeling awkward, Sihyun replied softly.
Anyway. The atmosphere was off.
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