Chapter 19

The next afternoon.

I headed to the Academy, riding in Ji-a’s car that had come to pick me up.

As the car moved, the outside scenery flowed by like waves.

When we arrived at the Academy, it was a strange place where old buildings were harmoniously blended with new constructions.

“What’s with all these new buildings scattered around?”

“It’s because they reused the land from a university that went under during the Great Cataclysm.”

“Ah.”

Reusing stuff, not bad at all.

The car passed through the entrance and moved along the internal roads of the campus.

Carefully arranged flowers and trees created an elegant landscape.

The shadows made by lush trees swept past the car windows.

Ji-a parked the car in front of some building.

As I got out of the car, Ji-a smiled faintly and said,

“That hairband looks cute on you. It really suits you.”

“R-really? Haha… Si-yoon gave it to me as a gift!”

Ji-a’s compliment made me grin widely.

I turned my body slightly to show off the hairband better.

I could feel the sensation of my tied-up hair swaying.

Because I practically bragged about it, Ji-a stifled a chuckle and said,

“You know how to tie your hair neatly too?”

“Well, obviously Si-yoon did it for me!”

“Aha. Have you thought about learning? She can’t always do it for you, right?”

“…Maybe someday in the future.”

Doing it myself just seems way too hard.

Definitely, Future Me will know how to do it.

Right now, though, it’s a stretch.

“A little early, huh? Want to take a light stroll around the grounds? We’re here to enjoy the breeze after all.”

“Hmm, sure?”

At Ji-a’s suggestion, I nodded and we started walking together.

Buildings divided by majors, a spacious sports field.

Occasionally, strangely-shaped sculptures would appear in our line of sight.

Seeing the campus again after so long brought a fresh sense of nostalgia.

“Did you finish graduating, Ji-a?”

“Nope? I took a leave of absence when I awakened but ended up dropping out when I chose this path.”

“Ah…”

Same as me without a diploma, though obviously there’s a difference between unavoidable circumstances and choices.

“Why? Do you want to go back to school?”

“No, not really… Just curious.”

“Haha, those days were truly peaceful and nice, weren’t they?”

Suddenly, the wind blew.

Ji-a’s hair gently swayed.

Next to her hand holding her hair, her delicate neck caught my eye.

Without realizing, I was captivated, but quickly looked away.

Ji-a softly smiled and said,

“The weather is good, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, glad we came out.”

“I’m thankful you came with me today. I would’ve been lonely alone.”

“…It’s nothing, really.”

With Ji-a’s thanks, I lightly nodded.

Sometimes, it’s not bad to just come out for the breeze without any purpose.

Feels kinda healing.

“By the way, why are you here at the Academy today?”

“Ah, the President keeps pestering me to become a part-time lecturer, so I’m here to properly decline.”

“Part-time lecturer? They have that at the Academy too?”

“Of course. Why? Interested?”

“…Hmm.”

Even though it’s regrettable that I quit university midway, jumping straight into being a professor feels weird, doesn’t it?

Not even sure if I have the qualifications or ability for it in the first place.

“Hehe, it’s similar but different from regular universities. Let me know if you’re interested.”

“Okay, got it.”

I lightly nodded.

After walking around the perimeter, we returned to where we’d parked the car.

When we reached the entrance of the building, Ji-a spoke up.

“Since we’re already here, wanna come in with me? Waiting outside would be boring anyway.”

“…Nah, I’m fine.”

“Hunter life means you’ll meet this person eventually anyway. Might as well get acquainted while I’m around, don’t you think?”

“…You’re really good at persuasion.”

“Hehe.”

Ji-a’s words immediately convinced me.

If I’m going to meet this person eventually, it’s probably better to introduce myself while Ji-a’s around.

Eventually, Ji-a and I arrived at the President’s Office.

– Knock knock.

– Yes, come in.

When a voice came from inside, Ji-a opened the door.

I hesitantly followed her in.

A woman in her late 30s who was busy reading documents looked up.

“Ah, Ji-a’s here. Hmm? Who’s this?”

“Hello. This is my acquaintance, Si-hyun. Jeong Si-hyun.”

“…Hello.”

“Yes, hello. Nice to meet you.”

We exchanged awkward greetings.

Well, awkward on my side.

The President stood up and moved towards the consultation desk.

Since Ji-a sat down on one side, I naturally followed suit.

“Since Ji-a introduced you personally, this pretty beauty must also be a Hunter, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Both their gazes turned to me.

“…Recently awakened, E-Rank, Paladin.”

“Paladin? That’s a new job title, isn’t it? Awakening is such a mysterious thing, isn’t it?”

The President smoothly continued the conversation.

But this was a prelude to the attack.

“If you plan to continue your Hunter life, why not enroll in the Academy?”

“Hmm…”

“If money’s an issue, you can definitely cover it while living as a Hunter, right? Isn’t that so, Ji-a?”

The President’s gaze shifted to Ji-a.

Ji-a replied with a wry smile.

“I’ve already explained everything thoroughly and she’s thought about it. Let’s end this topic here.”

“Hmm, I see. Please consider it carefully.”

The President smiled brightly as if satisfied.

Nice one, Ji-a! Incredible!

Just like the promise of doing nothing, Ji-a naturally steered the conversation back to herself.

“But before that, there’s something we discussed earlier.”

“Hmm?”

Ji-a began talking privately with the President.

I blankly stared at them until I realized the conversation had nothing to do with me, so I turned my head.

I quietly inspected the President’s Office.

Stacks of documents and books everywhere.

It was clearly the workspace of someone very busy.

“…I’ll use the restroom.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

I quietly mentioned my errand, stood up, and bowed slightly to the President before heading out.

Stepping into the hallway, the cool air refreshed my lungs.

I roughly headed in the direction where the restroom should be.

I’m not sure if it’s because of this building or because it’s not during the semester yet, but no one was around, making it eerily quiet.

This scene reminded me of something nostalgic.

Whenever I came too early or stayed late, it used to be this quiet.

University life… wasn’t exactly socialite-level fun, but it was enjoyable in its own way.

The kind of fun a regular person could have, you know.

Hehe, I miss it…

Lost in reminiscing about the past, I unconsciously walked toward the restroom.

Just as I was about to enter the restroom,

I bumped into a man coming out.

“…”

“Uh…”

The man silently stared at me intently.

His broad shoulders, sturdy build, and oddly handsome face despite his large frame.

His eyes began trembling slightly.

“…This is the men’s restroom…”

“…”

Startled, I instinctively stepped back and checked the gender sign.

The simplified male pictogram indicated it was indeed the men’s restroom.

…Ah.

Zoned out and made a mistake.

“Ah, aaaah! I-I’m so sorry!”

“Hmph…”

In a hurry, I apologized profusely and scurried off to the women’s restroom.

I could feel his burning gaze stabbing my back until I entered.

Mr. Handsome, sorry to have startled you…

Intense shame washed over me, and I covered my face with my hands while sitting on the toilet.

Embarrassed to the point of madness…

Breathing heavily, I tried to calm down.

* * *

Meanwhile, the man stood dumbfounded, staring at the women’s restroom entrance.

Lost in deep thought, his pale, delicate face showed a vacant expression.

The moment when she realized her mistake and blushed bright red in apology.

The image of her beautifully styled, long white hair fluttering in the wind was deeply etched into his memory.

She seemed to be around his age.

Could she be a new student at the Academy for the upcoming semester?

Maybe they’ll meet again sometime.

Leaving behind a fleeting impression, the man departed.

* * *

After taking care of business, I cautiously peeked out of the restroom.

Shhh, checking left and right.

No one around, safe.

“Phew…”

I let out a sigh of relief and stepped back into the hallway.

Never thought I’d make such a mistake in my life.

…But hey, I didn’t go too far in!

Just barely stepped in!

Anyway, still safe.

Though no one said anything, I rationalized it to myself as I returned to the President’s Office.

Looks like their conversation was almost finished.

Ji-a stood up and lightly greeted,

“I’ll be going now.”

“Alright, take care.”

The President wore a wistful expression.

Her gaze shifted from Ji-a to me.

“Hehe, take care, Si-hyun.”

“…Yes, goodbye.”

She’s not that clingy after all.

Makes sense since a busy person has no reason to fixate on me.

We exchanged light farewells and stepped out together.

“Did you take care of what you needed to?”

“Yeah. Actually, it’s something we say every year knowing full well the outcome. You know, small talk?”

“Ah.”

I vaguely understood and nodded.

We shared light chitchat as we climbed into Ji-a’s car.

When the car started moving, I unconsciously checked my phone.

There was a new message from Han-gyeol.

Though we had exchanged numbers, we hadn’t communicated once until now.

Curious about what it could be, I placed my finger on the screen to check the content.

“Hmm…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing. By the way, what do you want to do for dinner?”

“Let’s call Si-yoon today and go out for dinner?”

“Nice idea.”

Having a car really does make things convenient.

Still, I need to meet Han-gyeol tomorrow.