I got into school for nothing - 81
I got into school for nothing (81)
Lesson 18. Midterm Exam - 3
He was first encountered on the very first day of Professor Zenon's lecture.
Even Dokgo Yeon, the strongest member of Team Rebellion, had been taken by surprise for a moment, an incident that had greatly shocked them all.
Given that he was attending Professor Zenon's lecture, known to attract only the top elites of the Academy, Ban Yuwon had surmised him to be a formidable individual... but he never imagined that he would be the Vice President of the Student Council.
‘That's why I wanted to consult with the other members for a bit before talking to him.’
He glanced sideways, watching Professor Zenon lecture from the podium in his characteristic calm tone, only to find Rucell, seated with Dokgo Yeon between them, staring at him with unblinking eyes.
This was because the talisman's effect was currently active, making her 'concentrate' entirely on Ban Yuwon.
‘I was a fool. I should have set the priority for concentration.’
As Light, seated on the opposite side, was currently staring intently at Professor Zenon, for example.
The problem was that Rucell's disposition towards Ban Yuwon far exceeded his wildest expectations.
Her gaze wasn't just warm; it was scorching hot.
Formidable emotional concepts such as ‘affection’ and ‘desire’ were swirling within her Heart Furnace.
Had Dokgo Yeon not been sitting between them, he couldn't guarantee what might have happened by now.
In any case, both Rucell and As Light were clearly in no state to have a proper conversation.
"Can we truly climb the Tower of Babel with these idiots...?"
"I worry about that every day, so you don't need to emphasize it even more."
Only Dokgo Yeon, the sole recipient who hadn't immediately activated her talisman, sat perfectly normal.
In truth, she was the only one among the Team Rebellion members suitable for a consultation, so it hardly mattered what Rucell and As Light were up to.
"So, Dokgo Yeon, what do you think?"
"What if what you saw yesterday wasn't all that significant to begin with?"
"I've been wondering why there was movement near the spaceship docking bay. I suspect it might have been a student returning to the Academy via spaceship."
"That would be the normal assumption. So, there's no real problem, is there?"
"At first, it looked like a blurry mass, but now that I think about it, I wonder if it wasn't some kind of perception-disrupting magic."
Of course, his All-Seeing Eye could pierce through anything, but it was difficult to discern everything that passed by in an instant.
He needed at least enough time to clearly perceive and focus on the target.
"Returning to the Academy secretly at night, moving to avoid others' eyes. Seems like a shy person, perhaps."
"Actually, I only caught a glimpse for a moment."
At the time he saw it, he had dismissed it as an optical illusion, but the moment he encountered Kettra, the fourth-year student who introduced himself as the Vice President of the Student Council, he was convinced that what he had seen was real.
"It looked like he had pointed ears."
"Indeed."
Dokgo Yeon nodded, a look of complete understanding on her face.
"Massive corruption involving the Student Council, swift destruction of evidence... Hmm, if it's that man, he could probably cut off Ban Yuwon's head before I even had a chance to stop him. Farewell, Ban Yuwon."
"Can't we try to think a little more positively...?"
"They might also drag you, who holds the clues to their corruption, into the Student Council to make you an accomplice."
"That's how it's always been, though."
Amidst their unsettling conversation, the lecture ended!
After gently patting As Light's head to calm him, as he had been silently staring at Professor Zenon's retreating back, and frantically prying Rucell off him—who had leaped over Dokgo Yeon to cling to him the moment the lecture ended—Kettra approached them with remarkably light steps.
"Thanks for waiting, Junior Ban Yuwon. How about we go to a cafe and talk over a cup of tea?"
"Grrrk...!"
Sensing Kettra reaching out to Ban Yuwon, Rucell bared her teeth and blocked his path.
Ban Yuwon gestured to Dokgo Yeon, and she swiftly knocked Rucell unconscious.
Kettra clapped at their seamless, natural actions.
"You guys interact quite aggressively, don't you?"
"We're just very close, Senior. Shall we go?"
"Ban Yuwon, will you be alright by yourself?"
Given that she was supporting the unconscious Rucell with one arm and the still-disoriented As Light with the other, her words only made him worry more about her.
Ban Yuwon let out a wry chuckle and replied.
"I'll be fine. Probably."
"Of course! Didn't you hear from Graham? Our Student Council thinks very highly of Junior Ban Yuwon. So don't worry, I'll send him back to you safe and sound."
"......"
Kettra, with a sparkling smile, winked at Dokgo Yeon while uttering some rather smug words.
Dokgo Yeon, upon seeing this, made a truly disgusted face, then turned her back without a word, shouldering her two burdens.
"...Did she perhaps dislike that?"
"If you don't mind me asking, who *does* like that?"
"Most women usually do, though..."
To not realize at a glance that Dokgo Yeon wasn't "most women"—this person wasn't all that special either, it seemed.
"Shall we talk at a cafe then? Oh, an external cafe, of course."
"External."
When referred to as "external" from the Academy, it naturally meant Ronica, the city located outside the Academy grounds.
Indeed, it was natural for a Student Council member to have permission for external activities.
As Ban Yuwon nodded in understanding, Kettra took his hand and touched his student ID.
The next moment, they stood at the entrance to the external city, Ronica.
"Ta-da! This is Roni... Oh, you're probably already familiar with it. I was quite surprised to hear that this year's freshmen were quickly granted solo exploration privileges and external activity permits."
"I don't have solo exploration privileges."
"Right, the Ice Princess, isn't it? A 'true monster' that even her classmates can't approach. It's a real shame she's in the Special Class; otherwise, she'd be designated as the next Student Council President. Ah, this way."
It seemed he had indeed been active in Ronica quite a bit; he unhesitatingly pushed through alleys, guiding Ban Yuwon to a backstreet cafe he had never seen before.
It was a cafe tucked away in a corner, but its intricately carved wooden sign exuded a warm ambiance, making it quite a pleasant place.
Ding-dong, the door opened with a cheerful chime.
"This is kind of like the Student Council's hideout. At least here, we won't be discovered by other Academy students. Hello, Sis!"
"Kettra, you're here! Welcome, guest!"
Seeing the woman inside the cafe, who had been making coffee alone, respond to Kettra's wink with a bright smile, it seemed his charms really did work on other women.
The two sat in a corner seat and received their ordered coffees.
Kettra had a vanilla latte, and Ban Yuwon had an Americano, the friend of all university students (though the name they used here was different, of course).
"So, what was the topic again? Was it about the Ice Princess and our junior dating?"
"Weren't we supposed to start talking now? And she already has someone she likes."
"Oh, so if we bring *that* person into the Student Council, will the Princess follow?"
Kettra, who had been genuinely pondering this, finally got to the main topic only after receiving Ban Yuwon's disapproving gaze.
"This morning, you see."
"This morning?"
"Yeah."
He had expected to talk about last night.
To Ban Yuwon, who wore a dejected expression, wondering what had become of the serious conversation he had just had with Dokgo Yeon, Kettra spoke with a noticeably more serious expression.
"That item you submitted to Professor Campanella, Junior, we've also had a look at it."
"Oh."
He had thought Professor Campanella would simply review it alone, but he never imagined it would be shared even among the Student Council executives.
As Ban Yuwon wore a flustered expression, Kettra looked somewhat embarrassed.
"We're not trying to call you out on it. How should I put it, the Professor showed it to us, saying it had similar effects to an item we've been actively tracking..."
"Tracking?"
Ban Yuwon sensed the conversation heading in a suspicious direction.
"Yes. Where should I even begin with this... Right. You might not know this yet, Junior, but our Academy's regular exams are pretty intense in many respects, you see?"
Thanks to Professor Yumina kindly collecting all the exam papers from every subject offered at the Academy over the past few years, Ban Yuwon also grasped just how severe they were, but he couldn't tell if it was legal or not, so he decided to keep his mouth shut for now.
"Naturally, student resentment towards the regular exams is immense. They complain that they came to the Academy to climb the Tower of Babel and become gods, so why should they waste time on exams? The Chancellor's consistent response, however, has always been expulsion."
"So, arguing gets you expelled..."
"It was an inevitable progression for such students to become interested in methods of getting good grades without losing much time to exams... that is, cheating."
"I've heard a bit about that myself."
"Then the conversation becomes much simpler."
Kettra recounted tales of all the cheating incidents that had occurred at the Academy over the past few years, lamenting how subtly they had evolved and how much hardship the Student Council, as the body responsible for catching them, had endured.
"And that has only gotten more serious this year... It seems there's something rather dangerous among the students, a da—"
"Stop!"
Ban Yuwon desperately cut off his senior's words.
That particular remark, dangerous in many ways, was unacceptable.
"Please use a more softened expression."
"It seems a potion with severe side effects is circulating..."
"Okay. Phew... huh?"
Ban Yuwon, feeling the mystery of language, sighed in relief, then paused and tilted his head.
"That and my talismans have no real connection, though."
"I think so too, but there are quite a few people who are worried. Because that potion also grants strange powers of concentration, comprehension, and memorization."
"So, you're saying that because the effects are similar, their origins might be the same?"
"Yeah."
Ban Yuwon heard that and understood.
However, he couldn't show them how he made the talismans, nor could they demand it from him.
Seeing him frown, Kettra gave a wry smile.
"There's nothing for you to worry about, Junior. We just wanted a little help. Like deducing the potion's ingredients, or finding its source..."
"So, that means you were ultimately suspicious of me...?"
"Poison and medicine are two sides of the same coin, aren't they? So, some of the ingredients might be the same..."
Ban Yuwon realized that this man didn't understand the slightest thing about the mechanism behind his talismans.
Of course, he had no intention of explaining it, so he merely drank his coffee in silence.
Ding-dong, it was then that the cafe door opened.
"Kettra—did you hear?"
"Ah, Mira."
The person who entered the cafe was a golden-haired girl so beautiful that even Ban Yuwon, whose standards had risen from spending time with his usual class members, was surprised.
With dazzling white skin, golden hair, and bright jade eyes that gleamed like emeralds, she was so pure and beautiful that Ban Yuwon wondered if As Light would have turned out like this if he hadn't foolishly touched something like the Holy Sword and had grown up properly!
"This is Mira, also from the Student Council, serving as the Head of Public Relations."
At Kettra's introduction, the girl placed a hand over her chest and gave a slight nod.
"Third-year, Artifact Production Department, Mira. Our race doesn't have surnames. Kettra is the same."
"Hello."
Ban Yuwon also bowed his head, showing respect to his senior.
"I saw the talisman you made. It was remarkable."
"Thank you. Though it has no connection to that 'potion'."
"I know."
At Ban Yuwon's reply, she nodded naturally, as if she had expected it.
"What?"
Kettra questioned her back, wearing a dumbfounded expression.
"You were the one who suggested we talk to Junior Ban Yuwon because the effects were similar, Mira."
"It was a pretext. Talented individuals should be brought in by us before someone else snatches them up."
"Mira, you really are..."
Even though Kettra was her senior, Mira seemed to have more influence in their conversation.
Ban Yuwon gulped down his coffee as he watched the two talk.
For reference, he hadn't even looked at black coffee back in high school, but he deliberately drank it black now, just to feel like a university student when he had his coffee.
It was incredibly bitter.
Ban Yuwon, quickly emptying his cup, frowned and spoke.
"Ugh, it's bitter. So, can I go now?"
"No, if possible, we'd like you to join the Student Council. And we'd appreciate it if you could also provide us with that talisman."
"It's not easy to make."
Ban Yuwon, who had refused Mira's request without hesitation, stood up, and Kettra, looking disappointed, stopped him.
"We're serious about wanting you to join the Student Council. We need talent like yours."
"I'll give that some more thought."
"Then let's exchange Mirror Codes for now. If you happen to learn anything about this matter, contact me right away."
"That, I'll gladly do."
Ban Yuwon exchanged Mirror Codes with Kettra, and with Mira as well, as an added bonus.
Seeing Mira sit down in the seat Ban Yuwon had just vacated, it seemed she intended to spend some time alone with Kettra from now on.
He had thought they were a perfect match, and so it was, after all?
Picturing their relationship in his mind, Ban Yuwon left the cafe.
No, but before that.
Ban Yuwon turned back to Kettra and asked.
"Senior, what exactly are the side effects of that potion? As long as it doesn't lead to cheating on exams, whatever it is..."
"It doesn't wear off."
The mystery?
"The state of concentration induced by the potion seems to never wear off. At this rate, they're all going to be expelled en masse on exam day."
"That's what happens when you rely on drugs."
"Potion, please call it a potion!"
Ban Yuwon, even more exhausted, exited the cafe.
As he navigated through unfamiliar alleyways and emerged onto a main street he knew, Cellon asked him.
—But why are you smiling?
"I told you it wasn't an illusion."
—What? Ah.
Belatedly, Cellon also realized.
Mira, who suited Kettra so perfectly.
That her ears, too, were pointed, like a fairy in a fairy tale.
Comments