“Such a relationship?”
“No… that, what was it… something about training assistants or whatever…”
Jin Yeseo, uncharacteristically, started to ramble. I could roughly guess what she was trying to imply.
Even now, my reputation wasn’t exactly stellar, but at the start of the semester, the perception of me among the students had plummeted to rock bottom.
Amidst those circumstances, the first person to approach me warmly had been Yena.
Her background, appearance, demeanor—every part of her exuded a simple and innocent charm. When such a girl was seen trailing behind an oddity like me every day, it was inevitable for strange rumors to spread.
I thought things had calmed down to some extent by now, but… judging from what I was hearing, it seemed that wasn’t entirely the case.
Well, as long as they didn’t say anything blatantly in front of me, I didn’t really care…
“So, I was wondering… is your taste perhaps leaning in that direction? You know, since it might be hard to, um, relieve everything with your girlfriend… if you ever need help with that…”
“Hey. What are you talking about? Of all people, why would you believe such nonsense?”
Jin Yeseo muttered something inaudible under her breath. I let out a sigh and spoke.
“I told you, we’re just friends. And if I had done something like that, do you think she’d still be hanging around me like that?”
“…Who knows? Maybe your tastes unexpectedly matched… no, never mind…”
Jin Yeseo grumbled to herself again before clearing her throat and nodding.
“Hmm, hmm, actually, I didn’t believe it either. It’s ridiculous, really. Ridiculous…”
Somehow, her tone seemed to carry a hint of regret… but I must have been imagining it.
“Oh my, it’s already time…”
Jin Yeseo, who usually expressed regret when sparring sessions ended, seemed unusually relieved today.
“Should we start packing up and head out?”
Despite her words, Jin Yeseo rummaged through her bag while still seated. She then pulled out a towel and handed it to me.
“…?”
“I have too much sweat on my back… can you help me wipe it off?”
“What?”
“It was really hot today. If I leave it like this, I’ll end up smelling like sweat. Other areas are fine, but I can’t reach my back…”
“…”
Before I knew it, Jin Yeseo had lain down on her stomach. Her rolled-up shirt revealed her firm, ivory-toned skin.
She urged me in a casual tone.
“Hurry up. I have a lecture right after this.”
“…Alright. Like this?”
“Ugh… yeah. There, and a bit higher… and the side too… eek.”
“…”
After wiping for a while, Jin Yeseo finally sat up, seemingly satisfied. Her face, flushed bright red, was glistening with sweat from the heat.
As she stood, Jin Yeseo gestured toward me with a peculiar signal.
“Turn around. I’ll do yours now.”
“I don’t need—”
“Turn around. Your back is much broader than mine. If you walk around reeking of sweat, your girlfriend won’t like it.”
“…”
“Now hurry up and turn around. And take off your top.”
In the end, I hesitated but followed her instructions. Soon, I felt the sensation of fabric moving back and forth across my back, accompanied by the sound of a sharp inhale.
“Huff, huff… done.”
Jin Yeseo patted my back with her palm.
“You can get up now.”
“Thanks. What about the towel…”
“Oh, I’ll take care of it. The servant at our dormitory is really good at laundry.”
Jin Yeseo quickly stuffed the sweat-soaked towel into a small pouch and then shoved it into her bag. Her movements were so swift that it was hard to follow them with the naked eye.
It felt oddly unnatural to see her treating the dirty, smelly towel as if it were some kind of cherished gift.
It was probably to prevent the smell from spreading to her other belongings… but wouldn’t it be better to just throw it away? It’s just a towel, and there are plenty more in the cradle.
For someone from a wealthy family, she’s surprisingly frugal…
“Are you okay? Your face is really red. Are you feeling overheated?”
“Huh, what?”
At my question, Jin Yeseo looked flustered and touched her face.
“Oh, maybe it’s just too hot. Should I go to the infirmary…?”
But she quickly shook her head as if to dismiss the idea.
After gathering our belongings, we exited the training room and headed outside.
“I’m going this way. See you later.”
“Take care.”
Jin Yeseo waved her hand and quickly disappeared down the stairs.
I trudged toward the campus courtyard alone.
Jin Yeseo seemed to be in better shape than I had thought. Considering how devastated she must have been after her fallout with her trusted senior, it was surprising.
Perhaps she was deliberately putting on a brave face. Knowing Jin Yeseo’s prideful personality, it was entirely possible.
The fact that I was the one who caused the rift made my chest feel even heavier.
At least she said the training sessions helped her feel better, which was a relief. For now, I’d continue to support her. It was my responsibility, after all…
“It’s really hot. It wasn’t this bad earlier…”
“Maybe because you ran here? Go wash up quickly.”
As I walked through the humid courtyard, snippets of conversation from passing students near the main gate caught my attention.
The ground didn’t just feel hot from the sun; it felt as though it was emitting heat. Maybe I should ask someone to sprinkle water on it.
“…”
As I kept walking, my thoughts drifted back to Yena.
…Now that I think about it, there was something about Yena. But what was it? It wasn’t a memory, more like a lingering sensation…
No matter how hard I tried to recall it, it remained hazy. In the end, I gave up and kept walking.
Maybe if I saw Yena again… I could figure out what this sensation was.
***
“Professor Noh, are you sure there’s nothing wrong with the core?”
“I told you, there’s nothing wrong! How many times do I have to say it for you to understand?”
Faculty Meeting.
The sharp question from Professor Shin Jae-yu made the rotund male professor visibly agitated.
“I went all the way down to the underground and checked it myself. The core is perfectly fine. I can guarantee it.”
The topic of the emergency meeting was the rise in temperature detected over the past two days.
While students were merely complaining, the professors had picked up on something far more concerning.
And they were certain that it was an abnormal situation.
The cradle was a facility formed in places where particles naturally accumulated due to topography.
The highly condensed particles facilitated smoother magic use while simultaneously putting constant strain on the body.
It was an environment where ordinary people couldn’t stay for long periods, but conversely, it was an ideal training ground for young magicians.
The high-density particles compensated for immature magic skills, and the body’s repeated cycles of overload and recovery accelerated growth.
However, the excess particles eventually seeped into the underground cavity.
And what resided there now was a massive Stellite Ore, formed from the reaction of the accumulated particles and minerals.
Commonly referred to as the Core.
Yet, due to the constant influx of particles, the core had yet to fully stabilize.
Its exterior had somewhat crystallized, but its interior remained in a semi-liquid state.
The issue was the instability it harbored. Unstable Stellite always carried the risk of a chain explosion.
Of course, unless someone deliberately stirred its interior, the chances of such an event actually occurring were extremely low.
Given the core’s enormous size, it seemed even less likely.
Even if Hae Wolhwa herself were to pour all her particles into it until exhaustion, it wouldn’t be enough to trigger a chain explosion.
Still, the cradle had no reason to take even the slightest risk.
To mitigate the instability and conserve the valuable energy source, the cradle had connected the core to the main power system and surrounded the facility with a thin particle film.
Much like the field that enveloped a magician’s body.
Primarily, it was a countermeasure against heavy weapon terrorism, but it also served to prevent abrupt temperature fluctuations within the facility.
Thanks to this, the cradle’s temperature remained relatively moderate throughout the year, even if not perfectly so.
Thus, the current early summer heat was undeniably abnormal.
“Did you just go halfway down and come back?”
“What! Where are you getting this from now…!”
“Ahem, Professor Shin. Please restrain yourself.”
As the argument seemed to escalate, another professor intervened to calm them down.
“He said he checked it directly, didn’t he? With the principal absent, he’s the senior-most professor and the facility’s final security officer. It’s only proper to show more respect.”
“…”
Professor Shin Jae-yu pursed her lips in displeasure but refrained from further objections. Another professor, deep in thought, rubbed his forehead as if the situation was giving him a headache.
“But if there’s no issue with the core… then what on earth is causing this phenomenon…”
“The principal needs to return quickly… what kind of bizarre things are happening now?”
“This year alone, how many incidents have already occurred… I wonder if this will lead to Yukhwa overtaking us…”
“Couldn’t the flow have gone wrong somewhere? Maybe we should conduct a thorough inspection…”
“I said I already checked everything!”
“Professor Noh, calm down…”
Behind the pros and cons being debated, a young female professor still wore a suspicious expression on her face. She discreetly gestured to Professor Kwon Chanyul, who was seated beside her.
Then she leaned close to his ear and whispered.
“Senior—no, Professor Kwon. You have Class A confidential access, don’t you? It’s your 10th year as a full professor.”
“I do, but… why all of a sudden?”
Professor Kwon, who usually wore a languid expression, looked uncharacteristically flustered.
“I need to go down there and check it with my own eyes. I’m telling you, something’s really suspicious.”
Professor Shin Jae-yu’s face was filled with an unwavering confidence.
“Even during the last incident, the facility under Professor Noh’s watch was the only one that remained intact. Does that even make sense? The main building was blown apart.”
“That would be something to commend him for, though. I know you dislike Professor Noh, but even so…”
“Oh, as long as I don’t get caught, it’ll be fine! Don’t you know my infiltration skills? I’ll just take a quick look and come right back out!”
She shouted into Professor Kwon’s ear, her glaring eyes wide open.
***
“Ugh…”
The large man lying on the bed stirred and slowly opened his eyes.
“What is… this place… huh?”
-Clang.
At the sound of a heavy metallic noise, the man, with hazy eyes, stopped moving and looked around.
Seemingly unable to fully grasp the situation, he stared blankly at the particle restraint cuffs binding his ankles.
Soon after, hurried footsteps echoed, responding to a summon from the medical staff.
A slender woman entered the hospital room, and the large man, recognizing her, spoke.
“Black Cat.”
“Big Bear, do you recognize me?”
“What are you talking about? Of course I do.”
Unlike the confused man, Black Cat continued speaking with a serious expression.
“It seems you can reason to some extent. That’s a relief. I really didn’t want to kill you with my own hands.”
“Run wild…? Kill…? What are you even…”
The man’s expression grew even more bewildered at the cryptic words of his superior.
“Your memory isn’t fully intact, is it? Well, considering you were unconscious for days, it’s not surprising.”
“Unconscious… me…?”
“You should be ashamed. A member of the National Guard, taken down by a mere cradle rookie. No matter how out of control you were…”
“Cradle… memory…?”
The man murmured, repeating Black Cat’s words. It was as if a fog was slowly lifting from his mind, making everything clearer.
For some reason, unlike the other culprits of the cradle mayhem, he had been the only one able to reclaim himself.
And with his returning memory came clarity.
“Enough. Let’s start the interrogation right away.”
Black Cat sighed as she looked at him, standing still and mumbling.
“You know my personality, right? I won’t go easy on you just because you’re a former colleague. Answer every question properly, one by one. Let’s start with the thumbnail, then…”
“…I remember.”
“What?”
“I said, I remember.”
Black Cat, who had been preparing for torture, furrowed her brows at his sudden change of attitude.
“What’s your game? The interrogation hasn’t even begun. If you think I’ll show mercy just because of that, you’re mistaken…”
“Brown hair…!”
The man’s memories surged like turbulent waves. A secluded alley in the capital, during a mission. A passing female student he had encountered there.
The cradle’s badge was clearly visible on the hem of her white jacket. Her brown hair, neatly combed, matched the color of her eyes. Even her lips, humming a tune.
But at the moment he noticed her unblemished beauty—
The man had, unwittingly, lost himself.
“Brown hair… brown eyes… freckles… I remember!”
What followed had been a long nightmare. The girl with the angelic face had whispered words laced with the devil’s mockery.
“What is this…”
Black Cat muttered in confusion. The man, restrained and desperate, shouted as he looked at her.
“It’s her! We have to catch her…! Get to the cradle immediately…!”