Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Opening a Course (2)

"So, what did you call me for?"

An Seri had answered my summons and come to the faculty office. Legs crossed on the sofa, she looked almost seductive.

"Have a seat. Want me to make you some coffee?"

"Do whatever you want."

I pulled out the grounds container and scooped some into the coffee pot. Ideally, you'd grind the beans fresh for the best flavor, but Lee Yeeun had gone on strike, forcing me to switch to pre-ground. I wasn't happy about it, but if I'd left things as they were, she would've swapped to instant—so I had no choice.

When she'd first begged to be accepted into the lab, she'd talked like she'd do anything. I'd been properly scammed during the hiring process.

The "real" coffee—unlike the sugar water Lee Yeeun produced—was ready. An Seri took one sip and delivered her verdict.

"Blegh! Why is this so bitter? Put sugar in it and make me a new one."

...Forget it. My fault for expecting brats to appreciate coffee.

I grabbed orange juice from the fridge, set it in front of her, and sipped the coffee An Seri had abandoned.

An Seri's face filled with thick revulsion.

"Why would you drink that? Do you have some kind of weird kink?"

"I made it well, someone wasted it, and I felt bad. So what?"

"Ugh, gross! If you drink from the side my lips touched, I won't forgive you."

"I'd rather not either, so keep the filthy talk to yourself."

An Seri sipped her juice and cut to the chase.

"You didn't call me here to chat. So what's the business?"

"Can't a teacher and student get together to strengthen their bond?"

"Goodbye."

An Seri set her cup down and rose from the sofa. I should probably stop the banter here.

She looked like she'd actually walk out, so I immediately got to the point.

"To put it bluntly, the course you're supposed to take is on the verge of cancellation."

"...Hah?"

The stare that said what kind of bullshit is this was piercing. At times like these, brazening it out was the best move.

"Didn't you promise to take my course, Miss Seri?"

"And?"

"If my course doesn't open, you'll be someone who broke a promise. So help me out."

An Seri's face twisted further. It was an explanation with all context stripped away, but she already knew the enrollment was under the minimum.

After a sigh, she sat back down on the sofa.

"...I had a feeling something was off. I looked at the syllabus and thought, what kind of garbage course is this—did you do this on purpose to screw me over?"

Garbage course—that was harsh. I was slightly hurt.

"What's wrong with my course?"

"Are you kidding? A course that assigns dungeon practicum as group projects? Shit! Who would want to do that?"

She was right, so I couldn't argue back. But I did have some defense.

"Once you actually take it, you'll find it incredibly valuable."

"How would we know that? It's your first course ever, Professor. You're not even an A-rank retired hero or above, and your published papers don't even show up in searches—there's nothing to trust."

If I kept getting punched with facts like this, my heart would give out. Time to change the subject before that happened.

"That's enough about that. What matters is that the course needs to run. Otherwise, you'll be someone who doesn't keep their word, Miss Seri."

"That's a sophism. How can I take a class that doesn't exist? The promise itself is a contradiction."

An Seri struck the nail on the head with a composed expression. Her logic was sound. But I had a trump card.

"The Clairvoyance—not interested anymore?"

Flinch.

An Seri's eyes narrowed.

Just because I'd won the match didn't mean her chance to obtain the Clairvoyance had vanished. It was useless to me anyway. What I truly needed was An Seri as an ally with the Clairvoyance equipped.

"...So you're asking me to help get the course off the ground?"

"That's right."

An Seri raised both hands in surrender without resistance. Going along with something this simple was nothing compared to the reward she stood to gain.

"You want me to bring friends to take the class?"

"That works too, but... I'd rather address the fundamental problem. That said, I can't lose the core identity of my course. So give me honest, unfiltered improvement suggestions from a student's perspective, Miss Seri."

Perhaps she'd been sitting on a mountain of complaints since seeing the syllabus, because An Seri fired off opinions like a machine gun.

"First, change the garbage course topic. Make it a simple liberal arts elective and you'd fill all 40 seats in no time."

"Rejected. I can't lose the course's identity."

"At least drop the dungeon practicum. Theory only should be fine, right?"

"Also rejected. No."

"Five practicum sessions is too many, isn't it? Change it to once for midterms and once for finals."

"Also rejected."

"Then at least drop the group assignments."

"How do you clear a dungeon solo? Rejected."

"Then what is allowed?"

"Anything, as long as it meets the conditions."

"You're such a... Professor, are you one of those 'anything is fine' types?"

An Seri let out a small burst of anger.

"Anything is fine" type? Based on the nuance, it seemed like a derogatory term for people who said "anything's fine" when asked, then nitpicked when you actually brought them something.

Then that wasn't me. I'd clearly stated the condition that the course had to keep its identity.

"My word, saying whatever you please in front of a professor. What's a 'type'? Watch your language."

"Sorry."

When I gave her a sharp scolding, An Seri immediately backed down. Dragging things out after receiving an apology was uncouth, so I left it at that.

"...This is hard."

Running out of ideas, An Seri fell silent for a moment. Then she suddenly clapped her hands.

"Oh! What about changing the grading to absolute evaluation?"

Absolute evaluation?

A stroke of brilliance I hadn't even considered. No matter how garbage a course was, dangling the bait of absolute evaluation could sway hearts.

With absolute evaluation, it was common practice to be generous with grades. That's why it was popular. This would definitely work.

"I'm glad I asked you, Miss Seri. That's a great idea."

"Then I'll really see you in class this time."

Apparently not planning to stay longer, An Seri rose from the sofa.

"One more thing before you go."

"What now? Another threat?"

"No. A favor."

The truth was, brainstorming enrollment solutions had just been a pretext to get An Seri here.

This was the real point.

"There's one student I'd like to have take my class."

"A student? Don't tell me... it's not Park Seohu, is it? Even I can't pull that off."

Park Seohu—the first-ever perfect scorer on the entrance exam in Florian's history, the valedictorian.

Befitting the strongest playable character, he was already making his presence known. With slight exaggeration, guilds from all over the world were already salivating over him.

Naturally, every professor wanted to teach Park Seohu. An Seri's assumption wasn't unreasonable.

"I'm not interested in Seohu. He already has the right mentor."

"The right mentor? Who?"

"Professor Jo Seongung."

"Uh, what? Th-the Sword Saint? He hasn't opened a single course in four years! I thought he'd retired—and he's after Park Seohu?"

An Seri was shocked.

I hadn't known Jo Seongung had that kind of backstory. Not that it would've changed anything.

"Is that reliable information? Where on earth did you......"

"Never mind the details. Consider it payment for the intel, and hear my request. I need a mage. One as talented as Park Seohu."

Academy regulations prohibited professors from forcing specific students to enroll in their courses. That's why I needed someone to act on my behalf.

An Seri quickly grasped my intent and nodded.

"A mage as talented as Park Seohu... you're talking about that one, right? But wouldn't even she fall short compared to Park Seohu?"

"No. She's more than enough."

Fall short? Not even close. She was overflowing.

Park Seohu, the overall best among the playable characters.

Park Seohu's specs were different from other characters from the start. So much so that there was a saying: clearing the game with Park Seohu was only half an ending—his difficulty was incomparably easier than the rest.

But was the fully grown Park Seohu the strongest character in Florian Rhapsody?

The answer was no. While progressing through the story, she was actually among the worst of all characters, but by the time growth was complete, there was a character who surpassed even Park Seohu.

A monster with three stats at potential 99—when even Park Seohu only had two.

***

The last week of February.

Merchants who'd staked out spots since dawn were selling bouquets in front of Florian Academy's main gate. Above the gate, a massive banner reading "Congratulations! Welcome, New Students!" greeted the freshmen.

Today was the long-awaited Florian enrollment ceremony.

Seo Dayun clutched her pounding chest and stared blankly at the academy.

Even she found it mystifying how she'd gotten into Florian. She could only think it was luck. Was it really okay for a failing student like her to attend the nation's finest institution?

"Stop blocking the path and move!"

"Y-yes!"

A shout from a passerby behind her snapped her to attention. Seo Dayun hurriedly stepped aside as the person snorted and walked past.

Any self-respecting Florian student might've gotten angry, but Seo Dayun didn't think much of it.

"Wooow......"

The academy grounds were vast.

It was nothing like the image of a school Seo Dayun had known. On top of that, it was stunning. The buildings looked less like buildings and more like works of art.

Where was the main auditorium for the ceremony?

She wanted to ask someone, but she couldn't. Talking to strangers was embarrassing.

Still, finding the auditorium wasn't hard. The place where the most people were headed was likely the auditorium. She followed the crowd, and sure enough, there it was.

"Made it......"

Stepping inside, a vast space that could hold thousands unfolded before her.

Students were divided by department. Seo Dayun found the area for her department—Combat Magic.

Each department's section had a sign marking it, so it was easy to spot.

"Where are you from?"

"What's your name?"

"I pre-studied all the way through beginner-level magic......"

Classmates who'd arrived earlier were noisily getting to know each other. Seo Dayun wanted to join in, but she was too scared of ruining the mood, so she just watched from afar.

Deep down, she envied her classmates chatting happily with each other.

And she envied the boy monopolizing everyone's attention most of all.

"Wow, we're in the same class as Seokhwan?"

"Obviously Seokhwan's going to be top of our department, right? I'd be happy with a 3.5 GPA."

"Coming to Florian was the right call. The caliber is just different."

Song Seokhwan—heir to the Bisang Guild, one of Korea's three great guilds.

His carefully styled yellow hair was slathered with wax, and the thick men's cologne stung her nose even from a distance. Every part of his body was wrapped in luxury brands worth hundreds of thousands of won each.

Some might scoff at the getup, but to Seo Dayun, he looked like a prince straight out of a fairy tale. Meanwhile, she was more like a shabby country girl at best. The idea that they'd be taking classes as equals was hard to believe.

"First time seeing a celebrity? Am I some kind of spectacle to you all? Shut up and fuck off."

"S-sorry."

The words that came out of his mouth were harsh, but even that was cool. The classmates who'd been cussed out could've been offended, but they couldn't bring themselves to treat it as a problem.

He truly lived in a different world from Seo Dayun.

"So cool."

"The hell you say? Who do you think you're rating?"

"Eep!"

Seo Dayun's murmur had reached the ears of a red-haired girl standing behind her.

The girl got furious and picked a fight.

"Hey, what's your name?"

"S-Seo Dayun......"

"Our department?"

"Y-yeah......"

Seo Dayun answered, completely shrunk in on herself.

She didn't understand why she was being treated like this, but she didn't dare resist.

"I'll remember your name. A pathetic-looking loser like you, daring to......"

When the red-haired girl raised her arm, Seo Dayun instinctively curled into herself.

She's going to hit me, isn't she?

With this many people around, why is nobody stopping her?

What did I do wrong?

You know the answer. She hits you because you're weak and easy.

She squeezed her eyes shut, but it didn't hurt.

Huh? Why?

When Seo Dayun slowly opened her eyes, she saw dazzling platinum-blonde hair.

A girl she didn't know was gripping the red-haired girl's hand. For some reason, the red-haired girl's expression was trembling like she'd seen a ghost.

"Let's all get along, shall we?"

"Y-yeah. Got it......"

The moment her arm was released, the red-haired girl fled without looking back.

Who is this person, and why did she help me?

She was an incredibly pretty unnie. If Seo Dayun was a stone rolling on the side of the road, this unnie was a precious gem. Like a princess from a fairy tale. The kind of person who'd look right at home sitting next to Song Seokhwan.

"An Seri?"

Right then, Song Seokhwan, who'd been looking their way, called the girl's name.

It was immediately obvious who he was addressing. So this unnie's name was An Seri.

When An Seri turned toward Song Seokhwan, the perpetual scowl on his face softened.

"What business do you have with our department?"

"I'm looking for someone to take a class with."

"Hmm? What guy is it?"

Song Seokhwan growled and swept his gaze around the room, making everyone avert their eyes. It was like the roar of an enraged lion.

"Someone really strong."

"You mean that bastard? Park Seohu—that obnoxious prick."

Even Seo Dayun had heard the name Park Seohu.

The most promising talent of the generation, attracting global attention.

More than a fellow Florian student, he felt more like a celebrity. Seeing those two mention him so casually drove home just how different their world was from hers.

"Not right now, but... she'll probably be as strong as Park Seohu eventually?"

"You—is that how you see me? Heh heh heh... I'm flattered. I'll take the class with you."

As expected, the prince belonged beside the princess.

Taking classes together, doing assignments, comparing answers after exams, boasting about their scores—An Seri and Song Seokhwan.

Just imagining it, they were a perfect pair.

It was a world that only the protagonists of life could enjoy—beyond the reach of bit players like Seo Dayun.

She didn't feel envy. Nobody was stupid enough to envy fictional characters while watching a movie. To Seo Dayun, those two felt like characters on a screen.

"Huh? Why would I take a class with you?"

"What are you talking about? Who else could even be compared to him besides me?"

What? The mood was off.

This was supposed to be the heartwarming scene where the two of them hit it off, wasn't it? Contrary to Seo Dayun's expectations, An Seri coldly rejected Song Seokhwan.

"The person I'm looking for is right here."

Huh?

Something gently grasped Seo Dayun's hand.

What is this? Why is this happening?

Creeeak.

Seo Dayun's head turned to the side in a stiff, unnatural motion.

A strange feeling washed over her. But there was no way, right? With Song Seokhwan right there, surely not......

"Did you hear what An Seri said?"

"She said as strong as Park Seohu."

"Who is she? I've never seen her before."

The stares were burning. A scorching attention she'd never received in her life. Was this real? Since when were there people interested in her?

"You're Seo Dayun from Combat Magic, right?"

"Yes... that's me......"

"Found you. Hey, let's take a class together."

Excuse me? No, wait.

There had to be a misunderstanding. Any second now, someone with the same name would step forward and clear things up. Yep. Definitely. But why wasn't anyone coming forward?

An Seri, eyes sparkling as she held Seo Dayun's hands. Song Seokhwan, glaring at Seo Dayun with a face like raging fire. The classmates watching the scene unfold with bewildered expressions.

Every single thing was something she'd never experienced before.

How in the world did things end up like this?