The Conjurer of the Academy

Chapter 33

I contacted Han Yu-seong.

Told him to get to my place immediately and, since he’d arrive first, to buy the sweetest and tastiest snacks and spread them out on the table.

“Yu-seong, what’s all this?”

“This is a chocolate-coated protein bar. And this is a strawberry-flavored protein drink!”

What a fool I was to trust you.

My attempt to create a reconciliation setting turned into a gym bro gathering.

“Se-Seo-ha, would you like some too?”

“Get lost.”

“Okay…”

Han Yu-seong hung his head after being rejected. His spirits were crushed right from the start.

“So, what is this about?”

“I’m not entirely sure either…”

Han Yu-seong gave me a hesitant look.

“It’s cramped.”

“Sorry it’s cramped.”

Despite her brusque words, Shin Seo-ha naturally perched on the bed. For the record, I was seated in the middle, the seat of honor, or perhaps the referee’s chair, between Han Yu-seong and Shin Seo-ha.

‘It’s probably best if I start.’

After all, this wasn’t a meeting Han Yu-seong had requested.

“Han Yu-seong.”

I know I’m meddling. It might be unnecessary interference. But these two are shouldering needless burdens, and I know it won’t end well.

“Tell Shin Seo-ha about your resolve.”

“Got it!”

Upon hearing my words, Han Yu-seong gradually relaxed his expression.

“Seo-ha.”

“What.”

With a serious face, Han Yu-seong called out to Shin Seo-ha—

Thud!

“I’m really sorry for the mock subjugation!! I should have paid more attention to what you were saying, it’s my fault.”

Han Yu-seong banged his head on the table. Only I seemed startled; Shin Seo-ha merely frowned.

‘Yu-seong is having a tough time.’

I know Han Yu-seong. To be precise, I got to know him.

He looks imposing, but he’s soft inside. Having been in his shoes once, it didn’t feel like someone else’s problem to me. He must have replayed those words in his head and bolstered his resolve countless times before saying them aloud.

“You idiot.”

Shin Seo-ha’s first words were an insult.

“Why are you apologizing? If anyone should apologize, it’s that fat guy.”

Seeing her clench her fist, it seemed like she was recalling Han Sang-don’s face.

“You started by defending that piece of trash, Han Sang-don. If the whole party had been wiped out because of him, wouldn’t you be crying even more now? Stop pretending to be selectively virtuous.”

“Haha, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Han Yu-seong scratched his cheek.

It was impressive that he could still smile after hearing such venomous words.

‘That’s brutal honesty for you.’

Shin Seo-ha’s words were harsh. Harsh precisely because they were irrefutable.

However, no one disliked her sharp tongue. She applied the same standards to herself as she did to others.

“Han Yu-seong, it wasn’t you who messed up the party.”

Shin Seo-ha extended her hand to Han Yu-seong. Her face was a bit red, but she looked away as if trying to hide it.

“We all messed up.”

“Seo-ha…”

Shin Seo-ha didn’t reprimand Han Yu-seong any further. She knew she was also at fault.

This meant that the failures in the mock subjugation were not the burden of one person but all of us.

“Waaaah!”

“What the—! You scared me!”

Han Yu-seong suddenly burst into tears. Shin Seo-ha was so startled that she lifted her feet onto the bed.

“I’ll try harder in the future! Waaah!”

He really is a big teddy bear.

I pulled out some tissues and handed them to Han Yu-seong.

“Hey, hey, don’t cry. If you cry, you’ll get horns on your butt.”

“Really? Then I won’t be able to work out!”

Han Yu-seong sniffled.

His desperate attempt to hold back tears was almost adorable.

“And one more thing.”

There was still one more thing left to address.

I gave a subtle glance towards Shin Seo-ha.

“Ms. Seo-ha, it seems like you have something more to say as well.”

“What.”

“You know.”

Despite her efforts to suppress it, a smile slowly crept onto her lips.

“Ugh, you two really piss me off.”

Realizing there was no avoiding this situation, Shin Seo-ha scratched her head vigorously. Amidst her tousled hair, her sharp gaze landed on Han Yu-seong.

“…Sorry.”

“What? I didn’t hear that.”

Han Yu-seong blinked.

Then Shin Seo-ha grabbed his ear and shouted with all her might.

“I SAID I’M SORRY!”

“Ack!”

The sound was loud enough to burst eardrums, and Han Yu-seong collapsed onto the floor with a scream.

“Well, now that that’s settled, if there’s nothing else, I’m leaving.”

Satisfied, Shin Seo-ha dusted off her hands and stood up from the bed. This should have alleviated the tension between Shin Seo-ha and Han Yu-seong to some extent.

“Wait a minute.”

Now, it was time for my business.

If my sole objective was to reconcile the two, I wouldn’t have brought them into my room.

“I have something to discuss with both of you.”

“What is it?”

Reading the seriousness on my face, Shin Seo-ha sat back down on the bed.

“I’m currently tracking a certain ‘entity.’”

Something that is neither human nor monster; something called a yokai but categorized as a monster in modern times.

They needed to know. They had to know.

“I’m looking for the one who spread the C-virus during the mock subjugation…”

I took a deep breath. What I needed to say next required some resolve.

“The one who killed Shin Seo-jun.”

“…!”

Shin Seo-ha’s expression instantly hardened. Or more accurately, it contorted with emotion.

“Purple blood traces were found at the scene of that incident, and someone released the C-virus during the mock subjugation. I believe they are the same person, and I’m tracking them.”

I have a rough idea of where the Moon Rabbit will appear. However, I lack the preparation and skill to confront it at its base.

For now, I needed to trace its movements since I knew it was linked to the C-virus.

‘I trust these two.’

To investigate each scenario thoroughly, it was obvious that one person’s efforts wouldn’t suffice.

“How do you know they’re the same person?”

“There were eyewitness accounts. A man in a neat suit with a Rabbit face.”

“A Rabbit face?”

Shin Seo-ha frowned.

“Shouldn’t you tell the adults about this?”

Han Yu-seong raised his hand tentatively.

That’s the most sensible response. I wanted to do that too, but there was a reason I couldn’t.

“The entity is too elusive. Besides, I’m not sure if they’d believe me.”

Imagine trying to explain that the C-virus is a curse made from condensed distorted grudges—who would believe that?

I’d probably be accused of turning a serious incident into the stuff of delusions. Even as a player of the game, if someone had said that to me, I would have laughed it off as genre-breaking nonsense.

“No, you must not tell them.”

At that moment, Shin Seo-ha sided with me.

Grind

The sound of teeth being ground.

“If that’s true, then I’ll kill that bastard with my own hands.”

To Shin Seo-ha, the Moon Rabbit was the enemy who killed her twin brother. It was natural she’d want to personally kill him before any other hunter could.

[Hmph, I’ll be the one to hunt the Rabbit first.]

Yomi exhaled in frustration.

The list of people wanting revenge was growing, and someday we might need to take numbers and wait in line. I was part of that list too.

“But what if this is a lie?”

With her anger momentarily subsiding, Shin Seo-ha gave me a cold, piercing look.

“Do I seem like someone who’d lie about something with lives on the line?”

“You never know.”

“That’s harsh. I struggled to even say this.”

From a narrative perspective, it was almost a spoiler. However, from Shin Seo-ha’s point of view, being cautious was not a bad thing.

“Seol Ha-baek, how do you know about the culprit?”

“I’ve had encounters with that guy too. The situation wasn’t much different from when you were attacked.”

I wasn’t lying. In the game, I had been outwitted by the Moon Rabbit multiple times.

Besides, it was impossible to fully convince Shin Seo-ha without revealing my knowledge of the future. Even if I did, she wouldn’t believe me.

So, leaving a hint was enough. Whether these two believed me now wouldn’t significantly alter the scenario anyway.

“If it turns out I’m lying, I’ll pay any price.”

“Even if I say I’ll seriously kill you?”

Shin Seo-ha’s tone was indifferent.

The lack of emotion in her voice made it all the more chilling.

“Of course.”

I nodded.

Having laid out this much bait, it was time to see the results.

“So…”

I looked between Shin Seo-ha and Han Yu-seong. One who was full of rage had turned cold, and the one who was always confident now wore a perplexed expression.

“Are you going to help me or not?”

I extended my hand towards them.

Han Yu-seong, who had been quietly staring at my outstretched hand, was the first to respond.

“Alright. If it’s you asking, I’ll help.”

“Shin Seo-ha, what about you?”

I looked at her.

Honestly, I thought Shin Seo-ha would be the first to grab my hand.

“If it’s really true…”

Shin Seo-ha hesitated.

I noticed her hand trembling slightly.

‘She’s scared.’

The one who killed her brother.

He’s the source of Shin Seo-ha’s trauma. It was only natural for her to be frightened instinctively.

“I have to find him and kill him myself.”

However, this time, she didn’t run away from her choice.

“The ones who need to cooperate aren’t just me, it’s you two as well.”

“Of course.”

I shrugged.

If these two decided to cooperate, it would be an immense help in the future.

‘Did I do the right thing?’

Revealing the existence of the Rabbit to them and drawing them in—was this the right choice? I couldn’t be sure, but it didn’t seem like a bad move for now.

If things went south, I wouldn’t have to painstakingly explain everything to get their help.

‘At least I won’t have to explain everything in detail later.’

I decided to trust these two.

The events of the recent mock subjugation had solidified that faith.

“If that’s everything, I’m leaving.”

Shin Seo-ha spoke curtly, rising to her feet.

“I’ll head out too, Ha-baek.”

Han Yu-seong seemed to be pondering something before he stood up.

“Thanks, Yu-seong.”

“I should be the one thanking you. You took on this troublesome matter because of me.”

“Oh, wait, what are you—”

“Thanks, Ha-baek.”

Han Yu-seong enveloped me in a hug.

Thick arms and a strong pulse. Seeing the redness in Han Yu-seong’s eyes, I simply accepted the embrace.

“I’ll give it my all!”

“Yeah, but don’t overdo it.”

“Thanks, Ha-baek!”

Right after releasing the hug, Han Yu-seong stuffed all the protein snacks from the table into his mouth and sprang to his feet.

“I’m off to work out! When you’re feeling down, working the upper body is the way to go. Wanna join, Ha-baek?”

“No, I think I’ll take it easy today.”

“That’s too bad.”

I saw the light—one that shone brightly, illuminating everything around. This was what it meant to be a protagonist.

“That’s the Han Yu-seong I know.”

* * *

After parting ways with Shin Seo-ha and Han Yu-seong.

Knock, knock

Late at night, I found myself knocking on the door of a teacher’s office. Saying I’d take it easy was a lie, as I had some unfinished business to attend to.

“Who’s there at this hour?”

A youthful voice came from the other side of the door. Clearing my throat, I responded.

“This is Seol Ha-baek from Class 1-B. I’d like to see Professor Faust.”

“A student at this time?”

Creak

The door opened by itself as if it had a mind of its own.

“Come in.”

“Excuse me, then.”

I cautiously stepped into the room.

‘Ugh, the smell.’

As soon as the door opened, a mix of various chemical odors assaulted my nose.

The office was filled with all sorts of beakers and measuring cups, containing a wide array of chemical substances. Somewhere, lab rats squeaked, and in another corner, something bubbled past its boiling point.

‘This is worse than how it was described in the game.’

The most striking sensation was the smell.

It ranged from sewer stench to the rotten smell of decayed cheese. Occasionally, a sweet fragrance mixed with the other odors, making it the most nauseating of all.

Faust is a Master of Pharmacology.

In the game storyline, Faust’s office is described as having such a potent mix of medicinal odors that it makes one’s head spin. But this—this felt like the protein I had earlier was about to come back up.

“Welcome, Ha-baek.”

At the far end of the office.

Faust, clad in a white lab coat, sat there.