Episode 28
Uncle Shin-jae came home a little past 8 p.m. that evening.
I was playing with Ms. Eun-ah, floating blocks in midair.
Only after washing his hands and changing his clothes did Uncle Shin-jae return to the living room.
Not that suits don’t fit him.
He’s tall and well-built, so it’s not that he looks bad in them, but Uncle Shin-jae looks the most natural in a hoodie and sweatpants like now.
“Alright, Ah-yoon!”
“Toss me!”
He hugged me with his freshly washed hands and started lifting me high. I squealed and kicked my legs.
“Fun!”
“Fun?”
He got even more hyped and actually started tossing me up and catching me.
[system] Your contractor complains that you are not a ball for playing catch.
[system] The Administrator boasts that they could show you something far more fun.
I didn’t know what could be more fun than this, and the World Ranking No. 2 wouldn’t drop me, so I just laughed and enjoyed the thrill.
“Oh right, I almost forgot while playing with Ah-yoon. Where are the boys?”
“Hwa-i oppa and Il-won went for trwaining.”
(Hwani oppa and Il-won went to train.)
As soon as their arms healed, they went right back to training. Whether dragging or following silently, both of them were relentless.
“Really?”
Uncle Shin-jae turned to an employee waiting nearby. “Tell them to come up.”
Soon, the two appeared in training clothes.
Seeing that, Uncle Shin-jae murmured like he didn’t expect it.
“Hwan, you’re more hardworking than I thought.”
“…You ordered Alpha.”
“That’s true, but still.”
He grinned and gestured for them to sit. Only after they sat did he speak.
“The reason I called you here today is…”
“That’s such a stale opening.”
Hwan commented. Uncle Shin-jae ignored him and continued.
“It’s about your schooling, Il-won. I’ve looked into some options.”
“……”
Il-won blinked in surprise, but soon returned to his usual calm expression and nodded.
“First, you’ll go to school.”
Huh? I widened my eyes.
“Ilwoni go skool?”
“Mhm. After a hundred more sleeps, you can go too, Ah-yoon.”
That wasn’t what shocked me!
What if Il-won gets kidnapped from school!
Then he’ll be dragged to a Black Guild, abused and exploited, sequentially corrupted, and destroy the world— I imagined this horrifying scenario and went pale.
Uncle Shin-jae continued explaining.
“You’re obligated to attend school, and you need education anyway.”
“Yes.”
“But I’m not sending you to a normal school. Luckily, a special-purpose school for Awakened students opened last year.”
A special Awakened school…
Kangryun Academy!
Kangryun Academy was established to gather difficult-to-manage minor Awakened students, educate them in one place, and prevent incidents before integrating them into normal schools.
“It’s not public but private, and I know the chairman well. It’ll be safe.”
Il-won nodded.
“Yes, I understand.”
“…Understand what?”
“You want me to attend that school, don’t you?”
He spoke in his usual calm voice.
“So I agreed.”
“O-oh… okay.”
Uncle Shin-jae muttered, “Not easy,” under his breath.
“Anyway, not right away— you’ll start in a week. Prepare yourself. Okay?”
“Yes.”
That was the end of the discussion.
That night.
Holding Tosoon tightly, I sneaked out of my room, tiptoeing down the hallway. My destination was Il-won’s room.
The light’s on?
Right before I knocked—
Click!
“!”
The door opened, like he’d been expecting me.
Slightly damp bangs from sweat, Il-won said,
“I thought you might come.”
“Mhm, but I didn’t tell you, so how did—”
I walked inside.
“How’d you know I was here?”
“I sensed you.”
“But I didn’t make sound!”
“I know anyway.”
“Amazing.”
“Not really…”
He looked shy and avoided my eyes. Then asked,
“Isn’t that heavy?”
“What?”
“T… that. Tosoon.”
“Tosoon? A wittle heavy, but I’m fine.”
Carrying a doll looked more childlike than acting like a miniature adult, so I’d developed the habit of carrying Tosoon everywhere.
…Also because walking dark hallways at night alone is scary.
Il-won gestured.
“Sit here.”
“Mm-hm.”
I sat on his bed. But Il-won didn’t sit— he just stood there, like unsure what to do.
Hmm.
“So Il-woni.”
“Hm.”
“I have som’thing I wanna ask.”
“What is it?”
“Are you okay with going to shcool?”
“……?”
He looked confused.
There was someone at Kangryun Academy who would later declare himself Il-won’s rival. In the original story, Seo Il-won…
absolutely hated him.
Seo Il-won, who rarely felt personal dislike toward anyone, hated that self-proclaimed rival.
But that wasn’t the only issue.
What does Il-won actually feel about going to school?
“Yes, I understand.”
“You want me to attend the school.”
“So I agreed.”
Not once had he expressed his opinion.
It bothered me.
Maybe he was being forced into something he hated.
“So, this is jus’ my thought.”
Il-won nodded.
“If you hate it, you can say you hate it.”
“……”
“We can fwnd an’ther way.”
(We can find another way.)
He stared at me quietly.
Long eyelashes shadowed his slim cheeks. His skin was pale, almost translucent— like he’d never seen sunlight.
With his calm, expressionless face, Il-won sometimes looked like a perfectly crafted doll.
“You…”
“Hm?”
I was admiring his face, so my reply was late.
Il-won asked quietly,
“Do you say it when you hate something?”
“I…”
My lips felt dry.
“I twy to. I twy reawwy hard.”
“Then… how about me being here?”
“…Huh?”
“Me being here with you. Do you hate it?”
It was so unexpected that I couldn’t respond.
Do I hate Il-won being here?
I had arranged all of this because I couldn’t just abandon him.
I never thought of it as like or dislike.
[system] THIS MOMENT IS CRITICAL. ANSWER CAREFULLY.
[system] Suggested answer: just say you don’t particularly like OR dislike him.
Administrator, why do you dislike Il-won so much?
[system] I don’t hate him— it’s just that the plot— never mind.
I ignored the incomprehensible Administrator and answered Il-won.
“I don’t hate you.”
“……”
Il-won looked at me, as if asking Really?
Suddenly, a terrible thought hit me.
If I answer wrong here, he might leave and fall into the corruption route…
Not good. I hurried to add,
“For weaw!”
[system] NO. DO NOT SAY THE THING YOU ARE ABOUT TO—
“I wike Il-woni! So I don’t hate you!”
[system] …The Administrator collapses.
In that moment, something flickered in Il-won’s previously dull eyes.
I must’ve said the right thing!
I felt proud— I was contributing to saving a boy who could one day destroy the world.
Alright— I’ve decided.
Since I picked him up, I’ll take responsibility and care for him even more.
I’ll remove even the possibility of corruption.
[system] Your contractor clutches their head in emotional pain.
