Lou Yan told Noah everything from the beginning of the murder series up until now, and Noah stood in silence after extracting all the information he needed, reviewing what Lou Yan had told him.
"The murder series began three weeks ago. A total of seven students have been killed. The thing these seven students had in common was that they were ordinary students with no strong presence, which is what scares many people because they believe the killer is targeting this type of person only, and they believe they'll be the next target. In addition, the bodies are not discovered until a full day or two later even though the killer never hides them. There are around 1,000 students at the university—it's impossible for someone to ignore a body thrown in the road thinking it's just a prank. Maybe it's his skill... maybe it allows him to hide the traces of his actions for a certain time..." Noah thought to himself, trying to find any thread that could lead him to the light and uncover the truth behind these crimes. But it seemed no matter how much he thought, he reached no useful conclusion—only conflicting ideas.
Meanwhile, Lou Yan stood near Noah, thinking of something else entirely unrelated to the horrific events happening at the university, and Noah was unaware of the chaos going on in her mind right now.
"What should I do?... Should I take advantage of the opportunity Livia created? Is it acceptable to be selfish at the moment and forget the chaos happening around me?... That's not acceptable, right? But to ignore your feelings is like rejecting your truth... isn't it, Mom?" Lou Yan thought to herself, trying to encourage herself with a saying she often heard from her mother. But sadness appeared in Lou Yan's eyes the moment she remembered her mother, though she didn't let it stop her.
"N-Noah…" Lou Yan said nervously, waking Noah from his deep thoughts. Noah looked at Lou Yan in confusion the moment she called him.
"What is it?" Noah asked, tilting his head slightly in curiosity.
"Ah, a-actually... I-I, uhhh, r-really..." Lou Yan stammered in extreme nervousness, realizing just now that she didn't know what to say to him. Her eyes began to spin from dizziness and anxiety, sweat dripped from her forehead from the tension, and she moved her fingers nervously, realizing she had ruined everything.
"What's wrong with her?" Noah asked himself in curiosity as he turned right and left, maybe hoping someone would explain what was wrong with the girl in front of him. He didn't bother turning around to see his friends since they would likely just make another commotion.
"What am I doing?! I called him but I don't know what to say! There's no way I can just ask him if he wants to walk and talk with me, right? That would be weird and silly! Damn it, I haven't felt this nervous even during exams! What do I say?!... M-Maybe!... Oh, yeah, I got it!" Lou Yan thought to herself in silent panic. Her thoughts were chaotic as she looked down, knowing that if she made eye contact with Noah now, she'd literally ruin everything. That's when Lou Yan realized something that might help.
"Y-You haven't registered your classes yet, right?" Lou Yan asked hesitantly. She wasn't sure of the answer but knew Noah hadn't registered on his first day, and it was possible he hadn't done so at all.
"Classes?... Yeah, you're right," Noah replied, realizing it. He had completely forgotten because he always followed Sirius to his classes and went in directly. Maybe if Lou Yan hadn't reminded him, he wouldn't have registered at all.
"I-I expected that! D-Do you want to go register now then? Classes are suspended because of the incident, probably for another three days. B-But if we go now, we'll make it before the registration offices close," Lou Yan said, finally seeing a ray of hope. She couldn't believe her random question had saved her from an embarrassing situation, but there was no time to deny it now.
"Hmm, okay then. Sorry for the trouble," Noah said, nodding his head. Then he turned back toward Sirius, Neriah, and Enel who were standing there watching him. He waved at them and then left with Lou Yan toward the registration offices.
Neriah, Sirius, and Enel stood in silence watching Noah walk away with Lou Yan until both disappeared from view.
"…So, you're going to let Noah date now?" Neriah asked teasingly, intending to annoy Sirius.
"No."
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On the way to the registration offices, silence filled the space. It was an uncomfortable silence for Lou Yan, who desperately wanted to talk to Noah but whose nervousness and anxiety made her afraid she might say something wrong and ruin everything.
"Lou Yan," Noah called her, waking her from her anxious overthinking, causing Lou Yan to flinch and look at him.
"W-What is it, Noah?" Lou Yan asked, smiling nervously.
"…Why did you join the university?" Noah asked curiously, looking off into the distance.
"W-Why did I join? T-To become a Hunter," Lou Yan answered, a bit shocked by how random Noah's question was.
"And why do you want to become a Hunter?" Noah asked, still avoiding looking at her.
Lou Yan remained silent as if the words were stuck in her throat. Then she looked away, toward the same horizon Noah was staring at, and reviewed her actions for a moment.
"Why do I want to become a Hunter?" Lou Yan murmured under her breath as she remembered the main reason she wanted to become one.
"I don't have a heroic reason like saving people or saving humanity from demon or monster invasions… I don't even have a reason, really. Becoming a Hunter is the only way I can achieve my goal…" Lou Yan said, her tone turning cold and her expression shifting from nervous to calm and composed.
"Goal?" Noah asked curiously, finally turning to look at her.
"Revenge," Lou Yan said. It was a simple word, but it carried many meanings and possibilities behind it. Noah didn't want to pry into things that didn't concern him, despite his curiosity, so he just looked ahead toward the distant sky.
"Sorry," Noah apologized. He felt he had reminded Lou Yan of a painful memory from the past, even though he didn't really feel guilty or regretful.
"N-No need to apologize! It's not that important anyway," Lou Yan said, trying to reassure Noah and thinking she had surely ruined things this time.
"L-Let's not talk about me. What about you, Noah? W-Why do you want to become a Hunter?" Lou Yan asked, trying to change the subject to lighten the mood.
"Why do I want to become a Hunter?… I… □ □ □ □ □," Noah said, telling Lou Yan about his reason for wanting to become a Hunter.
Lou Yan's eyes widened as soon as she heard Noah's reason. She was shocked, maybe because she had expected something completely different. But she smiled at Noah with a gentle smile.
"That… suits you," Lou Yan said, smiling warmly.
After a few minutes, Noah and Lou Yan finally reached the registration offices. Noah stood in front of one of the desks, which resembled a wooden booth with a small window. Inside was an attractive blonde woman with golden eyes wearing a black outfit different from the other workers outside, and she stood straight as an arrow. She pulled out a registration form and passed it to Noah through the window so he could fill in his classes. After not thinking too long, Noah finished registering his classes like this:
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Course Registration Form
Student Name: Noah Grace
Student ID: 20251347
Department: Interdisciplinary Magical Studies
Level: First Year (Freshman)
Academic Advisor: ___________________
Semester: Spring 2025
Course 1
Course Title: Lingua Mortuorum
Credits: 3
Instructor: Prof. Mei Renho
Notes: Focus on "Eletheran" and "Zahakural", the forgotten tongues; foundation for magical translation and rune interpretation.
Course 2
Course Title: Foundations of Philosophy
Credits: 3
Instructor: Prof. Thaddeus Morgarius
Notes: Explores ethical dilemmas, existential paths, and the philosophy of magic.
Course 3
Course Title: Introductory Magic Theories
Credits: 3
Instructor: Prof. Elina Fonet
Notes: Required for theoretical framework behind the secrets and mysteries the world has hidden.
Course 4
Course Title: History of Magic, the World, and Hunterkind
Credits: 2
Instructor: Prof. Dorian Velhurst
Notes: Covers the evolution of magical systems, global conflicts, and the rise of the Hunter class.
Course 5
Course Title: Alchemical Chemistry
Credits: 2
Instructor: Prof. Yvain March
Notes: Introduction to chemical reactions, potioncraft.
Total Credits: 13
Student Signature: Noah Grace
Advisor Signature: ___________________
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"Since you're a student who was personally invited by a university representative—the person standing behind you—you don't have an advisor like the others," the blonde worker said coldly, taking the form once Noah finished.
"That didn't take long…" Lou Yan said, her tone carrying a hint of sadness that she wouldn't be able to spend more time with Noah.
"…Do you want to walk together? I'll walk you home if you want," Noah said, suggesting the idea after noticing Lou Yan's disappointment, now trying to make her happy.
"R-Really? T-Then let's go!… I-It's not like I like your company or anything, don't get weird ideas!" Lou Yan said in her usual tsundere tone, but her eyes couldn't hide her happiness. It was in that moment that he realized: Lou Yan is a tsundere.
"Alright, let's go."