Merlin was taken aback. Lee Jaehyun's question had struck him out of left field. He looked around the classroom—the seats in curved, tiered rows—and even up to the lecturer's podium and markerboard at the very end of the room. As expected, there were still empty seats everywhere else. So why was the boy here, and so far back?
However, who was he to deny someone a spot they wanted? It was not like he owned the classroom.
"No," Merlin replied, shaking his head. "It's very much free, mate."
"Thank you," Lee Jaehyun replied. He then put his leather, tote bag on the table and sat down. Subsequently, he pulled out a couple of notebooks, a tablet, and a stylus pen.
Merlin just watched from the side of his eyes, his thoughts somewhat of a mess as he recalled what had happened on their first day in the Academy.
He really didn't like awkward situations, and Lee Jaehyun's presence here was messing his mood up. But he couldn't blame the boy. It wasn't his fault. Nora was the one who had made a big deal out of the whole delay thingy.
Sure, the headmaster had already clarified the situation, however, he had no idea if Nora was yet to apologize to the boy or not. Perhaps he should take the initiative and do just that.
Lee Jaehyun was just turning on his tablet and setting it on the table, when Merlin spoke.
"Do you have a moment?" It was common courtesy to ask for permission from someone to speak to them when they were busy.
Lee Jaehyun turned to him. The boy had quite the ingenuous expression. It was almost like nothing could get him angry. If Merlin was to compare him to anyone, it would be his closest friend, Chris, back in London. They chatted once in a while, but they both had their lives to follow now, so it was not really an everyday thing.
"You can speak to me casually, I don't mind," Lee Jaehyun replied.
Is he really the grandson of a president? He doesn't feel like one…
Merlin sighed, shrugging inwardly. It was hardly any of his business.
"I wanted to apologize for the mess at the orientation," he cleared his throat and said. "My sister was way out of line; she gets that way when she's pissed; so, please, I hope you don't hold it against her."
Lee Jaehyun tilted his head with an incredulous look; then he laughed.
"What are you talking about? She wasn't out of line."
Huh? Merlin blinked owlishly. What did he say now?
"She was right to get angry," Lee Jaehyun continued. "I'd be angry too if I was being delayed from getting on with my day just because someone was yet to arrive, or something of the sort."
"But that's the problem," Merlin said a little animatedly. "She'd gotten it all wrong. You're justified to be pissed."
Lee Jaehyun smiled. "I know. But it'd be foolish of me to get angry when it was just a little misunderstanding that got resolved a few minutes later, wouldn't it?"
Ah… He really is like Chris.
The boy kept surprising Merlin. He would never have thought someone from such a background would have that way of thinking. He'd been around a couple, and his experiences were anything but enjoyable. Perhaps he'd judged the boy a bit too quickly. Certainly, not everyone from an extravagantly rich household possessed a bitter mindset.
Merlin couldn't help but feel somewhat refreshed.
"I see…" He nodded and rested his cheek on his palm. "If you say so, then."
Lee Jaehyun dipped his hand into his bag and brought out a flask.
"I have to say, though," he continued as he undid its cover and poured out a stream of green tea into it. Merlin had no idea if it was actually green tea, but it was green so it had to be green tea. "Your sister's threat to the headmaster made me laugh. She's cute."
Merlin's brows dropped. "You shouldn't bother," he advised after a second of silence. "She's not really a sane person."
Lee Jaehyun turned to him slightly, readying himself to drink his tea. "What are you talking about?"
"You like her, right?"
The boy spat it all out. Merlin managed to dodge before it plastered onto his face, but the wall behind him became a victim instead.
"I'm sorry," Lee Jaehyun apologized and offered Merlin a handkerchief. A few drops had touched his trouser. He would have to dry clean as soon as he got back to the dorm.
"It's fine," replied Merlin with a light smile. "It's not a big deal." At least compared to what he had been put through during middle school.
"You caught me off guard with that statement," Lee Jaehyun sighed as he covered his flask. "School just started, it's impossible that I would already like someone?"
Merlin's eyes shifted slightly to a few girls—three to be precise—staring their way, blushing and gossiping.
"Well, they seem to think otherwise…" he mumbled to himself. He then glanced at Lee Jaehyun who was now arranging the materials he would need for today's classes on his tablet. He was running away from the conversation. He couldn't be more obvious.
Merlin wouldn't lie, though, he was somewhat jealous. The boy already liked someone and had girls swooning over him. He was also one of the highest scorers for his Cohort and in academics as well. Rich, handsome, and talented. He was probably at least an A-Class Mage. Merlin suddenly took on Hakyun's guilty pleasure and let his eyes drift to the Grimoire pouch strapped to Lee Jaehyun's waist. However, he could hardly make out the Grimoire. Grimoire pouches were designed to safeguard a Grimoire to the highest possibility. If one could see it so easily, then that meant it wasn't particularly protected.
He sighed and turned away.
At that moment, someone walked into the classroom, making his brows jump up.
Flamboyant and with an air of bossiness, arms folded, a pink handbag that seemed to be expensive hanging from her shoulder, and her black hair tied into twin ponytails, it was his twin sister's roommate, Oh Jihye.
She's my classmate?
Oh Jihye stopped at the door, shifted to one side of her lean body, and surveyed the classroom. She looked like she was not exactly pleased with the arrangements, and wanted nothing to do with the already formed cliques. Then her eyes met his. Merlin was unable to look away in time, so he just stared back at her, hoping she would not see him as some sort of creep. He had been called that once, when he'd tried asking a girl out back in middle school. Been way in over his head. How could he have had a crush on the girlfriend of his class's football player?
Surprisingly, though, Oh Jihye did not scowl at him and turn away. In fact, she smiled. And then she walked up.
He could not help but glance at Lee Jaehyun who was engrossed in reading the words on his tablet's screen. Perhaps it was because the president's grandson was here? It most likely was.
Merlin didn't like this. The more attention that was shed upon him, the more it would be hard to keep his secret a secret. On the other hand, it was how he could earn Perk Points, and even Influence Loot Boxes. He was torn.
"Hey," Oh Jihye was here, her arms still folded. Lee Jehyun had not noticed her before, but now he did. He looked up from his tablet. "Is there space for a third?"
Lee Jaehyun looked around the classroom, his eyes perusing the empty seats, all the way up to the lecturer's podium, and his brows fell. Merlin almost scoffed.
"Well, yeah, I guess." Lee Jaehyun sighed slightly and hesitantly started to move his things.
Oh Jihye stopped him.
"I'll sit in the middle."
She sat down before either of the two of them could object.
Merlin wasn't sure what to do here. He was not particularly trying to distance himself from the girl like his sister, but he also was not interested in sitting so close to her. After all, their arms were touching. But he couldn't move to the side. Lee Jaehyun had spilled his green tea there.
Perhaps he should move? But that would make it seem like her presence bothered him. Tsk. It was not like she was here for him anyway. She wouldn't even notice him move.
"Merlin, right?" she began, halting his movements before he had even been able to move.
"Yeah," he replied stiffly. She was silent, only smiling. "Uhm… Nice to meet you, I guess?"
Goodness, he wanted to pull out his hair. Another awkward interaction.
"You don't remember me?" she continued.
Lee Jaehyun was no longer able to concentrate on what he was reading, and was instead stealing glances at them as they talked. Merlin, in contrast, was really not feeling it.
Shouldn't she be talking to the president's grandson and not him?
"I do remember you," Merlin replied, deciding that silence would be rude. "Oh Jihye."
Her smile softened, making her face brighter. "You do." She placed a hand on her chest. "I'm your sister's roommate."
He knew. But he wondered if he should say that. It would make it seem like she was a topic of their conversations. He decided against it and just nodded.
"I hope we can be friends," she added.
"Uhm… Sure," replied Merlin, oddly unenthusiastic about the proposal.
And, then, she swerved on her seat, turning to Lee Jaehyun. Merlin instantly felt like a toy that was discarded once it was done with. He could only click his tongue and put his head down on the table. He had managed to glimpse the blushing girls with scowls on their faces just before that, though. Having crushes just meant one's heart would get crushed. They should all just focus on becoming proper Mages. Either that, or they approached immediately next time. One missed a hundred percent of every shot they didn't take.
"Oh, you didn't study in Korea?" Oh Jihye's voice came into Merlin's ears. Her and Lee Jaehyun were seemingly enjoying their conversation. He felt like listening would be unruly of him, so he shifted his mind to something else as he hoped for sleep. And what else but the System.
He had managed to raise both his Agility and Resistance by one level by jogging the stretch between the dorm and the entrance gate a little over ten times. The distance was over five miles, and, yet, he had barely gotten much from it. His growth from workouts alone seemed to have stalled. The System was probably telling him that it was time for him to step it up. And he would, on Saturday.
Before he knew it, he'd fallen asleep.
Then a jolt, and another, and another, and he was awake.
He looked up to see Oh Jihye looking down at him with a forced smile.
"Didn't you sleep at night?" she said, as though she was being held at gunpoint and being forced to speak to him.
Was sleeping in class that weird to her? Why? And besides, she did not need to pressure herself to talk to him if she didn't want to.
Merlin sighed and raised his head. "Couldn't sleep," he replied. Then he saw Professor Jung in a black fitted suit, her hair tied into a single long ponytail, standing over the podium.
Oh, that was why he had been woken up. He rubbed his eyes and groggily sat up straight.
"I see…" said Oh Jihye simply before turning away immediately.
"Good morning, students," Professor Jung started, a warm smile on her face. "I'm certain you all know my name, however, I'll repeat it again for the sake of it. I'm Jung Seoyeon—Professor Jung to you all—and I'll be your homeroom professor until you advance to your second year. I hope you treat me with kindness."
The boys whistled and drummed on their tables, while the girls clapped. Merlin's eyes flashed across the classroom then, noticing that in the time he was asleep, more students had come in.
There were still a few empty seats, but their class had the forty assigned to it present now. Then he caught sight of someone who made his brows drop. It was the boy who had teased Hakyun just before he had gone to have his physical assessment. He was seated pompously just a few seats forward from Merlin.
Merlin had forgotten to ask Hakyun about what had happened that day, but now he had been reminded. He wondered briefly if asking would be the right thing to do, but when he recalled how Hakyun's demeanor had turned sour as soon as the boy had called him, he decided to do it.
They were anything but friends, Hakyun and the lad. Merlin could feel it. And if that was the case, then it could only mean one thing. He would not want to become all cozy with someone who treated his friend badly. It would make him sick.
He had to be sure before making any decisions, so he would ask.
"With that said and done, I'll be explaining your courses to you," Professor Jung resumed. "Pull up—or out—your materials." They all did. "You will each be taking nine compulsory theory courses, and nine compulsory practical courses throughout your first year. There's also an optional course, the Hero Basics course. For those of you who want to become Hero Mages, that's the course for you. You'll have until Friday to decide as its classes are held on Fridays. I'm sure you have the timetables."
Merlin considered taking the Hero Course, but he was still unsure as to how that would affect him in other areas. Would it prevent him from venturing into the Dungeons and Towers?
It seemed likely.
There were three categories of Mages. The Hunter Mages, the Consortium Mages, and the Hero Mages. Anyone could see that the Hunter Mages were the ones who mostly went into the Dungeons and Towers. The Consortium Mages were the ones who dealt with Dungeon Breaks. What he was unsure of was what the Hero Mages did. Every time he'd seen them on the TV, it was mostly showbiz. He wondered if that was all.
For protecting his family, that seemed like the best choice of Mage work for him, but if he wanted to get even stronger, it probably wasn't, considering the exponential growth he would experience in Dungeons. Which was why he put a hold on making a decision until he had attended its class on Friday. After that, he would decide.
"The nine theory courses are…" Professor Jung put up a finger as she listed, "Cataclysm Theory. Monster Theory. Dungeon and Tower Design. Combat Theory. International Law. Survival Theory. Civic Education. Introduction to Mana Flow and Channeling. Then either Construction 101 or Creation 101."
Merlin's brows fell. Either? He had seen the course list already, but he had not realized that they would have to take only one of the two courses. Why?
"Why either?" someone asked, having the same thoughts as him.
"Because every Mage is different," Professor Jung replied. "And the way you all will cast your spells differ too. No Mage can use both Construction and Creation. You'll learn more about this during your Introduction to Mana Flow and Channeling class. Which is immediately after this. So that you can all know which of the two courses you're to take."
"Will you be the one taking us?" another said.
Professor Jung's smile spread wider, but she shook her head. "No. That will be Dr. Elias Namgoong."
Merlin couldn't remember who that was, but that was hardly his concern now. It was the fact that he could not cast spells. Was he not going to be taking any of the two classes?
No. That was not the most troubling thing on his mind.
If he copied both the spells of a Construction Mage and a Creation Mage, did that mean he would be able to use both Construction and Creation Magic despite it being impossible? His eyes almost widened.
At that moment he could swear he saw Professor Jung glance at him. He frowned, realizing why in an instant. That dampened his mood.
"As for the practical courses, they are: Martial Sparring. Grimoire Sparring. Spell Casting. Open Field Drill. Combat Formation Drills. Practical Tactics for Setting and Disarming Traps. Low Level Chaos Simulation. Low Level Simulation Dungeon Dive. And Low Level Simulation Tower Dive. I will be taking you, Creation 101, Combat Formation Drills, and Low Level Chaos Simulation."
Silence spread all over the room. The word simulation was now something that struck fear in the hearts of the students, especially after what they had witnessed during Merlin's.
They had seen the course list already, so they should have long readied their hearts. But it seemed like there were some things that readying oneself couldn't deal with.
Merlin couldn't be bothered, though. He was planning on raiding an actual one this Saturday; a simulation could do little to make him shiver at this point.
He stole a glance at Oh Jihye, who was listening attentively, her surroundings no longer visible to her. He could recall seeing her name on the list of those who had scored points for their Cohorts. Five, she had gotten. Lee Jaehyun, on the other hand, was the real deal. Fifteen Cohort points, he had gotten. And he was third on the academic rankings with ten points, just behind him and Kim Minji. The boy also looked totally unfazed by the mention of the simulations of a Dungeon and Tower. He was a worthy opponent for Nora.
Merlin sighed and listened on.
Professor Jung addressed everything she could, including the questions the students had, and brought her talk to a close.
"That will be all." She looked at her smartwatch. "In about twenty minutes, Dr. Elias will be here. Prepare for your class, and make sure you do well. Remember everyone can graduate, and vice versa."
"We will do our best, professor!!" the students roared.
"Good." She smiled and stepped down from the podium.
Merlin placed his chin on his palm and watched her. All of a sudden she stopped and sent her gaze flying towards him, He was startled out of his wits that he almost fell from his seat.
"Merlin Tyrrell," she called. "See me after your classes are done." And she walked out.
However, the damage was done. Every single eye in the classroom was on him.