Chapter 5: Cheongshin?

Doyoo moved aside, placing the bag he’d kept next to him into the luggage basket on the floor. Cheongshin then settled down beside Doyoo.

“Um, excuse me?”

“Yes?”

“…”

‘They’re too close…’

Doyoo barely managed to close his mouth, which had threatened to speak on its own, and glared at Cheongshin.

Cheongshin, with an innocent expression, smoothed out the blueprint Doyoo had spread before them. Their thighs were touching.

Cheongshin even leaned in subtly, adding their weight. Doyoo wondered if young people nowadays typically maintained such close proximity.

“Do you have a copy?”

“I do, but…”

“Then, could I perhaps scribble on it for a moment?”

“…Sure. Here’s a pen.”

“Thank you, Senior.”

Taking the pen Doyoo offered, Cheongshin began to move their hand across the page.

“According to the theory you’ve written here, Senior, the projected energy output when mana is circulated with this point as the epicenter is this. However, I believe it would be better to use *this* as the epicenter instead, and then reverse the circulation of the original.”

“Why?”

Doyoo was not a wizard. He was, by all accounts, an ordinary person with a higher mana sensitivity than most mages.

Consequently, after joining the special division of the Cadan Mage Association at a young age, he had studied magic relentlessly, developing a considerable degree of confidence in his abilities.

Yet, here he was.

Cheongshin began to explain slowly and meticulously, ensuring Doyoo could easily grasp every detail.

While many of the terms and formulas were so abstruse that others would instinctively wonder, ‘What are they even talking about?’, Doyoo understood every single one.

Completely absorbed, Doyoo listened intently to Cheongshin’s explanations, momentarily forgetting even his own mission.

“This is just my personal opinion, of course, so Senior can do as they wish—”

“You’re right!”

Forgetting his act, Doyoo’s eyes sparkling as he gazed at the marks Cheongshin had made.

The new formulas, meticulously written in a neat hand, and the revised points, clearly marked with words, were impressive. Furthermore, symbols like arrows had been drawn at optimal locations to guide the flow, enhancing the overall perfection of the design.

Beyond thick-rimmed glasses, his sparkling blue eyes were riveted to the blueprint. Thus, Doyoo failed to notice that Cheongshin was staring intently at him, nor that, at some point, they had subtly drawn him into a half-embrace.

“This is incredible, Cheongshin. I never would have thought of this.”

While Cadan boasted many brilliant mages, none of them were truly his equals in discussion. Even within Cadan, those from other departments regarded the special division, and especially Doyoo’s Team 1, as potential criminals, refusing to even speak with them.

Team members within his own special division tended to remain silent unless the topic directly concerned their interests, and they rarely met outside of missions. For these reasons, Doyoo found himself incredibly fond of Cheongshin in this moment.

“Seeing you so happy, Senior, makes me happy too.”

“Thank you. Thanks to you… Gasp.”

The moment Doyoo turned his head towards Cheongshin, he gasped. ‘When did we get this close?’

Doyoo’s body trembled violently, and he instinctively recoiled sideways, realizing their lips were almost touching.

“I-I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

Cheongshin, seemingly oblivious, simply smiled and asked again. Realizing he was the only one flustered, Doyoo shook his head, mumbling evasively out of embarrassment.

“Right, I’ll refine it a bit more, incorporating the parts you looked over. The date stated in the contract is for tomorrow, so, um, where would be convenient for you to work tomorrow?”

“Anywhere Senior prefers.”

“Then… I’ll try to borrow a lab tomorrow.”

“You haven’t borrowed one yet, then.”

The academy provided small, private research labs for unfortunate students burning themselves out over their graduation projects.

If Doyoo were truly a seventh-year student desperate for graduation, he would have secured a lab long ago. However, his ultimate goal was to ensnare a lawbreaker, so he hadn’t even bothered to apply for one.

‘Would Cheongshin find this strange?’ After seeing how he had improved the blueprint, Doyoo was certain that with Cheongshin’s skill, he could easily recreate any magic the perpetrator had used on the victims.

He felt that if he could just draw Cheongshin out a little more, he might be able to gather crucial evidence.

Fearing that Cheongshin might discover it was a sting operation and cut off contact, Doyoo, his heart pounding, quickly added:

“I just… tried to borrow one before, but couldn’t.”

“Is that so? Then, shall we go together when you go to borrow it?”

“Oh, no! It’s fine. I’ll go alone since I’ll be going in the morning.”

‘What is he thinking?’ Cheongshin, who had been watching Doyoo with an enigmatic gaze, finally nodded.

“Hmm, I see.”

“Right…! You worked hard today. Thank you, Cheongshin.”

“Ah.”

Cheongshin’s previously relaxed expression subtly twisted with that brief exclamation. As he pressed his lips together, Doyoo looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“Cheongshin…?”

His closed lips parted slightly. The previously distorted face transformed in an instant, blossoming into a beautiful smile, like a flower in full bloom, sending shivers down Doyoo’s spine.

“As expected, it feels good when Senior calls me by my name.”

“…”

To that honeyed, melodious voice, spoken as if to a lover, Doyoo observed Cheongshin with a chillingly neutral expression. Thankfully, because he was still wearing his mask, his true feelings remained hidden from Cheongshin.

‘This guy really seems like the perpetrator, after all.’

Victims with timid or reclusive personalities, who typically struggled to fit in and felt isolated, would undoubtedly be thrilled and excited by such words from the popular and handsome Cheongshin.

‘Is that why he used forbidden magic, spells that could easily kill dozens if activated?’

“I see… That’s a relief.”

No matter how suspicious this felt, he couldn’t act yet. Not without conclusive evidence. Doyoo forced a gentle tone, then gathered the items spread across the table and placed them into his bag.

“Then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Senior.”

“Hm?”

“It’ll be dinner time soon; would you like to have dinner together?”

“Oh…”

Checking the time, Doyoo saw that, just as Cheongshin said, dinner hour was fast approaching. Doyoo, who had planned to simply eat instant curry with some vegetables tonight, paused in thought.

Humans are most relaxed during meals, second only to sleep. ‘Perhaps if we shared a meal, I could glean some information.’

“I know a Korean restaurant I frequent. It’s famous for its delicious food and it’s quite close by.”

“Are you perhaps talking about the hanok-style place just past the intersection?”

“Yes, that’s the one.”

“…! Perfect!”

Doyoo readily accepted. He had always wanted to visit the restaurant, but it didn’t accept solo diners, so he had only ever seen it in passing. He simply couldn’t refuse this opportunity.

Thinking he could also seize the opportunity to probe for weaknesses and extract information from Cheongshin, Doyoo, in his excitement, quickly packed his bag.

Despite being an undercover investigation, this was his first time attending an academy, and he had unwittingly made a mistake.

“There are no vacancies.”

“What?”

“All research labs provided to current students are currently occupied. Their rental periods expire at the beginning of next year, so no vacancies will occur this year.”

The cold, unyielding voice left no room for negotiation, and Doyoo realized there was no hope.

They even added that unless a graduating student died and was carried out of their lab, no vacancy would arise. And since graduating students were the type to strangle their professors before dying themselves, there would similarly be no vacancies.

Doyoo sent a message to Cheongshin.

[All the labs are full, so I couldn’t get one. I’m sorry, but can we meet tomorrow? I’ll try to find a rental lab nearby today.]

Given that this academy was primarily for mages and students with high mana sensitivity, there were quite a few rental labs available nearby, much like cafes. He planned to search for one. If all else failed, he could always request support from Cadan headquarters and secure a makeshift lab.

[It’s fine. Let’s meet as planned today.]

“No, I’m not fine…”

Doyoo muttered weakly, then, after pondering how to refuse, his eyes lit up with a sudden idea, and he replied, [Alright].

He harbored a faint hope that Cheongshin might lead him to a place where the victims had been lured, or perhaps a location where Cheongshin researched forbidden magic or created artifacts, leaving behind traces.

[Are you at school now?]

It was a message from Cheongshin. Doyoo quickly replied.

[Yes.]

[Understood.]

‘What exactly did he understand?’ Doyoo pondered this for a moment, then resumed his halted steps and headed towards the library. With three hours remaining until his meeting with Cheongshin, he planned to spend the time reading the magic tomes available in the academy’s library.

Doyoo chose a secluded corner seat in the library, far from where most students gathered, and settled down with a book he had started previously.

Since infiltrating the academy, Doyoo had come to cherish these moments spent reading in the library the most. The library accessible to the special division contained none of these fundamental texts, nor did it offer such a diverse range of genres, making this time feel like a refreshing rain in a drought.

As he neared the end of the book, Doyoo sensed a presence drawing closer and lifted his head. His gaze sharpened, meticulously scanning the approaching figure.