Chapter 6: The Pristine Record and a Tearful Encounter

Seo Doyoo swiftly pulled the male student’s information from his memory.

The student was Lee Yoonwon, a twenty-year-old first-year from the First Department of Attribute Magic Defense.

His hair, black in the photos, was now a striking gold, with dark roots hinting at a recent dye job. He possessed black eyes and a vibrant, youthful face. His walk was a languid, almost carefree stroll.

Observing the placement of his wristwatch, Seo Doyoo deduced the student was right-handed. ‘This student had absolutely no connection to him.’

Seo Doyoo attempted to dismiss the thought and return his attention to the book. However, a carton of milk suddenly intruded into his peripheral vision, causing him to blink.

He lifted his gaze to find Yoonwon smiling genially.

“Hello, Senior Doyoo.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Seo Doyoo’s face. Yet, his practiced ‘nerd’ persona kicked in, allowing him to instinctively pull back, evading Yoonwon’s deferential bow.

“Y-you… were greeting… me…?”

His tone was hesitant, his voice a touch higher, betraying a fabricated bewilderment. Yoonwon let out a soft chuckle at the flawless nerd act.

“Of course. I was looking right at you, Senior.”

A fleeting irritation pricked Seo Doyoo, but he feigned ignorance. Yoonwon then personally pressed the milk carton into Seo Doyoo’s hand.

As the cool sensation of the milk registered, another distinct texture beneath it made Seo Doyoo’s eyes subtly narrow. Observing this shift in his gaze, Yoonwon quickly spoke.

“It’s a small token of gratitude for your help the other day. Thanks to you, I managed to find the archives without any trouble.”

“…Oh. That’s fortunate.”

“And please, if there’s anything at all I can do to help, just say the word!”

“Thank you. Just a moment, please.”

“What? Oh, yes.”

A flicker of confusion crossed Yoonwon’s face, as if he hadn’t anticipated being held back. Seo Doyoo reached into the bag resting beside him, and with a soft rustle, produced something to hand to Yoonwon.

Caught off guard, Yoonwon accepted the offering with both hands, blinking as he gazed at the colorful assortment of candies nestled in his palms.

“They’re not strange. They’re quite tasty.”

These were candies from Seo Doyoo’s preferred brand, which he often consumed one by one during stressful moments. A wave of sympathy washed over him as he realized Yoonwon might be experiencing similar struggles, prompting him to offer the sweets.

Why Yoonwon was looking at him with such pity bothered him somewhat. Still, he resolved to disregard it, never having imagined ‘the’ Seo Doyoo could be so unexpectedly kind.

“Ah… Th-thank you!”

“It’s nothing. Now… work hard. And stay strong.”

“Understood!”

Yoonwon bowed his head deeply, then, as if realizing such a gesture was unbefitting an academy student, waved a hand, still clutching the candies.

Seo Doyoo instinctively waved back, only to immediately chastise himself, remembering that a ‘nerd’ would never make such a casual gesture. Yet, Yoonwon had already departed.

Alone once more, Seo Doyoo closed his book and idly toyed with the milk carton Yoonwon had given him. Beneath its smooth surface, the hard, distinct texture of a chip-shaped artifact registered against his fingertips.

This was a covert means of information transfer, employed by the Kadan Mage Association. It was a specialized artifact, designed to be inserted into a custom device, such as the cellphone recently issued to Seo Doyoo. Once the information was accessed, it would conveniently self-destruct, leaving no trace.

Seo Doyoo subtly pocketed the chip, then proceeded to drink the milk Yoonwon had given him. The flavor was a surprisingly rich strawberry, just as the large illustration on the carton promised, and quite delicious.

Folding the empty milk carton, Seo Doyoo pondered how many strawberry-flavored candies had been among the handful he’d given Yoonwon moments before.

‘If Yoonwon enjoys strawberry, perhaps I didn’t give him enough,’ he mused. Resolving to ensure only strawberry-flavored ones were included next time, Seo Doyoo gathered his things and made his way to the restroom.

Stepping into the innermost stall of the restroom, Seo Doyoo wasted no time inserting the chip from Yoonwon into his cellphone.

The screen flickered, then shifted, revealing a familiar face on its display.

He scrolled downwards, and text began to appear.

[Lee Cheongshin, 25, Male. From HanXXX Orphanage. Adopted.]

Seo Doyoo paused, his eyes snagging on the first line. The word ‘Adopted’ seemed to hold his gaze for an unusually long time.

Taking a shallow breath, Seo Doyoo began to meticulously read through Lee Cheongshin’s personal information, line by line, none of which had been present in the profile he’d reviewed before infiltrating the academy.

Cheongshin’s personal history was undeniably brilliant.

From his earliest years, when he first awakened to his magical abilities, his talent shone brightly. He possessed a genius for crafting and manifesting creation magic, and remarkably, despite being a mage, he also held profound knowledge in designing and fabricating artifacts.

Seo Doyoo’s mouth involuntarily fell open as he saw the extensive list of corporations currently monitoring Cheongshin. Every single one was a famous, magic-related conglomerate.

As he scanned Cheongshin’s impressive list of accolades from various magic competitions, Seo Doyoo’s curiosity deepened.

‘Why on earth is such a prodigious talent attending this academy?’ he wondered. With capabilities like these, Cheongshin could easily secure a prestigious position and live a life of affluence. Indeed, it appeared there was nothing left for him to learn within these academy walls.

Seo Doyoo chewed on his questions, continuing to absorb Cheongshin’s details.

When he finally reached the end, Seo Doyoo realized he was unconsciously frowning.

‘This is remarkably clean.’

Lee Cheongshin was, beyond a shadow of a doubt, a gifted prodigy of a mage.

Having been adopted, he seemed to have thrived under immense love, as his school records contained not a single sharp word. Instead, they were brimming with accolades: ‘always displays leadership in class,’ ‘destined to become an exceptional mage,’ and similar praises.

There were no records whatsoever of him being involved in or causing any incidents or accidents. Even his interpersonal relationships were pristine.

With cool, collected blue eyes, Seo Doyoo meticulously re-scanned Cheongshin’s information from the very beginning.

Even upon a second reading, the record remained utterly pristine, without a single superfluous detail.

Those with such an impeccably clean slate typically fall into one of two categories.

Either they have genuinely lived a blessed, unblemished life, or someone possessing immense power, wealth, and influence has meticulously fabricated the information to shield Cheongshin.

The screen flickered, then reverted to its original display. The artifact’s activation period had concluded. Having accessed all the requested information about Cheongshin from the intelligence department, Seo Doyoo promptly emerged from the stall.

After washing his hands, Seo Doyoo scrutinized his reflection in the mirror. His black wig, which he meticulously tousled each morning, appeared unusually tidy today, so he deliberately ran his fingers through it to dishevel it further.

Finally, he adjusted his thick-rimmed glasses and pulled his mask high over the bridge of his nose, ensuring the majority of his face was obscured.

Having meticulously completed his disguise, Seo Doyoo smiled inwardly, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes as he regarded his reflection.

Today, he would once again present himself as the quintessential nerd, someone utterly unapproachable. A sense of quiet satisfaction settled over Seo Doyoo as he stepped out of the restroom.

He froze.

Seo Doyoo, who had been striding forth with confident steps, abruptly halted. Standing directly in front of the restroom, as if patiently waiting, was someone whose face—no, whose eyes—caused Seo Doyoo genuine dismay.

“Lee Cheongshin…?”

Had he merely been standing there, Seo Doyoo wouldn’t have been surprised. But Cheongshin was staring at him with eyes so full of tears, it seemed a single touch would cause them to spill over.

Seo Doyoo was utterly bewildered.

He couldn’t fathom why the usually bright and cheerful guy from yesterday was now red-eyed and tearful. Even more perplexing was his presence here, unannounced and far from their agreed meeting time.

Amidst his confusion, Seo Doyoo’s extensive experience as an adult offered a silent counsel.

Regardless of the reason, it seemed Cheongshin had sought out this secluded library restroom to cry. His instinct urged him to pretend not to know him and simply walk past; one should never hastily interfere with someone who wishes to weep.

Seo Doyoo made his decision and moved to bypass Cheongshin.

Or rather, he *tried* to walk past.

Thud.

Cheongshin’s hand closed around Seo Doyoo’s. The grip, surprisingly firm, halted his progress. Turning back, he saw Cheongshin gazing at him with an utterly forlorn expression.

“Senior…”

Though they had known each other for only two days, Seo Doyoo immediately recognized this listless tone as utterly uncharacteristic of Cheongshin. He ultimately turned his body fully toward the younger man.

As if on cue, Cheongshin buried his head into Seo Doyoo’s shoulder. Seo Doyoo reflexively tensed, prepared to fling Cheongshin away and perhaps even to the floor, but he managed to rein himself in at the last moment, lowering his hands.

‘This guy isn’t a criminal,’ he reminded himself. ‘Not yet, at least. The person who needs to be here is not a special agent, but Seo Doyoo, the unassuming academy student.’

“W-what’s wrong…?”

As he managed to force out the words, Cheongshin subtly tightened his embrace. It was the first time Seo Doyoo had been hugged like this, regardless of gender, and just as he was about to push Cheongshin away, the younger man spoke.

“Senior, do you have some time?”

“W-well, I s-suppose so…?”

He answered inadvertently, but it was true that he had free time. Moreover, all his allocated time from now on would be spent with Cheongshin, so there was no real excuse to offer.

“Then let’s go get some fresh air.”

“Fresh air?”

“Yes. I’m sorry… but I just can’t bear to stay here…”

His voice was weak and faltering.

What had happened to Cheongshin in such a short time remained a mystery. Even if he was indeed a person who had led a blessed and unblemished life, seeing someone younger than himself so utterly dispirited stirred Seo Doyoo’s adult conscience.

Seo Doyoo nodded. Cheongshin offered a fragile smile, like a candle flame about to extinguish, and once again buried his head into Seo Doyoo’s shoulder.

This time, Seo Doyoo responded proactively. He gently patted Cheongshin’s back in a comforting gesture.

Because of this, Seo Doyoo failed to notice Cheongshin’s delicate smile slowly morphing into a triumphant grin.