Chapter 7 Part 7: Admission test.

“Are you guys in class 2 as well?”

I threw the question out there, pretending to know nothing.

Since I hadn’t specifically addressed anyone, all four people around me naturally looked my way.

I briefly enjoyed their attention before continuing with my innocent act.

“I’m in class 2, too.”

“What, you’re in class 2 as well?”

Siu was the first to react.

He grinned and said he hadn’t expected us to be in the same class.

“We worked well together during the entrance exam, didn’t we?”

“We did.”

“I look forward to working with you in the future. You know my name, right?”

“Of course. It’s Kang Siu.”

“And drop the formalities. We’re the same age, aren’t we? Or are we?”

“We are.”

I said with a smile.

Siu grinned and started chattering excitedly.

And then Sia stopped him.

I watched the twins bicker for a moment before deliberately turning my attention to the other students.

The mouse Beastman girl seemed a bit scared, but the dog Beastman girl seemed interested in me.

I gave them both a friendly smile and said.

“I saw you guys fighting during the entrance exam. It was a shame.”

“Oh, no. We didn’t really do much. You said your name was… Lee Yeji?”

“Yes. Can I drop the formalities?”

“Of course. I’m Jang Yuna. And this cute little hamster here is…”

“I’m not a hamster! I’m Kim Aram.”

I smiled and decided to remember their names.

They would probably be my first friends at this academy, along with Siu and Sia.

“I didn’t do much either. I just had a way to find out their location.”

“Ah, right. You were a snake Beastman, weren’t you?”

“Yeah. Other than being a Beastman, I don’t have any special abilities.”

“Heeh, that’s interesting.”

Jang Yuna said that and perked up her ears.

She seemed to want to hear more of my story.

“Transforming into a snake is all there is to it.”

“That’s pretty plain. But plain is good.”

“Do you not have any abilities either?”

“If only I didn’t, right? It’s worse than having nothing.”

Jang Yuna explained with a deep sigh.

“I have the ability to make a loud bark that stuns people who hear it, but I can’t distinguish between friend and foe.”

“Can’t you just wear earplugs?”

“If that worked, I would have given them to Aram already.”

“Ah…”

“Aram over there has a pretty useful ability.”

“What kind of ability?”

I deliberately feigned curiosity.

It wasn’t the story I wanted to hear right now, but it didn’t matter.

It seemed like it would be interesting.

“I think it’s better if Aram explains it herself. I don’t really understand it.”

“Idiot. I’ve explained it to you so many times.”

“Haha, it’s complicated. We have to tell Yeji anyway, so think of it as explaining it again.”

“…My ability is to adjust time, based on my heartbeat.”

“…What?”

I knew it wasn’t polite to interrupt like that, but I couldn’t help it.

If Kim Aram’s ability was that powerful, there was no reason for her to have been kidnapped.

Just based on what I’d heard so far, I was questioning how she even made it to the academy.

Fortunately, Kim Aram corrected herself.

“To be precise, I adjust the time I perceive.”

“So you’re tricking your brain.”

“Yeah. I can speed it up by 2 times and slow it down to 0.3 times.”

I nodded slowly.

That was pretty average.

Some of the drugs my aunts and uncles could make were even more potent than that.

I was really worried that I was going to lose my first academy friend.

“It seems like a good ability. It must be useful?”

“It’s not for nothing that Yuna and I dream of becoming heroes together.”

“Ah…”

“By the way, Yeji, what’s your goal?”

I smiled awkwardly.

First of all, students at the academy weren’t required to have a set career path.

Some heroes worked as Hunters, and vice versa.

So I was planning to say that I was still thinking about it.

Both Hunters and heroes were wonderful professions that saved citizens, so I couldn’t choose just one.

That was also the best way to keep the conversation flowing smoothly.

“I’m still thinking…”

“It’s obviously a Hunter! I knew it the moment I saw you! You have what it takes to be a Hunter!”

“Is my brother actually saying something right for once?”

“…”

I smiled awkwardly.

Siu and Sia continued to rant about how I was going to be a Hunter.

They probably thought we worked well together during the entrance exam.

Well, to be honest, we did work well together.

But I was about to say that it was inappropriate for them to decide my future like this when…

“Um, everyone? The entrance ceremony is over. Instead of sitting around idly or chatting, please go do what you need to do.”

It was just like Ms. Rosena to say that.

I was momentarily stunned, and then I noticed the other students getting up.

Since the atmosphere had become like this, I thought it would be good to get up and head to class 1-2 as well.

The timing was perfect.

Both Siu and Sia seemed self-centered, so I figured their conversation would continue for a while.

So, before Siu or Sia could say anything to me, I quickly started walking out of the auditorium.

Of course, I didn’t walk too fast.

If I did, the other students wouldn’t be able to keep up with me.

Before long, Jang Yuna and Kim Aram caught up to me.

Siu and Sia seemed to be approaching from right behind, talking to each other.

At this rate, it seemed like we could have a normal conversation on the way.

And that was my misjudgment.

Just as Ms. Rosena had said, this academy seemed to prefer unscripted situations.

For starters, the students were exiting the auditorium in an orderly fashion.

But everyone was talking so loudly that it was impossible to have a conversation.

No matter what I tried to say, it was drowned out by the hubbub.

In the end, I had no choice but to take out my phone and save Jang Yuna and Kim Aram’s numbers first.

And then I saved Siu and Sia’s numbers, who were behind them.

Even if I couldn’t talk to them now, I could always contact them later on my phone.

The only good thing was that the students were leaving relatively quickly.

I waited in line for a moment and then slowly made my way out of the auditorium.

I thought I could go a little faster now, when a wall of students appeared in front of me.

It wasn’t incomprehensible.

The new students were wandering around, not knowing where to go.

Fortunately, the teachers and seniors stepped in, not wanting to just stand by and watch.

I waited for a moment and then started following a teacher who shouted that class 1-2 was this way.

…That teacher was, how should I put it.

He seemed like quite the mastermind.

At first glance, he seemed normal.

A tall, slender, but muscular build.

Moderately grown black hair and a handsome face.

But if there was one problem, it was that he had narrow eyes.

It made me wonder if it was okay for him to squint like that.

And the tips of his fingers were very dark, which was also quite strange.

…He definitely looked like someone who belonged in a lab.

He had the kind of face that would treat students well with a smile, only to reveal his true colors and commit crimes.

No, I wasn’t joking.

It was really what my uncles looked like 10 years ago.

So I followed behind that teacher very cautiously.

Just in case something happened, I wanted to be able to react immediately.

…Fortunately, my worries seemed to be unfounded.

Nothing happened until we reached class 1-2 with the other students.

“Alright, everyone, please take a seat wherever you like. I have a lot to say.”

The teacher said that and gave a friendly smile.

Feeling an inexplicable sense of unease, I decided to choose a suitable seat.

First of all, I thought it would be good to be near the window.

Even though I didn’t have strong snake-like characteristics, I liked the sunlight.

And… I wanted to be in the middle, neither the front nor the back.

It was a place where I could listen to the class adequately while avoiding the teacher’s attention.

So I chose a suitable spot and sat down.

…But the situation seemed to be going in a rather strange direction.

Siu and Sia sat in front of me.

And Jang Yuna and Kim Aram sat behind me.

Naturally, the seat next to me was empty.

And this was not what I had expected.

I had definitely thought someone I knew would sit next to me.

So I was sweating bullets inwardly, hoping that a quiet person would sit next to me.

That was the only way I could bear it.

But my thoughts were off the mark.

The male student who sat next to me seemed to have a very sociable personality.

I screamed internally for a moment before slowly maintaining a blank expression.

At least while the teacher was speaking, I didn’t think the student next to me would talk to me.

“Good. Everyone’s seated? Nice to meet you. I’m your homeroom teacher for class 1-2, Park Hyorim.”

The homeroom teacher walked to the front of the classroom and wrote three Chinese characters on the blackboard.

I tried to see what those characters were for a moment, but I gave up.

They were Chinese characters I didn’t know. Well, it could be because they were characters from another world.

“I hope you will be able to achieve your dreams at Busan International Academy…”

The teacher’s speech continued after that.

For the most part, it was useful information.

It was a brief explanation of the various benefits available at the academy.

So the students listened to the teacher’s words without any objections.

But I had a hard time listening quietly.

Well, I… I have a trauma from people with that kind of face.

Still, he seemed like a good teacher, so I tried to endure it.

Surely, a teacher at the academy couldn’t be a mastermind, right?