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Join the Server‘Still, I felt Yoon Geon-woo ought to know.’
I had intended to slowly broach the subject with Yoon Geon-woo, the one who might have used a psychic ability on me, whenever the right opportunity presented itself.
As my mind wrestled with a myriad of worries, Han Seon-ho’s voice, now a touch subdued, cut through my thoughts, landing softly yet pointedly.
“So, there was nothing to discuss with me, then.”
“Han Seon-ho…”
“Sogum, you’ve already made your decision, haven’t you? Am I mistaken?”
Upon learning that I intended to switch rooms without a single word of consultation, Han Seon-ho appeared utterly shell-shocked.
It was certainly understandable; after all, I had been his roommate for more than half the time since our enrollment at SAA. Witnessing the palpable disappointment etched across Han Seon-ho’s face, my own heart felt an even greater weight.
“This time, I truly messed up. I should have consulted you first…”
“So, if I told you I didn’t want you to go right now, would you actually stay?”
“That’s… I’m sorry, but I really do need to share a room with Yoon Geon-woo right now.”
Despite my cautious apology, Han Seon-ho pressed one final time, yet I found myself unable to offer him the answer he so clearly desired.
“Ha, Sogum, are you perhaps…”
Han Seon-ho abruptly cut himself off, swallowing the rest of his question. When I tilted my head, confused by his sudden silence, he simply ran a hand over his face, a melancholic expression clouding his features.
“I see, alright. If you’ve already made up your mind, then there’s nothing to be done.”
“Han Seon-ho…”
“Instead, you can move out in a week. I… I need some time to process things too.”
His rather dispassionate reply left me with a distinct feeling that I was about to embark on the most awkward period of our friendship since Han Seon-ho and I had first become close.
****
Approximately a week had elapsed since my conversation with Han Seon-ho. While it sounded pleasant to say we had exchanged opinions, in truth, it had amounted to little more than me unilaterally informing him of my decision to switch roommates. Consequently, a persistent sense of guilt gnawed at me.
Was he terribly angry? I feared I had acted far too thoughtlessly this time. My mind, entirely consumed by the impending graduation ceremony rampage, seemed to have inadvertently inflicted pain upon someone dear to me.
Recognizing this as my undeniable blunder, I endeavored to mend our somewhat strained relationship by carefully observing Han Seon-ho’s disposition. Regardless of the circumstances, he was, after all, the person who had offered me the most assistance among all those I had encountered at SAA.
Perhaps owing to the sheer amount of time we had spent together compared to anyone else, my long-term roommate, Han Seon-ho, was the sole person privy to the precise details of my enrollment at SAA, even knowing the full story of So-eun.
Truth be told, there were moments when his incessant nagging, often delivered with the air of a protective guardian, became frankly tiresome. Nevertheless, I had always regarded our bond as something deeper than mere friendship—a comfortable, familial connection.
‘Would he accept another apology?’
Ideally, I wished to mend our strained relationship before relocating to Yoon Geon-woo’s room. Yet, despite my earnest desire, the situation proved stubbornly resistant to resolution.
Even during my absence for treatment, Han Seon-ho had, without fail, assumed the role of class president. Furthermore, having joined the student council and taken on executive responsibilities, he had no free moments for us to simply sit down and converse at leisure.
Frankly, if he had truly wanted to talk, I doubted a few words of conversation would have been impossible, given we were in the same class and even shared a room. Every time I attempted to initiate a chat, Han Seon-ho would invariably excuse himself, citing student council duties or other commitments, effectively thwarting any attempt at communication. It even crossed my mind that he might be deliberately accumulating more tasks to avoid me altogether.
‘What exactly did he mean by “time to process things”? Was he suggesting we organize the room together?’
Having shared the same living space for so long, we naturally possessed several communal items within the dorm room. With my impending move to Yoon Geon-woo’s room scheduled for the following day, I diligently set about cleaning, even tackling Han Seon-ho’s share of the tidying. Most of the items belonged to him, having been sent from his family home, and as my own belongings were never extensive, the task didn’t take long.
“Haaah…”
The thought of leaving while things remained so awkward between us felt heavy. A sigh escaped me unconsciously. While I knew our friendship wasn’t so fragile as to break over something so trivial, there was one particular concern nagging at my mind.
‘Whatever else happens, he absolutely shouldn’t become the student representative for our year…’
My worry was that Han Seon-ho, having immersed himself so deeply in student council affairs, might inadvertently become the year’s student representative.
Unlike Han Seon-ho, I held no particular interest in extracurricular activities and thus remained largely ignorant of the student council’s functions. Therefore, my concern wasn’t about the position being too demanding or difficult to manage alongside academics.
It was because, in my previous life, the student representative delivering the graduation speech had been crushed by a collapsing ceiling, their body torn in half.
‘They were from the Esper class, weren’t they? The year representative before the regression…’
I recalled that the student who had vied with Han Seon-ho for the representative position until the very end was one of the Esper Class representatives.
Han Seon-ho had, somewhat reluctantly, become a candidate through the recommendations of the Guide Class students. However, ultimately, the Esper Class student, surpassing Han Seon-ho who harbored no desire for the prestigious role, had ascended to the representative position.
Though Han Seon-ho was subsequently appointed to the vice president position, I recalled he had ultimately resigned midway through his term, having found himself at odds with the Esper who served as the year representative.
‘This doesn’t feel right.’
While he had always been an active participant, witnessing Han Seon-ho’s current, almost excessive, involvement in student council activities filled me with an unwarranted sense of dread.
But then again, how could I possibly obstruct his path? I couldn’t even offer a compelling reason for him to halt his involvement immediately.
“First, perhaps I should eat something.”
My mind, cluttered with complex thoughts, urged me to eat something. Thankfully, the next period was a theory class, precluding the need for extensive travel, which meant I could enjoy a leisurely lunch.
But what good did that do? Despite it being a rare, leisurely lunch, Han Seon-ho was, predictably, absent, occupied with student council duties.
‘It’s the last day, and I have to eat lunch by myself…’
Though my appetite was nonexistent, I disliked the idea of simply sitting idly and lethargically. So, I decided I might as well head to the snack bar. While I was there, I thought it would be a good opportunity to give Bok-sil a treat, having not done so in a while. Gathering my textbooks, I then exited the room.
“Haaah… Goodness, why are there so many people?”
Upon entering the snack bar for the first time in a while, I found it difficult to navigate through the throngs of students. Intriguingly, there appeared to be at least twice as many students clad in navy Esper training uniforms as there were in standard school attire.
Observing the robust Esper Class students teeming about, it seemed their practical training had only recently concluded. I lingered for a moment, my gaze scanning the offerings, until I finally spotted something that piqued my interest: a thick bacon sandwich! Among the array of colorful, sweet pastries, it was the sole item that truly appealed to my palate.
However, it appeared countless others shared my exact taste, for the sandwiches vanished in an instant. Unwilling to trek all the way to the cafeteria, I resigned myself to salvaging one of the few remaining sausage breads.
“Ugh… just a second…”
As fate would have it, the students obstructing my path were all physical enhancement Espers, their towering frames completely obscuring the bread, leaving it just out of my reach. As I struggled, wedged between the massive Espers, someone from behind suddenly steadied my swaying body.
From him emanated the crisp scent of a cool breeze, sharp enough to instantly clear my hazy mind.
[Matching Rate: 91%]
[Contamination Level: 45%]
A matching rate that felt vaguely familiar. And a scent that was undeniably recognizable. Raising my head to confirm the face of the Esper who had enveloped me, I found it was precisely the person I had anticipated.
My temporary pair from before the regression: Jin Ian.
“Hello there? We meet again.”
“……”
“Is this what you wanted to eat?”
Jin Ian, addressing me warmly, dangled the sausage bread he had acquired before my eyes. His perpetually striking features, now enhanced by a smile, seemed to illuminate the very space around us.
“Yes… sausage bread.”
“Oh, really? I happen to like these too.”
For a fleeting moment, my gaze locked with his light-colored eyes. A mischievous glint danced around Jin Ian’s gaze.
“I’m tempted to just eat it myself. What do you think?”
I, too, chuckled faintly at Jin Ian, who was clearly poised for mischief. How many times had I fallen for his tricks? I possessed a full year’s worth of data on him, though, naturally, Jin Ian remained blissfully unaware.
“If you want to eat it, then you should. It does look delicious, with a nice big, plump sausage.”
I responded to Jin Ian with feigned indifference. I knew perfectly well that if I were to utter anything like, “Can’t you just give that to me?” he would undoubtedly drag me around, wear me out, and only then hand it over.
“Why aren’t you asking for it?”
“You picked it up.”
“I might give it to you if I feel like it.”
“I’m not hungry enough to snatch someone else’s food.”
My nonchalant reaction seemed to pique his interest, and his eyes sparkled. Jin Ian chuckled softly, then pulled me closer to him.
“It’s too crowded here. Come over here.”
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