SRS 60

This conversation wasn’t meant to attack him, probe him, or make him uncomfortable. Yohan’s grip on his arm wasn’t strong enough to keep him from pulling away. If Mikael really wanted to, he could have shaken him off at any moment.

“What I mean is… that’s your nature, Mikael. I just don’t want you to forget it.”

“…”

Yohan had more to say, but he stopped. Adding more would only water down the meaning. Mikael didn’t reply, but he didn’t pull his hand away either.

His eyes were fixed on Yohan as though deep in thought, and then his arm moved. The moment it gently slid out of his grasp, Yohan didn’t try to hold it again.

“You really are a natural priest.”

“Was that a compliment?”

“If you take pride in being one, then it is.”

Mikael left the interpretation to him, and Yohan decided to take it as a compliment without hesitation.

“…If you taught them, then you must’ve improved a lot yourself. That’s how people grow, after all. I bet your control over divine power is very different from before the class.”

“Really?”

Yohan looked down at his own hand, curious now that Mikael had mentioned it. He couldn’t help but want to see it for himself.

“Try it. I’ll watch.”

Sensing his curiosity, Mikael calmly advised. After a short pause, Yohan unleashed divine power at a pace that wasn’t too fast nor too slow. He shaped it in his mind, giving form to the shapeless energy, then carefully moved it.

Golden light swept across the grass, and a fallen flower softly floated into the air.

“…It’s real.”

Using an invisible hand made of divine energy, Yohan brushed through the field and picked up the small flower. The way it responded so naturally to his will astonished him. It was the same method as before, but it felt entirely different, like he’d become someone new.

He made the flower float with divine power, watching it drift higher and farther until it vanished into the sky. His breath caught in his throat.

Maybe…

“…Do you think I could heal you now?”

“No.”

“….”

Mikael didn’t hesitate and instantly replied. It was an absolute answer.

“Isn’t that too quick an answer?”

“You’re the one saying something ridiculous. It was impossible then; it won’t suddenly change overnight. You’ve improved, but that’s just one small part of using divine power. You’d need a lot more time to heal me.”

It should have been painful, but Mikael was calm. Yohan quietly watched him, searching for even a trace of sadness or resignation, and then an idea flashed through his mind.

“Mikael!”

His voice was a bit loud. Startled from playing with a white bird that had landed nearby, Mikael turned toward him.

“What is it?”

“What if you teach me? Just by words, without using divine power. Like when we faced the golem. I won’t ask for direct help, that’d affect you too. Just theory.”

“You want to learn from me?”

“Yes.”

If Mikael’s guidance during the golem fight hadn’t been a coincidence, then he had a gift for teaching. Yohan was convinced of that.

“…Wouldn’t it be harder to understand without demonstrations?”

“It’s fine. Even if it’s hard to understand…”

At least it won’t be as bad as the angel professor, Yohan thought but didn’t say.

Mikael caught the unspoken thought and gave a small, knowing laugh.

“At the very least, I’ll explain things better than that professor.”

“Yes. That’s enough for me.”

“If you’re that determined, I don’t mind. But will you have the time?”

“Hmm…”

It was true that his schedule was tight. Asking Mikael to teach him would mean finding spare moments that wouldn’t draw attention. Yohan scratched his cheek.

“…How about thirty minutes after Divine Studies each day?”

Meeting after all their classes would be too noticeable, but using the short break after first period was perfect. They were already in the same class, so they wouldn’t have to meet separately, and afterward, they could head to Spirit Studies together.

“If it’s just theory, it won’t take long anyway. Yes, that sounds fine.”

Mikael agreed, and Yohan smiled with a bright expression.

“Then I’ll see you after first period every day.”

“Yes.”

And just like that, a new item was added to Yohan’s daily schedule.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

The third-period Divine Studies class went much the same as the second. The headmaster once again taught the students to believe in him, and Yohan sighed while teaching his classmates how to shape divine power.

“Thanks, Yohan. I understand it a lot better now.”

“So this is how the professor broke the window on the first day. I didn’t realize. If it weren’t for you, I probably never would’ve figured it out.”

“Nice. Starting today, I’m trying the window-breaking thing too.”

“Me too!”

When the bell rang, the students thanked him earnestly. Yohan smiled, a little embarrassed but not entirely unhappy to be praised, until he realized they were all talking about testing their power on the dorm windows.

“…That’s not really the point?”

He started to worry that maybe he’d taught them the technique too freely. When he frowned, his classmates exchanged glances, then grinned awkwardly.

“Hey, come on. We’re joking, right?”

“Yes, yes! Just a joke.”

“…..”

Their acting was so forced it was almost funny. Yohan furrowed his eyebrows and mentally added the two ringleaders to his personal watchlist. If any news came up about broken dorm windows, he’d be telling the dorm supervisor exactly where to start looking.

“How was it, Yohan? Isn’t teaching pretty fun?”

When the courtyard finally emptied, the headmaster’s overly cheerful voice sounded behind him. He’d stayed behind on purpose just to start this conversation.

…So he’s planning to dump everything on me again.

Predicting how this would end two days from now, Yohan quietly swallowed his disappointment. Honestly, there wasn’t much left to be disappointed about.

“…Thanks to you, I had a valuable experience.”

“That’s all?”

“Yes.”

“Not even a little bit of interest in continuing? Maybe becoming a professor someday?”

“None.”

It was absurd, hearing questions like that when the answer was so obvious. Yohan replied curtly, dusted off his clothes, and turned to leave. The headmaster floated there humming thoughtfully, as if Yohan’s answer didn’t fit whatever strange plan he’d had in mind. Among the students, his hovering form had earned him the nickname “Air God.”

“I’ll be going, then.”

Just as the headmaster went about his business regardless of what anyone said, Yohan had learned to do the same. He’d developed his own kind of stubbornness, enough to keep moving by habit, no matter what nonsense the headmaster threw at him.

Leaving the headmaster behind, Yohan sighed as he was overcome with a wave of fatigue. His eyes felt dry, his head heavy. He’d barely rested all day, between helping Mikael during the break and preparing for the next class, his mind hadn’t stopped once.

He decided he’d take a short nap after his elective class. But when fourth period ended and he was heading back, his plan fell apart. A spirit beast had come down from the mountain behind the school and attacked the dorm.

Instead of resting, Yohan spent his break helping subdue it. By the time he staggered back after fifth period, he was so drained he could’ve collapsed on the spot.

After washing up, he threw himself onto his bed, his body heavy and aching.

“…Wake me up before curfew.”

“Alright.”

He asked Mikael, who was reading nearby, then fell asleep almost instantly.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

He woke briefly for curfew checks, then again at midnight, sitting up just long enough to keep from falling into deep sleep, before finally lying back down. A few minutes later, exhaustion pulled him under again.

When he woke next, it was four in the morning.

“…Rise! Rise up!”

“Fantasiademia must guarantee the students’ right to live! Guarantee it!”

“Professors, take responsibility and awaken!”

“…”

For some reason, the dorm was noisy. No, to be more precise, the entire first-year area sounded like chaos.

Rubbing his eyes, Yohan blinked in confusion. Mikael, Kylus, and Suhyeok were nowhere in sight. He washed up quickly and stepped outside, only to see students protesting in the hallway with signs in their hands.

“Melek, what’s going on?”

His neighbor from the next room, Melek, looked over with bloodshot eyes, running on no sleep, and pointed to the wall. Yohan followed his gaze, and froze.

The new academic schedule for Fantasiademia had been posted.

Curious, he walked closer to read it, and his expression hardened.

Monthly evaluations for each major, quarterly dorm group assessments, semester-end comprehensive tests, an endless list of tests filled the entire board.

Monthly evaluations for each major?

That meant he’d have to take three major tests every month. And they’d affect his grades.

Thinking he must have misread, Yohan blinked again, then spotted a fallen protest sign nearby. He picked it up and saw that the students had all agreed to skip zero period in protest.

He was just about to join them when a voice came from behind.

“…What are you doing, Yohan?”

The rest of Room 304 students , back from dragging off another protesting student by the collar, stared at him. Suhyeok’s baffled expression made Yohan’s ears turn slightly red with embarrassment.