The bangs were cut straight, as if measured with a ruler.
The overall hair, with sideburns sticking out for quite some time, was a style popularly known as ‘bowl cut.’
“Wow…”
“Well, this used to be trendy back in the day.”
“Trends come and go, but I don’t think I’ve seen this hairstyle recently.”
“Hahaha! How about this? Professor, you look way creepier!”
“Hey, saying I look creepy is a bit harsh…”
The boom of denim jackets in the early 30s was brief, but the era of the bowl cut hasn’t returned yet.
So, Professor Cheon Kyu-jin’s elementary graduation photo from 2007 was quite shocking.
Looking closely, you could see traces of his current appearance.
His prominent brow bone and sharp eyes stood out, especially for a Korean.
His hairstyle was a bit quirky, but considering the era, he had a handsome appearance that I’d guess would’ve made him quite popular with girls. He was also taller than most kids.
I expected to see a playful childhood side, but it seemed like Professor Chun was destined to become a professor from the start.
“No way, Professor was such a show-off!”
“A show-off?”
“He knew he was good-looking and always bragged about it in front of us!”
“That’s a bit hard to imagine. Weren’t you the one telling me to be humble?”
This is complete hypocrisy, right? Like, what, self-hate?
According to Principal Gu On-yu, Professor Chun once ruled over the elementary division like a king at the academy.
With his outstanding academic performance, he managed to woo all the teachers to his side, and if there was a class he didn’t like, he would outright lay down and sleep or skip to play soccer with middle school seniors.
Yet, he was still popular among friends, to the point that the phrase “Heaven and Earth, all alone” was thrown around.
The graduation album displayed various activities conducted in elementary school.
Career experience classes, sports day, academy competitions, field trips, and more.
“To be honest, the elementary album isn’t that interesting. The real gem is this one: ‘Middle School!’ How about it, Na-me? Aren’t you curious?”
The principal, dead set on getting Professor Chun a good laugh, quickly shut the elementary album.
Just one more page in, and there’s a group photo from Principal Gu’s class… Knowing the reason, I pretended not to see.
[He attended Sephiron Academy up until middle school but dropped out because it wasn’t his fit and graduated from a general high school.]
When Professor Chun first recommended the academy to me, he said he graduated from a general high school after finishing middle school.
Sephiron Academy’s top elementary graduate, Cheon Byeong-ho.
His face flashed by once more on the final page of the album.
Clap-
“Principal! But why didn’t Professor Chun advance to the high school division?”
I looked up to see her.
The situation was reversed as Principal Gu On-yu looked down at me, making our faces seem upside down.
She smiled and opened the album wider.
“Because he became a fool.”
*
Sephiron Academy’s middle school student council president Gu On-yu and vice president Cheon Byeong-ho.
Across eight academies nationwide, 1995 students were praised as the true golden generation, but it was the existence of Gu On-yu and Cheon Byeong-ho that made Sephiron Academy stand out as number one.
They were elected as the sole candidates right after becoming 3rd graders, winning with an overwhelming approval rate of 98.1% for leading their victory in the competition against Gangbuk Altair Academy.
With their mature physiques and outstanding looks, whenever they appeared in a shot, cheers erupted here and there as if they were watching a real-time teen romance movie.
Thus, rumors spread that the student council room had become their secret love nest on one spring day in April.
The head of the grade came to visit the student council room to deliver significant news.
“There will be a transfer student coming around four o’clock, so after class, please help introduce the school. You two aren’t busy, right?”
“A transfer student? Our school is getting a transfer?”
“Well… I didn’t know either, but apparently so? They’re coming as a middle schooler like you, and they won’t be a pushover just because they’re small, so don’t bully them, okay? And I heard rumors about you two dating lately, so keep your heads straight! Got it?”
“Hey, Sir! We’re not like that!”
“What’s the new student’s name?”
“You probably all know it. But the kid, well…”
The grade leader peeked around, leaning close to the middle schoolers to whisper.
“Seriously, they’re a one-of-a-kind weirdo.”
*
Even in the same world, it seems like there are people living in different realities at times.
Most friends would often refer to Gu On-yu and Cheon Byeong-ho in that way.
Gu On-yu continued to deny it, but it seemed she might have to accept that opinion now.
Because they must have been talking about the cute girl wearing a pink lace ribbon with her hair tied up in a hime cut.
Even after calling the girl’s name several times, she stared blankly without answering.
Her eyes seemed completely unfocused.
It looked like her mind had completely drifted to another dimension.
“Ham Cho-rong.”
“…”
“Ham Cho-rong! Ham Cho-rong, Ham Cho-rong, Ham Cho-rong!”
“?”
“Why aren’t you answering when I’m calling your name?”
“I already did, do you want me to say it again?”
“When did you say it! Ugh, you’re so frustrating!”
Gu On-yu couldn’t believe it.
‘How on earth is this girl considered a genius?’
Yet the specs coming out on the television were superhuman.
Just four years ago, at the age of 11, Ham Cho-rong already obtained dual degrees in Theoretical Spell Theory and Philosophy in just 16 months.
Two years ago, not only did she develop a Korean standard ‘B++’-rated Unique Magic, but last year, she defeated fierce seniors in the National Sports Tournament, making it to the semi-finals.
While they were just exchanging basic magic with Altair Academy middle schoolers, she had proven her abilities in an officially sanctioned state tournament.
In other words, she ranked among the top four in South Korea for those under the age of 18.
A human anomaly.
Drool began to leak from the corner of her mouth.
“Hmm? Slurp.”
“This is a dream… it must be a dream…! What in the world, AAAAAHHH!”
While Gu On-yu was tearing her hair out, denying reality, this time, Cheon Byeong-ho approached her with a question.
“What… were you looking at?”
Her eyes weren’t unfocused.
They were moving in small, consistent motions.
“The sky, the shape of the clouds, sunlight.”
“Is this girl just an idiot?”
“Sunshine rights. That building has violated building laws. A fine of 5 million won.”
“Uh?”
“The direction of the chair, the school bag, chocolate, a Polaroid photo, stockings, and you like this man? His name is… Gu On-yu. You are… Cheon Byeong-ho.”
Ham Cho-rong deduced each student’s name from the name tag on the pencil case and the name tag hanging from the coat in the corner of the student council room.
Geniuses have deep thoughts.
Because there’s so much information given, it takes time to process it in the brain.
In an instant, she had completely figured out the entire small student council room, even exposing Gu On-yu’s hidden feelings, which Cheon Byeong-ho had kept secret.
“Hey! Don’t you dare talk like you know me when we’ve just met!”
To shut the chatty girl up, Gu On-yu stretched her arm out.
Just at that moment.
Gu On-yu felt a flicker of cherry blossom petals dancing in the air.
Small leaves began to swirl, wrapping around her arm.
The tip of Gu On-yu’s fingernail brushed against Ham Cho-rong’s cheek, and the whirl exploded.
“Uh?”
Her body spun counterclockwise and flew across the student council room.
“AAAHHH!”
“Hey! Gu On-yu!”
“Uh?”
Cheon Byeong-ho hurriedly stood up and dashed toward her, and Ham Cho-rong, who had been blinking blankly, finally realized her mistake.
Fortunately, a stack of empty boxes for the sports day cushioned her fall.
Gu On-yu managed to stand up while clutching her butt and lower back.
“Who do you think you are? Were you trying to kill me?”
“No, I’m really sorry, On-yu.”
“Is saying sorry all that matters?”
“Then do you want to fight?”
“What… what?”
At that moment, the pink aura flared once more from her right hand.
Gu On-yu finally recalled the head of the grade’s words.
‘A one-of-a-kind weirdo…’
Her clear eyes still sparkled.
That was the first encounter with Ham Cho-rong.
*
“That’s ridiculous…”
“Seriously…”
I was at a loss for words after watching Ham Cho-rong and the head of the grade’s practice duel in the gym.
When I asked why she crawled back to the academy after obtaining a bachelor’s degree, the answer was even more astonishing.
“My parents made me. This year’s goal is to win the National Sports Tournament.”
How greedy could her parents possibly be?
The fact that Ham Cho-rong’s parents labeled her being eliminated in the semi-finals as a ‘blemish in life’ was outrageous.
Naturally, that kind of talk was utter nonsense.
There were plenty of students preparing for that tournament since entering high school.
To join such a competition with merely a few months of preparation and to be dissatisfied with even reaching the semi-finals while demanding to win—absurd.
Gu On-yu and Cheon Byeong-ho couldn’t shake the thought that this was child abuse.
“Have you seen Ham Cho-rong on reality TV?”
“Yeah.”
“Then the parents must have watched it too.”
“Gold necklace.”
“Right. The weird guy wearing a leopard-patterned coat.”
As children, they thought of her as a kid born into a luxurious family, but as they grew older, the reality became clear.
Her parents were nouveau riche.
And all that wealth came from Ham Cho-rong’s efforts.
It was even more shocking to realize both parents were day laborers in the field of non-magical professions.
Indeed, calling Ham Cho-rong an anomaly was not an overstatement.
“I’ll go give it a try.”
“What? Cheon Byeong-ho, are you crazy? You could really get hurt!”
“I’m curious. Where does that power come from?”
Ham Cho-rong didn’t know how to take it easy.
Not many would rush in with such determination, acting as if chased by a robber for a practice match.
The issue was that Cheon Byeong-ho was that kind of person too.
“Then… take care and come back… don’t get hurt.”
Gu On-yu would end up regretting not stopping Cheon Byeong-ho that day for a long time,
and Cheon Byeong-ho would feel humiliated by the overwhelming defeat he experienced for the first time, leading him to continually challenge Ham Cho-rong.
