At 5 p.m., after all classes had ended, the students began to move busily once the homeroom session wrapped up.
“Team 2, gather up!”
“Team 1, come over here!”
Students moved to join their designated teams. I headed over to Team 1 — the team I’d be in for the upcoming midterm test, the Captain Match.
“We all here? Then let’s go.”
All 25 members of Team 1 gathered in an empty classroom on the 6th floor of the main building.
I scanned the faces of my teammates.
Key members included Yoo Ara, Yoon Hayoung, and Park Inhwan.
Which also meant that Lee Seo-jun, Shin Young-joon, and Lee Hyun-joo were on the opposing team.
Not exactly ideal. On top of that, the team members had been completely different compared to the original storyline, so I had no idea who the enemy captain might be.
This was… a bit unsettling.
“So, who’s gonna be the captain?”
One student stepped forward to speak.
“Wouldn’t it make sense for the highest-ranked person to do it? With Lee Seo-jun and Shin Young-joon on the other side, only someone really strong could hold their ground.”
“Then Yoo Ara?”
All eyes turned to Yoo Ara. But she shook her head.
“If I’m the captain, who’s going to be on offense? I’m better off leading the attack.”
“True. Makes sense.”
“Then how about letting the weakest person do it? Someone to just hide and be protected.”
“Eh, still feels off putting the weakest one there.”
“Hey, hey. Kim Sunwoo, how about you?”
At someone’s suggestion, everyone’s eyes turned to me.
“Oh. Sunwoo’s a good idea.”
“Yeah, he’s been getting the best evaluations lately.”
“I vote Sunwoo. I can trust him.”
“Same here. If it’s Sunwoo, he might even hold out against Lee Seo-jun.”
…What is this sudden trust?
I knew my reputation had gotten better lately, but this felt a bit overboard.
“Sunwoo, how about it? I think you’d be a good pick too,” Yoon Hayoung suddenly chimed in.
I shook my head.
“Why me? Forget it. And don’t decide the captain now — choose on the day of the exam.”
Everyone looked at me questioningly.
“Why? What if we don’t pick now?”
“You didn’t read the rulebook? This exam allows betrayal.”
In fact, the Captain Match had a brutal rule: betrayal.
A student could defect and join the enemy team. There would be some penalties for betraying your team, of course, but the potential for high victory points made it tempting.
“And we’ve got a certain someone here who likes to stab his team in the back when things get boring.”
I glanced coldly at Park Inhwan. He flinched.
“W-Whoa, what do you mean, ‘stab in the back’? There’s no one like that here, come on now,” he said with a forced smile — like I’d struck a nerve.
Tch.
“Anyway, I’m just saying — let’s stay on our toes, because we might have some sneaky snakes among us.”
In the original story, Park Inhwan had leaked the identity of his team’s captain three days before the test, dooming the whole team to failure.
He’s essentially an enemy. We can’t share any strategies around him.
After a moment’s thought, I spoke up.
“Let’s pick a leader. The leader can decide who the captain is on the day of the test, and they’ll also handle setting up our overall strategy.”
“A leader?”
“Hm. Sounds reasonable.”
“Anyone against it?”
No one spoke up. Fortunately, everyone seemed to be on board.
“Alright then, let’s choose the leader first. Are we voting?”
“Yeah, let’s just vote now.”
So the vote began — by nominating someone and raising hands in support.
The results: Yoo Ara got 13 votes, I got 12.
She was elected by the narrowest of margins.
How I even managed to get 12 votes against Yoo Ara is a total mystery.
“Alright then, Yoo Ara is the leader.”
“Yay!”
Everyone applauded her.
Yoo Ara stood still for a moment, face tense, then finally spoke.
“Well, the results are what they are. Anyway, I’ll do my best as the leader. We’ve got a week to prepare, and we can’t afford to lose.”
“Ooh, very reassuring.”
A few students smiled, but Yoo Ara continued without acknowledging the chatter.
“I’ll decide the captain either on the day or sometime later. Since betrayal is a possibility, only people I trust will know who it is.”
“What? Don’t we already have a trust issue in the team?”
“It’s not about trust. Didn’t you hear the earlier conversation?”
“…”
There were a few initial grumbles, but they quickly died down.
After that, Yoo Ara started talking about team roles and positions. She was surprisingly good at taking charge.
“Alright, that’s it for today. It’s getting late, let’s head back.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“Yeah.”
“See you tomorrow!”
“Nice work, everyone.”
The students gave their farewells and began leaving the classroom.
I also stepped into the hallway to head back to the dorms.
“Sunwoo! Let’s go together!”
Yoon Hayoung hurried up to me with light steps.
“Sure.”
“What are you gonna do now? Training?”
“Yeah. I’ve got some time, so I’ll get some practice in.”
“You’re going to the manifestation training hall, right?”
“Yup.”
“Perfect~ Then I’ll come along too.”
At that moment, Yoon Hayoung looked back.
“Ara, you’re not coming?”
“I’m staying behind to finish sorting out the team positions. You two go ahead.”
Yoo Ara’s words made Yoon Hayoung nod, while I simply stared at her.
“You could’ve done it later, though.”
She shook her head.
“Nope. I’ve gotta head to training soon anyway, so I’ll join you after.”
She said it so firmly that I didn’t have anything else to say.
“…Alright then. Just don’t overdo it.”
She gave me a smile.
“Got it.”
Three days after the teams were decided.
The atmosphere in the classroom had changed.
Some students were sticking together with their teammates, while others got angry at those who were being too friendly with the opposing team, worried their strategy might get leaked.
“Wow. What’s with this mood?”
Shin Young-joon said as he sat on my desk, munching on some bread.
“They’re probably worried about betrayal. If even one person betrays the team, it puts us at a huge disadvantage.”
“Still, everyone’s way too sensitive.”
At that moment, crumbs from Shin Young-joon’s bread fell onto my desk. I frowned.
“Hey. Eat that on your own desk.”
“Oh? Even you are getting sensitive, Sunwoo?”
“……What are you talking about.”
“Anyway, I wish midterms would just be over already. The mood sucks.”
“Just hang in there for another week or two. Once exams are over, we get to rest for a while.”
“True, the next event is the Taehwi Festival.”
The Taehwi Festival.
It was an event held to commemorate the birth of the great mage “Taehwi,” who established the four branches of magic 150 years ago.
Though it’s said to be in honour of Taehwi, it’s easier to think of it as just a school festival.
Just then, the classroom door opened, and Lee Seo-jun walked in. Shin Young-joon waved at him excitedly.
“Lee Seo-jun!”
Lee Seo-jun smirked and walked over to us.
“So, what did they talk to you about when you got called to the teacher’s office?”
“It was about sponsorship.”
“Sponsorship?”
Shin Young-joon tilted his head in confusion. Knowing the original story, I figured out what it was about right away.
“Yeah. Apparently, they’re offering some kind of sponsorship for top-ranked students. We talked about that.”
“Oh. Think I can get in on that too?”
“You’re ranked third, so probably? Hmm, not sure though.”
“Who’s offering it?”
“Hanseong Pharmaceuticals. They said they’d even provide elixirs. Something about developing a new drug.”
“Really? Then does that mean we get to meet Han Se-yeon too? I saw her in person once, and she was no joke.”
“That, I don’t know.”
As I was listening to their conversation, an alert sounded from my phone in my pocket.
[Are you free around 9 PM after school?]
9 PM? Curious about who sent it, I checked the sender — and saw an unexpected name.
‘Yoo Ara.’
I turned my gaze toward Yoo Ara’s seat. After about a second, my eyes met hers.
Yoo Ara quickly turned her head and went back to studying.
Hanseong Pharmaceuticals, Director’s Office.
Team Leader Jung opened the door and entered after finishing a sponsorship meeting with the Korean Mage Academy.
Han Se-yeon stood up to greet him.
“Team Leader Jung, thank you for your hard work.”
“Haha, not at all. You’re the one who must be busy with new drug development. I really admire your stamina.”
Team Leader Jung chuckled and took a seat. Then he pulled a document from inside his jacket and placed it on the table.
“This is the preliminary list of students for the academy sponsorship.”
“Is it for all grade levels?”
Han Se-yeon skimmed through the list.
“Yes, that’s right. We gathered the top five students in overall rankings per grade. We also included a few students with special talents and high potential.”
“Hm. First, these four — Choi Seo-yoon, Lee Seo-jun, Yoo Ara, Kim Chang-hyun. Let’s confirm them.”
“Yes, the school spoke highly of them as well. They’re also known internationally, so they’ll be great for promotional purposes.”
Han Se-yeon nodded.
Choi Seo-yoon, Lee Seo-jun, Yoo Ara, Kim Chang-hyun.
These were students so famous for their genius that even Han Se-yeon already knew of them.
Supporting well-known students would have more promotional impact than supporting unknown ones.
“These students really are on a different level.”
As she flipped through the documents, Han Se-yeon’s hand paused.
One male student’s photo caught her eye.
The photo was small, making it hard to see the face clearly, but it felt strangely familiar.
His eyes… resembled someone she knew.
She checked the ranking out of curiosity.
“…20th?”
“Oh, you mean Kim Sunwoo? I remember him clearly because he’s ranked 20th.”
“Kim Sunwoo?”
She glanced at the name on the list.
Was it a coincidence? Even the name felt oddly familiar.
“Yes, he’s apparently the hottest student lately. The school praised him for his dramatic rise in grades. They said he’s the first student to ever get perfect scores in theory three times in a row. Really incredible.”
Han Se-yeon looked at Kim Sunwoo’s photo with thoughtful eyes.
Seeing her like that, Team Leader Jung added nervously,
“Haha. No need to worry. He’s just a candidate for now. Even if he’s improving quickly, we’ll most likely stick with the top five students…”
“Team Leader Jung.”
“Yes?”
“There’s still some time left. Why don’t we keep an eye on him for a bit longer? The sponsorship will be given out during the Taehwi Festival anyway.”
“What do you mean?”
Han Se-yeon set the document down and spoke.
“I heard midterms are coming up soon. Rather than relying only on current rankings, let’s also consider the upcoming exam results.”
“Oh, that’s true. Consistency is important, but what really matters is who wins in the end.”
Han Se-yeon smiled at his reply.
“Yes, let’s keep him on hold for now and decide after seeing the test results.”
9 PM, after all the classes had ended.
I was sitting on a bench at the park in front of the manifestation training field.
With exams approaching, the park was quiet and empty.
It was clearly autumn now, as the air had grown chillier. I yawned widely with my hands in my pockets.
“Sunbae?”
A familiar voice called out.
It was Choi Seo-yoon, wearing a large hoodie that came down to her knees over her uniform. She was carrying a bag — probably filled with snacks?
“Wow~ Fancy seeing you here, sunbae. What are you doing alone?”
She approached and asked.
“Just waiting for someone.”
“Waiting?”
She tilted her head in curiosity. Just as she was about to ask more, I spoke first.
“Where are you headed?”
“I’m going to the training ground now.”
“At this hour? What were you doing until now?”
“Homework. On the ecosystem of rare monsters… Ah, do you know where the Black Mountain Monster Bear sleeps? I’ve researched everything else except that.”
“The rock cave within 300 meters of the cliffside river.”
“Oh, as expected! Man, I should’ve asked you earlier. I couldn’t find it anywhere online. How do you even know that?”
Instead of answering, I just shrugged.
Choi Seo-yoon smiled and held something up to my mouth. It was a long Pepero-shaped snack.
“This is my thanks.”
“Hey. I don’t like sweets.”
“Ugh, just eat it. Why are you so picky? A~h.”
Feeling awkward, I looked around before reluctantly taking it in my mouth.
Choi Seo-yoon chuckled as she watched. I stared at her blankly.
…Why is she acting so friendly lately?
Just as I was about to say something—
“Sorry I’m late.”
Someone else cut in.
Both Choi Seo-yoon and I turned to look.
Dark hair fluttered in the breeze.
Yoo Ara, my intended meeting partner, stood there.
Choi Seo-yoon paused at the sight of her. Then, as if collecting herself, she bowed her head deeply.
“Ah, hello, sunbae.”
“Hi.”
Yoo Ara nodded and returned the greeting.
Choi Seo-yoon glanced between me and Yoo Ara, then spoke.
“So the person you were waiting for… was Yoo Ara sunbae.”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Hm…”
Her expression looked oddly gloomy. Maybe it was just the poor lighting in the park.
“What?”
“Oh, nothing. I just didn’t expect it at all… Ah! You two talk. I’ll get going.”
“Ah, okay.”
With that, Choi Seo-yoon disappeared somewhere. Yoo Ara watched her leave with a curious expression, then turned her eyes to me. She stared at me for about three seconds.
“…You’re pretty capable.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Yoo Ara didn’t answer my question. Instead, she said abruptly,
“This midterm. I really want to win.”
Her voice was more serious than usual.
I looked at her and replied.
“Doesn’t everyone?”
“That’s not it. I mean, I want to really beat Lee Seo-jun.”
Saying that, she sat down next to me. I caught a whiff of something pleasant — maybe fabric softener or post-workout freshness.
Then she looked at me with determined eyes.
“What do you think about Lee Seo-jun?”
It was a sudden question. What do I think of Lee Seo-jun?
“He’s amazing.”
It was a short, simple answer, but it was the only way to describe him.
Yoo Ara nodded, seemingly already aware of that. Then she lifted her head and looked up at the dark night sky.
“Yeah. He’s amazing. And I’ve always lost to him.”
Instead of replying, I just looked at her. I already knew what kind of feelings Yoo Ara had toward Lee Seo-jun.
“This time, I want to win. I think this is my chance. My chance to be number one.”
She lowered her gaze from the night sky and looked at me again.
“Kim Sunwoo. You be the Captain.”
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