Friday Morning with Special Selective Activities
Before heading to the meeting place, I sat in my dorm room, staring at my smartphone.
8:59 AM
Only one minute remained until the stock market opened at 9 AM.
Since I had already opened my brokerage account yesterday, all that was left was to sweep up Hanseong Pharmaceuticals’ stock as soon as the market opened.
An article about Sacred Bloom was expected to break next week, so the sooner I gathered shares, the better.
9:00 AM
The moment the market opened, I immediately began buying up all available Hanseong Pharmaceuticals stock.
It didn’t take long.
[4,360 shares purchased]
“Done.”
I had invested a whopping 2 billion won, but since it was a blue-chip stock, 4,000 shares were the limit.
Still, once sacred bloom was commercialized, Hanseong Pharmaceuticals—which already held a near-monopoly—would completely dominate the pharmaceutical industry.
That meant I was guaranteed to profit.
After the article was published and a few weeks passed, the stock would likely rise by at least double.
I wanted to invest the remaining funds in other stocks with promising futures, but unfortunately, there wasn’t much time left before the meeting for the special activity.
“Well, I’ll take care of the rest later.”
Now, time to head out.
I arrived at the designated meeting place—the bus stop in front of the school. Looking around, I saw that many students had already gathered, waiting for the appointed time.
The special selective activity included students from all three grades—first, second, and third years—so nearly 150 students were present at this location alone.
“Kim Sun-woo!”
I heard someone calling my name from a distance.
Turning my head, I saw Lee Seo-jun approaching with a bright smile.
“Hey.”
“Oh, hey.”
Behind him, I noticed several familiar faces.
Shin Young-joon, Lee Hyun-joo, Choi Seo-yoon, and Song Seung-ah.
“These are our group members. You know them all, right? Ah, maybe you don’t know Song Seung-ah?”
“I do. We greeted each other once before.”
She was Choi Seo-yoon’s best friend, who had almost no importance in the original story.
I didn’t remember much about her, but I clearly recalled her waking me up on the bus on the first day of school.
“Hello, senior! Nice to see you again.”
Song Seung-ah greeted me with a bright smile.
“Yeah, hey.”
When I glanced at her side, I noticed Choi Seo-yoon looking at me with an odd expression.
“…Hello.”
“Yeah.”
Normally, she would have greeted me with a cheerful smile, but maybe she was still sulking since I had left her message on read.
Or perhaps it was because of the recent beer incident.
…Well, not my problem.
“Each group consists of six members, so this is our complete team. Make sure to remember everyone’s faces.”
Groups were assigned to prevent students from wandering off.
If even one member disappeared, the entire group would receive a warning, so we had to make sure no one strayed.
Judging by the members, they all seemed diligent, so there probably wouldn’t be any unexpected issues.
As the meeting time ended, a teacher stepped forward from a distance.
“Hello. I am Kim Yunjin, the teacher in charge of the Demon Safety Education. As stated in the announcement, in about five minutes, all students will board the buses and head to the ‘Anti-Demon Terror Center.’ Once there, you will attend a lecture by an instructor who works for the Special Task Force of the Mage Association.”
It was the same teacher, Kim Yunjin, who had previously suggested that I specialize in support magic.
The students listened attentively to her explanation.
“Each group consists of a minimum of four and a maximum of seven members. Those who haven’t formed a group yet should do so now.”
As Kim Yunjin continued her explanation, eight buses pulled up in front of the school.
“Now, group leaders, please submit your team rosters. Once submitted, you may board the buses in order.”
The process moved quickly.
Once all students had formed groups and boarded the buses, we departed.
Our destination was the Anti-Demon Terror Center, located in the heart of Seoul.
Guided by the center’s staff, the nearly 150 students were seated tightly in the lecture hall.
“Whoa, this place is incredible.”
Shin Young-joon gazed at the podium in awe.
On the podium stood a large eagle statue with its wings spread wide—the symbol of the Mage Association’s Special Task Force.
The Anti-Demon Terror Center operated under the Special Task Force, tasked with monitoring demon outbreaks and preventing terrorist activities.
“I heard today’s instructor is an active Special Task Force mage.”
“Whoa, then they must be at least A-rank, right?”
“I saw a video of their overseas operations last time. It was seriously cool.”
For reference, the Special Task Force played a major role in this world’s lore.
Not only were many of the strongest good-aligned characters part of it, but in the distant future, after graduating from the Mage Academy, Lee Seo-jun would also join them.
As I waited idly for the lecture to begin, the door to the podium’s waiting room swung open, and a middle-aged man stepped out.
A wave of murmurs spread through the students.
“Nice to meet you all. I am Kim Deokhyun, an agent of the Mage Association’s Anti-Terror Special Task Force.”
As soon as he finished introducing himself, applause erupted from the students.
“Woooow!”
“No way! It’s Kim Deokhyun!”
“His presence is insane. This is my first time seeing an S-rank mage in person.”
An hour passed since the lecture began.
The once-excited students had long since disappeared into deep slumber.
Kim Deokhyun, however, remained unfazed, maintaining his usual calm demeanor as he continued his lecture.
“This concludes the lecture. Thank you all for your attention. I am Kim Deokhyun from the Special Task Force.”
Even though the lecture had ended, there was no enthusiastic applause this time.
Most of the students were still sleeping soundly, unaware that it was over.
“Yaaawn…”
I let out a big yawn and glanced around.
On my left and right, Choi Seo-yoon and Shin Young-joon were sleeping as peacefully as if they were in their own beds.
Aside from Lee Seo-jun, everyone else was completely wiped out.
It felt like I was witnessing a magic law class in session.
No—come to think of it, Shin Young-joon hadn’t even fallen asleep during magic law class…
‘…Maybe I should’ve just taken a nap too.’
At that moment, Lee Seo-jun stood up first and began shaking Shin Young joon’s arm.
“Hey, wake up. It’s over.”
“Huh? Mmm… Is it lunchtime?”
Shin Young-joon mumbled as he wiped drool from his mouth.
…Just how deeply did he sleep to be saying nonsense like that?
“What lunch? Get a grip. The lecture’s over.”
“Oh, right. Today’s a field trip.”
“Kim Sun-woo, can you wake up Seo-yoon too?”
“Oh, yeah.”
I turned to Choi Seo-yoon and spoke.
“Choi Seo-yoon, wake up.”
“…”
She doesn’t respond.
Even when I tap her shoulder, she shows no sign of waking up.
She must be in a deep sleep. Did she not sleep at all last night?
I carefully send a faint stream of magic into her arm.
And at that moment—
“Wha—!?”
With a bizarre noise, Choi Seo-yoon jolts awake.
I flinch reflexively, startled by her sudden reaction.
Still dazed from sleep, she blinks up at me.
Her hair is stuck to her lips, making her look almost ghostly.
“Uh… Senior, hello.”
Out of nowhere, she gives me a polite bow.
I stare at her in disbelief.
“Get up. The lecture’s over.”
“Oh, right… Hehe.”
She chuckles awkwardly and hurriedly fixes her hair.
As the rest of the group gradually wakes up, Lee Seo-jun speaks up.
“What do we do with the remaining time? We’ve got an hour of free time.”
“Hmm, other groups seem to be exploring the center. Why don’t we do the same?”
At Song Seung-ah’s suggestion, Lee Seo-jun nods.
“Alright. Everyone okay with that?”
The special elective activity unfolds just as it did in the original storyline—peacefully.
No dangers arise, and the students bond while exploring the center together.
Though this episode feels like an ordinary slice-of-life moment, it does serve a purpose.
“Lee Seo-jun.”
“Oh, hello.”
This episode introduces a few key characters who will work alongside him after graduation.
And just as in the original, two men appear before us.
One is Kim Deokhyun, the Special Task Force member who gave the lecture earlier.
The other is Jung Hyunsoo, whom I encountered during the Janghan subjugation mission.
Upon seeing Lee Seo-jun, Kim Deokhyun greets him in a friendly tone.
“It’s been a while. It’s been a year since we last met at the chairman’s house, hasn’t it?”
“Yes, I think so. Have you been well?”
“I’ve been fine. More importantly, you’ve grown a lot. By the way, since you’re here, why don’t you stop by and see the chairman?”
Lee Seo-jun shakes his head.
“No, I don’t have time today. I’ll visit another time.”
“Really? It won’t take long.”
As I watch Kim Deokhyun and Lee Seo-jun converse, memories of the past surface.
Lee Seo-jun’s death.
And the scene of Kim Deokhyun being interviewed at his memorial.
That’s how close they eventually become.
Kim Deokhyun plays a major role in the latter half of the original story—not only as another mentor to Lee Seo-jun but also as a crucial pillar of support.
Though their relationship isn’t that deep yet, it will develop significantly after Lee Seo-jun joins the Special Task Force post-graduation.
“Huh? Wait a second.”
Jung Hyunsoo, who has been standing beside Kim Deokhyun, suddenly exclaims in surprise.
He strokes his chin and stares at me.
“You look familiar…”
At that, Lee Hyun-joo and Shin Young-joon snicker.
“He’s reacting the same way we did.”
“Where have I seen you before?”
“You’re talking about Mage Kim Jinwoo, the one who solved the Han River incident, right? See? Everyone has the same reaction.”
At Shin Young joon’s remark, Jung Hyunsoo claps his hands as if he’s made a great discovery.
“Oh! Oh, right! You look exactly like him!”
He makes a huge fuss over it.
Despite my efforts to disguise myself as Kim Jinwoo—with a beard, glasses, and even different hairstyles—people still recognize me too easily.
Maybe I should put more thought into my disguise.
“Looking at this student’s face, I get why you all reacted that way. Hey, student, do you have an older brother?”
“…No, I don’t.”
“A half-brother?”
“No.”
“Do you know someone named Kim Jinwoo?”
“I don’t.”
…Didn’t I have this exact conversation just last week?
“Really? Man, that’s weird. You two are practically twins.”
“Jung Hyunsoo, what are you doing?”
Unable to take it any longer, Kim Deokhyun steps in.
“Oh, sorry. You know Mage Kim Jinwoo from the Han River subjugation, right? This guy looks just like him.”
“Kim Jinwoo?”
Kim Deokhyun’s gaze shifts to me.
“It’s just a common look. You probably got it mixed up.”
“…Maybe. Yeah, that could be it.”
Though I’m getting an intense sense of déjà vu, I decide to ignore it.
Then, Kim Deokhyun checks his watch and turns to Lee Seo-jun.
“Anyway, it was nice seeing you. I have another meeting, so I’ll be going now.”
“Yes, take care.”
Lee Seo-jun bows politely.
Kim Deokhyun and Jung Hyunsoo’s next agenda is a Special Task Force meeting.
They need to discuss countermeasures against the recent surge in magical terrorist activities worldwide.
Some even speculate that a notorious terrorist group, which was disbanded 13 years ago, might be making a comeback.
The situation is grave.
As they walk down the hallway, Kim Deokhyun suddenly remembers something.
“Oh, right. That student earlier, the one who looked like Mage Kim Jinwoo.”
“Huh? Yeah.”
“Now that I think about it, I’ve seen his face somewhere before.”
“Oh? Really? Where?”
“On MeTube.”
At this unexpected statement, Jung Hyunsoo blinks in confusion.
“MeTube?”
“You know that video we watched the other day? The public test from the Mage Academy.”
“Oh, yeah. The one we watched last week?”
“Yeah. The kid who overexerted his magic while compressing his spell. That was him.”
“…Oh. Ohh? Now that you mention it, that does ring a bell.”
“You’re young, yet your memory’s worse than mine.”
“…Come on, why are you picking on me again?”
Ignoring Jung Hyunsoo’s complaint, Kim Deokhyun continues.
“Now that I think about it, it’s kind of interesting.”
“What is?”
“That student used an attribute-less sphere, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Not many people specialize in attribute-less spheres. Sure, some with vivid imaginations might casually manifest them, but most prefer spells with clear attributes and forms.”
“Yeah, but why does that matter?”
What is he getting at?
“The mage who subjugated the Han River disaster, Kim Jinwoo—he also used attribute-less spheres.”
“Oh! You’re right! He did!”
Jung Hyunsoo exclaims in shock.
“Whoa! That’s crazy! What are the odds? Could they actually be related? I mean, magical affinities tend to run in families.”
“That, I don’t know. But if the student has no family records, maybe you should look into it and reunite them.”
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