Time flew by quickly, and Monday arrived.
As I headed to school early in the morning, Shin Young-joon approached me with excitement.
“Hey, Kim Sunwoo! That recent guild fight happened in your area, right?”
“Oh, really?”
Lee Seo-jun, who was standing next to him, reacted.
“Why do you always get caught up in incidents? Are you the protagonist of some detective manga or what?”
Lee Seo-jun joked, but I couldn’t help but let out a baffled chuckle.
Of all people, he’s the source of most of these incidents, and yet he says that…
“What? Why are you laughing?”
“No, it’s just absurd.”
“What’s absurd?”
“…Sigh. Even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand.”
I shook my head, and Lee Seo-jun frowned.
“Ugh, what? Why do you stop mid-sentence?”
As we lightly bickered, the back door of the classroom opened, and Yoon Hayoung entered.
“Hey, guys! Good morning!”
Yoon Hayoung greeted us cheerfully with a bright smile.
“Oh, morning.”
She put her bag down at her seat and then walked over to me.
“Sunwoo, when is your documentary airing?”
“Oh, right! You filmed a documentary, didn’t you? Haha!”
Shin Young-joon laughed playfully. I wasn’t sure what was so funny, but since he was always like this, I decided to just let it slide.
“The trailer was hilarious! When you looked at the camera and said, ‘Study using your textbooks,’ that was so cringe. Was that scripted?”
“Shut up.”
“So, when is it airing?”
When was it again?
Honestly, I’d almost forgotten that I’d filmed a documentary.
“…Today?”
“Today?”
Lee Seo-jun asked.
“Yeah, probably tonight at 9 PM.”
I took out my smart student planner from my pocket and checked my diary.
It was today.
“Yeah, it’s today.”
“Oh! I’ll make sure to watch it live.”
I wonder how the ratings will turn out.
Honestly, I’m not expecting much.
Lee Seo-jun’s documentary had recorded a whopping 4% viewership, but that was only because it was him.
For me, I’d be grateful even if I got 0.2%.
Even that would earn me a decent amount of points.
Just then, the door opened, and Jang Ancheol walked in.
The students returned to their seats.
“Alright, let’s begin the morning assembly.”
“Yes!”
“As you all know, the final exams for the first semester are approaching.”
At Jang Ancheol’s words, I felt that the inevitable had finally arrived.
The second-year first-semester finals.
Unlike the previous exams, they were conducted in an entirely different format.
At the mention of final exams, murmurs spread among the students.
“Already?”
“Wow, time flies.”
“Ugh, the finals have the biggest impact on our grades…”
Jang Ancheol lightly tapped the podium to quiet us down.
“Alright, quiet down. The final exams will be held in two weeks, so I expect you all to prepare in advance. Also, there is one more important event left for the first semester—our school trip.”
“Huh? A school trip?”
“Whoa, awesome!”
Unlike the earlier reaction, excitement erupted at the mention of a school trip.
Jang Ancheol scanned the students and smirked.
“This time, the destination is England.”
“Whoa! We’re going overseas!”
“England? But is there anything interesting to see there?”
“There’s the Mythology Museum in England.”
As the chatter started again, Jang Ancheol continued speaking.
“Alright, quiet down. I understand your excitement, but focus on what I’m saying. The school trip will be for four days and three nights.”
“Ohh.”
The students didn’t get as noisy as before, but their expressions were noticeably bright.
Just then, a student raised their hand.
“When is the school trip?”
“I was just about to mention that. It will be in two weeks.”
“…Huh?”
The student’s face filled with confusion.
“Didn’t you just say the final exams are in two weeks as well?”
“That’s correct. The finals will also be in two weeks.”
The student tilted their head.
“But then… the schedules overlap.”
“Of course they do. The final exams will be conducted in England.”
“What? We’re taking the finals in England?”
The class erupted into an uproar again, ignoring Jang Ancheol’s earlier request for order.
He watched the chaos for a moment before adding,
“Moreover, the finals will be held in collaboration with England’s Mage Academy.”
“What?!”
After all the classes ended, I headed to the training room.
I needed to maximize my stats in preparation for the finals in two weeks.
Unlike midterms, final exams had a much greater impact on our overall grades, so I was determined to aim for a high rank this time.
My goal was to place at least in the top 10.
“Whew.”
I was lifting heavy weights in the training room.
Thanks to my recent intake of Golden Immortal Peach, my stats had increased significantly, allowing me to lift much heavier weights than before.
“Ughhh!”
[You have achieved the ‘Magical Weightlifting 3,110’ milestone.]
[You have received 3,000 points as a reward.]
“…Whew.”
I had achieved another milestone.
Satisfied, I smiled slightly and set the barbell back down.
As I sat on the bench to rest, I heard voices nearby.
“Kim Sunwoo is insane. His weights shot up in just a few days.”
“Yeah. Maybe he has the kind of body that builds muscle easily?”
“With that strength, why is he in the Manifestation class?”
I pretended not to hear them, but their comments were compliments, so I couldn’t help feeling a little pleased.
Now that I thought about it, the way students looked at me had changed.
A few months ago, most of them had been looking down on me.
I checked the time.
It was 8:40 PM.
There were 20 minutes left until the broadcast.
Since this was my first TV appearance, I couldn’t just skip watching it live.
Time to go.
After a quick shower to wash off the sweat from training, I returned to my dorm.
I placed a beer and some snacks on the table and sat on the couch.
When I turned on the TV, the broadcast had already begun.
—Mage Academy’s student Kim Sunwoo begins his morning commute.
The narration played as my face appeared on the screen.
Seeing myself on TV made me feel oddly embarrassed.
“Hmm. But I don’t look as good on camera.”
I look way better in person, but they failed to capture that.
What a shame.
Jaun’s Hideout.
Jin was lying on the sofa, laughing out loud while watching a variety show. He was binge-watching the weekend entertainment programs he had missed due to a busy schedule, using a paid subscription.
At that moment, Bert approached Jin.
“Hey, Jin. Hand me the remote. I have something to watch.”
“Huh? No way. I need to finish this.”
Ssshh!
Bert snatched the remote Jin was holding. Jin looked at him in disbelief.
Stealing the remote while someone was watching—what kind of etiquette was that? Where was Bert even from again? Jin pondered to himself.
Ignoring him, Bert switched channels.
—Today again, student Kim Sunwoo heads to the library. His steps are light.
“Huh? Kim Sunwoo? What, he’s in a documentary too?”
“Yeah, looks like it.”
“But why are you watching this?”
“I feel like something’s off. That guy is suspicious in more ways than one.”
“Come on, would a real special ops agent or a Dawn’s Blade member actually film a documentary?”
“They might. It could be a cover to make things seem more natural.”
“…That’s a bit of a stretch.”
Jin watched the TV for about a minute before losing interest and getting up.
“Ugh. You watch it yourself.”
As he wandered around the hideout, he grabbed his smartphone and called Baek Eun-seong.
“…Why the hell hasn’t this guy picked up for five days? Did he really run off with the Cup of Life?”
Just then—
Ring-ring-ring—!
A ringtone sounded from somewhere. It was unmistakably Baek Eun-seong.’s ringtone.
“…What the?”
The ringtone cut off quickly, and at the same time, the call he had made was disconnected.
Jin turned around and walked toward the hideout door. He yanked it open.
Standing there was Baek Eun-seong, his handsome face looking slightly awkward.
“…Hey.”
“Hey, you. What the hell? Why haven’t you answered for five days?”
Baek Eun-seong hesitated, saying nothing. Jin frowned and pulled him inside.
“Huh? Baek Eun-seong?”
Bert, who had been analyzing the Kim Sunwoo documentary with a serious expression and a notebook in hand, stood up.
“Where have you been? Do you know how worried we were, thinking the special ops were after you?”
At Bert’s words, Baek Eun-seong felt even worse inside.
If he told them he lost the cup because he was afraid of water, how mad would they be?
In the end, there was only one thing he could say.
“…Sorry.”
“Forget that. Where have you been all this time?”
Bert asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
Baek Eun-seong forced a embarrassed smile.
“I was just staying at a hotel nearby.”
“You’re hiding something, aren’t you? Hand over the Cup of Life. I saw on the news that it was retrieved properly.”
“……”
Baek Eun-seong fell silent.
Seeing his reaction, Bert’s jaw slowly dropped.
“…No way. You’re kidding.”
As if he were a criminal awaiting judgment, Baek Eun-seong lowered his head again.
“Sorry. I lost it to someone else.”
“What?! Are you insane? How the hell do you lose that?!”
Bert yelled furiously. The Cup of Life was crucial to Jaun’s plans, and losing it could cause major setbacks.
“……”
“Did you see the face of the person who took it?”
Baek Eun-seong shook his head.
“No. He had a hat pulled down low. I couldn’t see. But he had a weird mustache.”
“A mustache?”
A mustached mage… Bert tried to think but quickly shook his head.
There were way too many mages with facial hair in the world.
“But if they were strong enough to take it from you, they must be a serious threat. Who are they?”
“…That’s the thing—they weren’t that strong. Maybe B-rank? A-rank at most?”
“Then why did you lose?”
Bert asked with pure curiosity.
“They escaped into the sea.”
“…You freaking idiot. Are you serious?”
Jin, who had been quietly listening, finally grasped the situation and let out a curse.
“You know I’m scared of water. I can’t swim. There was nothing I could do.”
Bert stared blankly for a moment, then burst into laughter out of sheer disbelief.
“…Ha. Unreal.”
—Student Kim Sunwoo, your physical abilities are quite impressive?
—Yes, I train regularly. Theory is important, but without physical strength to back it up, there are limits to what one can do. That’s why I never skip training.
Hearing the voice from the TV, Baek Eun-seong turned his head.
It was Kim Sunwoo, someone he had occasionally seen while monitoring Lee Seo-jun over the past few weeks.
But now, he felt an odd sense of déjà vu.
‘…That physique looks familiar.’
—To be continued in Episode 2.
The documentary ended, hinting at the next episode. The preview played, edited in a way that made it look even more intriguing.
Apparently, the documentary was a five-part series airing once a week.
At that moment—
[‘TV Appearance’ Achievement Unlocked.]
[Reward: 5,000 Points.]
[5,124 people have taken an interest in you.]
[Reward: 10,000 Points.]
[Six major characters enjoyed your appearance.]
[Reward: 5,000 Points.]
“Whoa. Jackpot.”
Seeing the notifications pop up, I stared at it.
I had just earned 20,000 points in an instant. It had been a long time since I had raked in this many points at once.
If this was just from the first episode, how many points would I get after all five aired? I couldn’t even begin to estimate.
“Good thing I agreed to film that documentary. Heh.”
Grinning, I checked my smart student planner. Messages had been flooding in for a while.
Honestly, most were from people I didn’t even know. I ignored those and only checked messages from people I was at least somewhat familiar with.
[Kim Sunwoo, lmao, is that really your persona? Lol.]
[Wow. Your way of talking was so cringe; was that seriously scripted?]
[Sunbae… I had to stop watching in the middle. My stomach couldn’t take it… Are all five episodes like this? 🤢]
[Sunwoo! You looked great! The camera loves you! ㅎㅎ]
( TL : ㅎㅎ is Korean laughing emoji. )
I skimmed through them without much thought.
Honestly, the comments about my “persona,” the script, and being “cringe” didn’t bother me. I had expected reactions like that.
But one message from Yoon Hayoung slightly irked me.
[Sunwoo! You looked great! The camera loves you! ㅎㅎ]
“…What is she talking about? I look way better in person.”
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