Monday, periods eight and nine: Understanding Light Elemental Magic (Second Tier).
The exam was held not in the Cultivation Hall, where lectures were usually conducted, but in the Cultural Hall.
That inevitably raised a question.
‘Why the Cultural Hall?’
The nature of a class could generally be inferred from its location.
If it was in the Academic Hall, one could expect it to be mainly theoretical; if it was in the Cultivation Hall, mainly practical.
And if it was in the Dimensional Hall, there was a high chance the class would involve entering a Gate.
Students would prepare for class accordingly.
The same was true for exams.
By the location, one could infer the nature of the exam and prepare for it.
In that sense, if I were to guess Hong Yena’s exam from the fact that it was in the Cultural Hall…
‘It means it has a strong entertainment element.’
When it came to teaching magic, Hong Yena was endlessly strict and serious.
Thinking that someone like her might set an exam contrary to her nature made it hard to predict.
Still, it surely wouldn’t be an ordinary exam that simply required using one’s head or body.
I had no choice but to face her exam with little information.
‘It’s dark….’
What greeted me when I entered the lecture room announced in advance was darkness.
As if the space were divided at the doorway, the lights in the corridor could not enter the lecture room.
I tried turning on the lights in the room to dispel the darkness, but it was no use.
No matter how many times I pressed the power switch, the electricity did not come on.
‘I’ll have to use this, at least.’
With no other choice, I had to use Light in place of illumination.
Even that barely lit the area around me, and the light did not spread far.
That meant the dark elemental magic currently dominating this space was of a higher rank than my magic.
Naturally, I could guess who had cast it.
I did not yet know her intent, but it was surely Hong Yena’s doing.
Meanwhile.
‘…It’s chilly.’
A cold air lingered in the space.
Depending on the person, it was enough to feel either a little cold or pleasantly cool.
Just then, Hong Yena appeared under a spotlight.
“It’s time, so I’ll explain the exam. Hurry over here and gather around. For reference, anyone who comes in from now on will lose points.”
“…”
While we could not properly see through the darkness with our magic,
Hong Yena, standing under the light, stood out clearly.
We gathered around her.
Then the area of light shining on her widened to include us.
“In this exam, you may use only light elemental magic. If you use any other magic, you will be penalized accordingly, so keep that in mind. As for what kind of exam you’ll be taking…”
“…”
“You’re going to cook.”
“…?”
Cooking, out of nowhere, in a class that dealt with light elemental magic.
We could only tilt our heads at Hong Yena’s explanation.
Then, as if she would show us through action rather than words after observing our reactions, she snapped her fingers.
Immediately afterward, the darkness covering the space grew faint, and our surroundings slowly came into view.
‘So that’s why there was cold air… It was because of that.’
It would be better to call the space we were in a kitchen.
On one side, equipment for cooking food had been prepared, and on the other, a section for storing ingredients had been set up.
Judging by appearances, the occasional chill in the space seemed to be flowing from the section handling fresh goods.
“Most of the tools you’ll need should be on the counters. So choose the ingredients you need from over there and make the dish designated as your exam assignment.”
“What dish are we making?”
“Check that at your counter. There should be a file nearby with the assignment written in it. You may choose at least one of the menus written there and make it.”
“Instructor, I’ve only ever cooked instant noodles…”
“I hope there isn’t anyone here who’s reached your age and still can’t even cook a pack of instant noodles. At the very least, you’ve tried frying an egg, haven’t you? Anyone who hasn’t even experienced that… Well, you can learn this time, can’t you? Though I can’t guarantee your exam score.”
“…”
Tilting her head to the side and smiling brightly, Hong Yena cut off the comments of several people as if she had no intention of hearing objections.
I could read the dismay on their faces.
Looking around, it seemed there were quite a few people besides them who had never cooked in their lives.
Even so, she continued her explanation without concern.
“Making the food isn’t the end. Serving it, enjoying it with the eyes, and tasting it are all part of the exam.”
When Hong Yena snapped her fingers again, the space was covered in darkness once more.
Then another area lit up, and booths with their front sides completely open appeared out of the darkness.
They were booths that called to mind a restaurant.
“I hope none of you start fighting over spots just because there are only ten booths. If you want to lose points or be disqualified, then by all means.”
“…”
“Anyone who wants their grade evaluated should bring the finished food and set it on the table in a booth. In consideration of those behind you, you’ll be given exactly five minutes from the moment you enter a booth. Within that time, you need to present it so it looks appetizing when photographed. Naturally, it has to taste good too.”
Before we knew it, the light went out, and the booths sank back into darkness.
The light shining down on us from above also slowly shrank in area, ultimately converging on Hong Yena.
We had no choice but to rely on Light created with light elemental magic.
Then Hong Yena clapped her hands and drew everyone’s attention.
“And once you choose an ingredient, you can absolutely never take it back, so choose carefully.”
“…”
“Then the exam begins now.”
* * *
The darkness blanketing the space was far too dense.
It was utterly impossible to move through the darkness without constantly using Light.
Even with that, it was difficult to see far ahead.
To produce brighter light, one had to increase Light’s output while also raising its density, which increased mana consumption.
In an exam that would last up to two hours, I could not waste mana recklessly.
Not only was it inefficient, but it also placed a burden on me.
‘That said, I can’t spread out a detection net around me or use pure magic to help with dark adaptation….’
The only magic allowed in the exam was light elemental magic.
In the end, I had no choice but to use Light efficiently and take the exam that way.
The situation was no different for the other students.
“Ah, seriously… I can’t see in front of me…”
“At this rate, we’ll waste all our time just trying to find our way around.”
“You’re telling us to cook when it’s this dark? Is that even possible?”
The students were moving carefully with spheres of light floating near them.
I could hear their voices around me, and see faintly wavering lights.
‘I’d better move too.’
First, I had to claim a counter.
Fortunately, I remembered the location from when Hong Yena had illuminated the darkness a little while ago.
I shone my light in that direction and slowly stepped forward.
Groping the empty air with my hands as I advanced only made me feel uneasy.
‘It would be great if Evasion Instinct activated at a time like this….’
Unfortunately, my Gift did not seem to recognize this situation as a threat.
I had no choice but to keep walking helplessly.
Then, as the distance gradually closed, I was able to see the counters.
‘Let’s see, an empty spot….’
Nameplates had been prepared on the corners of the counters for convenience.
I found an unclaimed spot and wrote my student number and name on the nameplate.
Then I checked the guide sheet placed on the cutting board.
The guide sheet listed the menus designated as exam assignments.
─ Understanding Light Elemental Magic (Second Tier) Midterm Exam ─
Choose at least one of the following menus and complete it in accordance with the recipe.
1. Omelet & Pancakes & Frankfurt Sausage
2. Golden Fried Rice & Steamed Egg & Doenjang Soup
3. Curry & Pork Cutlet & Seasoned Pickled Radish
4. Instant Noodles & Pan-Fried Dumplings & Rice
5. Steak & Sautéed Onions & French Fries
When I turned the page, the recipes and precautions were written on the back.
I quickly skimmed the contents, paying particular attention to the precautions.
1. Omelet & Pancakes & Frankfurt Sausage
―The omelet must be cooked evenly throughout.
―The pancakes must be cooked slowly over low heat.
―The Frankfurt sausage must be cooked through to the center…
2. Golden Fried Rice & Steamed Egg & Doenjang Soup
―For the golden fried rice, the grains of rice must be evenly coated in egg mixture.
―The steamed egg must rise softly…
3. Curry & Pork Cutlet & Seasoned Pickled Radish
―The vegetables in the curry must be cooked properly without being burned.
―The inside of the pork cutlet must be…
4. Instant Noodles & Pan-Fried Dumplings & Rice
―When adding an egg to the instant noodles, be sure to cook it soft-boiled without breaking the yolk.
―If you do not add the egg to the noodles, it may be replaced with a fried egg. In that case, cook it soft, as above.
―The pan-fried dumplings must be golden brown on three sides…
5. Steak & Sautéed Onions & French Fries
―The steak must undergo the Maillard reaction and be cooked medium.
―The sautéed onions must be caramelized…
◆ All menus may be freely arranged as long as the recipe is followed.
In such cases, points may be deducted or added.
◆ …
The precautions were surely the core evaluation elements of the exam.
After examining the guide sheet, I fell into thought.
‘What should I make….’
Given the time, making even one menu would be tight.
If I needlessly tried to get a higher score by touching other menus as well, I might end up ruining what had been going well.
It would be like trying to catch two rabbits and failing to catch even one.
I decided not to be greedy and to focus on one menu.
So my choice was…
‘Let’s go with instant noodles.’
Wouldn’t it be better to take the exam with a menu I could do well?
I was fairly confident when it came to instant noodles.
On top of that, it allowed for a wide range of possible arrangements.
Having made my decision, I immediately headed toward the ingredient section.
‘There’s a lot of variety.’
I moved the position of my Light and illuminated as wide an area as possible.
By doing so, I was able to roughly grasp the location of various ingredients.
In other words, I could organize my route efficiently.
‘I should pick the bean sprouts first.’
I headed toward the vegetable section located closest by.
Strangely, when I lit the darkness with Light, the display shelves glowed blue.
Various vegetables, including bean sprouts, were dyed in blue light.
‘Why is it like this?’
There was no time to leisurely think and find an answer.
Time was not on my side.
I had to quickly get the bean sprouts and go find the other ingredients.
Among the bean sprouts within sight, I chose the ones that looked the freshest…
Just as I was about to reach out.
“Shit! What the hell is this!? What’s wrong with the meat!?”
‘…What’s going on?’
A shout from the nearby meat section stopped me.
I paused as I was about to grab the bean sprouts, then approached the place where students were gathering.
They were holding up steak meat, looking greatly flustered.
“Why is there rotten meat here!?”
“It wasn’t like this when I looked earlier. How can this happen…”
“…”
Listening to the students’ commotion,
it seemed that ingredients in poor condition, or even spoiled ones, had been mixed in.
After seeing the student grimacing while holding rotten meat, I turned my eyes to the meat section.
‘The color is that different, and they didn’t notice? How could you mistake that….’
When I shone Light on the meat section, the display shelves emitted a red glow.
It was the same light I had seen in butcher shops.
The meat enveloped in red light all looked perfectly fresh.
If I had known nothing, I would not have suspected that rotten meat was mixed in.
‘…So that’s it.’
Only then did I realize.
In order to deceive our eyes, Hong Yena had placed magic so that, when it reacted to Light, illumination that concealed the condition of the ingredients would turn on.
‘I almost fell for it.’
The rule that ingredients, once taken, could not be returned and had to be used existed for this.
The students who had chosen rotten meat could no longer expect a good score on the exam.
If I had been pressed for time and hastily grabbed the bean sprouts a moment ago, I would not have escaped the same fate as them.
That was a close call.
‘Now that I know there’s a trap, I just have to dispel it.’
We had learned it in class before.
Light is divided into the three primary colors: red, green, and blue.
When light of those three colors is combined, it turns white.
Focusing on that point, I gave Light two colors.
“So this was how you did it.”
With the Light that had originally shone white, I illuminated the vegetable section in blue.
Then I added color with Lights that emitted red and green respectively.
As the three colors overlapped, the color of the lighting cast over the vegetable section turned white.
I was able to distinguish the fresh bean sprouts and put them into my shopping basket.
After that, I applied the three primary colors of light to pick out other ingredients as well.
I also decided on the ramen I would make with an arrangement added.
Seafood ramen.
‘There are lots of expensive ingredients, so I should use them now. When else would I?’
Snow crab, flower shrimp, blood clams, mussels, and so on….
I put in expensive ingredients to boil a spicy and refreshing broth.
Now all that remained was to cook.
But that was where the problem occurred.
“What? Why won’t the flame turn on?”
No matter how much I turned the gas stove knob, no flame rose up.
The situation was similar for the others.
‘How am I supposed to make it without fire?’
Really, making ramen is hard.
I decided to put my head to work.
There had to be a way.
“Ah, I can just do it like that.”
If there was no fire, I would solve it with light.
The moment the thought came to me, I began cooking.
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss
(150) [Illustration]
Since the environment had been created with 4th-tier elemental magic of darkness, the darkness covering the classroom was special.
It was close to impossible to completely drive away the darkness with Light, a 1st-tier elemental magic of light.
The students had no choice but to compromise with their own level and illuminate their surroundings appropriately.
At the same time, in order to take the exam smoothly within the pitch-black darkness, they had to maintain a light source.
‘On top of that, the state of the darkness is set to change constantly.’
Once Light was activated, it could be operated permanently according to the values initially set in the formula until its mana was consumed.
Its duration could also be extended by replenishing mana midway.
As a result, it did not place a great burden on the caster’s control.
But within the darkness spread throughout the classroom, it was a different story.
The darkness Hong Yena had manifested fluctuated depending on location, time, and various other conditions.
For example, the density of the darkness would increase, or it would extinguish the amount of light.
In the end, there was a limit to responding with a Light whose set values were fixed, so the students had to manually control their magic as they took the exam.
For them, it could not help but be quite a burden.
Of course, that was what she had intended.
‘The basics are important in everything, and the basics of elemental magic of light can be said to be Light. But just because they’re full of themselves over becoming 2nd-tier, they can’t forget what it was like to be a tadpole and neglect Light.’
Light was not simply a spell to pass through in order to move on to the next stage.
They could not take lightly a spell that recognized light, which had no form, granted it form, converted mana into photons to create a light source, and controlled brightness through the amount of light.
If one set limits on one’s own thinking, one could not achieve greatness as a mage.
They had to endlessly explore and understand what light was.
Only then could they awaken to the countless principles of elemental magic of light that would spread out from Light as their foundation.
That was Hong Yena’s theory.
‘Among affinity attributes, darkness and light are so rare. How can they use an attribute they finally possess by only skimming the surface?’
A month and about half of another had passed since classes had first begun.
If there were still students who had not realized the importance of Light, Hong Yena felt like smacking them hard on the back of the head.
Fortunately, the students were only flustered at first and showed signs of adapting to the situation.
However, she had more than one intention.
‘It’s a problem if they think of light only as visible light.’
In a broad sense, light refers to electromagnetic waves that have wavelengths and possess duality as both waves and particles.
In a narrow sense, in other words, visible light, which people commonly recognize as light in everyday life, is a type of electromagnetic wave with a wavelength of around 400 nm to 700 nm.
Therefore, if approached from the perspective of wavelength, light could be understood more broadly.
The reason Hong Yena had tampered with the ingredient section was to ascertain that.
A student who had properly listened in class should be able to recognize that light was an electromagnetic wave and respond accordingly.
By granting Light the property of wavelength, they could also change the color of the light.
For example, by changing it to red with a long wavelength, or violet with a short wavelength.
‘Through the cone cells in the human eye, light can largely be divided into the three primary colors of red, green, and blue. Through that, various colors can be combined.’
Lights that are complementary to each other form white, that is, an achromatic color.
The process of choosing fresh ingredients could be called a test asking whether they understood the wavelengths and three primary colors of light, and whether they could combine them into an achromatic color.
Meanwhile, making the designated dish was also part of the exam.
“Huh? What? Why won’t the flame turn on?”
“It’s not coming out for you either? It’s not coming out for me either.”
“Instructor! I think the gas has been cut off!”
“Of course. I cut off the gas.”
“....”
“It’s not an issue that affects the exam, so everyone figure it out on your own.”
People who were about to start cooking were gradually appearing.
Naturally, without exception, they expressed doubt at the situation in which the gas stoves were not working.
Whether their expressions turned subtle or not, Hong Yena brushed it off as if it were nothing.
‘Light isn’t just dazzling to the eyes. As long as light is an electromagnetic wave, it inevitably produces heat energy in the process of emission—in other words, radiant heat.’
The area mainly dealt with in 2nd- and 3rd-tier elemental magic of light was precisely radiant heat.
Hong Yena hoped the students would recall that point and incorporate it into their cooking.
That was why the menu had also been composed mainly of foods where heat control was important.
‘Anyone who paid attention to the precautions must have roughly noticed. The purpose of the cooking is to evaluate how delicately they can control radiant heat.’
Omelettes and golden fried rice were traditionally dishes through which one could glimpse a chef’s skill in controlling fire.
In order to cook an omelette so that it was soft throughout, and to evenly cook the egg mixture coating each grain of rice in golden fried rice, delicate heat control was required.
The same was true for fried foods like pork cutlet, where the outside had to be crispy and the inside moist in order for depth to be added to the flavor.
Steak and sautéed onions, which required causing the Maillard reaction and caramelization, worked on a similar principle.
In the case of curry, one had to pay attention to the order of stir-frying so the vegetables would not burn.
The other dishes, too, had been intended as problems for evaluating radiant heat control.
Lastly, what Hong Yena required was….
‘It doesn’t end just because they made the food. The ability to present it in a way that makes it stand out is also an element of evaluation.’
Brightness is relative.
Just as light and darkness cannot help but coexist, for one place to become bright, some place must inevitably become dark.
The opposite is the same as well.
Such relativity acts on vision and creates a sense of space that makes an area feel wider or narrower, lower or higher.
It could also be said to create an optical illusion.
That was why magic that dealt with illusions had good compatibility with elemental magic of light and darkness.
Therefore, the students had to focus on that sense of space and light even the booth where they would serve the food in order to receive a high score.
‘Light changes color according to wavelength, and radiant heat changes according to color. That’s called color temperature. For example, if you use white lighting of 5,000 Kelvin (K), you can create a lively atmosphere….’
How would they stage the booth with color temperature to give depth to the space and bring out the atmosphere?
How appetizing would they make the food look?
Hong Yena expected the students to show a comprehensive sense for handling light.
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
It was then that the cheerful sound of something being sliced with a knife rang out.
Hong Yena, who had been observing the students struggling at their counters, turned her head.
Do Gyeonu was there.
‘What is he making?’
With Light floating in the air, Do Gyeonu was finely slicing green onions on a cutting board.
He did not look at a recipe midway, and his movements showed no hesitation.
It was proof of the confidence of someone who had at least some cooking experience.
Hong Yena took interest in him and approached.
‘He picked only the very expensive ingredients…. Is he trying to make seafood ramen?’
She looked over the ingredients placed on the counter.
Hong Yena was able to tell what dish Do Gyeonu was making.
By then, it seemed the preliminary preparations were finished.
He boiled water to make broth from the seafood and began stir-frying the vegetables he had cut into bite-sized pieces.
Watching him cook with radiant heat, her eyes narrowed.
‘There’s no wavering in how he controls the amount of light and the amount of energy. He’s operating it while keeping within the proper range I taught in class. On top of illuminating the darkness with Light, he’s doing two tasks in parallel….’
She did not know who had taught him, but his skill was no ordinary thing.
As things stood, it was full marks.
She wanted to know who his master was.
Hong Yena praised herself inwardly, then swallowed.
Not only the smell of the seafood steeping out, but also the process of him cooking so skillfully had unknowingly stimulated her appetite.
‘Come to think of it, he’s been unbelievably good at cooking ramen since long ago.’
Do Gyeonu’s skill at ramen was well known, to the point that if he had not been a member of the Divine Sword Do Clan, one might have mistaken him for someone from a ramen shop.
Hong Yena, who had once tasted his ramen, could not help but have her mouth water.
‘From his appearance, you’d think that as a member of a prestigious family, he’d never gotten a drop of water on his hands and just lived eating whatever was served to him. It’s strange that he’s good at cooking ramen.’
Among the currently active hunters, there was a hunter named Seol Jiyu.
Known by the epithet of mana spearmanship expert, she had a serious history with men and a gambling streak, but her spearmanship was counted among the top in the industry.
And she was also widely renowned for her skill in making noodle dishes, including ramen.
To the point that, in some circles, she was revered as the god of noodle cuisine.
‘I’m looking forward to how delicious it’ll be….’
It could not compare to Seol Jiyu’s, but surely the ramen Do Gyeonu cooked would be no joke either.
It would be extremely delicious.
With an excited heart, Hong Yena looked forward to the completion of his ramen.
* * *
If I couldn’t use fire, I could use the radiant heat of light instead.
Having realized Hong Yena’s intention behind the problem, I immediately lit the fire with 2nd-tier elemental magic of light.
‘This temperature should be enough for now.’
According to the precautions written on the guide, the key to the exam was heat control.
I cooked while paying attention to the temperature of the radiant heat.
My hands making the ramen moved without hesitation.
That was how confident I was in this dish.
‘In my previous life, I cooked and ate it so many times while living alone.’
Was it only when I lived alone that I cooked it?
It had been the same when I lived in the orphanage, and when I lived with the parents who abandoned me, I had cooked ramen for myself too.
Because I had not received their affection, there had often been times when I had to take care of my meals on my own.
‘Looking back, in my previous life, I pretty much lived on ramen….’
Maybe that was why, after being reincarnated into this world, I had made touring famous restaurants my hobby.
When there were so many delicious foods in the world, wouldn’t it be a shame to eat only ramen?
Living this life, I intended to experience and enjoy all kinds of foods to my heart’s content from now on as well.
‘That way, I’ll also have the fun of watching what kind of reaction Haneul shows.’
It was an embarrassing thing to admit as her childhood friend, but I still did not know how many expressions Yeon Haneul was capable of making.
They were subtle, but clearly different.
Because of that, there were countless times when I was startled upon discovering an unfamiliar face from her now and then.
I wondered whether the day would ever come when I learned everything about her.
My childhood friend Yeon Haneul was truly difficult, fascinating, new every day, and interesting.
‘It would be nice if Haneul could taste it too….’
Before I knew it, the dish was complete.
I placed the food on a tray and headed to a booth off to one side.
There happened to be an empty booth.
‘If I want to bring out the colors of the seafood, it would be best to stage it with a color temperature of at least 5,000 K, right?’
After setting the tray down on the table, I snapped my fingers and spread out Light.
Setting the temperature of the light to the value I wanted, I shone it on the food to make it stand out.
Then, while illuminating the darkness of the booth, I gave the space a cozy atmosphere.
The steaming seafood ramen, pan-fried dumplings, and glossy white rice could not have looked more appetizing.
“Lady Witch, I’m done.”
“Yes, you paid quite a bit of attention to it.”
“Please try it.”
“What do you mean, ‘please try some,’ ‘please try some’….”
As soon as I raised my hand, Hong Yena came over as if she had been waiting for it.
She inspected the booth from outside, then came in and turned her gaze to the food.
She split apart a pair of wooden chopsticks.
Slurp.
“How is it?”
Sluuurp.
“Lady Witch?”
“Could you not talk to me while I’m eating?”
Even as she found it hot, Hong Yena slurped up the noodles, then carefully lifted the aluminum pot and drank the broth.
She also broke the fried dumplings in half and put them into her mouth one by one.
I blinked as I watched her focus entirely on eating.
“Is there no kimchi?”
“It wasn’t even on the menu, so of course there isn’t.”
“Ah. That’s a shame.”
“But Lady Witch, what are you doing right now?”
“What do you think? I’m mixing rice in. Honestly, cold rice is the truth when it comes to ramyeon….”
“Didn’t you teach me that truth isn’t a word to be used lightly? And shouldn’t you be eating the food other people made too? Will you be all right?”
“…Ah.”
“….”
What is with this witch?
I sat down outright and watched Hong Yena chew on the rice she had mixed into the ramyeon broth.
Perhaps belatedly realizing her duty, she stood up with an awkward look.
“Ahem! I enjoyed it. It’s fairly tasty.”
“It looked like you were enjoying it quite a lot, not just fairly…. Should I make it for you again next time?”
“…You won’t do it for free, so what do you want?”
“Please give me a good grade. And bonus points too.”
“Ha, I knew it….”
“So what’s my exam score?”
“…Your sense for understanding and handling light needs no further comment. Full marks.”
All the effort I had put into preparing for the exam had paid off.
I cheered inwardly.
Just then, Hong Yena wiped the corner of her mouth and turned around.
“Then I need to go evaluate the other students’ grades, so I’ll be off. You should hurry and leave the booth too, for the next person.”
“Yes, I should.”
“Don’t just leave because your exam is over. Make sure you clean up the cooking station you used before you go.”
Having said what she needed to say, Hong Yena left.
After seeing her off from the booth for a moment, I decided to step aside and give my place to the next person.
‘There was some left over because I made a lot. I’ll eat that and wash the dishes.’
It was ramyeon I had made myself, so it felt too disappointing to clean it up and leave without even eating any.
As soon as I returned to the cooking station, I decided to polish off the remaining ramyeon.
There should have been a few fried dumplings left too.
Having resolved to fill my stomach like that, I walked over to the cooking station, only to find….
“…Why are you here?”
“Nom?”
Slurp!
“….”
Cha Eunsol, who wasn’t even taking the class, was eating the ramyeon I had made.
With noodles in her mouth, she tilted her head, then swallowed them with extraordinary suction power.
Soon after, she answered my question.
“I was on my way back after my exam when I smelled something delicious. Nom nom.”
“So?”
“So, nom…. I followed the smell in here, and there was ramyeon and fried dumplings. Ah, and rice too.”
“Are you a dog? Following a scent?”
“In my next life, I want to be born as a pet pig… Just think of me as a pig. I’m a pig. Oink oink.”
“What are you even saying?”
“Nom.”
Cha Eunsol replied with an impassive face and drank the broth.
Giving up on nitpicking at her, I sighed and sat across from her.
Resting my chin on my hand, I watched her eat the ramyeon as if she meant to empty the pot and asked.
“I made that.”
“Nom. You made it well.”
“Is it good?”
“Yeah.”
“If it tastes good, then that’s a relief. Fine, you eat it all and enjoy it.”
“Nom. Thanks.”
Cha Eunsol really did eat in a way that made food look delicious.
Watching her mukbang made any thought of eating it myself vanish completely.
Meanwhile, she kept eating without the slightest care for my gaze.
Her puffed-out cheeks, stuffed with fried dumplings, kept moving nonstop.
“Instead of just eating like that, why don’t you tell the person who made it how good it is? I didn’t even get to taste it because of you.”
With a gulp, Cha Eunsol swallowed the food in her mouth and said.
“Thanks to the broth drawn from snow crab, pen shells, and various seafood, it has the deep, distinctive richness of seafood. However, it isn’t fishy at all, and the spicy, refreshing taste is in harmony. It’s a shame the noodles swelled up over time, but I don’t think eating noodles that have absorbed the broth is bad either. More than anything, while eating this ramyeon, at some point it feels as if I’ve come to the sea naked—”
“That’s enough, stop. I’m sorry. Don’t say weird things I wouldn’t understand even if I heard them, and just eat.”
“Yeah, delicious (美味). Nom….”
Slurp!
I shut Cha Eunsol’s mouth when she suddenly began a long speech, her green eyes sparkling.
As if nothing had happened, she nodded.
Before long, she even drank the ramyeon broth cleanly and emptied the bowl.
“I enjoyed that. Make it for me again next time. I’ll be going now—”
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Hm?”
Cha Eunsol tried to run away as naturally as breathing.
I grabbed her arm so she couldn’t escape.
Then I placed rubber gloves and a scrubber in her hands.
Her voice trembled.
“What… is this…?”
“What do you think it is?”
“….”
“After you eat, you have to wash the dishes. Where does she get off trying to leave it to me?”
“Ah….”
“Make sure you wash even the dishes in the sink cleanly. Sincerity is what matters, so you know you can’t borrow the power of spirits, right? Other people are in the middle of taking their exams, and it could affect the mana environment if you’re not careful.”
“Do I really have to?”
“Yeah, you really have to. And throw away the food waste when you’re done.”
“….”
Unless she was being faithful to her own desires, Cha Eunsol was expressionless most of the time.
A shadow fell over her face.
Her shoulders trembled, and her green eyes quaked.
In the end, that day, she had to pay for as much as she ate.
“If I work, I’ll lose weight….”
“Good for you. You get to slim down.”
“…You don’t know anything. You’re mean.”
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss
(151) [Illustration]
The subject with the most unpredictable exam could be said to be Dice Game, held during fourth and fifth period on Tuesdays.
That was because, befitting a class that raised one’s luck stat during the course, it had a strong tendency to rely on luck.
The instructor in charge had even boldly presented the teaching “Luck is also skill” on the very first day of class.
To put it bluntly, there was nothing to learn from the class either.
Even so, if there was a lesson to be taken from it, it was that gambling was hard to escape once you fell into it, and that one wrong move could be the quickest path to ruining your family and your life.
In any case, the class wasn’t systematic, and fortune was heavily involved, so there was no way to guess what would appear on the exam.
That was why Yeon Haneul, the triplets, and I, who took the class together, had not poured our passion into Dice Game from early on while preparing for midterms.
Just as the instructor in charge had repeatedly said in class, we decided to leave it entirely to luck.
“What about your underlings? They’re not going with us?”
“You didn’t check the messages, did you? They contacted me earlier and said they’d go ahead first.”
“Is going ahead going to change anything? It’s an exam where luck matters anyway.”
“Mm…. According to the twins, they’re going early to absorb the energy of the exam room or something.”
“It’s good that they’re trying hard, but what a useless kind of effort.”
Tuesday, thirty minutes before fourth period began.
Yeon Haneul and I, who had met in front of the dormitory, talked as we headed to the Dice Game exam room.
In the middle of that, she put on a stern face and scolded me with a “Tsk.”
Her rabbit ears twitched back and forth.
“How can you belittle other people’s efforts? You shouldn’t do that.”
“I know.”
“You know, and you still do it?”
“It’s fine with them.”
“Phew….”
“Well, I do understand how they feel. They took an exam with me yesterday, and while dancing a sword dance, they slipped and made a mistake. They say their scores on the exams after that weren’t good either, so they’re probably trying desperately to make up for it even a little.”
“All three of them slipped? How is that possible?”
“I know, right? At first I thought they were taking their concept too far, but these days I’m starting to think maybe the three of them really are one.”
Whether they were present or absent, it was fun to talk badly about the triplets.
As I snickered and shook my shoulders, even Yeon Haneul eventually let out a helpless little laugh.
Meanwhile, the exam was being held in the Culture Hall, the same place as the class.
The flowers blooming along the path there and the spring scenery harmonized brightly with her.
With the lake reflecting the sunlight at her back, her body seemed to shine.
“….”
“What’s wrong?”
“…No, nothing.”
“Nothing? You’re just looking at me? For no reason at all?”
“Why? Can’t I just look?”
“Uh… Mm… You can. Yeah….”
“Can? Oink oink? Ducks go quack quack? Haneul goes hop hop?”
“Ah, what the heck! That’s not funny, stop it—.”
Really….
Her hair, as white as snow yet blue, seemed to suit spring, summer, autumn, and winter alike.
No, there was no season it didn’t suit.
After lightly taking Yeon Haneul’s hit on my shoulder, I walked through the spring light.
Soon, I changed the subject.
“I wonder what will be on the exam. I know there’s no way to prepare, but I’m still curious.”
“Mm… Same. From what I heard from Si-eun unni, last year it was an exam where they had to cross stepping stones, right? They had to cross a bridge made of regular glass and reinforced glass….”
“And the year before that, they went into a Gate and had to find the Dragon Balls the instructor scattered, from the one-star ball to the seven-star ball.”
“And I heard that for the final exam the year before that, they randomly climbed ladders and determined the exam scores that way….”
“There was also a story that he blew the students’ exam papers with a fan and gave an A+ to the person whose paper flew the farthest. Saying it out loud like this, it’s amazing that instructor hasn’t been fired.”
“Yeah, really. It’s lucky he hasn’t been fired. Maybe he’s related to the chairwoman or some higher-up?”
“That really might be the case.”
It was an exam we simply couldn’t get a handle on.
As we chatted, we soon arrived at the exam room.
Even on ordinary days, the space where the class was held resembled a casino.
“Gyeonu! Haneul! Over here!”
“Hey! We picked up a coupon for a seolleongtang place on the way here!?”
“Looks like today’s our lucky day!”
“Wouldn’t that actually be unlucky?”
“Gyeonu, how can you say something that might jinx us?”
The triplets, who had arrived first, welcomed us.
We joined them and killed time while waiting for the exam to begin.
A short while later, the instructor in charge of Dice Game, So Gukjin, climbed onto the stage.
“We will begin the exam now. The exam will be held for one hour. This year, I’ve prepared a losers’ revival round for those who can’t accept their results, so if you’re interested, you may stay after the exam ends.”
“….”
He was a middle-aged man with shaggy hair and a beard, and heavy dark circles under his eyes.
He had the typical impression of someone addicted to gambling who frequented gambling dens.
He explained in a weary voice.
“Each table is equipped with the game tools needed for the exam. Choose a table you like and take a seat. At that time, the number of people who may participate in a game is limited to six to eight. Then, as for what game you’ll be playing….”
“….”
“You will be playing a modified version of Blue Marble for the exam. It’s Blue Marble with its original structure, which allowed up to four players, greatly expanded.”
…Does Blue Marble mean the Blue Marble I know?
That game where luck is practically the biggest factor, and you bankrupt your opponents?
Thinking I might have misheard, I looked around.
Yeon Haneul, the triplets, and everyone else also had puzzled looks on their faces.
As if answering our questions, So Gukjin continued his explanation without paying it any mind.
To state the conclusion, it was indeed the Blue Marble we knew.
‘Isn’t he seriously making things easy for himself as an instructor? It reminds me of my PE teacher back when I was a high school student in my past life, who just took out a ball and left us to play on our own. I liked it back then, but….’
The rules of the game had not changed much.
Participants choose the pieces they will play with and divide the starting capital according to the number of players.
The starting capital one person has is calculated as “number of participants × 250,000 won.”
In other words, if there are six people, it is set at 1.5 million won; if seven people, 1.75 million won; if eight people, 2 million won.
Once the preparations were complete, they decided the order and began the game.
The basic framework of the game was to roll the dice, travel around the world, and earn money.
In the process, you bought land, put up buildings, collected tolls from your opponents, and…
Drove them into bankruptcy.
“The exam will continue until the allotted time runs out, or until only one person remains. Your grades will be differentiated according to the order in which you survive, and relatively evaluated according to the amount of money you possess at the end. Naturally, any debt left after bankruptcy will also count as part of your holdings. In other words, not all bankruptcies are the same.”
“…”
“Then the exam will begin in five minutes, so everyone hurry up, take your seats, and wait.”
Could this really be called an exam?
We were all dumbfounded, but we had no choice but to follow So Gukjin’s instructions.
People began wandering around one by one to find seats.
“What should we do? Should we play together?”
“If we’re going to compete at the same table, wouldn’t it be better to sit separately?”
“Well… I guess so, huh?”
“I don’t want to end up fighting with you over some stupid mistake.”
“Right, me neither.”
Burumabul was a devil’s game that could destroy friendships.
For the sake of my relationship with Yeon Haneul, I decided not to participate in the same game as her.
She seemed to understand as well and nodded obediently.
“Then I should hurry and go find a seat. Good luck with the game—no… the exam.”
“You too. Don’t forget the bet you made with me on this exam score.”
“Hehe, got it.”
And so, sinking into childhood nostalgia for the first time in a while, we once again realized that in life, being a landlord was truly the best.
‘I have to buy Seoul. Whoever takes Seoul can become first.’
* * *
From time to time, Yeon Haneul thought about it.
Perhaps she had used up all her lifetime’s luck just to meet Do Gyeonu.
The reason she couldn’t help thinking that was because she was exceptionally unlucky.
For example, when a question she didn’t know appeared on an exam.
—Hmm… I think the answer is either 1 or 3… Since 3 hasn’t come up much, I should guess 3, right?
Yeon Haneul always missed the correct answer.
Even if she twisted her reasoning as if playing mind games based on experience and changed her answer, she still couldn’t avoid getting it wrong.
In the end, all she could do was study hard and reduce the rate of wrong answers.
Also, when the orphanage teachers would, for fun, ask the children to recommend lottery numbers.
—Kids! Teacher’s going to buy a lottery ticket, so can each of you tell me one number between 1 and 45 that comes to mind right now!? If I win, I’ll buy each of you a whole pizza!
—Director, then I’ll pick 44…
—Mm, okay. Haneul picked 44. Then I’ll have to choose a number other than 44.
—…
At some point, the orphanage teachers began avoiding any number Yeon Haneul mentioned.
It felt unfair to her, but as if the heavens resented her, not once had her number ever become a winning number.
There had even been a time when she scratched off a whole pile of instant lottery tickets and didn’t win a single 1,000-won prize.
It was to the point where she wondered if misfortune had attached itself to her for daring to use the name Haneul.
Also, whenever she finally collected enough coupons from a Chinese restaurant and tried to place an order, it would usually go like this.
—Hello? Is this Eunhyeok Banjeom? I collected coupons, so I’d like to use them to order sweet and sour pork, plus jajangmyeon and jjamppong—
—[Hello, this is Eunhyeok Banjeom. We regret to inform you that circumstances have arisen in Uijeongbu that require our presence, so we have relocated there. We sincerely thank everyone who has patronized us until now…]
—Ah… It’s gone again?
—…From now on, Haneul should just collect the coupons, and someone else should place the order.
—…
Most of the restaurants Yeon Haneul tried to order from using coupons had, by some exquisite timing, gone out of business.
Because of that, people who knew her well would place the order in her stead, just in case.
In Do Gyeonu’s case, he often teased her for being so unfortunate.
—Haneul, what do you think the weather will be like today?
—Huh? The weather agency said it’d be sunny nationwide today…
—Then I’d better take an umbrella with me.
—You…
—It’s not that I don’t trust you. I don’t trust the weather agency. So don’t get sulky.
—I don’t care. Even you’re doing this to me now?
But it couldn’t simply be brushed off as a joke.
Whenever Yeon Haneul mentioned the weather forecast, the weather would often respond capriciously.
—Oh, it really is raining…
—…
—…Haneul?
—I… think I’m going to despair of this world… A world like this… I want to wipe it out.
—…Don’t say scary things. I’m sorry. I was wrong. The weather agency is always like that, you know.
—Sob…
Even though magic, science, and technology from other worlds had reduced forecasting errors, the weather agency still made frequent mistakes.
It was something that couldn’t be helped.
After all, reading the flow of celestial bodies and the atmosphere, as well as understanding a mana environment prone to drastic fluctuations, was bound to be difficult.
Weather was no different from reading the laws of nature and looking into the future.
It wasn’t something one could blame the weather agency for.
Even so, Yeon Haneul felt like going to the weather agency and smashing it to pieces.
“Ugh…”
Like this, Yeon Haneul had nothing to do with luck.
And even in the dice game exam, she was being battered by misfortune.
She drew a Golden Key card.
「Deserted Island: You have encountered a storm. You have been shipwrecked on a deserted island.」
“…”
Yeon Haneul looked at what was written on the card and doubted her own eyes.
But no matter how many times she looked, the contents did not change.
The deserted island, where one had to rest and could not participate in the game for 3 turns.
In a game where the number of players had increased to 8, 3 turns was far too long.
It was obvious that, during that time, the other participants would rapidly increase their assets.
“H-Haneul got the deserted island? That’s too bad. Still, if you roll the dice and get doubles, you can escape, so you have a chance!”
“Yeah…”
Yeon Haneul had already been falling behind.
The participants pitied her for her terrible dice luck.
But the world of competition was cold.
Holding back tears, she had no choice but to move her piece to the deserted island.
Unfortunately, no matter how she rolled the dice, doubles did not appear.
Only after resting on the deserted island for 3 turns was she able to participate in the game again.
And by then, the other participants had already taken all the prime properties.
Even so, there was still a chance for a comeback!
‘If I can collect tolls with just the buildings and land I have now…’
Yeon Haneul racked her brain.
She drew a Golden Key card.
「Half-Price Grand Sale: You must sell your most expensive property to the bank for half price.」
“Ah…”
Buenos Aires, where she had built a hotel and could collect as much as 1,050,000 won in tolls, was gone.
The sad fact was that she had yet to collect a single toll.
Yeon Haneul was left speechless.
Her misfortune continued afterward as well.
“Ah, Haneul… You landed on New York. That’s my property.”
“…”
“Let’s see… You only need to pay me 1,500,000 won.”
“H-here…”
In reality, it was nothing more than paper with no value as currency.
Yet Yeon Haneul’s hand trembled as she handed over the money.
「Move: Move three spaces backward.」
“Ah, you landed on Singapore. Who owned that again? Who has Singapore?”
“That’s me. Since it has a hotel… it’s 550,000 won.”
“…”
Yeon Haneul’s assets gradually dwindled.
What finally drove her into bankruptcy was the next Golden Key card she drew.
「Tourism Trip: Go to Seoul, the center of the world. Pay the toll to the owner of Seoul.」
“Ah…”
Seoul, the final boss of Burumabul.
Toll: 2,000,000 won.
“W-why is it so expensive…”
The money Yeon Haneul currently had was 330,000 won.
She ended up bankrupt.
She had fallen first at her table and would receive the lowest score.
“Minus 1,670,000 won…”
This time too, the heavens did not side with Yeon Haneul.
Her rabbit ears drooped, and she lowered her head.
If she could, she felt like destroying this cruel world that tormented her.
‘Seriously… why does this keep happening to me…’
The only reason she endured was because Do Gyeonu was there.
* * *
The game of Burumabul, which taught us that life was real estate, came to an end.
Unfortunately, contrary to my initial wish, I failed to claim Seoul.
Thankfully, because I had purchased the Columbia spacecraft, I managed to collect tolls in a useful way and somehow avoid last place.
Since I finished the game 4th out of 8 people, my grade would probably be somewhere in the middle as well.
Compared to that, Yeon Haneul…
“I’m penniless… No, I’m in debt…”
Yeon Haneul had gone bankrupt first, making it impossible to expect a good grade.
She came over to me with a sorrowful face and began spouting self-deprecating jokes.
“There’s minus 1,670,000 won in my bank account… With this, I can’t eat, I can’t buy a car, I can’t buy a house, I can’t get married, and I can’t have kids… I can’t even raise one rabbit… Even if I want to pay it back, I can’t… Ahaha, ahahaha…”
“…You’re okay, right?”
“I resent the world so much…”
“It’s just a game, and an exam. So let’s not worry too much about it.”
“I’m a debtor, a debtor, daridiri dara doo—”
“…”
Yeon Haneul’s shoulders trembled weakly.
Her condition was serious at a glance.
This was why Burumabul was frightening.
If I had played the game with Yeon Haneul, she might have ended up hating me.
“I don’t know how to comfort you. Cheer up. They said there’s still a loser’s revival match.”
“Yeah…”
“And if you don’t have money, I’ll buy you rabbits, food, a car, and a house, so don’t be gloomy.”
“…Will you have kids for me too?”
“Too far.”
“Ow!”
I formed my hand into a blade and lightly struck Yeon Haneul’s head between her rabbit ears.
She deliberately let out a pained cry and changed her mood.
I giggled along with her.
Still, she had another chance left.
Just then, So Gukjin, who had climbed up onto the stage, opened his mouth.
“Some of you may be worried about your exam grades, but take comfort in the fact that I won’t be giving out Fs. Fs will only be given to those who didn’t take the exam or whose attendance score is insufficient.”
“…”
“In any case, the exam ends here. Those who want to leave may leave now. However, if anyone objects to the exam results, I will hold a loser’s revival match for those people with 0.5 points at stake. Of course, those who are eliminated will have 0.5 points deducted.”
0.5 points had enough value to turn a grade into a plus or a minus.
Naturally, those with low scores showed interest.
On the other hand, most of those who had placed first turned away, apparently not wanting to take a risky gamble.
Glancing sideways at those leaving, I remained with Yeon Haneul.
“It seems everyone who wants to leave has left, so I’ll explain the loser’s revival match.”
So Gukjin pointed to the long table that had been set up on the stage at some point.
Dozens of paper cups were lined up on the table.
“The loser’s revival match is simple. It’s a luck game with ssamjang and Buldak-bokkeum sauce. Those who eat ssamjang will receive 0.5 points, and those who eat Buldak-bokkeum sauce will receive a deduction. The ratio is 50:50.”
“…”
This was a class with absolutely nothing to gain from it.
Surely the others agreed with me.
Wearing indescribable expressions, we lined up to participate in the luck game.
Before long, it was my turn.
‘So the probability is 50%… Which one is the ssamjang sauce?’
From the outside, it was impossible to distinguish the sauces.
With no other choice, I picked a random paper cup as my hand led me.
Then I drank it down.
‘…It’s ssamjang.’
Now that I thought about it, this exam might unexpectedly have a lot to gain from.
As long as it wasn’t me.
For some reason, it seemed today was a lucky day.
Having gained 0.5 points, I cheerfully stepped down from the stage.
And then I prayed for Yeon Haneul’s success, but…
“W-water!”
“…Yeon Haneul, 0.5 points deducted.”
Yeon Haneul’s rabbit ears shot straight up into the sky after she drank the Buldak sauce.
With her tongue out, she ran off to drink water, her hair flying behind her.
I couldn’t help feeling sorry for her.
‘She really is unlucky.’
* * *
It seemed the shock of the Buldak-bokkeum sauce had not completely faded.
Sitting collapsed on the stairs of the cultural center, Yeon Haneul had her tongue dipped into the water in a paper cup.
After buying strawberry milk from the vending machine, I walked over to her, her face hidden by her drooping rabbit ears.
“Here, drink this.”
“Ah… Thanks. I’ll drink it.”
Yeon Haneul seemed so dispirited that she couldn’t even open the strawberry milk properly.
Her face grew even darker.
At this rate, it would just be one vicious cycle after another.
Unable to watch any longer, I sat down beside her and opened it for her instead.
“Seriously, how would you even survive drinking strawberry milk without me?”
“Ugh… You’re right…”
“Cheer up. I guess today just wasn’t your day. With your skills, Haneul, you’ll be able to make up for it in other classes easily enough.”
“Yeah…”
I reached out and fiddled with her tilted rabbit ears.
She didn’t reject my touch. If anything, she seemed to entrust herself to me more than usual today.
Did my touch put her at ease?
I hoped so.
“Is it still spicy?”
“Now that I’m drinking strawberry milk, I think it’s less spicy.”
“If you want more, should I go buy another one?”
“No, it’s okay.”
I comforted Yeon Haneul by stroking her head and playing with her ears.
Then, little by little, she began to recover her spirits.
Meanwhile, neither she nor I paid any attention to the people passing by.
Sitting on the stairs, we passed the time talking about trivial things.
Then she spoke up.
“Anyway, I lost the bet.”
“Thanks to you, I’ll enjoy the salad bar and steak.”
“Yeah, yeah…”
Yeon Haneul sighed and kicked her feet in the air.
Seeing her stick out her lips as if she were frustrated about losing the bet, I let out a laugh.
Then I said to her,
“Should we watch a movie that day too?”
“Huh?”
“Come to think of it, we haven’t watched a movie since we enrolled. I don’t know what movies are out these days, but since we’re going out to eat anyway, how about watching one together? I’ll book the tickets.”
“I’d… like that. Yeah! Sounds good.”
Yeon Haneul’s face brightened.
It was as if the memory of botching the exam had vanished far into the distance.
Taking in the sight of her, I felt relieved inside.
“Then we’ll eat, watch a movie… and after that, I’ll buy coffee and cake.”
“Huh?”
“Should we go bowling too? I’ll look up whether there’s a bowling alley nearby.”
“…You’re saying you’ll pay for all of that? Then it seems like you’ll end up spending more… No, let’s just split it evenly.”
Yeon Haneul was startled and tried to refuse.
I soothed her as she waved her hands, gently stroking her rabbit ears as I replied.
“I’ll just pay. Isn’t this the kind of thing where the person who did well on the exam treats?”
“…”
“You buy the meal instead.”
“But… It’ll cost a lot…”
“It’s fine.”
Yeon Haneul hesitated, watching my reaction.
Receiving her worried gaze, I only felt grateful instead.
“Money I spend on you doesn’t feel like a waste at all.”
“…”
There was one thing I realized after recalling the memories of my past life.
Money spent on myself didn’t feel like a waste, but money spent on someone else felt even less wasteful.
Just being able to see that person happy was enough to make me happy.
Some might call me foolish, but that was enough for me.
“But… are other people coming with us too?”
“Other people? I don’t mind, but then wouldn’t you have to buy their meals too?”
“…Mm, I guess that might happen, given the flow. No, never mind. Let’s just go, the two of us.”
“Sure. Let’s pick a day soon. Is there any movie you want to see?”
“Mm… I’m fine with anything!”
“You know that’s the hardest answer, right?”
And.
It wasn’t my money anyway.
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss