Admission Ticket [Illustration]
“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. This is clearly our mistake for failing to check the computer system in advance.”
The hotel manager, having heard the news from the front desk staff, came to find us and apologized politely.
Behind him, the front desk staff were all bowing their heads in unison.
‘What in the world is going on…’
Finding myself suddenly staring at the tops of their heads, I clicked my tongue.
Our reserved room had been double-booked.
How could such a thing even happen?
It was truly absurd.
I had heard stories that during this season, when Academy City was swarming with people coming to take the entrance exam, lodging reservations would flood in and occasionally cause the computer system to glitch.
I had jokingly thought that such things wouldn’t happen in Academy City, which supposedly led the world in both science and magic.
I never imagined that very thing I had laughed off would happen to me.
‘Even so, it’s not like I chose some shabby place. I picked a well-known hotel in District 23, and there was still a computer error?’
It defied common sense.
But then again, Academy City was exactly the kind of place where common sense did not apply.
The unique atmospheric mana conditions of Academy City combined with dimensional instability to occasionally produce bizarre phenomena that could not be understood through common sense.
Perhaps the computer error had occurred due to such reasons as well.
…Could that really be possible?
‘Is it because my Luck is low?’
That got me thinking unnecessary thoughts.
My current Luck stat was 32.
Yeon Haneul’s was even lower than mine.
So it was possible that our low Luck stats had tangled together to cause something like this.
“Haneul, I guess we’re not meant to be.”
“…What kind of nonsense is that all of a sudden?”
“Just kidding.”
Of course, even if my guess was correct, I had no intention of distancing myself from Yeon Haneul. I’d rather bear the misfortune myself.
Instead of Yeon Haneul, who was spaced out by the situation of having to share a room, I decided to speak with the hotel manager.
“So what are you going to do about it?”
“…We will immediately process a full refund of the accommodation fees you paid, and allow you to use our hotel services free of charge. In addition, we will also provide discount coupons for commercial facilities in District 23….”
“Is there really only one room left? I’m willing to pay an additional fee, so couldn’t you secure another room somehow?”
“I apologize. Aside from your reserved room, we are completely fully booked, so I’m afraid that would be difficult.”
Listening to the manager’s explanation, there were so many people here to take the entrance exam that, unlike usual, they hadn’t prepared any spare rooms.
In the end, there was only one room.
I sighed.
‘Even if I tried to find a room now, everywhere would be fully booked.’
It was obvious.
Even if I got lucky and found a vacant room, I’d have to go through quite a bit of trouble to find it.
There was no better option than staying in the one remaining room.
Then, the manager added,
“Fortunately, our hotel beds are wide enough to comfortably accommodate two people. And we have spare beds available, so if you wish, we can change the bed size for you.”
“…”
If that was a silver lining, it was a small one.
Having made up my mind, I soon asked Yeon Haneul for her opinion.
“Haneul, what do you think?”
“W-what do you mean, what do I think?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to share it?”
“Ugh…”
She fidgeted.
Yeon Haneul couldn’t readily make a decision, her face clearly showing her fluster.
Then she finally opened her mouth.
“Okay…”
* * *
For a studio, the room was quite spacious.
It seemed like there would be no problem living there together for a week.
“The bed seems fine at this size… I don’t think we need to change it to a bigger one. If we did that, there would just be less space for our luggage.”
I put my suitcase in a suitable spot and sat on the edge of the bed.
Then I watched Yeon Haneul as she entered the room.
Yeon Haneul was…
“This is crazy, crazy, crazy…”
“…”
She still hadn’t come to her senses.
No, her condition had gotten worse ever since we rode the elevator together.
“…How can a grown man and woman sleep in the same room? And not just for one day, but a whole week. Crazy, crazy, crazy. What if something happens…”
“Excuse me, we’re not adults yet, you know? Well, once we enter the High Academy, we’d be legally recognized as quasi-adults from then on, but…”
“This is like something out of a drama. No, even dramas these days don’t develop like this!”
“How do they develop these days?”
“First they just pounce…! You, don’t tell me…”
“What, what’s with that look?”
“…No. You wouldn’t do that.”
“…”
She’d been worked up all by herself.
Then, Yeon Haneul suddenly shot me a cold, sidelong glance.
‘What? I think I just got disrespected.’
That gaze strangely seemed to scratch at a person’s pride.
I decided to punish her for being so cheeky.
“Ouch! Why are you doing this all of a sudden!? Don’t tell me, you really… I-I’m not ready…”
“I don’t know what delusions you’re having, but cut it out already.”
I grabbed her rabbit ears tightly.
Startled by the intense sensation, she struggled to break free from me.
I kept messing with her until she collapsed onto the bed, unable to move.
“You… you really…”
“What, really?”
“I’m telling your mom.”
“Oh yeah? Then one more time…”
“Sorry, I won’t tell!”
“Hah, you should’ve said that from the start. …Did it hurt a lot?”
“Hmph, I don’t know!”
After a brief tussle, she had calmed down.
When she lifted her head from the bed, the corners of her eyes were moist.
Unlike a moment ago, I carefully touched her ears.
She quietly accepted my touch.
“We used to sleep together when we were kids, so why are you making such a fuss about it now?”
“We were elementary schoolers back then. Is that the same as now? And Yeeun was sleeping with us then too.”
“Once you become a Hunter, you’ll often sleep on the streets or live with the opposite gender. What’s the big deal?”
“Ugh… that’s true, but…”
“Do you hate sleeping with me that much?”
“Huh?”
“Well, if you say you hate it, I can’t help it. If that’s how you feel, I’ll sleep somewhere else.”
“Somewhere else? Where else?”
“I could stay at a sauna, or bunk with my minions. There are plenty of places to stay.”
It wouldn’t be without its inconveniences, but it was an option if it came to that.
I had even considered staying like that rather than burdening Yeon Haneul.
But then,
“It’s not that I hate it…”
“…”
Just as I was about to get up.
Yeon Haneul grabbed my collar tightly and wouldn’t let go.
She then spoke in a shrinking voice.
“It’s not that I hate it… really, really, really, it’s not that I hate it…”
Yeon Haneul thunked her head against my forearm.
Beneath her pale sky-blue hair, her flushed face occasionally peeked out.
‘Is she doing this because she’s afraid I’ll leave?’
As I looked down at her like that,
I somehow felt like teasing her.
“Then you like it?”
“What? No, I mean, like…”
“So you don’t like it? Then you hate it?”
“N-no, I do like it, but… hm? Oh, ah, that’s not what I mean by like…”
“Hm, oh, ah, yeah.”
“…You’re teasing me right now, aren’t you.”
“Yeah.”
“You… you really…”
She had been whimpering just moments ago,
but now Yeon Haneul was looking up at me with a sulky face.
Her hand that had grabbed my collar was now pinching my arm.
I chuckled at the situation.
“Then you want to sleep with me?”
“What? When did I say that? I just said I don’t hate sleeping with you, that we can sleep together…”
“That’s the same thing.”
“How is that the same thing? Not at all…”
“Or should I really go to my minions? You take the room alone, and I’ll see you later at the exam venue.”
“…”
“So that’s settled?”
“…Nothing is settled.”
“Really?”
“It’ll be cramped if you stay with them.”
“Probably.”
“And their room is probably super dirty.”
“How do you know that?”
“You know what they’re like.”
“I suppose they wouldn’t clean their room.”
“Undoubtedly they wouldn’t even air it out. They probably don’t care about laundry either…”
“So?”
“Compared to that, this room is really spacious. Big enough that it’s too much for me alone.”
“It’s a studio, though?”
“…Just go to them or don’t, do whatever you want. I don’t care anymore.”
“Yeah? Then I’ll just stay here.”
“…”
“Where else would I go? I like sharing a room with you better than with the minions. Don’t you?”
“You should’ve said that from the beginning…”
“Hey, but Haneul, it hurts right now. Can you stop pinching me?”
“I know you’re just exaggerating.”
As if getting revenge for being teased,
she didn’t stop at pinching my arm, but twisted it round and round.
Now her hand reached my side too.
“Are you using mana right now…!”
“Hmph, when did I?”
How cowardly.
It’s not like I had drawn up my internal mana just to mess with her rabbit ears.
I squirmed to peel away her relentless fingers.
In doing so, I missed the small murmur Yeon Haneul let out next.
“If I had known this would happen, I would’ve packed some pretty clothes too… I only packed drab stuff because I was only thinking about the exam.”
* * *
“I’m going to wash up! Just try peeking.”
“I won’t peek.”
She unpacked her luggage from her suitcase,
grabbed some clothes to change into, and hurried into the bathroom.
Soon she poked her head out and emphasized to me again,
“Just try peeking, just try peeking, just try peeking…”
Yeon Haneul, putting strength into her red eyes.
Her piercing gaze was fixed on me.
I clicked my tongue at her reaction.
“I won’t look, I’m not looking, I told you I’m not looking.”
“Really, really, really, you won’t look?”
“If you keep talking like that, I might go into the bathroom on impulse.”
“Just try it…”
She spoke as if making a threat, but she clearly looked startled.
With a tightly set face, Yeon Haneul closed the bathroom door.
So I tried to turn my head away from the bathroom she had entered.
I tried to,
but my gaze froze.
“…”
From where I sat on the edge of the bed, the bathroom was directly in front of me.
The bathroom wall was made of semi-transparent glass, of all things.
As a result, Yeon Haneul inside appeared as a blurry silhouette…
‘Sorry, Haneul.’
I didn’t see anything.
I only saw a faint silhouette barely distinguishable at best.
No, I didn’t even see a silhouette.
I hurriedly turned my body away to keep my eyes off the bathroom.
Swoosh.
A moment later, the sound of water could be heard.
That sound somehow seemed to create an inexplicable tension.
‘I tried not to be conscious of it, but I keep becoming aware of it without realizing it…’
I let out a groan.
While I hadn’t shown it, I was just as bewildered by the situation of having to share a room with her.
I just hadn’t let it show.
If I got embarrassed too, Yeon Haneul would only get more embarrassed.
So I had been acting nonchalant while dealing with her, but I hadn’t expected to be ambushed like this out of nowhere.
‘I shouldn’t be flustered by something like this. Even if I become an Academy student right away, there will be many times when I’ll have to sleep outdoors or in mixed lodging—I can’t get flustered by something like this…’
But still, unless it was an extreme situation, there wouldn’t be many times when I’d share the same bed.
My thoughts reaching that point, I scrunched up my face.
I had to divert my consciousness somehow.
‘I’ll solve this while waiting for Haneul to finish washing up.’
Just then, the admission ticket attached to my chest caught my eye.
I peeled off the admission ticket.
“Did they say it works like this?”
I channeled my internal mana into the lower part of the section written with ‘Geumgang.’
Then, the mana I released from the lower part rose up, transforming into semi-transparent pieces.
“…”
Maintaining a certain range from the admission ticket,
the mana transformed into pieces floated about.
There seemed to be dozens of them.
‘Am I supposed to fit these pieces together?’
There was no explanation for the problem.
The test-taker must see it for themselves and infer.
I examined the floating pieces and focused on their shapes.
The shapes of certain pieces seemed as though they would naturally fit together.
It was a three-dimensional puzzle.
Having judged as much, I reached out toward the pieces.
‘It is a puzzle.’
Two pieces joined together.
There wasn’t even a seam, as if the pieces had been one from the very beginning.
I continued fitting the pieces together from there.
The pieces that had been as small as finger joints gradually grew larger.
The dozens upon dozens of pieces seemed to have been reduced by nearly half.
The problem began then.
‘There are too many pieces with the same shape.’
I furrowed my brow.
There were no subtle differences between the pieces.
Wondering if that could really be the case, I overlapped them to check, and they matched perfectly.
‘Am I supposed to just ignore that?’
There are identical pieces A, B, and C.
And there are pieces D, E, and F that can be joined with those three pieces.
In that case, would the puzzle be completed no matter what combination I used?
Of course there was no way that would be true.
‘There’s no way the exam would be this easy.’
I decided to change my line of thought.
There had to be another approach.
Without relying on the naked eye…
“Ah.”
Why had I only been looking with my naked eyes?
A thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
Immediately, I manifested the mana within my body and enhanced my vision.
It was to see mana-related phenomena that couldn’t be confirmed with the naked eye.
‘I was right.’
Though they looked like simple pieces on the outside, they contained mana circuits within.
Even pieces with the same shape had different mana circuits when I looked inside them.
In other words, it was a double puzzle.
‘So it was a problem meant to be solved using both ordinary sight and mana sight.’
In that case, there was nothing more to hesitate over.
I could match pieces with different shapes by sight, and pieces with the same shape by looking at their mana circuits.
Of course, it was possible to solve the puzzle just by looking at the mana circuits alone.
But it wasn’t easy to imagine the overall structure of the mana circuits from the scattered pieces.
‘There’s no need to make it difficult on purpose.’
This was, to begin with, an exam meant to test qualifications.
Surely Geumgang Academy hadn’t set the problem with such an intention.
It was enough to show basic ability.
Before long.
“…Done.”
I completed the three-dimensional puzzle.
A many-faceted shape was slowly rotating in the air above the exam ticket.
It strongly resembled a diamond.
No, it probably was a diamond.
“…”
Because the symbolic stone of Geumgang Academy was none other than the diamond.
I stared blankly at the diamond, now emitting blue light as the formula inside it activated.
The thought that my mana was dwelling inside it made me feel strangely moved.
An exam number appeared on the lower part of the exam ticket, which had been blank.
I checked the exam number.
“Congratulations on solving it.”
“Ah, Haneul.”
Just then, as if she had appeared at some point without my noticing,
Yeon Haneul spoke to me from behind.
A faint fragrance drifted from her, dressed in a white gown.
“When did you come out?”
“It’s been a while since I came out. But I didn’t want to interrupt you while you were solving the problem, so I was waiting.”
“Ah, I see.”
I returned the mana I had poured into the exam ticket back into my body.
The diamond that had been sparkling with blue light turned into particles of mana and disappeared.
Yeon Haneul looked disappointed.
“Ah, you should’ve left it a little longer. It was pretty.”
“It consumed more mana than I expected. And I need to wash up now too.”
“Well, if that’s the case, I guess it can’t be helped. While you’re washing up, I’ll solve the problem too.”
“Yeah, do that.”
“You have to come out within an hour. We have to keep our exam tickets attached from now on.”
“I know.”
Now that I thought about it, there was indeed a good thing about the two of us sharing the same room.
While one person washed, the other could watch over the exam tickets so they wouldn’t be stolen.
Leaving my exam ticket with Yeon Haneul, I decided to go wash up.
“Ah, Haneul.”
“What is it?”
Then something suddenly occurred to me.
Half-sticking my body out from the bathroom, I spoke to her as she sat on the bed.
“Don’t peek, just in case.”
“I’m not going to peek!”
“Really? I’m trusting you.”
“There’s no way I’d ever peek, so stop worrying and just wash—waa…”
Shwaaa.
Mm, oh, ah, yeah.
I hummed to myself.
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss