At first, I just wanted to scold him a little.
The thing is, he doesn’t take care of his body at all.
Last time, we met under the pretext of training together. I watched him closely, and it was quite a spectacle.
He treated his body like clay, throwing himself around recklessly.
Even if he got hurt, he just assumed it would heal, or that any damage would grow back, so he recklessly abused himself.
He doesn’t even sleep properly. If someone like Hong Yeon-hwa doesn’t hold him and put him to sleep, he won’t sleep for days.
Even though people around him tried to intervene, scolding him and showing concern, he just sulked and wouldn’t change his ways.
He's usually a very obedient child who listens to most things, but on this matter, he’s stubborn.
It’s as if he feels like if he doesn’t push his body to the limit right now, he’ll die, and I just can’t understand why he hurts himself like that.
Of course, being such a secretive child, he must have his reasons... but from the outside, it seems dangerously reckless.
That's why Hong Yeon-hwa, Elia, and I made a pact. Every time Ha-yul comes back to the dorm, we just rush in, scold him, and then get Seoyul to put him to bed right away.
‘I’m really going crazy...’
Ha-yul seems to think of his body as a machine, like something that can just be swapped out or replaced if broken.
No, if you look at the prosthetic arm he carries, it seems like that's exactly how he thinks.
In fact, Hong Yeon-hwa wanted to rip that prosthetic off right then and there. It’s not just Hong Yeon-hwa; most of the people around think the same.
The prosthetic arm takes up the space where a smooth, white arm should be, and she’s not happy about it.
She wanted to immediately tear that prosthetic off and feed him some kind of magical elixir to regenerate his arm...
Top-tier artifact? A treasure with its own magic circuits connected? A beautiful design?
...What does that matter?
What Hong Yeon-hwa wanted was to touch Ha-yul’s natural skin, not some high-level artifact...
She had to hold herself back. She wanted to tear it off as soon as she saw it, but Ha-yul’s violent resistance made that impossible.
She really had the urge to crush him into a fool for a few days and force it off, but... she held back.
Every time she saw that prosthetic arm, it made her heart ache. Every time she touched it, the hard metal instead of soft flesh hurt her heart.
As time passed, the chance for his arm to regenerate was getting slimmer.
And now, he came back after his remaining arm had been severed during a regular lecture?
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He was experimenting with magic alone, and his arm was cut down the middle?
Just thinking about that made her foam at the mouth, and if Ha-yul ever picks up another prosthetic and offers his right arm again... Hong Yeon-hwa might faint on the spot.
"Should I try cutting off my arm as an experiment? Maybe then Ha-yul will understand my feelings?"
So, she scolded him a little. She wanted him to realize his bad habit of treating his body like clay, and said something a bit harsh.
She told him to think about what it would feel like to have his arm cut off, to live with a prosthetic. How would that feel to him? Wouldn't he feel the pain?
"I'm sorry...! Yeon-hwa, please don't be hurt...!"
But as soon as those words left her mouth, Ha-yul’s mood shifted drastically.
Looking like a drenched puppy, timidly checking the atmosphere, after Hong Yeon-hwa’s comment, he desperately clung to her.
"I, I was wrong... Cough, cough! Grr...! Please don't say that, please..."
“No, I didn’t mean literally! Wait, wait! I said it wrong! Don’t cry...”
His desperation was so intense that it seemed like she was about to rip his arm off right there.
Ha-yul, who had just been confused and sulking while his arm was severed, now sobbed uncontrollably and clung to her.
This time, even the people who had been silent up to now came rushing in to console him.
“Don’t hurt yourself... I was wrong...”
“Okay, I’m sorry for saying strange things. I won’t say it again. So, can we stop crying now?”
Hong Yeon-hwa, who had been consoling Ha-yul, suddenly felt the gazes on her.
"Ha-yul? Yeon-hwa didn’t mean it seriously... well, maybe?"
"Yeon-hwa, that was too harsh. Why are you saying that to the kid?"
“Hong Yeon-hwa, your words were too much.”
"You've got a bad habit of talking like that, and it’s causing trouble."
Looking up, I saw the women looking at me with a strange, warm gaze as they consoled Ha-yul.
‘Why are they giving me such a hard time?’
It was as though they were blaming me for something, even though they had all been part of the plan. They were now giving me a judgmental look, as if they were trying to shift blame onto me to maintain their goodwill with Ha-yul.
“Stop bothering Dad!”
“...Hmm.”
Hong Yeon-hwa, who had been scanning the surroundings with a fierce glare, turned to Seoyul, who was giving Ha-yul a pointed look.
It felt strange, seeing the roles reversed like this, but I couldn’t afford to lower my relationship with Seoyul any further...
"...Anyway, I’m sorry for the harsh words, Ha-yul. But you have to understand, every time you get hurt, it breaks my heart..."
I needed to fix the situation.
I hugged Ha-yul, who had stopped crying, and rubbed my cheek against his white hair.
"Yes... I'm sorry."
"Okay. But Ha-yul, from now on, don’t treat your body recklessly for the sake of others."
"Yes... I’ll be careful..."
"Good boy."
After he cried for a while and apologized, Hong Yeon-hwa smiled warmly at Ha-yul.
Then, she kissed his hair affectionately.
"......"
"Hmph."
Ignoring the harsh stares from the others, Hong Yeon-hwa didn’t care. What could they do?
"Cough... Yeon-hwa, let’s move."
"Yeah, yeah, let’s move... What? Move?"
Hong Yeon-hwa’s affection didn’t last long until she suddenly declared we should move.
Ha-yul, with a key in hand, waved it in front of her.
Moving is a huge hassle.
It's one of the most troublesome tasks, considering that changing your residence is one of the three basic necessities of human life.
It’s a decision that requires extreme caution, or else it could lead to years of hardship.
Among the many tedious processes of moving, packing is the most troublesome part.
There’s just so much to pack when you live somewhere.
You need to categorize it, keep what you want to take, and separate the things to throw away.
For heavy, large furniture or delicate valuables that could break during transportation, you need to handle them with care.
And all the miscellaneous items that turn into piles of boxes, which are exhausting to move.
I don’t have fond memories of moving.
‘That time was a real pain...’
After I was hit by a car and ended up on the news, it became unbearable.
I was annoyed, but I could only imagine how much worse it was for the people living in the same building. When one resident makes the news, everyone’s curiosity swarms around the building.
I was as annoyed as I could be, but I felt even worse knowing I was causing trouble for others.
So, I had to move to avoid that, but moving while missing a leg was a huge hassle.
But that’s a story from the old world.
That was Ha-yul’s situation when he was weak and missing a leg.
He can casually throw a car and has many talents, so his situation is entirely different.
A hole appeared in the air. A strange vibration shifted the surrounding air, and the hole moved with a slight motion of his hand.
Everything within the path of that hole, including the surrounding air and piled-up belongings, was sucked into it. When the hole passed, there was nothing left but a dust-free floor.
Ha-yul gestured again. The hole moved through the dorm, gobbling up all the belongings.
Clothes, furniture, and separate piles of items were all swallowed up.
Other miscellaneous items were gathered with wings of the sky and placed carefully into the hole.
It seemed like a flimsy cloth, but with enough force, it could slice through metal like tofu.
A clean and quick process without any noise or dust.
Preparing for the move? With space manipulation, it’s not an issue at all.
Just shove everything into the extra-dimensional space. No damage, no effort, and quick.
‘Space manipulation is divine, and the extra-dimensional space is invincible...’
This is the true power.
A satisfied smile spread across my face.
“You’re handling space magic so precisely... That’s amazing!”
As I was efficiently packing, Baize, standing behind me, widened his eyes in amazement. His blue eyes were fixed on the hole gobbling up the belongings.
"Even though it’s right in front of me, I can't even feel the magic."
"Right? And even the bed, refrigerator, furniture... everything goes in, even the big stuff."
"The size can be expanded freely, and the capacity is enormous... People who can handle space magic are really few..."
‘......’
I controlled my expression at Baize and Elia’s reaction as they marveled at the extra-dimensional space.
They can’t feel the magic? The size and capacity are incredible?
‘Well, it’s not magic... it’s a power...’
Space manipulation. The more I get used to it, the more I can do.
It started with perception of space, then expanded into extra-dimensional spaces, exerting control, isolating spaces with walls, using attraction and repulsion...
It’s a different scale compared to regular magic.
Though it's not my natural power, if I lose it, I'll be powerless...
‘...Would that be possible?’
I thought for a moment and tilted my head. Now, using this power feels as natural as breathing. The sensations and usage are familiar now. Could this be imitated?
Though it’s not my ability, it could be considered a unique power of the Tower.
In that case, maybe it could be imitated...?
“Did you learn space magic from the vice president?”
[Ah, yes.]
[The vice president taught me separately.]
I responded quickly to Hong Yeon-hwa’s question, already prepared with an explanation.
This was the same excuse I’d used with Lee Ji-yeon.
Space manipulation and space magic. Most people can’t distinguish between them, so it's a perfect excuse.
"...Did you meet him separately?"
[Yes, yes... Why do you ask?]
"...Nothing, never mind."
Hong Yeon-hwa looked at me with a strange expression. When I tilted my head, she shook it as if to dismiss it.
[Should I leave Baize's things separately?]
Now, Baize didn’t need to stay here anymore. My space manipulation had stabilized, and Baize would be leaving too.
I asked, feeling oddly wistful, and Baize tilted his head.
“Ah, is the capacity not enough?”
[No, the capacity isn’t a problem. It’s just that I don’t want to put it in carelessly...]
“Then let me pack it with you. It’s awkward to leave just mine behind when we have to pack everything, and it would be troublesome to do it later.”
[Are you sure?]
“Yes, yes, it’s fine. I’ll handle it later. Besides, what’s the problem?”
Baize smiled and nodded. I nodded back, and then I packed the things from Baize's room into the extra-dimensional space.
“Make sure to pack the underwear too. Don’t leave any behind.”
[?!]
“Stop with the nonsense... Get out now!”
Hong Yeon-hwa shouted as she pushed Baize out of the room.
“Ugh, you really push hard...”
Baize grumbled as he rubbed his back after being pushed out, pouting.
“Oh, and.”
She suddenly turned with a mischievous smile, looking back at me as she put on her shoes by the door.
“Shall we see each other tomorrow?”
[...?]
[Yes, see you tomorrow.]
Tomorrow is a weekday, so we’ll meet during class time.
It will be a busy day, especially since I still need to finish moving.
I nodded at the thought.