NOVEL NEXT Chapter 11
I haven’t been able to sleep properly these past few days, but last night I finally got a good rest.
I fainted after being hit directly by Katsuki Yusei’s attack. When I woke up, I fell asleep again under Hong Yeon-hwa’s gaze.
Eventually, after some twists and turns, I woke up the next day.
For the first time in a while, my mind was clear. Feeling refreshed as if all impurities had vanished, I went outside to buy some daily necessities and returned to the dormitory.
Then I had some time to experiment with my spatial perception.
I comfortably took a seat in the middle of the living room. As I expanded my spatial perception to its maximum range, I found that I could easily cover four to five floors above and below me.
…While admiring the view here and there, the thought of privacy issues suddenly popped into my head, and I quickly discarded the information.
‘It’s improved quite a bit.’
The changes in my spatial perception boiled down to two main points.
First, I could now expand my range to around 100 meters. During the welcome party, I think it was just about 30 meters. In just a few days, the range had significantly increased.
It was a pleasing result. Even without sight, I might have a superior advantage over others at this point.
The second and biggest change was certainly in my vision.
Previously, my vision was akin to night-vision goggles or radar. In a black world, I could only see faint green outlines of objects.
While there were no issues piercing through simple movements, it was quite difficult to see expressions or holograms.
However, my current spatial perception was comparable to that of a normal person’s vision. I could see colors and clearly recognize shades and contrasts.
It wasn’t quite the godly vision I felt on the first day, where everything was pierced through, but I was grateful for this level.
However, the cost of this performance upgrade was an increase in resources used.
When I switched to spatial perception (color), the headaches intensified. It was certainly using more resources than spatial perception (radar).
I wasn’t too worried about this. Since I was gradually getting used to spatial perception (radar), I figured I’d get accustomed to the color mode with continued use.
‘Spatial perception.’
One of the three unique abilities I gained at the cost of three limitations.
It allowed me to read the information of space directly without using the sensory organs attached to my body.
I hadn’t properly fought or trained yet, but I could grasp how useful this ability was while observing friendly duels.
There were no blind spots. Angle of vision was irrelevant. Since I was reading space itself, perspective didn’t matter. Everything was readable anyway.
But the issue was, wasn’t this a bit… clumsy?
Jack of all trades. It was working well. I could feel that my movements in daily life were changing significantly.
Magic affinity. No major problems. I could feel magic moving within spatial perception very well. I felt like I could manage it if I tried, but I decided to leave it for now. I plan to explore it properly when I get guidance.
Spatial perception… nearly killed me on the first day I received it.
‘So unfair.’
Even now, thinking about that time made a wave of unfairness rise within me.
I mean, this was one of the abilities I received in exchange for my eyes, nose, mouth, lifespan, and speech. To almost die from overload right after receiving it? What a ridiculous joke.
Why am I in this world? I don’t know. Who sent me? I don’t know either. What exactly is this world? I have no clue.
All I know is that I’m just trying to lift the limitations and live. I don’t intend to dig into any secrets of the world or anything.
The only certainty is that when I was given abilities, it seemed to be done haphazardly.
If it weren’t, I wouldn’t have almost died.
As I lamented my situation and adjusted my spatial perception, memories of the past caught by my perception began to bubble up.
…Especially when I remembered the incident in the infirmary, my face would occasionally flush. The things I did back then were just too embarrassing.
I had woken from a nightmare, gasping for air, and was then tightly hugged and petted by Hong Yeon-hwa.
Just recalling that could drive me crazy, but I totally lost it back then and ended up pulling Hong Yeon-hwa into a tight hug myself…
Moreover, I hadn’t realized it at the time, but looking back, I buried my face and rubbed against her, doing something utterly… mortifying.
And then, while Hong Yeon-hwa was apologizing, I boldly shot back comments like, ‘Why are you apologizing?’ or, ‘With your social standing, isn’t there really no need to apologize?’
Naturally, I was met with a reasonable rebuttal, felt my cheeks being touched, and was petted…
‘Ugh.’
Anyway, it was a day when I unintentionally racked up some ridiculous black history.
Every time I handled spatial perception and recalled that memory, I would almost roll on the floor. Now, I managed to endure it a bit and just clench my teeth.
I do have an excuse that I received more stress than imaginable these past few days, but that doesn’t change the fact that it was an embarrassing black history.
In any case, the changes in spatial perception were gains to be celebrated.
When my spatial perception broke on the first day, I thought I was done for, but it recovered much faster than expected.
Previously, I used to hear things through the ‘reading aloud’ function, but now, thanks to being able to operate spatial perception with normal vision, I could also see holograms.
Hong Yeon-hwa: Did you get in okay? (Yesterday 10:28)
Hong Yeon-hwa: No plans today, so rest well (Yesterday 10:29)
Hong Yeon-hwa: Remember the story I told you yesterday? If something difficult comes up, feel free to contact me anytime (Yesterday 10:33)
‘So kind…’
Looking at the messages sent by Hong Yeon-hwa since yesterday, I felt a lingering sense of confusion. To be precise, it was more like embarrassment.
No matter how many times I emphasized it, I couldn’t quite grasp Hong Yeon-hwa’s character from the original story.
A fiery personality. A crazy dog that bites without looking back once the lid’s off. A person-action driven type who acts before thinking far too often.
Moreover, after getting properly hurt in the 11th round, my perception of Hong Yeon-hwa in my head was stuck in that state.
So the disparity was even more striking. To me, Hong Yeon-hwa was nothing more than a person I’d get hurt by if I touched her.
But in the messages… the reality of Hong Yeon-hwa was different.
Even though she initially pushed me down and asked if I couldn’t see, or knocked me out with my duel opponent, afterward she offered sincere apologies and assured there would be compensation multiple times.
When I was gasping for air, she even threw herself at me to hug me tight…
It didn’t feel like empty words. The apologies dripped with sincerity, and she kept asking if I needed anything.
At this point, I had to accept the truth. My perception of Hong Yeon-hwa was simply a foolish prejudice.
I had treated someone I encountered in this new world as if they were an NPC.
Even though I knew very well that this was reality, just going outside and seeing it.
Because of that, I felt a guilt for treating a perfectly normal person as a character with a broken personality, similar to how people judge and ridicule others based on hearsay.
It was time to change my mind. It was fine to keep the original’s settings in mind, but blind faith could lead to mistakes like this again.
With that determination, I stood in front of the mirror, even without sight, striving to at least feel something.
Wearing the uniform of Shio-ram, which looked like something out of the internet.
The design had no excessive embellishments, giving a clean feeling overall.
The fit was decent too. I thought it would be uncomfortable, but it was incredibly comfortable thanks to various comfort-enhancing spells embedded in it.
As I brushed my fingertips over it, it felt as soft as a blanket and had great elasticity, stretching easily.
Time passed, and today was the first day of class.
‘Phew…’
On the first day of class, if you’re an extrovert, your heart would race with the excitement of making new friends, while an introvert would feel heartbeat anxiety at the thought of facing unfamiliar people.
I belonged to the latter category. Right now, my heart was pounding in anticipation.
Just to be safe, I checked my outfit one more time before heading out.
I took the elevator down to the first-floor lobby. The current time was 6:30 AM, and classes start at 8:00 AM. Since I arrived early, there weren’t many people in the lobby.
At most, a few students had come down for an early breakfast.
I resolved my breakfast with a few simple energy bars.
Stepping outside the dorm, I hopped on a bus. It felt oddly strange to see the driver’s seat still empty.
As colorful patterns quickly slid by in my spatial perception, my mood improved.
Regaining color was a symbol that I had finally made some progress since arriving in this world.
The dormitory was close to the learning area, so it didn’t take long to arrive.
I found myself in front of the classroom door.
[Ipchun Class]
In Shio-ram, the classification of grades and classes was modeled after the 24 solar terms.
The first year consists of six classes, representing the beginning of spring.
They are divided into Ipchun, Usul, Gyeongchip, Chunbun, Cheongmyeong, and Gokwoo.
The same applies to the older grades; they are classified sequentially into summer, autumn, and winter.
With an average of 400 to 500 new students, there are about 80 students in each class.
Ipchun could be thought of as the first class of the first year.
It was a familiar class. It was a significant class where many main characters were, and various minor incidents and accidents occurred.
The start of spring, the first of the four seasons. Given that it’s the location where the stories of main characters begin, the name fits yet feels peculiar.
After taking a deep breath, I carefully opened the door.
Inside was the typical stepped lecture hall you might find at a university. Given the time of day, there weren’t many people present.
Those few busy with their own matters didn’t even spare me a glance.
I took a moment to scout the surroundings with my spatial perception before settling at the backmost corner.
It was the perfect spot, the farthest from the door with a window right next to me.
They say the early bird catches the worm, so to snag a prime spot, you needed to arrive early.
I had a small worry: what if I was late?
But there was still time before class started. I resumed playing the online lecture I had been watching the previous day on my smartwatch.
As time passed, more students began filling up the classroom. The bustling noise was evidence of this.
-Creak
“?”
As a hubbub of noise surrounded me, I diligently listened to my online lecture when a woman quietly approached me from behind and tapped my shoulder.
When I turned to look, she pinched my cheek gently.
“Long time no see, Hayul.”
The girl wearing the Shio-ram uniform who pinched my cheek had lovely features. She had long hair that resembled chick fluff in color and her overall appearance exuded a soft charm, highlighted by a naturally warm smile.
‘Who is she?’
Using friendliness in a way that seemed somewhat intimate. But I didn’t have any memory of building such a close relationship in this world.
I tilted my head slightly.
She looked taken aback and covered her mouth in shock.
“Y-You didn’t forget me, did you…? It’s only been a few days!”
‘A few days?’
I had been cooped up in the dorm for days!
As I was about to tilt my head the other way, I felt an odd sense of familiarity with her voice.
I didn’t know her “color,” but that figure seemed almost familiar…
‘Hello? Do you need any assistance?’
Ah.
[Elia?]
I quickly activated the hologram, as I hadn’t seen the entire color of Elia before, so I was slow to recognize her.
It seemed quite shocking that I tilted my head instead of immediately recognizing her.
“Yep! This is Elia, the one who helped Hayul. But I almost got forgotten already after just a few days.”
[My apologies. It took me a while to realize.]
“Ehehe, I was just joking. I was just messing around a bit. Did you get in alright back then?”
[Thanks to you, I got in just fine.]
Fortunately, she waved her hand dismissively about it and then wore a playful expression.
“By the way, I couldn’t help but tease you. Your reaction was just too funny.”
[My reaction?]
“Yeah, your reaction! Your face looked so troubled, and you were clueless… Hehe.”
She giggled while covering her mouth, clearly finding it amusing.
I felt somewhat troubled about how to respond, but it wasn’t that bad.
Regardless of what I thought…
Elia, who seemed to have had a motor attached to her mouth, exclaimed.
“Oh, already time!”
Checking the clock, it was soon time for class to start. Seeing the time, Elia waved goodbye.
“Well then, let’s get close as classmates!”
With that, Elia concluded her words and hummed a tune as she headed to the front, where her friends appeared to have saved her a seat.
Not long after, I could see that she was laughing and playing with them, as it looked like they had quickly become friends in that short time.
I had already anticipated her talkative nature and her apparent consideration, but she definitely seemed to have good social skills.
-Creak
As the start time crept closer, I turned off the online lecture. It was then that the back door opened.
In walked Hong Yeon-hwa. Instead of the cloak included with her Shio-ram uniform, she wore her trademark red jumper.
‘So, Hong Yeon-hwa is in the Ipchun class too.’
Ipchun, Ipha, Ipchu, Ipdong.
These could be considered as the first classes of each year, and the classes with “Ip” in their name often have the main characters included.
Katsuki Yusei, who played the baseball role during the welcome party, and Baek Ahrin are also in the Ipchun class.
Baek Ahrin had just greeted me with a short hello before taking her seat in the front. Hong Yeon-hwa would likely choose a seat next to Baek Ahrin.
Hong Yeon-hwa and Baek Ahrin had been inseparable friends, a tight-knit childhood relationship, often presenting as a set.
As I expected, Hong Yeon-hwa didn’t sit down in the front next to Baek Ahrin…
After briefly glancing at Baek Ahrin, she plodded in my direction.
-Thud
Setting her bag down on the desk beside her, she turned to look at me.
I perceived her clearly tensing up as she swallowed nervously.
“Hey…? Did you rest well yesterday?”
“?”
A question mark floated above my head.