The Enlightenment thought and the transition to a modern industrial society in the 18th century changed the essence of childhood from labor to education.
I am about to become someone who cannot fulfill my role as a child.
An idle child. Or a child without a job.
I may have suspected that someday I would have to leave the academy.
Children form groups with peers of similar age or cultural background and learn how to live in the world step by step.
In that process, they have the kinds of worries their peers would have, sometimes solving them and sometimes feeling frustrated, ultimately growing into respectable adults.
However, if things continue this way, my existence alone will create a significant imbalance in the lives of the children.
Yes, like a gigantic Betelgeuse star suddenly appearing in the solar system.
Parents and teachers do not teach elementary students about politics or macroeconomic forecasts.
During a time when they should be worried about how to express themselves clearly or how to stay close to friends, expecting more than that can be burdensome.
“So I am thinking of dropping out of the academy.”
Adults did not like the term “dropout.”
So, for elementary and middle school students, they used the word “defer” as if it were a euphemism.
It becomes a subject of management outside the quota.
“If you want, you can come back anytime. Even if you submitted a resignation letter, you will still be a part of Seviron Academy until you enroll elsewhere.”
“Understood. Thank you just for saying that.”
Resigned, Principal Guonyu reluctantly stamped the resignation letter.
“Don’t you want to say goodbye to your friends?”
“I’ll contact them personally.”
As I stepped out of the academy building, the vast open sky unfolded endlessly.
Surprisingly, I felt a bittersweet emotion rather than relief.
It is definitely different from my past life.
I must have really been satisfied with my academy life.
Crossing the school garden with its vine plant tunnel, I stood in front of a lovingly planted lilac flowerbed by someone along the school building.
These were the flowers planted together with their parents during the admission ceremony by the first graders.
Just as the scent of lilac tickled my nose and seeped into my clothes, I heard the innocent voices of young children.
The small playground behind the school was a place for the first and second graders.
Then a boy was running earnestly toward the garden with his short legs.
It seemed he was playing tag with his friends.
Having lived long in the academy, I had developed an uncanny ability to distinguish between first and second graders, and this boy was undoubtedly a first grader.
The kid, still looking back as he ran, saw me and stumbled right in front of me.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Uh, I’m fine. But my palm…”
The boy with a bowl cut stood up bravely but stared at his scraped palm and soon made a sad face.
Perhaps because he was in front of me, his attempt to hold back tears was quite cute.
At this age, children really get hurt all the time.
“Can you show me your hand?”
I used healing magic to treat the wound on his palm, just like I had done for my friends.
The boy, perhaps embarrassed, couldn’t meet my eyes and turned his face away.
“Um, what class are you in?”
“A Class.”
“No way, that’s a lie. I’m in A Class and I don’t know you.”
“I’m in 3rd Grade A Class.”
“…!”
He showed me the yellow ribbon of his 3rd-grade uniform.
Then the boy’s expression changed color dramatically.
Accidentally teasing a junior, I smiled a little.
The boy examined my face closely and then took a deep breath.
“Isn’t your older sister named Noname?”
“Hey, that’s informal, we’re friends.”
“Isn’t she Noname?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“But my mom told me if I meet Noname, I should never talk to her and run away quickly.”
“Oh really? Why is that?”
“Um, she said it’s dangerous to be close.”
“What do you think, as a friend?”
“I thought you were a first grader like me.”
“Wow, you really say things without a filter, huh?”
“…?”
After finishing the simple treatment, I carefully zipped up the boy’s jacket.
“You can’t have fun if you run away all the way here while playing tag. You improve your running skills by being chased, right?”
“Yeah.”
“And you shouldn’t evaluate people so carelessly. That’s not a good habit, okay?”
“Yes.”
“Now go on.”
“Um… well…”
The boy fidgeted with his hands, hesitating.
Then he bent at a 90-degree angle and gave me a deep bow.
“Thank you for treating my palm, pretty older sister! I’ll definitely brag to my friends.”
He ran off to the playground without looking back.
I hope he doesn’t fall again.
By the way, calling me a pretty older sister, the boy’s flirting was quite unusual for someone so young.
What day of the week is the most miserable?
Monday, which gave birth to the term “Monday Blues”?
Or Wednesday, positioned in the middle of the week? Or perhaps it could be Thursday.
But what does that have to do with me?
Day by day, I was currently enjoying the peak of happiness.
“Ahhhhhhh.”
I rolled over on the bed with the blanket, uttering meaningless syllables.
When I received a suspension, it didn’t feel like resting at all.
Thinking about returning to the academy felt suffocating, and I felt like I had to reflect on my actions during the suspension, along with the thesis that was tormenting me. My feelings were complex.
Perhaps office workers could empathize with the difference between suspension and resignation.
The freedom from responsibility is such a tremendous pleasure.
Being home alone meant there were no people around to bother me, so I felt even less need to go outside.
Originally, I wanted to engage in some sparring but lately, just lying down all day made my mind completely calm.
“Maybe it’s because it’s winter?”
In Saetbyeol’s room, filled with the scent of hair essence and body lotion, I turned on the capsule beam projector.
I watched Adella’s practice match live as part of the 2052 Thaekwopdae Season 2.
Bang!
“I’m in the tunnel now. I’ll take a peek at the assassination angle. Try to keep them busy in the Guardian Nest.”
“They’re four of them. One of the swords is empty. Who’s the other one?”
“The sorcerer has the golem attached to me…! Hey, there are three of them here! They’re all waiting at the tunnel entrance!”
“Sorry, one was a clone! Can you escape, Adella?”
“Being dead seems guaranteed…! I’ll try to hold them off.”
Adella, taking advantage of her agile rogue class, sprinted at full speed.
However, being caught by a warrior buffed by the paladin’s movement speed was only a matter of time.
“Did you come to save me?”
“Don’t come over here! I’ve been caught too!”
The healer who came to save Adella was also captured.
Failing to calculate the personnel correctly, the main unit was encircled and annihilated without even being able to collect the objective.
With sighs echoing from all sides, the final round of the scream ended.
Due to the overly gloomy atmosphere, feedback was postponed for later.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“We worked hard.”
“Thanks, everyone.”
“Everyone did well… I’ll end today’s broadcast here.”
Her voice faded away as she wrapped up the broadcast.
Bzzz—
Soon, the capsule door opened, and she stepped out, drenched in sweat.
It seemed she had set the heater very high inside the capsule.
“I watched the scream well.”
“How was it?”
“It was a total disaster, right?”
“Ugh… Ahhh!”
“Hey, don’t come over! Stay away!”
Saetbyeol rushed at me like a zombie.
With a pillow between us, I desperately blocked Saetbyeol’s body.
But today, her determination was unwavering.
She hugged my whole body with the pillow and rubbed her cheeks against me while whining.
“I really did my best. What’s wrong with our team? Even you can see it’s just hopeless, right? Everyone has great skills, but we just don’t match as a team, hwaahaa…!”
“Okay.”
“You just watched my broadcast. Tell me what the problem is. If this continues, no matter how many times we scream, nothing will improve!”
“You just need to do it a thousand times.”
“Ah, for real. You’re idle, can’t you help me a bit? Please, please, please!”
I realized I had completely trained her into a bad habit.
As I strongly empathized with the blue raccoon robot’s feelings, I quietly slipped off the bed.
I crossed my arms and pointed out each thing I didn’t like.
“If you’re going to sweat that much, can’t you turn off the heater?”
“I can’t help it; if my head is cold, my reaction speed slows down.”
“Are you a cat? Will you break if it’s cold?”
“Stop nagging! More importantly, there’s a reason why you must help me. Didn’t you see the chat?”
“Yeah.”
“I seriously can’t live because of this.”
While I was absent, Saetbyeol had gratefully been enduring the crowd’s outcry.
With a pale and haggard face, Saetbyeol lowered her head.
“People who ask for loans turn hostile on SNS just a week later, cursing me out. I’ve heard every kind of curse in my life.”
I nervously cleared the chat window and frowned.
When she looked like she was about to cry, I slowly approached her and made eye contact.
“I didn’t know you were having such a hard time because of me. You always seemed to be doing well, so I had no idea. I’m really sorry for not knowing.”
I neatly pushed Saetbyeol’s hair aside.
Saetbyeol just quietly closed her eyes, and I gently brushed my fingers against her forehead.
“I couldn’t say it to you. You must be a hundred times more troubled than I am.”
“You keep making it so I can’t refuse to help you.”
“Ugh.”
“Okay, I’ll help you. But the only thing I can offer is useful information. I’m not confident about teaching others, nor am I in a position to do so right now.”
“I know that. But that’s enough.”
I had intended to take a break for a while, but now I had something to do.
But how do I handle this damp sweat on my hands?
I pressed my palm against Saetbyeol’s chubby cheeks.
Her lips puffed out like a duck.
“Ubuuk?”
“No. Just keep working hard. Do well on your finals too.”
“Of course! You know I never do anything half-hearted! Thanks for helping me, older sister!”
Saetbyeol smiled brightly and waved her hands.
Good, that felt natural.
“Are you really asking to go without an archer mage and have a 3 tank 3 heal combination? It’ll be so hard without ranged attacks in this meta.”
“How are you planning to cross the bridge?”
“Is that really you, Adella?”
“Well, it’s hard to explain, but I think it’ll work for our team, so let’s consider it and try it! I’ll give a detailed briefing in-game.”
