I Became the Academy’s Disabled Student - Chapter 167

Time flew by in an instant.

The sun set and the moon rose countless times.

Eventually, the warm and cozy spring weather passed, giving way to the scorching heat of summer.

The second semester had arrived.

Which meant, it was a celebration.

I should stand up, clap, and blow an elephant trumpet in self-congratulation level of jubilation.

You know⦠thereâs that culture of celebrating elders who make it to their 70th birthday, right?

I was similar.

Back when I just entered the Shio-ram dormitory.

Hiding alone in my dorm, scribbling theories, I honestly feared I might not even survive the second semesterâ¦

But I made it through.

I survived even as time kept rolling on.

â¦Of course, there were many ups and downs along the way, but the important part is Iâm still alive.

Even though my life is precarious even now⦠thereâs no way I can just die peacefully.

Anyway, I praised myself for what I had achieved.

On the way to school after nearly a month, the students flooded in.

By the way, Seo-yul was attending to Hong Yeon-hwa⦠Ariel took on that role.

I left the dorm just like the first semester and hopped onto the self-driving bus.

I had grown used to the gazes directed at me by now.

â Paaaanâ¦

But those gazes were quite blatant.

Almost as bold as at the start of the semester⦠No, it felt even worse.

I understood why.

I had caused quite a few incidents during the vacation.

First, the news spread that I was a blood relative of the Gop-hwa Clan.

Not just as a relative, but also that I had manifested the unique ability of Gop-hwa.

There was still no news about the Bonhwa sword.

During the Gop-hwa Clanâs regular banquet, I had unintentionally dyed the clanâs founderâs Bonhwa sword with my own color.

A decent number of people witnessed that scene, but since the news hadnât spread yet, it seems like my silence had been successful.

I heard directly from Choi Ji-yeon that they were still in discussions regarding the Bonhwa sword and would inform me of the results later.

That must be complicated for them too.

Itâs the Bonhwa sword that the clanâs founder wielded directly.

Itâs a treasured heirloom full of symbolic meaning, and I dyed it in front of an audienceâ¦

Iâm just glad I wasnât scolded right away.

âAnyway.â

I hadnât changed my name to Hong Ha-yul, but having some affiliation as an exceptional student must have been quite a topic.

Of course, that news was quickly overshadowed by the double-headed dragon that struck soon after.

But even that double-headed dragon had its head flying off at me.

With both of those big topics connected to me, itâs no wonder the attention was on me.

â Paaaaaanâ¦

â¦But the emotions behind those gazes were quite strange.

It was one of admiration, pity⦠or even jealousy, but what I felt was a rather lukewarm gaze.

I felt a rush of heat to my face and tugged at Hong Yeon-hwaâs sleeve.

Her red eyes looked down at me.

âLet me goâ¦â

âNo way.â

A voice cutting my request like a knife.

Hong Yeon-hwa shook her head as if to say I shouldnât even dream of it, and pulled me in closer.

Though it was the second semester, my appearance hadnât changed at all.

My hair was still white, and my physique was just as youthful.

âNoo⦠whyâ¦â

âDo you not even know the answer, Ha-yul?â

Squeezing⦠Elia, who walked to school with us, poked my cheek.

Eliaâs yellow eyes silently asked if I really didnât understand.

I averted my gaze and turned my head slightly.

Was it two days ago?

I had collapsed, vomiting blood, and almost got refused entry to school for stability reasons.

It was even more so because that horrific scene was witnessed by my professor, Professor Liana, and my mentor.

I managed to get back to school after desperately convincing them that I was okay, but my appearance was still like this.

I must have looked like a troublemaking child to everyone.

The gazes around me felt even more peculiar.

âWhatâs going on since morningâ¦â

I couldnât dare lift my head.

â¦

Only when I entered the Ipchun Class did I finally regain some semblance of freedom.

Hong Yeon-hwa tried to lift me again citing that my stature wouldnât allow me to sit and see the front, but I rebutted with the fact that the skyâs wing feathers could serve as a cushion.

Hong Yeon-hwa sat next to me, looking disappointed.

I took the same back seat as in the first semester.

Originally, I had the window seat, but that was taken by Elia.

âHey, isnât the guest too early?â

Baek Ahrin, from the same Ipchun Class, arrived a few minutes later.

Upon seeing Hong Yeon-hwa and Elia beside me, she clicked her tongue in disappointment.

âYou used to sit up front. Why are you back here?â

âIâve always been like this. And why arenât you targeting Elia too, when she sat there first? That seems a bit discriminatory to me!â

Baek Ahrin grumbled as she plopped down next to Hong Yeon-hwa.

Again, the magical energy around was quite complicated.

On my left, a warm brilliant yellow sparkled, and on my right, vivid flames danced with icy water.

It felt both comfortable and chaotic.

A moment later, the front door opened and Professor Liana, in charge of the Ipchun Class, entered.

âIt feels like just yesterday that I met with you all, and now itâs already the second semester⦠Time sure flies by!â

Professor Liana smiled brightly as she began the assembly.

âAttendance will be skipped since everyone is here on time, and without further ado, letâs get to the announcements!â

Everyone listened attentively to Professor Lianaâs words.

Though the announcements had likely been shared beforehand, there could still be changes.

âStarting today, the free-for-all free semester will end, and a formal semester will begin, where students choose the classes they want to take!â

The first semester at Shio-ram operates as a tasting period.

In the first semester, students experience various subjects set by the academic program, and in the second semester, they are to choose the ones they want to take.

As a result, the second semester is a bit longer than the first.

âThis week is the course registration period, and most lectures will just be introductory orientations! Youâve probably tasted them in the first semester but the second could be different! So choose wisely and letâs make it a smooth second semester!â

Strangely enough, Shio-ram has course registration at the start of the second semester instead of during the breaks.

It might seem like a slapdash approach, but given there have been no major issues so far, itâs running smoothly.

âI bet many of you have been waiting for the second semester! The lecture times generally get shorter! Of course, with extra activities like clubs starting, it could level out, but itâs definitely better than those chaotic lecture times, right?â

Clubs would also begin in the second semester.

Specifically, itâs the first time for the new students of this cohort to join clubs.

There are various types of clubs.

From martial arts, spear techniques, archery, and more aimed at skill improvement to academic clubs like monster hunting, dungeon statistics, and erosion analysis.

Additionally, plenty of hobby-based clubs like baseball, soccer, table tennis, gardening, reading, and film and music appreciation also abound.

The primary goal of these clubs is for leisure.

Most clubs exist to relieve the stress of students already weighed down with exhaustion.

Therefore, there are likely many students looking forward to the second semester.

Moreover, clubs also help with networking.

From the moment students enter Shio-ram, their potential is proven. Simply graduating means they can be regarded as top-tier talent outside.

Building relationships with such individuals isnât a bad idea. Plus, they might recruit background-less students into their groups.

Through such connections, these students can find a collective to belong to, making it quite beneficial.

âAnd for the last announcement!â

Professor Liana clapped her hands, emphasizing her point.

The students straightened in their seats.

âThereâs a traditional schedule in the second semester. Itâs a mentorship system where seniors guide juniors to bring out their potential together!â

Mentoring.

In a way, it is the most crucial event of the second semester.

âThe mentorship system occurs between first and second-year students, where both can choose a pair! Of course, refusals are also possible!â

Mentoring was a system I had been waiting for.

Choi Ji-yeon, who had plenty to say about Seo-yul, was in her second year, so I planned to apply for mentorship to meet her.

âSimilarly, this week is the application week! From course registrations to mentorship applications⦠Ah, itâs going to be quite a busy week!â

Professor Liana sighed deeply with a hint of humor, to which several students nodded in agreement.

As she mentioned, this week was set to be truly hectic.

With course registrations, mentorship applications⦠and students interested in clubs had to keep track of those as well.

Ironically, the first week of the second semester, which was supposed to be a breeze, turned out to be busier than the first semester.

â¦

I hadnât finished my course registration yet, leaving my mornings empty.

Thanks to that, I was in a state of separation from everyone else.

Whether it was Hong Yeon-hwa, Elia⦠they all worried I might faint out of nowhere again, but I managed to escape.

I felt bad, but I had much to do from now on.

Specifically, I was thinking of trying to find a way to return my body.

â Ding!

While I was at it, I sent a message from my smartwatch.

Nodding at the notification that it had been successfully sent, I turned off the hologram.

Without delay, I applied for mentorship with Choi Ji-yeon. It was better to send it early rather than late for higher visibility.

âItâd be great if it works outâ¦â

Suddenly, I felt a pang of worry.

I had built a tiny connection back in China, but whether that would help me now were uncertain, so I wanted to secure a more solid connection through mentorship.

However, whether Choi Ji-yeon accepted my application was a completely different issue.

If she declined⦠I would have no choice but to look for other options.

â Ding!

âHuh?â

With a deep sigh, as I was about to display the list of classes for registration.

An alarm rang, and a hologram popped up.

[Unregistered Contact: Identified â Choi Ji-yeon]

â¶Choi Ji-yeon: Lee Ha-yul Junior

â¶Choi Ji-yeon: If you have time, could we meet?

I blinked in disbelief.

It was a reply from Choi Ji-yeon.

âIt hasnât even been a minute since I sent it?â

Was she checking her messages just then? That seemed too fast for a reply.

Tilting my head in confusion, I sent a quick affirmative back.

â¦

âWelcome, juniorâ¦â

[?]

The sight of Choi Ji-yeon when we met at the café was shocking.

Disheveled hair, dark circles under her eyes like a panda, a pale complexion as if she needed to be laid down in bed immediately.

It was clear she wasnât in a normal state.

ââ¦Whatâs going on?â

What on earth happened to Choi Ji-yeon?