“Why are you staring like that?”
It was the first time Lennox had spoken to me.
“We’ve arrived.”
Only then did I realize we were standing in front of my dorm room.
“Ah…”
Maybe I’d been observing Lennox a little too closely.
I cleared my throat awkwardly. “Ahem… Can I have the key?”
“Yes.”
Lennox handed it to me. As I reached out, my fingertips brushed against his.
Perhaps uncomfortable with a stranger’s touch, he pulled his hand back a bit too quickly.
‘Still as wary as ever.’
Accepting that with a quiet nod, I looked at the room number on the key.
Room 206.
“Thanks for showing me the way.”
I took my luggage from him.
As I inserted the key into the doorknob and turned around out of habit, I saw he was still standing there.
“…Do you have something to say?”
“Yes.”
I’d expected him to say no, so I was momentarily caught off guard by how quickly he responded.
“…Uh, okay. Go ahead.”
His eyes, which had been looking down at a slight angle, slowly lifted.
The way he looked at me… felt strangely familiar.
‘When I gave him that necklace that changes hair color…’
That look in his eyes—identical to back then.
‘No way… Did he recognize me?’
That chilling thought made me swallow dryly without realizing it.
I waited for him to open his mouth, but he remained silent, seemingly hesitant to speak.
His face—was it slightly red?
“Ren?”
I called his name, my anxious heart pressing him for an answer.
He flinched and slowly opened his lips.
Melin had just found out her older sister had arrived at the academy—and she was fuming. The reason for her anger? Ren.
As soon as she heard that he had shown her sister to her dorm, Melin’s face flushed red.
‘He played me!’
Jumped the line.
Wasn’t it natural that she, the younger sister, should’ve been the one to guide her sister to her room?
She wanted to spend every possible moment with her sister—who knew how long she’d be here!
‘Ren, you sneaky—only looking out for yourself!’
Hadn’t they agreed to cooperate?
Her little fists trembled with frustration.
‘Ugh, just wait, Ren!’
It seemed the truce between Ren, Melin, and Clemens (—“whether she cares or not!”) was on the verge of breaking.
“Ren!”
Melin spotted him lingering around the faculty dorms.
But something about him looked… off.
“…What’s up with you?”
She quickly noticed it.
His normally expressionless face—always like a plaster statue—was now tinged with a very human blush.
“…What happened with my sister?!”
“Nothing.”
Ren lied smoothly.
Just moments ago, their fingers had brushed when he handed her the dorm key, and his face had grown warm.
That heat still hadn’t faded.
It was the first time he’d felt anything like that.
Melin glared at him like he’d just robbed a bank. Sure, she’d come to the academy to become independent, but that didn’t mean she’d given up on her sister’s affection.
“Tell me the truth! Something happened, didn’t it?!”
“Nothing did.”
Ren stuck stubbornly to his answer.
While Melin fumed beside him, Ren recalled what had happened earlier.
Melin had warned him: if Clemens found out his real identity, she’d think he was a stalker.
So he’d spent the entire night thinking.
How could he reveal himself without coming off as a creep?
How could he make it seem… purer?
Eventually, he came up with an idea.
‘Ren?’
‘…I’m a fan, Clemens-sunbae.’
‘…Huh?’
“A fan.”
After all, people tend to soften toward those who are friendly—especially those who idolize them.
Convincing himself it wasn’t a total lie, Ren played the part smoothly.
‘So… could I get your autograph?’
‘…Ahem, I guess so…’
She responded curtly, but she didn’t reject him.
Still pretending to be cold but secretly warm, as always.
Time had passed, but she hadn’t changed.
Volunteering to guide her to her dorm? Best decision ever.
His face flushed again, despite himself.
“I can’t believe you’re keeping this to yourself!!”
Melin’s voice rose in the background, but Ren was too busy replaying his conversation with Clemens in his mind.
Professors Albrecht and Dellarno faced the scorching glares of their colleagues.
“So you did sneak off to see Clemens first?” Kyless crossed his arms, clearly exasperated.
“So much for our deal to approach her fairly—just lies from you old geezers!”
“Curse-worthy bastards,” Elihu muttered coldly.
“Elihu, summon a thunderbolt already!”
“To think I forgot these fossilized codgers can’t be trusted even if they were the last people on Earth! I’m the fool here!”
“Tsk-tsk!”
Dellarno waved his hands in surrender under their fierce gazes.
“Alright, alright! These senile brats have more excuses than hair left on their heads…”
The only one not jumping into the verbal brawl—Professor Harry—finally asked,
“So? Which lab is Clemens going to?”
Albrecht and Dellarno sighed in unison.
“As if! Did you think our Clemens would be swayed by your smooth talk?”
Kyless smirked, satisfied.
“From now on, don’t approach her first. Got it, you scheming old farts?”
When they didn’t reply, he pressed again.
“Promise!”
“…Fine.”
Albrecht and Dellarno nodded reluctantly. Harry chuckled.
“The effort is cute, but… is this competition even worth it?”
The others frowned at her.
“She’s already chosen by the master.”
“…”
They had no retort.
“Giving up on Clemens? Might as well say you’re senile.”
Harry Macerman shrugged and sipped her coffee.
Clemens Jacqueline.
She was special.
Her grades at the academy might’ve seemed average, but the professors knew better.
Sometimes, she had a higher experiment success rate than even they did—and her paper-writing skills? Legendary.
From topic selection to execution, she was flawless.
Like someone who had already lived more than one life.
So when news of her early graduation broke, they hadn’t been shocked.
Most of them had assumed she’d purposely lowered her grades for some unknown reason.
Still, they couldn’t help feeling a little… disappointed. Even frustrated.
Like a talented slave slipping their collar and running free.
‘And now the master gets first dibs?!’
Professors who had squabbled since their student days all sighed together.
Denero Duke had once been their economics professor. The only man they’d ever accepted as their teacher.
To go against him now? Foolish. The man was still terrifyingly sharp—and stronger than ever.
I was summoned to the headmaster’s office.
“There’s a parent observation class today?” I asked.
“How perfect. Let’s do a public retake of your exam,” said Professor Macerman, seated beside Headmaster Albrecht.
The confident woman had stylishly tied back her silver-streaked hair.
She was the professor of Natural Studies—formerly known as Spirit Studies—and the true leader among the professors.
Even Albrecht sat quietly, letting her take the reins.
“Bring in the parents who doubted you. Let’s show them what’s what. Hoho!”
“It’s a great idea, but… are there professors available on such short notice?”
“Don’t worry about that.”
I was a bit anxious.
But soon, I realized I had nothing to worry about.
‘Their execution is… insane.’
That afternoon, after school—
In an empty lecture hall, a public retake of my graduation exam was held.
