As Monday rolled around, I couldn't help but let out a sigh the moment Ji-Hyun and I stepped into the classroom.
"What's with the long face, Kylen?" he asked, looking annoyingly fresh for a Monday morning.
"It's already Monday," I muttered. "Didn't even get enough of a break yesterday."
He chuckled. "School doesn't wait for anyone."
"Yeah, yeah. You're right."
A passing student caught Ji-Hyun's attention.
"Morning, Ji-Hyun," the boy greeted.
"Morning." Ji-Hyun gave him a nod, then glanced back at me. "I'll go on ahead. See you, Kylen." He followed the boy to the back, leaving me standing alone.
"…Guess I'm a loner again," I mumbled under my breath.
I drifted toward the middle row and slid into a seat by the window.
Soon, more students trickled in.
"Hey, let's sit near the window."
"Sure."
As they approached, one of them reached for the chair beside me—then froze mid-motion.
"Wait… when did you sit here?" he asked, his voice sharp with confusion, like he'd just seen a ghost.
I blinked at him. "What do you mean? I've been here the whole time."
"Huh? But…"
His friend quickly tugged his sleeve. "Sorry about him. I guess he didn't notice you. Mind if we sit here?"
"Go ahead."
I leaned back as they settled in.
…So this was what the system meant. My presence had become so faint that people barely noticed me unless I spoke.
Class dragged on as usual until the first break. Some students left for the cafeteria, but I stayed behind, half-lost in thought.
The classroom door creaked open.
Kaelen Noctar stepped inside, his presence immediately filling the room. His voice carried calm authority, steady yet impossible to ignore.
"Is cadet Kylen Noor here?"
I stood, raising a hand. "Here, sir."
"Cadet Kylen Noor, follow me to my office."
"Yes, sir."
As I walked out behind him, whispers stirred across the room.
"So that's Kylen."
"Why does he hide his face?"
"Probably because he's ugly."
…I can hear you, you know.
◆
As I stepped into Kaelen's office, I was immediately struck by the stench — the dry, acrid scent of wilted flowers mingled with something far fouler. My gaze fell on a half-dissected carcass of what looked like a small monster lying on a tray.
"Ah, apologies for the smell," Kaelen said, noticing my expression. "I'm working on a project."
"It's fine, Instructor," I replied evenly. "I've smelled worse before."
Compared to the things I'd done in my past life, this was nothing.
Kaelen moved to his desk and gestured politely to the chair opposite. "Come, sit."
"Yes, sir." I sat, trying to hide the stiffness in my posture.
"I'm sorry for calling you in so soon after what you've been through," Kaelen began, folding his hands on the desk. "I only wanted to ask you a few things. First—how's your condition?"
I glanced down at my mechanical arm. "Still getting used to this," I admitted, flexing the fingers. "But aside from that, my body's fine."
"That's good to hear." His expression softened briefly, but then he tapped a screen on his desk, pulling up a list. "The real reason I called you here is this. According to the records, you haven't chosen a club yet. Correct?"
On the display, my name was plain to see:
[Rank 101 – Kylen Noor – Club: None]
I leaned back slightly. So it was finally time.
I didn't pretend to be an omniscient player. There was still plenty I didn't know about the story. But I did know the critical points. And clubs were one of them.
On the surface, clubs were just like those in the real world, with a few twists. But in the main story, the majority of the cast ended up in one particular club: The Culinary Club.
At first glance, it didn't seem special. But believe me, it was. The cast's shared love for food made it central to many story arcs. Through the Culinary Club, they traveled across countries, sampling cuisines — and, inevitably, getting caught up in all sorts of trouble.
That was exactly where I needed to be.
Kaelen's voice pulled me back. "So, Kylen. Have you made your choice?"
"Yes," I said firmly. "I want to join the Culinary Club."
One of his eyebrows lifted. "Are you certain? It's not particularly useful for combat or study."
"I've already considered that. I have other clubs in mind for training and academics. The Culinary Club is… for balance. For entertainment."
Kaelen studied me for a long moment, then chuckled. "You've already laid out a plan for yourself. That's good. Important as study is, taking time to breathe is just as vital. I'm impressed."
"Thank you for your praise, sir."
"You may return to class now."
I rose from the chair and bowed slightly. "Then I'll excuse myself. I look forward to speaking with you again, Instructor."
He gave me a small nod. "Yes."
◇◇◇
As time passed, it was finally time for magic mathematics.
And me? I was out. Head resting on my arm, eyes shut. Guess my body still wasn't fully recovered yet. Using my arm as a pillow, I drifted into sleep halfway through class.
◆
"So, does anyone know how to solve this question?" the instructor asked, tapping her chalk against the board.
The formula scrawled across it wasn't ordinary—it was one of the Eleven Impossible Problems, equations so infamous that even career scholars and magisters failed to solve them.
Unsurprisingly, the class went silent. Not a single hand rose.
The instructor's sharp gaze swept across the rows—until she spotted a boy in the middle, his head pillowed on his arm, sleeping soundly.
Her eyes narrowed. Unbelievable… sleeping in my class of all places?
She raised her hand and pointed. "You. Wake up!"
Kylen's head shot up at once, his hair slightly mussed, eyes half-lidded with drowsiness.
"Y-yes, ma'am?"
"Go to the board and solve this problem," she said coldly.
Murmurs rippled instantly through the class.
"No way…"
"She's serious?"
"He's dead."
Kylen shuffled forward, rubbing his eyes as if still half-asleep. He picked up the mana marker and stared at the formula for a moment.
The instructor folded her arms, already certain of the outcome. There's no way a student like him can solve this. He'll embarrass himself in front of everyone. Maybe then he'll learn to—
Her thought cut short.
The mana marker flared to life as Kylen began writing. With each stroke, glowing runes etched themselves into the air, forming intricate patterns across the board. Then—like ripples on water—magic circles appeared one after another, hovering above the desks.
Gasps echoed through the classroom.
As Kylen continued, radiant lines wove together until the entire room was filled with shimmering, translucent vines and flowers. Ethereal petals drifted weightlessly, untouchable yet dazzling.
The instructor's mouth went dry. This… this is impossible. He didn't solve the equation, he… transformed it?
The ghostly plants swayed gently in the mana currents, their only purpose clear: not combat, not defense, not study.
Just beauty. Decoration.
And all of it had sprung from the boy who, only moments ago, had been sleeping in her class.
Kylen blinked at the glowing board, rubbing the back of his neck.
Am I… doing this right?
Even the one writing the solution had no idea what he was doing.
The instructor's voice broke the silence, trembling somewhere between outrage and awe.
"Y-you! What's your name and rank?"
Kylen turned toward her, still looking half-asleep. "Rank 101, Kylen Noor. May I return to my seat now?"
"…You may go back. For now," she managed.
He stifled a yawn, stretching lazily. "Well then, I'll excuse myself." With that, he trudged back to his chair, still looking like he might collapse at any moment.
The instructor remained frozen for a moment, then abruptly began gathering her materials. Before leaving, she addressed the class with a forced calm.
"You may… study on your own. I need to review some things. We'll continue next time."
The moment the door shut behind her, the room erupted.
"Yeeeeaaah!!!" the students cheered in unison, pumping their fists in joy.
Kylen slouched in his seat, muffling another yawn.
Thank god this place is soundproof, he thought, closing his eyes once more.
To Be Continued....