Chapter 17
𝐒𝐞𝐨-𝐉𝐮𝐧 𝐊𝐢𝐦
𝟏𝟗𝐱𝐱
I am 𝐒𝐞𝐨-𝐉𝐮𝐧 𝐊𝐢𝐦, a Pureblood.
My father is Korean, but my mother's identity remains unknown to me.
Unfortunately, I never had the chance to meet or get to know her, as she passed away during childbirth.
In an attempt to cope with his loss, my father got rid of all photographs and belongings related to her, leaving me with very little information about her.
According to him, she was a mysterious woman.
He often mentioned that I look a lot like her, which makes sense because I don’t resemble my father. It seems I inherited my looks from my mother.
Though uncertain if it was meant as a compliment, I took it positively.
Hey, I don't mean to brag, but have you seen such stunning beauty before?
Nah, didn't think so! When I showed up, it was like-
"Bam! Drop-dead gorgeous in the house!"
Just kidding~
anyways…
My mother's beauty remains a vivid image in my mind, but it brings about distressing emotions whenever my dad returns home intoxicated.
He would unleash his anger on me, claiming I was the spitting image of my mother, which he despised…
Especially my eyes.
As a result, I started keeping my eyes closed, pretending to be blind. This habit stayed with me until I was twelve, when I received an acceptance letter from AAMA.
Since my father had also been in Aero House at Arcane Academy, it was no surprise that I was sorted into Aero House too.
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"Hey Jun, are you blind?"
Elias Forger, my friend, asked as we hung out in the library.
We were in our third year, and I still kept my eyes shut.
"Mate, you can't just go around asking people if they're blind..." I winced, wondering who on earth would drop that bomb out of nowhere.
I mean, come on, I'd be pretty offended if I were blind, but guess what?
I'm not.
"But to answer your question, nah~ I'm not blind. Just got used to doing it," I replied, as Elias flipped the pages of his book.
He muttered, "Of course, I know you aren't, but everyone is spreading rumors about you being blind.......again. Aren't you going to do anything about it?"
Leaning back in my chair and facing my head up at the ceiling, I replied, "I don't really care about damn rumors. Let them talk."
Elias sighed at his seat, saying, "We're third years already- why can't you be a role model to our first and second years?"
I hummed dismissively, "Screw that~" and my friend finally stopped pushing the issue and continued reading.
It's true that I don't care about rumors.
They're just plain old rumors created by people with nothing better to do than ruin someone's life.
Rumors can't ruin someone like me. That's what I thought until...
"Your father probably hated her!"
"Hey, I heard your mother actually left you."
"Did your father murdered her?"
"Isn't your mother a Veela?"
"No, I bet his mother is a merfolk."
"I feel sorry for you Seo-jun..."
"Your mother died because of you? How sad."
"I heard that your mother is a sl**"
"I bet your mother was blind! that's why your father never actually loved you."
*BAM*
"Mister Kim!"
The professor called out my name, pointing her wand toward me.
It was strange
No professor should point their wand at a third-year student.
I looked at my hand, where I had grabbed someone's collar.
The lifeless body below me had a head wound, and my hands were dripping with blood.
"Huh? You're dead?" I asked, leaning closer to his mouth to check for breathing. "Oh, you're alive- just unconscious." I let go of the body, and it thudded onto the floor.
Raising my hands in the air, I said, "Relax, prof, I'm no murderer, so don't look at me with those eyes."
Other students had gathered around the scene. I had managed to knock out ten students who had been talking trash about my mother.
It was unfair.
How could they speak as if they knew my mom for a very long time when I didn't?
They hadn't met my mom, right?
So how could they say those ugly things?
I felt jealous.
I wished I knew my mom as well as they seemed to confidently speak about her.
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"Mister Kim, you seem to constantly find yourself in trouble. Are you deliberately seeking suspension?" Professor Balthazar glared at me from his table. I remained silent, well aware of my reputation as a troublesome student. While I knew my recent actions, like throwing punches, were inappropriate, I couldn't deny the satisfaction they brought. I had no regrets.
The headmaster proceeded to list all the instances of my misbehavior, including smoking, skipping classes, underage motorcycle driving, and playing pranks.
As I listened to him, it occurred to me that, at just fourteen years old, I had caused relatively little trouble.
Maybe I should push the boundaries a bit more.
"Mighty gods, don't even get me started on your academic performance," the elderly wizard in front of me muttered with dread.
"You know, I'm convinced the chalice in the Sorting Ceremony had one too many butterbeers when it put me in Aero," I said with a cheeky grin. "I mean, I can barely spell 'book,' let alone read one! I bet it was like, 'Eh, close enough, let's throw this troublemaker into the mix!' Definitely not the right fit!"
The Headmaster stared at me with a deadpan expression. "Mr. Kim, you are an exceptional wizard. Despite not using your eyes, you can discern potions and their ingredients effortlessly. You can locate your opponent during duels, even with your eyes closed when you're not even blind."
Ugh-
I'm sitting there, groaning like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.
On the one hand, I don't wanna get expelled from school, but on the other hand, a part of me is like, 'Hey, maybe a little break won't hurt.'
I'd rather be at home, dealing with my quirky dad and his whole emotional rollercoaster.
The guy's got issues, especially with that never-ending bottle of booze.
But deep down, I really care about the old man, even if he can be a total enigma sometimes.
Family, right? You gotta love 'em!
"Mister Kim, are you listening?"
"Uh-huh? Yeah, absolutely!" I replied, readjusting my position on the chair.
The Headmaster sighed before he continued, "So what I'm trying to say is that I'm giving you another chance to prove yourself. Show me that you can be a skilled wizard and put your abilities to good use."
I stood up from my chair, slipping my hands into my pockets. "Yeah, yeah, I'll prove to you that I'm a talented wizard and that honing my skills would be beneficial."
Walking out of his office, I could totally tell he was all, 'Meh, whatever.'
I've lost count of how many times I've seen the Headmaster's "you again?" expression thanks to my little misadventures.
Trouble just loves being my BFF, and honestly, I don't really mind.
It's like my secret spice to jazz up this boring old-school life.
Who needs normal when you can have a wild ride, right?
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"You’re not allowed to park here."
A melodic lady's voice called out, catching my attention as I parked my motorcycle near the corner of Arcane Academy.
Just by the voice alone, I could already tell it was the raven-colored hair, fair as snow skin, cherry lips and cheeks, and, most striking of all, her sapphire blue eyes.
It was Min-ji Choi, the renowned "pretty teacher's pet" and the favorite topic among the boys at school, who came from a prestigious pureblood family.
Up close, I could sense she exuded an aura of extreme wealth, almost like royalty.
"You can't smoke here either," she said coldly, noticing the cigarette in my mouth. It irked me; she was a year older, so I had no choice but to follow her rules.
Reluctantly, I let go of my cigarette, sensing it falls to the ground, and I stamped it out.
"Clean it up," she ordered, as though I were a dog.
"I'm not a dog- YOU clean it," I retorted, my tone sharp and annoyed.
Her comment only fueled my irritation. "Oh, of course not. After all, I wouldn't want to insult dogs with THAT comparison," she replied, clearly getting on my nerves.
This girl had somehow become the center of attention at school, and I couldn't understand why.
She wasn't nice at all.
Yucks. Not my type.
"Fine... fine. I'll clean it up," I conceded, reaching for my wand to flick away the cigarette and clean up my mess.
This girl is rocking fourth-year status, and yours truly is stuck in third-year land.
And guess what? I gotta be all obedient and follow her rules, or her army of fanboys will come outta nowhere like hungry hippos!
No way I'm messing with that fan craze.
"Since this area is close to Terra's headquarters, parking your motorbike here will likely cause complaints due to the smoke and noise when you come and go at night," Min-ji Choi explained.
I stood there frozen, unsure of how to respond.
Shouldn't she report me to the professors instead of offering help?
"Oh, uhm, okay, noted," I mumbled in a low tone as I gripped the handle of my motorbike, prepared to move it.
Out of the blue, a gentle breeze brushes against me.
Did the fourth-year student just give me a polite, respectful bow?
I awkwardly returned one for Min-ji.
I wasn't born in Korea, and my father was too occupied to teach me about the culture.
"Goodbye, Seo-Jun," she simply said before walking away.
I heard the sound of her footsteps fading away in the distance until they were no longer audible.
Man, that girl is strange.
Her tone is always cold and angry, but everyone says she constantly has a big smile on her face.
We were like polar opposites.
I couldn't understand why someone like Ice Queen Choi would talk to me.
It had to be out of pity or something.
There’s no way she actually cares, right?
No way.
Wait…
Did she just call me by my name...?