I Became the Academy's Disabled Student-Chapter 358: Old Relationship (2)

The number of photos Ihayul had brought was quite a lot.

“This one... This was the day we were handing out bread at the local bakery.”

Ihayul smiled slightly as he pointed to the hologram with his finger.

The children in the photo are smiling while receiving the wrapped bread. Among them was a young Ihayul. Though pretending otherwise, his lips were curling up, captured in the picture.

“Hm-hm, we all loved it when we were little.”

Ihayul, slightly embarrassed, blushed faintly and moved his finger.

“Here, Huyul is next to me.”

I was in the picture as well.

Among all the smiling faces, mine stood out starkly with a neutral expression, almost isolated from the others.

I was holding her hand with my left hand while standing next to Ihayul.

However, my right arm was hanging down with bandages wrapped all the way up to my forearm.

‘A burn scar.’

For some reason, this scar had also appeared on me in this world.

“It’s all healed now, but back then it was pretty serious, so I had to cover it up with bandages.”

Ihayul, who seemed to sense what I was focusing on, gave a wry smile.

“The medicine that could be easily obtained didn’t work, and if I had to keep up with professional treatments, the orphanage's finances were pretty tight... The director said so.”

[I see...]

It’s rare for an orphanage to have a good financial situation.

Unless it’s a special orphanage receiving full support, the average orphanage struggles financially.

An orphanage with parentless children is the norm. No matter how disabled I was, it would have been hard for me to receive special treatment.

‘That wasn’t the only problem.’

A weak body, to begin with.

I couldn’t see properly, nor could I speak. Furthermore, at that time, I was nothing more than an empty shell, in a machine-like state.

I was literally a walking hospital.

I didn’t know how much money would be needed for treatment, and there was no certainty it would even work.

In fact, my condition was likely caused by a curse and a soul void, so spending money would have been in vain.

‘Others might have thought I would die soon.’

A child with an uncertain future. To put it bluntly, a child who would die soon regardless of what happened.

In truth, it was a cold but correct judgment.

“So, I was taken care of quite thoroughly. If you look at these photos, you’ll see that I was always by Huyul’s side.”

It was mostly Ihayul who took care of me during those days.

“The director was busy, so I’d hold your hand, feed you, and... I did everything.”

Ihayul shook his head and flipped through the photos. Most of the pictures he had carefully selected showed me beside him.

“Huyul couldn’t go to school much because of his condition. So, I was mostly at the orphanage, but I’d come right back after school...”

As the photos passed, time seemed to flow. The small children began to grow noticeably.

“This one.”

Thud—Hihayul’s finger stopped. I wondered how many years had passed since that photo.

Ihayul, looking surprised, was captured lifting a rock as large as his torso.

“I awakened around second grade of elementary school. It was pretty late for a superhuman, right? Though not as late as Huyul... Anyway.”

After drinking some water, Ihayul continued.

“Since I awakened, I had to leave, of course.”

Newly awakened superhumans are clumsy with their power.

A small action could cause harm, so they must learn how to control their strength.

“From that point on, I started receiving support from the Tapsin Church. It was one of the main sponsors of the Ilbo orphanage.”

[The Tapsin Church?]

“Yes, yes, the Tapsin Church is famous for their sponsorships, right? The Ilbo orphanage was one of them.”

The Tapsin Church, being a religious organization, has done a lot of charity and donations.

A prominent example of this is their support for welfare facilities like orphanages.

‘I had heard that the Tapsin Church was particularly generous toward orphanages.’

I hadn’t known that the orphanage I was in was one of those facilities.

“So naturally, I got in touch with Tapsin Church.”

[Aha]

I nodded at Ihayul’s words.

I wondered how Ihayul ended up affiliated with Tapsin Church, but it seemed that it was due to the orphanage’s situation that they first connected with Tapsin Church.

‘Tapsin Church... They aren’t a bad force.’

Regardless of how they treated the players, the public opinion of Tapsin Church wasn’t bad. In fact, it was considered positive.

They hadn’t done anything bad up to now.

Even in the original story, they had been a solid ally, actively preventing the destruction instead of causing any accidents.

But, that was separate from how they treated the players.

‘I have no reason to refuse them.’

A lot of resources are needed for the training of a superhuman. Of course, entering and graduating from the academy is generally free of charge.

But strictly speaking, that’s basic support. Even a relatively cheap elixir trades for a large sum.

To grow properly, more support is needed, so there’s no reason to refuse Tapsin Church’s sponsorship.

“...Yes, thanks to Tapsin Church, I was able to avoid hesitation.”

[Hesitation? Why?]

I tilted my head and asked. Ihayul, who was explaining, sighed deeply and pointed at me.

[?]

[Confusion]

“What are you asking? The hesitation was about Huyul.”

Ihayul shook his head.

“I was the one who took care of Huyul. If I disappear, who will take care of him?”

[Ah]

“But if I became affiliated with the Tapsin Church, the support for the Ilbo orphanage increased. They highly valued my potential, and there was treatment and support for Huyul...”

But there was no real progress.

Ihayul mumbled the rest of the sentence, refilling his glass with water.

[Uhh...]

“Still, thanks to that, the orphanage got more staff and resources, and I was able to join educational institutions with peace of mind.”

[Umm...]

“Of course, I knew that Huyul’s condition was worse than expected, but I planned to find a way while working as a superhuman... Yeah, that’s what I was doing. But then...”

[Hick]

“While I wasn’t in contact, there was a fire at the orphanage, and that was the trigger for someone, and Huyul was said to have left the orphanage early...”

His gaze turned sharp suddenly, and my shoulder flinched.

“...After leaving early, ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) Huyul, who cut contact, turned out to be a special student from last year’s Siyoram, and though his mind was fine, he had lost his memory of me...”

[.....]

“Ah, the situation’s complicated.”

It felt like he was venting with words flooding out. Seeing my shoulders tense up, Ihayul sighed and shook his head.

“Yes, that’s roughly my situation.”

The short and direct explanation ended.

Thirsty, Ihayul gulped down his water, and I rolled my closed eyes.

[Hmm...]

This situation, too, was complicated.

My past, which I didn’t know.

‘No, can I even call it my past?’

Right now, the only thing that defines ‘Ihayul’ is the soul of the Ihayul who lived in the original world.

The body here was just Ihayul’s shell. An empty shell without a soul.

‘But...’

Ihayul had taken care of that empty shell earnestly.

For some reason, he had helped me since the orphanage days and had thought of me even when getting sponsorship from Tapsin Church.

And when it came to treatment, it seemed that he had tried to resolve my wounds or condition through his own actions.

‘Why?’

That question still hadn’t been answered. But even without knowing the reason, just the fact that he had tried to take care of my body made my heart heavy.

I don’t know Ihayul.

But Ihayul doesn’t see me like that.

It was because of that gap that I found myself being cautious.

“Hah, I took care of Huyul like this, so you know.”

Back then, seeing my shoulders stiffen, Ihayul spoke playfully.

“You’re not saying that I almost got discarded like an old rag due to amnesia... right? We even had a marriage promise when we were little.”

[...Don’t tease me.]

I pouted at his blatant teasing. Earlier, I was shocked enough to almost spit out my water, but now, knowing it was a joke, I wasn’t so surprised.

“Hmmm... I don’t know?”

In response to my reaction, Ihayul smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

“Is it a lie? Or not?”

[?]

Ihayul said with a mischievous expression. His face had a playful glint.

‘What is this?’

I’m not sure about the truth. Even with observation, I couldn’t tell.

I tilted my head, uncertain of the result.

Ihayul had been considered mature since his childhood.

In short, he realized early on that his situation wasn’t favorable and that throwing tantrums wouldn’t change anything.

As a result, his behavior was mature for his age.

Unlike other children, he had deep thoughts and spoke properly, earning plenty of trust from those around him.

‘Ugh, what’s going to happen now...’

Because of this, he received less attention.

One night.

Sitting against the wall in the dim orphanage yard, Ihayul sighed deeply.

Reality was harsh.

Ihayul, who had realized this from a young age, began to worry about his own future as an orphan.

‘......’

He was really worried.

Though he worried about the future, he had no real solutions.

His anxiety deepened with no way out, and fear began to grow.

While others, including the director, thought of Ihayul as an adult, he, in fact, had growing concerns inside him.

In the end, even though he was mature, Ihayul was still a child.

‘...What should I do...’

Ihayul’s eyes started to moisten as he imagined a future full of ominous scenarios.

Recently, his worries had only increased. As problems began to arise, he couldn’t be seen outside, so no help came from those around him.

It was a vicious cycle.

“Hmm...?”

Suddenly, a handkerchief was thrust toward Ihayul.

“Ah...!”

Startled at showing his vulnerable side, Ihayul’s eyes fell on the hand that had appeared in front of him.

A small hand wrapped in bandages. Ihayul blinked his tired eyes and looked up.

A mechanical, emotionless face stared back.

“...Ihayul?”

Ihayul.

He was the child who came to the orphanage a few months ago, both physically and mentally troubled.

The other children in the orphanage were scared of Ihayul.

His face was one that seemed impossible to read, a face that showed no change even if he was hurt. His still expression sometimes made it feel eerie.

And with that terrifying burn scar on his right arm, there were many children who cried upon seeing it.

The busy director was overwhelmed with taking care of Ihayul, so it was Ihayul, who was relatively well-behaved, who helped take care of him.

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However, Ihayul, too, found him somewhat eerie.

‘At least he’s quiet, which is a relief...’

It wasn’t hard to take care of him.

Ihayul spent most of his days like a doll, staying still. If left alone, he would just sit and stare blankly.

“Why...”

Never before had he looked for someone first with his sightless eyes.

He had never suddenly offered a handkerchief like this either.

With a dumbfounded expression, Ihayul reflexively took the handkerchief.

Then, Ihayul, who had fumbled around, pulled out a note and scribbled something with a pencil before handing it over.

[Thank you]

The handwriting was neat, like it had been printed by a machine. Ihayul’s eyes widened as he took the note.

“...This...”

Ihayul felt mechanical.

It was something Ihayul had realized after taking care of him for several months.

He couldn’t understand complicated teachings. But simple actions, if taught, he would remember and follow.

How to write letters, the rules at the orphanage, actions to avoid.

He followed them all because he was taught.

If he wasn’t taught, he wouldn’t act.

...But this behavior wasn’t something he had been taught.

Had someone else taught him?

‘Who?’

The director, who was so busy that even sleeping was a struggle? Other children, who were too young to think or act like him?

As he thought through all of it, Ihayul shook his head inwardly. There was no one who could have taught him.

So, did Ihayul do this alone?

That... I’m not sure.

“...Thank you.”

Although the question hadn’t been answered, it didn’t matter for now.

Even in the middle of his own sobbing, Ihayul’s unexpected thank-you note had become a great comfort.

Ihayul wiped his eyes with the handkerchief and stood up hesitantly.

His height had changed. Ihayul, though, was at least a head shorter than her.

Naturally, Ihayul looked down at him.

His eyes, looking up at her, were darker than the surrounding gloom.

It felt eerie, like fog had settled in them, and empty, which made his eyes seem ominous.

‘...Is it empty?’

I’m not sure right now. I had thought they were empty, but that might have been a misconception.

We’ve only been together for a few months at most.

Even that was because no one else could look at Ihayul properly because of how eerie he seemed, so it wasn’t surprising that I didn’t know.

“Ugh... It’s cold. Let’s go inside.”

Suddenly, the chill of the night clung to my skin.

For almost the first time, Ihayul stared deeply into my eyes, then took my hand.

The note he had just given me was tightly clenched in the hand we were holding.