“Why are you asking that?”

“Just a simple introduction. For reference, I’m 25.”

“You’re… older than I thought.”

Is 25 old? Well, since people here come of age at 16, it might seem that way. Deciding to take it as a compliment about looking young, I shrugged.

“Based on your reaction, I must be your senior. Feel free to call me ‘hyung.'”

“…hyung…?”

In my previous life, establishing how to address each other was always my first step when trying to get close to someone. It was the natural progression. But contrary to my expectations, he tilted his head questioningly with furrowed brows.

Come to think of it, were there any characters in the novel who called protagonist Iris ‘hyung’? …No. Even if there were, only blood relatives would casually use terms like ‘elder brother’ and ‘younger brother.’ Belatedly realizing my mistake, I waved both hands vigorously.

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“Not at all. I’ll call you hyung.”

“What? No, you really don’t have to…”

But he simply ignored my words. Hyung. Hyu-ung. He kept muttering ‘hyung’ repeatedly, testing the word on his tongue. His awkwardness resembled someone just learning a new word, and I couldn’t help but laugh. When I let out a light laugh while covering my mouth, his ears turned slightly red. I must have laughed too obviously. Feeling apologetic, I cleared my throat softly and changed the subject.

“Ah, we haven’t properly introduced ourselves. I’m Tae-oh, studying magical creatures.”

When I offered my hand, he took it with a faint smile.

“I’m Sezan.”

Wait. Sezan? …That name. I’ve heard it somewhere before. While still holding his hand, my mind raced faster than a calculator. Then suddenly, Asrein’s firm voice brushed past my ear.

‘Those participating in the field research will be myself, Jin, and Sir Sezan in charge of security.’

Right. Sir Sezan!

“So Tae-oh…. No, please call me comfortably, hyung.”

That was you…?

***

Why did I do that? Maybe being cooped up in the prison-like graduate school made me desperate for human connection. After learning that the young man I’d coincidentally met in the herb garden was the Sezan who would be joining the expedition, I experienced a whirlwind of emotions.

After kicking my blanket all night and greeting the morning with dark circles under my eyes, I formed one hypothesis. Surely there must be more than one person named Sezan in this world. Even I, who thought my name was uncommon, had met someone with the same name in a general education class.

Fortunately, I had lunch with Jin at a restaurant and grabbed onto this thread of hope to ask.

“You know, about the person who’s going to be our guard during the field research.”

“Ah, Sir Sezan?”

“Yes. Does he happen to attend Angelus University?”

Please. I prayed desperately to every god I could think of, clasping my hands together, hoping it wasn’t the Sezan I’d met yesterday. But once again, I was convinced that god wasn’t on my side.

“Of course. He’s a student in the Department of Magic.”

“…Ah.”

“Though he studies magic, his real specialty is swordsmanship. I heard he’s actually top of his class at Angelus University when it comes to sword skills.”

“…He must be quite remarkable…”

“Right? Actually, once Sir Sezan agreed to come along, we didn’t even need the Knights’ escort anymore.”

Thanks to Jin’s explanation about Sezan, I resigned myself completely. What’s done is done. Let’s just think positively. Honestly, isn’t it nice to be close enough to call each other hyung and dongsaeng? It’ll definitely be more comfortable doing research together on the expedition with someone I’m already familiar with. I only had Jin as a close acquaintance anyway, so this worked out well. While patting my chest and eating, Jin tilted his head curiously. I just smiled without saying anything.

After lunch, Asrein asked me to return some books before he went to teach his class. I headed to the library carrying six books in my arms, planning to help with digestion along the way. Usually, I would avoid the crowded main building, but with six heavy books, I had no choice but to take the shortcut.

The moment I entered the school, students who had just finished their lectures were bustling through the corridors. Since coming to Angelus University, I’d only ever gone between the research lab and greenhouse, so this was my first time walking among such crowds. Indeed, it seemed to be a universal law that undergraduates were more energetic than graduate students.

Worried about bumping into someone while carrying the books, I walked pressed against the corridor wall. I managed to get through the main building safely, but when I reached the stairs, I couldn’t see my feet and had to take careful steps. That’s when a large hand suddenly entered my field of vision. Following the hand that skillfully took five of the books, I quickly turned my head to see a familiar face.

“Oh, Sezan…!”

“I thought it might be you when I saw your back.”

Wearing a crisp shirt with a navy vest, Sezan gave off a more refined impression than yesterday. Thanks to him, I could come down the stairs more comfortably holding just one book. I reached out my hand to take the books back, but he lightly shook his head and asked.

“Where are you headed?”

“Ah, the library. The professor asked me to return some books.”

Sezan immediately turned toward the library without hesitation upon hearing the destination. Was he offering to go together? He was difficult to read in a different way than Asrein. I hurried to follow him, and he spoke matter-of-factly while scanning the book covers.

“These are Professor Asrein’s.”

“Um… you knew?”

“I mulled over the name last night and finally realized.”

“Haha, I had no idea you were the person joining us on the expedition either.”

Oh. The conversation flows more naturally than expected. Apparently, I’m the only one feeling awkward about yesterday. If anything, Sezan seemed pleased to see me again. Though his profile remained expressionless, I noticed the tip of his ear peeking through his hair had turned slightly red.

“I heard you’re not only good at magic but also skilled with a sword.”

“I mainly handle the sword.”

“That’s amazing. Can you show me your swordsmanship sometime?”

“…It’s not really worth showing off.”

“Come on, that’s not true~ I already heard you’re top of your class.”

“…That’s…”

When he turned to look at me with round eyes, I couldn’t help but let out a mischievous laugh.

“You promised to show me. Got it? Sezan.”

“…Alright. I’ll show you when the opportunity arises.”

Though I hadn’t asked to see it right away, Sezan nodded slightly with a serious expression. His behavior reminded me of an awkward freshman, making me smile warmly. We had already reached the library, and I took the books back from him while saying.

“Thanks for helping me carry these to the library, Sezan. It was much easier thanks to you.”

“Not at all. I was happy to help.”

Ah, I’m glad we became friends yesterday after all. My worries melted away like snow, and I entered the library with a bright smile. After returning the books under Asrein’s name, I had some time left and leisurely browsed the new releases section. After a while, I borrowed one new book and came out of the library, only to find Sezan still standing in the same spot. But strangely, he wasn’t alone.

“…Hm?”

Five men of similar build to Sezan had surrounded him. While Sezan looked as stoic as ever, his complexion was noticeably poor. Worried that he might be in trouble, I watched carefully from a few steps away. Thanks to their loud voices, I could hear everything without getting closer.

“Sir Sezan! We just heard the news. Your father, His Grace Duke Piart, received another medal!”

“I knew it would happen. It’s only natural for the prestigious House Piart!”

“Haha. Congratulations!”

The men, all flushed with excitement, were as happy about the news as though they had received the medals themselves. While it was certainly worthy of celebration that Sezan’s father had received recognition from the emperor, that wasn’t the important part.

“So, about that… I’m holding a party, and if Sir Sezan has time…”

My ears weren’t deceiving me. I heard it clearly. His Grace Duke Piart. They called Sezan’s father a duke. Moreover, Sezan’s full name was ‘Piart van Sezan.’ Unless you’re a fool, combining these two facts leads to one obvious conclusion.

“Ah~”

So he’s a noble… And not just any noble, but a duke’s son… I’m doomed… In the Karsa Empire, where the five-duke system was still in place, a duke was the highest rank just below royalty. The highest-ranking noble I’d ever met was a count, but I’d gone and made the outrageous suggestion of “call me hyung” to the son of someone even higher than that. Why hadn’t it occurred to me that he might be a noble? Emergency sirens blared in my head, and only the same words kept escaping through my gaping mouth.

“…Run… Let’s run.”

At that moment, my eyes met the navy blue ones that looked quite troubled by the unwanted attention. His cool face suddenly blossomed like a flower garden, causing the whole group to turn and look at me. Since I’d already caught their attention, I tried to smile, but the awkwardly raised corners of my mouth kept twitching. Instinctively shaking my head, I took a step back, but Sezan didn’t stop.

“Tae-oh.”

He even called my name as he approached me, leaving the group behind. Ah, I haven’t thought of what excuse to make yet. I instinctively stepped backward but my foot caught on the stairs and I couldn’t retreat any further. Meanwhile, Sezan closed the distance with large strides, reaching within one step of me in an instant. How could I spit in the face of someone who was being so friendly, behaving like we hadn’t just carried books together moments ago but were meeting for the first time in a year?

“Did you return the books safely?”

“Yes. Thanks to you.”

“Have you eaten then? If not, we could go together…”

“What? No, I ate. Haha, I’m fine, please continue your conversation with those people.”

But now I had to reject him. Like a restaurant host, I politely gestured toward the group with both hands while avoiding eye contact. Sezan immediately noticed something was wrong when I suddenly put up walls.

“Hyung?”

“That, that form of address is fine.”

“But you told me to call you that before.”

“That’s not the issue…”

As I leaned forward slightly, I could see the group still staring at us from afar. They had even started whispering among themselves while covering their mouths with their hands, making me increasingly anxious. While I kept glancing over my shoulder, bothered by their stares, Sezan blocked my view with his body.

My vision suddenly filled with his solid chest, making me start in surprise and look up. Then Sezan placed his hand on his chest and spoke with a pitiful expression.

“If I’ve done something wrong, please tell me. I’ll fix it.”

This is driving me crazy.