That night, Yejun barely slept. The whole atmosphere felt different. Sure, he had to admit it was better than home, but something about all of this was unsettling. Now that he thought about it… how did he even get here? Did someone drug him? No… It was almost like he teleported.
His mind swirled with possible theories, each one more bizarre than the last, until eventually, exhaustion pulled him under. That day had been too chaotic, and Yejun hoped that when he opened his eyes, it would all be a dream.
But no.
The way he woke up was probably the most annoying experience of his life.
Something wet splashed against his face, making him groan as his eyelids fluttered open. Sunlight burned into his eyes, and before he could fully process what was happening—
"DOYUN, WHAT THE FUCK—?!"
Turns out, Doyun was spraying his face with water. Yejun shot up, ready to strangle him, but before he could, Doyun clamped a hand over his mouth and leaned in closer, whispering, "Shh. Some people are still sleeping."
Yejun just stared at him, stunned. The two of them barely knew each other, yet here he was—this close. He quickly jerked back, glaring.
"Alright, alright, I get it. But why the hell did you wake me up?"
Doyun stood up straight, smirking. "We're going to get school supplies."
Yejun rolled his eyes. "There's still school in this world?"
"Of course there is," Doyun said, stretching lazily. "But it's not just a normal school."
Yejun already knew if he asked what that meant, he'd get some bullshit answer about magic, so he decided to just let it go. With a sigh, he got up and started getting ready.
He opened his suitcase, pulled out a black t-shirt, baggy dark blue jeans, and a silver belt chain. Slinging a bag over his shoulder, he headed downstairs. The first floor of the hotel was set up like a restaurant, serving breakfast, so it was crowded with people eating and chatting.
Just as he reached the bottom step—
"Boo!"
Yejun didn't even flinch. He just stared blankly as Doyun grinned at him. "What are you, a kid?"
Doyun smirked. "I mean, I'm only seventeen."
Yejun ignored him, taking a moment to really look at Doyun. Unlike himself, Doyun was dressed ridiculously formal—black pants, a long-sleeved white polo with the sleeves slightly rolled up, a black vest, and a tie lazily draped around his neck. And just like Chandra, he over-accessorized with a bunch of jewelry.
As if on cue, Chandra suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"Woah, how did you get here?" Yejun asked, already regretting it.
"You already know, Yejun," Chandra said smugly. "Now, let's go. We have a lot of stuff to get."
Yejun, still half-processing where they were even going, just followed along as the two chattered.
"Wait, why are we even getting school supplies, though? All I need is, like, pencils and some paper. And books are online nowadays," Yejun said.
Chandra quickly turned to him. "Well, you see, Yejun, technology doesn't work in this world. And you don't just need paper or pencils. We need to get school uniforms, books, paper, and a feather to write with." She grinned. "And the best part—a magic wand."
Yejun stared at her. Seriously? He thought they were over this magic crap.
The three of them wandered through multiple shops, going in and out of stores that, just like yesterday, managed to surprise him every single time. Eventually, they entered the uniform shop.
"Ah, this throws me back to my school days," Chandra sighed dramatically.
Doyun glanced at her, then looked around. After a moment, he furrowed his brows. "Wait, Chandra, aren't there different selections in the school? We don't even know which one we'll get. I haven't been in the magic world since I was little, and Yejun—well, c'mon, it's obvious."
Chandra laughed. "Pfft, it is pretty obvious you haven't been here in a while. Doyun, isn't the answer obvious? The same one I always give to Yejun—magic. It adjusts when you get selected."
The rest of the time in the shop went by pretty normally—well, except for one thing. It had actually been happening ever since Yejun arrived in this world.
Everyone seemed to know who he was.
But whatever. Who cares.
The three of them left the store, and Chandra marked another thing off her list. "Alright, last stop—your wand."
Yejun sighed. How the hell was a piece of wood supposed to do 'magic'?
Not like he had a choice, though.
The second they stepped inside the shop, a strong smell of old paper and wood hit Yejun's nose. The place was dimly lit, with only a few lamps casting a soft glow. Behind the counter stood an older woman, dressed as formally as everyone else—brown dress, coat, and black loafers.
"Doyun, we got you a wand while we were still here, right?" Chandra asked.
Doyun groaned. "Yeah, but I want a new model or something. Our family is rich, so you don't have an excuse—"
Before he could finish, Chandra smacked the back of his head.
"Are you stupid? Have you really forgotten everything?" She scoffed. "A person only has one wand that works for them. Yeah, you can get a new one, but it'll barely work."
Doyun blinked. "Oh… yeah."
Chandra sighed, turning to Yejun. "Go talk to the shopkeeper. She'll help you."
Yejun reluctantly approached the woman. The second she saw him, her eyes widened.
"Wait… are you… Yejun? No, that can't be right… Are you?"
Yejun looked down at the floor. "Yeah, I am."
The woman's face lit up. "Oh my gosh—"
She paused, noticing his confused expression, and then realization dawned on her. "Wait. Don't tell me you don't know…"
Yejun looked up. "I don't."
The shopkeeper sighed. "Well, that's a shame. You'll find out soon enough, anyway. Now, let's pick your wand."
She pulled out a wooden box, opened it, and revealed an elegant wand inside. "Go on, take it and give it a slight swing with your dominant hand."
Yejun wanted to refuse. He wanted to tell her this was all bullshit. But he didn't. Instead, he took the wand and followed the instructions.
A burst of sparks shot out from the tip.
Yejun's eyes widened. Did he just see that correctly?
"Hmm… no, not that one," the shopkeeper muttered, already pulling out another box.
She kept handing him different wands, and each time, something different happened—books levitating, lights flickering, strange winds picking up. It felt like it went on forever. Finally, she hesitated before grabbing an old-looking box with gold accents and a lock on it.
"I didn't want to have you try this one, but… it might actually be the one," she murmured, unlocking it.
Inside lay a fresh-looking wand, the wood smooth and new. Yejun picked it up, but before he could swing it, the shopkeeper warned, "Be careful with that one. It's… well, really powerful, to say the least."
Yejun gulped. For some reason, he believed her.
The second he swung it, the dimly lit shop burst into a bright blue light. Books flew off shelves, the air whirled around him, and a strange buzzing filled his ears. The shopkeeper was thrown back, crashing into a shelf. Chandra and Doyun, who had been sitting in the corner, snapped their heads toward him in shock.
Yejun felt overwhelmed, drowning in the surge of energy, until—
He slammed the wand down onto the table, panting. "What the hell was that…"
The shopkeeper stood up, brushing herself off. She looked at him, eyes wide.
"In all my years… that was the strongest reaction I've ever seen."
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-Author
This is the longest chapter for now (I really need to make my chapters longer)
Thanks for reading this chapter