In Seon-o and the attention-seekers, as promised, came to school diligently.


    Although they still struggled with the aftereffects of oversleeping, narrowly avoiding beingte several times, they sessfully managed to get to school with the help of Kim Yuri, a nearby resident.


    Thanks to the three additional students attending school at once, Teacher Ham Geun-hyeong was very happy.


    He generously said:


    "You can bete, but make sure youe to school."


    Last year, our ss motto was ‘On-time Attendance,’ but this year it’s ‘100% Attendance.’


    ording to the motto, even beingte counts as being present, so it’s better to bete than to be absent.


    The candidates for tardiness, perhaps moved by Teacher Ham’s lenient attitude, made efforts to wake up earlier.


    Was it because they were trying hard, or because our ss was just kind-hearted?


    By the end of the first semester of the second year, In Seon-o blended in with our ss without any awkwardness.


    ‘He’s sociable, but not in a burdensome way. He’s not the type to lead the ss like Kim Yuri, but he seems to be getting along well with everyone, making a good impression.’


    I observed In Seon-o closely.


    He wasn’t exceptionally skilled in conversation, but he was adept at giving the attention-seekers the attention they craved and maintaining afortable distance.


    For example, he poured plenty of attention onto the attention-seekers, earning their favor and trust.


    Although he wasn’t acknowledged as a thief or partner yet, he still stayed as a guest in the thief’s hideout with them.


    "Thanks for waking me up again today. Did you make the rosemary garlic bread you brought for breakfast? It was delicious."


    "Yeah, I grew the rosemary myself. I’m d you liked it! But I’ve got something I want to ask. Are the three of you really staying together at Luis’s house... I mean, at the hideout?"


    "The owner of the hideout kindly allowed us to stay as guests. But I’m not yet a shy and noticeable partner like Guseulbi."


    "Yeah, I’m the partner!"


    In Seon-o answered Kim Yuri’s question, and Guseulbi added herment without any sign of dislike.


    Strictly speaking, In Seon-o was disturbing the attention-seekers'' lifestyle, but it seemed like he wasn’t bothersome at all.


    But why is In Seon-o still living with the attention-seekers after the re-exams ended?


    Guseulbi was in a situation where she needed to escape her house for her safety, and her master, Merlin, was sealed under a rock by the Lady of the Lake, Nimue, and could only meet her in dreams.


    Was In Seon-o in a simr situation? This worried me, but then Song Dae-seok asked, obliviously.


    "Wasn’t it like a camp because of the re-exams? Aren’t you going home?"


    It was something everyone had been curious about, but no one dared ask, thinking there might be sensitive issues involved.


    There was no malice in the words or intent, but depending on the situation, it could have been a harsh question. Min Green seemed to be debating whether to hit Song Dae-seok or not.


    After some consideration, Min Green lightly kicked Song Dae-seok’s shin, and we could hear his dyed scream.


    "No, I’ve got some things I want to help with, so I n to stay for a while. It’s not Yeonggwang District, but I do have a ce to go back to. It’s just difficult to go back right now because there’s still work to do."


    "I see, sorry. Dae-seok didn’t mean to be thoughtless…"@@novelbin@@


    "It’s okay. I also wanted to exin. I didn’t know how to bring it up since no one asked. It worked out. Green and Dae-seok seem really close, are you childhood friends?"


    Thepliment made both of them embarrassed, but since they were childhood friends, they nodded.


    Even though Min Green probably found it difficult to converse with Song Dae-seok, he helped guide the conversation by referring to their rtionship.


    In Seon-o listened to their stories, which included the reason for his decision to attend school and some recent updates.


    "Then, Green’s sses were a gift. And Dae-seok is currently working as a guest researcher for the yer Association."


    "Yeah, he gave them to me."


    "Well… that’s right."


    Min Green’s AR sses were a gift from me, and Song Dae-seok applying for an internship with the association was also because of my introduction.


    While In Seon-o didn’t directly bring up my name, somehow, the conversation always seemed to lead back to me.


    It was true that I was involved in the ss members’ situations, but something about it still bothered me.


    "I think Seon-o will really understand how amazing Eui-shin is! It’s something anyone would realize if they paid attention to our ss."


    "I knew about the activities of the anonymous rising star even before hearing it from you. Seems like it’s even more amazing in person."


    "Yes! I’ll tell you everything I can within my knowledge."


    Before long, the topic had shifted to me.


    Sa-wol Se-eum seemed almost excited.


    Hwang Ji-ho muttered something iprehensible.


    "Hmm, your reaction is interesting. I’ll just watch for now."


    "What are you talking about?"


    With the exams finally over, the ss started discussing their ns for the summer vacation, including the Youth Exchange.


    Every time the Youth Exchange was mentioned, the attention-seekersmented missing the opportunity to be noticed on the international stage, but they quickly snapped out of it and dered they would be the center of attention during the cheerleading event.


    The ss members and the new students naturally nned their summer vacation together.


    "Aside from Eui-shin, there are plenty of others from our ss joining the exchange. Hyo-don and Miro are going, too, so let’s all go watch the exchange together!"


    "Before that, there’s the art exhibition Green rmended, the Joo-O Dragons’ baseball game, and if we have time, TC Knights… no, forget that. Oh, and we have to go to the <em>Plijet</em> offline event. Is your schedule okay?"


    "Before they start the camp, we’re going to have a bit of a tight schedule, but I hope we can go together!"


    Kim Yuri, Sa-wol Se-eum, and Gwon Re-na, the most proactive nners in our ss, suggested this to In Seon-o.


    Although In Seon-o was surprised by all the ns, he smiled and nodded.


    "Are all the ss members going? I’m fine with the timing. I’ll definitely go."


    Although no one directly asked, Hwang Ji-ho, who had been watching, spoke up.


    "Since the ss is unified, I’ll have to make time, too."


    When Hwang Ji-ho said that, the attention-seekers, who had been focused on nning the cheerleading event, suddenly turned their heads.


    Guseulbi and Ong Gildong murmured loudly as if to make sure everyone heard.


    It seemed like the word ‘unified’ didn’t sit well with the two attention-seekers.


    "Our ss’s unity…!"


    "There’s one person missing…!"


    "Hahaha!"


    Even though the attention-seekers were focused on the cheerleading event, it seemed they still regretted missing out on participating in the exchange.


    It had always been strange, but it felt even stranger when it came to Hwang Ji-ho.


    On the other hand, Hwang Ji-ho seemed quite pleased and, as usual, spouted meaningless nonsense at me.


    I got the feeling that In Seon-o, who had blended into the ss, was watching this scene from a distance.


    It felt like we were exchanging moves without making eye contact, keeping our distance from each other.


    After the re-exam schedule waspletely finished, the results were finalized.


    There were a few small variables, but the oue was as expected.


    The top student in the first year was Eunho, the second was Cha Seok-won, followed by Eun I-ho and Eun Seo-ho.


    Eun Seo-ho and Eun I-ho were disappointed, but the top two had performed exceptionally well.


    "Cha Seok-won almost got a perfect score. If he hadn’t done some unnecessary experiments during the practical exam, there wouldn’t have been any deductions, and he could have aimed for a co-top spot."


    Since you need perfect scores in all subjects to be first, it looked like Eun Seo-ho and Eun I-ho would have a hard time.


    Just like in the first year, the top rankings for the second and third years remained unchanged.


    When the results were announced, Yong Jae-geon, who had yed around during the practical exam, said,


    "Eui-shin’s rank hasn’t changed, so now Shinrok can’t be mad at me. I’m going to tease him."


    Unlike Yong Jae-geon, who had been ying around, Teacher Kim Shinrok seemed to have not tolerated the pranks.


    Even though the ranks hadn’t changed, I thought Kim Shinrok would still be mad, but whether he was mad or not, Yong Jae-geon would definitely tease him.


    Meanwhile, a message arrived on my device, reminding me of the summer.


    [Okto-yeon] Eui-shin... are you watching the baseball? ??


    [Okto-yeon] TC Knights lost again ??????


    [Okto-yeon] Eui-shin, cheer with me...


    It was a message about how the team that was expected to win the pennant race just a month ago, the miraculous failing TC Knights, was now spiraling downward.


    Baseball teams that were weak tend to perform well early in the season, but once the heat sets in, they plummet in rank as if by agreement.


    Whether it’s because of the heat or not, the starters burn out, the bullpen catches fire, and errors that break the flow ur, and they lose.


    I was d I introduced the Joo-O Dragons to the kids who were interested in baseball.


    Otherwise, I would have been crying with Okto-yeon.


    ‘They’re perennial second-ce, but at least they’ll be happy until fall baseball starts. I should thank Jang Nam-wook.’


    I decided to thank Jang Nam-wook, who had prevented the ss members from bing victims of a failed team.


    Since we were scheduled to do a raid together in yerZ today, I nned to show my gratitude by buffing the spear master, Jang Nam-wook.


    I was looking forward to seeing how the rookie Jang Nam-wook would react when he took the maximum contribution from Yoo Sang-hoon.


    Just as I thought of this, I used the waiting time to manage Yoo Sang-hoon’s channel.


    "Eui-shin, here."


    It was the voice of Seong Guk-eon, who had promised to have dinner with me tonight.


    I turned off the device hologram and looked back, my eyes widening slightly.


    Seong Guk-eon was wearing a polo shirt instead of a suit today.


    Although it looked neat on him, it was the kind of outfit that a congressman couldn’t wear to an official event.


    Seeing him in this outfit, I felt a bit relieved.


    It seemed like today, he didn’t have a schedule that required a suit.


    ‘I haven’t seen Seong Guk-eon wear anything other than a suit in <em>magoh</em>.’


    It felt strange, but given the hot weather and Seong Guk-eon’s physique, the perfectly fitting polo shirt suited him well.


    Since it was short-sleeved, the scars on his arms were noticeable, but they weren’t unsightly.


    If Seong Guk-eon’s polo shirt skin or avatar appeared in <em>magoh</em>, I would have bought it without hesitation.


    "Haha! Surprised I’m not wearing a suit? Today, I’m meeting a junior for a casual meal. Let’s go, time to eat."


    Seong Guk-eon patted my back with a loud ‘bang!’ It didn’t hurt as much as it used to.


    Maybe he was being careful because he was aware of my eyes.


    More than that, I hoped he would take better care of his blindfold.


    ‘He’s still wearing the blindfold. Won’t he be ufortable? He should take it off soon since he’ll get better.’


    I conveyed that thought to Seong Guk-eon, but it didn’t seem to get through.


    "It’s not ufortable at all, don’t worry. Anyway, when you get better, I’ll take it off, so there’s nothing to worry about."


    Seong Guk-eon was smiling, his tone soft and friendly, but there was no room for rebuttal.


    Thus, I failed in my attempt to get Seong Guk-eon to remove his blindfold and headed toward the dinner table.