We all agreed to write our wills.
It was Go Eun-bi’s idea. And surprisingly, we were all on board. So we ended up at Brilliant Café.
Even Min A-rin, who didn’t normally like to hang around without a clear reason, seemed intrigued enough to skip going back to the dorm and follow along.
“At this rate… We’ll need a bigger room than last time,” I thought.
There were eleven of us, myself included.
With such a large group, we couldn’t just sit in regular seats; we had to use one of the group areas. Still, the standard group space seemed too cramped for our number.
Wanting a bit more room to breathe, I paid extra to rent a study room on the third floor.
It could seat up to twenty.
Thanks to that, we had space to settle in comfortably.
“Okay, time to write our wills!”
“I’ve been thinking this since earlier, but… doesn’t it sound kind of unsettling to call it a will?”
“Yeah, I thought the same. If someone overheard us, they’d definitely think we’re weird.”
“Ordinary people might, sure. But this is the Academy in a learning city, so I doubt many would misunderstand. Still, maybe we should just call it an assignment?”
“Call it a will or an assignment, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m focusing from now on, so don’t distract me.”
Everyone ordered drinks and desserts.
We chatted quietly as we wrote, though at times, the only sounds were pens moving across paper.
Since the point was to be honest about our thoughts, most of us instinctively tried to hide the contents from others’ eyes.
“I’m done.”
…
The first person to set down their pen was Yong Hae-rang.
We all looked up to see him popping the last bite of cake into his mouth.
“What’d you write?” someone asked.
“Me? Nothing much.”
Yong Hae-rang seemed entirely unbothered, as if ready to share his will without a second thought.
Representing the curiosity everyone else was clearly feeling, I asked him directly.
And just as I expected, he answered calmly.
“To my parents.”
…
“Mother, Father—your unworthy son, Yong Hae-rang, is going ahead first. I’m sorry for the sin of dying before you. I truly am. But please understand this: if I am no longer in this world, then it means I lived to the end without shame, as a man of the Yong family of chivalry. So I hope you’ll take pride in your honourable son and bury me in a sunny spot on the ancestral grounds. And if there’s no body to bury, then…”
For someone who usually acted lightheartedly, his will was surprisingly solemn.
It was enough to make him seem like a different person entirely.
No one teased him. Instead, we offered quiet words of praise.
“Geez, it’s not like it was anything special…”
Yong Hae-rang rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking sheepish. But he couldn’t quite hide the small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Compared to that, mine is…
I looked down at the few lines I’d written.
Compared to his, my will felt hollow like a cliché letter you’d write on Parents’ Day.
This won’t do. I’ll start over.
With that, I made up my mind to rewrite it from the beginning.
It seemed Go Eun-bi had reached the same conclusion.
“Ugh, I need some water.”
Where’s she going?
Go Eun-bi crumpled up her paper, quietly left her seat, and walked over to the water dispenser in the study room.
Pretending to get a drink, she slyly tossed the crumpled will into the trash.
“Whew… Maybe I should write mine like Hae-rang’s.”
Oh? Look at her.
Go Eun-bi returned to her seat as if nothing had happened and started writing a new will.
She looked like someone who believed she had committed the perfect crime.
But I had seen the whole thing and couldn’t help but chuckle to myself.
“I should get some water too…”
Curious about what she had written, I got up a few minutes later, timing it naturally.
Using the same excuse, I walked over to the water dispenser.
What did she write…?
Pretending to drink, I glanced toward her to make sure she hadn’t noticed. Then, I quietly pulled the crumpled will from the trash.
I unfolded the wrinkled paper.
— Will —
Go Eun-bi
Class 1-8, Student No. 4
Combat Archery Division
<To my beloved Mom and Dad>
Mom, Dad—it’s me, Eun-bi. Thank you so much for raising me until now.
I always loved you both dearly. And even Eun-jin, who constantly played pranks on me…
…(omitted)…
And Eun-jin, this is probably the last thing I’ll ask of you, but I hope you’ll destroy the computer in my room without looking at it.
Make sure you break the hard drive. You know what I mean, right? I know you’ll understand my feelings.
Please, for the sake of your big sister’s dignity, don’t look—just erase it from the face of this Earth.
Also, please burn what’s hidden in the bottom of my drawer, the secret compartment, under my bed, and behind the second shelf in my bookcase.
Oh, and also…
Eun-bi… just how much are you hiding…?
After lunch and as the afternoon wore on, I started to feel a gnawing hunger.
Desserts just weren’t cutting it.
Enough was enough.
Kang Han-byeol, who had been writing her will in elegant, flowing script, suddenly stopped and spoke up.
“I’m hungry. I think I’ll order something to eat. Anyone else want anything?”
…
Brilliant Café also offered full meals.
Han-byeol picked up a nearby menu, already set on ordering something.
One by one, people who had been writing looked up from their papers.
“I’m good! I’ll pass!”
“Me too. I think the cake I just had is still sitting heavy in my stomach.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to wait until dinner? We’ll be eating again soon anyway.”
“I was going to do that at first, but I’m too hungry. I’ll just eat now and again later.”
Go Eun-bi, Risa, and Yeon-ha-neul all responded in similar ways.
Only Yong Hae-rang, Park Sa-goon, and Do-gyeon-woo agreed with Kang Han-byeol’s suggestion.
“Kang Han-byeol! I’ll eat with you!”
“Then I’ll order something too. I was already a bit hungry… Something around 500 calories should be fine if I’m still planning to eat dinner later.”
“I’ve also been thinking about getting something. This works out.”
“You eat so well… Are you sure you’ll be able to have dinner later, too?”
“Of course! Or you could split it with me if you want?”
“Thanks, but I’ll pass. If I eat now, I won’t be able to eat much later, and then I’ll just end up binge-eating at night.”
“Then binge!”
“No way. I’ll gain weight.”
“Where exactly are you planning to gain weight…?”
Do-gyeon-woo and Yeon-ha-neul had known each other since they were little.
You could tell how close they were just by watching them talk. It was honestly nice to see.
Kang Han-byeol chuckled quietly to herself as she watched them.
She couldn’t help but feel a little envious.
I wish I could be like that with my sister…
She had a childhood friend, too. But they hadn’t seen each other in a long time.
It couldn’t be helped.
Han-byeol lived in Seoul, while he lived deep in the Taebaek Mountains.
Now they were both in the Academy City, but…
Pushing the longing aside, she turned her attention back to the menu.
What should I get…
So many things looked delicious.
Her heart said to order everything, but her stomach and future dinner plans urged caution.
As she pondered over the menu, Do-gyeon-woo leaned in.
“The hamburger steak here is really good. That’s what I’m getting. You should try it too—highly recommend it.”
“Hamburger steak? Sure, then I’ll have that too!”
The photo made it look delicious, and it was Do-gyeon-woo’s recommendation.
Kang Han-byeol decided on the hamburger steak.
A short while later, the food arrived.
Hssssss.
The steak sizzled loudly on a hot stone plate, the kind of sound that immediately made mouths water.
Han-byeol cut a piece with her fork, brought it to her lips, and took a bite.
The hot meat filled her mouth.
“Wow… This is amazing!”
“Right? I figured you’d like it.”
The finely ground meat crumbled softly with her saliva, spreading across her tongue.
The sauce, the juices, and the savoury texture blended perfectly. She felt energy rush through her body.
Paired with steaming white rice, it was flawless.
She could even let the steak sear longer on the hot plate, adjusting the doneness to her liking.
Han-byeol couldn’t help but let out a satisfied sigh.
…
Meanwhile, those who hadn’t ordered anything began to catch the scent and swallow unconsciously.
Watching Han-byeol’s delighted face only made them hungrier.
“…Want a bite?”
“Can I, really?”
Do-gyeon-woo caught the way Yeon-ha-neul had been staring.
It would’ve been impossible not to notice, with her sitting right next to him, practically burning holes through the side of his head.
Unable to ignore her, he held out his fork.
She hesitated for a second, then leaned forward and took the bite gently.
“Nom.”
“Well? Tastes good, right?”
“Yeah. It’s really good.”
Yeon-ha-neul’s rabbit-like ears twitched with joy.
Seeing her reaction, Do-gyeon-woo gave a small shrug of amusement.
But she wasn’t the only one looking his way.
…
Go Eun-bi and Risa were watching too, eyes locked on him.
“…Do you want some too?”
“Knew it! I told you Gyeon-woo is the best!”
“Then… just one bite, please.”
With a reluctant smile, he held out his fork again.
The two of them lit up instantly, clearly waiting for his offer.
Chuckling bitterly, he shared what was left on his plate.
“Agh… It looks so good…”
“We should’ve ordered too…”
“Gyeon-woo, can we have just one more bite…?”
“No one told you not to order. And I’ve got nothing left now, so just drink your water and enjoy the show.”
…
Even the triplets joined in, hovering around like stray animals.
But unlike the others, Do-gyeon-woo didn’t hesitate to turn them down cold.
Their faces fell with disappointment, but he didn’t budge.
He wordlessly took another bite of what remained.
“…Fine. I’ll give each of you one bite. Happy now?”
“For real!?”
“Han-byeol, let’s be friends!”
“If you ever need backup, just say the word!”
Feeling pity for the trio, Kang Han-byeol ended up sharing some of her own food.
Yeon-ha-neul, Go Eun-bi, and Risa ate delicately, like baby birds being fed by their mother.
But the triplets were another story.
They looked like scruffy strays, abandoned mutts wandering the streets.
Meanwhile, Min A-rin was… less than thrilled.
“We came to do an assignment, not have dinner, didn’t we?”
The smell of food now filled the room.
She wrinkled her nose in irritation.
Do-gyeon-woo, Yong Hae-rang, Kang Han-byeol, everyone was a problem.
The growing noise, the chatter, the disorder. She hated it.
She threw Do-gyeon-woo a pointed glare, as if to complain silently.
“What? Do you want some too? Sorry, but I’ve got nothing left for you. Should’ve spoken up sooner.”
“W-what!? Who said I wanted any!?”
Their eyes met. And of course, Do-gyeon-woo completely misunderstood.
Min A-rin snapped, flushing with frustration.
“Your face says it all. ‘Why didn’t he share with me?’”
“No! It does not! Not even close!”
“Strong denial usually means strong affirmation.”
“I said it’s not!”
Absolutely not. No way. Never.
She wasn’t upset because he didn’t give her any food.
Feeling her cheeks go hot, Min A-rin decided it was better to stay quiet.
“Fine. You all just play around. If your grades tank, that’s your problem, not mine.”
Actually, this might work in her favour.
It was a perfect chance to get ahead of the competition.
While the others laughed and talked, she resumed writing her will.
And before long, it was complete.
“Hmph. There’s no way anyone wrote better than me.”
She carefully scanned her writing for any typos or spacing errors.
To her, this wasn’t just a will. It was a masterpiece.
Elegant and articulate. Every morpheme, every word, every sentence is flawless.
She even felt that Hangul itself may have been invented just for her to write with.
So swept up in her pride, she was almost overcome.
“Of course it’s me. I’m Min A-rin.”
But no matter how brilliant a piece of writing may be, it means little unless others recognise it.
It needed an audience.
“Ahem!”
“…?”
Min A-rin cleared her throat loudly, trying to draw attention.
A few heads turned toward her, puzzled.
“Aaah—I’m finished too! Turned out better than I expected.”
…
“I hope it’s not too polished? I mean, maybe I overdid it a little…”
She couldn’t bring herself to directly ask people to read it. That just wasn’t her style.
So she danced around it, hoping someone would take the bait.
“I should take a break now…”
…
“If anyone wants to see how I wrote mine, let me know. I might be generous enough to show you.”
…
“I said I might let you see it…”
Unfortunately for Min A-rin, no one seemed interested.
“Hey… guys?”
…
Sigh… “They say reading out loud helps you revise more naturally. Maybe I’ll try that.”
…
“To the House of Min, keepers of arcane knowledge.”
…
“Greetings. As fellow pursuers of truth in the magical arts, I leave you this final letter. I am Min A-rin, the youngest gryphon of the House of Min. First, I hope the head of the house is in good health. I don’t know when this letter will be read, but…”
…
“Oh! I finished mine too!”
“Ohh, Risa, what did you write?”
“Mind if I see it? I’d love to reference it.”
“Yeah, same. Show me too!”
“Sure. I wrote mine to my old nanny from the Empire, and to the people of my homeland…”
“Hey, guys? My will? Would anyone… want to hear mine? Please? Don’t ignore me…”
Jade Hall Dormitory, 14th Floor — Nam Yu-ri’s Room
Like everyone else, Nam Yu-ri had been given the will-writing assignment.
“Hmm…”
After wandering around the Academy aimlessly post-class, she’d returned to her dorm by evening.
Now, she stared at the blank page in front of her.
…
A will.
A final letter left behind for others, in case of death.
She pondered its meaning, absentmindedly spinning her pen.
But no words came.
Still, if she had to write something—
“…Yeah. Might as well go with that.”
The pen stopped twirling.
For a brief moment, a dark glint flickered in her violet eyes.
And with a sardonic smile, she began writing without hesitation.
— Will —
Nam Yu-ri
Class 1-2, Student No. 13
Combat Alchemy Division
<To the people of the Nam family of Transmutation>
You must be devastated by my death.
Serves you right.
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