Tap tap.
"Come in."
At the sound of the knock, Sophie gave the order to let the visitor enter. Through the door stepped a brown-haired boy—Baran.
Sophie gestured toward the couch, inviting Baran to sit. With his arrival, everyone had already gathered.
There was Theodore Mosby, who shared the top rank with Baran; Arabella Belini, holding second place; and Angellica Baldwin, ranked third.
"Children, I'll keep this brief. I want each of you to give a speech at the opening ceremony. Any questions?"
"What kind of speech, Director Sophie?" came the curious voice.
All eyes immediately locked on Baran. He wondered why—until it clicked.
"...Director Baldwin," he corrected himself, a slip caused by old habits he hadn't quite shaken.
"Decide for yourselves. I'd appreciate if your speeches reflect your personalities and goals."
Sophie didn't dwell on the mistake; correcting it was enough.
After Sophie's words, Baran felt all his excitement drain away. Since the day he arrived, he had been preparing this speech in his mind.
He looked around. His focus drifted beyond the room's design.
First, his eyes caught the boy he'd met yesterday. After barely surviving that encounter, he hadn't expected to see him again. Honestly, he didn't care much.
Then his gaze shifted to a girl with fiery orange hair and eyes. Honestly, she was stunning, with an aura that drew people in. Their eyes met, and she gave him a scornful look. Baran quickly dismissed her and moved on.
Next was a girl with lightly wavy white hair and golden eyes. She was even more beautiful than the "carrot head." Enough to catch Baran's attention—though he soon looked away.
Baran wanted to leave. The director had nothing more to say, and the other kids had started staring at him. It was more annoying than intimidating.
Yes, the room held the best of their generation and their director, but Baran didn't care. His only concern was to return to his room and finish the book he was reading. It was definitely important.
"Director, do you have anything else to say?"
Growing tired of waiting, Baran began to speak, ready to escape.
"No, that's all. Baran, you may leave," Sophie said, understanding his intention.
"Alright then. Have a good day, Director So... Baldwin," Baran said, stumbling over the name.
After finishing his words, he left the room.
Sophie watched the three students seated before her.
"So, what kind of person is our top-ranked student?" she asked without wasting time.
"How did I lose to such a careless person? I just don't get it," said Arabella, her face twisting with disgust and disdain.
"Don't be fooled by how he looks. He's stronger than all of us. Honestly, even if the three of us teamed up, I don't think we could beat him," Theodore said, trying to stop Arabella from looking down on Baran. It annoyed him that someone equal or superior to him was being belittled.
"He reminds me of you, Theodore. Just as careless but somehow gets things done," Angellica said, a soft chuckle escaping her lips.
"I'll take that as a compliment," Theodore replied, though his tone hinted he was slightly offended.
Sophie smiled quietly as she listened to her students' conversation. This was why she loved teaching—but she had work to do and couldn't delay any longer.
"Alright, I assume you understand. Please leave."
With a polite yet firm tone, Sophie dismissed them and returned to her tasks.
Meanwhile, outside, the students were still discussing the same topic.
"Theodore, that boy definitely isn't strong enough to fight all three of us. Shouldn't you know that better than anyone?"
"Arabella, don't be fooled. There's a real monster inside him."
"He certainly is, Theodore. I didn't sense any energy from him at all."
"Maybe his energy control is just incredibly refined."
Angellica tucked her white hair behind her ear, trying to stop the argument between Arabella and Theodore.
"If you're so curious, we could check his room, Arabella."
"I don't want to waste more time on that idiot," Arabella said, quickly walking away to her room.
"Is he really that good?" Angellica asked, still curious. Even the Absolute Prodigy couldn't look down on him. Who could this person really be?
"I'm sure he's better than you think," Theodore said confidently.
**************
Three hours later, Baran returned to the director's office.
Knock knock.
"Come in."
Baran entered immediately when allowed.
"What do you want, Baran?"
Director Sophie was focused on her work, barely paying attention to him until he spoke.
"With the help of Eagle Eye, I have something for you…"
"What?!" Sophie's attention snapped from her work to Baran in an instant. She had expected something like this, but why was it actually happening now?