Green Min wore the items I handed her without a word.
She came to the door of first-grade class 0’s classroom, but hesitated, unable to enter.
She seemed to be worried that there were many people based on her standards during the midterm exam.
“I’ll give you the item when you get in.”
“Oh, alright!”
Green Min gulped and reached for the classroom door.
Meanwhile, I started my device and ran the program that I had prepared in advance.
Zoom-!
The classroom door opened, and Green, who was looking inside nervously, hung her mouth open.
She was surprised but didn’t back away.
“This, this…… is my Master’s drawing-room!”
The object I had given to Green Min was AR glasses.
AR Glasses are an item that mixes reality and virtual through glasses when synchronized with the device.
Now Green Min was wearing an augmented reality device in the form of glasses instead of the fake glasses she wore to hide her face.
‘To make Green Min stay, it’s better to create a familiar environment.’
My idea was that the drawing-room of her mentor, Gyung-bok Hong, would be better than the classroom that Min-green had previously run away from.
The AR glasses synchronized to my device made our class look like Gyung-bok Hong’s drawing-room.
When Green Min was in the spotlight of the Korean art society, photos of the room where they worked were published in the media, so it was not difficult to replicate.
‘The drawing room and the classroom are different in size and structure, so it’s not perfect, but······.’
The classroom desk was changed to look like a lacquered solid wood tabletop, and the classroom walls were decorated all over with Kyung-bok Hong and Green Min’s artworks.
On the empty desk was *hanji, **byeoru, ***boonchae, seokchae, chaemuk, and batangcheon embodied bottles with liquid animal glue and gold dust.
If one puts on the AR glass the filter I configured is applied to, they will only see the classroom as a drawing-room.
In addition to the filter, there was something more I prepared.
*Hanji: Korean traditional paper. China and Japan also have their own traditional papers as well.
**Byeoru: A container used to put ink in when drawing with a brush and hanji
***The others: paints and ingredients used for Korean traditional artwork. Also, yes, animal glue is the correct term, just in case anyone’s wondering.
“You’re really here!”
“It’s that person from the midterms.”
“Wow, so this is Green Min!”
The kids in class 0 were sitting in a circle.
Except for Green, the total number of people in the classroom were now seven.
By Green’s standards, many people were in the classroom, but she did not run away.
Instead of running away, she murmured in a dazed voice.
“Chicken······ rock······ violin······.”
Green said, looking at Se-eum, Hyo-don, and Lenna one by one.
“Pardon?”
“······what?”
“Oh, you mean the filter that was set on the marker that Ui-shin gave you!”
Lenna was right.
Unlike unmoving backgrounds, it was difficult to apply filters right away to people by making the AR device synchronize with the person in real-time.
The technology that complements it existed in this world.
That was called the “exclusive marker.”
‘It’s a good thing that the store that sells AR glasses and exclusive markers didn’t close early last night.’
One could synchronize a marker with a human face, but when a face is not perfectly detected by the AR glasses’ camera, the filter could fail to work because the marker couldn’t be detected.
‘If that happens, Green Min will panic.’
In this world, if AR glasses or devices use exclusive markers that can be electronically detected, virtual information could be added to match those markers.
In other words, if the classmates wore the markers I gave them earlier, AR glasses could always make my classmates look like the filter I specified.
“Hey! Why the hell am I a rock, vice prez!”
“Me, a chicken. Why······.”
My classmates were all made to look like stuffed dolls with big heads.
The dolls were specially dressed in an apron used in Kyung-bok Hong’s studio, but there was no time to pay attention to other details.
I had to put on each doll a simple picture on them to distinguish the kids.
Se-eum had a chicken on his doll’s face and Hyo-don’s had a stone.
“I was so concerned about the background that I didn’t have time to design each one of your dolls.”
I thought it would be enough if they didn’t look humans anyway.
“Hey Green, what do I look like?”
“Me too.”
Soon the kids gathered around Green.
Green was flustered but answered them.
To her it’ll look like stuffed dolls are talking to her, so she won’t feel threatened.
“So, he’s a chicken, he’s a rock, and······.”
These were the pictures I put on the dolls of my classmates.
Se-eum Sawol, chicken.
Hyo-dom Maeng, rock.
Lenna Lee, violin.
Jiho Hwang, tiger.
Yuri Kim, magnolia.
Han-yi, cake.
Lastly, me, a chess piece.
“Hey, can’t you change my picture, please?”
“The hell, man! Why are we the only two with stupid pics!”
Jiho and other kids all liked their pictures, so there was no problem, but there was a strong backlash from Se-eum and Hyo-don.
While the two were squabbling, I watched Green, who was exchanging device codes with other girls and thought to myself.
‘I can’t believe manipulating visual information actually worked. What a relief.’
When a person with trauma to the general public sees people in front of them, he or she has a different physical reaction than the average person.
‘Anthrophobia or social anxiety is not just cured with ‘making up the mind.’ If there are a group of people in front of you, and the moment you realize that, your body reacts regardless of your will.’
Upon receiving the visual information that “someone is in front of me”, the brain causes an excessive production of adrenaline through the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, causing abnormalities in the body.
Your pupils will dilate, your heart will beat fast, your blood pressure will rise, your hands and feet will tremble from tense muscles, and you will feel stuffy as if your air hole is blocked.
As a result, one cannot control their own body, and it is common to run away or collapse on the spot.
‘Curing Green Min’s phobia and getting rid of the fundamental trauma is impossible now. But if she has the will to overcome this, it may be possible for us to help.’
On the day of the midterm exam, Green ran away after seeing our classmates who were awestruck.
In other words, the problem was the number of people that were visible to her.
If so, I thought it would be possible to trick the brain by manipulating visual information first.
And that was possible, due to highly advanced technology of this world.
“Green, are you okay with sweets? I even prepared ginger cookies without sugar, if you aren’t.”
“······Sweets are good.”
“Then, would you like Liege waffles? It tastes best when pearl sugar is half-melted.”
“Th, thank you….”
Just when Green reached out and accepted the waffle that Yuri gave, the door of the classroom opened.
Whoosh-!
It was before the bell rang, but Geun-hyung Ham came early.
Since we didn’t hide the fact that we were preparing a Teacher’s day party, he seemed to have arrived early to spend more time with us during morning attendance time.
Geun-hyung Ham was surprised to see Green Min sitting among the kids.
“Eight students.”
“Yes. Thanks to Ui-shin!”
Yuri summarized what happened today to Geun-Hyung Ham.
It was the same thing I told the kids when handing out the markers to them:
According to Green Min’s behaviors on the midterms, she looks extremely shy.
So let’s use AR glasses and markers to help her adjust to school.
“Yes······ I see.”
After hearing the explanation, Geun-hyung Ham smiled gently as he looked at the badge-shaped markers worn by us.
His face still looked scary even when smiling, but he nodded at me.
I guess it was his way of expressing gratitude and approval.
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“Um, h, here. Present!”
Soon as Mr. Ham was done talking, Green Min ran over to Geun-hung Ham and gave him the paper bag.
Inside was a painting of a carnation, drawn on hanji.
On the hanji were wild carnations that were drawn only with black ink.
The delicate leaves and boldly drawn stems were full of vitality.
“Wow, you drew that?!”
“That is so good······!”
“Wow, it looks like it was taken straight from a museum!”
Green Min lived as a shut-in so she didn’t have fancy ingredients, but her talent and effort could be seen clearly.
“Thank you, Green Min.”
Geun-hyung Ham accepted the painting, smiling broadly.
However, since it was a painting by a prodigy of the Korean art society, it had too much value, so it was concluded that the painting still belonged to Green but it will be hung on the classroom wall.
“Then let’s sing *‘Teacher’s Grace’ and cut the cake!”
*Korean song that is almost always sung on Teacher’s Day. It’s tradition.
Yuri said, holding a carnation flower basket and standing next to Mr. Ham.
After we sang Teacher’s Grace together, we started the tea party.
I was concerned that Green would run away in the middle of it, but she stayed till the end.
“It’s been so long…… since I ate and talked with someone other than Dae-suk.”
I heard her murmuring quietly.
On Teacher’s day.
Our class had eight students, achieving 50% attendance rate.
* * *
It was lunchtime.
A bench on the first-years’ walk path.
After lunch, I grabbed a can of coffee for dessert and sat down in thought.
‘Green Min said she would come during the morning hours, so we really did achieve 50% attendance rate.’
Green said that she would come to school during the morning class, a common class that us class 0 students took together.
As a gift to commemorate her coming to school, I also gave her the AR glass along with the “’droplet of mermaid’s breath” that I promised.
Min Green said she would pay for the AR glasses with her own money, but when she heard the price, she bit her lips.
She was very sorry and promised to draw me a painting that I wanted.
‘If I sold her art, it would be worth several AR glasses and more.’
Of course, I wouldn’t even think of selling a drawing my playable character gave to me.
‘I wonder what kind of picture Green will draw after she completely overcomes the trauma.’
I planned not to take any paintings until she was able to come to school without the AR glasses.
When I cleared up my thoughts and drank almost all the coffee, I heard voices I knew.
“I wanted to have lunch with Green.”
“It’s not possible because there are so many people in the restaurant.”
“Next time, let’s get to-go menus and eat together outside or in the classroom!”
“Sure!”
It was Lenna, Han-yi, and Yuri.
They must have failed to make Green stay for lunch.
Still, starting next week, Green will be having lunch with those three.
“I have an Introduction to Enemies mini-test today……. I’ll head off.”
“Yeah, see you at class dismissal time!”
“See you later, Han-yi.”
Han waved his hand then scurried to class.
I had Cheong-Hwon Kong’s Introduction to Enemy Studies with Han-yi.
Come to think of it, there was a mini test today.
‘Should I go early to class and review materials with Han-yi?’
With that in mind, I tried to quickly drink the remaining coffee in the can.
Before drinking all the coffee, I heard the voices of my classmates again.
“Look, Ui-shin!”
“Oh great, I was going to message you!”
I guess the two had something to say to me.
Yuri and Lenna approached me while I was still on the bench and drinking canned coffee.
“Hey, Ui-shin. I have a favor to ask.”
Whatever that was, I hope it wasn’t ticketing.
“Me, Lena, and Hyo-don. The three went to the flower market, right? However, Hyo-don didn’t seem to be interested in flowers, so we suggested that he should wait in the VR game room…”
Yuri told me about what the Carnation team went through.
Even in the eyes of Yuri, Hyo-don seemed tired of visiting the flower market all night.
Yuri had suggested Hyo-don to rest somewhere else.
He hesitated, but he told her that he would keep following them.
“It turned out that Hyo-don wanted to buy a carnation of his own. He asked us to help pick one out. He said he was going to give it to his middle school teacher.”
The only teacher-like teacher in his middle school years was his third-grade homeroom teacher who taught math, he one told me.
Considering that, there was only one teacher he’d want to give flowers to.
“He bought a flower basket, went to the Namdaemun accessories market, and also bought a math symbol-shaped ornament and put it on…… but he’s hesitating whether or not to go give it to the teacher.”
“Yeah. He put the flower basket in his locker, but I don’t think he has contacted the middle school or the teacher.”
“If it’s like this, Hyo-don will not be able to deliver the carnations today.”
He’s hesitating after he bought the carnations.
‘Well, he didn’t have even a smartphone, so he couldn’t know that teacher’s contact info…… and he won’t want to contact the school he had zero good memories at.’
Also, he would’ve found it even more difficult to visit the school himself.
‘When class is over, Hyo-don’s middle school teacher will not be there unless he is on night time duty.’
Middle school ends earlier than high school.
While Hyo-don hesitates, he will miss the opportunity to present the carnations.
“Ui-shin, can you please help Hyo-don? I want to help myself, but Hyo-don seems to be distant from me and Lena…….”
Yuri’s words trailed off.
Hyo-don, that dork, can’t even talk properly with the two yet.
‘Hyo-don respected that teacher so much that he, a noodlehead, chose math class. He’s going to regret not giving the carnation today.’
Hyo-don’s middle school.
His habits.
Today’s class and the time left.
When I organized my thoughts in my head, I came up with an answer as to what to do.
Unlike ticketing, this job seems to be easy to help.
‘Sorry, Mr. Kong. Sorry, Han-yi.’
I had to skip Introduction to Enemies class again, but I couldn’t help it.
“Sure.”
Lenna and Yuri answered back with a much more relieved tone.
“Wow, thank you!”
“Thank God.”
Suddenly the two looked at my face, opened their eyes wide, and laughed face to face.
What now.
“Hey······ it feels reassuring when you make that face!”
Was I making that weird face again? I guess so, yeah.
* * *
I was going to my classroom, coming up with a plan to drag Hyo-don to his middle school.
I saw someone looking depressed on the cherry blossom path.
No one was using it now because the blossom season has ended.
‘Suhyuk Joo?’
Suhyuk was leaning against a tree looking very blue.
‘That’s the face he makes when something goes wrong between him and Dain An.’
I recognized that easily, as the expert nerd of the ‘nationally fucked game’.
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