65) Chapter 11. I Should Have Said Something (5)


The way I fight isn’t complicated.

In fact, I don’t even have strategy or tactics.

Like any kid who’s never learned how to fight, when I get into a fight, I just swing and lash out without thinking.

The only difference is that the opponent can’t see my fists.

Honestly, if I did know how to fight properly, my unconscious movements might actually be easier for the opponent to read.

Well, I did receive some training. I learned basic self‑defense.

But most of that training was just to build my physical foundation.

I also trained my ability, but that was more like strength training—lifting dumbbells with telekinesis.

According to Auntie Yujin, she wasn’t an expert in combat training, so it was better for me to learn proper fighting from an instructor so I wouldn’t pick up bad habits.

“Ugh…!”

And of course, Nam Jinwoo was far worse off than me.

At least I had physical training. Jinwoo didn’t.

As Jinwoo fell on his backside again from my invisible shove, I glanced at Instructor Justina.

Shouldn’t she stop it by now?

Other kids tried to defend themselves with their abilities or at least attempted to swat away my invisible hand, so I didn’t need to hold back.

But Jinwoo was basically just a normal person right now.

In the original story, I never questioned it because it was simply “the academy,” but… how did he even get into this academy?

Aren’t you supposed to have an obvious ability to be admitted?

“……”

As Jinwoo fell and got back up repeatedly, the class grew quiet.

Their stares stung a little.

I mean, sure, I did think about bullying him a bit.

But I didn’t intend to humiliate him publicly like this.

His flushed face and ragged breathing looked… more frustrated than anything.

“Nam Jinwoo.”

Maybe because I hesitated, or maybe because she noticed the way the class was looking at me, Instructor Justina stepped forward.

“Why aren’t you using your ability?”

She asked him.

“I said this isn’t real sparring, but you still need to show your ability, right? Planning to hide it and reveal it dramatically later in a real fight?”

“Ah, n‑no, um…”

Jinwoo fidgeted, eyes darting everywhere.

His already narrow shoulders seemed to shrink even more. His thin frame made his waist look even slimmer.

It feels weird for me—someone who reincarnated from a man into a girl—to say this, but…

Isn’t he… kind of different from the other boys?

Is that why he was popular? Because he was cute?

“This is a school for superhumans. And the fact that you’re here means someone confirmed your ability.”

Instructor Justina’s ability was “seeing abilities.”

She probably checked everyone from the podium during the entrance ceremony.

She could see Jinwoo’s ability even now—though I couldn’t imagine what that looked like.

“This is where you learn how to use your ability safely, how not to hurt others, and how not to harm yourself. If you don’t show it, how is anyone supposed to advise you?”

“……”

Jinwoo lowered his head.

Instructor Justina’s scolding wasn’t entirely without emotion—she was that type—but she was also doing it for my sake.

Some of the kids who fought me earlier clearly held resentment. They felt “defeated” or “toyed with.”

And even without that, my reputation wasn’t exactly great.

If I looked like I was bullying a weak kid, my image would only get worse.

…Though honestly, she could’ve just picked someone with a better reputation than me to stand up here.

“I‑I’ll try.”

He was timid, but not twisted or strange. At least in the original story.

He must have realized how this situation looked.

Jinwoo lowered his hands, stood straight, and looked at me.

His face was still red, and he trembled slightly, but he faced me.

“Good. That’s better.”

Instructor Justina stepped back.

“You two, give it a proper try. Class is almost over anyway.”

Jinwoo didn’t rush at me.

Instead, he raised his hands awkwardly.

He didn’t need to. Just like I didn’t need to swing my hand.

But sometimes you just feel like you should.

I swung my hand.

And this time—

Smack!

“Ugh!?”

Jinwoo collapsed sideways again.

He didn’t block it properly. He saw my right hand move and reached out, but ended up high‑fiving a giant invisible palm.

But—

“Huh?”

I looked at my hand.

I don’t feel anything special through it. Just a strange sensation for a moment.

My invisible hand has the sense of a “hand.” Briefly, it feels like I have two extra arms touching something.

But when Jinwoo’s hand touched mine, for a moment—

The center of my palm felt like nothing existed there. As if the part that touched him simply vanished.

The rest was normal.

So this is what “absorbing” energy feels like.

If it had been Soi instead of me, it would’ve been obvious—her flames would’ve been sucked into his hand.

In the original, Jinwoo’s early ability was weak. He could take in a bit of someone’s power and spit it back out.

But as he grew and awakened through crises, he eventually held multiple powers at once, then released them, or converted them into energy to amplify one ability.

Versatile.

But always tormented by the fact that none of the power was truly his.

That was Nam Jinwoo in the original.

“Rua!”

Chae‑yi’s shout snapped me back.

Jinwoo had already stood up and was reaching toward me.

At first glance, it looked like he was firing a shockwave.

But I knew immediately—he was copying my movement.

He was releasing the power he’d absorbed from me.

I saw the energy gather in his palm. The same energy I’d only ever seen once—from someone else.

My mind went blank.

It’s silly to react like this when I use the same power.

But it was still terrifying.

Because that power was aimed at me.

Before I realized it, I had extended my hand in the same posture as Jinwoo.

But the difference in power was obvious. Jinwoo’s blast was only the size of his palm. Mine was large enough to engulf his entire body.

Thud—my shoulder jerked back. Jinwoo’s blast had pushed me.

And my hand slammed down, pinning Jinwoo to the floor completely.

“……Ah.”

I regained my posture and realized I was still pressing him down with my palm.

His entire upper body fit neatly into my hand. It was that big.

Big enough to pin someone and rip off an arm with the other hand.

“……Hehet?”

I blinked.

Something felt… off.

The room was warm. The heating wasn’t on, but with six kids fighting—one of them using heat—it was stuffy.

Most kids had taken off their jackets and were in shirts.

Me, Soi, everyone.

Jinwoo hadn’t taken off his jacket, but he’d left it unbuttoned.

And when he fell, it opened.

The strange sensation under my hand came from beneath his shirt.

Jinwoo was supposed to be skinny, wasn’t he?

In the original, he had no muscle. People said he was delicate. Even after training, he was still considered delicate.

So there shouldn’t be anything… protruding.

But there was. And it was firm.

Firm, but not like muscle.

“……Hehet!?”

I yanked my hand away.

Jinwoo scrambled up, face bright red.

“……”

“……”

Silence hung between us.

……

No way, right?

I asked with my eyes.

Jinwoo didn’t seem to understand.

It can’t be.

So I decided to draw my own conclusion and erase the last few seconds from my mind.

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Pub: 08 Apr 2026 05:16 UTC

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