Chapter 26: Congratulations, You're an Auntie, Now!
Miss Kim stood by the coffee machine in her office, savoring the warmth of a freshly brewed cup. She moved with practiced precision, careful not to spill a drop on her neatly pressed suit as she returned to the black desk and matching leather chair that stood out against the room's beige-and-white minimalist decor. The rich aroma of coffee mingled with the faint scent of oakwood as she settled into her seat.
She began flipping through a thick stack of administrative documents, setting the cup aside with a soft clink. The room remained quiet, broken only by the shuffle of papers and the steady scratch of her pen. Through gold-rimmed lenses, her peach blossom eyes scanned each page with practiced focus. Occasionally, she tucked her sleek bob behind one ear, her expression growing more sour with each passing form.
'Why is there so much paperwork today?' she grumbled inwardly. Outwardly, however, her expression remained composed—like she could've stepped straight off the cover of a financial magazine.
The door suddenly swung open, interrupting her thoughts. A girl with a cute face and dark hair pulled into a tight ponytail barged in like she owned the place, carrying several folders. Miss Kim sighed as she watched Eve enter without knocking. She was the principal, not Eve's aunt—so why did the girl act like this was her living room?
"Eve, could you show a little decorum? What student just rushes into the principal's office without knocking?" she asked, rubbing her brow.
Eve grinned and stuck out her tongue. "I know you don't mind," she said, dropping the folders onto the desk.
Miss Kim eyed the stack warily. "These are?" More paperwork?
"Both Elias's old papers and his most recent ones," Eve replied, placing her hands on her hips. "He's been improving in nearly everything."
Miss Kim raised a brow but said nothing.
Eve pulled one paper from each pile. "These were written just two months apart—same class, similar topic. But look at this," she said, gesturing for Miss Kim to read. "It's like he leveled up overnight—almost a 300% improvement."
Miss Kim frowned, scanning both papers carefully. Her eyes widened slightly as she read. The differences were drastic—like comparing a struggling C student to a college honors-level writer. Still, one paper wouldn't be enough to convince her.
She handed them back with a neutral expression, though her eyes lingered. "You didn't help him with these? And he didn't cheat?"
Eve rolled her eyes.
"I know how I must sound sometimes, but cheating would only hurt him in the end. No matter how much I want him to come with me, I'd never cheat or push him into something he couldn't handle. You've said it yourself—Awakeners Academy isn't for the average civilian. And honestly? Elias wouldn't cheat. He's just not that kind of person."
"Oh, you're so sure of your brother's integrity. You sure that's not just bias?" Miss Kim teased with a smirk. It was a little fun to play devil's advocate with this girl.
Eve puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms. "Please. You think I wouldn't double-check? I live with the guy. I was suspicious at first too. But I went over everything—no plagiarism, no outside help. It's still his writing style, just more polished. His logic and work habits are the same."
She pointed out consistent patterns in both papers to back it up.
Miss Kim adjusted her glasses, observing Eve's serious expression. After a moment, she leaned back, crossed her legs, and folded her hands in her lap.
"Well," she said, tone cool and professional, "I assume this isn't the only proof you've brought of your brother's progress. One month of improvement in one subject isn't enough to convince me he has potential as an awakener."
Eve didn't even flinch. "Of course not! I brought tons of proof. And if he's already improved this much in a month, imagine where he'll be in a few more."
She flipped through additional papers and pulled out Elias's most recent report card—straight A's across the board.
Miss Kim scanned through the documents with brisk efficiency, then opened her computer to confirm. Her skepticism hadn't vanished, but curiosity was beginning to outweigh doubt. She read through the teachers' comments and noticed a shift in tone. Even those who once dismissed him for his so-called unlucky aura were now offering reluctant praise for his improved performance.
Two overlooked emails also caught her eye—one from Mr. Carver, who had once been the most skittish around Elias, asking how to recruit him for a school sports team, and another from Mr. Abdul, his math teacher, hoping to persuade him to join the upcoming mathethon.
'Just how did this kid suddenly become so impressive?' she wondered, jaw nearly slack. She caught herself just in time, masking the reaction behind well-practiced composure.
Despite being Eve's twin, Elias had shown no special promise when she previously checked his potential. Aside from his abnormal luck, nothing in his data had stood out. 'So where did all this come from?'
Her gaze shifted to Eve, who now wore a smug little smile.
Miss Kim ignored it. "Do you know what caused this? Your brother was clearly ordinary just last month."
Eve coughed and straightened when she didn't get the reaction she wanted, then eased into the chair across from Miss Kim.
"I'm not sure. I've got my own secrets I'm keeping from him, so I feel too guilty to ask about his. You know more about awakenings than I do. Could he just be a late bloomer?"
Miss Kim rested a closed fist against her lips in thought. "I've never heard of anyone developing this fast without a reason… but your brother did survive a near-death incident, didn't he?"
She paused, her tone sharpening. Eve frowned but slowly nodded. Miss Kim took a swift sip of her coffee and continued.
"There are rare cases where people awaken latent abilities under extreme stress—like the brink of death. But it only happens to a very small percentage."
Eve's stomach dropped. She began nervously tugging at the hem of her blouse.
"Some of the more ruthless organizations try to trigger awakenings that way—forcing people into life-threatening situations. But it's incredibly dangerous. More than ninety percent just die without awakening anything at all. Then again, those groups are built on cruelty and blood. Why would they care how many die in the process?"
She rubbed her chin, thinking aloud.
"Seems like Elias might've gotten lucky—managing to awaken his potential against overwhelming odds."
Her tone shifted again, more grave now.
"The problem with awakenings triggered this way is how unstable they are. When someone breaks through under extreme stress, their growth tends to hit a wall and plateaus after a while. Unless they experience another life-or-death event and survive it, they can't progress any further."
She glanced toward the wide glass-paned window, then back at Eve.
"It's a dangerous path. Even if the experience doesn't kill them… sometimes their own mind does."
Her eyes locked with Eve's—firm and steady.
"I'll be keeping a close eye on him over the next few months. If your brother really did awaken that way, he's facing a long—and likely painful—road ahead. Are you prepared for your precious brother to go through something like that, Eve?" Her voice was sharp, devoid of any sugarcoating.
Eve's composure cracked as a shiver ran down her spine at the thought of Elias caught in one dangerous situation after another. Her breathing grew unsteady, and her eyes reddened as tears welled up.
"What? N-no. I don't want him to be in danger. I don't want that at all!"
"Really?" Miss Kim said, drawing out the word coldly. She sat up straighter and leaned forward, intruding into Eve's space.
"I hate being this harsh with you, Eve. I admire you—a lot. You're a smart girl. But you're being too naive. You're afraid to let go of Elias, yet you don't want him to be in danger. The truth is, even if he didn't awaken this way, the world of Awakeners is dangerous for everyone."
She held Eve's gaze, her tone steady but firm.
"You need to figure out what you really want. Because once Elias is pulled into this world… there's no going back to a normal life."
As she waited for her words to sink in, tears began streaming down Eve's face. Her cheeks and nose flushed red, and her lips trembled. Miss Kim, who had been deliberately harsh to make her point, was left completely speechless.
Miss Kim sighed and pulled a box of tissues from her desk drawer, handing it to Eve.
"Geez, don't cry. Are you made of water or something? You're sixteen—this already has you in tears?" she said, exasperated.
Eve took the tissues without replying, wiping her eyes and nose as she shot her a glare.
Miss Kim chuckled, amused that the girl actually dared to glare at her principal.
"Relax. This is all hypothetical. We don't know for sure if Elias awakened through that incident. Awakeners are rare, and there's still a lot we don't understand."
She adjusted her glasses and leaned back in her chair.
"Maybe your brother's just an outlier… or maybe this is all a fluke. We'll need time to observe before jumping to conclusions. But you need to be prepared if he really did awaken from that experience, okay?" Miss Kim said, pointing at her.
Eve sniffled and nodded.
Miss Kim's expression softened into a smile. "I think it'd be good for me to observe him more directly. Is he still at school, or has he already left?" she asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.
Eve shook her head, wiping the last of her tears. "He left already. I think he went shopping with Syler and that new kid, Hans. He's been hanging out with him lately," she mumbled, still grumpy about Miss Kim's earlier tone.
Miss Kim frowned. "New kid?"
Eve thought for a moment. "Yeah. He got into a fight with Elias the other day—Kevin egged him on. I think he wanted to fit in and thought Elias and Syler were easy targets. But three days ago, he stopped us on the way to school and made a big scene apologizing to Elias. Said he wanted to make up and be friends."
Miss Kim tapped her nails against the desk. "That wouldn't be the same Hans who tried to throw milk in the cafeteria, would it?"
Eve blinked. "Should be…?"
"Are you sure?" Miss Kim asked, her tone sharp. "Did you say he's been in class with Elias?"
A bad feeling crept in. Eve's throat tightened. "Yeah. In class."
Miss Kim's eyes narrowed. "That shouldn't be possible. The day he caused that cafeteria incident, his father came in furious. He pulled him out of school on the spot and transferred him. All the paperwork was done that afternoon. It was extremely baffling—he'd only been enrolled for three days before being pulled out. So, I remember it very clearly."
Eve's breath hitched. Her hands trembled.
"Wait… if that's true, then who's the 'Hans' with Elias right now?"