Seong headed to his dorm, freshened up, and then went to the library to begin his research. West Field Academy was known to have one of the best, if not the best, library in Korea, so Seong went in with high expectations. Fortunately, his expectations were met.

The library had an ancient theme, entirely made out of wood, setting it apart from others Seong had visited. Unlike libraries with distracting colors and teaching aids, this one had two floors: one for non-fiction and the other for fiction. Each bookshelf seemed to possess its own wood carving detailing the genre of the books it held. The most striking feature was the pristine condition of the books.

Upon entering the library, Seong approached the front desk, where he met a girl who seemed a bit older than him. "Hello, how may I help you today?" she said.

Seong replied, "I would like to research diseases."

"Are you a first-year, right?" she questioned him.

Seong replied, "Yeah, I am.

"You're the first first-year here who asked about something useful," she said and then added, "I can help you out."

She came out from behind the library desk and took Seong to the second floor where the non-fiction books were kept. She retrieved a book and said, "This should help you out. I'd help you a bit more, but I need to get back to the desk, so later."

Seong said, "Wait, can you tell me your name?"

"Alissa Rosevelt," she said.

Seong thanked Alissa, saying, "Thank you for helping me, Alissa," and then proceeded to go to a table and started reading the book given by Alissa. The book contained a lot of information about diseases. If he had not gotten the clues from the hut, it would have taken him at least a decade to try all of these cures. After canceling all the diseases that did not fit the symptoms, he still had a few hundred.

Seong focused on the one they attempted to cure today, Seong carefully examined the internal symptoms it had caused. Methodically, he crossed off the diseases that shared those internal symptoms, confident that a correct match would yield a success rate higher than fifty percent.

Having completed his research, he documented all the diseases that met the criteria in the notebook he brought along. The list had narrowed down to 267, a significant improvement from the initial overwhelming pool. Though still a considerable number, Seong felt a spark of an idea forming on how to further narrow down the possibilities.

It had already been five hours since Seong left his dorm to conduct research. Satisfied with the progress he made, he decided to head back. As he returned, he planned to express his gratitude to the second or third-year student who assisted him, but unfortunately, it seemed that her shift had ended.

Back in his dorm, Seong opted for a change of routine. Typically, he either ate out or had Eun-Jeoung's cooking, but this time, he decided to try his hand at preparing a meal. A quick inventory of the fridge revealed a bit of cheese and a few vegetables. A subsequent check of the pantry uncovered a half-pack of pasta.

"It seems like I'm making pasta," Seong mused aloud, ready to embark on a culinary adventure.

Seong took out a pot and emptied the entire 150-gram packet of pasta into it, along with 1.5 liters of water. He placed it on the stove over medium heat and let it cook for 7 minutes. As the pasta simmered, Seong prepared the sauce. In a bowl, he combined 1/3 cup of olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar, a dash of Dijon mustard that Eun-Jeoung had recommended, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. He whisked the ingredients together and diced a tomato, adding it to the bowl before giving it a gentle stir.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

Once the pasta was cooked, Seong drained it and mixed it thoroughly with the flavorful sauce. He plated the dish, creating a visually appealing presentation for his homemade pasta creation.

Just then, Eun-Jeoung entered the dorm with a bag of groceries and exclaimed, "You can cook?"

"Yeah, but I don't know if it tastes good or not," Seong replied.

Eun-Jeoung said, "I will judge it; give me a plate of it."

Seong handed her the plate he had just prepared and then went back to set another plate for himself. Eun-Jeoung waited patiently until Seong joined her at the table.

"Let's dig in," she said with a smile, ready to taste Seong's cooking.

As Eun-Jeoung savored the food, it transcended the realm of ordinary pasta. With a unique blend of flavors, it surprised her palate. Contrary to her expectations, it carried a subtle yet perfect kick, a harmonious balance that felt almost otherworldly—a dish akin to a culinary masterpiece.

"Is it bad?" Seong asked after not hearing any review.

Eun-Jeoung replied, "No, it's the complete opposite. This is the best pasta I've had in my entire life, and I've tasted a lot of pasta during my 16 years on this planet. Where did you learn this recipe?"

"It's not a recipe; I just made it with the ingredients in the pantry and fridge," said Seong.

Eun-Jeoung, shocked, said, "You made it with the leftovers from the last time I cooked," then added, "If you fail this academy, you can open a restaurant. I would eat from it every day."

"I think you're exaggerating it," Seong said.

Eun-Jeoung reassured him, "I am not lying; this is the best pasta I have ever tasted."

For Seong, this was just a normal homemade meal that he hadn't had in a very long time. Both of them finished the entire bowl of pasta. Eun-Jeoung then asked, "How is your assignment going?"

"It's going well," answered Seong. "How about you?"

Eun-Jeong answered, "Someone in our section found an igloo today. We went and checked it out; it had clues about diseases and symptoms. Someone in my group said he would do some research and tell us about it tomorrow, so we might complete it tomorrow."

This confirmed Seong's theory to an extent that biomes and diseases may be different, but the format to figure out the cure was the same.

Seong decided to help, saying, "You are missing half of the symptoms; either you have the internal or external symptoms, so you'll need to find another igloo or location like that."

"How do you know this?" Eun-Jeoung questioned him.

Then Seong decided to tell her what had happened in his section and why he did not want to give false advice if the other sections were different, like their biomes were. "Woah, you're far ahead of my section," Eun-Jeong said.

Seong replied, "That's because we were lucky to find the hut."

"But still, to find all that information and realize you're missing half the symptoms instantly is impressive; I'll tell the group tomorrow about this information and keep your name anonymous, if you want" Eun-Jeoung said.

Seong repiled "yeah that would be nice"

Seong decided to get some sleep and ended the conversation, saying, "I'm going to get some sleep."

"Yeah, me too," Eun-Jeong said.

The next day, the same morning routine unfolded. Seong got ready first, then Eun-Jeong followed suit. They both headed to the bus stop and went to the botanical garden, heading to their separate sections.

Upon reaching his section, Seong found none of his group members but noticed Amelie nearby. He decided to give her a bit of her own medicine, Seong approached Amelie and asked, "Are you part of group 4?"

"Yeah," Amelie replied.

The people around Amelie seemed a bit shocked, but Seong didn't notice their reactions. He continued, asking, "Do you think your group will get the cure?"

"I hope so," Amelie replied, echoing the sentiment Seong had expressed the day before.

Seong observed, "You seem to be echoing my words from yesterday."

Amelie countered, "Well, you're posing the same questions I did yesterday. Quite bold, aren't you?"

Seong questioned, "What's so daring about asking questions?"

Amelie inquired, "Do you not know who I am?"

Seong responded, "Nope, enlighten me. Who are you?"

"That a secret," Amelie said while walking away.