Work was pretty stressful for a core programmer like Bahyun. Even though he had the freedom to choose his workspace and working location, being a programmer who aim high (or as he said, a nerd obsessed with his interest), he naturally hoped the code typed under his fingers would be perfect, a craft that his peers would admire with awe.
To ease this stress, he often workout with the fitness equipment at home to clear his mind and reset, preparing himself for the next tasks. And sometimes, he would lay his hand on some not-so-common nerdy things and conduct some interesting “experiments”…
Speaking of which, he just realized that he hadn’t done any experiments for quite some time because he had been busy helping Almandine live a normal life…Though it didn’t seem to be working well, he tried his best.
Almandine was surprised to see Bahyun set his alarm to wake up for dinner and head to bed after lunch. This was unusual, as he have a schedule, albeit loosely followed; he certainly did not have a habit of napping in the afternoon.
“Are you not feeling well? Do you need to see a doctor or…?” she asked.
“Nah, it’s just that I need to go out at night.” Bahyun replied, staring at her for a moment. He stretched to reach her shoulder, turned her around, and sent her back to her room, “You too. Sleep well and I’ll take you along tonight. We’ll be out all night!”
Almandine was puzzled, but she didn’t question it. She slept as Bahyun asked and woke up when he called her, finding him dressed in a very different attire from his usual fashion sense.
He was a nerd, and it was just a neutral term to describe his attire and lifestyle. He didn’t look messy, but he only had a few shirt that were presentable and that’s what he wore for work. He cared very little about his appearance, with clean but messy hair that somehow formed a fringe and covered his forehead. He usually wore a pair of glasses to help protect his eyesight from staring at screens for long hours, after being nagged by his mom. She almost couldn’t recognized him when she first saw him wearing those yellow-tinted glasses for work, and since then, she rarely saw him without them as he always buried his head into some sort of screen.
So, Almandine was a bit shocked to see him standing beside her bed without glasses, and he even slicked his hair back, revealing his forehead that was rarely seen. He wasn’t wearing his usual shirt and jeans, but rather slightly tight clothing with kneepads and wrist pads, a dark blue hue shards resembling fish scales that dimly reflected light, attached to inconspicuous parts.
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An unusual cloth of attire…Did that have something to do with what he was going to do tonight?
Unaware of her thought, Bahyun felt sorry and frustrated, his palm hitting his forehead, “How did I forgot to prepare your clothes…”
Almandine looked at herself in the shirt and jeans, then watched Bahyun exited and retuned with a roll of dark purple fabric and pads similar to his, along with a pair of shoes that was obviously not her size.
He stretched his index finger and drew a few lines on the floor, traces that common people couldn’t see, but was clear in her eyes as a wave of magic emerged from the symbols he had drawn. She blinked in puzzlement, her gaze fixed on the man who was fully focused on maneuvering those materials.
“Come, step in here.” He ordered Almandine to stand in the middle of the symbols, casually throwing the fabric, pads and shoes onto her. Suddenly, she was wearing the same attire as him, all without any sewing or modification, fitted nicely.
Magic.
Almandine felt her pupil narrow for a moment, causing a slight pain, “You’re a Mage? Like the Precaria Gems?”
“Nope.” Bahyun shook his head, then tilted it in thought for a moment. “Though I do know how to use magic, and I think my ability to use magic is fine, I didn’t join the Special Mage Armed Force, and I have no FayOra, so technically, I’m not a Mage. According to tradition, I suppose I’m a wizard, but there’s no such occupation nowadays, no organization like the Wizard Association to acknowledge a wizard. So according to modern terms, I’m just a magic user. But honestly, I don’t think I’m a wizard. You see, wizards tend to attack from range, and I’m more like a Mage who’s better in close combat…So I’m a melee wizard? Whatever, it’s not important anyway.”
He bent his knees and drew a few symbols on the floor, then pulled Almandine close to him and stood within the symbols, “I’m now taking you to a location. Don’t move okay? I haven’t tried to transfer two people at the same time, but it should work…”
Almandine nodded, and soon after a flash of light, they reached a place where no grass grew. It resembled a wild field, but only sand and rocks were present, as if it had just been cleared by a developer awaiting new buildings to settle.
The night breeze brushed over the area. It was wild, with only pebbles, and devoid of artificial light under the starry sky. Only two people, dressed nearly as dark as night, was there…No, only he blended well into the night with his dark blue attire, while Almandine, in similar dark purple attire, drew some attention because of her faintly glowing hair and skin.
Bahyun rubbed his face and let out a grunt, “Oh, I forgot you glow! But it should be fine since nobody is here. I’ll think of something later.”
Almandine still had no clue, “What do we need to do here?”
She had thought he was planning to have a walk in the mall or park, but certainly not a place like this, right?
He smiled and said, “We’ll have some activities here. It’s kind of fun. You just have to sit there and watch.”