episode_0290

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Yoo Si-woo, leaning against the wall, let out a quiet sigh.

He’d heard his senior soften their words for politeness’ sake plenty of times before, but this was the first time they’d told such a blatant lie.

And this was also the first time his senior had swallowed a convenient “excuse” to explain the situation without a hint of suspicion.

Strangely, though, he didn’t feel flustered.

If he had to guess why—

Maybe it was because he’d vaguely sensed something off about his senior’s behavior from the start.

As for why they were acting like this—

He still had no leads.

“What’s this? You just left a devoted junior like me hanging, but you’re being so nice to someone else? How cruel. Sob, sob…”

“Ugh, stop fake-crying, it’s gross. And since when were you ever ‘devoted’…?”

“Well, where else would you find a junior who cares about their senior as much as I—”

So, for once, Yoo Si-woo decided to play dumb and let it slide.

Even if he grilled his senior right now about why they lied, they’d obviously clam up like a hermit crab retreating into its shell.

Or even if they mixed in some half-truths, there’d be no way to verify them on the spot, leaving things at a stalemate.

His senior… would probably just move more carefully from now on to avoid slipping up again.

So, for now, he chose to let it go.

“……”

After all.

He had plenty of time to spend on his senior.

—

290

The heavy rain from dawn till morning left small puddles scattered throughout the academy.

The first thing visible here was a flowerbed made of cherry blossoms.

Given that late April was well past cherry blossom season, the once-lush path lined with pretty blossoms now had far more petals floating in roadside puddles than clinging to branches.

These puddles were everywhere—

Beside the fountain just ahead.

Near the distant basketball courts and soccer fields.

In front of the nondescript statue.

And even on the academy rooftop.

Thanks to the drainage system, it wasn’t flooded, but the shallow puddles still limited the available standing space.

Thus.

“Ahh… The clouds look so pretty after the rain…”

“…”

It was inevitable that the principal, holding a steaming paper cup (apparently barley tea), would end up beside me despite the warm spring weather.

“Take a look at the clouds. We don’t often get the chance to gaze at the sky, do we?”

“Ah, right.”

Had I known I’d run into the principal on the way up, I wouldn’t have carelessly assumed Baek Seo-yeon might be here again like last time.

I swallowed my sigh internally.

“Anyway, I can’t tell you how grateful I am for all your hard work. It finally feels like the old days again. Students don’t even seem to mind getting hurt anymore.”

“Ah, right.”

“This way, when it’s time to crush those bug bastards—ahem—I mean, take down criminals, it’ll be helpful, won’t it?”

“Ah, right.”

“Not to mention those traitorous scum taking bribes on the side…”

“……”

Some of the other teachers didn’t like that part.

Probably a generational difference.

He’d been a hero in a far wilder, more volatile era.

I half-listened, letting the excited principal chatter away while I gazed past the railing at the ground below.

Since it was nearly dismissal time, students in uniforms moved in small groups.

The distance made it hard to spot familiar faces.

So I absentmindedly watched the scene below like an aquarium display.

After a pause, the principal cleared his throat and shifted topics.

“So, how’s the work? The infirmary job.”

“Fine. I was worried at first, but it suits me.”

“Must be busy lately, with midterms and all.”

“Not really. I expected this much when I took the job.”

“Sigh… That’s a relief. Honestly, we can’t pay healers enough to work them like machines, so I thought you might’ve wanted to quit by now.”

“If I needed more money, I’d just take a side gig. Don’t worry about it.”

Mentioning workload and pay—was he wary of other academies poaching me?

Or was this preemptive damage control to avoid me suddenly declaring, “This is my last year as the school nurse.”

As I listened with mild amusement to the old man’s scheming, I responded politely but casually, shrugging.

Still, chatting with elderly men wasn’t my forte.

Being a conversational companion and a school nurse were both service jobs, but neither was something I did for fun.

I wanted out.

So I downed the last of my coffee and crumpled the cup in my hand.

“Ah…”

“…?”

Just then—

A click from the rooftop door made me turn, and a familiar face came into view.

“…”

“…”

As expected, it was Baek Seo-yeon.

Unlike her usual uniform, she wore neat gym clothes under a pitch-black jacket—

An unexpected outfit.

“Well, if it isn’t our Seo-yeon?”

“…Hello.”

“Shouldn’t you be the busiest third-year right now? What brings you here?”

“Um, just… needed some air…”

“Ah, air. Makes sense. As student council president, you must have a lot of decisions weighing on you.”

“……Haha…”

Was she embarrassed by the shorts despite usually wearing skirts?

Baek Seo-yeon, subtly covering her thighs with her hands, hesitantly approached—

Not toward me, but the principal.

Seemed they were close.

Probably part of her spy act, I mused, nodding at her.

Her response?

Being ignored.

“Ah, Seo-yeon. You haven’t seen Woo-jin—no, Mr. Woo-jin—since the entrance ceremony, right?”

“…Huh? …Ah, right.”

“Since you’ve had no reason to get hurt, you wouldn’t have visited the infirmary.”

“…I guess… not.”

But the oblivious principal’s mention of me forced her blue eyes, which had been deliberately avoiding me, to flick my way.

Less disdainful than usual.

Less disgusted than hesitant.

After glaring at me, she took a deep breath and bowed slightly.

“…Hello.”

“…Yeah. Hello.”

Not like we’d just tangled tongues, had sex, and she’d even cleaned me up after.

More like we’d only met once at the entrance ceremony and were just now reuniting.

…Kinda funny, really.

“Woo-jin, this is your first time properly seeing Seo-yeon since the entrance ceremony, right?”

“Yeah. Mostly first and second-years visit. Third-years don’t get hurt much.”

“……”

Her reaction afterward was even funnier.

If she’d just come up for air, she could’ve left upon seeing us.

Yet she kept inching closer—

First toward the principal, then between us, and finally, after hesitating, right beside me.

Even stepping into a shallow puddle to do so.

Then, poking my side cautiously.

Right now, she seemed less like a cunning fox and more like a shy cat.

“What a relief to have such a diligent student as council president.”

“Diligent?”

“P-Principal…”

As her finger kept jabbing my side, I nudged her hand away with my sleeve-covered wrist.

When the principal launched into embarrassing praise, she switched from poking to tugging my sleeve subtly.

If she wanted him to stop, she should’ve done this to him, not me.

But I let it slide.

Her trembling embarrassment was kinda cute.

“Honestly, student council elections are just popularity contests, right?”

“…That’s… kinda true. At least in middle and high school.”

“…I’m not… unpopular…”

“So usually, looks come first, and competence suffers. But Seo-yeon here has been exceptional since she was just a first-year officer—”

“Ah.”

“…Ugh…”

“She was average at first but worked hard to improve.”

“Her written scores skyrocketed since enrollment.”

Knowing the truth, all I heard was, “She’s been acting this whole time.”

But the more the principal gushed, the more entertaining her reactions became—

Lightly punching the railing, sighing loudly—

So I played along enthusiastically.

…After about 10 minutes, she finally gave up and went still.

“Ah, it’s getting late…”

“Heading down?”

“Yes. Being principal seems easy, but it’s politically exhausting…”

Cheerful after bragging about his student, the principal tossed his cup and left.

Now alone, I poked Baek Seo-yeon’s arm.

Carefully, avoiding skin contact.

Through her clothes.

“Gonna keep this up?”

“…You bastard.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“You kept egging him on! You think I didn’t notice? I’m not stupid.”

The model student who’d never swear in front of the principal instantly dropped the act with me.

After tossing my cup into the trash, I asked her something I’d been curious about.

“Did you get caught?”

“……”

Silence.

Instead, she pressed a fist to my chest and sighed deeply.

If she’d been caught, she’d have grabbed my collar demanding answers.

So probably not.

“Too bad. I wouldn’t have minded if she found out.”

“Too bad? She almost did! Almost!”

“How?”

“I texted you…! And you were… busy… with her…”

“People reply late sometimes. No big deal.”

“You always reply instantly! Not replying was suspicious…!”

Frustrated, she rolled up her sleeves and punched my shoulder in rhythm with her words.

Then added:

“…Hey.”

“Yeah.”

“……”

“If you called me, say something. Don’t just stare.”

“Just… haaa…”

“What?”

“Since we’re here… I wanna ask something.”

“Go on.”

“…This is how things are now… between us.”

“…Yeah.”

“So… um…”

She took a deep breath.

Glanced up at me.

And asked:

“…Could you help me a little more?”

“With what?”

“Yoo Si-woo… getting rid of her…”

“…You want me to pretend to be your boyfriend?”

“That’s… one way… But Soo-ah and Yoo-jora are around, so… just…”

“…”

“…A really close guy friend. Something like that.”