Ch.99Now the End? (1)

Around the end of the second exam, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

Could it be because Miss Hoshino had completely calmed down?

BANG BANG!

BOOM!

CRACK!

The entire city was echoing with explosions and collapsing structures like some disaster movie, but our surroundings felt like a different world altogether.

Beyond the windows, dust and flames were shooting up, and the ground was trembling, yet this small clearing was eerily quiet.

This must be all thanks to Miss’s grace.

She’s probably out there on the battlefield, methodically picking off the failures and dealing with them mercilessly.

Truly befitting an S-class hero.

Of course… hardly anyone would have witnessed it directly, but just imagining it sends chills down my spine.

“Um… is it really okay for us to just sit here comfortably like this?”

Maruna asked worriedly.

“Well… honestly, it’s kind of cheating to use someone I know, but we’ve been through a lot too. So don’t worry too much about it, Maruna.”

“I agree. I had no idea Hoshino-nim was this powerful.”

“That’s what I’m saying! Because of that crazy fox beastkin, we almost got exterminated… no, we almost died for real!”

Simhae shouted, waving his hands wildly.

“That’s right, yong!”

We were hiding in a secluded abandoned building on the outskirts of the city, quietly catching our breath.

Just waiting in silence until Miss returned.

If someone saw us like this, they might say, “Hey, you’re having it easy because you know someone important, huh?”

But… just think about what really happened before this.

Exam or not, an S-class hero came at us with killing intent, and we barely escaped with our lives thanks to an accidental(?) surprise kiss. Would anyone believe that?

I really thought my life was over at that moment.

“Hehe. By the way, Master Janghun. You were amazing earlier!”

Siljongi popped out from somewhere and tickled my ear.

“What…”

I frowned in disbelief.

“What do you mean ‘what’! That surprise kiss! The way you said, ‘Noisy female, just open your mouth!’ and reminded her of a woman’s duty with that killer kiss! You were so cool!”

Her way of speaking was still somehow off.

“…Did you somehow get spanked less than the others?”

She crossed her arms inside my shadow, shrugging playfully.

“Well, you were actually useful for once at that moment.”

Simhae added.

“Simhae… can’t you be quiet too?”

“But I’m a little disappointed, yong! I wanted to take the male’s first kiss, but I never expected to be cut in line like this, yong!”

“Still, thanks to that, we got through safely and survived.”

“Uuu… a, a girl and boy k-kissing…”

Maruna mumbled, her cheeks turning red.

“Hm? Maruna, are you already interested in such things? Hehe. Should I ask Master Janghun to do it for you later?”

“?! N-no need…! Uuu…”

Maruna genuinely panicked at those words.

Even in the midst of all this chaos, we were teasing each other and laughing, momentarily forgetting the pressure of the battlefield.

Perhaps that’s human resilience, a kind of survival mechanism.

Time passed like that…

‘The second exam is now concluded!’

The voice that echoed throughout the city was an artificial mechanical sound, but strangely, at that moment, it made my heart swell.

We had finally endured that hellish second exam.

***

After the exam ended, we set out on our way back to Hyeophwa.

Under the noticeably warmer sunshine, the atmosphere was exuberant.

At the center of it all was Miss Hokino, unusually cheerful today, sticking close to my side.

“Hmm-hmm~ Hmm~”

She hummed a tune while rubbing her face against my arm.

“……”

I looked ahead with a slightly awkward expression, but Miss Hokino paid no attention.

Instead, her body pressed even closer.

The soft sensation enveloped my arm like a gentle embrace.

Her ample bosom pressed softly against my arm, and the warm temperature transmitted through our skin gradually heated up my chest.

The faint scent of her perfume brushed my nose, and at that moment, my heart began to sound the alarm in earnest.

My fingertips trembled slightly.

I instinctively tried to pull away, but she moved even closer and hugged my arm tightly.

As a result, even the air surrounding us began to heat up with a strange warmth.

“Hehehehe… By the way,”

Miss Hokino whispered with a bright smile.

“At this rate, we might end up making a baby right after the exam, don’t you think?”

“That… seems like moving a bit too fast, even so.”

I answered with a small cough.

“Oh my! Don’t you know about getting ahead in your studies?”

Miss Hokino looked up at me with a triumphant expression.

“To avoid falling behind, you have to move faster than others! That’s the iron rule of life!”

…Miss.

We usually call that “speeding,” not “getting ahead in studies.”

Of course, I didn’t dare say that out loud.

Miss Hokino didn’t wait for my answer and playfully rubbed between her thighs with a mischievous look in her eyes.

Pink hearts seemed to be floating around her eyes.

As we walked in this lovey-dovey atmosphere…

Somewhere, a somewhat downcast energy could be felt.

“Haah…”

A short sigh.

Looking back, I saw Maruna following us with slumped shoulders.

“Maruna?”

Before I could call out to her, Siljongi approached her first with concern.

“What’s wrong? The exam is over. Are you still worried that fox might hit you?”

“No… that’s not it…”

Maruna answered weakly, hanging her head.

Her gaze darted around anxiously.

Her face was filled with unease.

Unable to stand by, Siljongi spoke to her gently again.

“Then what is it? Are you feeling sick?”

After hesitating for a while, Maruna finally spoke.

“I can’t… see my mother…”

“Ah…”

We were all momentarily speechless.

Come to think of it, it was true.

Maruna’s mother, the representative of the Blamashu Social Party…

Normally, she would have rushed over as soon as the exam ended, hugging Maruna and making a fuss, but there had been no sign of her at all.

Someone whose obsession with her daughter was second to none.

“Now that you mention it, Representative Blamashu is really nowhere to be seen.”

I muttered quietly.

“Hmm… I think Carmilla was secretly keeping an eye on that lady,”

Siljongi said, crossing her arms and tilting her head.

“Could something have happened?”

Our footsteps became cautious as we walked.

An inexplicable anxiety was quietly spreading in all our hearts.

A strange silence that could be felt without anyone saying a word.

It felt like something was about to happen.

Our excited walk with Miss Hokino was short-lived.

“Huff, huff!”

Someone ran toward us, breathing heavily.

“Huh? Carmilla?”

I opened my eyes wide in surprise.

“Speak of the devil…”

Siljongi muttered beside me.

It was Carmilla.

Gone was her usual relaxed and leisurely demeanor; she was running toward us at full speed with a serious expression.

Just as I was about to wave my hand in greeting, I instinctively froze when I saw the dark shadow cast over her face.

Reading the atmosphere, we quietly stood still.

Carmilla approached us, urgently catching her breath.

“Chanwoo! And everyone…”

She examined us thoroughly with a relieved expression, despite her heavy breathing.

“Thank goodness. Everyone seems to be safe.”

“Huh?”

I asked with a puzzled expression.

“Safe? What do you mean?”

Siljongi also frowned.

Carmilla nodded, her face still tense.

“Well… something major happened during the second exam!”

We held our breath at her words.

Carmilla quickly looked around and continued in a hushed voice.

“During the second exam… A-class heroes were murdered one after another near the VIP room.”

“What…?!”

I raised my voice in disbelief.

“Yes. And it wasn’t just an accident, but clearly someone’s planned, symbolic murders.”

We were all speechless.

Carmilla’s pale face proved this was no joke or exaggeration.

“As a result… the final third exam is currently on hold.”

Carmilla added weakly.

“On hold… wow, this exam is truly unprecedented.”

Siljongi shook her head.

I felt suffocated by the heavy atmosphere.

This meant that what was unfolding wasn’t just a simple competition among students, but something much larger and more dangerous.

As everyone was in shock…

“Maruna.”

A familiar voice called out.

“!!”

Maruna turned around with a start.

There stood Maruna’s mother, the representative of the Blamashu Social Party, looking somewhat haggard, her usual glamorous and dignified appearance gone.

She approached Maruna without hesitation.

And without reservation, she embraced her daughter tightly.

“I’m… sorry for everything until now.”

“…Eh?”

Maruna looked at her mother with surprised eyes.

Held in her embrace, Maruna remained frozen, unable to say anything for a while.

A lump formed in my throat.

Probably even Maruna, no matter how much she resented or feared her mother, never imagined she would hear such a sincere apology like this.

An unexpected moment of reconciliation that came with the end of the exam.

At that moment, we all held our breath, filled with indescribable emotions.