Chapter 24: Debut ③

She stared into the mirror.

Under the neatly pressed blouse, black cropped pants outlined her thighs. Her long calves were gently encased in elegant stockings.

Continuing down the stockings, the pointed-toe pumps at the bottom were held firmly in place.

A black cloak softly draped over it all from behind.

‘It’s too much.’

After assessing the look critically, she removed the cloak.

Only then did the balance seem to be right.

‘Not bad.’

Owen had confidently taken charge of her outfit, and it turned out better than expected.

[Now, you finally look like the protagonist.]

When she had first met Yu Hyesun, she had exuded a quirky, otherworldly aura.

But now, there was an air of allure mixed with a certain ominous vibe.

Things like attire, body language, and facial expressions played a huge role in shaping impressions.

In this state, she tried on a fox mask.

‘Not quite.’

It didn’t match the outfit. Without hesitation, she shattered the mask.

There was no longer any need to hide her face.

She took a step forward.

It was the debut of the villain, Ran.

---

The homeroom teacher of Houn High School’s 3rd-year, Class 1, Lee Chaeun, could be summed up in one word.

A perfect teacher.

She had reformed countless delinquent students under the banner of love and respect.

There is no such thing as a bad child. A child whose brain hasn’t hardened still holds endless potential. Her educational philosophy had supported this belief.

Those who had been inspired by her and returned to the right path saw her as a benefactor.

Each word of gratitude from her students was the fulfillment of Lee Chaeun’s life.

She considered every student like her own child.

That’s why the current situation was even more heart-wrenching and sad.

“Teacher, I need to go to the bathroom…”

Her student, known for her cheerful disposition like a chihuahua, whimpered.

She was at an age where she should be pure. How much courage did it take to say that in front of the boys?

However, Lee Chaeun had no choice but to ask the student for permission with a heavy heart.

“Yeeun, can you hold on just a bit longer?”

The girl’s eyes were filled with tears as they dropped like little droplets.

The sight of her student’s tears was like acid to Lee Chaeun. Her insides were burning as she chewed on her tongue in frustration.

She surveyed the other students in Class 1. The emotions in their eyes varied, but there was one thing that could summarize them all.

Despair.

What sins had these children committed to deserve such hardship?

‘I am their teacher.’

She steeled herself.

She could not leave her students in such a state.

“I’ll talk to them.”

Yeeun, who had been crying, finally broke down, and the sobs spread throughout the entire classroom.

To be honest, Lee Chaeun also wanted to cry in that moment.

But she couldn’t.

As the only adult, she had to stand firm like a pillar. No matter what happened, she had to handle it with composure, to provide even a little stability to her students’ shaking hearts.

‘Let’s go.’

Lee Chaeun, determined not to falter, took a step forward.

The hostage-taker would be in the broadcast room.

She remembered the threat over the intercom clearly: if they came down the hall, they would cut off their ankles.

Her feet stopped at the threshold between the classroom and the hallway.

‘Let’s go!’

The moment she took a step, the sound of footsteps echoed from further down the hall.

Click. Click.

When she spotted the girl approaching, Lee Chaeun’s face turned pale. The girl had been far away, but by the time she was right in front of her, Lee Chaeun stood frozen, like a mouse before a cat.

Click.

The girl’s pitch-black eyes stared up at her.

“You don’t care about your ankles, do you?”

The thought of representing her students with words vanished from her mind. Lee Chaeun’s thoughts went completely blank.

The girl tilted her head and came closer.

She was about to be cut down.

Lee Chaeun braced herself for the pain, closing her eyes tightly.

Click.

…Click.

The sound of heels passed her by.

“There’s only one warning.”

The tension snapped, and she crumbled. Drops of sweat formed on her chin and fell one by one.

The footsteps grew distant.

Lee Chaeun, like someone suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, checked her ankles. She looked with her eyes, then touched them with her hands.

‘I’m alive, I’m alive!’

Laughing like a broken person, she suddenly met the eyes of her students. Their faces were filled with horror, like sailors who had just noticed a crack in their mast.

It was like being splashed with cold water, and her senses returned.

‘Get a grip, Lee Chaeun!’

She forced her trembling legs to stand. Barely steadying herself, Lee Chaeun reached out to stop the hostage-taker.

“Wait!”

…Click.

The footsteps stopped again. The girl half-turned her head and looked at Lee Chaeun.

The bewilderment in the girl’s eyes was unmistakable.

“There are students who’ve reached their limit with their bodily functions.” “…….” “Please, just let them use the bathroom.”

The opponent was a madman who had taken the entire school hostage. If someone upset her, she would have no hesitation in killing them.

Lee Chaeun had a sense of impending death. Yet, she still steadfastly represented her students’ position.

Because she was their teacher.

“Go ahead.”

The permission was granted with ease, so simple it almost froze Lee Chaeun’s mind.

Soon after, color returned to her face.

Carefully, the students started to file out into the hallway.

The girl, seemingly indifferent, sat down in a chair at the end of the hall.

“Hehehe… Thank you, teacher…”

A flood of gratitude poured out from her student, who had risked her life to protect her dignity.

Although Lee Chaeun accepted it with a smile, her focus was entirely on the girl sitting in the chair.

The girl sat there, sulking, observing them.

“…….”

Suddenly, a ridiculous thought crossed Lee Chaeun’s mind.

‘This is crazy.’

She knew that, but…

Why did she feel envy in those eyes?

It was dangerous, but she couldn’t help but want to confirm it.

Lee Chaeun stared at the girl intently, her gaze unwavering.

“…….” “…….”

Surprisingly, it was the girl who looked away first.

Lee Chaeun then examined the girl’s appearance more closely.

Her youthful features. Her round frame. Slightly underdeveloped areas of her body.

When the realization struck like lightning, Lee Chaeun couldn’t shut her mouth in shock.

‘She’s not an adult?’

More precisely, she was still a teenager.

Having spent her life around children, Lee Chaeun recognized it.

• There’s no such thing as a bad child.

The educational philosophy that had guided her all her life rose to the forefront of her mind.

‘She’s not a bad child at her core.’

If she were truly evil, Lee Chaeun’s ankle would already have been severed.

‘There must be some difficult circumstances behind it.’

A child gone astray due to tough circumstances. That was something Lee Chaeun was all too familiar with.

A dangerous desire began to rise within her.

‘Couldn’t I help her?’

Maybe she could guide the girl onto the right path and be thanked in the future?

• Teacher, you’re my benefactor.

If the cold voice melted into warmth, and if the girl’s expression shifted from impassive to one full of youthful energy, how beautiful would that scene be?

Lee Chaeun couldn’t hold back any longer.

Like an herbalist cautiously venturing into a bear’s den, she slowly approached the girl.

The girl, seemingly unaware of Lee Chaeun’s thoughts, simply observed her approach.

Once again, Lee Chaeun gathered her courage.

Finally, standing before the girl, Lee Chaeun swallowed.

“Hey.”

She spoke in a familiar tone, as if addressing one of her students.

“…….”

The girl rested her chin on the desk. What was that gesture?

‘At least she doesn’t look uncomfortable or annoyed.’

Lee Chaeun felt a slight surge of excitement.

The sense of duty to save this misguided life.

The fantasy of receiving gratitude from this mysterious girl.

It clouded her judgment.

“Won’t you surrender?”

The girl looked up at her, silently, with an unreadable expression.

‘Why is that?’

Just as Lee Chaeun clenched her fists in frustration, it happened.

“I see.”

The girl smiled brightly. A smile that reminded Lee Chaeun of flowers blooming in full bloom.

However, goosebumps rose on Lee Chaeun’s skin.

‘I made a mistake.’

An instinctive intuition hit her. She realized that she had been thinking about everything all wrong.

“I shouldn’t have done that.” “What… do you mean…?”

The girl stood up. Lee Chaeun took a step back.

The girl’s words continued.

“Acting all heavy-handed, cruel… That’s what villains do, isn’t it?”

She took a step forward. Lee Chaeun took another step back.

Then, the girl tilted her head.

“Are you crawling away?”

Her face turned expressionless again.

Without thinking, Lee Chaeun turned her body.

It wasn’t a rational decision. Her body moved automatically, like a herbivore detecting a predator.

“Ugh… Hah….”

Frantically, Lee Chaeun ran into the 3rd Grade Class 1 classroom. She locked the door and drew the blinds.

‘Why did I come here?’

She had instinctively thought it was the safest place. The classroom.

But that was clearly a mistake.

Bang!

“Ahhh!”

The classroom door was torn off its hinges. The girl walked in steadily, her abyss-like eyes staring directly at Lee Chaeun.

At that moment, Lee Chaeun’s facade shattered.

“I’m sorry…”

She groveled, rubbing her palms together in an apology.

“Please forgive me…” “Teacher Chaeun!”

At that moment, some of the boys, attempting to protect their homeroom teacher, rushed in.

Lee Chaeun opened her mouth.

‘Don’t do it!’

But her voice caught in her throat.

A black orb floated into the air.

“Crush.”

As soon as the orb shattered, the entire class was swallowed by darkness. A pitch-black darkness so thick that nothing could be seen.

It felt as though she was being sucked into those eerie eyes.

Click.

Amidst the darkness, footsteps echoed.

Click.

One step.

Click.

Another step, drawing nearer.

“Mom….”

The teacher’s pride, her educational philosophy…

In her blank mind, nothing came to her.

The terrified teacher trembled uncontrollably.

…Click.

At last, a shadow loomed before her.

“Actually, I don’t mind you crawling.”

“Ugh!”

Lee Chaeun’s neck was grabbed. An unyielding grip tightened around her throat.

“Cough! Cough!”

Lee Chaeun’s eyes rolled back.

“Kill… me…” “But there shouldn’t be a lack of a sense of danger, right?”

In that instant, a flash of memory passed through her mind.

Bang!

The world became bright.

The terrifying darkness receded, and a warm, gentle sensation touched her skin.

It was as if someone was reassuring her that she had endured well, that she had suffered, and now, everything was okay.

Lee Chaeun couldn’t hold back any longer, and tears poured from her eyes.

“After all, you can’t ignore this kind of situation, can you?”

A brilliant white light flooded the classroom, chasing away all the darkness.

A smile bloomed on the girl’s face. Unlike before, it was a smile full of sincerity.

The girl, still smiling, turned and walked away.

A woman stood quietly, glaring at the girl.

The girl examined her face as if admiring a work of art.

“I’ve been waiting, Reminis.”

Reminis and Lan’s gazes collided in mid-air.