Change 10

Han Seoyeon.

To Lee Ha-yul, she was a curious existence.

Despite being powerless, she’s not weak.

She has an upright mind that doesn’t waver even in the face of terrorists.

Her existence was completely opposite to Lee Ha-yul’s values.

She was neither hypocritical nor arrogant.

Although it’s a clear fact that she violated school rules, what Lee Ha-yul inflicted on Han Seoyeon was obvious verbal abuse.

Yet, she tried to protect such a Lee Ha-yul, risking her life.

It can be said with certainty.

Lee Ha-yul had never seen a person with such a kind heart.

This wasn’t just Lee Ha-yul’s own delusion.

Michaela Ernst von Wittelsbach.

In some ways, the most trustworthy student for Lee Ha-yul.

For the past year, she had received a lot of help with work, practically as a member of the student council, and her character and abilities were both impeccable.

This classmate of hers had been with Han Seoyeon every single day.

So Han Seoyeon must not be a bad person.

The girl was different.

As if she didn’t belong in this world of survival of the fittest.

‘Moreover…’

The questions don’t end there.

Lee Ha-yul recalled Han Seoyeon’s sword aura she had seen before.

She’s left-handed.

And that child back then, too, always swung the wooden sword with her left hand when playing hunter.

Han Suho is a good person.

This is an undeniable fact.

But sometimes, she wonders.

If that child back then was really Han Suho.

Han Suho is right-handed.

She doesn’t handle swords.

Above all, she doesn’t remember anything from that time.

Han Seoyeon resembled her.

If you look closely, you can see the form of that child from back then.

Moreover─.

‘Even Baek Da-eun follows her.’

That Baek Da-eun.

Who fought with her throughout middle school.

Who never gave an inch when it came to love.

That Baek Da-eun, at some point, stopped clinging to Han Suho.

As if she had realized something.

Of course, Baek Da-eun was still by Han Suho’s side.

But the direction of her gaze was clearly different from before.

‘If, if…’

Until now, Lee Ha-yul had believed without doubt that the name of her benefactor was Han Suho.

If that wasn’t the case.

Then.

“─No.”

In the midst of her thoughts, she inadvertently self-deprecated.

“Even so, it probably wouldn’t make any difference.”

Nothing would change.

Whether it was or wasn’t.

Even if the powerless girl named Han Seoyeon was Lee Ha-yul’s benefactor.

The facts of the harm Lee Ha-yul had done.

Wouldn’t it just be a case of trash becoming even worse trash?

“It probably wouldn’t make any difference…”

Even so.

What was the reason she wanted to confirm the truth with her own eyes and ears?

The preparations were complete.

Now there was only the need to move forward.

Han Seoyeon carelessly put on a casual outfit that was neither too flashy nor too plain.

“Where are you going? On this weekend.”

Just as she was about to step out, Michaela’s voice was heard.

“…Oh. Volunteer work?”

“Volunteer work, you say.”

“Yeah!”

Han Seoyeon put a plausible excuse in her mouth.

“You know how there’s a minimum volunteer work score that each grade has to fill, right? I’m going to fill that.”

“…”

The Academy is, after all, a high school.

Students did need to do a certain amount of volunteer work for a good school record.

“I’m going to finish it early so I can enjoy the summer with you, senior!”

“…I see.”

It was half true.

It was true that she wanted to enjoy the summer with Michaela.

It was half a lie.

The reason she was going to do volunteer work now was because of disciplinary action.

In the end, Han Seoyeon didn’t say anything about Han Suho.

It was because it was already over.

Above all, it wasn’t just her personal secret, but her sister’s secret was involved too.

No matter what, it would be a bit inappropriate to tell others about sibling matters without consent.

“You can look forward to it! I’ll make sure we enjoy the best summer!”

Summer.

Swimming pool.

Swimsuit.

All were keywords that couldn’t help but raise expectations.

“Then I’ll be going!”

“Alright.”

Han Seoyeon leaves.

“Take care.”

Michaela was left alone in the room.

An awkward atmosphere filled the car.

The girls sat side by side in silence.

A stillness so awkward that even breathing felt uncomfortable.

‘Wow, it’s suffocating…!’

She might die of suffocation at this rate.

Han Seoyeon couldn’t hide her stifling feelings.

‘Well, it’s the most suffocating event in the original story too! But this is a bit…!’

If we were to compare this situation to the previous Earth, it wouldn’t be much different from a well-behaved KKK chairman sitting with a black student who violated school rules.

Lee Ha-yul is a discriminator.

But at the same time, she’s an excellent student.

She was a model student who abided by school rules.

Han Seoyeon is powerless.

On top of that, she violated school rules.

She was the one at fault.

‘…Since it’s my fault, I can’t really say anything.’

Moreover, despite being let off once, she violated the rules again.

‘Sigh.’

Let’s think for a moment.

For Lee Ha-yul, Han Seoyeon is a thorn in her side.

In the exhibition match, she even lost while listening to persuasive arguments.

In the midst of this, she violated school rules twice.

Even if one time could be overlooked with the friend shield, honestly, Han Seoyeon herself thought that twice was crossing the line.

There’s no way she could have good feelings.

In some ways, it might be an even worse situation than in the original story.

‘I won’t really get expelled, right?’

It was still a troublesome matter.

Han Seoyeon shuddered at the worst-case scenario she could imagine.

“Um…”

“What is it.”

“…It’s nothing. Yes.”

She couldn’t even open her mouth.

Han Seoyeon decided to shrink into a corner like an octopus.

“…Hey, you know.”

Surprisingly.

The one trying to break the ice was Lee Ha-yul.

“You don’t have to worry that much. I told you before.”

Even though she said that, it wasn’t easy.

Isn’t it common sense for the one at fault to flinch unnecessarily?

“It’s very unlikely that it’ll go as far as expulsion.”

There was no lie felt in Lee Ha-yul’s words.

“You’re the student hero, after all. You saved the Academy twice, no less.”

“…”

Student hero.

If there’s a difference from the protagonist of the original story, it would be that Han Seoyeon has been given undeserved fame.

“…Wouldn’t that make it more dangerous?”

[Shock! The hidden side of the student hero who saved the Academy from terrorism twice!]

…If you think an article like that might come out, it would be a bit terrifying, though it would be self-inflicted.

“No. That won’t happen.”

Lee Ha-yul shook her head.

“The Academy is a military institution. Your information won’t be exposed to the media. Leaking information from this place is not just a matter of expulsion.”

It was true, if it was true.

The disciplinary action for individual misconduct and actions that could cause fatal damage to the group were on different levels.

“Even if your story were to leak, it would be hard for it to be published in the media.”

Lee Ha-yul declared.

“There was a big incident before. Related to that kind of thing.”

“…”

In fact, it was Lee Ha-yul’s own story.

“You can rest assured. Things have gotten much better in that regard now. In our country.”

The wandering of a genius girl due to media misconduct.

It was a backstory within the novel, and also the catalyst for Lee Yeon to strengthen media control.

There’s nothing in this country that isn’t under Lee Yeon’s control.

Laws, media.

In the end, Lee Yeon’s approval was needed.

That’s why it was even more incomprehensible.

The Lee Yeon of the original story would have erased the very existence of the incident to cover up the terrorism.

“We’ve arrived.”

While pondering various things, they arrived at their destination.

Han Seoyeon and Lee Ha-yul got out of the car.

The destination was a place in need of volunteers.

Among them, the most arduous difficulty.

The name of the place that needed volunteers more than any other place in South Korea was,

“Is this… the slums?”

The slums.

It was her hometown.

“Big sis?”

A white-haired girl with exotic features smiles at her.

“Waa! It’s big sis!”

Then, she vigorously jumps into her arms.

“Big sis, hello!”

“Hello, Aria.”

Although her clothes were clearly stained with dirt, her bright smile was incomparable to any jewel.

Lee Ha-yul didn’t pride herself on having lived a happy life.

Abandoned by her parents.

Torn apart by the media.

Losing a friend.

If she had to choose between happiness and unhappiness, she firmly believed she had lived an unhappy life.

“Is this… the slums?”

However, perhaps it wasn’t entirely so.

At least looking at the unexpected scene unfolding before her eyes, she couldn’t help but think that.

The ruins of an old city destroyed by Gates and monsters.

Ruins left abandoned due to lack of manpower.

Garbage was strewn around the abandoned buildings.

“People live in a place like this?”

It was her first time actually coming to the slums.

That’s why she had doubts.

It’s impossible.

The stench is so overwhelming it feels like she might vomit at any moment.

“There’s no way…”

How could people live in a place like this?

“Everyone, it’s big sis! Big sis is here!”

“What? Big sis…?”

“It’s big sis!”

Contrary to her thoughts, children come out.

Wearing rags that look like they’re straight out of a history textbook from the time of the first Gate incident.

“…This can’t be.”

Her gaze turned to Han Seoyeon.

She looked at her, born in the slums.

“…You.”

Lee Ha-yul had lived an unhappy life.

That was objectively correct.

“You, how on earth…”

However, from a relative perspective, even Lee Ha-yul’s unhappiness might seem like luxury and whining to someone else.

An orphan without parents.

Powerless.

Born in the slums.

“How…”

How could she endure life in a place like this for over 10 years?

She barely held back the words that had risen to the tip of her tongue.

It would have been disrespectful to Han Seoyeon, who was born and raised here.

It would have been rude to the children living here now.

“I…”

Lee Ha-yul just felt a little ashamed of herself.

“Why.”

Why is it?

Why doesn’t the girl say anything?

“Why.”

About matters related to Han Suho.

About last night’s events.

She had told her to speak up without hiding if there were any troubles.

“Why don’t you tell me?”

She recalls the spring breeze that brushed her cheek.

And also last night’s scene of the girl hugging another woman, not her.

“Why.”

─It wasn’t enough.

Just the cheek wasn’t reassuring enough.