Chapter 88.2

Chapter 88 (Continued)

In her dimly lit room.

Dalbi sat at her desk after finishing her report. A small picture frame lay facedown.

She closed her eyes. The scenes through the window, Woo-jin and Baek-seo’s affectionate moments, continuously replayed in her mind.

“Haa.”

Dalbi sighed and opened her eyes again.

Baek-seo should be the one by Woo-jin’s side. Together, they would face off against the Head Principal.

Dalbi had her own plans to execute in due time. Any lingering attachment to Woo-jin had to be set aside for now.

However, this would take quite some time.

‘It would be easier if I didn’t have to see him at all.’

Dalbi slumped over her desk and righted a small, overturned picture frame with her finger. In the photo, young Dalbi and Woo-jin were smiling innocently.

Letting go of her attachment would be easier if Woo-jin was out of sight.

Constantly running into Woo-jin in her current situation only made Dalbi feel both happy and tortured.

Since she had no intention of reporting anything important, the spy mission of watching Woo-jin and Baek-seo seemed pointless.

Nonetheless.

“Why…?”

Dalbi revisited a question that had long been on her mind.

‘Why did that old hag assign me this mission…?’

The Head Principal knew well how much Dalbi cherished Woo-jin.

Her dementia wasn’t advanced enough to forget that Woo-jin was Dalbi’s weak spot.

Yet, the Head Principal assigned Dalbi to spy on him.

Was it to test if she would side with Woo-jin or remain loyal?

Probably not. It was obvious Dalbi would side with Woo-jin.

Was it because there was no one else for the job?

That didn’t seem likely either.

Before Han Seo-jin failed her mission, the Head Principal had instructed Dalbi to purchase FC303, the Absolute Disguise Magic Tool, with platinum mileage in the first semester.

The plan had likely been to assign this mission to Dalbi from the start.
However, there was no conclusive proof either way.

With the Head Principal’s dementia, any scenario seemed possible.

‘What’s her goal…?’

Dalbi couldn’t tell, but she had a bad feeling about it.

Still, no matter what problems arose, it wouldn’t matter. Pairing Dalbi with Baek-seo would be a mistake.

Dalbi intended to bring down the Head Principal with Baek-seo.

***

Dusk had fallen.

Kim Yeon-hee was heading home after finishing her Disciplinary Committee duties. She walked alone.

Passing under a bridge with a river flowing beneath, she enjoyed the cool breeze and gazed at the water, then impulsively hopped onto the railing and walked along it.

She just felt like it.

The breeze was pleasant.

The thrilling sensation was enjoyable.

The river below, reflecting the city lights, was quite picturesque.

Yeon-hee’s lips curled into a smile. She continued walking, maintaining her balance.

Then.

“Huh?”

Yeon-hee sensed someone’s gaze and looked up. A man sitting on the railing of the road came into view.

At the same time, Yeon-hee’s eyes widened.

“What are you doing up there so dangerously?”

“Woo-jin…! Le-Leader!?”

It was Ahn Woo-jin.

“I came to ask something. Why are you avoiding me so much…?”

“Ah!”

Startled, Yeon-hee lost her balance and tumbled over the railing, falling towards the river.

“What a fool…!”

Crack!

Woo-jin quickly created a rift in the air and leaped into the river.

Splash!

Yeon-hee had already fallen into the water.

The river and its surroundings were dark.

It was dangerous.

Woo-jin swam towards Yeon-hee and grabbed her before she could sink further.

Yeon-hee, despite her combat experience, was startled by falling into the river.

However, being in Woo-jin’s arms in the cold water made her body stiffen completely.

When she looked up, she saw Woo-jin’s wet face. It was an unbelievable moment.

To Yeon-hee, that moment felt long.

“Huff!”

Woo-jin, enhancing his body with magic, swam to the shore with Yeon-hee in his arms.

As he laid her on the ground, she coughed and expelled the water from her lungs.

Woo-jin, relieved, caught his breath and then glared at Yeon-hee with irritation.

“What were you thinking? Walking on the railing like that… As a member of the Disciplinary Committee, you should be more careful.”

His voice was stern.

“I’m sorry…. I was careless…. I just felt like doing it for a moment….”

Yeon-hee apologized, still catching her breath.

“I didn’t mean for you to get soaked in this cold…. I didn’t want this….”
“…….”

There was a tearful tone in Yeon-hee’s voice. She looked so guilty that Woo-jin decided not to scold her any further.

“…Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine….”

“Then that’s good.”

“But, Leader, how did you find me so quickly…?”

“I enhanced my body with magic and jumped in.”

Woo-jin kept his spatial leap ability a secret.

“Achoo…!”

Yeon-hee took off her glasses and repeatedly coughed as she tried to sit up.

Woo-jin took off his jacket and shook it towards the river.

“Oh.”

Then he pulled a talisman from his jacket pocket and wiped it dry.

A coated peony flower talisman.

Seeing the talisman, Yeon-hee lowered her head.

“Leader, that’s…?”

“This? Why?”

“You seem to care about it a lot. It looks important….”

Yeon-hee knew what it was.

She had given it to him.

Woo-jin hesitated before answering.

“It’s like a lucky charm… something special.”

“Special?”

“It’s from someone important.”
“You have someone important, too?”

“What do you think I am?”

Woo-jin shot her a sharp look.

Yeon-hee waved her arms in denial.

“No, it’s just that you usually seem so cold….”

“I have feelings too.”

“Really…?”

Someone important.

That single phrase deeply resonated with Yeon-hee.

Her lips curled up involuntarily.

“Huh?”

Yeon-hee got up and approached Woo-jin. She cupped her hands together as if scooping something up.

Whoosh. A small flame appeared above them.

‘Goblin fire.’

The flame was pink, matching the color of her eyes.

Yeon-hee’s original elemental magic was red. Producing a red flame in front of Woo-jin, who was already suspicious of her, would be almost suicidal since the color of magic matches the color of one’s eyes.

However, Yeon-hee could produce various colors of goblin fire, which derived from goblins. This was the main reason she could hide her true identity for so long.

The beautiful light spread across the dark riverbank.

Woo-jin stood still. His wet body seemed to welcome the warmth and comfort of the glowing flames.

“……?”

The expression on Yeon-hee’s face, illuminated by the flames, looked like a forced smile, trying to hide complex emotions.

And for some reason, Woo-jin saw young Dalbi’s face superimposed over Yeon-hee’s.
It was similar to the expression Dalbi occasionally had.

“I just wanted to help you dry off.”

The peony flower talisman glowed in the light between them.

“And, I’m sorry. Because of me.”

“…It’s fine. As long as you’re safe.”

Regret can suffocate a person.

And it can distance a person from rationality.

Yeon-hee smiled faintly.

Her eyes were wet.

Fortunately, the water masked it well.