episode_0105

It was only this week that I experienced the urge to overflow.

The first day of the elemental arts class that was somehow crammed into one week.

Hong Yeon-hwa sat down and played with the crystal ball in frustration.

This is because we have already confirmed that our affinity for spirits is not very good.

The only affinity that existed very slightly was the flame spirit. Even that wasn’t very significant.

Moreover, it had been less than a couple of months since the last thorough qualification test was conducted. The possibility of any special qualities developing during that time was virtually non-existent, so I was just upset.

So, without any expectations, I was training my magic power while chatting with my friends, including Baek A-rin.

Suddenly, a corner of my vision sparkled.

“What is it?”

The blue shimmered, and then yellow and light green were painted over it. It didn’t stop there; red and dark brown were also added.

A sudden change in vision and a presence that is similar to but different from the magical power or elemental power caught in a sense of energy.

It is the presence of a spirit. Although his affinity is poor, it doesn’t mean he can’t feel the spirits that have appeared in the world.

I turned my head to see something. I just thought that the professor in charge had brought out a spirit.

and.

“…uh…”

At that moment, it seemed as if the thoughts running through my mind had suddenly stopped.

This is because the sight I saw felt unrealistic.

A clean, blue lake without a single impurity and a light white mist spread over the surrounding grass.

The sky extends beyond the horizon and the procession of clouds below it.

The blue color of the earth and sky.

At the center of those colors was Lee Ha-yul, who was dyed in five colors.

The spirit repeatedly landed and rose on his shoulders, arms, and head as he sat with his back to the lake and the sky.

Each time, one color becomes darker and lighter, and then the other color becomes darker and lighter…

Perhaps because he was surrounded by soft light, like a play of colors, his features, which were already eye-catching, were even more emphasized.

A cute body that is perfect for holding tightly in your arms.

Fine black hair with a particularly strong sweet smell.

Neat eyelashes and soft eyes like a gentle puppy.

The dark circles underneath made him feel sick, and one sleeve that was fluttering weakly amplified his symptoms doubly.

Additionally, a blue cloth fluttered behind her back, creating a dreamy atmosphere reminiscent of the winged clothes of fairies only seen in folk tales.

In a background like a landscape painting.

The eyes of about a hundred people there were focused on one person. There was an atmosphere surrounding him that made it impossible to take one’s eyes off him.

There was no division between men and women. There was no need to consider personal aesthetic tastes.

Beauty.

Only that word was engraved in my mind.

Lee Ha-yul, who was tilting her head blankly, perhaps aware of the many eyes on her, suddenly raised one hand wrapped in an arm sleeve.

A black arm sleeve that covers about half of the forearm from the fingers, and pure white skin that is even more contrasting because it is not covered by it.

And then, a cluster of red light landed on his fingertips.

Spirit of flame.

Fire is an essential element for human survival, but it is also a dangerous element that can easily take life.

The flame spirit, which had flame as its origin and identity, was not dangerous, but instead just rubbed its body against the lowered arm as if it were being cute.

Looks like he’s trying to be cute. Did I even realize him? Lee Ha-yul, who seemed somewhat dazed, suddenly smiled faintly and carefully stroked the spirit.

“……”

The corner of Hong Yeon-hwa’s eyes, who had been staring at him in fascination, trembled. It looked as if drool was flowing from his open mouth.

– Grumbling…

There was a surge of fear inside. This is nothing new. As long as her life does not end, the fire will continue to burn without stopping.

– Grumbling…

It was different from the shimmers until now.

The usual fear-mongering was so intense that it was threatening just to look at it. When he received strong emotions, he was so vicious and threatening that he burned everything around him.

The last time I visited the hospital, my anger was… uncharacteristically static and cold.

now?

It wasn’t intense.

It wasn’t vicious or threatening.

It wasn’t static or cold.

Now… it was sticky enough to stick to the floor. It was a strange flame that seemed to devour what was engulfed in it before burning everything around it.

Sticky impulse. Or longing.

Gyeophwa… I wanted to swallow Hong Yeonhwa.

That thing that is clearly visible.

I wanted to swallow that beautiful thing with a dreamy atmosphere, embrace it in my arms, and crush it.

It’s warm, it smells good, it’s soft, it’s soft, it makes cute noises, it gives you gummy candy with its small hands as a reward, it always tempts you by wagging its tail, and it says it’s something you don’t know about. That fragile thing that innocently tilts its head, comes to me holding a gift that I made with my own hands even though I don’t have time and is physically uncomfortable, and comes back from somewhere damaged and injured…

“…It’s my fault. It’s not my fault. It’s all Hayul’s fault. How long did I endure? Without knowing that, he keeps coming towards me and apologizing, but with that face on his face, he cries, whines, and clings to me… without even knowing how dangerous the situation is, he keeps… on and on…”

“Yeah, right! I understand, so you can stop talking! I know everything, so stop!”

The murmur that follows. It was a voice too small to fill the spacious office, but the soggy and shady desire contained within it was not enough to fill the inside, but to the point of overflowing.

Choi Ji-yeon, who couldn’t hear, was shocked and stopped muttering.

At first, I was filled with the typical shy feeling of tightly wrapped bean pods, but at some point, something started to get weird…

I acted like I was going to hear something I really shouldn’t have heard, but it seems it’s already a little late.

Jiyeon Choi smoothed her face as she caught her breath. The skin I touched with my fingertips was extremely cool.

Jiyeon Choi briefly raised her head. I made eye contact with Ariel, who was waiting behind the sofa.

“……”

Ariel’s expression used to be very stiff and static, but her current expression was not only cold but pale…

Below that.

Light returned to Hong Yeon-hwa’s eyes, which had been muttering with dull eyes.

“…Huh? Oh, what is it? What’s wrong with your face? Where does it hurt?”

Then he tilted his head as if he was slowly coming to his senses.

It looks like he didn’t even realize what he was muttering. That was scarier…

‘…Well, what should I say…’

An outpouring of emotion that is difficult to summarize. To sum it up properly, I just like that kid… um… fuck.

Jiyeon Choi shook her head. I decided to just think positively.

I made up my mind like that, but I didn’t put it into action. Be patient… and don’t forcefully attack people.

In addition, Hong Yeon-hwa, who had extremely severe side effects from fear, was able to overcome these unpleasant emotions somehow.

Choi Ji-yeon tried to think positively about that.

Isn’t it possible for people to have dark thoughts? Unless you vent it out, intracerebral delusions are a strange area to scold.

‘…is not it? Should I scold him for even thinking about attacking me? Besides, didn’t you just erupt?’

The more I thought about it, the more my head hurt…

“Phew…”

Jiyeon Choi let out a deep sigh and sipped her tea. Because the teacup had a built-in liquor, the tea did not cool down and maintained its warmth.

If I had cooled down, I would have cooled down inside at least. This part is just regrettable.

Gulping my appetite, I put down the teacup and took a gulp of the cold water that was placed next to it.

As the cold water passed down my throat, my heated stomach gradually cooled down.

Likewise, my dizzy head calmed down a bit.

‘…hmm.’

When I thought about it in a calmer state, I thought of a good number.

“….Will you at least get me engaged?”

“…What, what, what medicine?”

“Engagement, engagement.”

The emotions expressed by Hong Yeon-hwa are dark and evil thoughts that should never be expressed to others.

If they’re a married couple, isn’t there a problem? Looking at it, it looks like this kid is stuck tightly in his pod, and from what I heard, he definitely seems to like that kid too…

In any case, Jiyeon Choi didn’t want to see her daughter become a criminal…

* * *

A late night after finishing all my personal training and studies.

Baek A-rin, who could not sleep, helped with the mountain of family work.

Unlike anyone else, Baek A-rin faithfully completed and digested the successor training.

Until now, he had been in charge of most of the family’s affairs.

Since I entered poetry cradle, I’ve been somewhat lazy in many ways because I don’t have enough time, but I’ve been able to do some metallurgy work whenever I have some free time.

Of course, that’s just helping with the appropriate tasks. Work that truly requires security is not touched outside of the home office.

While going through the piled up emails, Baek Ah-rin’s hand suddenly stopped.

Among the piles of work emails, there was an email from my parents.

“……”

Baek A-rin stared at him with an expressionless expression, and then read the email as if there was nothing she could do.

There was nothing special about the content.

Are you okay with life at City Cradle, how are your studies, are you controlling your unique abilities well, are you taking good care of your body, etc…

It was a greeting that parents would normally give to their children.

Aside from the font’s unique hardness, the bluntness that comes from the writing style itself still remains.

It’s just ridiculous to write your concerns in that style.

Of course, I don’t just find it unpleasant.

Baek A-rin knows very well that her parents are not good at expressing their emotions. And I know that your concern for yourself is real.

While I was reading the email with a deadpan expression, I laughed out loud at the engagement-related information carefully written in the last paragraph or so.

It wasn’t an active engagement offer, but rather a cautious question about whether it would be okay to just meet someone.

“It’s an engagement…”

Proposal of engagement. Because I developed my own appearance, I was fed up with it from a young age.

Everyone refused. The Changhae family was not an unstable force that could be forced by external pressure. Thanks to this, I was able to kick out all engagement proposals based on Baek Ah-rin’s likes and dislikes.

There was no reason. There was someone I liked and there wasn’t one before. At the time, I just couldn’t afford it.

It was still the same now.

Bek’arin touched her chest. Beyond the heavy flesh, the curse nestled in my heart was faintly perceived.

It’s cold and chilly.

Because Baek A-rin possesses the spear, her body is specialized in water and cold energy.

Thanks to that, I’m used to the coldness, but even now I can’t get used to the coldness of that fucking curse.

“……”

Baek A-rin muttered the word ‘engagement’ and searched her memory.

For Baek A-rin, engagement was a form of transaction.

The sending party expresses trust by sending its own relatives, and the receiving party establishes stability by receiving the other party’s relatives.

There are few methods as safe as dealing with blood relatives as both payment and hostage.

Engagement is a transaction. The object of engagement is the item for sale.

In that sense, Baek A-rin herself was a very expensive item.

Special admission student.

A cadet with unprecedented potential that the president noticed. A lottery where winning is virtually guaranteed.

Tower of growth.

Gyeophwa, which exudes potential output comparable to that of Hongyeonhwa.

Sifnaha incident.

Traces of claustrophobia observed in Lee Ha-yul, who was admitted to the healing room.

“…Um.”

I did some rough calculations.

Scarlet Lotus Flower, which has the potential to dissolve the curse.

Lee Ha-yul has potential recognized by the president.

Lee Ha-yul, who manifested Gyeophwa, boasting output comparable to Hong Yeonhwa.

Lee Ha-yul, who showed Chang-hae with traces of coldness that was in no way inferior to Baek A-rin…

“Tsu-eup…”

The scales were tilted to one side.

However, the affection and burden that has been built up so far are too great to ignore the other side.

Also, he is not sure that he will be of great value to Lee Ha-yul.

From a quick glance, the favorability he had was overwhelming, and didn’t Lee Ha-yul even have a strange feeling of rejection towards him in the first place?

“……”

then.

If you’re going to do it right, you’re going to have to raise the value of this side.

Late at night.

Baek A-rin’s agony continued for a long time.