episode_0133

I shouted at Kwon Yuri, who was running down the stairs almost like she was flying.

“Wait a minute! If I leave those two alone… ”

“Don’t worry, chick! I called other professors too! They’ll take care of it!”

“But… ”

As if she had read my inner thoughts, Kwon Yuri answered immediately before I could finish speaking.

“That’s it! It will end without incident! Anyway, it’s both ways, both ways!”

If you think about what it means… Since both sides are at fault, does this mean that they will not raise issues in the cradle for no reason?

When I think about it that way, I feel a little relieved.

Before I knew it, the evil-stricken voice of Yang Yan-ha was disappearing, and I was grabbed by the hand of a female student going down the spiral stairs and bounced like a balloon.

I have no intention of asking them to let go of this urgent movement. But why is Professor Shin Jae-yu suddenly looking for me?

We haven’t had a personal conversation since I was kicked out of the office last time. Have you changed your mind about telling me about Seol Yu-jeong?

After running for a while as if we were being dragged along, we had already reached the beginning of a quiet walking path at the edge of the square.

Only then did the girl with tear spots around her eyes let go of my wrist.

At the same time, a faint, tingling feeling of discomfort that had been lingering along my body disappears without a trace.

“How… How… ! It’s so hard I’m dying. Should I do some exercise too? How… But why is he so fine? It’s good to be young… ”

Kwon Yuri placed her hand on a tree whose trunk was ten times thicker than her own.

Every time she gasps, the buttons on her shirt flutter as if they might burst.

“Why did you come here? Professor Shin Jae-yu’s office is not here, but in the main building… ”

“Ugh, chick! Why are you so clueless! You should know it when you see it!”

Kwon Yuri, who had caught her breath, cut me off mid-sentence asking a puzzled question.

“Of course it’s a lie.”

“… Yes?”

A naturally virtuous look that even squints its eyes. I am speechless. My mind was very confused as I could not guess the intention of his actions.

“Why did you even lie and do such a thing… ?”

“Just. It’s fun.”

“… ?”

“Just kidding. Just kidding. Phew… I wanted to help you out.”

“You’ll help me? Who do you mean?”

“Well? Who could it be? Seoyeon? It’s not entirely wrong, but… ”

Kwon Yuri, who was answering herself, poked her head in with a sinister smile that did not match her neat appearance.

“Just say it’s you.”

“Yes?”

“It was a difficult situation, right? I can’t do this because I’m stuck in between. I can see it all in my sister’s eyes.”

Kwon Yuri stared at me intently, speaking in a sly but at the same time subtly prodding tone.

For a moment, my heart sinks. Her words struck exactly what I felt earlier.

Kwon Yuri’s eyes were still bright and innocent, but suddenly there was a keenness that was not there before.

You’re stuck in between. Who and whose?

What does this woman know?

“… ”

I could barely calm my pounding heart.

It’s a past relationship that no one knows about. Right now, the only person in the cradle who knows my identity is Yeon Myeong-ha. That’s all we can be sure of.

How could she possibly guess my feelings right now?

It must have been sublimated into a joke about the joys and sorrows of a freshman who suddenly got caught in a fight between female seniors.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve never had any trouble.”

I shook my head, feigning nonchalance, and then spoke in a deliberately strong tone.

“Next time, please don’t do something like this on your own. Because it’s unpleasant.”

“Wait… for a moment! Why are people so unloving? Huh?”

But as I turn again, Kwon Yuri hurriedly blocks my path.

“Ugh… I tried my best to help, but I got scolded… huh? It’s sad, it’s sad… ”

In the end, he raised both hands to his eyes and pretended to sniffle.

But the voice is still full of joy.

I’m choking in frustration. It would be better to start by cursing or stabbing with your hand before dealing with the viewer.

It almost feels like it’s a toy to play with…

“… Phew.”

Kwon Yuri, who was sniffling loudly, opened her eyes and looked at me slightly.

Then he lets out a light laugh and puts his hand down again.

Kwon Yuri mellowed her voice, looked up at me, and spoke.

“Hmm. Anyway, our chick. Do you owe me something?”

“Debt is whatever one wants.”

“Don’t worry. Because I don’t want anything big. We promised to eat together next time, right? You buy that.”

“When did you promise? ”

“And if Minha tries to kill me, should you stop him? The other side too.”

“Why do I… ”

“Oh my! Look at my mind! I have afternoon classes soon!”

Kwon Yuri, who was always cutting me off and just saying what she had to say, glances at her watch. Then he pretended to be surprised with an exaggerated gesture.

“Goodbye, our chick! Next time I see you, say hello! Hello!”

“Wait… !”

Kwon Yuri, who appeared like the wind, was also the wind when she disappeared.

She runs with the agility of a rabbit and disappears in an instant without a trace.

Before I knew it, I was left alone on an empty walking path.

But the words Kwon Yuri said were still floating around in my head.

“… The other side?”

***

As Kwon Yuri said, the situation did not escalate. No disciplinary committee was convened and no rumors were spread about the collision.

The announcement was made that the annex passageway would be closed for a while due to emergency repairs, and students could only occasionally be seen expressing their dissatisfaction with the one-sided notice.

However, the strange yet provocative actions of Yeon-sang Ha, the child who fell for his childish behavior, the contextless conversation that followed Kwon Yuri’s sudden appearance, and even the appearance of Yeon-sang Ha who inquired afterward, but instead responded in a calm manner as if nothing had happened.

I was the only one in this cradle worrying about the conflict.

“Are you okay?”

Cradle Library.

After letting go of my worries, I was about to do my homework in the corner where I always sit. A man’s deep voice comes from behind, breaking my concentration.

When I looked back, I saw a male student with a large stature and short hair standing tightly blocking the narrow passageway.

Woojin Choi approached me with long strides, pulled out the chair next to me, and sat down on it.

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“I asked because his face looked dead. Is it okay for the Crown Prince of Black Lotus to be like that? If you carry your family name, you must always be proud. Tsk.”

Are you using some sort of interest method? You can’t even see it because of the mask, but what kind of person’s death is it?

I’m really sick of the sound of the Prince of Black Lotus now. Who the hell first used that word? I think I first saw it in the newspaper.

If I were to meet a reporter who used that word for the first time, I might start shaking my fist without even realizing it.

“Then what do you owe to that chaff?”

“Hehe, people can make mistakes. It won’t be easy next time.”

Woojin Choi shamelessly accepted my words without any sign of embarrassment.

Meanwhile. Suddenly, my eyes naturally fall on something he is holding in his hand.

“Newspaper?”

A weekly newspaper published under the name of the Yoram Newspaper Department. I also watch it whenever I have time. My sisters said it was the perfect medium to fill in the common sense I lacked.

Surprisingly, there was demand from the private sector. Because of the background of the students who published the article, high-level information that even reporters don’t know about is sometimes posted.

“Shouldn’t people like us be more avid readers of media like this? I’ve lived my whole life like a frog in a well. There is no better way to feel the joys and sorrows of the common people.”

Choi Woojin tapped the newspaper and said.

Even though our positions are strangely different, I agree with what he said. But I never thought he would be a person with such an open mind…

Choi Woo-jin must have sensed my confusion and slightly furrowed his eyebrows.

“What is that reaction?”

“Because it was unexpected. I never thought that words about the joys and sorrows of the common people would come out of your mouth. Didn’t you really dislike students with poor backgrounds?”

“Excuse me. I don’t discriminate against people for that reason. You can’t reject someone with outstanding skills and ambition just because he or she doesn’t come from a good background. Because our republic is always short of talented people. I just hate people who rely on others for their stubbornness and flattery. For example… ”

Choi Woo-jin paused, looked at me, and grinned unpleasantly.

“Are you saying that he was a ‘traveling servant’ who even wore a mask from the entrance ceremony to attract the attention of high-ranking families and corporate headhunters?”

Although it has already been publicly acknowledged that he is a member of the Black Lotus, Choi Woo-jin dared to talk about what happened before.

Does this mean that a famous family is a famous family no matter how it looks? His verbal skills are also top-notch.

Appearance out of nowhere and half-arguing tone of voice. Although he is quite irritated, he is just below the critical point of not being antipathetic, and is scratching gently.

In the end, I sighed inwardly and naturally looked at the large headline in the newspaper he had brought.

– No-man’s land restoration operation underway… Will the long-awaited recapture of the City of Light finally come true? Haewolhwa exclusive written interview (Part 3)

Suddenly a familiar name catches my eye. The last time I spoke to the principal was a few weeks ago.

I asked the manager to adjust his patrol route so that I could easily sneak into Yeon Myeong-ha’s dormitory.

She suddenly left her cradle to join the Southern Expeditionary Force just before I was caught up in the Japanese invasion.

“Where is the city of light?”

“Now I think I’m not the one who should read the newspaper. How can you not know the city of light?”

In response to the question that came out reflexively, Woojin Choi said as he placed the newspaper he had brought on the table.

“It is one of the places that was once the central city of Gumunmyeong. Although it has now become part of the ruins of No Man’s Land.”

“It’s part of a no-man’s land… Then is it a place near Jinryeong?”

“It’s a bit far to be close. It is located in the south, approximately 130km away from Jinryeong in a straight line. The actual perceived distance will be much farther than that. The road network in Gumunmyeong will have been broken long ago, so we will have to go around mountain paths and rivers.”

130 km… It is almost similar to the straight line distance between the cradle and Jinryeong.

The last time I went down to Jinryeong for a request, it took several days. But you have to travel that much distance to get to the city.

It seems that no-man’s land is a term that encompasses a wider and more expansive area than I vaguely thought.

“They say they have now advanced 95km south of Jinryeong and established a bridgehead. This alone is a great achievement that no one has ever achieved. Indeed, the principal. You are an amazing person.”

Woojin Choi read the article in a voice full of respect.

“I can’t even imagine what he looked like when he was young. Even now, he is showing off this inaction… ”

“… Is the principal that great?”

It was a question I was curious about. I’ve only heard about the character indirectly, but I’ve never heard directly about the principal’s strength.

At the very least, it is clear that he is one of the strongest. An appearance that still maintains youth. And seeing as he holds the important responsibility of being the principal of the cradle.

The leader’s father also lamented that if the principal had been in the capital during the Japanese invasion, the situation would not have escalated so much.

However, after hearing my question, Choi Woo-jin even gave me a pitiful look.

“No matter how serious it is, isn’t it? Where have you been living on the outskirts? Or is this a provocation?”

“… I really don’t know. If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine.”

“Well, there’s nothing I can’t tell you… ”

Knowing that the question was sincere, Woojin Choi slightly scratched his head and continued his explanation.

“I also heard it from my father, but there was a saying like that in the past.”

“What is it?”

“‘If Haewolhwa had not had feelings of sloth, the throne would have been hers.’”