episode_0174

Jin Ye-seo had no choice but to stop herself from leaving. This was because she knew exactly who Yeon Min-ha meant by ‘our junior.’

Fortunately, the two were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn’t seem to notice Jin Ye-seo’s presence.

I knew that it was wrong to eavesdrop on other people’s conversations, but it was an irresistible force. The mere fact that the subject of the heated confrontation was that man was enough to stop me in my tracks.

Jin Ye-seo, who was in agony for a moment, eventually sat down again, holding her breath.

“Well, I don’t think it’s any of your business what I do.”

A voice so cold that it felt like it was chilling him to the bone. It was difficult to simply regard this as hostility toward Yeonminha.

Rather, I feel a stronger hatred towards the world and self-loathing.

A senior with a warm and friendly personality who is a role model for everyone.

To the point where Jin Ye-seo suddenly began to mistakenly believe that the Baek Seo-yeon character she had known all along was a well-made lie.

“Pity me. Isn’t that too shameless?”

Baek Seo-yeon continued the conversation in an unfamiliar and sharp voice.

“While Hyun-i was dying, I was doing nothing.”

‘That incident’ seemed to refer to the incident that occurred in the first city recently.

At that time, Baek Seo-yeon saved the life of a dying man. As a traitor, it was enough to demand compensation, and from the perspective of Red Flower, who shared the same views as Heukryeon, it was only natural that he would take an opposing position.

Although it is a very tense situation, it is true that it is a conversation that can be fully established.

But what caught Jin Ye-seo’s attention was something else.

‘Hyun… this…?’

What’s more surprising than Baek Seo-yeon’s frozen voice is the title that comes out naturally.

As if rolling a sweet candy in the mouth. A careful yet friendly tone.

Even Jin Ye-seo, who had a deep friendship with a man, could not bring herself to call him by that name properly because it was too manly. The current situation where Baek Seo-yeon was saying it so casually was clearly strange.

Even more so when you think about the relationship between the two.

“… Ugh.”

It seemed as if he had been completely caught off guard by Baek Seo-yeon’s question that showed compassion. The momentum that had been fiercely hurled the whole time suddenly collapsed. There was even a hint of anxiety in Yeon Min-ha’s eyes as he glared at Baek Seo-yeon.

“… Well, I appreciate that.”

But after a moment of silence, she changed her expression as if nothing had happened and said.

“Thanks to you, our cute junior was able to save his life. I don’t intend to deny him that credit.”

“… Ha.”

Baek Seo-yeon let out a hollow laugh as if she was taken aback by Yeon Min-ha’s words. Jin Ye-seo could not possibly imagine that cynical expression.

“There will be a reasonable compensation plan. As long as you don’t do useless things.”

But instead, he twisted the corners of his lips in pity and continued talking as if he didn’t feel the coldness at all.

“I called you today to talk about that again. If I don’t warn you like this… you might demand an excessive reward. You shouldn’t covet what isn’t yours… ”

And while Yeonmin-ha was talking for a long time.

“Pity.”

Suddenly, an eerie voice echoed through the air.

-Tch…

A huge sliver of frost, as if it were going to eat away the freshness of early summer, was spreading out around Baekseoyeon.

“I hope you don’t misunderstand.”

Blood was dripping from Baek Seo-yeon’s tightly clenched fist. It was shaking violently as if an earthquake had occurred.

“You’re not qualified either… It’s the same.”

“… What?”

He frowned as if he didn’t understand Baek Seo-yeon’s words of pity.

“What is that… ”

-Dang! Dang!

However, just as Yeonmin-ha continued her questioning, the bell signaling the end of the break rang throughout the garden.

Then, the frost that had been surrounding the area melts and disappears without a trace.

Baek Seo-yeon strode out of the garden without even looking at Yeon Min-ha. Yeon Min-ha, left alone, muttered as she looked in the direction she had left.

“… Annoying bitch.”

Then he too walked straight out of the garden.

The huge garden was silent, without a single sound. The only sound was the soft chirping of birds on the tree branches.

After a while, a thud-thud sound is heard from behind one of the large tree trunks growing on either side of the garden path.

Jinyeseo sat there blankly, forgetting to return to the classroom. She opened her eyes in surprise, her mouth tightly shut, and muttered.

“What the heck… What’s going on…?”

***

I managed to sit up, but my head was still dizzy. The shock was so severe that I couldn’t even feel depressed.

What was most shocking was Baek Seo-yeon’s attitude. The voice that spoke his name in a friendly yet sad tone was stuck in his head and wouldn’t leave.

But there is no real connection between the two, except for one major clash at the beginning of the semester.

‘no way…’

Jin Ye-seo suddenly stopped walking as something came to mind.

‘Did that kid… lay a hand on my sister too…?’

“… ”

It was a very likely story. After all, he was a man with a fiery temper.

Perhaps he would have even used violence without hesitation on Baek Seo-yeon, who was trying to gently comfort him about his flight.

And Baek Seo-yeon, who must have grown up as a greenhouse flower, might have felt a strange attraction to that unfamiliar and rough side that she was experiencing for the first time in her life.

Just like… myself now.

“Sister… ”

There was no strength in Jin Ye-seo’s voice. The first emotion she felt was disappointment toward Baek Seo-yeon.

It was clear that Baek Seo-yeon was expressing affection as she called his name.

But how can a woman who is already engaged have feelings for another man?

The person who emphasized the strong relationship with his fiancée was none other than himself.

‘How can you… move your body so carelessly…’

“… No, no.”

But just before disappointment develops into resentment.

Jin Ye-seo shook her head fiercely and barely managed to shake off her negative thoughts.

She was trying very hard to understand Baek Seo-yeon’s position.

‘Did you have a fight with your fiancée? That’s why I took a quick look at you…’

It’s not necessarily unusual for an engagement to fall through for any number of reasons.

If that man had entered through the gap in her heart, it would naturally be shaken.

Baek Seo-yeon was clearly a victim. Just like herself. It was absurd to blame someone like that.

Jin Ye-seo stuck out her lips in frustration. The bad guy is that boy. He’s a man without integrity who touches any woman.

Not satisfied with himself, he ended up reaching out to Baek Seo-yeon.

“Was it not enough for me? I could have done more… ”

She took a deep breath and started walking again, feeling very lost as to how to resolve the situation.

Even though she was my favorite sister, I couldn’t give in this time.

In this relationship, Baek Seo-yeon was just a stone that rolled in.

‘for a moment…’

But then a thought crossed her mind. She stopped dead in her tracks.

“By any chance… what if my sister comes first…?”

Maybe you don’t come first.

Just thinking about that possibility sends a pang of anxiety through my chest.

If that’s true, then Baek Seo-yeon really has feelings for the masked boy.

So what if it’s not Baek Seo-yeon but you who has to give in?

“… ”

Jin Ye-seo stood there for a long time without moving an inch.

Perhaps because the sun had set, there was no light in his eyes at all.

***

Various decorations and electronic boards were installed around the main gate. Under the direction of student council officers, tent-like temporary facilities were being installed on both sides of the wide school grounds.

After class, I walked down the hallway with Sarah and Summer and admired the scenery.

“But what about Yena? Is something wrong?”

“No, I guess he’s just a little busy. Where does he go after class every day?”

Sarah, a high school student with bleached white hair and a short skirt, answered the question nonchalantly.

“The kids who came from the outskirts are probably having the hardest time right now. Even we who were born in the capital are having a hard time keeping up with the class progress, as I said… ”

Summer, an expressionless schoolgirl with bob-length hair, continued speaking.

I was a little curious because I hadn’t seen Yena for the past few days. Even when I was hospitalized, she only sent me gifts.

But if that’s the case, then what else can we do? If nothing happened, then that’s fortunate.

And to be honest, I can understand that part. I also had a hard time keeping up with the classes at Cradle.

If it weren’t for the help of Yeonmin and Jinyeseo… I probably would have had to go to supplementary classes almost every day.

“But I think the atmosphere has changed a bit these days. What should I say? It seems a bit more alluring… Wow, look at that.”

Sarah, who was about to say something, let out a small exclamation when she saw the colorful flags and bright lights installed between the maple trees.

“What are those tents?”

“Where street vendors and various event booths will be set up during the social gathering.”

“This year, it overlaps with National Foundation Day, so it’ll be even more grand. Oh my, it’s going to be so much fun… ”

After exclaiming in admiration for quite some time, Sarah suddenly started criticizing the principal.

“The principal is really going too far. How could he cancel an event like this?”

“… That wasn’t a rumor, it was real?”

“It’s true. My relative on the school board told me. Well, what did the principal say at the meeting? ”

Summer’s question only fueled Sarah’s discontent.

The social gathering is a time-honored event that has been part of our cradle’s history.

However, it is said that the current principal has been consistently discussing the abolition of the social system since taking office, citing reasons such as the chaos in the educational schedule and security vulnerabilities.

However, it has been repeatedly thwarted due to strong opposition from students from influential families, members of the education committee who are related by blood, and even student council officers.

This year, there was another heated debate, but the discussion was left in limbo due to the principal suddenly joining the southern expeditionary force aimed at recapturing the Holy Land.

And because it overlapped with the National Foundation Day, it was held on a much grander scale than usual.

“How can someone live their life studying all day long? Sometimes, there should be fun like this.”

Sarah still seemed to be upset.

But principal. Looking at how tightly packed you are, you really are an adult. Just looking at your appearance, you don’t seem much different from your sisters or the students…

“But what exactly do you do during social gatherings?”

“What are you doing? Just having fun.”

“Don’t think too hard about it. It’s literally ‘social’.”

Sarah and Summer answered my questions one after another.

“I also went to see street stalls with my friends… ”

“Attending social gatherings every night and dancing… ”

“There are also tournament matches with big prizes at stake… ”

If you just listen to the name, it seems like an event held to occasionally give students who are tired of studying a break.

So this is why my older sisters taught me how to dance. I wondered why they put so much effort into teaching me a dance that I would never use again…

“… ”

My head is already spinning. No matter how I look at it, this event feels like the exact opposite of my anti-social personality.

“Oh, and top students are required to attend some events. Like tournaments. Hyun will probably contact you separately.”

“So…so…?”

There are mountains beyond mountains. While others are excited and in a festive mood, I feel isolated.

Meanwhile.

Suddenly a small commotion began to arise from somewhere across the passage.

Soon, the packed students all rushed to the side. It wasn’t long before I could see the source of the commotion.

A blonde, green-eyed schoolgirl walking across the street. Jin Ye-seo appears.

Somehow, the pure white uniform feels very unfamiliar. Maybe it’s because I always see them wearing training uniforms or with their hoods pulled up.

“… ”

Jin Ye-seo stared at me with her characteristically sharp eyes and walked briskly. It seemed like it had been a long time since I had seen those eyes. I guess I can’t help it since I’m in front of other people.

Jinye Seo closed the distance without hesitation. The students around her held their breath and watched her, thinking that she might come back again.

“… ?”

But Jinyeseo passed me by and left the narrow hallway.

“What the… Me again… ”

“I thought you were challenging me to a duel again…

“I guess you know it won’t work now… ”

The onlookers chattered among themselves, as if they were a little discouraged. Sarah and Yeoreum, who were standing behind me, let out a small sigh of relief.

“Oh my… I thought something bad was going to happen… Right?”

“… ”

But I stood there for a moment, dumbfounded. The tingling sensation still remained on my palms. It was because Jin Ye-seo had rubbed her fingers as she passed by.

“Hyun-ah? What’s wrong?”

“… I think I left something behind. Do you want to go first? I’ll go look for it and then I’ll go… ”

I turned around and headed back the way I had come. Then, when the crowd had started to die down, I left the hallway and headed down a quiet path.

The place where Jin Ye-seo was waiting was a quiet walking path behind the A building training center.

When she saw me, she smiled awkwardly and raised her hand slightly to say hello.

“… You understood right…? I thought you might not know… ”

“I don’t know how. So why did you call me?”

It seemed like Jinye had something to ask me. And it was quite important. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have tried to contact me in such a crowded place.

“I just wanted to ask you one thing… ”

“Please?”

“Yeah. Can’t it be done…?”

“There’s nothing that can’t be done… but what the heck is going on?”

“… Ahem. Hey, you know… ”

Jin Ye-seo stuttered and stretched out her words in an uncharacteristic manner. What on earth is she trying to ask me? Judging from the fact that she had to call me out in this situation, it must have been an urgent request, no matter how urgent it was.

Whatever it is, I will do whatever I can to help her. I have received a lot from her in many ways.

Before she knew it, Jin Ye-seo had lowered her head. Eventually, she even twisted her loose hair with her fingers.

And the ‘request’ that came out of her mouth was something I could never have imagined.

“Wait a minute… Can you be my boyfriend?”