episode_0191

Even after the auction was over, the secret banquet hall was packed with people.

This is because there were more people who wanted to spend time here rather than getting caught by the leaders by doing useless things outside.

One of the reasons I participated in the Shadow Banquet in the first place was because I wanted to enjoy various deviations that I couldn’t do at official gatherings.

While conversation continues that is not much different from a normal banquet, on the other side, a gambling table using student credit as collateral is taking place.

In addition, various colorful scenes that are not usually seen were being created inside the hall.

“That’s not it. Lower your arms more… ”

“Well, I don’t know… Can you help me?”

“Ahem. I can’t help it… ”

A male student directly corrects the posture of a female student about to throw a dart.

“What is our cutie’s name?”

“Mu, it’s Muyeong… Shin Muyeong… ”

“Haha. The name is really cute. Should I have a drink first?”

“I… This is… ”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s just water that makes you feel good. Right, if you drink it all… ”

A female student calmly reassures a male student who is trembling with tension.

“It’s too bright here… ”

“The brightness is. It’s so dark. What should I do to move?”

“… I don’t know.”

A couple exchanging sticky glances.

Freed from the pressure of academics, they were running endlessly.

But even in that dark banquet hall, there was a particularly secluded corner.

The female student with sparkling golden eyes was simply sitting at the table in a somewhat serene posture.

‘That… No matter how I look at it, it’s that person… right…?’

‘The dignity is similar… and the appearance is similar…’

The whispers coming from around her tickled her ears sensitively.

‘But why with that Black Lotus guy…? After all the bidding, he’s not doing anything…’

‘Are you here to talk about something important rather than just playing? Is there a reason…?’

‘Shh! Be quiet! Have you forgotten the rules? Pretend not to know even if you do! What do we care if it’s real or not?’

Soon the whispers fade away.

Regardless, Baek Seo-yeon, wearing a butterfly mask, continued to glance at something.

Across the table, there was someone sitting there, also motionless.

Dressed in a neat suit. A white, smooth mask on his face.

2 hours. During that time, the man’s rights were completely his. Even so, it would be annoying for the man to sit there like a stone, but Baek Seo-yeon didn’t pay any attention to him at all.

Rather, the pure white cheeks revealed under the butterfly mask were blooming with a red flush like a sun-drenched apple.

‘Jeong, come to your senses. Baek Seo-yeon…’

Seo-yeon was constantly whipping herself inwardly. She kept thinking about why she had come to this place.

Originally, I would never have set foot in such a shallow place.

Even when he heard that Kwon Yuri was the current president of the Shadow Banquet, and even when he heard his name on the list of first-year auction candidates that she had leaked to tease him, his resolve remained unchanged.

Because she herself couldn’t be by his side yet.

Even if he had not witnessed the blonde prostitute’s brutal betrayal with his own eyes, his resolve would not have been clouded.

Because of that shamelessness, Seoyeon had to waste hours trying to resist the urge to snap that bitch’s neck.

However, this could be seen as her mistake. Seo-yeon already knew it well.

At the beginning of puberty, when I was just starting to open my eyes to the opposite sex, I remember the sticky stares those country girls would give to men.

At that time, Seo-yeon was in a situation where he could not move freely because he was living with a limited life span due to particle hypersensitivity. Furthermore, he was also an extremely naive man.

I remember how much it pained me to see him calmly accepting such ridiculous requests every time, like asking me to help him with his luggage or asking him to come with me because he was scared.

But now she is different. She has enough strength and wealth to help him. So Seo-yeon thought.

I thought it would be okay to have a little break.

‘Hyeon, I am the only one who can protect Hyun…’

Seoyeon glanced at the man again.

The manly features of that face have long been captured. Tall stature, strong and broad back, long fingers, and even the veins that bulge out above them.

Seo-yeon, who saw this, couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.

“Hoo… ”

My pupils dilated, my heart pounded, and the fever couldn’t be cooled down even with a hand fan.

It was a chronic symptom that I experienced every time I encountered him as he grew up.

If it were a brief meeting like the last time I gave her a gift, I could try to act cold, but in this situation, even that was impossible.

Seoyeon was a complete prisoner who could not escape from him no matter what.

“… ”

Thinking about him, it’s a little annoying that a man hasn’t even glanced at me for two hours.

It was the perfect outfit that was completed after several days of thinking. In particular, the 20-denier black stockings that showed off her skin were a special gift prepared for him.

A long time ago, I once put on a pair of stockings that I found in a closet as a joke.

It was a time when he was sickly and skinny. Even to himself, the sight of him resting on his bony legs was truly unsightly.

‘Hey! Who, who would dare wear something like this…!’

And the man looked at himself like that and got angry. He didn’t feel bad at all.

Because his face was bright red with shyness as he took off his outerwear and covered her legs.

‘I wish you would see me again…’

Seoyeon swallowed her regret and sorrow inside.

And when she got into this situation, she realized belatedly what kind of problem she had.

Of course, I had no intention of asking for anything in particular. I just wanted to spend time like this and then quietly send him away. Even that was more than I could handle at the moment.

And that was exactly the point that caused her to be conflicted.

She just sat there facing him without saying a word. But Seo-yeon had already melted into an extreme happiness from which she couldn’t escape.

It feels like all the hard work has been rewarded in one go.

She, already addicted, found herself wishing for it without realizing it.

I wish this moment lasted a little longer.

And what grew out of that excessive happiness was an unexpected impatience and greed.

No matter how much I thought about it, it was too much of a waste to just let this time pass by.

If you ask me even a little bit about my well-being.

If only we could share some light refreshments.

“… Senior.”

What woke Seo-yeon up from her internal conflict was the quiet voice of someone coming from the other side.

“Yeah, yeah? Why all of a sudden?”

Seo-yeon sat up straight and asked in confusion. There was a strong sense of anticipation in her voice.

I felt ecstatic when I heard his voice for the first time today.

“Uh, is there anything you’re curious about…?”

But at the harsh voice he let out next, Seo-yeon’s slim hopes were dashed without a trace.

“Time is up. Let me get up first.”

“Huh, huh?”

Baek Seo-yeon, startled by the man’s words, checked her watch.

‘I, I must be stupid…! What should I do… I’m so happy that I don’t even realize how much time has passed…’

She could see with her own eyes that she arrived exactly on time, two minutes before her scheduled time.

“It was a fun time. Well.”

“Sleep, wait a minute… !”

The masked man immediately jumped up from his seat. Baek Seo-yeon frantically covered her head to catch him. Perhaps because she was so immersed in sweet happiness, her rational thinking was not functioning properly.

And just as Seo-yeon was desperately trying to reach out to him.

-Kwaaang!

A huge explosion occurred in front of a door leading to the hallway, causing her to stop moving.

***

“Wh, what are you talking about?”

“Did I install the security spell incorrectly…?”

Everyone in the hall’s eyes were focused on that spot. Rather than being bewildered by the sudden turn of events, they seemed dumbfounded.

The smoke from the backlash of the forcible release of magic billowed out so thickly that it was difficult to see beyond. Soon, dozens of silhouettes began to appear from behind the remains of the broken door.

And the moment you check out the captain’s armbands stuffed on their arms.

Only then were the participants in the banquet able to properly perceive the reality before their eyes.

“Catch them all!!”

“Wow!!”

Soon, the vanguard armed with non-lethal blades for suppression burst into the banquet hall, accompanied by loud shouts.

“Get out quickly! Where is the exit?”

“Wheat, don’t push it… !”

“Hey! Don’t touch me! Do you know who I am and are doing this to me… !”

A situation no one expected. In an instant, chaos unfolded in the hall. Some students even resisted arrest by asserting their family’s authority.

In fact, it was a fairly effective method. The momentum of the leaders who heard the outburst was temporarily dampened.

The student who had been resisting this smiles in relief as if he has taken a breath.

“I remember all your faces. You seem to be from the lower classes, but just try to get out. I’ll use all my connections… Kkw!”

However, before he could finish speaking, he was hit by something flying at him and fell backwards.

“Ugh… !”

The fallen student clutched his forehead and writhed in pain. Soon after, someone approached from the darkness, along with the sound of shoes clanking.

Round glasses, hair neatly braided into two pigtails. Chief of the vanguard Choi I-re coldly recited while retrieving the scattered suppression blades.

“Who are you?”

“Choi, Choi Ire…?”

“Tell me. I’m curious too. How great a family must you be to dare say something like that in front of me.”

“… ”

The fallen male student hung his head and remained silent. Seongsan, the family of Choi I-re, was a prestigious family whose stock price was rising. Some even evaluated that it was now closely following the five families.

“Tsk. Then that’s right. Arrest me.”

“Okay, Manager!!”

At Choi I-re’s order, which she hummed as if she was feeling sorry, the leaders put light restraints on the male student and got him up.

“Don’t be afraid of the threats of the bad son!”

Choi I-re pushed up his glasses with his finger and shouted in a loud voice to the surrounding leaders.

“Keep in mind that you are the proud leaders who protect the order of the prestigious school! Catch them all! I will take responsibility for everything!”

“Wow!!”

The leading members, who had gained momentum along with her words, dispersed like a blunder. Choi I-re’s shouts echoed through the loudspeaker throughout the banquet hall.

“I clearly said that illegal gatherings are subject to punishment! But you know that and still do this! Just try to get caught! Just… !”

About 30% of the participants had already been arrested by the leadership team. Even the students who were trying to escape through secret passages were caught one after another by the leadership team members who were waiting in ambush.

Baek Seo-yeon was observing the scene from the table in the corner. The man across from her also seemed to be contemplating what to do in the unexpected situation.

“Seoyeon… No, no! Madame Butterfly!!”

Soon, a schoolgirl wearing a rabbit mask appears out of nowhere, breathlessly. She moves quickly, as if she had been watching them closely.

“White Rabbit… What’s going on?”

“I, I don’t know either… How on earth did the leadership know about this place? I think Ire really sharpened his sword… !”

The rabbit girl with her long ears dangling frantically muttered. The masked man, who had kept his mouth shut the whole time, asked her a questioning question.

“Didn’t you say there would be no punishment?”

“I, I thought so too… Hehe… At least I won’t get expelled… It’ll be embarrassing if I get caught though… ”

“… ”

“Ah, anyway, this is not the time! Run away quickly… !”

-Rabbit mask! Catch the girl wearing the rabbit mask! She’s the ringleader!

-Hey, Kwon Yuri! That’s you! That’s right! I knew everything!!! Anyway, you caused Seoyeon all kinds of trouble!! Today was just…!

“Heeek… !”

The rabbit girl shudders at the voice of the captain, which resonates beyond the smoke. The rabbit ears on her head stand up stiffly as if they were real ears.

“Me, I’ll go first? Then have a good time…!”

“Wait a minute… ”

“Seo, no. Madam Butterfly, you’re close to Ire, so I don’t know what’s going to happen… !”

The rabbit girl stopped talking and ran away. Seoyeon, who was left alone, had an awkward expression on her face.

The secret passage I used to get here has long since been sealed. The other passages are in a similar situation.

On all sides, the encirclement of the leaders was gradually closing in. It seemed that they had less than thirty seconds left until they reached the outer table where they were.

“If I get caught… will it be a problem?”

Then, Seo-yeon suddenly turned her gaze to the voice she heard. After pondering for a moment over the question posed by the masked man, Seo-yeon eventually nodded.

“… Yeah.”

It was a place I would not have set foot in if he had not been there in the first place. Rather, I might have secretly supported Choi I-re’s cleaning.

However, sharing one’s identity tacitly with other participants and being discovered by the leadership were two entirely different stories.

“… Follow me.”

The man, who had been standing for a short while, gestured to Seo-yeon and lowered his body. Seo-yeon suddenly followed him and moved secretly along the outside of the banquet hall.

And surprisingly, the direction the man was heading to was the direction of the largest passageway through which the vanguard had invaded earlier.

As she was about to ponder his intentions, the man stopped Seo-yeon halfway through. Then, he hid behind the table that had fallen over and become a mess, and opened his mouth.

“Please wait here quietly. When I give you the signal, you will come out.”

Seoyeon nodded silently. The man who had confirmed her disappears into the dark smoke beyond the table.

Seo-yeon, who had been hiding behind the man and waiting for his signal, was suddenly overcome by an uneasy feeling. Her heart pounded as if she had let a child out into the water.

Seo-yeon, who was struggling with that familiar feeling, eventually left the table and started following the man.

Soon, I could see the back of a man who had almost reached the front of the passage. And there was also a bespectacled female student standing alone in front of the passage, guarding the place.

“Hey, who’s there! Don’t stop!”

Choi I-re, who saw the boy’s shadow, immediately shouted in a raspy voice.

“You were thinking that everyone would leave and there would be no one here? Huh? Show yourself right now. If not, you will be severely punished… ”

Baek Seo-yeon also felt that Choi I-re’s point was valid. She was very curious as to why the man had brought her here.

The omnipotent leader of the school. He is the recipient of the students’ resentment because he strictly enforces the rules, but no one has been able to raise a complaint because he has the overwhelming power of his family behind him.

A personality that feels confident to the point of arrogance, and outstanding skills to back it up.

Of course, in this situation, you can’t subdue her with force. In the first place, you can’t use magic for personal purposes on campus, and if you were to injure the student council president while she’s on duty, then you could really be considered for expulsion.

‘Are you trying to bribe me? Ire wouldn’t accept something like that…’

Choi I-re would express feelings that were nothing but hatred towards Lee Hyeon, who broke her jaw, whenever she had the chance. She would often reject blind dates, saying that there were only worthless men there. Because of that, Baek Seo-yeon also thought that she was a pretty useful person.

“Huh… ?”

While she was pondering the reason, Baek Seo-yeon opened her eyes wide.

Even when viewed slightly from the side, the boy’s sharp jawline was clearly visible.

Instead of the white mask that used to cover his entire face, all that is visible is a thin black eye mask that barely covers his eyes.

What that means is that the man is now revealing his natural looks to Choi I-re.

Just as Baek Seo-yeon was about to realize something, the man who had approached Choi I-re with unsteady steps cautiously opened his mouth.

“Are you a student from the leadership team?”

A voice desperately asking for help, as if it didn’t know what was going on in the current situation.

Anxiety and danger permeate its resonance.

It was the complete opposite of the usual bold and trustworthy type, but it was clear that even that contained an excessive amount of destructive power.

And the next moment, what I heard was Choi I-re’s hoarse voice, which I had never heard before in my life.

“But, what about…?”

Baek Seo-yeon clenched her fist without realizing it.