The Promise Not to Leave
The top student at KAGIS, the Awakener school, unshakeable Cheon Seol-hwa. With her beauty like a snow woman, she was among the more peculiar Awakeners. No, peculiar wasn't the right word—special suited her far better.
After the "Day of Beginnings," when ghost stories swallowed the Earth, countless people died unraveling the rules, paving the way for humanity to conquer them. In the early days, even the weakest ghost stories demanded dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of sacrifices to crack.
Yet, strangely, there were rare cases where ghost stories vanished without a single victim, and no one knew how. One example was Han Ga-eun's Fox Shrine ghost story, daughter of Dawn's Light Master Han Do-jin. And another was Cheon Seol-hwa, blinking quietly in front of me right now.
"Teacher... like with that kid earlier, can you make me wet myself too?"
"What."
"Do the same to me..."
Seol-hwa needed me. More precisely, she needed that final strike of mine that knocked Jin-woo out cold in one blow.
If it's a sword frightening enough to terrify the 'Thunder Piss-Pants'... maybe it could work for me too...
His final sword technique, embodying death itself, might melt at least part of the girl's freezing heart.
Seol-hwa's power came from the mighty ghost story that blanketed Jeju Island in eternal snow: Frost Queen. How powerful was it? Officially resolved, yet the site still raged with blizzards, ice unmelting to this day.
For her, whose heart froze bit by bit as a side effect, I was a glimmer of hope after so long.
Fire powers... no healing ability could melt my heart. Except that time at Bosingak, gripped by ultimate terror...
Thump.
My swordplay gave the girl the same warm heart-flutter as facing Phantom.
That's why Seol-hwa clung to my clothes, refusing to let go. Miss this chance, and her heart would freeze solid before adulthood, killing her.
But Seol-hwa, lacking eloquence or courage, bungled her plea terribly. Skipping key details and blurting "make me piss myself"—who'd go for that? Even I, admitting my lolicon + perv tendencies, drew the line!
* * *
"Teacher... can't you make me wet myself too...?"
Yeah, right. What the hell is this girl saying out of nowhere? Make her piss herself?!
Does she wanna see someone get arrested for real?!
I've witnessed plenty of madness in life, but a schoolgirl with sparkling eyes begging to wet herself? First time ever. Is this the real insanity they talk about... Kids these days are scary for real.
The moment I stepped out of the training hall, whoosh! In burst Seol-hwa, like reliving a childhood Pokémon battle in real life.
Wild Cheon Seol-hwa appeared!
Your choice?
▶ 1: Scold the student
2: This girl's nuts! Run away now
3: Grant her wish
"Haa, normally I'd pick 2 without a second thought."
But even if just briefly, I was a teacher moments ago. A true teacher guides wayward students back to the right path!
If she's leaving anyway, one last lesson can't hurt, right?
Reluctantly, I chose 1 and began explaining why I couldn't indulge her request.
"Seol-hwa, I don't get exactly what you mean, but saying that to a guy spells trouble. Especially a pretty young girl like you—big trouble!"
"No...?"
Seol-hwa looked up with trembling eyes. The sparkle in the girl's gaze faded, somehow dimming.
"Of course not! That kinda niche fetish(?), save it for your boyfriend after you're grown!"
"Can't wait... till adulthood..."
"Now, let me tell you about proper teen life—"
I soothed the sulking girl as gently as possible, careful not to hurt her feelings. After five minutes of patting and advising,
"Huh...?"
—Crack.
—Crackle.
Cold leaked from Seol-hwa's body, an unfamiliar chill and frost filling the entire corridor.
"Teacher... you're no different..."
No, different from what? Can't you let me finish?
Thought she looked like a snow woman—guess her powers match. Whoosh!
Seol-hwa stared with glacier-clear eyes, her gaze seeming utterly dejected.
"If even Teacher can't... who do I ask...?"
Asking me to make her piss herself was wrong from the start! Gotta calm her first. Training hall's basement level 3—iron bars snap from cold, we're all dead!
—Grab!
I gently set down Lea from my arms, seized Seol-hwa's shoulders, and shook hard.
"Seol-hwa, snap out of it! No powers here!"
"..."
Shook her fiercely, but her eyes just lost more light. Pissing ban = rampage? This kid's next-level nuts. If not Dawn's Light building, I'd pick 2 and bolt.
"Haa... no choice."
I scanned around. Lucky—blind spot, no CCTV, no people nearby.
Slap slap!
Finally, checked her cheeks for consciousness.
"Seol-hwa, see me? Hear me?"
"..."
Okay, she's out of it too. Time to act!
"Notification Window, open beginner package."
I summoned it, prepping to become Phantom.
『Si-hyun, what're you planning??』
"Need mengmang energy. Gotta knock out one weakened schoolgirl right now."
Mengmang power terrifies even trained Awakeners. A fragile girl? Lights out on the spot.
『Hehe, moments when Si-hyun needs my power always thrill me!』
『ˆ> ₃ <ˆ』
"Yeah yeah, your power's the best."
『Ehehe, I'll dial output way down so no one detects!』
—Whoosh!!
Black energy swirled instantly, ending the crisis.
"Whoa... that's lowered output?"
『Ehehehe, you've resolved so many stories, beginner package leveled up plenty!』
The black aura quelled the encroaching blizzard, ice, and culprit Seol-hwa in a flash.
Thud!
"Oof, effective stuff."
I laid the fallen Seol-hwa neatly, checked her breathing.
Snore—
"Just passed out, good."
Sigh, what a hassle with this weirdo perv student. My fate!
Her name's Seol-hwa, right? Never crossing paths again!
Confirmed her state, picked up sleeping Lea.
"Mmm... Si-hyun... zzz..."
"Sleeping soundly through chaos? Kinda jealous. Haha."
Beginner package activated, shadow travel home easy.
"Notification Window~ Let's head home. Worked too hard today."
『Yess~ Shadow travel in comfort! Hehet.』
* * *
After Si-hyun left.
Rustle—
"Mmm..."
Seol-hwa, passed out mid-corridor, stirred awake. Empty hall. Vanished teacher.
"Ah..."
She pieced it together.
《Rejected by Teacher → Shocked faint → Teacher mistakes me for perv → Leaves me behind》
"Should've explained properly... you idiot..."
Even desperate to melt her heart, using "piss myself" ruined it. She felt like a fool.
"Failed again... heart unchanged."
This path, frozen solid before adulthood. Inevitable death?
"Wanted to grow up... date, fall in love..."
Squeeze.
She pressed hands to chest. If body heat could melt it even a little...
"Already 20% frozen... huh?"
Weird. 20%? Was over 30% before.
"M-my heart... melted...!"
The eternally frozen heart had thawed somewhat. No illusion. Undeniably changed.
—Press.
She probed chest and heart.
"...Warm..."
Once too cold for fingertips, now oddly toasty. Not fully melted, but she was happy. Nothing had ever budged it before.
"How...?"
Only Si-hyun before melting started. He did something, clearly. But how?
"...Doesn't matter how."
Method, principle—irrelevant now. Only one truth: heart melted.
"Found you... my savior..."
Seol-hwa's blue eyes gleamed with a faint smile, like the legendary snow woman finding her lifelong man.
* * *
"Aghhh~~~ I'm dying!"
Home via shadow travel, deactivated beginner package, tucked Lea in bed. She slept through all the chaos, thankfully.
"Remembering past must've tired her."
'Daily Instructor' for Lea's memories yielded gains. Tiny, but apocalypse Lea recalled her past.
"Minus hassle with weirdo perv girl at end~ Overall, decent day."
Sword class done, plans wrapped—shower, sleep, done!
Stripping sweaty clothes for bathroom—
Squeeze!
"Ugh... Lu, Lucifer... don't go... this body said..."
Lea clutched my collar, mumbling low.
"Lea? Sleep-talking?"
She sometimes slurred in dreams, so I thought that. But different from usual.
Trembling hand, furrowed brow.
And.
Drip.
Tears tracing her cheek from eye corner.
"Promised... to stay by this body... liar..."
Definitely not normal sleep-talk.
Sad dream?
Seeing Lea grieve in sleep tugged my heart.
What's Lucifer's deal, abandoning our Lea?
So pretty! Gentle! Sweet girl—why wander off, you bastard?!
Couldn't fathom as a fellow man. Muttered curses, gently wiped her tears.
Squeeze!
Clasped her tiny hand in both of mine.
Not Lucifer, but I can fake it.
Leaned close, whispered softly in her ear.
"Lea, I'm here. Won't go anywhere now."
"Mmm... Lucifer... for real...?"
"Yeah, promise. Even if away briefly, I'll always return to you. Like now."
Then, faint tension in her gripped fingertips.
Soon, her face relaxed like a relieved sigh.
"Mmm... promise... this body..."
The murmuring girl smiled serenely, freed from nightmare.
I gazed blankly a moment, then softly stroked her.
"Lea, I'll stay by your side instead of Lucifer. Always."
At day's weary end, I made a promise with the purple-eyed girl.
An eternal vow never to leave her side.