Unexpected (2)
Unexpected (2)
Meanwhile, the internet was ablaze with Ha-na's video.
"When we arrive, there's no need to gather separately. Just head to your own rooms. The next two days are free time, so rest comfortably. However, if you leave the hotel, you must report your destination."
But inside the bus carrying the students who had witnessed that scorching footage in person, it was eerily quiet.
"Haa... ."
Jaden glanced at the students who still hadn't recovered their senses after leaving the party hall and boarding the bus, and at Kang Han-na sprawled across her seat, and let out a short sigh. Just who was she talking to?
"They all seem quite shocked."
"There's a limit to how shocked one should be."
At Cheon Ji-ho's words, Jaden shook his head and took a seat.
"Well, for the female students and Professor Kang Han-na, they can at least appreciate the aesthetics, so I understand... but I don't know why the male students are like that."
In the rearview mirror, several male students were slumped in their chairs with hollow eyes, like old men who'd endured every hardship life could offer.
"A sense of deprivation... that kind of thing, isn't it?"
"Heh, honestly. Deprivation ought to be felt against a comparable opponent."
"That's why they're still students. Haha."
Cheon Ji-ho smiled wryly and soothed Jaden.
"Well, to be honest, he was a bit... no, incredibly good-looking. Especially those golden eyes... how should I put it... the feeling that your soul was being drawn in from just the briefest eye contact...? I can't even describe it properly."
"I understand. It's fortunate Korean has such a diverse vocabulary. Trying to express it in English or another language would have been even more hopeless."
"Hahaha."
Cheon Ji-ho laughed lightly at Jaden's candid reply.
After a few seconds, he caught his breath and spoke again.
"It'll be pretty noisy when we get back."
"It would be stranger if it were quiet."
In truth, the government was already pestering them with phone calls even now, but since that was a matter the Chairman had personally taken over, he didn't bother bringing it up here.
"Still, at least the academy itself will be quiet, so that's a relief."
"Haha, that's true. Everyone knows Professor Baek's style, after all."
But there were two facts the two men had overlooked.
In just over a month, a massive wave of new students would enter the academy.
And second, those new students were currently watching the ten-second clip spreading rapidly across social media.
"And starting from tomorrow."
"We'll have to tell them to move around in groups if possible."
The two discussed strategies for managing the students over the next two days, and before they knew it, the bus had arrived in front of the hotel.
**
After the bus stopped in front of the hotel, Nam Seo-hee grabbed Baek Ha-na's wrist—who was sitting next to Yoon I-seul, seemingly lost in thought—and exited the hotel bus.
"Ha-na, this way."
"Yeah... ."
The students moved sluggishly like undead, so Nam Seo-hee had no trouble boarding the elevator alone with Baek Ha-na.
Ding—
Baek Ha-na stepped out into the hallway with the elevator's now-familiar chime, opened her room door, went inside, and briskly changed her clothes.
"Ha-na. Are you done changing?"
"Yeah... ."
At Baek Ha-na's long, drawn-out voice coming from inside the room, Nam Seo-hee cracked the door open. Then she let out a sigh of relief.
She had worried Ha-na might still be sitting there dazedly, lost in thoughts of the black coat, but through the half-open door, she could see Baek Ha-na had changed into comfortable casual wear.
"Pajamas?"
"Packed 'em."
Grinning, Ha-na lifted the small paper bag she'd placed on the bed.
'Urk... .'
Her friend's smile was so dazzling that Nam Seo-hee briefly turned her head away, clutching at her left chest and letting out a small groan. Honestly, maybe Ha-na wasn't a wolf, but a fox.
Holding that thought with complete seriousness, Nam Seo-hee opened the door wide.
"...Shall we go?"
"Ah, yeah. Let's go."
The two gathered their things and slipped out of the room before the rest of their group returned.
·
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"Quick, quick, get in!!"
Baek Ha-na and Nam Seo-hee, who had secretly taken the stairs to the room Maria and her friends were using, were dragged inside almost as if kidnapped, pulled by Idni who yanked the door open roughly.
"Hand it over!! Hurry up, hand it over, you bitch!!"
"Just... hold on... you fu... ."
Smack──!!
A sound even sharper than usual exploded from Idni's back.
Just before Nam Seo-hee, with Idni clinging and groping her, could spit out a curse, Maria had approached quietly and smacked Idni's back as she always did.
"Come in, quickly. I've got all the snacks ready too."
"...Okay."
Maria and Nam Seo-hee let out silent screams and lightly ignored Idni, who was kneeling in front of the entrance writhing and twisting her body, stepping further inside. Baek Ha-na smiled awkwardly and followed the two in.
"Where are Na-young and Yeon-ju?"
At Baek Ha-na's question, Maria, who had just sat down on the sofa, pointed toward one of the bedrooms.
"Passed out... I suppose you could say?"
"Passed out? Did something happen?"
At such pure worry, Maria covered her mouth and laughed.
"Fufu, something happened. Yes, a very big thing happened. So come quickly and sit down, won't you?"
"Huh? Ah, yeah... ."
Under Maria's gaze, which looked at her the way one might look at a troublemaking Idni, Baek Ha-na hurriedly sat on the sofa.
"...But why has Chirpy been staring at that thing like that for a while now?"
Normally, the Fairy would have come out chirp-chirping to greet her, so seeing it sitting on the table staring fixedly at a smartphone naturally piqued her curiosity.
"Seo-hee will tell you about that. Right?"
"......?"
At Maria's answer, Baek Ha-na blinked and tilted her head, looking at Nam Seo-hee who had by now come to sit beside her.
"...First, watch this."
Nam Seo-hee entered their group chat, followed the link Maria had posted, and played the ten-second video.
"Hehe... so cool... ."
Baek Ha-na giggled, saying that seeing the scene she'd witnessed with her own eyes again through the video felt new, and replayed the clip once more.
"S-so, are you okay...?"
"Huh? About what?"
When Nam Seo-hee cautiously asked at the sight of Baek Ha-na enjoying the video so normally, Baek Ha-na's head tilted slightly askew.
"The video of the professor... spreading around...?"
Contrary to the cold exterior she presented, Baek Ha-na was actually among the most lenient people in the academy. As long as it didn't involve anything related to Baek Woo-jin, that is. Knowing that fact left Nam Seo-hee no choice but to be extremely careful. But contrary to her worries, Baek Ha-na didn't look the least bit angry.
"Yeah. It's fine. I figured someone would film it and upload it."
Of course, she'd agonized over it at first. The thought that her private moments with him might disappear made a spot in her chest ache. But she'd soon been able to change her mind.
'I'm the only one who can take Woo-jin's glasses off... .'
She still remembered.
The night of the day she turned twenty.
The sight of that person sitting in the study chair, scribbling something.
-I want to see you without your glasses.
Seven years—no, eight years they'd spent together, and she'd never once seen his bare face. So she had asked. As a gift for turning twenty, please take off your glasses.
To that request, he had answered clearly.
Quite a modest request for all the buildup... .
Without even knowing what she'd been feeling back then.
-Are you sick? You're feverish. And your pulse is excessively fast... .
"Gah! Gah!!"
"......?"
When Baek Ha-na suddenly shouted and flailed her hands, Nam Seo-hee and Maria blinked blankly.
"Ha-na? What's wrong?"
"N-no, nothing... it's nothing... yeah... ."
At Nam Seo-hee's question, Baek Ha-na smiled awkwardly and shook her head.
The face of that person she'd seen the day she turned twenty was far, far more handsome than anything she'd imagined since she was little.
Thanks to that, her heart had pounded and her face had flushed bright red as she looked at his face backed by the window. And then her own actions—fleeing in shock when he'd casually pressed his forehead to hers to check if she'd caught a cold.
'Th-this isn't the point!!'
Baek Ha-na shook her head vigorously at the embarrassing memory that had resurfaced unbidden.
What came after was the important part.
-...Don't take your glasses off in front of other people.
She'd fled, but then slipped back to leave those words.
He hadn't answered, of course. But she took that as affirmation. Because that person was someone who would say no if he disliked something. And hadn't he taken off the glasses he'd never removed, just for today!
"...Eheh."
"What's with her?"
"Who knows... ."
Nam Seo-hee and Maria had no choice but to watch Baek Ha-na giggling to herself for quite a while.
**
Using the Queen's ability, I was able to return to the hotel without any trouble.
I passed quietly through the unusually bustling lobby and used the elevator to get back to my room.
"Oh, you've returned."
As I was changing my shoes, I turned my head at the slightly shy voice from beside me.
Claire, wearing a simple, pure white dress without any ornate decorations, slowly approached.
Close enough that the slightest movement would bring our bodies into contact.
Her hands clasped below, she kept stealing glances up at me. Her expectant behavior made me chuckle. I knew what kind of conversation she'd had with Baek Ha-na that day, so I moved to meet her expectations.
"Nn... ."
Carefully, I reached my arm behind her, wrapping it around Claire's waist and pulling her into my chest.
The elegant curve of her waist settled naturally.
I leaned my face closer to hers as she looked up at me, her face flushed bright red.
"I didn't know you were fond of dancing. I'll take you along next time."
"I'm not fond of it... ."
Her hands demurely gathered over her chest, she subtly avoided my eyes and her lips fluttered.
"It's just... if it's with you, Woo-jin... I'd like it... ."
"I see."
I lifted my face slightly away from hers.
"I'd appreciate it if you helped me take this off now."
"...You must promise to dance with me first."
"If that's what you want."
I pressed my lips lightly to the golden hair that fell neatly, covering her forehead.
"Would you do me the honor of a single dance."
"...Gladly."
Her pure white hand slowly reached toward my face.