Empty Promise
Empty Promise
After Baek Woo-jin left.
"What the hell? Seriously, what was that?"
"Is this that noob buff thing or whatever?"
"What were we, some grizzled veterans from the first lecture?"
Im Gyeong-su and the other four stared at the board where the lecture content remained intact, their confusion written plainly on their faces even after the lecture had ended.
"Hey, let me see your notes. I blinked a few times in the middle, so let's check if I missed anything."
"He's not planning to filter people out again, is he?"
"...I'd say it's entirely possible. Back in our class, he recruited up to a hundred extra and still started pruning from the second lecture."
"Ha... Anyone free on Thursday? Let's work on the assignment together."
"My classes end at two."
And contrary to Baek Woo-jin's intentions, the students grew even more anxious at the loosened leash and were trying to tighten it themselves.
"Eek, do we get kicked out of the lecture if we don't finish the assignment?"
"I heard he said something like that at the entrance ceremony, but I'm not sure."
Yoon I-seul shrugged, glancing at Jane Moore's notebook, which was more a collection of drawings than notes.
"The point is to just perfectly complete the assignment he gave us. I don't see why we need to worry so much about it."
"Y-you'll help me, right?"
"We'll see how you do. Still, a promise is a promise, so I'll show you my notes."
"Ugh...."
As Yoon I-seul held out her notes, Jane Moore pouted and pulled out her smartphone, saving them as a photo labeled 'Ha-naHa-na'.
Click.
Just then, Na Yeon-ju entered, closing the lecture room door behind her. The students' attention naturally shifted to her, but the person in question just giggled sheepishly and scurried back to her seat.
"What's with this chick?"
"Don't call your junior 'chick' like that."
"Look, she's completely lost it, I'm just saying it how it is."
How could they not be weirded out? Their cute youngest friend, their only junior, was grinning with a blissed-out expression that was downright unsettling.
"Hey, hey, Na Yeon-ju, snap out of it."
"Ah...!!"
When Idni shook her shoulder hard, the dazed Na Yeon-ju's eyes flew wide open as she came to her senses.
"What is it? What did the professor say that's got you so out of it?"
"Ah, it's, um... I, I told him th-thank you for buying the car... that's what I did...."
"Car? Wait, you mean the one from back then?"
"Hehe... yeah."
Na Yeon-ju fidgeted with her fingers under the desk and murmured.
"High Priestess Lee Ye-sol told me that Professor Baek said I could get whatever I wanted... that's what she said...."
"Holy shit, I'm so jealous."
She said that, but in truth, Idni wasn't that envious of Na Yeon-ju.
'If the professor's going to ride in a car, it has to be at least that nice.'
And from now on, she'd be riding in that car too whenever they went somewhere, wouldn't she?
Just thinking about the more comfortable, smoother ride was enough to put Idni in a good mood.
"But you went to say thank you, so why are you sitting there all dopey?"
"Ah, that's about lunch...."
"Lunch?"
Under the pressure of Idni's stare urging her to answer quickly, Na Yeon-ju gulped and carefully opened her mouth again.
"I was thinking about eating like a king... and he, hehe... I got all happy...."
"Anyone listening would think we starve you."
"Hehe~"
As Idni snorted and poked her cheek, Na Yeon-ju quickly grinned and rubbed her head against Idni's shoulder, acting cute.
"Hey, hey, you're gross, get off."
"Yesh!"
Na Yeon-ju laughed playfully and quickly pulled away from Idni's shoving hands. Then, as she naturally packed her things, she let out an internal sigh of relief.
'Watch your mouth, watch your mouth....'
Na Yeon-ju resolved to be even more careful with her words from now on to avoid stirring up any unnecessary controversy.
And a little time later.
"Did everyone finish taking notes?"
Baek Ha-na stood up from her seat and looked around at the students.
"I'm done."
"Yeah, we're done too."
Idni and Im Gyeong-su answered.
"We are finished as well."
"Yes. All done."
Yoon I-seul and the newly joined apprentice cleric of the Goddess of Benevolence answered.
"Then I'll erase it. Great work, everyone."
As Baek Ha-na stood to erase the board, Im Gyeong-su and the other original members were the first to get up, eager to eat lunch as soon as possible and get some rest.
Yoon I-seul, who had gotten up at around the same time, approached Baek Ha-na and called her name.
"Ha-na?"
"Yes?"
Baek Ha-na, who had been looking for a step stool to reach the higher parts, turned her head.
"Let me help you."
"Oh, thank you."
Baek Ha-na didn't refuse Yoon I-seul's kindness and readily handed over the eraser.
Whoosh.
A tendril of shadow extending from beneath Yoon I-seul wrapped around the eraser and meticulously wiped the board from top to bottom, end to end.
"If you don't mind, would you like to have lunch together to get better acquainted? I still have things to discuss regarding the Disciplinary Committee."
"Ah, I'll go ask them real quick."
Baek Ha-na excused herself from Yoon I-seul for a moment and went over to her friends who were waiting for her.
"My senior wants to have lunch together. Is that okay?"
"I don't particularl-mmph...!!"
"......?"
Baek Ha-na tilted her head at Maria's sudden move to cover Idni's mouth. Maria calmly subdued the struggling, muffled Idni and answered.
"We're fine with it."
"Really? Yeon-ju, what about you?"
"Ah, I'm good with anything if I'm with you guys!!"
Na Yeon-ju, already holding Baek Ha-na's bag, answered with sparkling eyes. Baek Ha-na smiled faintly and nodded.
"Seo-hee and Na-young?"
"I-I'm okay too."
"...Well, if you're okay with it, Ha-na."
"Okay. I'll go tell her then."
Since no one objected (?), Baek Ha-na walked back to Yoon I-seul with a light step.
"Pwah~! Hey!! I was suffocating, I almost died!!"
"Quit exaggerating."
"You crazy... No, more importantly, I said I don't want to?"
As Idni fumed and argued, Maria let out a small sigh.
"So do I. But did you forget our promise?"
"Promise? What prom... Ah."
In exchange for getting the cave spot, they'd agreed to set up a meal with Baek Ha-na naturally over the weekend. But because Jane Moore's identity was revealed sooner than expected, they'd settled on just arranging one meal, no need to wait for the weekend.
"Now that you remember, don't make it so obvious you hate it."
"...We didn't even get any benefit from that spot, so we totally got scammed. Damn."
At Idni's grumbling, Lee Na-young and Na Yeon-ju could only laugh awkwardly and hope that Baek Ha-na would return quickly.
"...Hey."
"......?"
The fuming Idni turned her head at the voice coming from behind her and blinked at the sight of the shockingly red hair that stood out no matter where she was.
"Na Ju-hee?"
"......Hi."
Perhaps because she herself found this situation awkward.
Na Ju-hee's pale face gradually flushed red.
Watching this, Idni let out a small gasp of admiration and murmured under her breath.
"They say fire magic is her specialty, but she's spontaneously combusting without even using mana."
Whoosh──!!
She hadn't meant to tease, but they were standing so close that Na Ju-hee overheard Idni's every murmur. A deep, fiery blush bloomed across her face.
"Wh-wh-what are you saying?!"
Then, with a sudden outburst, she fled the lecture room as if fleeing.
"Nice."
"What? What is it? I didn't do anything?"
Idni blinked, completely lost as to why Nam Seo-hee was patting her shoulder and giving her a thumbs up.
-Guys, let's go eat.
"Let's go."
"Good grief, what a weirdo."
Idni looked genuinely baffled as she was led away by Maria's hand.
**
[ Cafe Private Room ]
After a frugal lunch at the student cafeteria, the whole group moved to the cafe in the main building at Yoon I-seul's suggestion.
"I'll enjoy this."
"Hehe, if it's not enough, don't be shy and order as much as you want."
"Ah, no, this is plenty...."
"As. Much. As. You. Want. Order it."
"...Then I'll have the tiramisu."
Her cheeks slightly flushed, Baek Ha-na manipulated the electronic menu board to order a few more desserts. And before long, the desserts were delivered through the small elevator installed in the room.
"Mmm~"
Baek Ha-na wore an utterly blissful smile at the single slice of cake.
"Get it packed up before the afternoon lecture and take it to your dorm."
"Ah, that-that's really too much...."
"I have lots of money."
"...I'll gratefully accept and enjoy it."
Not even realizing she was being trained with food, Baek Ha-na simply savored the cake with a happy smile.
"Well then, since you all already know about me, I'll skip that. This is Jane Moore, who'll be living with us for a year as an exchange student."
"I'm Jane Moore!! Nice to meet you all!!"
Jane Moore sprang up from her seat and bowed deeply to everyone.
"I was totally shocked when I lost to Ha-na!! To think there's someone stronger than me!! That's why I came here!! Please take good care of me!!"
"Uh... I-I look forward to working with you."
We're in different grades, so what's there to look forward to?
Baek Ha-na didn't voice the question, instead clasping Jane Moore's hand as it was thrust out for a handshake.
"Ha-na's friends, please take care of me too!! Let's be friends!!"
"Ah, um, y-yes...!!"
"A blonde sister... so dark...."
Lee Na-young and Na Yeon-ju couldn't bring themselves to refuse Jane Moore's assertive advances and just grabbed her hand.
"Hehe, I'm very pleased to meet you."
"......Hmph."
"......."
Whatever their true feelings, the remaining three also accepted Jane Moore's handshake for the time being.
"Jane? I've now let you greet everyone as promised, so please be quiet for a moment."
"Ah, okay!!"
Jane Moore, who had shot up, quickly sat back down beside Yoon I-seul.
"Hmm, you said you have a lecture at two... so I'll keep this as brief as possible."
Yoon I-seul concisely boiled things down to the essentials, calmly explaining the duties of a Disciplinary Committee member and the benefits that came with them.
"Once on a weekday. A patrol of the Academy grounds with the duty professor from seven in the evening until midnight. And once every two months. A patrol to the other campus over the weekend. There are other minor tasks, but Miss Ha-na, you'd only need to fulfill these two."
"Hmm...."
The first was fine, but the second gave Baek Ha-na pause.
"And if you agree to become a Disciplinary Committee member, Miss Ha-na, I'll immediately promote you to head of the department. For your reference, this isn't an overreach of my authority; all existing committee members have already agreed to it, so you needn't worry about that."
"Yeees...."
Baek Ha-na nodded once, her expression exceptionally ambivalent.
Her heart was already halfway gone, just at the thought of having to invest her weekends.
And the perceptive Yoon I-seul was likewise already well aware that Baek Ha-na had lost interest in the Disciplinary Committee.
"Before I go over the benefits, let me tell you one more thing."
"......?"
Self-conscious, Baek Ha-na had been picking at the remaining cake. She lifted her head.
"At the ceremony, from my bet with Professor Baek, the professor agreed to grant one thing you wished for."
"Ah...."
She'd gone through so many tremendous things at the closing ceremony party that she'd completely forgotten about it.
"Currently, the Head Professor position for the Disciplinary Committee is vacant. If you do join the committee, Miss Ha-na, I will use my wish from the bet to ask Professor Baek to become the Head Professor of the Disciplinary Committee."
"...I don't think he'd do it."
Knowing Baek Woo-jin's personality better than anyone, Baek Ha-na didn't think he'd take on such a bothersome role.
"I'll work something out on that end. I am the Student Council President, after all. And if Professor Baek does become the Head Professor, I'll pull some strings to make absolutely sure your schedule lines up so you can patrol with him."
"......!!"
She could spend time with him on a weekday... until midnight?
"Th-that, uh...."
"I will make it happen. I promise."
Her blue eyes wavered greatly.
Yoon I-seul didn't miss that opening. She stood up, gently clasped Baek Ha-na's soft hands, and cast the final lure.
"Weekends too, if you want."
"I-I'll do it...."