The Night Before the Field Trip
It was the night before the field trip. I had slipped out of the dormitory to breathe in the cool night air.
“Hey, we’re finally going on a trip after so long. Aren’t you pumped?”
“I’m gonna stare at all the pretty noonas the whole time. You in?”
“Deal. But you’re handling the flirting.”
With the field trip starting tomorrow, excited voices filled the park as students lounged on benches. Cherry blossoms were in full bloom all around us. This was exactly the season when countless couples formed at Elphon Academy. Spring made hearts restless, and a confession beneath the falling petals always set the perfect mood.
I scanned my surroundings. A couple on a nearby bench was already lost in their own world.
“Kiss me, babe.”
“Stop it, you’re embarrassing me.”
Plenty of students were already acting like that. Officially, romance was forbidden, but plenty of couples snuck around. As long as they didn’t get caught, it was fine.
Maybe I should head back in. I’d walked the park once already and was about to turn around when I spotted a boy and girl standing right in front of me. In the distance, Cha Jiyun and Radeon watched the pair.
“Um… Hayeon?”
“Yeah? What’s up? Why did you suddenly want to meet at this hour?”
Jeong Hayeon wore an innocent, wide-eyed expression.
“Well… it’s just that…” The boy fidgeted, struggling to get the words out.
“What? Are you sick, Hojin?” She stepped closer, concerned.
“No, I’m not sick.”
“That’s a relief. I was really worried.”
“I… I l-like…”
“Like? Like what?”
“So… will you go out with me? I fell for you the moment I saw you when we entered the academy.”
With trembling hands, he held out a bouquet of roses.
“Ah…” Her eyes began to shake violently. She glanced sideways at Radeon, but his expression remained completely indifferent, as if the scene had nothing to do with him. He simply stared blankly at Cha Jiyun’s face.
“Haa.” Jeong Hayeon let out a small sigh.
“Do you… hate me?” The boy flinched at the sound.
“Ah! No, it’s not that. It’s not because of you, Hojin. You’re a really good person. A good person, but…”
A good person. One of the most common lines girls used when turning down confessions. The rest was painfully predictable.
“I’m sorry, but my situation doesn’t really allow me the luxury of dating anyone right now…”
“I… I see.” His face crumpled in despair.
“You really are a good person, Hojin! But I don’t have the emotional bandwidth to share feelings with anyone. I’m sorry.”
“Is there… someone you like?”
“Huh?” Hayeon looked startled.
“I just thought maybe you already had feelings for someone and I was being clueless by confessing…”
“Come on, where would I find the time to like someone?”
She snuck a glance at Radeon in the distance. He was still gazing at Cha Jiyun with a dazed look. Her teeth clenched with a soft crack, but she quickly recovered her smile.
“There’s no one I like. It’s really just my situation. I’m sorry, Hojin.”
“No, why are you apologizing? I’m the one who wasted your time.”
Hojin trudged away with heavy steps.
“Dude, Hayeon just set another record.”
The students who had been watching from a distant bench started chattering.
“It hasn’t even been that long since the semester started, and that’s already her fifth confession, right?”
“All-time record. Does she actually like someone?”
“Idiot. If Hayeon liked someone, they’d already be dating. Who would turn her down?”
“True.”
“But why doesn’t anyone confess to Cha Jiyun?”
“Are you stupid? It’s obvious she’d reject them, so no one even tries.”
I sighed. Time to go back and sleep. I headed straight to the dormitory and collapsed onto my bed.
The next day, I washed up quickly and headed straight to the sports field. Several large buses were already lined up. I hurried onto the one marked [Seoul]. The inside was already packed with students.
“The last student has boarded. Closing the doors now.”
With a mechanical hiss, the doors shut. I looked around for an empty seat. Normally, loners like me followed the unwritten rule of sitting next to the teacher. But when I turned that way, someone was already there.
What the—? Why is someone so popular sitting there?
It was Jeong Hanna. She sat with an English vocabulary book open, studying intently. She came all the way out here just to study? That’s hardcore. Even the teacher beside her tilted his head in confusion.
“…Hanna?”
“Yes?”
“Today is the field trip. Wouldn’t it be better to spend time with your friends and have fun?”
“I haven’t finished today’s required quota yet.”
“Well… wouldn’t it be okay to make some memories with your friends for one day?”
“Breaking a rule is always hardest the first time. Once you do, it’s like a horse that’s slipped its reins. One time becomes two, then three. It happens fast.”
“…I understand, Miss Hanna.”
“Thank you.”
She returned her gaze to the vocabulary book. The teacher shook his head with a weary expression, as if he’d given up. I simply picked a random empty seat and sat down.
The bus reached Seoul before long.
“Alright, everyone off here.”
Students poured out of the bus in a steady stream.
“Hello, teacher.”
A woman walked toward us from a distance. She wore a sharp black suit. The teacher bowed politely. Once she stood before the students, the chatter began.
“Who is she?”
“She looks familiar…”
“Wait! Isn’t that Jin Hyewon? The rising star of the number one guild, Crystal?”
“Yeah, that’s why she looked familiar.”
Jin Hyewon smiled softly. “Some of you recognize me, others don’t. To keep it simple, my name is Jin Hyewon, and I belong to the Crystal Guild.”
The teacher bowed again. “She’ll be guiding your guild experience today, so please follow her instructions. I’ll take my leave now.”
“Thank you.”
Jin Hyewon watched the teacher walk away. Once he was out of sight, her lips curved into a sly grin.
“Kids.”
The sudden casual tone left the students visibly flustered.
“Be honest. You all hate this, right? Coming all the way out here for the same tired ‘experiences’ and ‘activities.’”
She shrugged. “So just do whatever you want. As long as you’re back here by 8 p.m., you’re free. Simple, right?”
The students’ eyes sparkled instantly.
“Great. Dismissed!”
“Whoa!”
They scattered in groups of three or five. Jin Hyewon stretched with a big yawn. “Ugh, I’m exhausted. Time to go sleep.”
She had never cared about the students in the first place; she was simply tired. I kept staring at her. She must have felt my gaze because she turned toward me.
“Hm? Why aren’t you leaving?” Her eyelids were already drooping.
“If something unexpected happens, who should we contact?”
“Ah… I forgot to mention that.”
She gave me her number. “Just text me at 010-XXXX-XXXX.”
“Thank you.”
“All set? Have fun. Yaaawn—”
She climbed into her parked car and was out cold in seconds. I spotted Jeong Hayeon, Radeon, and Cha Jiyun at a nearby café and headed inside. The bell above the door chimed softly. I chose a seat far enough away that the three of them wouldn’t notice me.
“…I’ll visit the restroom for a moment.”
“Sure. Take your time, Jiyun.”
That left only Radeon and Jeong Hayeon at the table. Hayeon kept fidgeting with her fingers before finally speaking.
“Hey, Deon?”
“Yeah?”
“You mentioned you really like that Beethoven play last time.”
“I do. Why the sudden question?”
She rummaged through her bag and pulled something out. “So I booked three tickets. For today. It would be perfect if the three of us—you, me, and Jiyun—went together. What do you think?”
“Whoa, those were sold out. How did you manage to get them?”
“I refreshed like crazy. The seats were nearly impossible to snag.”
“I’d love to see it, but… it might be difficult.”
“Why? We can all go together. Is something worrying you?”
“Actually, I reserved a seafood buffet that Jiyun loves for tonight.”
“But… you don’t even like seafood.”
“Hey, I have to earn points with Jiyun somehow. Right, Hayeon?”
“…Yeah?”
“You know how much I like Jiyun, don’t you?”
She nodded silently.
“You two are really close. Can you help me win her over?”
She couldn’t even bring herself to nod this time.
“Hayeon?”
At that moment, Cha Jiyun returned. “Did something happen?”
“No, nothing at all.”
“Then why…” Cha Jiyun looked at Jeong Hayeon, whose face looked ready to crumble into tears at any second.
“It’s nothing. Just some dust in my eye. I’ll step outside for some air.”
Jeong Hayeon hurried out. I followed her.
In the original story, Jeong Hayeon was destined to contract with one of the highest-ranking demonic beings. After forming that contract, she would kill Radeon—the protagonist of this world. There was only one reason she made that contract.
Radeon would never look at her. He would only ever have eyes for Cha Jiyun. That would plunge her into a deep, crushing inferiority complex. The Demon King would exploit that wound and offer her a deal: the power to seduce him. The demon in question had a long, bitter grudge against the Greville family. Contracting with her was the perfect way to wipe out every son of that bloodline.
I had to stop it. No matter what.
I approached Jeong Hayeon as she wiped away her tears outside. She sensed me and turned around.
“Oh? Doyun? What’s up?”
“……You.” My voice was ice-cold. “You like Radeon, don’t you?”
“Wh-what are you talking about?” Her eyes shook like there was an earthquake behind them.
“You already know it. That he has zero interest in you.”
“Doyun… stop.” She forced a smile.
Just a little more and that mask would shatter. But I had no choice. I had to prevent her from killing Radeon.
“Radeon is going to keep liking only Cha Jiyun. He won’t spare you a single glance.”
Her eyes turned terrifyingly cold.
“Hey.” Her voice dropped to a frigid tone that barely sounded like her own. “Don’t spout bullshit. What the hell would you know? You’re not even worth shit.”