Student Council President Moon Sulin (2)
An unfamiliar ceiling.
When I opened my eyes, all I could see was pitch-black darkness. The faint light filtering through a tiny window told me this was underground.
No, that's not it.
As my mind cleared a bit and I felt the sensation on my skin, I realized crusted blood was just covering my eyelids. But my body still throbbed with pain, making it hard to move. Was this what it meant to have not a scrap of strength left? My mind was alert, but it was like sleep paralysis—I couldn't budge at all.
Right before Sulin noona arrived to save me, I'd been moving purely on willpower. The cause was probably my special perk, Clear Mentality, combined with my high natural healing ability. Without those two, I'd have been dead for real. I never could have held out until Sulin noona got there.
Still, one reassuring thing was the bright light I could now see. Escaping that opaque, mind-breaking, lore-destroying barrier was satisfaction enough. Who the hell even invented something like that? It wasn't in the original story, so I'd have to think seriously about it later.
Gradually, my body awakened, and sensation returned. That's when I noticed the sobbing nearby.
- Hic, heeing...
- D-don't cry, Lucy... hic.
...What the hell.
The first voices I heard were from the Lucy-Lumi twins. Or rather, not voices—sniffling sobs. They must have been sad because I was hurt. I wanted to comfort them, but my body still wouldn't cooperate. I quickly checked my condition.
The fatigue and strain throughout my body lingered, but the mana I'd naturally absorbed while escaping the barrier was still plentiful. I circulated it through my mana circuits. It would help with recovery, even if just a little.
- F-first, I'll call the medical team right away.
- Y-yeah, hurry!
The twins called for the medical team. Medical team—Baek Ayoung would come too, right? I hoped she'd get here fast. My whole body hurt like hell. As I ran mana through my circuits for emergency treatment, I focused my hearing and caught other voices.
"Thank you so much for saving Hoyeon."
"N-no, lift your head, Da-eun."
Nam Da-eun and Moon Sulin's voices. I had no idea why they were together here... but it seemed Sulin noona hadn't saved me alone.
"No need. Ellis, thank you too. If I offended you earlier, I'm sorry."
"...Okay."
And even Ellis's voice. How the hell had so many heroines gathered? Five of them, no less. This was a first—even two or three together was rare.
I wanted to sit up and see what was going on, but my body still wouldn't listen.
"D-Da-eun. Lift your head now. You worked hard too."
Sulin sounded surprised by Da-eun's gratitude. A scene of mutual thanks and understanding. I couldn't see it, but it sounded beautiful. At least there was no friction between the heroines. Catfights? Hard pass. My harem survival was on the line. The best outcome would be them naturally getting along...
"Da-eun. I have something I want to ask you."
Then Ellis's voice hit my ears. In a very gentle... salesgirl tone.
"...Yes."
"How far have you gone with Hoyeon?"
My heart dropped at Ellis's words. No joke—my body temperature probably dropped a degree. Hold on. Why was she like this? What was her problem? Wait, was she sulking because I hadn't given her a massage? That question didn't fit the conversation flow at all. You were just thanking each other!
Calm down.
It was okay. Luckily, the one she'd asked was Nam Da-eun. Da-eun, who'd do anything for me...
"...? Ellis. What are you talking about? Da-eun and Hoyeon..."
"I don't know why you're curious... but if you are, I can tell you."
"Huh?"
Sulin reacted with bewildered confusion to Da-eun's words.
No, why answer like that...!
Wasn't that the wrong move? You said you'd live for me. Da-eun...!
Even the sniffling from Lucy and Lumi had stopped. They were probably focused on the conversation.
Leave this alone, and I'm screwed.
My instincts were screaming a warning. Even without them, any normal person would know this was dangerous. Five women who liked me, all together. And they weren't fragile flowers—they were powerhouses. This could turn into a real knife fight.
I racked my brain fast. I had to find a way to stop this conversation. Luckily, a method popped into my head that I could execute immediately. No review needed—I went straight for it.
"Cough!"
I manipulated mana to stimulate the nerves behind my uvula. A natural retch followed, and the blood pooled in my mouth spilled out with a light cough, trickling down my cheek. Like a patient coming to with a cough.
"A-are you okay?!"
"Hoyeon-ssi!"
"Hoyeon!"
Success—it drew their attention as intended. My body hurt like shit, but whatever. A day or two of pain, and it'd heal.
*
"... "
She was in the middle of something important, and damn if Lee Ho-yeon didn't wake up right on cue. Ellis frowned at the perfectly timed interruption.
But she couldn't keep going with him awake. The Lucy-Lumi twins and Moon Sulin rushed to him immediately, while Nam Da-eun stared at her blankly, as if daring her to continue. That emotionless face was a little creepy.
Ellis glanced at Da-eun, then at Sulin.
"President."
"Yes. Uh, yes?"
- Medical team!
"...Haa."
Ellis felt like the world was conspiring against her. The timing couldn't be worse. The saintess from earlier was sprinting over with the team. Probably because she'd heard Ho-yeon was hurt—she looked more frantic than before.
In the end, Ellis quietly added one last thing to Sulin.
"...Think carefully."
Baek Ayoung, hair a mess from running, immediately sent warm light into Ho-yeon's chest.
"Ah, ah... Ah. Thank goodness. Thank goodness. D-darling... hic."
Baek Ayoung squeezed her eyes shut and pressed a hand to her chest, calming her startled heart. Direct examination showed no threat to his life. He looked half-dead on the outside, but inside, everything was normal. Extreme fatigue meant he'd need a full day of rest, though.
Only after checking him did she look around. Lucy and Lumi. Moon Sulin. Nam Da-eun. Ellis. The other cadets weren't great either—they'd all burned a ton of mana.
"Medical team, check them one by one. And, huh? E-Ellis. What's wrong with you?!"
Baek Ayoung, directing the scene with practiced ease, widened her eyes at Ellis.
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
What was she on about? Sure, her head ached a little and her body throbbed, but it wasn't that bad.
Thud—
"...Ah."
One step forward, and her legs gave out, dumping her on the spot. Only then did Ellis grasp her condition. Tension released, nausea and dizziness hit hard. Her body was screaming for mana.
"Here! Emergency patient!"
"Saintess! Moon Sulin's not looking good either..."
"This one too!"
"Saintess!"
"...Just transport everyone!"
*
"...Ugh."
Ho-yeon and Ellis were carted off on stretchers. Da-eun and the twins walked with support.
Moon Sulin, watching it all from behind, scratched her head. Maintaining that barrier had taken more out of everyone than expected.
"I hope everyone stays healthy."
Ironically, she—who'd jumped into direct combat—was in the best shape. Baek Ayoung urged her to get checked just in case, but Sulin refused to delay anyone else's turn for herself.
"... "
Once everyone was gone and silence fell, reality sank in for Sulin. It felt like a movie scene wrapping up. The emotions she'd pushed back crashed over her at once.
Today, she'd met her father—turned Mine after ten years—and fought him. She'd watched the man she loved get beaten to the brink of death, barely saving him. And those cryptic words afterward echoed in her ears.
How far have you gone with Hoyeon?
Why had Ellis asked Da-eun that? Of all people, Ellis—from the information guild Iris. Her words carried weight. Maybe there was something between Da-eun and Ho-yeon. Their coincidental dorm exit together fueled the suspicion growing inside her. And Ellis's final warning to think carefully...
Sulin's mind grew more tangled.
Step, step.
Then footsteps interrupted her thoughts.
"...Sulin-ah."
A heavy, middle-aged gait and deep voice, thick with worry for his granddaughter. The chairman's voice—usually grating, but now it made her chest tighten.
"Grandfather."
"Are you alri—Sulin-ah?"
The chairman couldn't hide his shock at her appearance. Her always-confident eyes were red and bloodshot. She'd never shown weakness since growing up, so it startled him even more.
"Grandfather... I saw Dad."
Sulin couldn't hold back the surging emotions. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but sorrow overwhelmed any shame.
"Wh-what? What do you mean, Dad? Sulin-ah?!"
"I-I... I..."
Everything pent up inside her exploded at once. Stress, resentment, loneliness—all her negative emotions erupted.
"...Sulin-ah, come here. Child... Tell me slowly."
Chairman Moon Jae-cheol, excited by "Dad," reined himself in at her state. A fragile child on the verge of breaking.
How did it come to this?
He patted her back slowly, like soothing a little kid.
"D-Dad. Dad... attacked me. He tried to kidnap me... hic..."
"...I see. Child. Take your time."
To keep her vulnerability from prying eyes, Moon Jae-cheol squeezed out mana for a barrier. No one would see her sobbing.