The Squint-Eyed Character's Exam Prep (3)
The next day.
"You... you that..."
Kim Gabyul spoke in a trembling voice.
"Yes? What's the matter?"
"No, nothing... It's nothing."
?
Kim Gabyul trudged back to her seat. She pretended to look at her book for a moment, then planted her forehead against the pages and slumped over the desk.
She had spoken in that shaky voice. He could not begin to understand what had suddenly come over her. Maybe she was just not feeling well today?
"Um... are you all right?"
"I'm fine, fine... I just want to be alone, so could you go away for a bit?"
"Mm... all right, then."
He had no idea what was going on, but she clearly wanted to be left alone.
"Is Gabyul not feeling well?"
Lee Ye-rin watched Kim Gabyul keep her head buried in the desk all morning and spoke with concern.
"It seems that way. She's been like this since first thing this morning."
"Is that so... Wait—?"
Lee Ye-rin pointed at the ring on his hand and let out a startled sound.
"That—what's that? A ring?"
"Ah, this ring? Isn't it incredibly pretty?"
"Yeah, it is pretty, but... it's on your ring finger...? Then what about Gabyul..."
Lee Ye-rin glanced back and forth between him and Kim Gabyul with a grave expression, muttering under her breath.
"Is something the matter?"
"Huh? Ah~ no! Nothing like that!"
Lee Ye-rin forced a smile.
"Th-then I'll be going!"
"Ah, yes."
"What's going on?"
The sudden commotion drew Hwang Ju-hyeon's interest; he wandered over. That stopped Lee Ye-rin just as she was trying to leave.
"We were talking about the ring."
Lee Ye-rin sighed and explained the topic of their conversation to Hwang Ju-hyeon.
"A ring? Now that you mention it..."
Hwang Ju-hyeon examined the ring closely.
"Looks seriously high-class. Who gave it to you?"
"Nothing special. Just someone I know."
"You wear a ring from 'someone you know' on your ring finger?"
Hwang Ju-hyeon looked at him with an amused expression.
"Is there something strange about wearing it on the ring finger? Don't people usually wear rings on the ring finger?"
Hwang Ju-hyeon rubbed his chin.
"Yeah, people usually wear rings on the ring finger... but that's for wedding rings and stuff, right?"
What? So that was it? Come to think of it, wedding rings and engagement rings did tend to go on the ring finger.
"Eh, that doesn't really matter. What matters is how the person gave you the ring, doesn't it?"
Hwang Ju-hyeon lifted the finger that had been stroking his chin and grinned.
"Hmm, how they gave it... I just remember them handing it over."
"And you put it on your ring finger?"
Lee Ye-rin, who had been quiet, could no longer contain her curiosity.
"That's right."
"What was their reaction? How did they react?"
This time Hwang Ju-hyeon asked.
"They just smiled."
The moment he answered, Lee Ye-rin jumped in with the next question.
"Was the person who gave it a woman?"
"Yes, it was a woman."
"Huk."
"Is she pretty?"
"Aah!"
"Ack!"
The instant they heard it was a woman, Lee Ye-rin clapped a hand over her mouth and Hwang Ju-hyeon opened his. Then he immediately took a smack to the head from Lee Ye-rin.
"At this rate my grades are going to tank from all the hits to the head—what are you trying to do?!"
Hwang Ju-hyeon rubbed the spot where he had been struck and fumed.
"Your grades are already rock bottom—how much lower can they go? Behh~"
Lee Ye-rin stuck her tongue out at him in a full meh-meh and bolted.
"That little...! Haa... Hey, Baek Sejin—so is she pretty?"
"If you're asking whether the person who gave me the ring was pretty... yes. She was pretty...?"
That was a firm answer. Lee Seon-hee truly was beautiful.
He pictured her. Navy-blue hair that called to mind the night sky, and dark eyes. A full figure with a slender waist, porcelain skin, and a lovely face. She was undeniably beautiful, yet somehow he felt no particular pull toward her. Maybe the age gap was simply too large.
"Hoo, okay. Then I'm off to catch Lee Ye-rin. Have a nice love life!"
Hwang Ju-hyeon sprinted down the hallway after the fleeing girl. Baek Sejin had no idea what that last remark was supposed to mean.
"Youth, I suppose."
He murmured it quietly and returned to his seat.
Hm?
Kim Gabyul, who had been slumped over her desk only moments earlier, was nowhere to be seen.
Why do I feel like this?
Even she herself could not explain how low her spirits had sunk. Her reflection stared back from the mirror. Gabriel was nowhere in sight—she had not materialized, after all. Only Gabyul could see her.
The girl in the mirror had her eyes brimming with tears and a scowl on her face, as if the whole world had wronged her.
"Haa..."
She sighed and wiped her tears with her sleeve. The fabric grew damp and heavy with them.
Why am I crying? What am I even doing here in the first place? Hiding in the bathroom like this—what difference does it make? In the end, nothing changes.
If only he had come sooner. Then she never would have learned that the person who gave Baek Sejin the ring was a woman. She never would have needed that confirmation.
That's enough—cheer up. For all you know, they might not even be in love.
Gabriel patted her on the head.
"But... putting it on the ring finger already means..."
You don't know that for certain. Why not just ask him directly?
Gabriel offered the suggestion, but it did not really land. How was she supposed to ask? Do you happen to have someone you love? Like that? Or maybe What kind of relationship do you have with the person who gave you this ring?
What right did she even have?
She and he were nothing to each other. They were close, yes. But that was all. There was no deeper connection between her and Baek Sejin.
The fact that she was even standing here like this was ridiculous. They were nothing special to each other—so why was she tormenting herself alone? She had never once thought she liked him, either. So why did her chest feel so heavy?
"Huu..."
She sighed and stepped out of the restroom. When she entered the classroom, Baek Sejin greeted her as usual.
"No sparring today...? Eh? Don't tell me you were crying?"
He asked with genuine concern. Their eyes met. The gaze that always met hers so warmly—when he opened his eyes a little wider, clear sky-blue irises appeared.
Unconsciously her gaze dropped to his hand. A masculine yet elegant hand, and on the ring finger an exquisitely made ring. Looking at it made her mood plummet all over again.
She should stop sparring with him from now on. If his girlfriend ever saw them together, it would only make things difficult for him.
"...Let's stop sparring. I have a conscience too."
"Pardon? A conscience?"
Baek Sejin furrowed his brow as if he could not follow.
"If that person sees me with you, you're the only one who'll have a hard time."
"That person? What on earth are you talking about?"
...Did he still think she did not know?
"I know everything I need to know. That ring. You got it from your lover, didn't you?"
"...Lover?"
He kept his brow furrowed, crossed his arms, and stroked his chin. Then he raised his hand and looked at the ring.
"Ah—did you think this ring was given to me by a lover?"
He said it with a smile.
"Isn't it?"
"Hahahaha!"
He could not hold it in and burst out laughing. She could only stand there blankly, unable to make sense of the situation.
"Haha, this ring was not given to me by a lover. I do not even have a lover in the first place."
See? Didn't I tell you it wasn't?
Ah. So it was not from a lover. Without realizing it, she pressed a hand to her chest in relief.
"...Then who did give you that ring?"
"Mm, shall we head to the training room first? It is a rather confidential story."
He led her to the training room. There were cameras here, but they would not pick up sound.
Once they stepped into a private training room, she spoke.
"So who gave you that ring?"
Kim Gabyul, now completely recovered and bold, asked straight out. Remembering how utterly dejected she had looked when she first entered the classroom that morning, he could not keep the laughter down.
So the reason she had been face-down on her desk since morning was because he had worn the ring on his ring finger.
"Hahaha! Hahahaha!"
"Don't laugh!"
She squeezed her eyes shut and shouted, face flushed red.
"Ah, I am sorry. It just keeps—hup—coming out."
"You... hiiyaaak!"
Kim Gabyul muttered something that did not quite form words, then covered her eyes with both hands and made a strange noise. He had never known she had this side to her. It was thoroughly entertaining. And cute.
"So who gave it to you alreadyyy!"
Now she was getting angry. She still had her hands over her eyes, hiding her face.
"Since you are so curious... I suppose I have no choice but to tell you. It was the principal."
"The principal...?"
Kim Gabyul took her hands away from her face and looked up at him.
"That is correct. The principal herself gave me the ring."
"If it's the principal, then Lee Seon-hee... why would she give you a ring?"
He told her everything that had happened the day before.
"Kang Ye-eun... one of the people who attacked the academy back then, right?"
Kim Gabyul murmured quietly. Come to think of it, the two of them had gone out together to hunt down the black mages who had invaded the academy with monsters. Two students charging off to catch black mages who had assaulted the entire academy—on the surface it looked like pure recklessness. In reality the enemy's strength had already been fully assessed, and the students had simply been put out front to gain experience. There had probably been several powerful people watching over them the whole time. Only he and Kim Gabyul had failed to sense them. With the training he had now, he probably would have felt their presence.
"If the principal is saying that much... then yeah, we really do need to prepare. I'll tell Ha-seung unnie about it for now."
Kim Gabyul nodded as she spoke.
"Understood. Then... shall we spar now?"
"Hold on."
Kim Gabyul stepped up to him and pulled the ring off his finger. The moment it left his hand, the ring rapidly expanded in size. She slid the now-large ring onto his middle finger. Then, wearing a thoroughly satisfied expression, she drew her sword.
He had no idea why she had suddenly done that. Well, if it made her happy, that was fine.