Exposure (17)
Jin Yeseo stared at me without answering. Her emerald eyes blazed with a rather ferocious intensity.
"Ahem. I should get going first… We'll talk later, leader. I'll look into what you asked about…"
"Wait…"
Mu-yeong, who had been cautiously reading the room, vanished into the distance before I could stop him. He moved so quickly there wasn't even time to intervene. I stared blankly in the direction he'd fled before turning back to Jin Yeseo.
Why was this woman so hell-bent on devouring me?
Even though we belonged to opposing factions, given our positions, I'd tried not to harbor any unnecessary hostility. But if she kept this up… I might have to reconsider.
And because of her, the conversation about the Witch I'd been curious about had been postponed yet again. The more I thought about it, the more irritated I became, so I clenched and unclenched my fists while taking several deep breaths. My mood was already at rock bottom after being tormented all morning. I needed to make a conscious effort to avoid the scenario where I ended up slapping Jin Yeseo across the face.
There was no need to engage with her and cause a scene.
"If you have nothing to say, then get out of my—"
"Yoo Jin-hyun. I challenge you to a duel."
I had just barely managed to swallow down my emotions and was about to speak when an utterly unexpected demand burst out in a sullen voice.
A duel? Out of nowhere?
"…What's the reason?"
"I need to wash away the humiliation of my defeat in the last ranking match."
I finally understood the motive behind her groundless provocation. Come to think of it, Jin Yeseo was currently dressed in training clothes. The tight-fitting ash-gray top and bottom clung to her body without restricting movement, leaving her midriff and limbs exposed. Beads of translucent sweat still glistened on her well-toned, elastic physique.
Had she rushed straight out of the training hall the moment she heard I'd returned?
Now that I thought about it, during the previous ranking match she'd refused to surrender until the very end, only passing out after suffering defeat at my hands. Perhaps her competitive spirit was far stronger than I'd given her credit for.
"In return, I'll add a condition. If you win again this time, I'll cleanly yield the first-year representative position on the student council—"
"Not interested. Move. Whether you run the student council or not is none of my business."
"What…!"
For the first time, a flash of panic crossed Jin Yeseo's perpetually venomous face. She clearly hadn't expected me to reject her offer so bluntly. I brushed past the blonde girl who'd let out a strangled sound and walked away.
I could tell she had a strong competitive drive, but that didn't mean I had any reason to accept her duel challenge. The student council was never something that suited me anyway. I was clumsy at navigating social situations and extremely shy around strangers; I'd probably just make mistakes in a position like that. Better to focus on studying hard, keeping my personality in check to avoid causing problems, and protecting Yeon Minha.
"You—don't you have any pride? How can you throw away a student council seat so easily…! Hey…! Wait…!"
The blonde girl continued shouting behind me, but I simply ignored her. At least it was a relief that a personal duel outside of the ranking matches couldn't be established without mutual consent. I already had plenty of things to worry about; I had no desire to get entangled with her by agreeing to a duel.
"I told you to wait!"
But soon, along with a loud cry, I felt someone's touch on my wrist. At the same time, a faint, unpleasant sensation like insects crawling spread up my arm. In an instant, I spun around and grabbed Jin Yeseo's wrist instead. Reflexively tightening my grip, she grimaced and writhed in pain.
"Ugh…! You bastard…!"
"Don't touch my body so casually."
"It's just a wrist, why are you making such a fuss… Ahk…!"
I ignored the discomfort and applied even more force, twisting her arm. Jin Yeseo squirmed like a worm, her whole body contorting.
"Hngh…!"
"If you pull this kind of stunt again, next time I'll break it regardless of school rules or anything else."
I squeezed until it was just on the edge of being too much, then shoved her away with all the strength in my arm. Jin Yeseo nearly fell but managed to stagger and regain her balance. Five distinct red fingerprints stood out clearly on her pale wrist. She ground her teeth audibly and glared at me once more.
"You…!"
"…"
She really didn't know when to quit. But I had neither the time nor the will to deal with her. I shook my hand as if wiping it clean and turned away again. If she approached one more time, I was prepared to end it for good, but fortunately Jin Yeseo didn't attempt anything else. She simply kept shooting sharp glares at my back until I rounded the corner.
Carrying that lingering discomfort with me, I somehow made it to the next classroom, but I couldn't focus on the lecture at all. It didn't help that it was particle chemistry—the subject I hated most—and that the stares pouring in from all directions were as persistent as ever. The attention was even more blatant than it had been at the start of the semester. Perhaps it was because of the gap between a recommended admission student and a direct descendant, combined with the fact that my hidden identity had been revealed.
After enduring the class in one ear and out the other, the moment it ended I headed straight for the Pagoda Garden behind the main building. I'd promised to hear from Yeon Minha about how her student council application had gone once this period was over.
"…?"
Yet even after waiting more than thirty minutes at the bottom of the stairs, Yeon Minha still hadn't appeared. At first I wondered if she'd mixed up the time, but she was far more meticulous about such things than I was. She always arrived early—never once late.
"…"
Come to think of it, she'd mentioned that morning that joining the student council might not go smoothly. It was possible something had gone wrong on that front. The student council room was on the third floor of the main building, right? Maybe I should go check…
As soon as Monday arrived, Baek Seoyeon headed to the third floor of the main building to submit her student council application. As she descended the stairs, she was lost in deep thought. Whenever she occasionally passed other students, burdensome gazes of envy poured over her, but Baek Seoyeon paid them no mind. Her mind was completely occupied with thoughts of the masked boy.
"…"
The one who had most desperately denied the boy's death was none other than herself. So she had tried to find any evidence of his survival, but every trace she discovered only pointed perfectly toward his death. In the end, all her efforts had been in vain. All that remained for her was a soot-stained ring, a despair deeper than the abyss, and a single cat.
Baek Seoyeon had fallen into an indescribable sorrow. At one point, overwhelmed by self-loathing, she had even attempted to follow the boy into death. Only the thought of her unfinished revenge had belatedly surfaced, temporarily postponing her demise.
But looking back now, that very perfection only deepened her suspicions. It felt as if someone was loudly broadcasting the boy's confirmed death in every direction. What if that excessive perfection had been artificially created by someone? And what if the reason… was to disguise the boy's death?
'Could Hyun really be…!'
Ever since she'd met those clear, transparent eyes at the grand mansion of the Red Fire family, she had constantly revisited her doubts, but the conclusion was always the same.
There was only one reason Baek Seoyeon had found him so unsettling. His name was different. His height and build were incomparably larger. His voice was low and deep, and he could even use magic with great skill. On top of his completely different appearance, the fact that a total stranger kept displaying such familiar habits and gestures had only intensified her discomfort.
But if the masked student was truly the person she suspected… then every question she'd harbored until now could be resolved.
Height? Voice? A late growth spurt and voice change could explain it. Although they were legally treated as adults due to chronic manpower shortages, their bodies were still at an age where they could continue growing. Magic? It was extremely rare for someone to awaken so late, but not impossible. She had known he possessed the rare constitution of a complete non-responder, but perhaps the diagnosis had been wrong. The date the masked student had enlisted in Unit 66 was one year after the boy's supposed death, but if even death could be faked, forging a date would be child's play.
Baek Seoyeon barely suppressed the rising elation. The sweet joy was so overwhelming she could barely think straight. Color was returning to a world that had been nothing but dull monochrome.
She wanted to finish the annoying task of joining the student council as quickly as possible and focus on her real objective. Just as she reached the floor where the student council room was located, she suddenly heard what sounded like several people arguing from around the corner. Soon, the figures causing the commotion came into view.
The person standing in the middle of the crowd was none other than Yeon Minha. It had been a while since she'd last seen her, but the girl still carried the same venomous, haughty demeanor. With an arrogant expression, Yeon Minha was looking down on those surrounding her with utter contempt.
The group of female students encircling her were also very familiar to Baek Seoyeon. They were from the 27 Magic Families—specifically, Cheon Ha-rin, the young lady of the Myeongwon family, and her followers.
"…"
Upon confirming their identities, Baek Seoyeon furrowed her brows. Yeon Minha was obviously unpleasant, but she also found Cheon Ha-rin—who was technically part of her own faction—deeply distasteful. On the surface they acted friendly, but Cheon Ha-rin was someone who didn't know her place at all. Despite barely clinging to the lowest rung of the 27 Magic Families, her narcissism had reached its peak. Even after losing a pinky finger to Yeon Minha, it seemed her bad habit of unnecessarily escalating situations hadn't been corrected. The fact that she always traveled with a group of girls who acted like her maids only made the sight even more ridiculous.
"Cheon Ha-rin. You really have no dignity. It's about time you realized that."
"The one without dignity is you, Yeon Minha. There's no seat for you in the student council. Someone who only managed to hold onto her position by selling out her own blood…"
Perhaps emboldened by the weakened state of the Red Fire family, Cheon Ha-rin shot back without yielding.
"And now there are even rumors that you're leeching off a man. And not just any man—one you used to look down on like he was beneath your feet."
"…"
Cheon Ha-rin's attempt to mock Yeon Minha only made Baek Seoyeon's mood even worse. Her hostility immediately turned toward Yeon Minha. Their relationship had never been good, but lately it had crossed into pure hatred. There was no need to explain why.
"I'd appreciate it if you stopped using filthy words like 'leeching.' Now, why don't you get out of my way? Because of you, it looks like I'm going to be late for an appointment. Should I cut off the fingers on your other hand so you'll actually listen?"
"You bitch…!"
"Why don't you all stop there?"
"Seoyeon…!"
Cheon Ha-rin, who had been grinding her teeth while glaring at Yeon Minha, lit up with a bright expression at the sound of Baek Seoyeon's voice. She quickly scurried over to stand beside her, then looked back at Yeon Minha with a mocking sneer that said, Look how the tables have turned.
Baek Seoyeon struggled to suppress the urge to grab Cheon Ha-rin by the hair. She had briefly considered letting the detestable Yeon Minha suffer a little, but getting involved in this kind of petty brawl would only earn the other girl sympathy.
Baek Seoyeon chose to intervene before the situation could escalate further.
"Baek Seoyeon. So now you're even stooping to these petty tricks?"
Yeon Minha, recognizing her, let out a scoff. Standing face-to-face like this made Baek Seoyeon feel as if her insides were twisting in disgust.
"Minha. It seems there's been a misunderstanding. That's not what—"
Just as Baek Seoyeon was attempting to smooth things over with a bright, artificial smile—
"What the hell… is going on here?"
The voice coming from behind made her feel as if a heavy stone had dropped straight into her chest with a dull thud.