Revelation (18)
At the sound of approaching footsteps, Yeon Minha’s face lit up with sudden radiance. A small, delighted gasp slipped from her lips. It was almost comical—only moments ago she had been spitting venom with a fierce scowl, yet now she transformed into the very image of a tragic heroine. Even Baek Seoyeon turned instinctively toward the source of the noise.
A masked male student was striding heavily toward them. Though his expression remained hidden, the raw fury and hostility radiating from him was unmistakable to everyone present.
The first to draw his wrath was Cheon Harin, who had been gleefully hurling mockery just seconds earlier.
“Wh-what…”
The murderous aura—far more intense than anything she had sensed during their previous encounter—drained the color from Cheon Harin’s face in an instant.
“D-don’t come near me…!”
She shrieked and scrambled backward, but the masked student ignored her completely, closing the distance with deliberate steps. She looked exactly like a mouse thrashing helplessly before a cat.
“How dare you pull this kind of filth again…”
He advanced until he loomed directly over her, then spat out a low, rumbling threat. The way his veined hand kept clenching and unclenching made his intention to use physical force abundantly clear.
“Hic…”
Witnessing the scene, Seoyeon let out an involuntary whimper. A strange, familiar sensation coiled around her body once more. The image of Cheon Harin lying broken and trampled flashed through her mind.
Yet physical violence outside of formal duels was strictly forbidden—an ironclad rule taught from the cradle. While such incidents sometimes occurred in secret, this was the public corridor in front of the student council room. The earlier sharp exchange between Cheon Harin and Yeon Minha might have been tolerated, but the moment he laid a hand on her, severe punishment would be inevitable.
“Wait—wait just a second…!”
Seoyeon moved desperately to intervene, her arm half-raised. A gentle, soothing voice left her lips automatically.
But her words seemed to have no effect on the masked student whatsoever. Ignoring her completely, he continued advancing on Cheon Harin.
“Hiiik…!”
Cheon Harin’s back met the cold wall. She spun around in terror, only to realize she was trapped. No escape route remained. Her frightened gaze snapped back to the masked student. Particles were condensing around his fist, shimmering like heat haze. All she could think of was the agony that would soon descend upon her.
Then, at the very brink of violence, another voice rang out.
“Stop… please stop.”
Seoyeon could hardly believe her eyes. Yeon Minha had stepped between them, desperately shielding Cheon Harin. They were so close it looked as though she were nestled in his arms.
“Calm yourself… calm down…”
When he tried to raise his hand, Yeon Minha seized his wrist and shook her head.
“Why are you so angry…? Hm?”
She gazed up at him with earnest, pleading eyes and began coaxing him in the softest, gentlest voice.
“Look at me… look into my eyes… there, good boy…”
What happened next was truly astonishing. The masked student, who had acted as if he were deaf to Seoyeon’s pleas, gradually lowered his aggression under Yeon Minha’s persuasion.
“Ah…”
Seoyeon slowly lowered her outstretched arm, a hollow sigh escaping her. A sharp, stinging pain began to bloom inside her chest—like a razor scythe shredding her organs. The sight of Yeon Minha pressed against him hurt far more than she could bear.
“Huu…”
The masked student finally exhaled deeply, as though his mind had cleared. Yeon Minha released his wrist with visible relief. Once she confirmed he had truly calmed, she turned toward Cheon Harin.
The girl was still trembling on the floor in a pathetic heap.
“…Cheon Harin.”
The benevolent senior act vanished. Yeon Minha’s face now wore pure arrogance. Genuine disgust filled her expression as she looked down at the cowering girl.
“What a sight. Anyone would think you’d wet yourself. Wouldn’t they?”
“…Ugh.”
Even as the mockery poured down, Cheon Harin could only hang her head and shake uncontrollably.
“…Ha.”
After silently savoring the miserable display for a moment, Yeon Minha let out a derisive snort.
“Hey. Let’s go.”
Without sparing Seoyeon a single glance, she turned and disappeared down the stairs. The masked student remained standing where he was. All Seoyeon could see was his broad back.
“No matter how far… no matter what…”
“Uh…?”
A cold, dry, utterly lifeless voice emerged from beneath the mask.
“I never imagined you would stoop to something this petty.”
He was clearly condemning her—convinced she had orchestrated the entire incident. Seoyeon, still struggling to catch up, suddenly snapped back to reality.
“N-no, that’s not— I—!”
She tried frantically to explain, but he had already vanished after Yeon Minha.
“Ah…”
Seoyeon stared at the empty space with unfocused eyes.
Seoyeon’s mood remained at rock bottom for the rest of the day. She could barely remember submitting her student council application. The once-brilliant happiness shriveled like wet paper.
She wandered like a ghost until the surroundings darkened and moonlight and starlight filled the sky. Without realizing it, she had reached the hill garden connected to the forest path beside the main building.
“Ah…”
The wide flowerbed on the slope closely resembled the lost paradise of her memories. Walking here alone was one of the few pleasures she still had. Strolling between the gentle hills usually eased her melancholy. Even with her memories blurred, her body seemed to remember the way by instinct.
After a moment’s hesitation, Seoyeon stepped onto the forest path. It was already deep into the night, dangerously close to curfew, but she paid it no mind. She simply wanted to shake off this sticky depression.
Yet even after walking for a long time, her mood refused to lift. The horrific encounter from earlier still tormented her.
“Ugh… no…”
Just as she was about to sink back into gloom, Seoyeon shook her head vigorously and wiped her face with quick, cat-like strokes.
“Misunderstandings can be cleared up…”
Even though no one was listening, she spoke the words aloud to bolster her courage.
“The situation earlier could definitely be misunderstood… If we meet again… then…!”
It was half-forced self-comfort, but it worked. Anything was better than those hopeless, terrible days of the past.
Once her heart steadied, the surrounding scenery finally came into focus. She had wandered deeper into the garden than usual. The path ahead ended at a cliff edge and was blocked off with chains.
Thick iron chains layered several times barred the trail in front of her. As she turned to leave, something strange drifted on the breeze among the rustling leaves—like a low murmur.
When she strained her ears, it became clear: human voices. It sounded like a close pair—a man and a woman—talking intimately.
They were both breaking curfew, just like her. She meant to ignore it and walk away, but an ominous feeling kept rooting her in place.
After a brief internal debate, Seoyeon made up her mind.
“Just… just to see who it is…”
She manipulated the particle arranger on her wrist, creating a thin barrier around her body and another layer beneath her feet to suppress her presence. It was a cheap trick useless in real combat, but perfect for hiding one’s aura for a short time.
Seoyeon moved cautiously toward the sound. The garden wasn’t large, so she reached the center quickly. The circular path and scattered benches appeared before her. The voices had come from the far end.
She slipped between the trees beside the path, advancing silently. Soon she spotted two silhouettes.
“…!”
The moment she recognized them, shock froze her in place. She clamped both hands over her mouth and ducked behind a large tree.
Those red-glowing eyes and the mask that caught the moonlight perfectly—there was no mistaking them.
‘Why… why is he here with her…’
Seoyeon couldn’t tear her eyes away. The characteristics were too distinct to deny. They sat pressed close together on the bench like lovers. Or rather, Yeon Minha had practically thrown herself against him. While the masked student occupied only his own space at the very edge, Yeon Minha was glued to his side.
Seoyeon’s chest tightened painfully at the sight. Yet she could not look away.
She could hear every word of their conversation clearly.
“…Senior. It’s already curfew… we should head back…”
“It’s fine if I’m with you.”
“But…”
“…Why? Do you dislike being with me…?”
Yeon Minha looked up at him with slightly moist eyes, her voice soft and dejected. Seoyeon found the display sickeningly fake. At the same time, she desperately hoped the masked student would confirm that dislike.
But the voice that emerged from behind the mask shattered even that final hope.
“That couldn’t possibly be true. I was merely concerned it might damage your reputation, Senior…”
“Forget it. I don’t have any reputation left to damage. Just stay like this a little longer…”
“Then at least… your shoulder… isn’t this too close…?”
“…You said it was all right to show a weak side sometimes.”
“That’s… haa… understood.”
In the end, the masked student yielded to Yeon Minha’s stubbornness. At his resigned sigh, she burrowed even more boldly against his sturdy shoulder. He no longer tried to stop her.
For some reason, the sight caused Seoyeon excruciating pain.
Even in that position, they continued talking naturally.
“…Hey. Why were you so angry earlier today…?”
“I wasn’t angry…”
“Are you going to lie to your senior like that…?”
“…I’m sorry. I was just tormented too much in the morning. My mood was a bit off, apparently.”
“…Well, given your personality, I suppose it must have been difficult. But… was that really all…?”
Yeon Minha, who had been nodding, suddenly asked with a voice laced with dissatisfaction, disappointment, and a strange hint of expectation.
“And… seeing you being bullied, Senior… I got a little angry…”
“So you’re saying… you got angry because you were worried about me…?”
After a short silence, the masked student spoke hesitantly.
“…Yes.”
The instant she heard his answer, the flush on Yeon Minha’s cheeks burned so vividly red that Seoyeon could see it clearly even from her hiding spot. Thankfully, the masked student had turned his head the other way.
“…Ahem. You really say such embarrassing things… Your heart is admirable, but you don’t need to get that angry next time.”
After keeping her head bowed in silence for a while, Yeon Minha spoke again as if nothing had happened.
“Girls like Cheon Harin couldn’t touch me even if ten of them came at once. It would only tarnish your dignity.”
“I’m sorry. I acted rashly and made a mistake…”
At the self-reproach thick in his voice, a complicated look of distress crossed Yeon Minha’s face. She shook her head while gazing at him.
“Mmm, that’s not it. Honestly, I felt a little refreshed too. That bitch Cheon Harin won’t be so arrogant for a while.”
Then she raised her right hand and gently stroked the cheek of his mask. In a shy, tiny voice she whispered,
“And… th-thank you… It was also kind of… reassuring…”
“Is that so…”
The masked student finally breathed a deep sigh of relief.
“Ahem. Of course. Anyway, let’s stop talking about this…”
“…Ugh.”
Seoyeon could no longer stand to listen. The walk she had taken to lift her spirits had only plunged her deeper into depression. She bitterly regretted not returning straight to the dormitory.
She turned to leave the garden—only for Yeon Minha’s next words to freeze her in place once more.
“More importantly… will you take off your mask for me, just once…?”