Suspicion (2)
Eventually, Yeon Minha began walking toward us. The sharp click of her heels echoed through the hallway. Even then, her menacing crimson eyes remained fixed on us.
"Hic…"
"Yena?"
At the sight of her, Yena's face drained of all color. She darted behind me and hid. For some reason, Yeon Minha's gaze only grew sharper.
"…"
Yena's reaction was a little bewildering, but on second thought, it made perfect sense. Even before the Red Fire family fell, Yeon Minha's reputation had been far from good. Lowerclassmen like us, unless we came from particularly distinguished backgrounds, wouldn't have dared speak to her. My own dislike for her hadn't been much different. Most of those feelings stemmed from her own misdeeds. Though she had escaped punishment, the record of her wrongdoings remained in the academy registry like a brand. Of course, I wasn't so virtuous or moral as to dig up someone else's past. And now that I knew another side of her… that didn't mean her past sins could simply be erased. Yena was timid by nature, and she had already been knocked down in the hallway after running into Yeon Minha before. She had even burst into tears after seeing the burns left on my body from my duel with her…
The hallway wasn't long, so Yeon Minha reached us in an instant. She was no longer looking at me. Her crimson gaze stayed locked on the brown-eyed girl hiding behind my back.
"…Eep."
Even while wearing a frightened expression, Yena met her stare. It almost felt like the resolve of someone facing a great evil.
"…Hah. What is this now…"
Yeon Minha let out a hollow laugh, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. I could tell her anger was about to explode. If this continued, things could get ugly. And the only one who could stop her was me. She shouldn't have to bear any more disgrace. She was in a far more fragile state than before…
"Yena. You go on ahead. I'll talk with the senior and catch up later."
"But…"
Yena looked at me with obvious worry. I shook my head.
"It's fine. Go."
"Eep…"
After I urged her again, Yena finally stepped out from behind me with reluctant steps. Even as she walked away, she kept glancing back at Yeon Minha. Yeon Minha maintained her sharp expression until Yena disappeared beyond the stairs. Her fists were clenched so tightly that I was glad I'd sent Yena away. She might have slapped her otherwise…
"You're here?"
I offered a belated, nonchalant greeting, but Yeon Minha only stared at me with eyes full of discontent. Unlike a moment ago, though, it felt more like sulking than genuine hostility. The venom had faded, and her lips were slightly pursed forward.
I understood why Yena was afraid of Yeon Minha. But what was this woman's problem now?
"Who was that?"
Yeon Minha asked bluntly.
"My friend."
"…I don't like her."
I wondered if there was anyone in the world Yeon Minha actually liked, but I kept the thought to myself.
"You don't have to. She's a good person. You saw it yourself—she couldn't even stand properly in front of you…"
"She seemed plenty bold for someone like that… And kids like her are usually the ones with the darkest hearts. Why are you so naive…"
Yeon Minha grumbled for a while, as if her anger still hadn't subsided. Then she shot me another look, this one tinged with something like resentment.
"…You two must be really close, though… That girl… the way she took your side like that…"
A headache began to throb. I could vaguely guess why she had been looking at me that way. But I didn't particularly enjoy this kind of conversation. I hadn't liked it before, and I still didn't now. It wasn't a question with an answer, and indulging this sort of complaint would only make it multiply endlessly. Since this wasn't my first time dealing with it… the way out was to change the subject and the atmosphere entirely? I wasn't sure if it would work on Yeon Minha either, but I'd try.
First, this wasn't the best place for it.
"…I was only saying that because I was worried about you… Hic?!"
I let out a sigh and grabbed Yeon Minha's wrist. Then I pulled her straight down the stairs.
"W-wait…!"
She tried to say something, but I ignored it. Fortunately, she was light enough that she followed along without much resistance. Beside the main building where classes were held was a spacious garden meant for rest. I led her along a secluded path to a pergola deep in the back, out of sight.
Startled by the sudden situation, Yeon Minha's face was flushed as she caught her breath. Only then did I release her wrist and gesture toward the bench in front of us. She clutched her chest with both hands and looked at me with eyes full of embarrassment.
"W-what are you doing…!"
"Have a seat."
"D-do you think I'll just go along with this? And I wasn't finished talking…!"
"Quickly."
"…Eep."
When I spoke in a slightly forceful tone, she flinched and quietly sat down. Then she kept glancing up, occasionally meeting my eyes. Now that she seemed ready to talk, I moved toward the bench across from her. She shook her head.
"Not there… over here…"
Yeon Minha timidly patted the spot right beside her.
"…"
Since she'd come this far without complaint, I could at least do that much. I turned and sat down next to her. She kept stealing glances, so I spoke first.
"So, what brings you here?"
"…I just wanted to tell you about something that happened at the student council…"
Yeon Minha finally got to the point. Then, after glancing at me, she scooted closer until she was right against my side. Close enough that her distinct narcissus scent was strong. Before I knew it, she rested her head on my shoulder.
"Senior?"
"Can't we just stay like this for a bit…? I was really exhausted…"
"…"
She really did look tired, so I couldn't bring myself to say anything more. Still in that position, Yeon Minha began explaining what had happened at the first meeting.
"What? A duel? With Jin Yeseo?"
"Yeah. It seems pretty much confirmed. The president wouldn't listen to a word I said…"
She went on to complain about the student council president, clearly displeased.
"So… you still don't want to join the student council…?"
"…"
Her eyes were full of longing, and I felt a pang of guilt. She was pretending to be calm, but the emotional strain was obvious. And it wasn't as if she had a single ally in the student council. But no matter how I thought about it, the first semester would be difficult. Even setting other things aside, I had my own matters to handle. The request I'd passed to Muyoung was only the first step. It probably wouldn't take too long… but it also didn't seem like something that would be finished before the student council recruitment period ended. After thinking it over again, I spoke.
"I'm sorry."
The apology didn't come easily. Yeon Minha looked disappointed for a moment, then shook her head.
"…I see. Then there's no helping it…"
"Still, I think I'll be able to join in the second semester."
Yeon Minha couldn't hide her delighted expression.
"Really…?"
"Yes. So even if it's hard, please hold on for just the first semester. If you need my help, call me anytime…"
"H-hard? What do you take me for? Honestly…"
After buzzing around with an excited look, Yeon Minha belatedly cleared her throat as if she'd realized something.
"Ahem. Got it. Then I'll have to tell them to cancel the duel. I'll head back to the student council and…"
"What do you mean? That's that, and a duel is a duel."
"Huh? But you just said the first semester would be tough…"
"That doesn't mean I can show myself running away. If I win, I might be able to negotiate other terms in exchange for giving up the class representative position."
I had no intention of losing anyway. If anything, this worked out well. Since it had come to this, I might as well thoroughly crush Jin Yeseo so she wouldn't bother me again. I didn't want to deal with another confrontation in the hallway like last time. And thinking about how the witch story I'd been curious about had been delayed again only fueled my irritation. I'd have to accept the bad reputation, but considering all the trouble I'd been through, it actually felt more reasonable. My recovery wasn't complete, but it was enough for a duel between students.
"Ah, I understand…"
Without any further explanation, Yeon Minha seemed to grasp my meaning. She nodded with a rather wicked smile.
"…Fine. I'll leave that part to you. And…"
"Is there more?"
Unlike her earlier straightforwardness, Yeon Minha hesitated for a long time before speaking. Then she said something that felt completely out of the blue.
"Do you like candy?"
Baek Seoyeon was trudging out of the meeting room, late. Last night, she had stayed up without a wink of sleep, lost in thought. She had been agonizing over what lay ahead and how she would be treated. By the time dawn broke, she had reached a conclusion: no matter what, she couldn't appear before him now.
The boy's wounds had yet to heal. What use would it be to make excuses in front of someone like that? That matter had to be postponed until the very end—after she had finished everything she had resolved to do. Only after confessing everything that had happened would she entrust her final judgment, as the last sinner, to him. Perhaps then she might even receive forgiveness. But if his sorrow still hadn't healed by then… if that were the case…
"…Huu."
Seoyeon wrapped her arms around her shoulders and trembled. Just thinking about it was a horrifying nightmare, but she soon shook her head violently to dispel the delusion. The most important thing was that the boy was alive. There was no greater joy in this world. And now that he had even enrolled in the same academy, she could at least spend two years in the same place as him. For now, simply watching him from afar was enough. She steadied her heart with that thought.
But uninvited guests kept shaking her resolve. Just moments ago, she had found herself unconsciously agreeing with that detestable Yeon Minha's words. The thought of seeing him every day in the student council had been far too sweet and happy an imagination. She had no way to resist it.
"But the Black Flame successor and… Senior Yeon Minha…"
"They say they're really close…"
"Maybe even more than that…"
At the sound of voices coming from across the hallway, Seoyeon stopped in her tracks. The students' conversation only stoked her anger. After the commotion in front of the student council room yesterday, strange rumors had begun to spread, centered around the witnesses.
"Huu…"
Seoyeon had to suppress the urge to punish every last one of them for disrupting academy discipline. Unable to calm her heart, she decided to take a short walk in the garden before her next class. But the moment she reached a pergola surrounded by flower beds, her resolve was tested once again.
Seoyeon could make out the familiar silhouettes and voices of the two. Far from calming, her heart grew even more violently disturbed. Even as she instinctively hid behind a stone pillar, she couldn't tear her eyes away from them. Yeon Minha had buried her head against his shoulder, as if they were lovers. The way she let her guard down like that felt utterly detestable. It was impossible to believe she was the same person who had been threatening the president with such venomous words just moments ago.
"…"
She considered turning back, but her unwilling gaze remained fixed on the pair. She was terribly anxious to know what they were talking about so affectionately. In the end, instead of leaving, Seoyeon made the bold choice to draw closer.
"…Fine. I'll leave that part to you. And…"
But by the time she approached, their conversation had already reached its end. After hesitating briefly, Yeon Minha asked him a short question. Even that was enough to make her chest ache.
"Do you like candy?"
"I don't particularly like it… but I don't dislike it either. When I was in the unit, I used to eat glucose candies often. They're convenient for replenishing sugar…"
"Geez… who asked about that… Anyway, you do eat them, right…?"
"…? Yes."
"Ahem. I see… Got it…"
The boy nodded with a puzzled tone, while Yeon Minha wore an expression as if she had firmly made up her mind about something.
"But why do you ask?"
"I-it was just out of curiosity… I have class now. I'll go first…?"
"Wait…"
Without properly answering the boy's question, Yeon Minha hurried away. The boy, who had been tilting his head in confusion, followed after her and left the garden as well. Seoyeon remained standing there in a daze.
She immediately understood why Yeon Minha had suddenly asked if he liked candy. The Falling Star Day festival was right around the corner.