Suspicion (6)
The time when darkness began to settle. Streetlights along the walking paths flickered to life one by one, while students steadily gathered at Hwayang-gwan. Long tables stretching dozens of meters were already laden with a lavish banquet. Bright lights and lively music filled the air with warmth. With every student except the near-active third-years assembled, the vast hall was packed so tightly there was scarcely room to stand. An event held purely for enjoyment, with no educational schedule attached, was rare enough that students exhausted by their brutal training threw themselves into the pleasure without restraint. The professors, perhaps deciding to turn a blind eye to this one night of indulgence, made no appearance at all—save for the warning that any disturbance outside Hwayang-gwan would result in severe punishment.
Yet amid the ripening atmosphere, Yeon Minha sat alone with a somber expression.
"…"
It was not because of the situation she and the Red Fire family now faced. She had already regained much of her former influence. A few who had tried to climb over her without understanding the circumstances had been made examples of and thoroughly crushed, after which the unrest naturally died down. Of course, no one dared leave graffiti on the dormitory walls as they had on her first day back. On top of that, she had openly displayed her close ties to the "Black Lotus Crown Prince," so people now lined up to approach her in hopes of building connections, just as before.
What kept students at bay was not her background, but the icy wind that seemed to blow from Yeon Minha's expression. Even those who had edged closer, thinking to strike up a conversation, flinched at her menacing aura and quickly turned away.
"Haa…"
With a deep sigh, Yeon Minha kept sipping the clear liquid in her glass. She paid no mind to the sharp scent of distilled spirits or the burning sensation in her throat. All afternoon she had been as limp as a garment soaked through with moisture. After another gulp, she rattled the candy pouch in her pocket.
"…"
The plan to hand it over casually had long since gone out the window. The moment she saw the beautifully wrapped box of cookies and candies, she had been seized by a sudden wave of inferiority. She could proudly claim that no one had put more care into their gift than she had, yet she had to admit the result fell far short—by the distance between heaven and earth. Hiding the box had been nothing more than an impulse born of that feeling. Though she had regained her composure afterward, there was no way to return it to its place now. It remained tucked away in the drawer of her bedroom.
Yeon Minha drained the rest of her drink and turned her gaze toward the opposite table. Three female students sat side by side, chatting animatedly. Choi I-re, Kwon Yuri, and… Baek Seoyeon.
"That's not it… Just stop already…"
"Don't lie… Hurry up…"
After whispering something into Baek Seoyeon's ear, Kwon Yuri watched as the latter ducked her head shyly.
"…"
Yeon Minha glared at her with even sharper eyes. All of her current worries could be traced back to Baek Seoyeon. She replayed the earlier memory in her mind, and her conviction only grew stronger with the echo.
—Grind…
She felt the urge to rush over and slap Baek Seoyeon across the face right then and there. Yet the fact that she could not even guess the reason made her hesitate. Baek Seoyeon and the masked male student had already clashed once at the beginning of the semester. The relationship between the Heavenly Baek and Black Lotus families was hardly amicable, even in the best of times. Even now, the political section of the newspaper reported daily on their clashes within the Supreme Council.
'…Did she fall for him?'
The guess sounded absurd at first, yet it carried a strange persuasiveness. After all, her own relationship with him had not started out this deep and tangled either. Still, Yeon Minha soon shook her head. Even she knew that Baek Seoyeon seized every opportunity to flaunt her deep affection for her fiancé. Those were genuine reactions that could never come from a purely political arrangement. So while she might not know anything else, she could not help but feel curious about the identity of that fiancé herself.
Yet if the goal had been to recruit him, he had left no clues to his identity, the locker mix-up could not have been deliberate, and he had even gone so far as to put in excessive effort…
"Ha…"
Her insides burning, Yeon Minha accepted a new glass and downed it in one go. Her eyes drifted toward the first-year tables. It did not take long to find her target. A male student wearing a smooth white mask was sweating amid the crowd pressing around him.
"Tch…"
Yeon Minha shot him a sulky glare. A sudden wave of resentment and loneliness washed over her. Most of the students still approaching him were girls, which only soured her mood further. In a way, it was inevitable. The moment he was publicly acknowledged as the second son of the Black Lotus family, words like "mask" or "eccentric" lost all meaning. Hundreds would line up to praise even that as part of his charm. Of course, she worried about his unsociable personality, but that did not mean she wanted to see him surrounded like this.
The anxiety seeping deeper into her only made her more restless. The moment she had seen the candy box earlier, she had remembered something she had been trying to forget—the possibility that someone might take him away from her.
"Ugh…"
Her fingers trembled around the glass. Just imagining that fragment of a future sent a terrible chill through her body. He was the only meaning left in her life. Of course, she did not believe he would spare a glance for such vulgar women. He had promised to hold her soon, but he was the kind of man who treated even her, an unparalleled beauty, like a block of wood. The only one who could even compare to her was Baek Seoyeon of the Heavenly Baek family.
'…Right. Baek Seoyeon…'
It was something she did not even want to imagine, but if Baek Seoyeon decided to seduce him in earnest, there would be nothing she could do to stop it. This was not his problem—it stemmed from the gap that now existed between her and Baek Seoyeon. The Red Fire family was crawling along the bottom after its fall, while the Heavenly Baek family was riding an unbroken upward trajectory. Which side suited him better as a partner went without saying.
Her vision darkening, Yeon Minha kept downing the strong liquor. Empty glasses piled up on her table. Outwardly she still looked composed, but impulse had already replaced her loosening reason, filling her mind completely. At last, something seized her, and she shot to her feet. She walked forward with steps that remained perfectly straight. Her destination was the first-year tables across the hall—specifically, the spot where the crowd was thickest.
"Oh my…!"
"Senior Yeon Minha…"
The students blocking her path flinched at her sharp gaze and quickly stepped aside. Yeon Minha continued walking without a word. The crowd parted further until Lee Hyun, who had been hidden from view, finally noticed her.
"…"
Standing before him, Yeon Minha stared at him in silence. Lee Hyun greeted her in his usual calm voice.
"What brings you here, senior?"
His composure only made the irritation in her chest swell. It seemed he had no idea about the turmoil she had been going through. Carrying a mix of resentment and a hint of childishness, Yeon Minha snapped,
"Follow me."
With that, she turned sharply and disappeared outside Hwayang-gwan. Her fierce tone and demeanor drew hushed whispers from the surrounding students.
"Why is she acting like that all of a sudden?"
"She must be angry… Her real personality hasn't changed at all…"
Lee Hyun, however, followed her without much thought.
***
He had been starting to feel overwhelmed by the constant attention anyway. The unpleasant jolt he felt whenever someone brushed against him had only added to his irritation. It almost seemed as though Yeon Minha had appeared at just the right moment to help him escape, yet even after they entered deep into the garden, she did not stop walking.
"Senior?"
At Lee Hyun's belated question, tinged with confusion, Yeon Minha finally came to a halt. She turned back to face him. Her eyes, fixed on him, were filled with a menacing red glow. Seeing that intensity, Lee Hyun asked,
"What's wrong?"
"Did you enjoy it?"
"Enjoy what, exactly?"
"Did you like getting so many candies?"
He realized too late that she had not called him out to help him. Suppressing a sigh at the troublesome situation he sensed ahead, he answered,
"I didn't particularly enjoy it."
"…Liar."
Though he had spoken sincerely, Yeon Minha did not seem inclined to believe him. Only then did Lee Hyun notice that something about her was different from usual. The smell of alcohol clung to her, and her pupils were gradually losing focus. Her pale skin had flushed red from the liquor. Moisture had gathered at the corners of her eyes.
"Senior."
"All men are the same… The moment a woman pushes a little…"
"Minha senior."
"You were surrounded like that earlier too… Grinning like an idiot…"
At her absurd accusation, Lee Hyun swallowed. He had still been wearing the mask the entire time—what grinning? It seemed she was drunk and rambling, but he felt he needed to calm her down first. No matter how he looked at it, gentle persuasion would not work in this state. If it were the usual her, perhaps, but right now Yeon Minha had lost all control to the alcohol.
"I understand. That's just how it is… But even so—"
"Yeon Minha."
He cut her off and abruptly spoke her name. If rational conversation was impossible while she was drunk, he would have to be a little forceful. She let out a small whimper and flinched.
Any discomfort he felt was brushed aside by the reminder that she was younger than him. Glancing around, Lee Hyun spotted a bench, walked over, and sat down heavily.
"Haa, how dare a junior call his senior by name like that…"
Though her momentum had weakened, Yeon Minha still offered a timid protest.
"Sit."
"…"
At the commanding tone, she shrank back again. After standing with her head bowed for a moment, she shuffled over and perched herself at the very edge of the bench. Before long, she leaned her head against his shoulder, one hand tightly clutching one of his fingers. It seemed she still had some reason left. Thinking she had calmed down a little, Lee Hyun spoke again.
"I really didn't enjoy it. Not the people, not the candies. You know what my personality is like."
"…"
"And the candies that were in my locker all went straight into the trash."
"…"
After a long silence, Yeon Minha finally spoke again.
"Really…?"
Meeting her pitiful gaze, Lee Hyun slowly nodded. He had received a few candies directly from friends, but there was no need to mention that now.
"Really. If you're still curious, ask Seunghyeon. He saw me throw them away."
"…"
After hearing his answer, Yeon Minha lowered her head again, but the anxious trembling from earlier had clearly subsided.
"…I see…"
"By the way, senior."
Yeon Minha had been about to reply in a slightly calmer voice when he continued.
"Hm?"
"Don't you have anything to give me?"
At the voice laced with a hint of curiosity and expectation, Yeon Minha looked up at him in surprise.