Physical Union (7)
The words had barely left my mouth when the principal suddenly broke into a violent coughing fit, as if she’d choked on something. It was a sight rarely seen from her—always so elegant and refined.
“Are you alright…?”
“Cough… hack… Yes, I’m fine… But what did you just say…?”
“I said I plan to move into Yeon Minha’s dormitory, and I’d like you to handle the necessary follow-up procedures.”
“So I didn’t mishear you after all…”
When I explained it again in simpler terms, Hae Wolhwa glanced at me sideways and muttered under her breath.
“…I did hear you two were going to have a duel. I was actually worried something had gone wrong, but then you suddenly declare you’re going to live together…”
For some reason, her eyes seemed to carry a faint trace of betrayal.
“How surprising. It feels strange for me to say this after asking you for help, but I never told you to become that close…”
“Pardon?”
“Living together in the dormitory is something even that bastard wouldn’t dare do… I never imagined I’d use the phrase ‘the pupil surpasses the master’ in a place like this… And of all people, with that child, Minha…”
At her continued words, I finally understood why I had sensed betrayal in the principal’s eyes earlier. A rather unpleasant feeling rose within me, so I immediately denied it.
“It’s not like that.”
“And you expect me to believe that?”
“Yes.”
“…Did that child agree to it?”
“Yes.”
“…”
The principal tilted her head with a deeply skeptical expression, but there was no suitable way to explain further. I couldn’t reveal the existence of the Authority, which was the real reason I was moving into Yeon Minha’s dormitory. In any case, she had agreed.
I barely managed to convey that I wouldn’t cause any trouble for the principal and that the current situation was simply an extension of the favor I’d asked of her last time.
“…So you let her win the duel on purpose?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“How could someone who hunted a probing serpent alone lose in a place like that… Still, it’s not a bad outcome. You get to maintain your undefeated record, and the public gets to see a first-year rookie overwhelmingly defeat a senior…”
Hae Wolhwa let out a deep sigh.
“For now, I understand what you’re saying. I suppose I have no choice but to believe you. So, what exactly do you need me to do…?”
“It’s nothing major. I’d just like you to adjust the patrol routes of the dormitory supervisors and security guards a little.”
“The patrol routes?”
“Yes. Make sure they don’t come near Yeon Minha’s dormitory. I’m worried we might be seen while coming and going. Something like that shouldn’t be difficult for you, Principal, right?”
“…Understood. From when should I make the change?”
“Starting today.”
“You really don’t waste any time…”
Hae Wolhwa nodded, still looking unconvinced.
“…Just in case, you do remember that I said romantic relationships between students of the opposite sex are forbidden, right…?”
“Yes.”
“Really… You’re such an impossible child…”
The principal narrowed her eyes in mild annoyance.
“Still, you must be extremely careful. If your actions are discovered, both you and that child will be in serious trouble. If a scandal breaks out, even I will have limits to how much I can help. Please keep that firmly in mind…”
“I will keep it in mind.”
“Sigh, the answers really do flow out of you like a clear mountain stream, don’t they?”
Hae Wolhwa slumped back on the sofa and let out a long sigh. Then, as if something had suddenly occurred to her, she looked at me and asked.
“If living alone in a strange place makes you feel lonely…”
“That side is really fine. Nothing you’re worried about will ever happen.”
“…”
Perhaps because of my immediate reply, a faint hint of disappointment seemed to flicker in Hae Wolhwa’s gaze.
It was late in the evening by the time Yeon Minha returned to the Cradle. She walked with elegant steps along the tranquil path lined with copper beeches, heading toward the dormitory.
But right now, she was expending considerable effort just to keep her mind intact. Even after taking a large dose of painkillers, the pain echoing through her organs and bones continued to torment her. She had secretly visited a private clinic for treatment and was now on her way back. After all, heading straight to the infirmary right after the duel would have caused unnecessary rumors.
The look of utter shock on her personal female doctor’s face was still vivid in her mind. Beneath the removed particle suit, her skin was covered entirely in dark purple bruises. The pain had been so intense she’d nearly cracked her teeth from clenching them. Yet the doctor’s conclusion was that there was no threat to her life whatsoever.
No matter how many times she pressed for more details, the result remained the same. A couple of ribs were broken, but for a mage’s body, it was nothing more than a minor injury that would heal naturally with time and rest.
—Grind.
Yeon Minha clenched her teeth. It was the first time in her life she had experienced such intense pain. Earlier, she hadn’t been able to maintain her sanity at all. But thinking back on it now, that bastard had been toying with her from the very beginning.
On the day of the entrance ceremony, when she’d caught a glimpse of that unpleasant white mask from afar, she had only felt a brief flicker of displeasure. She had simply thought of him as one of those ‘eccentric types’ that showed up every year without fail.
When she heard the rumor that he had clashed with Baek Seoyeon, she had even felt a rather satisfying sense of schadenfreude. After all, among the people in this Cradle, she was one of the few who knew that girl’s true nature.
She had been slightly surprised to learn he was a recommended entrant from the Black Lotus Sa family—the first in eighteen years—and had even obtained his academic records to check his background. But he turned out to be from some remote backwater, neither from a prestigious family nor the capital. She simply couldn’t understand how such a country bumpkin had become a recommended student of the Sa family, one of the greatest among the great houses, and was now causing such a stir.
That question was only resolved when she learned that he had been chosen by Sa Jaehyuk—the family’s infamous black sheep.
Sa Jaehyuk. A name synonymous with delinquent, thug, and lecher. Commonly known as the ‘fallen student council president.’ There had been a brief time when he seemed to have turned over a new leaf, but in the end, he couldn’t change his nature and had been wandering the frontiers for over a decade. The battlefield was the perfect place to vent his cruel and sadistic tendencies—along with the female squad members who had abandoned their families and social status for him.
Having been chosen by someone like that, it was only natural that this guy wasn’t normal either. She hadn’t paid much attention before, but it was entirely possible he was also a former member of Sa Jaehyuk’s unit.
Even now, however, she still couldn’t guess his true purpose.
At first, she had thought he was just a lucky fool who had somehow taken first place and was now trying to climb up where he didn’t belong. When she threw a few sharp words at him for daring to tarnish her image, he had immediately revealed his true colors. She had assumed he at least had some pride and was simply being stubborn, but he had been hiding the sharp claws of overwhelming skill all along.
The insulting words he had used to provoke her were all part of the scheme he had orchestrated to force the duel.
But what she truly couldn’t understand was what came after. If he had held a grudge and wanted revenge, he could have simply shown the gathered students how pathetically she had been trampled underfoot. Yet after confirming the outcome, he had instead pulled her arm free, making it look as though she had been rendered combat incapable. Considering his skill, the flickering flames she had unleashed on him earlier must have been deliberately allowed as part of the act.
His actions had only served to solidify her strength as the one who had defeated a first-year rookie.
What on earth could he possibly gain from behaving that way?
“Is he really just a crazy bastard…?”
Her muttering voice was thick with fear. The shame of having allowed a stranger to touch her body came rushing in belatedly. Her mouth had been forcibly pried open by those rough hands, and she had even helplessly surrendered her precious hair.
Perhaps the duel had merely been an excuse, and he had been trying to satisfy his twisted, ugly desires.
“…You perverted son of a bitch.”
A faint headache throbbed in her skull. She reached out with a slender finger and gently pressed her forehead. Come to think of it, she seemed to have made some kind of promise with him. What was it again?
Surely…
—Step.
Yeon Minha, who had been lost in thought, suddenly came to her senses as a cold wind blew up from below.
—Clack.
Something struck her foot. She instinctively looked down.
She had been walking along the path between the copper beeches, but at some point she now stood before the forbidden cliff behind the Cradle. The pebble kicked by her foot tumbled endlessly down into the abyss.
Her body was covered in scratches and leaves, as if she had pushed through bushes to get here.
—Hehehe…
—What a shame~
A black shadow suddenly brushed past her with a whoosh, leaving behind a small laugh and mockery. The vivid, spine-chilling malice could no longer be dismissed as mere auditory hallucinations.
“…”
Without a word, Yeon Minha lifted her head and looked up at the sky. Where the moon should have been, a massive bloodshot eyeball stared silently down at her without blinking.
“…Hic.”
Staring into that endless darkness, Yeon Minha barely managed to keep her mind from collapsing. The dream was devouring her more and more with each passing day.
In the end, it was late at night by the time Yeon Minha returned to the Copper Beech Dormitory. Both her body and mind had long been reduced to ruins. All she wanted was to crawl into her soft bed. She wasn’t even hoping for deep sleep. She just wanted to rest, even a little.
Fortunately, she had no morning classes tomorrow, so she could afford to take it easy.
Just as she stepped through the front door and reached out to turn on the lights—
A stranger’s voice suddenly rang out from the dark corner of the living room.
“You’re quite late, Senior.”
“…!”
Yeon Minha instantly shifted into a combat stance and spun around with sharp movements. No one else should have been in this space. But the moment the intruder revealed his identity, a look of pure horror flashed across her face.
The person standing before her—just as she was about to unleash her magic—was a male student wearing a smooth white mask.
“Hic…”
The alertness she had shown just moments ago crumbled in an instant. The hatred and hostility she had been nursing toward him the entire way back vanished without a trace. All that remained to dominate her was the miserable, terrifying fear from earlier.
“D-don’t come near me…”
“Why did you come back so late?”
“Y-you told me to go to the hospital… But why—why are you here…?”
“What? Didn’t I tell you clearly? I said to empty out a room.”
Only then did Yeon Minha recall the additional duel conditions she had added in her rage against Yoo Jin-hyun. She hadn’t remembered properly because she had been so furious she had scribbled them down in a frenzy. She had declared that if she won, she would cut off all his limbs. And if he won… he would be allowed to enter her room.
“Wh-what are you talking about… That was obviously just provocation…”
“…How many times do I have to repeat myself now…”
His voice was filled with clear displeasure. His fist was clenched so tightly that the veins were bulging.
Yeon Minha swallowed hard.
The man before her was indeed insane. She could confidently say that even Sa Jaehyuk must have been unable to handle him and had simply dumped him at the Cradle.
“I-I’ll overlook your rudeness this time… Just leave right now…! If you don’t… I’ll call the supervisor…”
“Why would I leave? I’m simply exercising the rightful privileges of the victor. And go ahead—call the supervisor or whoever you want. I’ll release the full duel agreement to the entire student body. Including the pathetic declaration of defeat you sobbed out while crying.”
At his words, Yeon Minha felt as if a heavy stone had dropped into her chest.
“Th-that’s ridiculous… Do you think you’ll be fine if that happens…? Both of us would just be socially…”
“Do you really think I care about something like that? Besides, I’ve already made sure it won’t be discovered, so there’s no need for you to worry. More importantly, could you please show me to the room quickly? Do you have any idea how many hours I’ve been waiting here?”
Yeon Minha barely swallowed the sob that threatened to burst out. For now, she couldn’t think of any option other than obeying him.
“…Th-this way…”
With unsteady steps, she led him upstairs. When they reached the second floor, a hallway appeared with bedrooms, an empty room, and a dressing room lined up neatly. Her heart began to pound violently. If that pervert really tried to force his way into her bedroom, there was no way she could stop him.
“I’ll be using this one from now on. Then…”
However, after simply confirming the location of the bedroom, he pointed to the empty room next to it. The fact that she felt tearfully grateful for that choice only made her feel even more pathetic.
“Wh-why are you doing this to me…”
He had just finished his one-sided announcement and was about to enter the room when a surge of resentment gave her courage. With a trembling voice, Yeon Minha barely managed to confront him.
“You—what the hell is your goal…? Why are you doing this kind of thing to me…! Are you trying to get revenge for your friends or something…”
“Whatever you do to torment others is none of my business. I’m not exactly a clean person myself.”
“Then why—!”
“I’m trying to help you, Senior.”
It was a simplified answer because he still couldn’t fully trust her, but Yeon Minha had no way of knowing that. She simply reminded herself once again that the man before her was a lunatic.
“If you… if you lay even a single finger on my body… if you take even one step into my bedroom…”
“You’re saying exactly what I wanted to say. I hope you don’t even dream of entering ‘my room’ as you please. This is a warning.”
At some point, the room next door had become the man’s territory. The masked male student left only those words, entered the room, and closed the door behind him. The once-noisy hallway fell back into quiet silence.
“…You crazy psychopath bastard.”
Left alone, Yeon Minha muttered in a daze. She stood frozen in that spot for a long time. Then, with heavy, dragging steps, she weakly opened the door to her bedroom and stepped inside.