How to Use an A-Class Key (2)
Before I knew it, after-school hours had arrived. In the southwest corner of the quiet oak forest stood a single building all by itself. I stopped in front of the rippling shadows.
An elegant rectangular structure unfolded with refined grace. This was none other than the secret indoor swimming pool of Raven Academy.
Swimming lessons weren't exactly part of the academy's official curriculum, yet Raven Academy still maintained this state-of-the-art facility. It was probably the school's way of offering students diverse experiences through club activities.
That said…
I tossed the key I was holding back into the air. The tip of the key pointed directly at the swimming pool, but I couldn't take another step forward. There was only one reason.
This place was infamous as a men-forbidden zone.
I wasn't sure when it had started. As a mere first-year, I couldn't possibly know the full historical background that led to this area becoming off-limits to men. From what I'd heard through the grapevine from upperclassmen in Citizen Hall, the story went that long ago, a male student with peculiar sexual tendencies had been caught peeping in the women's changing room. Ever since then, male entry had been strictly prohibited.
In other words, it was absolutely impossible for a guy like me to stroll confidently into that indoor pool.
I chewed anxiously on my lower lip. Damn it, of all places…
That was when I heard girls' voices coming from behind me. I quickly ducked behind a tree and pricked up my ears.
"Hello, sunbae!"
"Jiyoung sunbae! We're here~!"
Two female students came running up, greeting someone enthusiastically. The person receiving their greetings was a woman with a hime cut who had been guarding the building entrance from the start. She replied with clear charisma.
"Yeah, good. But there aren't any men following you, right? We've been getting reports lately that someone's been sneaking peeks at the pool."
"No way! How could that happen when the great Jiyoung sunbae is standing guard?"
"Exactly, Jiyoung sunbae! As long as you're here, no guy would even dare think about coming near this place!"
"…Call me Student Council President, not sunbae."
"Aww, sunbae! You're really going to be like that with us?"
"Enough, just get inside already!"
"Yesss!"
After that lighthearted girl talk, the two students slipped easily into the building. Meanwhile, the hime-cut woman crossed her arms again and resumed guarding the entrance.
I'd never met her face-to-face, but I knew who she was. Kang Jiyoung, a third-year at Raven Academy. She was the almighty student council president and also head of the disciplinary committee. As long as that iron lady was guarding the door, I wouldn't be able to get anywhere near the pool, let alone inside it.
I bit my thumbnail. So what now…?
The swimming pool was only open for four hours after school. Sneaking in at night was impossible. The moment that iron door—the only entrance—closed, every opportunity to get inside would vanish.
But then I heard men's voices coming from somewhere. And they sounded familiar.
"Heh heh heh. This is getting me excited…"
"Do you think the swimming club girls really wear bikinis like the rumors say?"
"…The probability is sufficiently high."
Three guys were creeping closer from the opposite direction. They were none other than the Scavenger bastards.
My eyes widened. No way…?
Just from their sleazy expressions, I could immediately tell why they'd come here. Sure enough, the three of them formed a human ladder and started climbing the wall. The fat guy at the top was holding a telescope.
They were definitely trying to peep at the girls swimming through the windows. The "perverts" the student council president had mentioned earlier had to be these guys.
"Hmm…"
As I watched them, a good idea suddenly popped into my head. Maybe I could use these idiots…
The corner of my mouth twitched upward.
First, I alternated my gaze between the student council president and the Scavenger guys, then whistled at the perfect moment.
Whiiiiiiistle—!
At the sound, Kang Jiyoung immediately lifted her head. To draw her attention, I threw a pebble toward where the guys were hiding.
Clack. Clatter…
Kang Jiyoung's eyes sharpened. She slowly stepped forward, then turned her body in the direction the stone had rolled. Naturally, that's where… the guys trying to peep on the swimming club were. The student council president's eyes widened in shock the moment she saw them.
"Hey! You three!"
Only then did the Scavenger guys realize they'd been caught. The human ladder they'd built began to wobble and lose balance.
"S-shit! We've been spotted!"
"Change of plans! Retreat!"
"Ugh…!"
Kang Jiyoung immediately pulled out a whip and shouted at them.
"You filthy, perverted scumbags!"
"Wait! This is a bit of a misunderstanding…!"
"Unacceptable! I'll end your miserable lives with this whip right now!"
Crack—!
"Eek!"
The Scavenger guys who had jumped down immediately started running in the opposite direction without looking back. They all wore expressions like they'd just met the grim reaper.
"R-run! If she catches us, it's straight to prison!"
"Where do you think you're going? Stop right there!"
The student council president chased after them, shouting furiously. The moment they all disappeared from sight, I casually strolled forward at a leisurely pace.
…Sorry about that, guys.
Thanks to them acting as perfect bait, I was able to slip into the building entrance without any trouble.
I grabbed the door handle and paused for a moment.
Raven Academy's men-forbidden zone. The secret indoor swimming pool.
I pulled the door open, solely to use the key.
Creeeeak—
…I swear it's true.
The interior of the men-forbidden swimming pool was surprisingly ordinary. Except for the fact that it was as large as an Olympic stadium, that is.
In the center of the hotel-like lobby stood a massive glass door connected to the pool. Through the gap, I could catch glimpses of female students swimming. The sound of splashing kicks mixed with the noisy chatter of many voices overlapping.
The Celestial Muscle Pain Lover keeps sneaking glances at the glass door.
But I wasn't interested in that side. The key floating above my palm was pointing in a completely different direction.
Vrrrr—
I turned my head toward the right path that the key was indicating. A narrow corridor bent at a right angle came into view. I couldn't sense any presence, but I had to be prepared—there would be no place to hide if I ran into someone around that corner.
Gulp.
I immediately began moving forward with extreme caution. When I finally turned the corner, the key's reaction grew even more intense. It meant I was almost at my destination.
"Whew."
The place where I finally stopped had two doors installed on the wall. To be precise, they were the men's and women's changing rooms. Strictly speaking, the key was pointing at the women's changing room on the left.
Uh… um…
What the hell am I supposed to do? Of all things, the key was pointing at the female-only changing room. This was the perfect situation to get labeled as a pervert.
Right then, I sensed the presence of female students behind me!
S-shit…!
I quickly opened the door to the men's changing room on the right and slipped inside.
Clunk!
Immediately after, I heard a female student's voice from beyond the door. It sounded strangely familiar.
"Huh? Si-eun, wait a second… Did you hear something?"
"Something?"
"Hold on…"
"H-Hayul! That's the men's changing room!"
"That's exactly why I'm checking. This place is supposed to be empty, after all."
Hearing that, I quickly hid behind the door. And at that exact moment, the door opened!
Clunk!
I held my breath. The one who walked into the men's changing room was the little squirt, Oh Ha-yul. Normally I just thought of her as a brat, but right now her presence felt terrifying.
Through the crack in the door, I could see the back of Oh Ha-yul in her school uniform.
Gulp.
In the end, there was no one in the men's changing room…
Thinking that, Oh Ha-yul shrugged her shoulders, then closed the door and returned to the hallway. Their conversation immediately followed.
"Hayul, was someone there…?"
"Nope, guess it was nothing. Let's go."
I let out the breath I'd been holding.
"Haa—"
That was way too close. I wiped the sweat from my forehead.
I had no idea that Ju Si-eun and Oh Ha-yul were part of the swimming club. If they'd caught me here, my life would've been over. Ugh, just imagining it is terrifying.
Anyway, after calming my racing heart, I cracked the door open slightly and peeked out. It looked like they were currently in the middle of changing into their swimsuits. I'd wait until they came out wearing them, then enter the changing room afterward.
I placed the key on my palm again. The A-Class Key spun round and round in the air like a compass.
The place it was pointing to was right in front of me.