Invitation (6): A Suffocating Silence
A suffocating silence fell over us.
“...”
Min Soyeon was openly glaring at Gong Haeseon, while Gong Haeseon—completely ignoring that sharp gaze—kept stealing shy, flustered glances at me. It wasn’t as if they were competing to see who would speak first, yet the two of them kept reading each other’s expressions and sneaking looks my way.
...This is driving me insane.
Sandwiched between them, the pressure was so intense it made my stomach churn. It would have been so much easier if I had remained oblivious. Because I knew exactly how they felt about me, finding the right words had become nearly impossible. One careless comment and a misunderstanding would bloom instantly. The only safe option was to keep walking in silence, pretending I had no idea what was happening.
Step. Step.
We continued toward the Academy like that, each of us wrapped in our own discomfort, until the path suddenly narrowed. It was clearly too tight for three people to walk side by side. We couldn’t step down onto the car lane, so someone had to fall back.
“......”
Apparently Min Soyeon and Gong Haeseon had the same thought; they both began to slow down at the exact same moment. Then, with perfect timing, they shot each other a fierce, crackling glare.
Watching the two of them engage in their silent battle of nerves, I couldn’t hold back a deep sigh.
This wasn’t going to work.
Finally, unable to watch any longer, I stopped walking entirely and spoke to them as casually as I could manage.
“You two go first.”
“...Huh?”
“Y-yeah...?”
Both girls turned to look at me at the same time, their eyes filled with faint bewilderment.
“Aren’t you going?”
I kept my expression carefully neutral as I spoke. Gong Haeseon snapped out of her daze first.
“...R-right, I should...!”
She quickly walked ahead, then glanced back at me with a small, bashful smile. It was the kind of smile that seemed to ask, Did I do well?—full of hopeful expectation.
Realizing she had done it to earn my favor, I returned a complicated smile of my own. She let out a tiny, delighted giggle.
“Hehe.”
Soyeon, whether because she was happy to walk with me or because Gong Haeseon had backed down first, wore a satisfied expression as she waved me over.
“......”
My feelings were complicated in more ways than one.
Once we started walking again, the path soon widened, letting us fall into a natural formation side by side. Thanks to Gong Haeseon yielding earlier, the sharp tension in the air had eased slightly.
But...
“...Yu Jihwan. Today...”
“J-Jihwan! You haven’t eaten breakfast yet, right...?”
Their mutual wariness never let up for a second.
Gong Haeseon ignored Min Soyeon’s stinging glare, hurriedly pulled something from her bag, and held it out to me. It was the milk she always brought me—thick, sweet, and carrying a strangely addictive aroma.
Gulp.
Recalling that addictive taste, I swallowed unconsciously and took the bottle without thinking. Min Soyeon, who had been watching, widened her eyes and turned on Gong Haeseon.
“...Why are you the one taking care of his breakfast?”
“What’s wrong with that...?”
Gong Haeseon looked at her with an expression that said she saw no problem at all.
“...Who are you to be taking care of him?”
“Is there a rule that says I can’t...?”
“...No...!”
Gong Haeseon played innocent while Min Soyeon looked ready to explode. Sensing the situation was about to erupt, I quickly stepped between them.
“Thanks! I’ll enjoy it!”
I twisted the cap off and took a long swig.
Gulp. Gulp.
The sweet milk filled my mouth. The mysterious fragrance seemed even stronger today, yet it wasn’t unpleasant at all.
“Pwah...”
After draining the bottle in one go, I licked my lips with a hint of lingering regret. Gong Haeseon beamed brightly and took the empty bottle back.
“Ha.”
I pretended not to notice Min Soyeon’s dumbfounded, disbelieving stare. Once she had tucked the empty bottle away, Gong Haeseon glanced at me nervously and changed the subject.
“N-now that I think about it...! Did you hear there’s a special lecture today...?”
A special lecture? Neither Min Soyeon nor I—who had barely attended classes these past few days—had heard anything about it.
“...Huh? You didn’t hear?”
Gong Haeseon glanced briefly at Min Soyeon beside me before continuing.
“...They said the Sword Empress would be giving the lecture...?”
...What?
The Grand Auditorium was packed.
“I wish they’d start already...”
“Dude… why are you so excited? She’s a retired has-been.”
“Honestly, do the third-years even need to be here? Isn’t this overkill?”
Whispers from the back rows reached my ears. Kids these days… I thought, leaning back in my chair with a wry smile. It wasn’t strange that the current freshmen didn’t understand the Sword Empress’s true stature. If you never experienced it yourself, you’d probably never know.
“...”
I glanced sideways at Min Soyeon. She was staring blankly at the stage, clearly lost in thought. She seemed to be carrying a lot on her mind.
I turned the other way to look at Gong Haeseon, who was sitting neatly beside me. As if she had been waiting for my gaze, our eyes met instantly. She offered a faint, gentle smile, as if asking what was wrong.
“...”
I returned a small smile that said it’s nothing, then quietly looked away.
We were seated in the very front row, following our homeroom teacher’s instructions. Apparently an awards ceremony would take place before my wife’s lecture began. The recipients were, of course, Gong Haeseon, Min Soyeon, and me. The award was called the Special Merit Award.
I had been slightly puzzled about receiving an award out of nowhere, but after thinking it over, I realized this was Jeon Nando’s scheme. For first-years like us to enter a Gate, we needed a plausible justification. It seemed the Chairman planned to use the award as that justification, and by having the Sword Empress personally present it, he was adding extra weight to the occasion.
Considering this was the Sword Empress’s first official public event, my wife probably wasn’t unaware of the plan… Still, I couldn’t understand why both she and Jeon Nando always proceeded with these things without telling the people involved. Like master, like disciple, I suppose.
While I was pondering their schemes, a broadcast echoed through the auditorium.
The Academy’s special awards ceremony will begin shortly. All students, please remain seated…
The previously buzzing students grew even louder. Then, shortly after—
We will now begin the Academy’s special awards ceremony.
Cheers and applause erupted from the students. The broadcast continued.
This ceremony recognizes those who have raised the Academy’s prestige…
The presenter was introduced next.
The Sword Empress, Ju Yeonhee, will be presenting the awards.
The moment my wife’s name was announced, the students’ reaction grew feverish. The return of the woman once called the strongest. It was a historic moment.
Please welcome her with a big round of applause!
The auditorium exploded with thunderous clapping. I joined in, clapping along with the students while sneaking a glance at Min Soyeon beside me. She was clapping with a small smile on her lips. Seeing her like that, I couldn’t help but smile too.
Right then—
Click.
The faint sound of heels echoed. It wasn’t just me; the students’ cheers noticeably died down. At the same time, an overwhelming wave of mana began to blanket the entire Grand Auditorium.
“Ugh…”
“W-what is this?”
“Is this… mana?”
Anxious voices rose from every corner. The clicking heels grew closer, then quieter, until finally she appeared on the stage.
It was Ju Yeonhee.
“...Insane.”
“Holy crap… is she really retired?”
“She’s a monster…”
My wife stepped onto the stage, radiating mana so openly that the students gasped in shock. The moment her voice rang out—
[Hello.]
—the crushing pressure of mana that had filled the auditorium vanished in an instant. It was a level of control and power that most people could never achieve. The students sat with their mouths agape at the display.
...She’s really putting on a show.
I found her behavior puzzling. There was no need to go this far, so why was she deliberately crushing the students’ spirits?
Soon after, a flustered announcer’s voice continued the ceremony.
N-next… we will present the Special Merit Awards…
Mom’s beautiful voice echoed throughout the auditorium.
Yu Jihwan. This student, as a member of the Academy…
Jihwan stepped onto the stage as our representative. He shone so brightly he didn’t lose an ounce of presence to Mom. In fact, he made me feel small by comparison—so radiant, so dazzling.
…25th of the month. Presented by Chairman Jeon Nando. Congratulations.
After Mom finished reading the certificate, she handed it to Jihwan. He accepted it with a relaxed smile, not a trace of nervousness, and the two of them shared a brief handshake and a fleeting look.
In that instant, the corner of Mom’s lips curved up in a bewitching, seductive smile—the kind a woman makes when she’s deeply in love.
“...Huh?”
It happened so fast I wondered if I had imagined it. Soon the auditorium was filled with thunderous applause. I clapped along as if in a trance, slowly replaying the expression I had just seen on Mom’s face.
That faintly erotic smile was one she had never once shown me.
...Yet it felt strangely, uncomfortably familiar.