Chapter 105
Th i s w a s co p ied fr o m k i n g mtl . o r g
Exposure (15)
The size was so large that I couldn’t identify it immediately.
Setting aside that it was a poor prank, the content was even more malicious.
The words filled the wall with contempt and mockery directed at Yeon Minha.
“This is…”
And the moment I confirmed they were scribbles and understood their content.
Even though I wasn’t the target, anger welled up from deep within my chest.
I barely swallowed my curses, but the urge to catch the culprits and beat them up was still there.
“Wh-why are you suddenly… what are you planning to do…”
As I was about to turn away, Yeon Minha urgently stopped me.
“What do you mean, what am I planning? Of course, I intend to catch the ones who did this.”
“What…?”
“Your dorm is quite secluded, so it would be difficult for them to come here and leave without a trace. First, we should go to the office and compare the list of residents nearby…”
“No, no! You can’t do that…”
But Yeon Minha continued to hold me back.
“Why not? Even on a Sunday, there should be someone on duty at the office…”
“No, that’s not what I mean. This isn’t something that can be resolved that way…”
Yeon Minha stepped close enough that I could feel her breath.
She reached out, firmly grasping my hands, and looked up at me, catching her breath slightly.
Yeon Minha remained as calm as ever.
Meeting her eyes, I felt my anger start to subside.
When I finally calmed down, Yeon Minha sighed softly in relief.
Then she continued explaining in a gentle voice.
“Approaching it that way will just make them look down on us even more. This is something the students have to resolve themselves.”
“…”
“It’s okay. This is something I expected when I decided to return to the Cradle.”
Yeon Minha, the one involved, spoke with an indifferent tone as if it were no big deal.
T h is was c o p ied f r o m k in g mt l . or g
“And it’s not difficult to solve. This kind of cowardly act is done by people who wouldn’t dare face you. Later, if I crush a couple of suitable ones, they’ll bow their heads again as if nothing happened.”
“But…”
When I hesitated while looking at the graffiti, Yeon Minha grabbed my wrist and started walking towards the dorm’s back door.
“It’s fine. We can clean the graffiti when the sun rises tomorrow. For now, let’s get inside. What if someone sees us out here?”
T hi s w a s co pie d fr o m k ing m tl . or g
I was pulled along by Yeon Minha like a balloon.
She hurriedly entered the dorm and locked the latch on the back door.
Yeon Minha locked the latch on the back door after rushing into the dorm.
Then she suddenly stopped in place, turning her head slightly in my direction so that only her thin, high-bridged nose was visible.
“Hey, are you… very angry?”
I was indeed furious at first, but now I felt more embarrassed.
Cooling off and thinking about it, I realized that Yeon Minha’s approach was much wiser than my impulsive one.
Even if I were to use force, there’d have to be a calculated plan.
“A little…”
Th i s wa s c o p ied f r o m king m t l . o r g
“I see…”
Hearing my sheepish reply, Yeon Minha suddenly dropped her head.
Then she began to mutter incoherently.
“More importantly, you must be tired… go lie down… I should also get some rest early today…”
Without giving me a chance to respond, Yeon Minha darted up to the second floor and slammed her bedroom door shut.
The sound of the door hitting the frame echoed loudly through the dorm.
“…”
I was left standing alone in silence and darkness.
My brain was struggling to process the rapid sequence of events.
For quite a while, I pondered the meaning of the joy hidden in Yeon Minha’s voice.
***
-Slurp… Slurp…
When I opened my eyes again, the darkness outside the window hadn’t yet receded.
A wet, scratchy sensation was persistently tickling my lips.
I found myself face-to-face with a small cat’s flicking tongue.
T hi s w a s c o p i e d f ro m kin g m t l . o rg
“Meow~”
Ddangkong let out a small cry, as if offering a morning greeting.
The cute sound made the corners of my lips lift slightly.
T hi s w a s c o p i ed fr o m ki n gm t l . o r g
“Why do you like lips so much?”
Perhaps it was because that was the only exposed part.
Ever since we reunited, I’ve been wearing a mask every day.
Since I woke up much earlier than usual, I spent some time idling, petting Ddangkong.
As Ddangkong’s eyelids drooped, a purring sound filled the air.
It seemed ridiculous that just a gentle stroke could lull it to sleep.
Especially when it had woken me up completely.
Why had I ever tried to push away such a cute creature?
I covered the sleeping Ddangkong with a blanket and got out of bed.
But today, I felt unusually refreshed… Was it just my imagination?
After several days of intense activity, I had been quite exhausted just last night.
Yet now, I felt hardly any fatigue or lethargy.
Even though I woke up much earlier than usual because of Ddangkong.
I searched my memory for when I had felt this lightness before.
I remembered feeling similarly when I awoke in the infirmary after returning from the south.
The common factor seemed to be waking up to the sensation of Ddangkong’s wet tongue.
I gazed at the little cat now fast asleep.
Perhaps Ddangkong’s very presence provided me with a sense of stability.
It felt like the only bridge connecting my past and present selves.
“…”
T h is w a s c o pi ed f r o m k in g m t l . o rg
Lost in thought, I stepped out into the corridor and noticed that Yeon Minha’s bedroom door was unusually wide open.
The familiar scent of narcissus filled the hallway.
She was brushing her hair, still slightly damp.
Since the vanity was facing the door, I could only see the back of her, with her neckline and waist fully exposed.
Her hair was so long that she was struggling to manage it, groaning softly with the effort.
I watched for just a moment, but Yeon Minha seemed to sense my presence, like a ghost detecting my intent.
She flinched her shoulder slightly and spoke first.
“You… you’re bold enough to peek at your senior’s grooming. Now you’re openly giving me a lecherous look…?”
“…”
Wasn’t she the one who left the door open?
It’s amazing how she noticed my presence so quickly, even though I was standing there briefly.
I felt a bit aggrieved.
This feeling was a little different from the one I had yesterday.
Th i s w a s c o p ie d f r om k i ng m tl. o r g
I boldly stepped into her bedroom.
“…Fine. I know you’re obsessed with lust. As your senior, I should accept you with a broad heart… Kyah! Wh-what are you doing…!”
Yeon Minha, who had been scolding me, suddenly let out a sharp scream.
Seeing her like that filled me with an unexpected sense of satisfaction.
“Even so, this early in the morning…”
“Be still, please.”
I took the brush from Yeon Minha’s hand.
Then I turned her around and positioned her in front of the vanity.
Caught off guard, Yeon Minha stood as still as a wooden doll.
I took the opportunity to start brushing her hair.
“Senior.”
“…”
“Minha Senior.”
“Uh, uh? W-what do you want…”
“Good morning.”
“…You’re such a pervert.”
Though I greeted her, she responded with yet another insult.
“What brought you up so early today?”
“If someone hears, they might think I always oversleep…! It’s a misunderstanding…”
Yeon Minha, who had been hanging her head, finally shouted with an indignant expression.
But it wasn’t a misunderstanding; it was a fact.
Sleeping in had been one of her favorite activities recently.
Since entering the beech dormitory, I hadn’t seen her awake at this hour.
Unlike first-year students, second-year students had voluntary morning training, so she never emerged from her bedroom until the room was filled with morning sunlight.
“Today, I have somewhere to go… So I got up early…”
She finally admitted her unusual behavior.
“Somewhere to go? Where?”
Then Yeon Minha said something unexpected.
“I’m going to apply to return to the student council.”
“Why all of a sudden… Wait, were you in the student council?”
“Students from the Five Families are required to hold a position upon entering. I refused before because I was too busy with mental contamination treatment… Now, thanks to you, I’m okay.”
I could sense Yeon Minha’s glance at me through the mirror.
“And I need to expand my influence.”
“Is the student council really that powerful? I’ve heard rumors, but…”
“Of course. The Cradle’s student council is like a microcosm of the Republic’s Supreme Council. Although they’ve taken on some of the Education Committee’s functions, they have the authority to handle their own budget and enforce school laws.”
Yeon Minha answered immediately.
If one intended to enter the Supreme Council in the future, experience in the Cradle’s student council was the first step.
Additionally, benefits such as reduced military service after graduation, guaranteed placement in the capital for the first job, and access to top-secret information…
She listed dozens of advantages granted to student council members.
I recalled students who had desperately tried to connect with the student council.
Now I understood, at least a little, why they went to such lengths.
“And do you remember that girl, Chun Harin?”
“Chun Harin…”
Just as I was about to remember, the face of a senior female student, who nearly got into a brawl with Yeon Minha, came to mind.
T h i s w a s c op ied f ro m k i n g m t l. o rg
It was just before I left for the south for an external commission.
T h i s w a s copi ed fr om k i ng m t l . o r g
She was also a member of the Magi 27 Families… yet she openly supported Paechun and opposed Jeokhwa.
Her tenacity rivaled Yeon Minha’s, making quite an impression.
Moreover, she was said to have lost a pinky finger in a duel with her…
“The reason she struts around is that she’s an enforcement officer in the student council. It’s a position perfect for crushing others with power. Now that people like her will be running rampant, I need to push back, don’t you think?”
I was beginning to understand her fairly reasonable justification when her next words left me momentarily speechless.
“And I need to secure a spot for you.”
“What?”
End of Chapter