Chapter 123
Doubt (14)
***
“W-What are you doing here at this hour…! What about morning training…”
Even as Yeon Minha spoke, she desperately struggled to free herself.
But her arms, held up above her, didn’t budge an inch.
Like prey in the clutches of a predator, she was utterly exposed and defenseless.
A deep flush of shame spread across Yeon Minha’s face.
“If you skip… you’ll get punished…”
“It doesn’t matter.”
The boy in the mask cut off her desperate attempt to reason with him.
“There’s something more important.”
“More… important?”
“Yes.”
His voice, now filled with anger, came out in a low growl.
“Why are you avoiding me?”
“I-I’m not avoiding…”
“Why are you avoiding me?”
“I said I’m not—ugh…”
At her continued denial, his grip tightened even more.
He wasn’t treating her like a senior; in fact, he was acting like she was beneath him, pinning her down with force.
Yet, oddly, instead of feeling wronged, Yeon Minha found herself enveloped by an unusual sense of comfort.
Her ragged breathing calmed down. Her racing thoughts settled.
Regaining her clarity, Yeon Minha closely examined his expression.
From behind the mask, a pair of eyes stared at her.
She could see into those light sky-blue irises as if they were an open canvas.
The shallow surface was filled with sticky obsession. And beyond that, waves of anxiety and sadness swirled.
“…”
Yeon Minha recalled how much Lee Hyun cared about his ranking scores.
He had spent the entire semester acting like a model student, determined not to bring shame to Heukryeon and those who had helped him.
He always attended lectures without fail, except when caught up in incidents like the Jeokhwa affair. He studied diligently to make up for his lack of prior knowledge.
Naturally, he had never once skipped morning training.
Yet here he was, telling her that their conversation was more important.
Even if it meant losing points for skipping training, he didn’t care.
“…Calm down.”
Yeon Minha looked up at him and spoke in a steady voice.
“Are you angry?”
“Yes.”
He answered her question immediately.
Yeon Minha had to ignore the sudden warmth creeping up her face.
“Why? Why are you angry?”
“How could I not be angry if you’re avoiding me for no reason?”
“…”
A wave of satisfaction welled up inside her, but it was soon followed by guilt, causing her to glance down toward his chest.
And there it was again—the slightly crooked tie on his left side.
The knot was much better than before, but it seemed he was still struggling to get the hang of it.
Seeing this, the corners of Yeon Minha’s lips involuntarily lifted.
“…I wasn’t avoiding you.”
“Then why…”
“I really wasn’t. Can’t you listen to me when I’m speaking?”
Her calm tone caused the furious energy radiating from him to falter at last.
Lee Hyun hesitated for a moment, then asked her in a quieter voice.
“…Then why?”
“Well… um…”
Yeon Minha tried to drag out her answer, buying some time to think of an excuse.
“I-I haven’t been feeling well lately… I’ve been on edge… and tired… so I just wanted to rest a bit…”
“Tired, you say?”
“Y-Yeah! You know… women have those times… it happens once a month…”
As soon as the nonsense left her mouth, embarrassment flooded her, stabbing at her conscience like needles.
She consoled herself with the fact that it wasn’t a complete lie. The timing was kind of right, after all…
“…Oh.”
Now he looked visibly flustered. The grip he had on her wrists had long since weakened.
Yeon Minha didn’t miss the opportunity and quickly slipped her wrists free.
Then, acting as if nothing was wrong, she casually straightened her clothes and shot him a slight glare.
“Seriously… Look at this. I had everything neat and tidy, and now look.”
“I-I’m sorry…”
His voice came out all flustered, and Yeon Minha had to stifle a laugh.
Somehow, their roles had completely reversed.
With a much lighter heart, Yeon Minha shook her head.
“It’s fine. I should’ve explained better too… I’ll make sure to tell you next time…”
Though she was apologizing, she wasn’t referring to the excuse she had just given. But there was no way he’d know that.
“You don’t have to say anything next time…”
“If I don’t? Will you handle me roughly again?”
“That’s not… I mean…”
“Hmph. Forget it.”
Yeon Minha pretended to be upset, narrowing her eyes at him.
Then, she stepped closer and began adjusting his tie.
“It’s crooked again. When are you going to get this right, hmm?”
“I thought I tied it properly…”
“Seriously… What would you do without me?”
With practiced ease, Yeon Minha fixed his tie.
She even gave his firm chest a few pats as if finishing a job well done.
“There. Now go. Don’t you have the ranking match lottery today?”
“Yes.”
“Even if you skipped training, you can’t miss the lottery. Go quickly, or you’ll be late.”
“But…”
“I said it’s fine. Just go. I need to head out too.”
Despite still seeming uncertain, Lee Hyun finally left the dorm, looking reluctant as he disappeared from view.
Now truly alone in the empty dormitory, Yeon Minha stood there for a long time, lost in thought.
“Haa…”
Eventually, she slumped down, leaning against the wall as she let out a long sigh.
Yeon Minha looked down at her wrists.
Both of them bore angry red marks where his hands had gripped her.
It was as if the remnants of the force used against her had left a lasting impression.
The marks felt like shackles, binding her, yet she found an odd sense of comfort in them.
“Ahh… How did I even end up like this?”
She muttered softly to herself as she looked at the marks.
But she quickly shook her head.
‘Seriously… What would you do without me…’
She thought about the words she had spoken to him just moments ago.
“…He needs me.”
‘Not Baek Seoyeon.’
Her body, which had been slumped in defeat, suddenly straightened as her eyes flickered with determination.
A question had been on the tip of her tongue earlier, when Lee Hyun had been pressing her.
In the end, she hadn’t been able to voice it and had swallowed it back down.
“From now on, I won’t let you take anything else from me.”
Sitting on the ground, Yeon Minha gently caressed the bright red marks on her wrists as if they were something precious.
***
For the second ranking match, all the first-years were gathered, buzzing with excitement as they crowded into Hwayangkwan Hall.
“Hyuna~ Over here!”
As soon as I entered the hall, swept along by the crowd, I heard someone calling my name.
I spotted the bleached-blond girl waving at me and made my way over to her.
“Hey.”
“Hey~”
“Hi…”
I sat down with Sera, Yeoreum, and Yena, who had already taken their seats.
As soon as I sat down, Sera spoke up.
“Was something up this morning? Yena was really worried. She said you never miss training but suddenly weren’t there today.”
“Sera, you’re doing it again…!”
Yena glared at the giggling Sera with a mix of frustration and embarrassment.
“…I just wasn’t feeling well.”
“Is that so? Now that you mention it, your ears do look a bit red… Do you have a fever?”
“Really? Shouldn’t you go to the infirmary?”
“It’s fine. It’s nothing serious…”
I shook my head in response to Yena’s concerned question.
But as my emotions settled down, I felt warmth creeping back into my face.
What kind of expression was I making right now? I couldn’t remember the last time I was so glad to be wearing a mask.
What was I even thinking earlier? Getting all worked up over nothing, and even misunderstanding things completely…
It was beyond embarrassing—something I’d remember for the rest of my life.
“…”
After taking a deep breath, I finally glanced around.
More students seemed anxious, gnawing at their nails, rather than wearing relaxed expressions.
After all, ranking match scores held the most weight in determining personal standings.
Moreover, this was the time when the gap between students, based on their natural talent, was starting to widen.
No wonder so many were feeling nervous.
Looking a bit farther, I spotted a group of students who always seemed to stick together.
There was Ryu Sehwa’s younger brother, Ryu Seunghun, his fiancée Moon Yeowool, the muscular, short-haired Choi Woojin, and Guk Jaeryong, who, despite being from a prestigious family, always looked out of place with his slick appearance.
“…”
Something felt off—their usual member, Jin Yeseo, wasn’t with them.
Had she not been discharged from the infirmary yet…?
“Everyone, quiet down!”
Right on cue, Professor Shin Jae-yu clapped her hands together loudly to grab everyone’s attention from the podium.
And in that brief moment, her gaze met mine.
Her expression was as fierce and intimidating as a wild beast’s.
“…”
A chill ran down my spine.
Was today her turn to oversee morning training? She was notorious for hating slackers.
If I didn’t come up with a good excuse, today might get a lot more troublesome…
“We’ll now begin the ranking match lottery…”
-Bang!
Just as Professor Shin was about to proceed with the draw, the doors to the hall slammed open with a loud crash.
All eyes turned toward the entrance.
There, pushing open the door with her whole body, was a blonde girl wrapped in bandages, one arm in a cast.
“Gasp… Huff… Sorry… I’m late…”
Panting heavily, Jin Yeseo finally made her appearance.
“It’s fine. We haven’t started yet. Just take a seat.”
“…Yes.”
Professor Shin waved her hand dismissively, as if it were no big deal.
“Ahem. Now, we’ll begin the ranking match lottery. You all know the rules, so I’ll skip the explanation, alright?”
A few scattered “Yes, ma’ams” could be heard from the crowd in response.
The lottery starts from the lowest rank and moves up. Each student draws a random opponent from those ranked just above or below them.
The chosen opponent does not get to draw, and the process moves on to the next student. Defeating someone ranked higher than you earns more points, but the same applies to losing.
One thing was certain—I wouldn’t be drawing today, since I was ranked first.
Someone was bound to pick me before I got the chance.
“Next up, Hong Sera. Please come forward.”
“Wish me luck~”
Sera waved as she stood up and made her way to the front.
She inserted her ID into the machine, and a ball floating in a vacuum dropped down.
With a confident expression, Sera infused the ball with particles, waiting for her opponent’s name to appear.
Then, I saw her face twist into a sour grimace.
“Hong Sera. Your opponent is… Shin Muyoung!”
“…Ugh.”
Upon hearing the name, both Yeoreum and Yena cringed.
Come to think of it, Yena had faced him once before. I remembered how Muyoung had walked around the infirmary afterward, wrapped in bandages from head to toe.
“Ugh, out of everyone, why him…!”
Even after returning to her seat, the bleached-blonde delinquent continued to grumble.
“Joo Yeoreum… Your opponent is…”
“Ha Yena… Your opponent is…”
The lottery continued without pause.
Eventually, it was the turn for the students within the top ten ranks, and a cold-looking girl stepped up to the podium.
Moon Yeowool stood in front of the machine, grabbed the floating ball, and waited for the name to appear.
Soon, her expression shifted in surprise.
“Moon Yeowool. Your opponent is… Jin Yeseo!!”
“Aren’t they in the same mentoring group? That… Baek Seoyeon-sunbae’s group…”
“Yeah…”
Sera and Yeoreum whispered to each other at the strange pairing.
The hall buzzed with murmurs as well.
Meanwhile, Jin Yeseo sat in her seat, her expression unreadable.
Moon Yeowool’s brow furrowed slightly, clearly displeased.
It was possible their match might be postponed. After all, Yeon Minha had once mentioned that a match could be delayed for health reasons.
But Jin Yeseo didn’t seem like the type to do that.
If she were, she wouldn’t have bothered dragging her injured body here in the first place.
Her pride was as high as the sky…
“…”
At any rate, I was relieved that I wouldn’t have to face Jin Yeseo again.
No matter the circumstances, hitting someone wrapped in bandages like that would’ve left a bad taste in my mouth.
“Ryu Seunghun. Your opponent is… An Sol!”
At the sound of two familiar names, I glanced up.
I immediately spotted the familiar sight of a girl with a bob-cut and rimless glasses, her eyes burning with determination.
An Sol… that must be the student council secretary, right?
She had always stuck close to the president, assisting him like a diligent shadow.
Her voice, demanding confidence from the president, echoed in my mind once again.
Ryu Seunghun was a strong contender, already ranked within the top ten.
Being matched against him meant she was quite skilled herself.
So then, who’s my opponent?
I looked forward again.
Just in time, a muscular, short-haired boy stepped up to the podium.
Only one ball remained in the machine.
And that could mean only one thing.
“Choi Woojin. Your opponent is… Yu Jinhyun!!”
The moment my name was called, the muscular boy flashed me a grin, baring his teeth.
End of Chapter