Chapter 198
Wow… What in the world is going on?
Jin Yeseo, who had just passed through an unusually thorough and lengthy inspection search, thought to herself.
Even someone like her, with her distinct appearance of blonde hair and green eyes, had to go through such scrutiny. It was needless to say what others had to endure.
As she passed through the main gate, Jin Yeseo nervously glanced around.
The scenery of the Cradle she returned to after her probation felt utterly unfamiliar.
The first thing she noticed were the remnants of buildings burned and shattered, scattered here and there. Though workers had been brought in to expedite the restoration, it seemed like it would still take time to return to its former state.
“Is Unnie okay…?”
Jin Yeseo murmured.
That man? He was someone who could survive even if thrown into the depths of hell, so she wasn’t particularly worried about him.
The problem was Baek Seoyeon.
Everyone who knew, knew.
The recent full opening of the social gathering had been a decision by the Cradle’s Education Committee, but behind it lay the heavy influence of Paechun.
It was an attempt to reignite the faltering momentum of Paechun. However, responsibility was responsibility. Rumors were already circulating that this would be used as a pretext to impeach Baek Ilyong, the head of Paechun and a Supreme Council representative.
At the center of it all was Heukryeon, who had broken his long silence and returned.
Jin Yeseo harbored mixed feelings.
Her heart was with Heukryeon, but she still admired and followed Baek Seoyeon the most.
“…She’ll be fine. She’s Unnie, after all…”
But Jin Yeseo soon shook her head. Even so, Baek Seoyeon’s position in the Cradle was still solid. It wasn’t a situation where anything could be said rashly.
Distracting herself with these thoughts, Jin Yeseo walked down the hallway and suddenly glanced at her reflection in the window.
Her hair, which she used to tie up carelessly to avoid hindering her training, was now neatly combed and left to flow down. The ends, slightly wavy, shone with a smooth gloss.
Her school uniform top had been tailored to fit more snugly, accentuating her figure. The hem of her skirt, raised daringly above her knees, left a glimpse of her soft and tender thighs exposed between the skirt and her high knee socks.
“Will he… like it?”
Looking at her reflection, Jin Yeseo fidgeted awkwardly, twisting a strand of her hair.
But soon, she steeled herself once more.
During her probation period, Jin Yeseo had been busy devising a plan to completely win him over.
She had even secured justification from her mother, so there was nothing to hold her back anymore.
“At this time… he should be in the training room, right…?”
As she moved forward, she suddenly heard the clattering sound of heels echoing from the opposite end of the hallway.
Turning her head abruptly, Jin Yeseo immediately broke into a bright smile.
“Unnie…!”
Catching sight of someone with flowing black hair walking ahead, Jin Yeseo called out cheerfully and ran toward her.
However, the person didn’t seem to notice her presence at all and continued walking without stopping.
Thinking she might not have been heard, Jin Yeseo hurried closer and called out again.
“Unnie! It’s me, Yeseo…!”
Only then did the footsteps halt.
Baek Seoyeon slowly turned her head with a sluggish and lifeless motion.
The moment they locked eyes, Jin Yeseo, who had been ready to throw herself into her embrace, froze in surprise.
“U-Unnie…?”
“…”
Baek Seoyeon’s face, as she looked back at her, was shrouded in deep darkness. The eyes that had once been so clear and bright were now utterly hollow.
The warm, affectionate smile that always greeted Jin Yeseo was nowhere to be found.
“A-Are you okay…?”
“…”
Still, Baek Seoyeon remained silent. The peculiar sense of distance made Jin Yeseo feel an eerie foreboding.
‘She seems to be struggling a lot… Well, considering her personality…’
Given that the social gathering, pushed forward by Paechun, had resulted in such a disaster, it was only natural that someone as kind and compassionate as Baek Seoyeon would be deeply troubled. That’s what Jin Yeseo thought.
Though, she still found her more somber demeanor a bit startling.
Jin Yeseo fell into contemplation. How could she cheer her up?
It didn’t take her long to come to a decision.
There was one major commonality between them.
They each had someone they adored endlessly as their lover.
Moreover, Jin Yeseo had just recently prevented Baek Seoyeon from going down the wrong path.
“U-Unnie… Have you heard about it by any chance…?”
Cautiously, Jin Yeseo tried to strike up a conversation with the distant Baek Seoyeon.
She intended to remind her of her beloved, shift the mood, and maybe even get some advice from the experienced Seoyeon about romance.
“Actually, I brought my fiancé with me this time. It was supposed to be a secret, but somehow… hehehe…”
“…”
“I really wanted to introduce him to you, but I completely forgot… So, about that…”
However, just as she was about to continue her lighthearted chatter—
“…Ha.”
“Unnie…?”
She heard an unfamiliar and chilling scoff.
The voice was unmistakably Baek Seoyeon’s.
Jin Yeseo’s expression turned from cheerful to puzzled, unsure if she had misheard.
-Crack… Crackle…
An unpleasant sound, as if something were splitting, reached her ears.
Looking down at her feet, Jin Yeseo noticed frost creeping like tendrils, encircling her.
At the end of it was Baek Seoyeon’s face, glaring at her as if she wanted to end her.
“Unnie…?”
Unconsciously, Jin Yeseo took a step back. The unfamiliar demeanor of Baek Seoyeon was bewildering. Just facing her hostility made Jin Yeseo’s hands and feet tremble.
And then, Baek Seoyeon’s words struck her like a hammer, making her heart sink.
“Calling someone else’s man… your fiancé…?”
“W-What…?”
Jin Yeseo was so taken aback that she couldn’t even form proper words. Baek Seoyeon’s statement carried an undeniable meaning.
‘How… How did she find out…?’
Right now, Baek Seoyeon was accurately pinpointing the identity of the man Jin Yeseo had introduced as her fiancé during the social gathering.
“U-Unnie… Wait, please listen to me…”
“Filthy girl.”
Just as Jin Yeseo stammered, trying to explain, her words were abruptly cut off by an unexpected and venomous insult. The thought that Baek Seoyeon could say something so harsh was utterly shocking.
“What did you just…”
Thump. Thump. Her heart pounded wildly. She felt like a mischievous child caught red-handed.
Judging by Baek Seoyeon’s demeanor, it was clear she still had lingering feelings for that man.
But even so, there was no turning back now.
Jin Yeseo steadied herself, her legs trembling, and shook her head.
Nothing changes.
Baek Seoyeon already has a fiancé. No matter how much she may have indulged in a fleeting moment of passion, it would only bring misery to everyone involved.
Moreover, the man she was interested in already belonged to her.
Although Unnie had always guided her as a lacking younger sibling, it was now her responsibility to correct her sister’s missteps.
Jin Yeseo swallowed hard and stepped forward.
“Unnie, please, get a hold of yourself… He’s not your man but—Kyaaa…!!”
But in the next moment.
With a sudden burst of energy, it felt as if the air itself exploded, and Jin Yeseo was forcibly pushed backward.
“Unnie, why are you doing this…? It’s me, Yeseo! Your closest sister… Please, just listen to me…!”
“How dare you… How dare you…”
Instead, her plea seemed to inflame Baek Seoyeon’s fury even more.
Her chilling mutterings pierced Jin Yeseo like knives. Feeling a cold wall press against her back, Jin Yeseo realized she had been cornered.
Baek Seoyeon now held a long, spear-like shard of ice in her hand. Its sharp tip was aimed directly at Jin Yeseo.
“U-Unnie…?”
“…”
“Ah, no…? You’re joking right now…?”
There was no response. Baek Seoyeon, radiating intense hostility, was steadily closing the distance toward her.
Jin Yeseo felt all strength leave her body, unable to even think of resisting. The betrayal stung deeply—knowing that the older sister she trusted and followed would treat her this way.
Just as she instinctively realized there was no place left to escape, Jin Yeseo shut her eyes tightly.
“What is going on here…?”
Suddenly, the voice of a familiar male student echoed from beyond the staircase.
***
“Ah…!”
Jin Yeseo turned her head and beamed, as if she had been saved. The male student, now wearing a mask, quickly approached and stepped between her and Baek Seoyeon.
Standing with Jin Yeseo shielded behind him, he turned his head slightly and whispered in a low voice.
“Are you okay?”
The sight of him checking on her wellbeing first made Jin Yeseo momentarily fight the urge to throw herself into his arms.
She hesitated briefly, contemplating her next move.
But the situation had already been exposed.
With things as they were, she decided that maybe a shock tactic wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
If Baek Seoyeon faced the reality before her, perhaps she would finally give up.
“…”
Having made up her mind, Jin Yeseo nodded at the man.
Then she scurried to his side and buried herself in his embrace as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Just like someone who had been relentlessly oppressed until just moments ago.
“What are you doing all of a sudden…!”
“Just play along for now. I’ll explain everything later.”
“…”
The man appeared deeply conflicted by Jin Yeseo’s words. For some reason, his hesitation made her feel uneasy, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.
In the end, it seemed he decided to follow her lead.
Still nestled in his arms, Jin Yeseo poked her head out slightly to observe Baek Seoyeon.
The hostility in Baek Seoyeon had completely disappeared without a trace. Instead, she looked as if she was on the verge of tears, her gaze fixed on the man.
What was peculiar, though, was that the man also couldn’t meet her eyes directly.
A heavy, elongated silence hung in the air between them.
The first to speak was the man.
“…Using magic without authorization on school grounds is against the rules. Especially targeting a junior like that…”
“…”
Baek Seoyeon did not respond. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over.
“…I’ll take my leave now.”
The man, too, didn’t say much more and offered a short farewell before turning away.
As Jin Yeseo hesitated for a moment, glancing back at Baek Seoyeon while following him, she noticed something.
Baek Seoyeon was slumped, staring at the ground in utter despair.
“…”
After a brief moment of indecision, Jin Yeseo ultimately turned quickly and followed after the man.