Senior.
“I thought it was someone else for a moment.”
Yeon Minha lightly brushed her chest with her hand as she spoke.
The vague sense of unease that seemed to ripple for a moment left no trace. The person in front of me was just as she usually was.
Cat-like, sharp-tongued, and arrogant, yet profoundly lonely at heart.
It feels as though it’s been quite a long time since I last saw her, even though that’s not the case.
Maybe it’s because of the rather embarrassing outburst she had last time? Or perhaps it’s just how large her presence feels.
“Where are you headed?”
“The Student Council Room. I was on my way there because of an urgent summons.”
“An urgent summons?”
“Yes.”
Walking alongside me, Yeon Minha nodded.
“Did something happen?”
“It’s been unbearably hot these past few days, hasn’t it? They say it might not be a natural phenomenon but instead some kind of abnormality in the Cradle System. So, they’re planning to form an investigation team to figure out the cause.”
Ever since I learned about the existence of witches, I’d been on edge, keeping my senses sharp.
I wondered if it might be related to that, but… apparently not.
“They received a request from the Education Committee. They want students skilled in search magic to be selected and added to the investigation team. I think they’ll be working on narrowing down the list.”
Her tone suggested it wasn’t a particularly big deal.
It seemed unlikely that I would be part of that investigation team. Despite the countless hours of practice, my search magic skills were still abysmal.
The main point of search magic is to spread out internalized particles as widely as possible to detect collisions, but I was fundamentally lacking in the basic prerequisites…
“I see. I hope it’s nothing serious.”
As I said this, Yeon Minha turned her head and looked up at me.
“And you?”
“I was on my way back from the infirmary. I had my regular physical examination. After that, I have a sparring evaluation scheduled.”
“I see… How were the results?”
“…They said I was fine. No issues, everything’s great.”
A pang of guilt pierced my chest. Well, it wasn’t exactly a lie.
The results only showed a slightly elevated overload level, and honestly, the thought that my body might already have a hundred cracks running through it was just my own vague imagination.
All I decided was to be a little more careful.
“That’s a relief. But you, in particular, need to be extra cautious. You know that, right? Always running around recklessly… You’re supposed to be the Heir of the Five Families, yet you act so undignified…”
At least she didn’t seem particularly suspicious of me.
Watching her nag at me like this brought an unbidden smile to my face.
We had just about reached the floor below where the Student Council Room was located.
Suddenly, Yeon Minha spun around to face me.
Even as she did, her eyes darted around like someone scheming something.
“Why the sudden pause?”
After hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke as if she had made a significant decision.
“…Can you give me a kiss? Just once?”
“…Here? Now?”
“Yes.”
“What if someone sees—”
“No one’s around. If we do it quickly, it’ll be fine…”
Despite my reluctance, Yeon Minha persisted with her urging.
Her demeanor showed an awkward mix of embarrassment and determination.
Faced with such an unexpected request, I couldn’t help but feel flustered.
Her demands were getting bolder by the day—what was this young lady thinking?
Seeing my hesitation, Yeon Minha pouted.
“…You don’t want to? Fine, forget it then… Hmph.”
Well, it’s not like I had a solid reason to refuse.
I silenced Yeon Minha’s impending complaints by covering her lips with mine.
Her eyes widened in surprise for a moment before slowly closing. The sweet floral scent rising from her fair skin tickled the tip of my nose.
“Chuup… Haa… Haa…”
The quiet hallway was filled with the sticky sound of mingling saliva. How many minutes passed like that? Only then did Yeon Minha pull away, seemingly satisfied.
Her eyes were still slightly unfocused.
“…Beast.”
Coming to her senses, Yeon Minha glared at me with a sharp look.
“How can you just dive in like that all of a sudden?”
“Who was the one asking for it?”
Shrugging, I responded nonchalantly, already accustomed to her reactions.
“What choice do I have? It’s an order from a senior as esteemed as you. If you asked for something even more outrageous, I’d have to comply.”
“Ugh… Are you seriously a pervert? Something more outrageous…”
Blushing, Yeon Minha lowered her head as if embarrassed by her own imagination. Though honestly, I was the one who received the awkward request.
“…Then, it’s not an order… but can I ask you for one more favor?”
After a moment, Yeon Minha began fidgeting with her fingers before speaking again.
“What is it, Senior?”
“…”
Without answering, Yeon Minha raised her hand and unbuttoned the top two buttons of her uniform shirt, pulling it aside.
Her pale skin revealed not only the line of her neck and part of her collarbone but also the faint marks of a bruise.
“That thing you did last time… can you do it again?”
Yeon Minha looked at me nonchalantly as she made her request.
“When I saw it this morning, it had almost completely faded.”
“Senior…”
Her plea brought back memories of the past. I understood now why Yeon Minha was making such a request again.
With the Student Council meeting imminent, her intent was all too clear.
The person she would encounter there was already predetermined.
“…”
“Hurry up. I’ll be late for the meeting at this rate.”
Once again, she urged me.
Yeon Minha was anxious. And she sought to alleviate that anxiety by leaving my trace on her body.
But this wasn’t a path I wanted to take.
Setting aside the unusual nature of my current relationship with Yeon Minha, I didn’t want to insult someone from the past.
Even though I was disappointed, hurt, and still in pain… still.
But ultimately, there was no other way.
Her anxiety was, in part, a consequence of my past actions.
Uncomfortable as I felt, it was something I had to take responsibility for.
In the end, I stepped closer to Yeon Minha. Then, I brought my lips to the fading bruise marks.
To leave the mark once more.
“Haa… Hng…”
In my embrace, she let out a sharp moan. Before I knew it, her nails were digging into my back.
After completing the task and pulling away, Yeon Minha checked the newly reddened bruise before buttoning up her shirt and adjusting her appearance.
“…Thanks.”
Even her words of gratitude were spoken with hesitation.
“…It’s nothing.”
But even then, it seemed like Yeon Minha still had something to say. Despite tidying her attire, she hesitated, unable to move.
Finally, without meeting my gaze, she spoke.
“Um, you know… by any chance…”
Senior.
“No, it’s nothing.”
However, she soon bit her lip lightly and shook her head.
“I had something to say, but I think I forgot. Can I tell you later when I remember?”
“Sure. But Senior, I think you really need to go now.”
“…Yeah.”
Yeon Minha nodded.
“I’ll go first. Also, I might be late today because of Student Council work. You’ll probably have to eat dinner alone… Sorry about that.”
“It’s not a big deal. Don’t worry about it.”
“…You don’t feel lonely being by yourself without me?”
“Seriously…”
What am I supposed to do with her? When I whined like this as a kid, my mom used to smack my butt.
It’s a shame I can’t treat my adorable senior the same way.
“…I’m off. Good luck with the sparring evaluation.”
Yeon Minha waved and walked away. I was left alone in the empty hallway.
“…”
As I turned back toward the sparring evaluation hall, I reflected on the secretive trace I had sensed from Yeon Minha.
I’m not stupid. If nothing else, I could at least tell she was hiding something.
However, I still had no way of knowing what that was. Whether it was significant or trivial, or even what it might pertain to.
For a moment, an intense curiosity about her secret boiled up inside me. I clenched my fists tightly to suppress the raw and blatant impulse.
I wasn’t planning to repeat the same mistake I made not too long ago. I didn’t want to find myself in another embarrassing situation like that incident with her period.
Everyone has things they don’t want to talk about. I also hadn’t mentioned my Collapse Syndrome in front of Yeon Minha.
And it’s Yeon Minha, of all people. All I can do is trust her.
After all, there’s no way she would betray me.
***
“Number 3. Pass.”
“Thank you.”
I finished the sparring evaluation with ease and took a seat. Judging by the surprised look on the assistant’s face, I could tell I’d scored quite high.
Honestly, it would’ve been stranger if I hadn’t.
“Hyaap!”
“Hah!”
The shouts of other students undergoing their evaluations still echoed around me.
With everything that had been happening, it was hard to calm my mind.
The witch, the leader, and my sisters. The criminal who attacked our village, that girl, Yeon Minha, and even Ha Yena, who still hadn’t shown up.
My head felt like it was going to explode.
“Hey. What’s with the daydreaming during class?”
While I was sitting there, lost in thought, a large shadow loomed over me.
Choi Woojin approached, his characteristic arrogant and mocking voice cutting through the air.
“If you’ve got time to mope, how about sparring with me instead?”
“You lost last time.”
“Heh, but I wasn’t bad, was I?”
As he plopped down with a thud, a cloud of dust rose into the air.
“I feel like I’m catching up little by little. At this rate, I might actually beat you next time.”
“Yeah, right.”
I responded curtly, but all I got in return was a mocking laugh.
Come to think of it, I’ve been through quite a lot with this guy too. We might’ve gotten pretty close. At first, I thought he was just an arrogant rich kid, but…
-Ding! Ding!
Soon, the bell sound signaling the end of the evaluation rang out. Students, worn out from the sweltering weather, collapsed into seats all over the place.
“Tsk tsk, weaklings…”
Watching Choi Woojin click his tongue gave me a strange feeling.
Sungshan is also one of the factions that could be behind the attack on our village.
If Sungshan is the true culprit… could this guy have played a part in it too?
“…”
But I shook my head.
While families like his are often described as cunning and two-faced, Choi Woojin is one of the rare exceptions to that stereotype.
If anything, he’s openly arrogant and insufferable.
Maybe his sister, Choi Ireh, would fit that mold better.
“Why are you staring at me like that? It’s creepy.”
Noticing my gaze, Choi Woojin snapped.
“Never mind.”
I shook my head and changed the topic.
“By the way, let me ask you something.”
“What is it?”
“Do you happen to know Ha Yena? She’s a first-year girl with brown hair and brown eyes…”
“Ha Yena, Ha Yena…?”
Muttering to himself, he suddenly let out an exclamation as if he’d remembered something.
“That scholarship student? Yeah, I know who she is. Why?”
“Have you seen her recently?”
“Hmm. Not really. I don’t have much of a connection with her.”
Choi Woojin shook his head.
“Ah, but I think I heard someone say they saw her hanging out with a few guys…”
“…What?”
“Why are you so surprised? It’s not impossible. And why are you asking—oh.”
A sly smile spread across his face as if he’d figured something out.
“So the rumor from the beginning of the semester was true…”
“That’s nonsense. Get lost.”