A peaceful, and overwhelmingly peaceful, weekend morning.
Rustle, rustle.
Cheon Yeoul was rolling around on the bed, her blanket wrapped all the way down to her toes as she stared up at the ceiling.
That drowsy feeling, where everything seed to blur just a little.
Inside the ga… no, she didn’t want to call it a ga.
Those happy monts.
If she closed her eyes for a second, it still felt like the sensations lingered at her fingertips.
She had to capture them… without letting anything slip.
It was then—
Bzzzzzzz.
Her watch vibrated as a ssage ca in.
Still under the blanket, Cheon Yeoul cautiously reached out an arm and checked her watch.
[RIN]: lol
[RIN]: Did everyone have fun?
It was the group chat.
ssages brimming with Kang Arin’s usual mischief.
[RIN]: What’s with the silence? No complints?
[RIN]: I really thought it through.
Of course, Kang Arin’s intent was to get soone alone.
But in the end, things had played out exactly the way she intended.
Cheon Yeoul stared at the ssages for a long ti… and eventually nodded her head.
“… I admit it.”
This ti, Cheon Yeoul couldn’t not acknowledge it.
It was a thod no one could have imagined—pulling out that insane board ga to get people to play.
She’d completely destroyed the psychological firewall that had stood like an iron wall.
Not even in the previous tiline had they managed that.
She recalled the look in Jeong Haein’s eyes as he drank his coffee.
Eyes trembling like aspen leaves, unable to et her gaze directly.
The mont all the girls there saw that—
Sothing had changed.
The iron wall had collapsed.
Tap tap.
Cheon Yeoul quietly left a ssage.
[1000_y]: I admit it.
Now really was the perfect opportunity.
Whether it was just temporary or a complete collapse—she didn’t know yet.
But if she kept pushing without pause, she might just get a aningful outco.
The only problem… was that next up was Yu Hana.
She had already managed to set up a secret trip to China with Jeong Haein alone—now that was a real headache of a developnt.
“Ugh…”
Cheon Yeoul stretched long and slow on her bed, still looking up at the ceiling.
Then, she tapped away on her watch again.
[1000_y]: Congratulations? Lucky winner, Yu Hana.
And Yu Hana, the so-called lucky winner.
Drenched in sweat, she sat on a bench in her training uniform, staring down at the ssage on her watch.
She had just finished her morning training, her breathing still ragged.
The ssage was still on the screen.
She was thinking about how to respond.
“……”
Yu Hana took a slow breath and gently set her watch down.
A solo trip with Jeong Haein.
It was sothing she had dread of for a very long ti.
More than anyone else, she wanted to be by his side—closer, faster.
If she were told to leave right now, she could do it without hesitation.
But in so strange corner of her heart, sothing was bubbling up.
Weirdly enough, what ca to mind were scenes from inside the ga.
Her past self—unable to hide her desires, trying to steal soone else’s man.
And deep inside her, soone shouted—
“Let soone else go on the trip first!”
And then after that, wedge herself between them…
Desire began to creep up from her gut.
“This is insane.”
Yu Hana shook her head and let out a hollow laugh.
These weren’t feelings she would have even imagined in the past.
This ga was seriously out to ruin people.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
As if to snap out of it, she swung her sword hard—three clean slashes through the air, slicing the wind.
“……”
But the lingering embers smoldering deep in her chest showed no signs of going out easily.
***
I sat cross-legged in the middle of Vanquisher’s barren underground training arena.
Today was a long-awaited joint training session with Park Gwangcheol.
I had asked for it myself.
Silently, I adjusted my posture and closed my eyes.
ditation.
What Kang Arin said ca to mind.
“Aftereffects…? Hmm, they’ll last at least a week. Maybe longer?”
But that didn’t apply to .
[Undisturbed Focus]
My ntal cultivation technique, born from the evolution of Clear Mirror Water after the battle with the Apostle.
A state of unwavering concentration, free from distraction.
In other words, if I focused on one thing, all stray thoughts would vanish. A flawless, pure mind technique—a superior form of Clear Mirror Water.
So when it ca to training, nothing should have shaken .
…That’s how it was supposed to be.
“Bullshit.”
I seriously felt like dying.
My head had been in chaos for days.
What are the girls doing right now?
Cheon Yeoul’s probably lying around… Arin’s working…
Sion went to the movies with the Old Man… Chaeha’s passed out asleep…
Ah, and I’ve got that China trip with Hana…
…There won’t be any trouble, right?
I couldn’t even trust myself anymore.
Stray thoughts kept popping up endlessly, chaining into more.
Had my ntal strength always been this weak?
This had never happened before.
Honestly, I just wanted to call soone out. Anyone.
Just have a al together, see their face.
I felt like that alone would calm down.
Unable to hold back against the thoughts bombarding , I finally opened my mouth.
“Hyung… can we spar one more ti?”
Park Gwangcheol sighed and looked at .
“What the hell’s going on?”
He raised an eyebrow, half amused.
I’d already fought him three tis trying to clear my head, and got my ass kicked every ti.
My whole body ached, but it was still better than letting my mind spiral.
“What’s with you today? Did you get dumped?”
I flinched.
At least five faces flashed through my mind.
I laughed awkwardly and shook my head.
“Not really… things have just been a bit complicated lately.”
“For real?”
“I said no, didn’t I?”
I answered.
Then, Park Gwangcheol let out a baffled laugh and clapped on the back.
“Man, I thought you’d never date in your life. You finally seem like a proper student.”
“…What?”
I scowled.
“There are pretty girls all around you, and you’re always walking around with a deadpan face, overthinking everything, keeping your distance. Live a little, man. That’s how you get strength. Anyway, I’m glad.”
It was the first ti anyone had said that to .
I’d never thought of myself as abnormal.
But maybe I had been wrong.
Is this what normal feels like?
Back then, stray thoughts never even had a chance.
I had a goal. I lived only to achieve that goal.
The key characters were just people I had to nurture, or comrades.
I had never thought of them as anything more.
But now… I felt like my eyes had opened. Just a little.
It might be a strange direction, but still.
I began to wonder if I’d treated everyone too chanically until now.
Maybe approaching them a little more like a real person… wouldn’t be so bad.
I smiled quietly to myself.
And muttered softly—
“…You’re right.”
I’d really been shutting myself off too much.
Strangely, my heart felt a little lighter.
***
Lately, Gaon had been calm and quiet.
The professor still didn’t bother the students, and the students were diligently enjoying their given freedoms.
But today felt a little different.
A formal class had been scheduled.
And that could only an one thing…
“First sester grades reveal.”
Most likely.
Thanks to that, for the first ti in a while, the classroom was packed with students.
I entered the classroom at exactly 9 o’clock. Then made my way to my designated seat in the back.
Yoon Chaeha was dozing quietly with her arms folded on the desk. Cheon Yeoul rested her chin in her hand, staring out the window.
Cheon Yeoul waved at lightly.
“You’re here?”
“Yeah.”
I sat down and greeted Yoon Chaeha as well.
“Good morning.”
She didn’t even turn her head, just replied in a quiet voice.
“…Mm.”
I acted natural.
Like nothing was wrong.
But then—Cheon Yeoul quietly leaned in my direction.
Usually a sign she was about to tease .
“…Honey?”
Of course.
No way she’d let that pass.
I gave a faint laugh and t her eyes.
Then in a slightly lower voice, slowly—
“What is it, darling?”
I threw it right back at her.
The response I used to give her all the ti inside the ga.
Cheon Yeoul’s eyes went wide.
“W-What?”
She clearly hadn’t expected to answer that way. Her face flushed red in an instant.
She blinked, then dropped her head awkwardly.
I chuckled and added,
“Don’t push your luck.”
“…Y-Yes.”
She deflated, her ears turning bright red in seconds.
Press.
At that mont, I felt a subtle pressure under the table.
Yoon Chaeha’s foot was gently pressing on mine.
I looked up and glanced her way. She stared out the window, pretending not to notice.
Normally I’d wonder what she was doing. But with a change in perspective, all of it just seed cute now.
“Yoon Chaeha…”
Then—
Bang!
The classroom door burst open.
“Good morning, everyone.”
Instructor Do Hanseong stepped in, dressed neatly in uniform.
And in that instant, everyone rembered what today was.
The classroom imdiately filled with tension.
“I trust you all know what we’re doing today.”
Instructor Do glanced at the watch on his wrist.
Tapping his index finger, he paused and took a slow breath, like he was asuring ti.
“I will now explain how rankings and grades are calculated.”
The rankings were simple.
Midterms and finals. Written and practical.
External activity scores, volunteer work, even entrance ranks.
For students transferred from Kalos, their previous school records were also factored in. The exchange battle results were used in place of the midterms.
Entrance rank accumulation couldn’t be ignored.
So honestly, I had no way of predicting my own rank.
“What do you think your rank will be?”
I whispered to Cheon Yeoul next to .
“Hmm… no idea.”
As always, not a single thought in her head.
Then, the instructor’s voice echoed again.
“Everyone, please check your watches now.”
Imdiately, the students raised their wrists and turned on their watches.
Notification sounds, screen chis, small gasps spread throughout the room.
I quietly opened mine as well.
[Rank 1 – Kang Arin]
As expected, Kang Arin was first.
From cumulative grades to practicals, written exams, ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) volunteer hours, and external activities—nearly flawless.
But when I saw second place, my eyebrow rose without realizing it.
[Rank 2 – Jeong Haein]
It was much higher than I expected.
Thanks to securing MVP in the midterms, exchange battle, and finals, I’d broken through the wall of cumulative scores and reached second place.
Pushing Johan down.
[Rank 3 – Cheon Yeoul]
[Rank 4 – Yu Hana]
[Rank 5 – Yoon Chaeha]
[Rank 6 – Ju Seojun]
[Rank 8 – Ha Sion]
The main characters, myself included, had lined up neatly.
Seeing the rankings gave a quiet sense of pride.
It ant the direction I’d taken was right.
“…?”
But it felt like one na was missing, so I slowly scrolled down.
[Rank 10 – Johan]
Ah.
…Let’s pretend I didn’t see that.
I looked up at Cheon Yeoul.
She didn’t seem to care much about her rank. She was still smiling softly.
Yoon Chaeha was similar.
A strangely relaxed smile. A face more at ease than usual.
I looked back down at my watch.
[Rank 2 – Jeong Haein]
Starting from “No Rank,” and now at 2nd place.
Here and there, sighs and gasps filled the classroom. So students lowered their heads. Others kept staring at their watches.
Honestly, I thought I wouldn’t care about rankings. Just another step in the process.
But I was wrong.
The entire past sester—those days I’d spent running nonstop—now felt like they were being rewarded, even in the smallest way, by this number.
“…Not bad.”
I let out a quiet breath.
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