Chapter 122
Doubt (13)
***
“President, here’s the key. I’ve finished organizing everything, so please confirm it.”
“What?”
At my words, accompanied by the key, the student council president, who was once again buried in a pile of documents, looked up in shock.
“So… Sola, how many days has it been?”
“It’s been three days since the punishment began.”
The bob-cut girl, who had been assisting the president, immediately responded without lifting her eyes from the documents.
Over the past three days, I’d conversed quite a bit with the president, but I hadn’t exchanged more than a few words with her.
“You’ve already sorted everything?”
“Yes. If you don’t believe me, you can check it yourself.”
“No, no. There’s no need for that.”
The president waved his hand before I could finish speaking.
“Why would you lie about something that’s so easy to verify? I’m sure you did well. I can check it later. Here, just sign here. Hand this over to your professor.”
He quickly signed the document and passed it to me.
Then, he suddenly made a somewhat regretful expression.
“You really are a talented one. My instincts are never wrong.”
“…”
I had just invested a lot of time into it, that’s all.
Rather than dealing with people I didn’t care about, I’d rather wrestle with old documents.
But seeing him praise me for simply organizing the basement makes it clear he still had lingering thoughts about me.
“Haha, I was just saying. Just…”
When I didn’t react, he laughed awkwardly.
“Anyway, you’ve worked hard, junior. Be careful not to break the rules again, okay? It’s best not to make enemies, especially among your peers. Jin Yeseo is still in the infirm… ahem.”
I know what he was about to say.
I do feel a bit guilty.
Even I think I went overboard with Jin Yeseo.
Of course, she started it, but I can’t say I didn’t hold a grudge when I hit her.
I just hope she won’t bother me anymore…
“I’ll be more careful in the future. By the way, President, may I ask you a favor?”
“A favor? What kind of favor?”
Contrary to my expectation that he might find it troublesome, he responded with curiosity.
Given his personality, he might think granting a favor to someone from one of the Five Families could be beneficial to him later.
“Would it be possible for me to see the records of the past student council members in the archives?”
“That? Well, it’s not particularly difficult, but… why?”
His voice sounded slightly deflated, as if he had expected something more interesting.
“It’s nothing serious. I was just curious about how many student council members have come from Heukryeon throughout Cradle’s history…”
“What? That’s all? You should’ve said so earlier. I thought…”
“…”
As soon as I gave my reason, the president’s attitude completely changed.
Maybe he thinks I’ll change my mind once I see the records.
Before I knew it, he was back at his desk, retrieving something that looked like a thick piece of paper.
He then pressed a stamp-like device onto it and infused his palm with particles.
-Sizzle…
The paper let out a burning sound, and soon, the president handed me something.
“It’s a duplicate key for the archives. You can use it for a week. After that, the particles will disperse, and it’ll be useless. Also, it’s a one-time use, so don’t forget that.”
“I understand. Thank you…”
“Oh, don’t mention it. What’s a little thing like this between us?”
At his whispered words, the bob-cut girl glanced at him with a sharp look.
Feeling her gaze, the president coughed awkwardly.
“…Ahem, anyway, do me a favor and put in a good word with Yeon Minha. And come see me anytime if you need anything. Got it?”
“Yes…”
I exchanged farewells with the president and left the student council room.
-President, I’ve told you before to stop abusing your authority.
-What’s the harm? The student council records have the same security clearance as the documents Yu Jinhyun was organizing…
-Stop making excuses! Even if it were a higher clearance, you would’ve handed it over anyway! I’ve told you time and time again, stop sucking up to the Five Families and act with dignity! How did you even become president with that rotten mindset…!
-Ah, enough already. Stop…!
Beyond the closing door, I heard someone’s sharp voice echoing like a scolding.
I didn’t realize that person could be so talkative.
In any case, the president’s shortcomings are his to handle. It’s not something I can help with.
From my perspective, it’s fortunate. For a non-student council member to access records, there’s normally a complex procedure involved.
But thanks to the president, I can now skip that process entirely.
With this, I might be able to gather more information on Seol Yujeong’s past. And maybe even uncover connections between her, the captain, and my sisters.
Lost in thought as I walked, I soon saw the distant roof of the Beechwood dormitory.
Even though it wasn’t my dorm, it increasingly felt like home.
But lately, it doesn’t feel quite so comfortable.
There’s a certain girl who’s been making my life chaotic.
“…You’re back?”
“Yes.”
Once again, Yeon Minha greeted me with a downcast expression.
And as usual, she turned first and headed into the dorm.
Why does she keep coming out to greet me if she’s going to act like this? It’s unsettling.
There’s no sign that she intends to speak today either.
Having reached my limit, I broke the silence.
“Senior.”
“…”
“Senior.”
“Huh, what? Why…?”
“What happened with the negotiation?”
“Oh, oh. The negotiation, right…”
Yeon Minha responded a bit flustered, which didn’t suit her.
“…It went well, I think. In exchange for giving up the first-year representative spot to Jin Yeseo, I secured two nomination rights for the executive committee.”
“That’s good. Who do you plan to nominate for the executive committee?”
“One will be Suhee. I’m still thinking about the other…”
I thought the name sounded familiar, and then I remembered—it was the name of the senior who led the students in my place when we went south.
It’s excellent news. That means two people who can support Yeon Minha will be joining the student council.
“…”
But Yeon Minha’s expression remained gloomy.
Her inexplicable sadness continued to weigh on me.
“Senior. Also…”
“Oh, I just remembered I have some assignments… Let’s talk later, okay?”
-Bang!
Once again, just as I was about to get to the bottom of that unsettled feeling, Yeon Minha rushed into her room and shut the door before I could say another word.
It left me standing there alone, once again.
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t figure out why Yeon Minha was avoiding me.
I wondered if I still had the musty basement smell on me, but Yena had said earlier that I didn’t smell like anything.
She also mentioned that the slight redness on my cheeks was probably just from a mild cold.
“…”
Why is she avoiding me?
Why, indeed?
-Thump… Thump…
My heart pounded in my chest, like a hammer striking the deep recesses of my consciousness.
The sound was loud enough to awaken fragments of my buried memories.
***
Despite going to bed early, Yeon Minha struggled to sleep soundly tonight as well.
Outside her window, the sky was already beginning to brighten. The morning light filtered through the large window, tickling the bridge of her nose.
Yeon Minha focused on the sounds around her. The dormitory was eerily silent, with not a soul stirring.
Unlike the second years, who had some autonomy, the first years had mandatory morning training to instill discipline.
He must have already left the dorm a while ago as well.
“Huu…”
With a sigh, Yeon Minha finally got out of bed and began getting ready for the day.
As she moved, a deep sense of loneliness suddenly washed over her.
She had grown addicted to the feel of his hands combing through her hair in just a few days.
It had only been three days since she started avoiding him, yet the withdrawal symptoms were already setting in.
He was becoming an irreplaceable presence in her life.
Yeon Minha painfully realized this once again.
Yet Baek Seoyeon’s words continued to disturb her thoughts.
‘I know everything about Hyun. But what about you? Can you say the same…?’
Yeon Minha stared at her own reflection in the mirror, her face drawn and tired.
The anxiety continued to burn in her mind.
It was clear that some deep, unresolved relationship existed between the two of them in the past.
And Baek Seoyeon still had lingering feelings for him.
On the surface, he seemed cold and indifferent toward Baek Seoyeon, aligning himself with her stance, but he still carried that old portrait of Baek Seoyeon in his jacket.
If, by any chance, he were to leave her and go back to Baek Seoyeon…
“…Ugh.”
Yeon Minha bit down hard on her lip, drawing blood.
That was why she had been avoiding Lee Hyun.
She couldn’t face him in her current emotional state.
“…Come to think of it, today’s the ranking match selection, isn’t it…”
She suddenly remembered Lee Hyun’s schedule for the day.
“…”
Her thoughts were still a tangled mess, but she couldn’t ignore such an important event without saying something.
With the intention of at least offering a word of encouragement, Yeon Minha finished getting ready, opened her door, and stepped into the hallway.
Just as she was about to head down the stairs, a low and deep voice echoed through the empty dorm.
“You’re up.”
“…Hik.”
Her spine tingled with fear as she slowly turned her head.
A boy wearing a mask was leaning against the railing near the door, staring directly at her.
Swallowing hard, Yeon Minha nervously opened her mouth.
“I-I thought no one was here…”
“It’s easy to hide one’s presence. But that’s not important right now…”
“L-Later…! I’m busy, so…!”
Before he could finish, Yeon Minha dashed down the stairs in a panic.
She was caught off guard by the sudden encounter and wasn’t ready to speak with him yet.
“Kyahh!”
However, she hadn’t even made it halfway down the stairs when a large hand, feeling like a heavy chain, grabbed her left wrist tightly.
In an instant, she was forcibly turned to face him.
“L-Let go…! This is no way to treat your senior—ugh!”
Yeon Minha struggled to free her arm.
But the masked boy shoved her against the opposite wall of the staircase.
With one hand, he grabbed both of her wrists and lifted them above her head, pinning her completely against the wall.
In the blink of an eye, Yeon Minha had become a helpless mouse caught in a trap.
“I’m being more than polite.”
“How is this polite…!”
“Would you rather I break down your door and come in?”
“Hik…”
Only then did Yeon Minha meet his gaze, staring directly into his eyes beyond the mask.
“Let’s have a chat.”
His once-clear blue eyes were now filled with something dark and slimy.
End of Chapter