Chapter 187
Second Day of the Social Gathering.
“Huh? What did you just say?”
Kwon Yuri, who had scurried over to my side, tilted her head with a finger placed on her lips.
“…It’s nothing.”
“Then why are you looking at me like that? Is there something you’re curious about?”
I denied it immediately, but for some reason, my gaze kept drifting toward the area around her hair. No matter how I looked at it, wasn’t that the same rabbit from earlier…?
“Or is it because I’m too pretty? Oh dear, this is such a problem…”
Faced with her sly smile, I felt an urgent need to clarify the situation.
“What is that on your head?”
“It’s a White Rabbit Headband! Isn’t it cute? I wore it earlier during the opera, and I liked it so much that I kept it on.”
Kwon Yuri responded immediately, as if she had been waiting for me to notice.
So I was right. Her voice had been completely different, so I wasn’t entirely sure.
“By any chance, did you see our chick too? We were on the stage in the center of the plaza.”
“…I saw it. You were quite good.”
“Hehe, I have a bit of a talent for acting, believe it or not. So far, there’s only been one person I’ve met who’s better at acting than me.”
“One person? Who is it?”
“It’s a secret.”
“…”
“Anyway, what do you think? Doesn’t it suit me well? You can be honest. Do I really look like a bunny?”
“Well…”
Whenever Kwon Yuri hopped, the rabbit ears would adorably bounce along with her. As much as I hated to admit it… it did look surprisingly natural.
“…It’s not bad.”
“What? That’s all you have to say?”
Kwon Yuri puffed out her cheeks in protest, looking indignant. Even that exaggerated reaction seemed to suit her perfectly. As much as I didn’t want to admit it.
We started walking toward the interior of the run-down park surrounded by fences.
“What were you doing yesterday? I couldn’t find you anywhere.”
“I was just resting in the dormitory.”
“What? No way! You must have been hanging out with some girls and now you’re lying about it, right?”
“Why would I lie to you about something like that?”
“To act innocent?”
“…”
It was surprising how accustomed I had grown to this nonsensical conversation. While her suspicion was sharp, there was a slight inaccuracy in her assumption. It was true I had met some women yesterday, but one of them could hardly be described as a ‘girl.’
“Well, I guess that means you wouldn’t know what happened yesterday?”
Fortunately, Kwon Yuri didn’t pry too deeply and started chattering away about a new topic.
“Something happened?”
“Yeah. You know Yesuh, right? Apparently, she brought her fiancé to the opening ceremony.”
“…”
At her words, my heart sank for a moment.
“It caused such a commotion. Even today, whenever the kids gathered, that was all they talked about. But you know, I kind of already knew. I happened to run into Yesuh during the recent assignment period. Somehow, her boyfriend came up in the conversation, and she got so flustered… I knew something was up right away.”
As I listened to her talk about someone else’s life as if it were her own, an indescribable feeling lingered in my chest.
Ignoring her long-winded chatter, I walked deeper into the park. However, the surrounding scenery felt strangely unsettling.
Rotting wooden fences, a merry-go-round emitting an eerie creaking sound, and a swing dangling precariously from a broken chain…
“What is this place?”
“It’s the First Park. Looks pretty shabby, right? They’re planning to start renovations here this year. Something about the budget allocation being delayed…”
“Surely you’re not planning to hold a small gathering in a place like this…”
“What? Of course not. You silly chick.”
“…”
I had thought as much. No matter how you looked at it, there wasn’t a single person in sight—not even an ant.
Kwon Yuri led me to a half-naked female statue. Its obscene pose, with certain areas polished smooth by countless touches, made me avert my gaze in embarrassment.
Turning my gaze away, I noticed Kwon Yuri watching me with her signature sly smile.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Pervert. Sneaky as always.”
Kwon Yuri casually walked over to the lower part of the statue, grabbed its little toe, and turned it to the left.
Creak. Creak-creak.
With the sound of a mechanical device whirring to life, the base of the statue began to sink into the ground.
What appeared was a passageway leading underground.
“…Unbelievable.”
Candlelights flickered to life, swaying gently in the draft. The dark passage stretched out endlessly, like the gaping maw of a beast.
“Hehe…”
Standing before the rabbit hole, Kwon Yuri struck an exaggerated, playful pose and welcomed me with open arms.
“Welcome to the Shadow Banquet!”
***
-Thud!
As I stepped into the passage, the door closed behind me, vanishing without a trace. Relying on the dim candlelight, we slowly made our way downward.
“Hehe. Chick, were you surprised?”
Kwon Yuri moved ahead with practiced ease, as if she had visited this place countless times.
“I never imagined there would be a passage under the statue.”
“It’s one of the secret passages connected to the underground space of the Cradle.”
Her words implied there were other passages like this elsewhere.
“The place is so vast that there are several forgotten sections. We’re borrowing one of those parts. The professors would never guess, unless they were the type who had a wild youth themselves.”
She added one more comment.
“Unless, of course, they were professors who used to be troublemakers during their school days.”
“Do all seniors know about these passageways?”
“Some do, some don’t. Each person knows a different number of them.”
Kwon Yuri spoke in a sing-song tone, as if presenting a riddle.
“Oh, and this particular passage is known only to me. It’s a secret, so don’t tell anyone else, okay?”
“Why show me a place like this…?”
“I didn’t have a choice. I need to escort the president here without anyone noticing. The other passages are too well-known, so we might run into someone.”
Escort… The way she said it made me feel like an object being transported.
“Is the name of the gathering you host the Shadow Banquet?”
“Technically, I’m not the host. I’m just temporarily in charge.”
“Temporarily in charge?”
“Yeah. This is a historic gathering that’s been passed down through the Cradle’s history. When I move on to my third year, I’ll pass the position to one of you.”
Wasn’t this supposed to be an illegal small gathering? And yet, she spoke as if it were some grand tradition.
“I’ve actually been worrying about that lately. Who should I pass the position to? Or maybe… you’d like to take over, Chick?”
“I’ll pass.”
“Hmph.”
Just as I thought we’d been walking down the passage for quite a while, Kwon Yuri grabbed a hatch connected to the floor and pulled it open, beckoning me over.
“You can go down this way.”
I descended the creaky ladder, sliding down its rungs.
This new space felt a bit more ordinary. Behind the opaque glass walls on either side of the passage, I could sense the presence of dozens of people.
As I listened carefully, a mischievous voice came from above.
“Chick, I’m not wearing undershorts today. Don’t you dare look up. Absolutely don’t.”
“I have no intention of doing so. Just come down quickly.”
“Hmph.”
Her snort carried a tone of disappointment, as if she’d been hoping for a different reaction. Could she have sent me down first just to make that joke?
“Here I come.”
Kwon Yuri hopped down, playfully flicking the ladder. The ladder sprang up like a spring, disappearing along with the hatch above.
“Alright, we’re almost there! Let’s go!”
Dusting off her hands, Kwon Yuri pointed in a direction, and as I followed her, the presence of people grew increasingly palpable.
Second Day of the Social Gathering.
-Hahaha!
-Drink, drink!
-Bet it all this time! Everything!
The obscene mingling of men and women’s voices, the sounds of gambling strictly prohibited by the Cradle’s student council, and the clinking of glasses—clang—filled the air.
“…”
Is this really a place I should be in? I think I’m starting to understand why this is deemed an illegal gathering.
“How is it? Are you already excited? Huh?”
“That’s not possible.”
Kwon Yuri, walking beside me, asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“What exactly am I supposed to do today?”
“What do you mean? Just have fun and enjoy yourself.”
Her expression seemed to question why I’d even ask something so obvious.
“Do this and that…”
“…”
“Hehe, you can look forward to it. It’ll be really fun. The Shadow Banquet hasn’t lasted a hundred years for nothing, you know.”
As we conversed, a shabby door came into view at the end of the passageway.
Before I could even wonder about its purpose, Kwon Yuri strode forward and flung the door open without hesitation.
Through the gap, I caught a glimpse of the scene inside.
A space arranged almost like a lounge.
Inside, about ten or so male students sat in small groups. Some of them, recognizing me, widened their eyes in shock.
And at the moment Kwon Yuri opened the door—
“Se-, Senior…!”
A familiar voice cried out, its desperate tone piercing my ears.
“Please, let me out…!”
A male student rushed toward Kwon Yuri, almost stumbling in his urgency. Fear was evident in his voice.
“Huh…?”
I immediately recognized him.
It was Muyoung, a fellow classmate with a strict demeanor and glasses.
Why is he here…?
“Le-, Leader…!”
Just as I had recognized him, he seemed to recognize me too. His complexion turned pale as he abandoned his approach toward Kwon Yuri and ran toward me instead.
“No, no! Have you been captured too? While the door is open, hurry and escape!”
“What…?”
Captured? Escape? What is he talking about?
“St-, stop dawdling and go! This place is hell…! The stench from every corner…! Ugh.”
“You shouldn’t say things like that so carelessly.”
However, Muyoung’s words were abruptly cut off.
Kwon Yuri let out a sigh and swiftly struck the back of his neck.
“Honestly… I went to the trouble of bringing him here, and he doesn’t even appreciate the senior’s effort to improve his image… Sigh.”
“…”
Her voice carried a tone of disappointment. Dragging the limp Muyoung, Kwon Yuri tossed him onto a comfortable sofa.
“Senior. What is this place?”
“The others will explain it to you. I’ll see you in a bit, okay? I have some preparations to make, so I’ll go ahead.”
With a wave of her hand, Kwon Yuri exited through the opposite door.
Once again, I took in the scenery of the room.
The space was overall luxurious and cozy. Under the orange lighting, sofas, tables, and decorated frames were visible.
Everyone, except for Muyoung, sat comfortably, chatting about various topics. Some even whispered with faces filled with anticipation and excitement.
Soon, I noticed a commonality among those here.
They were all male students rumored among the first-years to have good looks or come from prominent backgrounds. Only Muyoung and I seemed out of place among them.
But what preparations could she possibly need to make? And why gather only male students?
This couldn’t be the Shadow Banquet Kwon Yuri mentioned. Moreover, the noise and commotion from outside, many times louder than here, were still audible.
As I pondered the purpose of the space and the composition of its occupants—
A brusque yet confident voice suddenly addressed me from behind.
“You’re late. We’ve been waiting for you to show up.”
Turning toward the familiar voice, I saw two recognizable male students.
Choi Woojin of Sungshan and Ryu Seunghun, Sehwa noona’s younger brother.
“Didn’t I tell you? I said he’d definitely come, didn’t I?”
“Yeah… Somehow, seeing you in a place like this feels a bit strange… Haha.”
“Are you two here to attend the Shadow Banquet as well?”
Though their unexpected presence surprised me, their expressions made it clear they weren’t particularly enjoying the situation.
“Well, yeah.”
Choi Woojin shrugged, his discomfort evident.
“What exactly is this place?”
“It’s a waiting room. For the auction.”
“An auction? Are we supposed to buy something?”
Now that I think about it, I remember hearing that small gatherings sometimes hold auctions for valuable items as a pastime.
Could this space have been prepared for that purpose?
“What are you talking about? Don’t tell me you came here without knowing anything.”
However, Choi Woojin responded to my words as if I had said something absurd.
“Of course, we’re the ones being auctioned off.”