Baek Hangyeol and Kim Hanbyeol
“Ceiling.”
I didn’t look up. If I did, she might realize I was onto her. I already had a sense of what was there, thanks to my intuition and a sort of third eye.
I calmly met Hanbyeol’s gaze. From the moment I opened the door, she’d been casting seductive glances my way, and it felt awkward. A flood of thoughts rushed through my mind, but I buried them all at once and slowly stepped into the room.
“Oppa, I’ve been waiting for you all day,” Hanbyeol said with a soft smile. I didn’t respond, just walked over to the table and grabbed a chair. She tried to pull it out for me, but I held it firmly, thwarting her attempt. Her face briefly hardened before she regained her composure. I sat across from her, meeting her eyes with a steady gaze. Despite my silence, she continued speaking in an awkward tone.
“You should’ve come home earlier. It’s not fair.”
”…”
“Oppa, how do I look? Pretty, right?”
”…”
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you mad because I drank without you? Fine, I’ll pour you a drink.”
”…”
She offered me a glass with a playful expression, but I didn’t take it. She awkwardly laughed, poured herself a drink, and placed it in front of me. I didn’t even glance at it before finally speaking.
“You.”
“Yes?”
I wanted to ask, “What happened to you?” but the words wouldn’t come out. Where had the sharp, intelligent Hanbyeol gone, leaving behind this fragile shell? I inspected the drink she poured, downed it in one go, and sighed.
“Why did you set this up all of a sudden?”
“Just because… The academy’s ending soon. I wanted to talk about things we missed. Why? Can’t I do this?”
“What are you going to miss?”
“Not seeing you anymore.”
Her tone briefly returned to normal before slipping back. I sighed again, rubbing my temples. My chest felt tight. I wanted to flip the table and leave, but the pleading look in her eyes held me back.
“I didn’t know you felt that way.”
“Hehe, I’m a woman too, you know.”
“Hanbyeol.”
“Yes. Oh, wait, it’s so hot. Must be the alcohol.”
She smiled coyly, raising a hand to her shoulder. Her outfit was already revealing, and as she loosened the strap, it slipped down, exposing more of her skin.
When I saw her hand trembling as she tried to continue, I couldn’t hold back any longer. I spoke in a heavy voice.
“You don’t have to do that.”
”…What?”
Her hand stopped, and she turned to me with an unnatural movement, like a doll.
“What do you mean…?”
“I said, you don’t have to.”
I emphasized each word, and her expression wavered. She looked at me, unsure, then lowered her head, not knowing where to look. Her hand fell from her clothes, and she stared at the table.
I kept my gaze on her face. She felt my eyes on her but didn’t look up. As I watched her profile, she finally raised her head.
Silence enveloped the room.
”…”
”…”
Her eyelids trembled, her breathing grew ragged, and her lips quivered.
The mask she wore was slipping. I spoke again, calmly.
“Hanbyeol.”
“Oppa…”
“You don’t need to pretend to be drunk.”
That was the final blow. Hanbyeol hesitated, then collapsed onto the table, sobbing.
“Hic… Hic… Hic…”
I said nothing, just watched her crumble. I was curious to see how far this would go. If she crossed a line, I wouldn’t stay silent.
Then, suddenly, Hanbyeol lifted her head and reached for a bottle beside her. She plucked a small crystal from it, stood up, and placed it in her palm. Her voice, no longer feigned, began to chant a spell.
”───. ───. ───.”
I took a cigarette from my pocket and lit it. As I did, her spell completed.
“Penetrate. Blossom Of Crystal.”
I glanced up to see the crystal in her hand glowing blue. It formed a beautiful flower, and a sharp beam shot from its center, aimed at the ceiling.
Crack! Shatter!
The sound of the recording crystal breaking filled the room. I flicked the lighter into the air and snapped my fingers. Flames erupted, consuming the falling shards. The lighter landed back in my hand.
“Haa.”
Hanbyeol took a deep breath, her expression returning to its original sharpness. Her eyes were bright and intense, reminiscent of her during the initiation ceremony.
She watched the embers in the air before meeting my gaze. Her eyes were resolute, no longer awkward. She spoke in a cold voice.
“Oppa, I have something to tell you.”
“Go on.”
“The Golden Lion is targeting you.”
“Sit down and tell me everything.”
I wasn’t surprised, having suspected as much. Hanbyeol quietly sat down and began to explain.
I listened to her without interruption. I had already guessed that the Golden Lion was using her to trap me, so I wasn’t shocked. But when she mentioned they might resort to extreme measures, a chill ran down my spine. Though she didn’t specify, her tone suggested something sinister.
After she finished, Hanbyeol sighed with relief. She noticed my gaze and blushed, covering herself. I turned away, giving her time to dress.
She donned her robe and sat across from me again. I had a question.
“Hanbyeol, I’m curious about something.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Thanks for the warning, but why tell me? You’re part of the Golden Lion, and you followed their orders until now.”
”…”
She bit her lip, unable to answer. I had confirmed the recording crystal’s presence and was ready to see how far she’d go. But she didn’t cross the line and even exposed their plans.
Seeing her hesitate, I activated my third eye.
Name: Kim Hanbyeol (0 years)
Class: Secret Jewel Mage Runner
Nation: Barbara
Clan: Golden Lion
True Name · Nationality: Born of Stars · Master of Light and Luster · South Korea
Sex: Female (22)
Height · Weight: 170.5cm · 43.8kg
Disposition: Lethargy · Scar
[Strength 50] [Endurance 58] [Agility 70] [Stamina 52] [Magic 88] [Luck 68]
(4 ability points remaining.)
“Balanced growth, but not exceptional… Lethargy? Scar? What’s that about?”
“I don’t know. I just didn’t want to do this to you anymore.”
”…”
As I pondered her stats and disposition, her quiet voice reached me. I turned off the status screen and looked up to see her calm expression. She seemed reluctant to answer, but I pressed on, curious about her motives.
“Thanks to you, I can prepare for the danger. But what about you? What happens after the academy?”
”…I don’t know.”
“You can’t just say you don’t know. Did you act without thinking?”
”…”
For a moment, I wondered if I was pushing too hard. Kim Hanbyul clammed up again, her face a canvas of sadness, silently absorbing my words.
I tapped the table absentmindedly, trying to organize my thoughts. The silence between us was growing uncomfortable, a heavy stillness that only added to the tension. Thinking about it more would only clutter my mind and weigh on my heart. In the end, I decided to trust my instincts. What we needed now was a conversation.
I resolved to ask my questions calmly, one by one. But first, I needed to ease the awkwardness between us.
“I think we need to talk. You don’t have to answer if it’s too difficult, but I’d appreciate it if you could be as honest as possible.”
”…Okay.”
Her response was barely audible, but it was there. I asked the question that had been on my mind the most.
“Why do you stay with the Golden Lion, even with those kinds of orders?”
”…”
“Honestly, it doesn’t make sense. Orders or not, there’s a line between right and wrong. I can’t imagine you enjoy being treated like that.”
“I don’t have such tastes. But I… I can’t leave the Golden Lion.”
Hanbyul finally spoke, her voice low but clear, laced with an unmistakable bitterness.
After arriving at the pub, I settled into a seat and glanced around. It was a quiet Sunday with no duties to attend to, and with the academy winding down, we had more freedom to come and go as we pleased.
‘Not here yet.’
I didn’t mind waiting since I was the one who had invited them. Alone on the empty third floor, a waitress approached me with a friendly smile.
“Hello! Are you here by yourself?”
“No, two more will be joining me soon.”
“Would you like to order now or wait for them?”
“I’ll order now. Bring out everything you’re proud of, including drinks.”
“Excuse me?”
Instead of answering, I tossed her a pouch. She caught it deftly, peeked inside, and quickly bowed before hurrying off, likely worried I might change my mind. Watching her retreating figure, I stretched my arms wide. The late-night conversation with Hanbyul had left my whole body aching with fatigue.
I tried to clear my mind by closing my eyes, but thoughts of Kim Hanbyul lingered. I drifted into reflection, replaying our conversation in my head.