One Year Junior
Late January.
With a month of winter vacation still remaining, Yeon Haneul and I returned to the academy.
I had come to conquer the Temple of Time at So Hyeyul’s request.
Yeon Haneul had come to assist with the entrance examinations as a student council officer.
And so.
“Did you sleep well? And here’s a heat pack. The weather seemed cold, so I warmed it up in advance.”
“…Thanks. I’ll put it to good use. I was thinking it felt pretty chilly, actually. Did you sleep well?”
The second day of the entrance examinations.
Yeon Haneul and I left the dormitory before dawn, while the sun had yet to rise, and headed toward the Academic Affairs Building.
Along the way, we spotted people who seemed to have the same destination.
Regardless of what they thought, we walked along hand in hand inside our pockets, chatting with each other.
“It reminds me of last year. You and I had such a hard time making those black admission tickets. Then, after figuring out where the testing site was, we had to take the test where we opened the door….”
“Yeah. We stayed at that hotel for a week back then. I miss it.”
“Ugh… Forget about that….”
“Why? It’s a memory we’ll never forget for the rest of our lives. Isn’t it the same for you?”
“…No. It is a memorable experience for me, too. But, um….”
“But?”
“If I’d known things would turn out that way, I would’ve packed pretty clothes… No, never mind. Let’s end this conversation here.”
“What was that all of a sudden? How suspicious….”
After clearing her throat, Yeon Haneul unilaterally cut off the topic.
I tilted my head in puzzlement, but with no other choice, I continued the conversation under a different subject.
Before long, we arrived at the Academic Affairs Building.
“I’ll head inside now. You must be tired from waking up so early, so thank you for coming to see me off. Go back to the dormitory and get some more sleep.”
Yeon Haneul stood with her back to the entrance hall and thanked me.
Her gentle smile was beautiful.
Feeling as though all my fatigue had vanished, I lightly shrugged my shoulders.
“My childhood friend is going out alone while it’s still pitch-dark. Of course I had to come with you. You must be tired too, Haneul, so don’t overdo it. Take it easy while you work.”
“Hehe, I will. Goodbye.”
“Good luck. Contact me when you’re done later. I’ll come pick you up.”
“Okay!”
Afterward, we had a little quarrel over who would stay until the very end and watch the other leave.
In the end, I lost to Yeon Haneul and had to turn my back first.
‘I wanted to watch until Haneul went inside.’
I glanced back.
Yeon Haneul was waving her hand.
“Hurry up and go!”
She put force into her red eyes.
All right, all right, I got it.
Not wanting to get scolded by her, I reluctantly turned my head away.
Next time, I would have to win for sure.
‘Come to think of it, what should I do now?’
I pondered as I retraced the path we had taken.
At first, I had planned to go back and sleep some more, but now I no longer felt like it.
The drowsiness had vanished thanks to Yeon Haneul’s smile just moments ago.
The cold wind had also helped wake me up.
Besides….
‘It would be a shame to go back just like this….’
This wouldn’t do.
Since I had come to the academy for the first time in a month, I might as well take a walk around the grounds.
Stopping by a nearby convenience store to see whether any new products had come out didn’t sound like a bad idea, either.
‘Then, by the time I return to the dormitory, it should be about time for breakfast. I’ll sleep after that. Yes, that sounds good.’
Sleeping while enjoying a full stomach.
It might make me gain weight and wasn’t exactly healthy, but sometimes, who cared?
‘It’s fine during vacation.’
It was the perfect plan.
Besides, I needed to organize my thoughts about the things I would have to do soon.
The planned raid of the Temple of Time in a few days, and the events that would occur during my second year.
‘Or perhaps Hanbyeol’s party members, who will be entering as first-years this year….’
Having made my decision, I changed direction and decided to make a circuit around the academy grounds.
Before long, around the time the sky began to brighten.
‘…They must be applicants.’
I spotted students who seemed to have come to take the entrance examination.
It felt strange to look at people who might become my juniors.
That was when someone spoke to me.
“Excuse me, I’m sorry, but would you happen to know where the Academic Affairs Building is?”
“….”
A female student with a striking hairstyle: her side hair was tied back with a ribbon, bringing to mind a blue butterfly.
The Night Butterfly of the Shadow-Diving Yu clan, Yu Gaeul.
She was a character who appeared in the game, and a party member Kang Hanbyeol recruited during her second year.
‘Who would’ve thought I’d see her here…. Good thing I didn’t go back to the dormitory.’
Meeting like this had to be fate.
I should become friends with Yu Gaeul.
* * *
There were two first-year juniors who naturally joined Kang Hanbyeol’s party as the game’s story progressed.
One of them, the Night Butterfly of the Shadow-Diving Yu clan, Yu Gaeul, belonged to the espionage branch.
Thus, in the game, she would use her specialty to obtain information necessary for the plot or related to events.
‘In a way, her role overlapped with Eunbi’s.’
That said, there was a difference between Go Eunbi and Yu Gaeul’s roles.
While Go Eunbi’s information-gathering abilities mainly focused on interesting news arising from academy life,
Yu Gaeul’s information-gathering abilities mainly focused on situations related to the hunter and villain communities.
For instance, she might detect signs that villains were plotting something somewhere in Academy City….
Thanks to them, players could enjoy a wide variety of incidents, both light and serious.
‘So Eunbi’s importance didn’t decrease with Yu Gaeul’s appearance in the game…. The one whose importance decreased was Sagun, whose presence had already been fading into the background.’
It was unfortunate for Park Sagun, but it couldn’t be helped.
His role might have been useful in the beginning, helping the player and Kang Hanbyeol adapt to the world setting, but once they had adapted to a certain extent, he was no longer really necessary.
Another reason was that, as the story progressed, he often became entangled with the prestigious families and the Demon Society.
They had almost no connection to him, since he was not born into one of the prestigious families.
‘Besides, the Guardian position was already occupied by Senior Kwon Boram of the Iron Fortress Kwon clan….’
Since he was treated as one of Kang Hanbyeol’s companions, Park Sagun’s abilities were decent.
The problem was that, compared to those who could replace him—such as Kwon Boram, Yong Haerang, and the various side characters obtainable independently of the story—he lacked any outstanding distinguishing traits.
‘In the end, I suppose Sagun’s importance in the game depended on the players’ preferences….’
Since we were on the subject, I might as well be honest….
In my previous life, I actually preferred Kwon Boram and Yong Haerang over Park Sagun.
‘Sorry, Sagun. Still, I’m looking out for you in my own way in this world. Not as much as I look out for Haneul, though.’
My condolences to Park Sagun.
We would be friends forever.
Returning to the subject of the Shadow-Diving Yu clan,
someone unfamiliar with the game might well have found it puzzling.
Even if it was a game, how could Yu Gaeul, who was nothing more than an academy student, know circumstances that were normally difficult to learn about?
The reason was that she possessed outstanding talent in the espionage branch.
More than anything else,
‘She’s from the Shadow-Diving Yu clan.’
The character for “submerge,” jam (潛), and the character for “shadow,” yeong (影).
The Shadow-Diving Yu clan, which bore a family title meaning “to conceal the shadows,” was the foremost prestigious family in the espionage branch.
And that wasn’t all.
Though it had not been officially recognized, unofficially it was treated as equal to the Ten Great Families.
So much so that some people even called them the Eleven Great Families, counting the Shadow-Diving Yu clan.
‘In fact, when the heads of the Ten Great Families gathered to decide to reshape the world, the head of the Shadow-Diving Yu clan was there too. So calling them the Eleven Great Families isn’t exactly wrong. It shows just how important the espionage branch was—nearly as important as the ten major branches….’
However, by its very nature, the espionage branch had to operate in secret and could not openly reveal its existence.
As a result, most of the prestigious espionage families, including the Shadow-Diving Yu clan, supported the world from the shadows.
That was why those who knew the truth respected them.
They also feared them.
After all, they had to consider the danger that their information might inadvertently be passed on to an enemy through those families.
In any case.
‘Among the espionage-branch characters who can be recruited into the party, no one is better than Yu Gaeul. I need to become close to her.’
I decided to kindly show Yu Gaeul the way in order to win her favor.
Coming to my senses, I opened my mouth.
“The Academic Affairs Building? Just go straight that way. When you reach a fork in the road, turn there and….”
“Oh, really? So I just go straight that way and turn left…. And then….”
“It’s confusing, right? The grounds are huge. Still, if you get lost, try looking for the signs nearby.”
“Ah… I’m really bad at reading maps…. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, could you guide me there yourself?”
“….”
“It would be terrible if I made a mistake and got lost.”
Yu Gaeul clasped her hands together and asked me with an apologetic expression.
I couldn’t help feeling flustered.
‘Someone from the espionage branch can’t read a map? That makes no sense….’
It was hard for me to believe.
But this was an opportunity to become a little closer to Yu Gaeul than I would have if I had merely given her directions and parted ways.
Having come to that conclusion, I nodded.
“All right, I’ll take you there. Follow me.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
Yu Gaeul’s face lit up.
I turned my back on her as she clapped her hands in delight and led the way toward the Academic Affairs Building.
She followed right beside me.
“You’re going to take the entrance exam, right?”
“That’s right. I applied to the espionage branch this time. What year are you in, Senior?”
“I’m a first-year.”
“Wow, so you’re one year ahead of me? It’s nice to meet you like this.”
We walked along, chatting amicably.
Thanks to Yu Gaeul’s sociable nature, the conversation never abruptly stopped or turned awkward.
Before we knew it, we had arrived at the Academic Affairs Building.
“That’s the Academic Affairs Building. I’ll be going now. Good luck on your exam. If we meet again after you enroll, let’s have a meal together.”
“Yes, Senior! Thank you so much for bringing me all the way here. I like eating together, too. But you’ll be treating me then, right?”
“Sure. I’ll buy you whatever you want.”
I considered asking for Yu Gaeul’s number, but decided against it.
It might make her wary of me for no reason, and in any case, we were bound to meet again.
Maintaining an appropriate distance, I exchanged farewells with her and left the Academic Affairs Building.
That was when she called out to me from behind.
“Goodbye, Senior Do Gyeonu! See you next time! I’ll look forward to something delicious!”
I turned around.
Yu Gaeul was waving enthusiastically.
Then she abruptly turned and ran into the Academic Affairs Building.
“She’s just as friendly as she was in the game. She reminds me of Eunbi. Are all extroverts like that?”
I let out a small laugh.
Then I realized something.
‘Did I ever tell her my name?’
When I thought back over our conversation, it was absurd: we hadn’t even exchanged names.
And yet Yu Gaeul knew mine, which meant….
‘She knew about me from the start and approached me deliberately. No wonder….’
Just as I had done, Yu Gaeul had known the truth while pretending otherwise.
I couldn’t help laughing.
“She’s slyly mischievous, just like she was in the game. Unlike Eunbi.”
That was why, in the game community of my previous life, people sometimes described Yu Gaeul as a little devil.
* * *
The time for the first practical examination arrived.
The instructor supervising the test, Su Hoguk, spoke to the applicants.
“The test is simple. As you can see, lines have been drawn on the floor of the testing site to divide it into sections. There are seven sections in total, from where you are standing to the platform at the front.”
“….”
“Within the allotted time, you must walk across at least two sections.”
Of course, it would be a mistake to think this was an examination where all they had to do was walk.
Su Hoguk, who had noticed the students listening closely to his explanation, added to his words and pulled up the corners of his mouth.
“Each section has been enchanted with repulsion magic. If you step forward to cross a section, the magic will try to push you toward the door. The closer you get to the platform, the stronger it will become.”
The applicants therefore had to advance through the sections while resisting the repulsive force.
They were free to respond however they wished, provided they could manifest mana within their bodies but did not use magic.
Having finished his explanation, Su Hoguk shouted loudly.
“Then we’ll begin the examination now! Group One, step forward!”
The applicants in the first group stepped over the line they had been standing on.
From then on, whenever the time limit expired, the examinees took the test in turn.
‘For now, those who’ve reached Area 6 have the highest scores, then.’
Yeon Haneul’s role as an assistant examiner was to record the examinees’ scores.
She quietly carried out her duties.
Then.
‘That girl….’
For the first time since the exam began, an examinee who had passed through every area appeared.
Yeon Haneul naturally found her gaze drawn to that person.
‘She’s pretty.’
A female student with a blue ribbon tied in her hair.
After checking her examinee number, Yeon Haneul soon understood how she had managed such a feat.
‘So she’s a direct descendant of the Jamyeong Yu Family.’
The Night Butterfly of the Jamyeong Yu Family, Yu Gaeul.
She was one of the applicants the student council had been keeping an eye on among those who had applied for the entrance exam.
The second examinee to cross every area, who appeared right after her, was no different.
‘If that dark green hair means….’
A female student dressed like a ranger, her hair neatly tied up.
Yeon Haneul could tell who she was without even needing to check her personal information through her examinee number.
A direct descendant of the Tangun Ham Family, one of the Ten Families.
The Wolf Princess, Ham Minju.
“They’re definitely going to pass.”
And somehow, it felt like she would end up interacting with them.
Yeon Haneul had a strange premonition.
I Became the Mid-Boss’s Childhood Friend
(265) [Illustration]
After returning to the dormitory and eating breakfast, I closed my eyes to get some more sleep.
‘I should get up late.’
With the Temple of Time scheduled to be conquered in a few days, I needed to rest my body in preparation.
Besides, winter vacation wasn’t over yet.
I could put working hard off for later and continue lazing around for a while.
‘Rest is a job in its own right, too….’
I decided to savor this peace.
How much time had passed?
“Hmm….”
I woke up at the sound of a vibration and checked my smartphone.
Kang Hanbyeol’s name was displayed on the call screen.
“Hello?”
[Oh, Gyeonwoo. What are you doing right now?]
“Right now? I was sleeping in my room….”
[I thought so. Your voice sounded like it. Are you going back to sleep? If you’re up, do you want to go get lunch? I just finished my morning training and was about to go eat with Sagun.]
“Lunch? Lunch, huh….”
Eating, sleeping, waking up, and eating again….
It made me feel like I had become Cha Eunseol.
‘Come to think of it, Eunseol’s here, too.’
If we were going to eat anyway, we might as well include Cha Eunseol and all eat together with the people who had stayed at the academy during vacation.
After finishing my deliberation, I said,
“Sure, sounds good. I’ll get ready and head out. And let’s eat with Eunseol, too.”
[She’s probably asleep. We don’t mind either way.]
“Then I’ll call her. I’ll drag her out even if I have to wake her up by force.”
[Haha…. Then come to the Training Hall once you’re ready. We’ll wait for you there.]
“Okay.”
After hanging up.
I immediately found Cha Eunseol in my smartphone’s contacts and called her.
The ringing soon gave way to her voice.
[Hel…lo…. What’s going on?]
It seemed Kang Hanbyeol’s guess had been right. Cha Eunseol’s voice was thick with sleep, as though she had just woken up.
I could easily imagine her answering the phone while nodding off, and I let out a wry smile.
“What do you mean, what’s going on? It’s probably a huge deal for you.”
[Mmm…. Is there something huge going on for me? What is it?]
“I’m going to get lunch now. Do you want to come, too?”
[…That is a huge deal. But with you?]
“Yeah, with me.”
[Hmm….]
“Hanbyeol and Sagun are there, too.”
[Oh, okay.]
…What was that?
For the briefest moment, Cha Eunseol’s attitude seemed to turn curt.
‘Is she annoyed because I interrupted her nap? Or is it just my imagination….’
I felt a little flustered.
Then, as if she had never acted that way, she asked in her usual tone,
[So what are we eating? I want something delicious….]
“Let’s decide after meeting the others. Just wash up quickly and come out. I’ll go to your dormitory in twenty minutes.”
[Okay…. Got it….]
After making plans with Cha Eunseol.
I finished the call, got up from the bed, and snapped my fingers.
I tidied myself up with Clean magic.
‘Magic sure is convenient at times like this.’
I stood in front of the mirror and checked to make sure there was nothing strange about my appearance.
Then I put on my coat and headed outside.
My destination was the Emerald Jade Dormitory where Cha Eunseol lived.
She didn’t show up until after the appointed time had passed.
“Hi. Yum-yum.”
“You’re eating even though we’re going out to eat? And what took you so long?”
“Isn’t five minutes fine?”
“It’s not fine.”
“You’re so stingy.”
“What do you mean, stingy? But… have you gained weight?”
“Yeah, I have.”
Compared to when I had seen her in the Grace Empire not long ago, Cha Eunseol’s face had become somewhat rounder.
I could guess how she had been doing from the change.
No doubt she had been eating, sleeping, using the bathroom, and playing without training properly.
“Yeah, that’s right. You should rest during vacation. Rest is a job in its own right, you know? Yum.”
“You rest even when it isn’t vacation.”
“Even so, I didn’t just laze around. I trained when I was told to. A little, anyway.”
“Good grief…. Fine, good job. That’s enough, so let’s go eat.”
“Ow. Okay, sounds good.”
As it turned out, it wasn’t an outright lie. Cha Eunseol had grown, albeit only slightly.
After discreetly checking her status window, I decided to let her off with a light chop to the head.
Kang Hanbyeol and Park Sagun would be waiting.
We stopped chatting there and headed toward the meeting place.
Not long afterward.
“You woke Eunseol up and got her out here? How’d you manage that? Impressive.”
“Gyeonwoo, Eunseol, you’re both here.”
“I just called her and woke her up.”
“Hi, guys. Yum-yum.”
I, Cha Eunseol, Kang Hanbyeol, and Park Sagun.
The four of us exchanged greetings.
After discussing it among ourselves, we decided to have lunch at a cafeteria near Spring Light Lake.
‘There are a lot of people, though…. Did we come out for nothing?’
It seemed the examinees who had applied for the entrance exam were on their lunch break as well.
On the way there, we spotted people looking for places to sit and eat their boxed lunches.
A glance at them brought last year’s entrance exam to mind, and I began to worry that they might cause trouble for us.
If the cafeteria we were heading to was already packed with them….
I hoped that wouldn’t happen.
‘Maybe we should use the instructors’ cafeteria instead.’
Examinees wouldn’t be able to enter that place so casually.
Otherwise, we would have to leave the academy to eat lunch.
Just as I was thinking that—
“Senior! We meet again here!”
….
Yu Gaeul was approaching us with a delighted expression from the direction of the voice.
I had unexpectedly run into her again, so I raised a hand in greeting.
“How was the exam? Did you do well?”
“Me? I passed with a perfect score. But what brings you here, Senior? Are you going to eat lunch, by any chance?”
“Something like that. We were thinking of having lunch at the cafeteria. What about you? Have you eaten?”
“Yes, I just made do with the boxed lunch the academy gave me…. There probably won’t be any seats there, though. I was planning to eat there, too, but it was already packed with people.”
“…I had a feeling that might be the case.”
I frowned.
It seemed we would have to find somewhere else for lunch.
Before long, Yu Gaeul drew the curious attention of my friends and introduced herself.
“Hello, seniors! I’m Yu Gaeul of the Jamyeong Yu Family. I look forward to seeing you after I enroll!”
And so.
Kang Hanbyeol and Yu Gaeul met earlier than they had in the game.
* * *
After exchanging introductions.
“—Then, seniors! Enjoy your lunch!”
Yu Gaeul left after saying those words.
We wished her good luck and headed to the instructors’ cafeteria.
Fortunately, there—
“Gyeonwoo, everyone.”
“Huh?”
We found Yeon Haneul.
She raised a hand to make her presence known.
‘Cute.’
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Even if Yeon Haneul hadn’t done that, her long rabbit ears and very existence made her stand out.
I approached her.
“You were eating here? Oh, you have upperclassmen with you, too.”
“Yeah. Everyone involved with the entrance exam has to eat here. There’s an empty seat beside me, so sit down.”
“That’s right, Junior Gyeonwoo. Don’t hesitate to sit down if you don’t have anywhere else to go.”
“Hmm, do as you please.”
“Then we’d be grateful. We were having a hard time finding a seat.”
“Thank you!”
“Thank you. Yum….”
Student council officers such as Seong Dasom and Eun Suhyeok were also seated at the table.
After asking their permission, my friends and I set down our trays and took the empty seats.
I was more than pleased to claim the seat beside Yeon Haneul.
Afterward, we enjoyed lunch while chatting away.
Some time passed.
“I should get going soon. I’m off to supervise the next exam. Enjoy the rest of your meal, everyone.”
Yeon Haneul, Seong Dasom, Eun Suhyeok, and the other student council officers rose from their seats.
I had just finished my meal, so I decided to follow them.
To be precise, I decided to follow my childhood friend.
“I’ll come with you. I’ll see you to the exam site.”
“Hm? No, I’m fine. You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to. Do you hate the idea?”
“Hmm…. Then could I ask you to?”
“Of course.”
Yeon Haneul let out a little giggle.
Her appearance as she covered her mouth and laughed was incredibly charming.
Especially the way she looked at me with a smile.
When our eyes met, the corners of my mouth instinctively twitched upward.
Seeing us, Seong Dasom shook her head as if she couldn’t stop us.
“You two are practically dripping honey from your eyes. We don’t particularly want to interrupt, and watching from the side would only make us jealous, so we’ll go on ahead. Let’s go, Suhyeok. And Haneul, don’t get so distracted by Junior Gyeonwoo that you end up being late.”
“It can’t be helped. Just this once.”
It seemed my decision to support Seong Dasom as student council president had been the right one.
I thanked her as she led the student council officers away with Eun Suhyeok linked around her arm.
Thanks to that, Yeon Haneul and I were able to walk to the exam site alone.
“What time is the second exam supposed to end?”
“I’ll have to hear it when I get there, but I think it’ll end late at night. So don’t wait for me—go have dinner with the others.”
“That’s too bad, but I guess I’ll have to. Still, call me as soon as you’re done.”
“Why? So you can come pick me up?”
“It’ll be dark at night. Of course I should.”
With no one around to see us, Yeon Haneul and I interlocked our fingers.
But that wasn’t enough for me, and I licked my lips.
It seemed she felt the same way.
She sent me a meaningful look.
….
At some point, we grew quiet.
We passed along a densely wooded path in a strange silence.
The Dimensional Hall gradually drew closer.
‘I can’t hold back.’
It felt like a shame to part just like this.
After checking our surroundings, I tugged Yeon Haneul’s hand and veered off the path.
We entered the woods.
Although she knew we were going the wrong way, she didn’t question me.
And then.
‘This looks like a good spot.’
I cornered Yeon Haneul against a tree trunk so she couldn’t escape.
She stepped backward as if unable to resist, until her back was pressed completely against the trunk.
“In broad daylight…. What are you going to do if someone happens to see us….”
Yeon Haneul looked at me shyly.
Her face was slightly flushed, as though it had been touched by heat.
I pulled up the corners of my mouth.
“What? I haven’t said I’m going to do anything yet.”
….
“What exactly are you misunderstanding? What did you think I was going to do?”
“You’re really awful. Honestly.”
Yeon Haneul pouted her lips.
Pleased with her reaction, I lightly shrugged my shoulders.
But if I teased her any further, I was liable to get seriously scolded.
I decided it was time to stop pretending not to know.
“There’s no one else around, so it’s fine.”
“Hmph. It really is okay, right?”
“You can sense it too, can’t you?”
“…This is when you’re supposed to act like a man and tell me to trust you.”
“Trust me. Close your eyes.”
“Okay.”
Yeon Haneul closed her eyes as if granting me permission.
I soon touched the tip of my nose to hers and carefully pressed my lips to hers.
“Mmm….”
I didn’t know who had extended their tongue first.
Likewise, I didn’t know who had first reached out to embrace the other.
But then….
‘That startled me.’
The person who suddenly lifted one leg and wrapped it around the other’s thigh was Yeon Haneul.
I supported her thigh with my hands and arms so she would not have to strain herself.
‘Soft.’
While Yeon Haneul’s breathing grew rough with nasal moans,
I slowly stroked her thigh from the bottom upward.
Eventually, my hand reached the rabbit tail.
And so.
‘This is good.’
We focused all our attention solely on feeling each other.
“…Huh?”
“…!”
So deeply engrossed that we failed to notice anyone approaching….
* * *
All around the grounds, examinees could be found eating lunch in groups for the purpose of socializing.
However, Ham Minju, the wolf princess of the Tanggung Ham clan, did not mingle with them and instead sought out a quiet place.
It was not that she had no interest in making friends, but she was not sociable enough to take the initiative herself.
Besides.
“Solar, Luna, people are frightened, so don’t stray from my side.”
Grrr!
Ham Minju also knew that the examinees were afraid of the wolf magical beasts under her command.
As far as she was concerned, she had no desire to send away the wolves who had been with her since childhood merely to get along with them.
The male wolf magical beast, Solar.
The female wolf magical beast, Luna.
To her, the two wolf magical beasts were no different from family.
Eventually.
‘This place looks good.’
Carrying her lunchbox and walking aimlessly, Ham Minju entered a secluded forest where no examinees passed by.
The breeze was cool, and the sunlight was pleasant.
Above all, it seemed spacious enough for Solar and Luna to run around freely.
“Come on, let’s eat here.”
Grrr!
There happened to be a bench nearby.
After sitting down, Ham Minju enjoyed her lunch in peace.
After finishing her meal, she checked the time.
‘There’s still a little while before the second practical exam begins….’
It was just enough time for a stroll.
Ham Minju decided to leisurely look around on her way to the Academic Affairs Building.
Not long after that.
‘Who is that…?’
Ham Minju spotted a man and woman walking toward a secluded area.
One of them looked familiar.
‘Senior Bunny?’
An animan girl with rabbit ears, wearing the armband of an entrance-exam assistant.
Bunny—Yeon Haneul.
Having seen her during the first practical exam, there was no way Ham Minju could fail to recognize her.
‘Why is that senior here?’
Ham Minju was considering joining the student council, and Yeon Haneul, the head of its Culture Department, was someone she felt favorably toward.
That was why she could only worry when she saw Yeon Haneul being led somewhere by a man holding her hand.
If, by any chance….
‘Could he be planning to harm her…?’
When her thoughts reached that point, Ham Minju suppressed her presence and followed the two.
For someone aspiring to become a ranger, it was not a difficult task.
And then.
‘…Huh…?’
Ham Minju ended up witnessing Yeon Haneul and the male student engaged in a deep kiss.
She was thrown into great shock.
‘That’s impossible….’
At first, it seemed as though the male student was kissing her unilaterally.
But before long, Yeon Haneul had wrapped her arms around him, lifted her stocking-clad leg, and entwined it around his thigh.
Faced with such an explicit sight, Ham Minju could not help but doubt her own eyes.
Without realizing it, she swallowed hard.
“How can someone from the student council….”
How could she be so lewd?
This was public indecency.
What a promiscuous woman. So promiscuous!
“Pervert.”
I Became the Mid-Boss’s Childhood Friend