was highly likely to have folded it away for good. As for the main story, he might have been living a life of ordinary resignation, holding down an ordinary job simply because it was too painful.
“Ah. I miss Mom.”
It was a somewhat awkward thing to say at the age of twenty-six. But there was so much sincerity in it that his voice trembled.
She wasn’t sick, was she? She hadn’t gotten into a fight with Dad, had she?
If time was passing in that world, he hoped they would discover his disappearance as late as possible. He couldn’t even bear to imagine his parents grieving because of him.
The anguish that had suddenly welled up branched out in all directions.
He thought of his friends. They were annoying, and he called them out every time just to insult them now and then, but today he missed them terribly. And it wasn’t only them. Even the seniors from school who had done nothing but spout nonsense at him, and his military superiors, came dimly to mind.
Every bad tie and good connection he had forged shone brightly in his heart like stars.
Yet the scenery outside remained dark, and there wasn’t even the faintest starlight in the sky.
Dreaming of stars in a world without stars could only be filled with pain.
“…Hoo.”
He wiped his reddened eyes and stood up. The handgun clutched in his hand was still cold and heavy. Its sensation came to him like a familiar scent.
* * *
As expected, his great tenacity had granted him remarkable resilience. It took only a day to repair his shattered mentality, and once he returned to his usual routine of exercising, hunting, and buying stocks, the weekend flew by.
“Your exams are next week. The written-exam week. The practical-exam week is the week after that, but I’ve repeatedly told you that the written exams are important too, haven’t I?”
And today was Monday. The professor spoke in an intentionally stern tone. Just as he said, there was less than a week left until the exams.
Even I was beginning to feel a little nervous.
I had no worries about the written portion, of course, but the practical portion was another matter.
The ‘Duel’ was a true blade-to-blade match between students, while the ‘Beast Battle’ required us to fight familiars summoned by mages rather than mana dolls.
The students wouldn’t show any mercy in a duel, not if they wanted to earn points. And the familiars summoned by mages in the Beast Battle were beings of an entirely different caliber from mana dolls. You could call them ‘real beasts.’
So I would have to prepare myself for the pain of broken bones and sliced flesh.
“······.”
But even setting aside all those worries about the exams, I couldn’t concentrate on class at all today. It was because of the person sitting beside me.
Rachel.
She had always sat alone in the very back of every class. But as the days passed, she had crept closer and closer to my side, and today she had ended up sitting right next to me.
There was enough distance that it would be more accurate to call it the seat beside the seat beside me, but regardless. Rachel sat within arm’s reach and kept sneaking glances at my notebook. It wasn’t simply that she was peeking. Whenever she saw something that wasn’t in her own notebook, she seemed to copy it down.
Just in case, I tried writing something random.
[Yu Gimok Junjahyeok]
Yu Okja. Kim Junhyeok. My mother’s and father’s names. I moved only my eyes to the side and glanced at Rachel.
As expected, she took a quick look at my notes, then stealthily moved her pen to copy them. In Rachel’s neat handwriting, ‘Yu Gimok Junjahyeok??’ appeared in her notebook.
Right beside it, I wrote:
[19680529.19660912]
My parents’ birthdays, respectively. Once again, Rachel copied the numbers exactly into her notebook.
Next, I wrote the name of the dog I had raised long ago, followed by ‘Badananebo,’ a variation of ‘I am an idiot,’ and so on······.
While I amused myself by teasing Rachel, class came to an end.
“Do well on next week’s exams. The bulletin board will be covered with notices as always, so don’t embarrass yourselves.”
After repeatedly impressing this upon the students, the professor left. At once, Chae Nayun’s seat grew noisy.
For reference, Chae Nayun had returned to Cube today. She was still having trouble moving around and had all sorts of support devices attached to her, but just as in the original story, Kim Suho and Shin Jonghak had stuck themselves to her.
“Hey, hey, hey. What’s wrong with you guys? I can move on my own.”
At Chae Nayun’s shout, they sheepishly backed away and began hovering around her.
“Kim Suho. Just go.”
“······Why?”
“Nayun is uncomfortable around you.”
Meanwhile, Shin Jonghak was picking a fight with Kim Suho yet again, while a woman watched them forlornly. She forced a lonely smile as though she was fine, but the woman who was probably feeling isolated down to her very bones was, as expected, Yoo Yeonha.
Yoo Yeonha approached the group gathered around Chae Nayun and the others.
“Jonghak. Nayun. I’m going ahead.”
“Oh. Sure.”
“Huh? Oh, okay. Bye, Yeonha. Study hard.”
Shin Jonghak and Chae Nayun’s farewells were merely formalities. Gritting her teeth, Yoo Yeonha walked out through the front door of the classroom. I put my laptop and stationery into my crossbody bag and left through the back door as well.
I ran into Yoo Yeonha the moment I stepped outside. The path to the dormitory should have been to the left, but for some reason, she seemed to have chosen the opposite direction today.
“······.”
We stared awkwardly at each other.
“Where are you going?”
“······To the dormitory.”
As I said, this wasn’t the direction leading to the dormitory.
But I didn’t want to continue talking with her.
“I see.”
Yoo Yeonha said nothing more.
She merely dipped her head, then passed by me.
* * *
Yoo Yeonha opened the door to the club hideout. The scene inside was no different from usual, yet it felt cold and empty. The only person there was Yoon Hyun, reading a book on the platform.
Yoo Yeonha tilted her head. Where had everyone else gone?
At that moment, Yoon Hyun spotted her and approached with a smile.
“Yeonha, you’re here?”
“······Yes.”
“Have a seat first.”
Yoo Yeonha sat down. The lack of people made her feel somewhat uneasy, but she soon calmed down. It was probably thanks to Yoon Hyun. She didn’t know why, but the atmosphere around him was extremely comforting. Gentle, perhaps. Because of that, Yoo Yeonha could let down her guard in front of Yoon Hyun, despite always being tense.
“But where is everyone else?”
“They’ll be here soon. Oh, right, Yeonha. I heard you joined that team this time?”
“That team?”
“You know, the Demon Detection Team. I joined it too. I’m the second-year representative.”
Yoon Hyun’s voice was clear and firm. At least, that was how Yoo Yeonha perceived it.
“Oh, really?”
Once again, Kim Hajin’s guess had been utter bullshit.
“But we haven’t made any progress at all. Do you have anything? Anyone under suspicion, perhaps?”
“No. Not yet.”
“Really? There’s absolutely nothing to show for it? No developments or anything?”
Yoon Hyun asked gently. At his suggestive tone, Yoo Yeonha thought for a moment. Developments. There were no such things. The gathering had fallen apart before they could do anything.
“Well······ one person did say something ridiculous. But it was nothing.”
“What was it? I’m curious. If you’re calling it ridiculous, it must have been something.”
Yoon Hyun perched on the edge of Yoo Yeonha’s desk. Then he set down a scented candle.
“What’s that?”
“A scented candle. It’ll help you study later. Anyway, what did he say?”
With a kind smile on his lips, Yoon Hyun asked again. Yoo Yeonha smelled the candle. It was fragrant and gentle. Her whole body grew languid, and it felt as though the emotional residue accumulated throughout the day was melting away.
“Tell me. Come on.”
“It really was nothing.”
Yoo Yeonha gave a hollow laugh.
“He just said that Senior Yoon Hyun was a demon. That you could use some kind of mind magic. Pfft. Ridiculous, right?”
After answering, Yoo Yeonha smelled the candle again. It was such a wonderful fragrance, one that felt almost addictive. She was so focused on the candle that she couldn’t see Yoon Hyun’s face.
“······Did he have any evidence?”
“No······?”
At that moment, Yoo Yeonha’s mind turned cold. The head that had been dissolving in the fragrance snapped taut. Yoo Yeonha whipped her head around.
A truly innocent person generally didn’t ask whether there was evidence when they were suspected. At the very least, it wasn’t the first response they would choose.
If they were certain they hadn’t done anything, there could be no evidence in the first place.
“Ah. What was I thinking? I misspoke. What a funny guy. On what grounds? On what grounds did he say I was a demon······”
Yoon Hyun quickly corrected himself, as though he had realized his blunder. But by then it was already too late. Yoo Yeonha retreated several steps, drew the whip from her back pocket, and aimed it at Yoon Hyun.
“What are you?”
“······Why are you acting like this, Yeonha?”
Yoon Hyun stared at her and smiled.
The gentle curve of his lips and eyes twisted into something vicious.
“I told you, it isn’t your turn yet.”
────────────────────────────────────
────────────────────────────────────
Exam Period (3)
The physical-training hall was packed with students one week before the exams.
Hyaap─! Ryaaap─! The shouts echoing from the sparring grounds pierced through the walls, while the clashing magic generated sharp, splitting booms.
One student more devoted to physical training than sparring casually lifted a 120-kilogram barbell. Not a bench press—the barbell alone weighed 120 kilograms.
Amid a throng of monsters that made one grunt just looking at them, I was working out as well. Compared to the other students, I looked shabby, but I was still pouring sweat and effort into it in my own way.
Vrrrr─
“Ugh.”
Using the vibration of my smartwatch as an excuse, I let go of the bar. A dizzy spell swept over me. It seemed that 130 kilograms on the bench press was still too much for me. I wiped the sweat from my neck with a towel and checked my smartwatch.
[The documents are all ready······. Are you really going to invest?]
It was a message from Park Suhyeok.
Of the 400 million won I had earned by selling wild ginseng, I had decided to invest 250 million in stocks and the rest in SH. Investing in SH was just as certain as investing in the owner of the Demon’s Lair.
[Of course. See you this Saturday.]
[Um······ but why us, of all people?]
Apparently, Park Suhyeok couldn’t understand it at all. SH Agency was still nothing more than a hole-in-the-wall shop that hadn’t accomplished anything—not even something that could proudly be called a company.
[It’s fun. We can grow together. Don’t you think it’ll be rewarding to watch each other develop more and more?]
In other words, I was investing in a person, not a company. That was how outstanding Park Suhyeok’s abilities were. He was a rising star of his era who had thrown himself into this business, which was essentially all about dealing in people, without a single connection, and ultimately built a brilliant company.
[Ah······ Then······ I’ll prepare the documents and contract and see you Saturday. Thank you once again.]
[Sure. See you then.]
After ending my conversation with Park Suhyeok, I lay back down on the bench. But the moment I gripped the bar, my wrist vibrated again. Who was it this time? The moment I looked at my watch, my brow furrowed.
It was Yoo Yeonha.
[9]
I couldn’t understand why she had suddenly sent me a message, but I understood its contents even less. It was just a single, lonely number: 9. Had she sent it by mistake?
“What the hell is this?”
Without replying, I gripped the bar again. I tensed my entire body, breathed regularly, and pushed it upward.
One, two, three, four······ nine.
Nine. Gu.
A thought suddenly occurred to me.
“······What? Is this a distress signal?”
* * *
In the second dormitory complex, where the buildings housing Cube’s intermediate-class students—in other words, the second-years—stood in rows, Yoo Yeonha was being held captive by Yoon Hyun in the penthouse on the top floor.
The events had unfolded simply. No matter how exceptional an elite Yoo Yeonha was, she couldn’t stand against a demon favored by Lilith. After subduing Yoo Yeonha, Yoon Hyun had transported her here using an extradimensional pouch.
He could not exercise his usual prudence in avoiding CCTV, but it didn’t matter. He would be leaving Cube once this was over anyway.
“Oh. Is this the guy? That sharp one who said I was a demon?”
Yoon Hyun grinned as he examined Yoo Yeonha’s smartwatch, which he had just taken from her. The smartwatch displayed her conversation with Kim Hajin.
“I’ll have to kill him later too. But what’s this 9······? What, did she just send a 9 asking to be rescued? Would anyone even understand that?”
He let the smartwatch drop.
Then he stomped on it with all his strength. The issued watch broke pathetically beneath a single hoof-like stomp.
“And even if he heard you, he couldn’t come. This place is surrounded by a barrier.”
Yoo Yeonha bit down hard and glared at Yoon Hyeon with vicious eyes. Under that gaze, Yoon Hyeon instead shuddered with delight.
“Ah, that’s nice. I really like those eyes. It’s all right, Yeonha. You’ll come to like me soon enough.”
Step by step, Yoon Hyeon slowly approached Yoo Yeonha. Bound to the chair, Yoo Yeonha struggled desperately, but the spell’s restraints did not budge.
“Your skin is beautiful.”
Yoon Hyeon placed a hand on Yoo Yeonha’s bound thigh. A furtive handprint remained on her snow-white flesh. At the unpleasant sensation, like a snake licking her, tears spilled from Yoo Yeonha’s eyes.
“Once will be enough. You won’t be able to escape. Lady Lilith has given her permission, at least for today. She wants you too.”
Yoon Hyeon spoke leisurely. A demon’s allure bewitched the very foundation of its victim. Perhaps the Yoo Yeonha of today and the Yoo Yeonha of tomorrow would be entirely different people.
“Yeonha. You’ve been lonely for long enough. I know that feeling too.”
As he coaxed her, Yoon Hyeon raised a hand to the nape of Yoo Yeonha’s neck. A dizzying magical power dwelled in the breath he exhaled. Yoo Yeonha’s body trembled beneath that enchantment. No matter how strong one’s willpower was, the pleasure forced upon her by magic was not something she could endure. If she could, Yoo Yeonha would have bitten through her tongue and killed herself.
“It’ll be easier if you give up.”
Yoon Hyeon caressed Yoo Yeonha’s cheek and whispered softly. The magic of lust seeped into Yoo Yeonha through his touch. It stimulated every part of her body, urging her toward surrender and submission. The ecstasy that surged through her like it would melt her brain was too overwhelming to be called mere rapture.
It was at the very moment that a breathy sound finally escaped Yoo Yeonha’s lips.
A flash of light burst from the window, and a transparent line pierced through Yoon Hyeon.
“...What?”
Caught completely off guard, Yoon Hyeon let out a dazed sound. He dropped to one knee. Before he could even properly recognize what had attacked him or where he had been wounded, an unidentified voice reverberated from within.
─You never listen to a damn thing anyone says and go around suspecting everyone. Serves you right.
“......!”
Yoo Yeonha’s eyes flew wide. It was a voice familiar to her, at least. Taking advantage of the opening, Yoon Hyeon infused his thigh with magical power. But the regenerative ability unique to demonkin failed to manifest; instead, the pain only intensified.
─You’d better not try healing yourself. I processed this bullet using a slightly more efficient method. Unless you undergo surgery and remove the bullet...
“Shut up, you fucking bastard!”
Yoon Hyeon sprang to his feet with a howl. Red magical power clung to his entire body and flared up. His pupils, already dyed blood-red, merely glared emptily at a place where nothing was visible.
“Where are you?! Come out!”
Yoon Hyeon lashed out with his magic as though in a frenzy. A storm of magical power swept through the surroundings, but there was nothing for it to strike down.
─You can throw as much of a fit as you want, but you still won’t reach me. I’m really far away right now.
“You crazy son of a—”
As if answering that curse, a bullet pierced through the window and hurtled toward Yoon Hyeon. This time, it struck his shoulder. Yoon Hyeon felt rage before he felt the pain.
“You— You...!”
He swung his hands about in a fit of madness. Come out—! Come out, you fucking mongrel bitch—! His frenzied cries soon became so garbled that it was impossible to tell whether they were human words or the howls of a beast.
Several more bullets came for him. Yoon Hyeon rampaged, his form becoming something closer to an animal.
Yoo Yeonha watched the bizarre scene in a daze. Leaving aside where the shots were coming from, how could mere bullets inflict wounds like that upon a demonkin? She felt a profound interest in this unprecedented power.
─This is why I love shooting from a distance.
After the mocking taunt, another bullet flew in. This time, it struck his abdomen. Yoon Hyeon clutched his solar plexus and collapsed onto the floor. Pathetically sprawled out, he began crawling forward with both hands. Bullets were lodged in both knees, his shoulder, forearms, and ankles. His wounds were fatal, leaving him incapable of moving normally.
“Ah, damn...”
Every shot had come through the window. So all he had to do was get away from the window...
But the cold-blooded marksman offered no futile mercy. As though pulling the trigger, another small, snow-white meteor flew in and pierced Yoon Hyeon through the lower back. With bloodshot eyes wide open, Yoon Hyeon trembled, his outstretched hands quivering.
─You’re pretty tenacious. Hey, Yoo Yeonha. Looks like I’m going to use up all the bullets you gave me today. If you have a conscience, you’ll prepare some better ones for me, right?
Yoo Yeonha could not laugh at the joke.
Yoon Hyeon lay sprawled out disgracefully, while a man from very far away protected her.