People were milling about the grassy park, picnic mats in hand. The event that the first-year S Class students had prepared was a play.
The performances had a casual atmosphere that let families watch the show together. Adding to that was the selling of food and drinks in order to increase the event’s profits.
Sumire stared at YuSung with a face filled with excitement.
“I-I’m so excited to see a play at our school!”
It would be YuSung’s first time seeing a play. His interest was, however, more focused on the lunch that Sumire had brought with her.
“Correct. Huhu… I even prepared a special sauce and some sandwiches this time s-since you ate light this morning!”
Sumire’s ears turned red as she seemingly recalled the breakfast she had eaten with him.
Right as the play was about to start, S Class’s Lee ChaeHyun approached them.
“What will you be ordering? You know it’s basic manners to at least order a drink, even if you bring something else to eat, right?”
“Oh, then we’ll order the lemonade and the banana shake…”
“One lemonade; one banana shake, correct?” confirmed Lee ChaeHyun.
Sumire warily added more to the order.
“Oh… sorry. Can we also add a milkshake and strawberry shake?”
“Huh? Okay~ buy as much as you want, all the better for us. Are you expecting more people? This is a lot to drink.”
Sumire just smiled awkwardly. Considering YuSung’s appetite, it might not even be enough.
— The Outbreak: a catastrophe that hit humanity. As Earth merged with a different dimension…
The loudspeakers boomed with the play’s narration.
The play being held at Gaon, a hunter academy, was naturally about hunters. The narrator was weaving a tale famous enough to become a common bedtime story.
— Evil witches eventually began crossing over into our world.
— Luisa, the Winter Witch with a frozen heart, Laplace, the Wicked Witch who spread plagues, and…
The play continued.
Sumire was engrossed in the story. Watching her, YuSung began remembering the events that took place in the Castle of Phantasms.
‘Laplace… so she’s the owner of the fragment that Sumire obtained.’
YuSung had only reported the existence of Sumire’s fragment to Kang YuChan, the Association chairman—someone he could trust.
The fragment was from the Wicked Witch, a powerful existence even among the rank 7 bosses.
If news of it spread through, there was a chance of those seeking to use the power for themselves cropping up.
‘Sumire herself doesn’t seem to think too much about its potential, though…’
The power she wielded was definitely dangerous. Depending on how it was wielded, it could save someone’s life. If used improperly, it could run rampant and cause an incredible amount of damage.
One thing that could not be denied, however, was that Sumire was an incredibly strong asset to the party.
‘…It’s my responsibility, as the party leader, to help guide her along.’
YuSung stared intensely at the girl, shoving karaage into his mouth all the while.
Sumire eventually noticed his feverish glare.
‘Y-YuSung-ssi is looking at me so intensely…’
She twiddled her fingers, unable to even muster up the courage to ask why he was doing so.
– The oh-so-Wicked Witch screamed loudly as she fell to the strength of the hunters.
The narration returned.
At some point, the play began reaching its end. A female student from S Class played the role of Laplace.
“Even if the blizzards lift and the plagues fade, we witches will not die!” she screamed.
While very different from the composed Laplace that Sumire had met, she still seemed to enjoy watching the play.
“Laplace-ssi… is really hated.”
“No one would like someone who spreads plagues, after all.”
Sumire nodded her head at YuSung’s words. Even so, an odd feeling was left in her heart.
Laplace, the Wicked Witch… Her existence itself had spread diseases among humans.
Sumire had hurt her friends because she had lost control of her Trait.
‘Maybe our synchronization rate was so high because…’
Her expression darkened.
YuSung grabbed another piece of karaage and spoke up.
“You’re different.”
“Eh, huh?!”
Sumire was startled.
“…Sumire,” he continued calmly, “Someone like you will be able to use Laplace’s power to protect others rather than hurt them.”
YuSung’s comforting words had gotten straight to the core of Sumire’s worries. Feeling the telltale stinging of her tear glands welling up, she instead wiped the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand and smiled brightly towards the boy.
In the extravagant A class café, the luxury-brand chairs and various furniture being used at the event made it hard to believe that it was a school festival.
“I heard one of these chairs cost several million won.”
“How many times more is that compared to the amount of money we earned at the café today?”
“…Dunno. I can’t believe a student bought all of these to use as decorations.”
“Just how much money does she have?”
The students were chatting amongst themselves about the gargantuan monetary scale EunAh operated on. In exchange, much like a queen, she had not lifted a single finger in order to get ready for the event—that was up to the rest of A Class.
Not a single person complained, however.
EunAh simply drank coffee, eyes closed, as she waited for someone.
Step step.
She heard footsteps approaching. EunAh, eyes still closed, began to speak.
“So you’re here.”
“It’s almost six o’clock.”
YuSung sat on the seat across from EunAh’s. She was at the point where she could identify him from the sound of his steps.
EunAh savored the taste of the coffee in her cup, pinky finger elegantly raised. The beans used for it were the highest-grade Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans. It was also something that she had provided for A Class.
“You know where we’re going, right?” she asked, poise relaxed.
YuSung nodded his head. “I know it’s a ballroom of some sort.”
“There’s still a way to go before nighttime, though. Why don’t we chat until then?”
In fact, there was a lot that EunAh wanted to talk to YuSung about.
[I want to see that friend of yours, Shin YuSung, at least once…]
The first time she and her brother had talked about it was when JunHyuk was in the hospital.
[Why, brother?]
[Hmm, since he saved my life?]
[Well… I guess.]
[He’s your party leader as well, EunAh. Why don’t we eat dinner together sometime?]
JunHyuk’s words were convincing when she had heard them. When she was about to bring it up to YuSung, however, she felt weird about it.
‘…He might misunderstand me if I suddenly invite him to my home.’
YuSung, seeing the serious expression on EunAh’s face, decided to take the initiative and ask a question first.
“So you have something you want to talk with me about?”
EunAh gathered her thoughts, and then let out a sigh. Just as she thought, she had no talent in beating around the bush.
“…M-my brother says, ‘thank you’.”
She began drawing circles on the surface of the table with her index finger.
“I’m also grateful to you…”
EunAh tried to meet YuSung’s gaze only to quickly aim her eyes back down to her cup. She was no good at handling discussions about anything personal such as giving someone sincere thanks.
“Anyone in my position would have done the same,” he replied calmly.
At some point, YuSung had bought and started drinking a caramel macchiato. The YuSung from the past would have never even been able to imagine something like that existing. Because of what he experienced with EunAh, however, he had learned just how delicious caramel macchiatos were; he could even order them by himself at a café.
“We’re also members of the same party, you know.”
YuSung stirred his drink and laughed.
EunAh, too, smirked and laughed in place of expressing her thanks.
“…Well, I knew you’d say something like that.”
Heart settled, she finally locked eyes with him.
“Speaking of… why don’t you come to the social being held by the Shinsung group?”
“A social?”
YuSung, having lived on Martial Spirits’ Mountain, had never gone to a social in his life. The ones held by the Shinsung group were, of course, incredibly secretive—bigwigs from politics and various other areas of society gathered there.
Even so, EunAh talked about it in a flippant manner.
“…There isn’t much there, really. You eat good food, greet people, and pass some time. That’s it.”
The one with the highest status at the social was Kim SeokHan, the head of the Shinsung group. His granddaughter, EunAh, was always at the center of attention.
She wasn’t a fan of those gatherings, however. The thought of people approaching her because of her background made the hairs on her skin stand on end.
‘This guy is different, though…’
EunAh peered at YuSung’s face.
YuSung received a plate of tiramisu from a student before giving his response.
“It’ll be my first time at a place like that. Is that alright?”
“What’s there to be worried about? My grandfather’s at the very top of the ladder there. Also…”
EunAh rose from her seat and tapped her Pocket.
Woosh!
Blue pixels covered EunAh, transforming her school uniform into a dress. She held out her hand to YuSung and smiled brightly.
“I’ll teach you how to behave there, so don’t worry.”
That was something that YuSung, with his usual personality, might have never been able to experience. However, he had EunAh.
“Okay, let’s go already!”
They were going to the highlight of any such social gathering—a ball.