Chapter 35
After class ended, I got up from my seat.
Though I hadn’t slept well last night due to my tangled thoughts, I’d mostly finished organizing my mind now.
Even if I’d learned that she liked me, it didn’t change what I had to do.
I packed my bag, preparing to head to the Student Council room.
Park Siwoo still seemed unable to get a grip on himself—he sat blankly at his desk, not even realizing class was over.
He’d been like that all day, acting as though half his soul had left his body. Even Helena, who usually didn’t care much about him, had asked about his condition because of it.
That’s how soft-hearted he was.
Though… perhaps even that was part of Park Siwoo’s charm.
I walked up to him and gave his shoulder a light tap. He turned his head toward me.
His face looked haggard—clearly, he hadn’t slept much either.
Of course, that didn’t make the words that came out of my mouth any gentler.
Seeing him lose his mind over something like this only made irritation rise in me for no reason.
“Stop moping around and pull yourself together. Acting like that for too long just becomes a nuisance.”
At that, Park Siwoo bristled as if about to argue back, but I didn’t bother listening and walked out of the classroom.
Honestly, I already knew.
That this behavior of mine was just a way of venting frustration.
When I arrived at the Student Council room, Seo Da-hee, who had come earlier, greeted me.
I glanced around—only she and I were there.
“You’re here? Did you sleep well?”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep properly until the mission’s over.”
“Hehe, even when you know you should rest, sleep just doesn’t come, huh? Don’t worry, it’s only hard the first time. You’ll get used to it.”
For some reason, her words sounded different from what she meant—
as if she was implying things like this would keep happening to me.
I shook off the thought, set my bag down on a chair, and sat at the conference table.
“It’s just the two of us today.”
“Yoo Iseo and Ha Yoon had some business at the Association today. Speaking of which, Siwoo’s not here either.”
“He still seems to be having a hard time.”
“Well, he’s such a kind-hearted kid. Not that I’m saying you’re not, Seongwoo!”
She hurriedly waved her hands, flustered.
“It’s fine. I am a bad kid, after all.”
“Eh? No way, Seongwoo—you’re really nice! You always do what’s asked without complaint, you never grumble, and, and…”
She kept repeating “and” as if she couldn’t think of anything else to add.
“I was kidding. You don’t have to try so hard to list things.”
“It’s just that… you didn’t look in a good mood when you came in today. You seemed a bit sad.”
“……”
It felt like she’d hit the mark.
I thought I’d hidden my emotions and acted as usual—so how did she notice?
A short silence lingered between us.
Unable to stand the awkwardness, Seo Da-hee soon brought her tablet and sat across from me.
“S-so, shall we go over the operation we talked about yesterday? You still remember it, right?”
“Of course.”
As she operated the tablet, the same hologram from yesterday appeared.
Our preparations were thorough, and with Seo Da-hee—who’d already exterminated several Demons before—there was little chance of any flaws in the plan.
Time passed, and night fell.
Seo Da-hee looked at her junior, whose face was stiff with tension.
He was clearly trying not to show it, but she could see the weight of his first mission pressing heavily on him.
Still, she decided not to say anything more—any extra encouragement would only add pressure.
He’d only be able to shake it off once he experienced it for himself.
She knew that—because she’d been the same.
When she checked the time, it was already 8:30.
It was time to begin the mission.
Seo Da-hee called her junior over and had him gather the equipment.
A barrier generator to block the Demon’s escape, and a signal device to request backup in case of danger.
Essential tools for a Demon extermination that had to be carried out in secret.
Despite his tension, Yoo Seong-woo handled the equipment with ease—
his movements were as smooth as if he’d been using such tools for years.
Seo Da-hee smiled, pleased.
If Ha Yoon or Yoo Iseo had seen her now, they probably would’ve teased her for looking so fond but they were currently away on Association business.
No one was around to comment.
Without any eyes on her, Seo Da-hee quietly admired her junior.
Golden eyes… even his serious expression was beautiful.
While she was lost in such idle thoughts, Seongwoo finished preparing.
“Let’s go.”
They headed toward the point where their target was expected to appear, according to the plan.
The Demon worked as a security guard at the Academy and would change shifts with a colleague at exactly nine, then head toward the staff dormitory.
Their target location was the quiet walkway on the way to the dormitory a place with few people, easy to secure escape routes, and ideal for keeping the Demon’s extermination hidden from the students.
They arrived at the spot they had chosen.
Moonlight filtered through the trees lining the path, making it glow faintly silver.
The sight was almost otherworldly, as if they had stepped into another realm.
As Seo Da-hee was momentarily lost in the scenery, Seongwoo called out to her.
“Senior, the target will arrive soon. Let’s hide.”
She nodded, then climbed up one of the many trees along the path to conceal herself.
Seongwoo hid not far from her.
They waited for about fifteen minutes.
Then, from a distance, came the sound of footsteps—and an old tune being hummed.
A man in his sixties was walking cheerfully, playing a song from his phone.
Seo Da-hee tilted her head slightly toward Seongwoo, signaling him.
Catching the signal, Seongwoo threw a palm-sized barrier generator at the target.
The device flashed and emitted magical energy.
The power flared into a magic circle, and in an instant, a dome-shaped barrier about ten meters wide formed around the generator.
Startled, the target fell to the ground.
“Egad! What in the world…?”
He looked around frantically, truly bewildered.
Seo Da-hee slowly revealed herself before him.
“H-hey, miss, I don’t know what’s going on, but could you help me up? I think I hurt my back from the shock.”
He reached out a hand, as if asking to be pulled up.
“Would you help an old man get back on his feet?”
Seo Da-hee didn’t answer—instead, she raised her hand toward the air.
Light burst from the void, and her weapons appeared.
A massive lance and a shield engraved with the face of a lion.
Fear flickered across the old man’s face when he saw it.
But there was no hesitation in her movements.
In an instant, she gripped her weapons and thrust her lance toward the old man before her.
Her massive lance fell upon the target.
A point-blank strike launched from zero distance.
Boom! The sound rang out as her lance drove into the ground.
It was a powerful blow—yet Seo Da-hee’s expression stiffened.
‘He dodged that?’
Even if he was a low-ranked Demon, she hadn’t been careless.
She’d gone all in, aiming to finish him in a single strike.
But the old man’s body twisted fluidly, like liquid, unnaturally bending as he deflected her attack.
At that sight, Seo Da-hee instinctively realized it.
Vice President Ha Yoon’s information had been completely wrong.
The Demon before her wasn’t some low-ranked one—it was a genuine powerhouse, not someone she and Yoo Seong-woo could handle alone.
The Demon, now having created some distance, smirked darkly.
“Just as I heard—feisty little thing. You’ll be fun to play with.”
‘Just as he heard?’
Seo Da-hee narrowed her eyes.
The way he spoke, as if he’d heard about her from someone—his confidence and skill—it all pointed to something else.
‘Don’t tell me… this was a trap set for the Student Council?’
Dozens of possibilities stormed through her mind.
But she couldn’t afford to lose focus with an enemy before her.
Never taking her eyes off him, Seo Da-hee shifted into a battle stance.
Charging.
Massive magical power began to gather around her.
Seeing this, the Demon didn’t back down—he too drew forth his power, his eyes glowing crimson as a chilling aura spread around him.
Crack, crack.
His body began to transform grotesquely.
Scales sprouted from his skin, his snout elongated—his form becoming that of a beast.
“Grrraah!”
The Demon roared, and without either side giving a signal, the battle erupted.
The two vanished from sight, colliding again and again in a flurry of blows.
The Demon’s claws struck her shield; Seo Da-hee deflected it and drove her lance toward his abdomen.
It was a fierce exchange—neither yielding an inch.
Cold sweat trickled down Seo Da-hee’s face.
At first glance, it seemed even—but the longer it dragged on, the worse it became for her.
The Demon’s hide was both too tough and too smooth; her lance couldn’t pierce it properly.
Their compatibility was terrible.
‘If only Ha Yoon or Iseo were here… they could have taken him down easily.’
For someone like Seo Da-hee, who preferred straightforward fights, this Demon was her natural counter.
Wounds multiplied across her body, her stamina waned, and the blood she lost grew in volume.
At this rate, she wouldn’t last much longer.
‘I have to endure.’
Forcing strength into her trembling legs, she blocked another blow.
If she fell here, her defenseless junior would become the Demon’s next target.
No matter how talented he was, fighting a Demon alone was impossible.
Just then, beneath the pale moonlight, a wave of scorching flames flared up.
Yoo Seong-woo, who had been hidden until now, stepped forward.
Seo Da-hee’s face darkened at the sight.
“Why did you reveal yourself?!”
“……”
“You should have escaped and called for backup!”
“So you finally showed yourself. I was wondering how long you’d keep hiding like a little rat.”
Panic flashed across Seo Da-hee’s face.
If the Demon suddenly attacked Seong-woo, she’d have to split her attention between them.
She moved to shield Seong-woo, standing between him and the Demon.
“I’ll hold him off. You get out of here, now.”
As she spoke, she gathered every last bit of her magic power.
It wasn’t an attack meant to win—
it was a distraction, meant to draw the enemy’s attention and give her junior time to escape.
Her junior had fallen into a trap aimed at her—the Student Council’s trap.
As his senior, she had to take responsibility.
Inside, she felt a small relief that she hadn’t confessed her feelings to him.
She’d almost burdened him with unnecessary emotions.
With that thought, she prepared to strike—
Thud.
A sickening, wet sound echoed, and blood surged up from her mouth.
When she looked down, she saw a gauntlet wreathed in black demonic energy piercing through her hand.
“Ah.”
Slowly, she turned her head.
Her junior’s cold, expressionless eyes were looking straight at her.
His golden eyes burned fiercely.
Clutching at her fading consciousness, she reached out to grab his hand.
“Why… are you…”
“I told you, didn’t I? I’m a bad person.”
With a crackling sound, his hand withdrew from Seo Da-hee’s chest.
Her body lost strength and collapsed to the ground.
The blood flowing from her painted the moonlit path red.