No Dark Secrets In This Book

Episode 119

I politely declined the “juice” offered by the drunk Hae Yuna.

Why did I, an expert in deviations, choose to refuse?

‘For me, the ultimate deviation is sticking with Ryuseong anyway.’

Just looking at the shoddy preservation magic placed there, I could estimate it.

‘They’ll get caught by the professors within today.’

It’s like reserving an interesting spectacle. Thinking about giggling while watching the cadets being scolded by the teachers made me feel a thousand times better than drinking,

So I don’t need Hae Yuna’s special secret “juice”!

Anyway, the conclusion was that there is no Buddha with unholy things or a Buddha who glares at the living beings. I shook my head in dismay and pulled Ryuseong by the hand out of Seokguram Grotto.

Should I be relieved that the Buddha statue is fine, or should I laugh at myself for almost being fooled by this?

While taking a cozy walk alone with Ryuseong with a somewhat unsettling feeling,

‘…… If the Buddha statue is not the problem, then what the hell is this feeling?’

I keep thinking about it.

Ryuseong mentioned feeling uneasy before, and now it seems like I’m feeling the same way.

‘No? Was this originally part of my daily life?’

Actually, it might have been like that before the possession.

This is a mixed feeling of ominous premonition, intuition, and displeasure, and if I had to say, it feels like a “gaze” that encompasses all of these.

So this feeling arises because “someone” is watching me.

‘Come to think of it, I think I always felt like this at Areah too.’

Yeah. When I attended the academy, I always felt this. The academy was an environment where everyone was watching me, and Cassice Demillang was someone who stood out to everyone’s eyes.

For me, who was a third-generation chaebol in my pre-possession life, the gloomy emotions underlying the admiration directed at me were natural. So I didn’t even realize it was strange. The moment I realized that gloomy gazes are unpleasant was, of all things, during a field trip that I decided on impulsively.

‘Dungeon.’

Do you remember when I went to a dungeon under the pretext of a field trip to build my reputation? At that time, the only member from the academy who came with me was Ryuseong. None of the professors or cadets from Areah Academy came along. So I got used to the state of not having “this feeling”.

‘I was so intense there that a kind of initialization occurred.’

Then when I came back to the academy, I felt it anew.

The “malice” towards Cassice Demillang.

Is that why? Ryuseong has been acting strange lately?

‘Being strangely affectionate and acting inscrutable may be……’

If he felt this kind of gaze towards me, it would be enough to make his head complicated.

‘Okay. Let’s say the inscrutable Ryuseong is solved now.’

But the gaze is still not resolved.

To explain the sensation this gaze gives me, it’s a tingling, creepy feeling like insects crawling up my body, a gaze felt on the back of my head, the texture of greed wrapping around me, the feeling of becoming a piece on a chessboard. I tried all sorts of metaphors, but it was hard to explain properly.

Come to think of it, I was always followed by this damn unpleasant gaze before? No wonder the nasty personality act came out so easily at school. I thought I was really that nasty to the point of sticking. Hmmph. I’m kind after all……

‘Is there someone pulling shit at school?’

Well, it would be strange if there wasn’t. But there’s no way some insignificant minnow with no influence could evoke this sensation in “Cassice Demillang”. And considering that I hardly even noticed it until now, it might be someone more secretive or powerful than I thought.

“What are you thinking about?”

Then Ryuseong gently asked, swinging my hand. I tried to hold back the smile that was about to come out.

‘Why are you asking so carefully?’

Now that my crush has become severe, every little thing seemed lovely.

‘Yes, you should be lovely like this. If you’re someone I love enough to willingly give my life for, you should be this lovingly tender to me.’

Sometimes I wished time would stop in these trivial moments. Too much happiness is scary, and a little happiness like this seemed just right for me.

But time flows, doesn’t stop, and doesn’t wait for insignificant creatures.

If the world were to stop for one person, wouldn’t it be for Ryuseong?

‘Because you’re not some insignificant creature.’

I suddenly wondered. Would Ryuseong also want time to stop? Would he want a moment to last forever as much as I’m happy now?

The answer came right away.

‘No.’

Ryuseong wouldn’t do that.

He’s someone who keeps moving forward. He’s a hero. He can be the protagonist because he doesn’t stop even when he’s in tatters.

Amazing, cool,

‘I’m envious……’

Wishing for a moment to last forever means that there is an underlying fear. Knowing that this happiness will never come again, the wish of “I want to stop time” is a struggle.

I know. I’m weak. So if I’m bound to crumble at some point, I’m praying to be dignified in front of it.

But I don’t think I can be dignified in front of judgment. Ryuseong ruined me like that. And after that, Ryuseong will succeed alone.

That’s why I loved him even when he was just a character made up of letters.

Then Ryuseong said,

“Look here.”

I looked in the direction he pointed with his fingertips. The wind blew. Soon, something white fluttered in my sight and snowflakes scattered. No, was it a mistake? This wasn’t the cold winter snow like frost, but the warm petals gifted by the spring cherry tree.

Ryuseong wanted to show me this scenery.

Why didn’t I know until now even though we were walking the same path?

It’s a really nice day to think about you.

‘Is it spring indeed. The magic that enchants people……’

Seeing his ascetic face with no lewd thoughts while only I have all sorts of thoughts, it must be spring after all.

Something sprouts, life grows, and shakes people’s hearts……

Nothing could shake me before, but now trivial things like seasons shake me.

―Probably, because of Ryuseong looking at me without an answer for a long time.

I suddenly felt mischievous.

‘I wish you were shaken too……’

If there’s no answer for this long, the other person would normally feel anxious or absurd, but those eyes looking only at me with upright pupils without a single shake.

Those blue eyes…… drove me crazy, so I deliberately whispered in telepathy.

[To you, XXX XX XXXXX.]

Of course, it was a lewd and promiscuous thing that Ryuseong would be disgusted by.

“Are you crazy?”

Ryuseong immediately glared at me and I felt good. Looking into the deep blue eyes that love me gives me a painful first love, so I rather preferred him glaring at me. I laughed and looked at Ryuseong. Should I tease him a bit more?

“Are you surprised? That’s why I did it in telepathy, not saying it or whispering…… Do you prefer everyone knowing about our private matters after all?”

I deliberately brought my ear close to his and whispered softly. Because I know what effect my ticklish breath will have on him. Ryuseong, who moved slightly away from me, had an absurd expression.

“No, you…… Forget it. What more would I say.”

Tsk. It would have been nice if he kept being flustered or arguing loudly, but now Ryuseong seems to have developed some immunity to me and quickly regained his composure. How boring. If it weren’t for his face, I could have definitely scolded him.

Still, we walked side by side without letting go of each other’s hands.

The cherry blossoms fluttered pleasantly, and it felt like we were on a date with just the two of us. The fact that mere seasons shook me wasn’t pleasant, but this trivial moment was quite pretty. As we kept walking like that, Ryuseong suddenly let go of my hand, moved away a bit, and looked around. He seemed to be checking if there were people around. After scanning the surroundings with his expanded senses and confirming there was no one, he came in front of me and stood facing me again.

‘What? Is he going to talk about something serious?’

Of course, Ryuseong was always serious and on the serious side. But seeing him being so cautious after coming out of the dungeon, it seemed like he might want to talk about that “uneasiness” together……

Then, smooch.

Ryuseong bent down, gently held my chin with one hand, and softly kissed my lips. His slightly rough but soft lips pressed on my lips for a moment and then parted.

I froze like that. But Ryuseong straightened up as if nothing happened and started walking again.

As I stood still for a moment, Ryuseong, who was walking towards the gathering place after free time, glanced back and said,

“Aren’t you coming?”

Why is he like this? Why is he like this these days? Not a French kiss or a real kiss, but just a peck? Doing such a ticklish thing?

‘Is he crazy……?’

It’s so infuriating.

Feeling like I lost to both the seasons and Ryuseong.

‘Damn it, you bad guy……!’

I caught up to him in one step and Ryuseong held my hand and smiled.

It was a white day with cherry blossoms fluttering.

***

Wait a minute, Georges Bongtang is still attending Areah Academy.

…… Maybe that’s the problem.

Georges Bongtang definitely holds a grudge against Soga!