So that's it.
She's the type who's attracted to those who take the initiative.
If that's the case... then it really is a surprise.
After all, in the original story, Yoo Yeonha became interested in Shin Jonghak precisely because of the image he carried, that always confident face, the pride that bordered on arrogance, the extreme narcissism.
He was the unattainable prince on the golden pedestal.
Someone so full of himself that he seemed immune to the world around him.
And she somehow fell in love with this guy.
'Uhm! Of all the girls I'm interested in, I thought Yoonha would be the hardest to deal with. But I see I was thinking too much.'
Maybe I was doubting my own charm too much.
Or my looks.
Which seemed to make all the difference.
Of course, her reactions weren't just about my perfect looks.
It was also about the way I treated her.
"Hey, Yoo, over here!"
I called out, with a slight smile.
Without waiting for an answer, I reached into my magic stash, a gesture that had already become natural, and pulled out two orange candies, wrapped in colored paper.
Her eyes followed the movement, curious.
"Reward for making the effort to walk to class with me."
I said, throwing one of the candies in her direction.
Yoo Yeonha, with quick reflexes, after all, she was still an elite cadet, caught the candy in mid-air. She looked at me with an expression of confusion and amusement.
"...Are you giving candy to everyone now?"
She asked, arching an eyebrow, but her hand was already starting to unroll the paper.
"Of course not. You're a special case."
She blushed slightly again, as expected, but then mumbled something unintelligible, putting the candy in her mouth to disguise it.
As she sucked the bullet with a slight pop, her eyes, which until then had been relaxed, fell on a group of girls up ahead.
They stared at us with half-curious, half-envious expressions, whispering among themselves.
Yoo Yeonha's gaze instantly went cold.
It was as if an icy aura had descended on the corridor.
The girls, realizing they had been caught, looked away hastily, tripping over their own steps to appear busy with something else.
"..."
Yeonha let out a little sigh through her nose, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear as if nothing had happened.
I, who had been watching everything out of the corner of my eye, let out a low chuckle.
"You really have a talent for intimidation, Yoo."
She stopped, looked at me with those steady eyes, and after a little sigh, said helplessly.
"Too bad it doesn't seem to work on you."
Her tone carried a mixture of resignation and a hint of... teasing?
I shrugged as I replied.
"I like danger, especially when there's a beautiful girl involved."
"Cof! Cof!"
She started coughing, after almost choking on the bullet.
"You... If Nayun hears you saying things like that to other girls..."
She looked away, unable to look me in the eye.
Her shame was too great for her to keep it together.
Almost choking when someone else was nearby seemed to have embarrassed her more than she looked.
"Relax, Nayun knows that my heart is big enough for everyone."
I said in a half-joking tone, patting her on the back twice.
Yeonha clenched the bullet between her teeth, probably trying to disguise her desire to hit me right then and there.
"You... you're incorrigible."
She grumbled, crossing her arms, trying to regain her cool princess composure.
But it was no use, the slight tremor in her lips and the embarrassed glint in her eyes gave away the real Yoo Yeonha, quite different from the perfect image she always cultivated.
I moved a little closer, purposely reducing the distance between us, and whispered, just for her to hear.
"Don't you want to try and correct me?"
"T-theo... You..."
Yoo Yeonha stammered, clearly taken aback by the sudden boldness.
Her eyes, normally so cold, were now trembling, not knowing whether to glare at me or run away as fast as possible.
The orange bullet almost slipped out of her mouth as she tried to formulate a coherent response.
I brought my face even closer to hers and, with one movement, pinned her to the wall with one arm at her side.
"There's no need to be afraid."
I whispered in her ear.
"I promise to be an obedient student... depending on the teacher."
Yeonha, who was already on the verge of exploding, quickly bent down and crawled under my crib.
Her cheeks were so red that she seemed about to evaporate.
"I... I have to go!"
And before I could say anything else, she turned on her heels and practically ran down the corridor, her footsteps echoing hurriedly as she disappeared around the next bend.
I stood there for a moment, watching her disappear.
I let out a light laugh.
'Definitely... Being more active towards her is the right thing to do. I wonder if it has something to do with your "M" side.'
It was funny to think that the proud and cold-hearted Yoo Yeonha could enjoy this kind of dynamic, being provoked until she lost control, being cornered until she no longer knew how to react.
'But then again... In the original story, she was secretly a masochist, right?'
Masochist or not, now I have a path to follow.
...
Veritas Class
Inside Veritas Class, Nayun was sitting calmly in her usual place, her eyes fixed on nothing as she waited for classes to begin. She held her wrist, where the smartwatch vibrated gently. With one movement, she slid her fingers across the device and read Theo's message.
'Humn! Looks like he's finished.'
She knew that Theo had left early to help Kim Hajin at the Hunting Ground, something he had told her last night.
As Nayun was about to answer Theo, a shadow approached and stood in front of her.
Nayun looked up, interrupting her typing of Theo's reply, and found a familiar figure in front of her.
It wasn't Theo her boyfriend, or much less Yoo Yeonha her friend, but someone she clearly didn't feel like interacting with.
That person was Shin Jonghak.
"Nayun, can I talk to you for a second?"
Nayun stared at him, not showing any discomfort, after all, this person was a "friend", someone she had known since she was a child, even if her relationship with him may have drifted apart after she discovered that he seemed to have some feelings towards her.
"I'm all ears."
She already had an idea of what he wanted to say.
Jonghak took a deep breath, as if preparing to jump off a cliff.
"Nayun... I wanted to ask you about you and Theo."
Nayun arched an eyebrow, as if he had asked something trivial, but his heart gave an extra beat, not from nervousness, but from irritation.
What does he have to do with your relationship with Theo?
Jonghak clenched his fists discreetly at his sides.
"You... you're together?"
Looking at his almost flawed words, Nayun finally understood.
He must have realized that Nayun and Theo were closer than before, if before they had only talked and interacted as friends, they were now so close that anyone would see that they were into something deeper.
After considering how to respond, Nayun decided to speak the truth. Since she planned to expose her relationship with Theo anyway.
"Yes, Theo and I are together."
Jonghak froze.
"...Since when?"
Jonghak's voice came out bitter, laden with something ugly, something he could no longer hide, his voice full of resentment and disbelief.
Nayun crossed his arms and spoke.
"Does it matter?"
His voice was cold.
Nayun hoped that Jonhak would stop having any thoughts or expectations of her.
For a moment, he just stared at her, his eyes trembling in silence. It was as if he was fighting something inside him, perhaps the urge to scream, or the desperate need to deny what he was hearing.
...