Ding!
“Next, number 4!”
Ding!
“Next, number 9!”
“I’m going, see you later.”
“I’m going too.”
With each ring of the bell, a male student disappears. Choi Woojin and Seunghun from the earlier numbers had already left the waiting room.
Before long, only Mu-young and I remained in the once-bustling waiting room.
“Hii, hiik… Chairperson… what do I do…”
Mu-young looked as pale as a ghost, drained of all color.
“…You have to accept it.”
Ding!
“Ugh…”
Mu-young shuffled out of the waiting room like a dog dragged to the slaughter. And then he… unexpectedly met someone at a rather high price.
“Oh, up close, you’re even more interesting. Come here. I’ll give you a ‘correction’ today.”
“Hiii, Chairperson! Where are you! Save me…!”
“Puhut. Acting cute and throwing a tantrum…”
A female student with a muscular build and short hair practically carried Mu-young off the stage. From the way she talked, she seemed to be an upperclassman, likely intrigued by the rumors about Mu-young.
Honestly, she didn’t look wild or frivolous. There was even a hint of kindness in the voice coming from behind a lion mask.
Maybe she’d treat Mu-young better than expected…
Ding!
Soon, the bell announcing the last auction of the day echoed through the waiting room. The subject of the auction was none other than me.
“…Huff.”
I exhaled deeply, steeling myself before standing up. If Mu-young had to endure this, there was no way I could escape.
Still, I hoped to meet someone with a good personality. If I encountered a senior with all sorts of strange requests, it would surely be exhausting.
Just then, I opened the door leading to the stage.
“Hurry up and get out! Can’t you see the guests are waiting?”
“…?”
What I saw in front of me was a female student in a silk hat and rabbit mask, wearing a velvet cloak, who was sporting an odd smile.
“Muhihi.”
*
“What are you doing here?”
“What do you mean? I came to personally escort you. Come on.”
Kwon Yuri stretched out her arm, naturally requesting an escort, but I instinctively took a step back. She pouted her lips as if disappointed and grumbled.
“I can at least give you an escort, right?”
“You didn’t do this for the others.”
“You’re the highlight of today, after all. Naturally, I should put in this level of effort. And…”
Kwon Yuri paused for a moment before opening her mouth again.
“I figured this might motivate you more.”
“Who said that? The auction participants?”
“…Well, that’s not wrong, is it? Hehe.”
With a sly grin, Kwon Yuri resumed her insistence.
“So come on, hold me. Hold meee!”
“…”
“It’s just for a moment. Can’t you do this for me? I’m so disappointed. Do you know how hard I worked to keep my promise? I even had to drag all those who said they wouldn’t go to Minha’s salon… Just thinking about it makes me want to cry…”
“Hah…”
Right. I wasn’t going to waste time over something so trivial now. What was the big deal about linking arms?
In the end, I sighed heavily and offered my arm. Immediately, Kwon Yuri beamed and clung tightly to me. Zing, zzzz. An unpleasant sensation circulated through my body.
“Chick, what’s up? Are you nervous or something?”
Kwon Yuri, walking beside me, observed my face.
“Or is it because of your friend? You don’t need to worry about that guy, Mu-young. Yu-eun might look tough, but she’s really nice and has a broad network. If she helps your friend, she won’t harm anyone.”
I had been worried about Mu-young too. Hearing that eased my mind a bit.
“Senior.”
“Yeah?”
“You deceived me.”
“Me? When?”
I spoke as we walked down the dark hallway leading to the stage.
“You never said I was going to be the auction item.”
“Muhihi, I must have forgotten since I was so busy.”
Kwon Yuri shook her head innocently.
“I didn’t lie, though. It’ll really be fun! The friends who left earlier must be flabbergasted by now.”
“Flabbergasted…”
“Oh come on! If you knew beforehand, it wouldn’t be fun, right? Aren’t you excited about how much you’ll be sold for?”
“I have no expectations. And I don’t think I’m that popular of an item, considering my reputation. You know that well.”
“Tsk, tsk. Our little chick doesn’t understand a woman’s heart, does she?”
“A woman’s… heart?”
“Sour grapes, you know? People tend to criticize what they can’t have. That way, they can move on.”
With a mysterious smile, Kwon Yuri raised a finger.
“But what if you realize it’s not something unattainable? A chance is right there within reach. Would you just sit around and sulk? Probably not, right?”
“…I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“Oh come on! There’s always something! Just trust me and follow along, okay?”
Kwon Yuri patted her chest and led me into a corner.
I could feel the stage lights and the warm heat of the banquet hall getting closer.
“Thank you for that earlier…”
“Huh? For what?”
“For taking care of Minha.”
“What, that? It was a promise. Naturally, I should keep it.”
Kwon Yuri waved her hand dismissively, as if it were nothing.
“People were packed into the salon for two whole days. Was that all your connections?”
“Hmm, probably not. I don’t have that many friends, even with my status.”
Kwon Yuri pretended to contemplate, placing a hand on her chin.
“Yet it probably helped. When I launched it, it was just me and my friends. People tend to gather where there are people, right? They kept flocking in, and soon enough, those from high-ranking families and respectable corporate connections showed up.”
“…Was that okay with you? With Minha?”
“No, she kept giving me daggers with her gaze.”
“…”
“Why was she questioning my motives for helping? So rude! Even when I greet her, she barely responds… Hiiing…”
Kwon Yuri puffed up her cheeks, expressing her disappointment.
As I watched her, I couldn’t help but voice a question that had been on my mind.
“But… is that allowed?”
“What do you mean?”
“I thought you were aligned with Yeon, the Baek Seoyeon faction. But attending Minha’s salon like that…”
“Faction? Yuri’s head is like a flower garden; I know nothing, humph!”
The way she referred to herself in the third person was infuriating. What’s worse, I momentarily felt that it somehow suited her.
But a flower garden, huh? I think I might’ve heard that joke thrown around a lot.
Though now, it didn’t seem to fit quite as much.
“…Just a joke. I think we should all get along. After all, we’re the same students and the same wizards… I just don’t understand why we must hate each other… I’m trying to make an effort…”
Kwon Yuri suddenly turned her head toward me, her expression serious.
“What do you think, Chick?”
“Huh?”
“Isn’t it too tiresome to be fighting? Honestly, I’ve been feeling worn out by myself… So, what do you say? Will you help me a bit…?”
With her arms crossed, Kwon Yuri looked up at me with moist eyes.
“…Senior.”
Lost in my thoughts, I finally spoke.
“I can tell you’re trying to act all sentimental.”
“Huh?”
Kwon Yuri stopped in her tracks, clearly caught off guard. Then she quickly transformed her expression into that familiar teasing smile.
“Oh my, how did you know?”
“How could I not? Your lips are trembling.”
“Muhihi, our little chick is sharper than I expected.”
It was impossible to read her.
Still, it didn’t seem like all of it was a lie.
Before long, we had reached the rear side of the stage.
Kwon Yuri let out a deep sigh filled with regret.
“I was enjoying the date-like feeling… I wonder, should I just run away with you?”
“…”
“You don’t have to look at me like that…”
Rummaging through her belongings, Kwon Yuri pulled out a long blindfold—the same one that had been used by other male students earlier. She turned her back to me and began to tie it up.
“I’ll do it.”
“Oh, don’t! I can do it faster!”
The already dim view turned pitch-black. Kwon Yuri reconnected with me, tightly wrapping her arms around me, and forcefully pulled back the curtain. Then we were back on stage.
“Thank you for waiting! Today’s final item… has arrived!!”
“Hey, look at that!”
“Oh my, that mask…!”
“That’s it, right? The Heukryeon…!”
The announcements echoed through the amplification system, resonating with the bustling energy of the banquet hall.
I felt for the chair positioned in the center of the stage and sat down. Soon after, ropes tightly bound my limbs.
Such flimsy bindings should be easy to break, but… that wasn’t part of our agreement.
‘Do you remember? Our promise.’
Kwon Yuri whispered as she tied my limbs.
‘You must sincerely follow the rules of this place until the Shadow Banquet is over. And if you get upset with your opponent and suddenly hit them, that won’t do, okay?’
“…”
Kwon Yuri left without waiting for my response. I had no intention of breaking our agreement anyway, as I had already received my due.
“Then, let’s get started! Please write down your bid amounts and raise your signs! Ah, Fifty credits! One hundred credits! A thousand credits…!!”
I couldn’t help but imagine the scene of enthusiastic ladies raising their signs with amounts written on them. I certainly wasn’t in a position to pity Mu-young now.
“Two thousand credits! Two thousand five hundred credits! Oh, what’s happening here? Breaking the record for the highest bid…!”
Well, this was just a brief two hours of hardship. It felt foolish to throw away valuable credits on mere entertainment.
“Three, three thousand credits…! I think we should check account details first? Ah, just as I speak, four thousand credits… five thousand??”
I could easily endure any sensation of discomfort as long as I wore the mask. As long as they didn’t demand to see my face, some degree of physical touch was just harmless student-level horseplay, no matter who it was.
“Five thousand one hundred, five, five thousand five hundred! Six thousand!! Ten thousand, fifteen thousand credits! Anyone else…! I’ll start counting…!”
Oh, by the way, I realized I hadn’t put my pre-learned beauty tips from the dress-up sessions with the older sisters to use, as I had completely avoided it until now. But now that I was thrown into this, it might not be such a bad idea to gain some real experience…
“Five, four, three… two… one… sold! Sold…! Whoa… what is this…!”
As I tried to make sense of it all, Kwon Yuri’s breathless voice snapped me back to reality.
But fifteen thousand credits, huh? No matter how many heirs of prominent families there were, that was an astounding amount beyond student level.
To spend such a large sum on just two hours of amusement—what a foolish thing to do.
Even if it was impulsive, it wouldn’t be possible to withdraw now that it was sold. Whoever the buyer was, they must indeed be a real fool.
-Clack, clack…
I couldn’t see anything. The air thick with smoke, alcohol, and perfume left my sense of smell entirely diminished.
The only sense still functioning was my hearing. I could hear the sound of heels approaching the stage, graceful and refined—definitely not the sound of a freshman.
Could it be a second-year student? No, perhaps it’s someone from the now-returning third-year?
-Clunk.
Finally, the presence stopped right in front of me.
“Huff…”
What I heard was a deep sigh, as if someone was releasing the tension from their body.
Alongside that, piercing through my dulled sense of smell, was the nostalgic fragrance of forget-me-nots.
‘What…?’
The instant I recognized them, I froze, my heart racing violently as if it were trying to warn me. The fabric of the blindfold gently pulled away, breaking my frozen state.
I couldn’t stop it; my mind was a blank slate, devoid of thoughts.
Instinctively, I prayed. It couldn’t be, could it? I must’ve misunderstood. I couldn’t possibly have felt wrong.
As the bright light flooded my vision, I saw a figure standing before me.
In that moment, my desperate prayer proved futile; I couldn’t help but feel a crushing pain in my chest.
Dark hair like the night sky. Eyes that shone brighter than all the gold in the world.
A mere butterfly mask was far too insufficient to conceal her beauty.
“Ah, hello…”
A female student, cheeks flushed, greeted me shyly, clearly at a loss for words.
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