05. Deal with the Devil (7)

There are several reasons why I put Certatus to sleep.

First of all, the terms of the contract were too bad.

I was trying to find out how unconventional the condition was because you talked like you were patronizing it, but you said you would use my body while I was sleeping? It wasn’t much different from the first time he boasted about signing a contract. 12 Hours reduced to 6 hours? It was obvious, but it was a condition not worth considering.

Secondly, I had no intention of listening to any conditions he offered ‘today’.

I’ve been harassing myself so far and now I’m finally ready to sit down at the negotiating table. It’s just to show that I’m so easygoing. I don’t know how long this uncomfortable cohabitation will last, but I felt the need to calm down in advance from now on.

Thirdly, it is not a matter for me to decide alone anyway.

It is safest to at least discuss with Yoon Seo-hee or Baek Ji-soo in advance, and sign a contract with the two of them. No matter what the devil does, the two of them will handle the trouble when it arises. Baek Ji-soo would know better than anyone about the devil, and she wouldn’t miss the loopholes in her contract that I didn’t notice.

It was also necessary to test the performance of the magic stone ring. Thanks to that, I slept very well last night without a loud voice in my head.

Cheer. I woke up to the chirping of birds in the morning.

When I opened the window, a cool autumn breeze blew in with the refreshing morning sunlight.

It’s refreshing. I can’t feel any better than this.

‘Is it okay for up to 12 hours?’

Looking at the clock, it’s 7:00 AM. It was just past 7:00 PM that I put Kertatus to sleep yesterday, so strictly speaking, it hasn’t been 12 hours yet, but even if I close my eyes for a while and concentrate, there’s no voice in my head. It’s not that he’s not keeping his mouth shut like before, and he doesn’t feel his presence at all.

‘Sleeping well.’

I thought it was spring only after I lost it, so I am very glad to have my own time again. Of course, putting Kertatus to sleep doesn’t change what you have to do.

After washing lightly as always, I finished preparing for school.

“I’ll be back, Grandpa.”

“Come. Be careful and go. Contact me if anything happens. If something dangerous happens, never go near it.”

“Yes. Do not worry.”

My grandfather, who used to be very worried about his grandson, has recently become even more worried. He would be worried if his grandson, who was so healthy that he had never suffered from a minor illness, ended up in the hospital once a month.

Apart from being grateful and apologetic to his grandfather, it has become difficult for him to act as freely as before. Even if you suddenly have to go out like the case of the fair, if you disappear without contact, you will be very worried again. Since you’re older, I don’t want to burden you because of me….

Since I was worried about that, I arrived at the classroom in no time.

“Hmm?”

Someone was standing in front of Class 3’s classroom. Suddenly, the scene where Baek Ji-soo was waiting for me in front of the classroom overlapped.

I was about to get out of the way and enter the classroom, thinking about who was waiting, but a male student suddenly started talking to me.

“Over there. Are you a student in class 3?”

“Huh? Uh, right.”

The male student spoke to me in a friendly tone, checked my face, and suddenly her face hardened.

“You, Kim Yi-jin?”

“That’s right… Do you have something to do with me?”

My name has become strangely famous at the academy recently. Of course, that’s not a good thing. It’s not that bad either… To put it precisely, is it Yoon Seo-hee’s bonus? Since Seohee has become so famous, it seems that she often uses my name as a combination.

Perhaps the rumors have an effect as well. It’s a completely unfounded rumor that I and Yoon Seo-hee have a relationship like that.

So I looked at the male student, wondering if he was right in finding me, and he shook his head as if he didn’t.

“No. You’re not the one to see… If I had known it was you, I would not have called.”

“What?”

“No, no. I’m sorry, but if Yoon Seo-hee is in the classroom, can you call me?”

Yoon Seo-hee?

When I glanced inside the classroom, she was already at school. Yoon Seo-hee, who chats while surrounded by the class president sitting next to her and her group of other friends, is still popular in the class today.

“Why Yoon Seo-hee?”

“You know what? Just call me.”

I suddenly felt very bad.

Is it because of the boy’s way of speaking that strangely touches my nerves, or is it because of the caution in his expression that is read as an analysis, or is it because of his business that he or she has something to say to Yoon Seo-hee.

‘Should I just ignore it?’

If that’s the case, I’ll just pass on the same words to the other kid. Well, it’s not difficult to convey the words.

I approached Yoon Seo-hee, who formed a group in the center of her classroom.

“Seo-hee.”

“Huh? Oh, Lee Jin-ah!”

As soon as she saw me she greeted me and waved her hand. I also shook her hand and said hello.

Perhaps because Seohee Yoon is the center of her group, the eyes of half of her classmates move to me following Seohee’s gaze.

What is it? So many people looking at me… Come to think of it, it’s not the first time.

She did it when she threw a knife at Yoon Seo-hee during her final exam, and even more so when she cut her banshee at the fair. Even then, she was so distracted that she didn’t care.

Yoon Seo-hee stepped out of the crowd of students in her class and asked me with a worried look.

“Are you okay? That… Did nothing happen yesterday?”

I was absent yesterday because I had a cold. To the other kids, you might be asking if your cold is getting better, but in reality, you’re asking how Kertatus was.

She gave her a nod of her head and pointed out of her classroom with her chin.

“I’m fine. Anyway, someone found you.”

“Huh? Who?”

“I don’t know. You just want me to call you?”

“… So? Thanks for letting me know. Wait a minute?”

Yoon Seo-hee asked for an understanding from her friends at my words and went out into the hallway. She and she had a short conversation with a male student who was waiting for Yoon Seo-hee.

“Then I’ll wait. I will wait for you to come.”

“Huh? Yes….”

Returning to her classroom after a conversation with her male student, she had a puzzled expression on her face for some reason. One of the girls in the class opened her mouth in an excited voice.

“Isn’t he Kim Seok-hoon from class 2? What were you talking about?”

“Ah… I want to meet you at lunchtime because I have something to say?”

“Kyaaa!! Really? Really? Could that be-“

“Hey, hey.”

Her class president poked her elbow in the side of a girl in her class as if to pay attention. It was only then that the female student rolled her eyes and looked at Yoon Seo-hee with an awkward expression and then mine.

‘Why are you looking at me?’

But not one or two people looked at me. Most of the classmates were looking at me and Yoon Seo-hee in turn, making complex and subtle expressions.

I don’t know why you’re doing that. I shrugged her shoulders and said to Seohee.

“Anyway, I told you so I’ll go.”

“Lee, Lee Jin-ah… !”

I was about to return to my seat when I heard a voice calling me.

“Why?”

“… No, nothing.”

I returned to my seat, leaving behind her awkward smile.

She rested her elbow on her desk and rested her chin on it. For no reason, she looked out of her window feeling stuffy, but the sky, which had only looked clear until a moment ago, was now covered with gray clouds.

It’s going to rain.

“Why are you looking so grumpy?”

Lee Byung-jun must have been late to school, so he sat down next to him and started talking.

“No, just.”

“You said you were sick yesterday? Is it because of that?”

“It’s okay to be sick.”

It wasn’t really painful anyway.

“Just, a little….”

“Is it because of Kim Seok-hoon?”

At those words, I took my eyes off the window and looked at Lee Byung-jun.

“Who is Kim Seok-hoon?”

“Class 2 Combat Division. If Baek Ji-soo is the combat chief and Lee Hyun-woo is second, Kim Seok-hun is third. Not only are my grades good, but I also have a good personality, so I have a lot of friends, I get good reviews from teachers, and I’m popular with girls because I’m good-looking.”

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Good-looking and good-natured?

The handsome thing… What. A little taller, a little bit clear-cut, a little manly, isn’t it?

But I really don’t know if I have a good personality. You showed such a sharp attitude to me when I first met you, is that a good personality?

“And the one who has a 99% chance of confessing to Yoon Seo-hee today.”

“… Where else did you hear that?”

“It appeared on the community. It’s a hot topic right now.”

The GNOME community. Do the academy kids have nothing to do?

It’s a confession. Yes… it will be a confession The atmosphere, the nuance, and the behavior when Kim Seok-hoon called Yoon Seo-hee was exactly that of a male student right before he confessed. I don’t know that either.

But it’s none of my business. Yoon Seo-hee and I are simply friends, and it’s not like we’re dating like the rumors circulating in the academy. It’s really useless for Kim Seok-hoon to keep me in check, and even if Yoon Seo-hee is confessed to by someone, it’s not something I would deeply interfere with.

Even if Yoon Seo-hee accepts her confession….

“Does it bother you?”

“… ….”

I care.

I know it’s not like me, but I’m very concerned. But it’s more annoying because I can’t clearly express the reason for that concern.

“If you are curious, would you like to go see it?”

“Haa….”

I couldn’t refuse the offer.

–

Lee Byung-jun secretly suggested following Yoon Seo-hee or Kim Seok-hun during lunch break. But it didn’t have to be. I heard the two of them talking in the hallway. I didn’t mean to, but it came naturally to my ears.

Seokhun Kim called her to the back of her building, the main building of her academy. There are no benches to sit on, so it is a place that is shunned by students during lunch time.

But it was also a good place to have a quiet conversation, just the two of us, out of sight.

“If that’s the case, there’s a good place.”

I was guided by Lee Byung-jun and clung to the railing on the roof of the main building, looking down at the place where I was scheduled to confess. It was neither too close nor too far, so it was a perfect position to observe without being noticed.

Surprisingly, Lee Byung-jun had the key to the rooftop. It must have been a place normally forbidden to enter. I was curious about the reason, but as soon as I was about to ask, Kim Seok-hoon appeared at the meeting place first.

“Come.”

“Sure.”

After a while, Yoon Seo-hee appeared at the meeting place.

After that, the development was as expected. Kim Seok-hoon confessed to Yoon Seo-hee. Contrary to what I thought would be a little lighter than expected, he was very serious. He was desperately confessing his feelings to Yoon Seo-hee.

“… ….”

Looking at it objectively, Yoon Seo-hee is a beauty. I never cared much about her appearance, but she didn’t mind denying that she was beautiful.

Eye-catching beauty that will turn her head at least once in every passer-by. On top of that, he has the youngest S-rank title, a righteous heart that can’t tolerate injustice, and a kindness that knows how to be considerate of others.

Anyone would draw her heart to her. Me too. For the first time, she decided to make a sword for someone. It was clear that at some point I was also influenced by Yoon Seo-hee’s human charm.

And other people are drawn to her charm as well. At some point, she became the center of the children in her class and, as she is now, the object of someone’s affection. It’s just that I haven’t noticed it until now, but Yoon Seo-hee may have been like that from before. She is the central one. And it will be so in the future.

‘I….’

What am I to Yoon Seo-hee?

Her What kind of person am I to her?

A friend? Colleague? Or is she just a craftsman who makes swords?

Kim Seok-hoon’s confession is over. Now it’s the turn of Yoon Seo-hee’s answer. I’m not sure if it’s Kim Seok-hoon or me waiting for her answer now.

She laughed.

“Sorry.”

Kim Seok-hoon’s expression was distorted.

I don’t know what kind of expression I’m making.

“There is someone I like.”

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Golden eyes bathed in the brilliant sunlight were looking up at me.