“I’m Yeon-ha-neul. Thanks for going along with what I said earlier.”
“I’m Cha Eun-sol. I was also looking for someone to pair up with.”
The girl who introduced herself as Cha Eun-sol had an air of mystery about her.
Looking into her green eyes was like standing in the heart of a dense forest, surrounded by the hush of untouched nature. It felt as though he was facing something vast, something primordial.
…My heart feels calmer.
Around her, the world seemed disconnected—serene and hushed. Yeon-ha-neul found herself deeply drawn to that atmosphere.
I never knew silence could feel this comforting.
Though she normally found it hard to open up to strangers, something about Cha Eun-sol was different. She didn’t feel the usual hesitation. Even when Eun-sol said nothing, there was no discomfort. Strangely, Ha-neul could almost understand what the girl was thinking.
The feeling was mutual.
“Now it’s your turn, Eun-sol.”
“Mm.”
“What did you get?”
Though she didn’t show it, Cha Eun-sol was starting to feel a quiet sense of familiarity with Yeon-ha-neul. They both seemed to find peace in silence, and their conversation flowed softly, naturally.
“If tomorrow were a holiday, what would you like to do?”
“What about you?”
“…I’d probably sleep in.”
“Me too. And then?”
“I’d go out to see some nature…”
“Mm.”
“And eat something delicious. Yum.”
“You’re a foodie, huh?”
“Yeah. Honestly, that’s kind of the reason I came to the Academy City.”
“To check out all the famous restaurants?”
“Yam-yam.”
“I know a few great places. Want me to tell you?”
“Really?”
“My friend’s into gourmet tours, so I often tag along.”
“Tell me, I’ll make a note of it.”
“Alright, I’ll give you my number here. Contact me after we leave the Gate.”
“Okay. Here’s mine.”
“Hey, um…”
“Yam?”
“Want to get something to eat together next time?”
Yeon-ha-neul asked shyly.
To her, it had taken no small amount of courage.
Cha Eun-sol, who’d been chewing quietly, looked over and gave a small nod.
“Yeah. Sure.”
She swallowed her food and smiled.
Ha-neul’s face lit up.
“Really? Then I’ll look forward to it.”
“Mm. So, what about you?”
“Me? What I’d do on a holiday?”
“Yam-yam.”
“Hmm… I’d probably catch up on dramas I haven’t seen. Or read a book.”
“Dramas?”
“I really like watching them.”
“I watch them sometimes too.”
“Really?”
“Mm. They always have those food commercials.”
“Oh, the PPLs?”
“Yeah, that. That’s why I watch.”
“That’s… kind of unique.”
“Wanna draw the next card?”
“Oh, right. It’s my turn.”
“Yam-yam?”
“What snack do you eat most often?”
“This one.”
“Sausage?”
“Yeah. Tastes great, and it’s nutritious too. …Want one?”
“Thanks, I’ll try it.”
“You don’t have a favorite snack?”
“I have this.”
“Oh, jelly. That’s good.”
“I keep some on me when I need sugar. This one’s tasty. Here.”
“Thanks, I’ll enjoy it.”
With sausages and jelly exchanged, the mood between Yeon-ha-neul and Cha Eun-sol grew even warmer.
“I’ll message you once we’re out of the Gate.”
“Mm, I’ll contact you too.”
Yeon-ha-neul stood up with a soft smile after getting Eun-sol’s signature.
She seems like a good person. I hope I’ll see her again at the Academy.
She hoped, from the bottom of her heart.
Thankfully, there was no need to worry.
Cha Eun-sol also wore a black exam ticket—meaning she wouldn’t be disqualified.
She must be from one of the Great Houses too, right?
Yeon-ha-neul, unfamiliar with noble family affairs, had no idea about Eun-sol’s background. She could only guess.
And with that thought, she set out in search of her next conversation partner.
That was when she ran into Go Eun-bi.
“Ha-neul! You’re looking for a partner too, huh?”
“Oh, Eun-bi.”
“Then want to pair with me?”
“Sure, sounds good.”
“Alright! Duel! My turn! Draw!”
“…Do you really have to do that?”
“Ha-neul, are you more of a dog person or a cat person?”
“Eun-bi… you’re not even looking at the card, are you?”
“For the record, I like both!”
Unlike Cha Eun-sol, Go Eun-bi was full of energy.
But Yeon-ha-neul was starting to get used to that energy too.
Interlude – The Mind World
According to the game lore and mana theory:
Any being that holds mana and a soul possesses a Mind World—a space shaped by their subconscious, dreams, emotions, and desires. It was a manifestation of their identity.
Among monsters, some could invade that world and attack from within.
They were often classified under the “nightmare” type—like succubi or incubi.
The fourth practical test must be about fighting those things inside the Mind World.
They were tricky foes.
To face them, one had to first realize they’d been pulled into the Mind World and were under attack. Only by gaining awareness could they take back control and force the invader out.
Naturally, the monsters didn’t make it easy.
They would constantly attempt to keep their targets unaware—lost in illusions.
In the game, due to system limitations, identifying and fighting them wasn’t too hard…
But in this world, free from those limits, things were different.
They could weave subtle illusions, distort thoughts—anything to keep the victim under their spell.
In their past life, they’d only been the player. The position was entirely different now.
They needed to stay sharp.
Better come up with a way to ground myself in reality during the Mind World tests.
If one knew an attack was coming, all that was left was preparation.
As those thoughts swirled, they went off in search of Yeon-ha-neul.
“Duel! My turn! Draw!”
“…Do you really have to?”
“Ha-neul, are you a dog person or a cat person?”
“Eun-bi, you’re not even reading the question.”
“I like both, just so you know!”
Yeon-ha-neul was chatting with Go Eun-bi while drawing cards.
Judging from the scene, they’d only just started the question game.
Should I tell them what I know now? …No, I’ll wait. I still need more signatures too.
There was plenty of time left before the banquet ended.
So they moved through the hall, searching for their next partner.
[For those confident in their strength! Come up to the stage! The next mini-game is Steel Plate Smash! The one who breaks the most plates will win three Geumgang Coins!]
Meanwhile, a mini-game had started on the stage.
At this point, even the initially wary test-takers had begun to relax and enjoy themselves.
That’s how they get caught off-guard in their dreams.
They had no idea this might be the evaluators’ way of lowering their guard.
Some were even climbing the stage to collect coins—as if they’d already passed the test.
“You can’t talk strength without me!”
Among them was Yong Hae-rang.
His face was glowing with excitement, caught up in the fun of the banquet.
He’ll be fine. That guy always lands on his feet.
No need to worry about him.
Instead, they focused on exchanging questions with the remaining test-takers.
Time passed.
[Congratulations to the winner! Three Geumgang Coins go to you!]
[Ha! Thank you very much!]
By the time Yong Hae-rang had claimed victory, only one signature remained.
They went to find Yeon-ha-neul.
“Ha-neul, did you get all your signatures?”
“Oh, Gyeon-woo. I was actually looking for you… I only need one more.”
“I just need one more too. Want to do it together?”
“Yes!”
Both had only one left to collect.
They found an empty table nearby and sat down.
Yeon-ha-neul looked like she had a lot to say now that they’d reunited. While he shuffled the cards, she chatted cheerfully.
“I made a new friend today! We really clicked—our vibes, preferences, everything. We even promised to have a meal together if we both get into the Academy.”
“Really? That’s rare for you. You usually don’t open up to strangers. Must’ve really hit it off, huh?”
“I thought so too. It just… felt right. Her atmosphere, her vibe—it was all so nice.”
“Hmm… is that so?”
Yeon-ha-neul, like a skittish rabbit, didn’t warm to people easily. It always took her a long time to get close to anyone.
She’s picky about who she lets in.
Even he had taken his time building trust with her.
For someone like that to immediately bond with someone else… it was unexpected.
She must have been someone special.
Which made him think—
Does she like her more than me…?
He didn’t know why, but that thought lingered.
For some reason, I felt like the space I held in Yeon-ha-neul’s heart had shrunk.
Of course, I knew that wasn’t true.
I knew I was being childish.
But still, I had to ask.
I drew a card from the stack.
“So… was that person a guy or a girl?”
“Are you Go Eun-bi now? You didn’t even read the card—you just slammed it face-down.”
“What are you talking about? I read it.”
“And that’s the question you chose?”
“…The point of this game is to ask ten questions, right? Let’s just be flexible about it.”
“Are you seriously…?”
“So? Was it a guy or a girl?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Hey now, answering a question with a question is cheating.”
“It was a guy.”
“…What kind of guy?”
“I lied. It was a girl.”
“She must’ve been someone special.”
“Hehe, maybe. I’ll introduce her to you if we ever get the chance.”
“Alright.”
“But… she’s really pretty.”
“So? You’re pretty too.”
“….”
“You don’t fall behind anyone, so don’t even try comparing yourself to her.”
“I wasn’t saying it like that… but, yeah. Thanks.”
Come to think of it, no guy would’ve broken through Yeon-ha-neul’s walls that quickly.
And since she wasn’t even the same gender as me, there was no need to compete for space in Ha-neul’s heart.
A faint smile tugged at my lips.
Just then, Ha-neul reached for the deck.
“My turn to draw.”
“Sure. …Wait, huh?”
“I saw you earlier, laughing with that girl with silver hair. You know her?”
“Why aren’t you reading the card?”
“Let’s just go with the flow.”
“That’s your question?”
“Yep.”
“The girl with silver hair… oh, you mean Nam Yu-ri.”
“Nam Yu-ri?”
“She’s from the Southern House of the Starline Family. Remember the test-taker who froze the ocean yesterday?”
“Ohh, so she was one of the Ten Great Houses. What were you two talking about?”
“There you go again, flipping cards without looking…”
“You said to be flexible.”
“Alright, fine. It’s not like we got caught cheating or anything. What were we talking about? Pretty much what we’re doing now—question game.”
“Like this?”
“You’re flipping another one…”
“Were you this casual with her too?”
“This is the first time I’ve done this with you.”
“Then it’s fine. So it was just the question game? No feelings involved?”
“…Another card?”
“Flexibility. I’m being serious here.”
“Right… okay.”
“Answer me, come on.”
“That’s a tough one. Can you really play this game without any feelings getting involved?”
“I can.”
“It kind of depended on the moment, I think. Oh, and we did end up playing rock-paper-scissors.”
“Rock-paper-scissors?”
“One of the questions was, ‘If you had to play right now, what would you throw?’”
“Huh… so instead of just answering, you actually played?”
“…Why are you staring like that?”
“Just thinking—sounds like you had fun.”
“….”
“Bet the mood was nice.”
“…Fine. That makes five questions. What would you throw?”
“Scissors.”
“Rock.”
“Paper!”
“Paper.”
“Looks like I win.”
“Hey now, you can’t end it on rock-paper-scissors. We’ve got to play Muk-jji-ppa.”
“Muk, jji—!”
“….”
“Yep, I win again.”
“Let’s go again.”
“Nope. If we do, you’re just gonna keep going until you win.”
“I won’t!”
“We don’t have time anyway. Next time.”
“…Ugh, fine.”
“Okay, sixth question. Hm, what should I ask next…”
“Oh! Right. Nam Yu-ri told me something interesting.”
“Yeah? What?”
“She said the food we ate at the hotel was drugged—with a sleeping agent.”
“What?!”
“So, here’s what I think—”
Perfect timing.
Since we were already playing, I decided to tell Yeon-ha-neul my theory.
Her brows immediately furrowed.
“The exam takes place in a dream…?”
“I’m convinced of it.”
“Hearing it from you… yeah, that really makes sense. We are in the highest-tier dorm, so our test’s bound to be the hardest.”
“Exactly. That’s why we need to prepare.”
“You mean, be able to realize we’re dreaming?”
“Of course.”
“How? Got a good method?”
“There are a few. One is to leave a mark—something that reminds us it’s a dream.”
“So if we see the mark, we’ll remember.”
“Right. Here, give me your hand. I’ll write it on your palm. Easy to spot there.”
“Then you give me yours too. I’ll write on yours.”
“Here you go.”
Luckily, we had a pen handy.
So we both held out our hands, and scribbled our reminders there.
“But even if we realize it’s a dream… that doesn’t mean we can wake up. We’ll still have to resolve things ourselves.”
“That’s why I have another idea.”
“Another one?”
“Come closer. Let me whisper.”
“Okay.”
Yeon-ha-neul tilted her head, offering her ear like a bunny twitching its ears.
I leaned in close, careful to keep others from hearing.
“So here’s what I’m thinking…”
“Mm…”
“….”
“S-sorry. Keep going. I’ll try not to react.”
“What I was saying is…”
“Mnn…”
Each time I whispered, Ha-neul shuddered slightly.
She couldn’t help it.
But I didn’t stop.
No matter how much she squirmed, I kept whispering every detail of my plan.
Leave a Reply