Baek Yuha was walking with an excited spring in her step.
A cheerful smile never left her lips.
“Field training with Woojin… Hehe.”
At present, she was comfortably holding the top rank in her year, having outpaced Han Sua, her perennial rival.
This achievement was the culmination of her recognized efforts in rescuing a citizen from an alleyway and thwarting a bank robbery orchestrated by the nascent villain organization, Vengeance.
Naturally, Baek Yuha found little satisfaction in it. After all, her failure to apprehend the culprit in the alley had directly led to the bank robbery.
Furthermore, the villain had not forgotten to mock the heroes even as they fled. The humiliation, worse than the death her friend Cat’s Eye had endured, was enough to ignite a fierce rage within Baek Yuha herself.
Despite the public’s accolades, she felt nothing but profound shame over her own inexperience.
Nevertheless, high-ranking students were invariably granted various benefits.
While the privilege of selecting their preferred Agency branch for dispatch was certainly appealing, the priority to choose their practical training partner was, for Baek Yuha, paramount.
The person she would choose had been decided from the very beginning.
It was none other than her childhood friend, Kim Woojin.
Although it naturally came with the prerequisite of the partner’s consent, even that didn’t cause her much concern.
After all, Kim Woojin would never refuse her request.
‘Honestly… Woojin can be so unforthcoming… Heh.’
Baek Yuha was certain.
Though he never explicitly stated it, it was clear that Kim Woojin had enrolled in the general studies department with the intention of supporting her in every possible way in the future.
Secretary, sidekick, controller, Agency staff member.
Each of these professions allowed one to assist a hero most closely.
And the Cradle’s general studies program was the fastest path to securing such a position.
While she felt a pang of regret that Kim Woojin had been forced to abandon his dream of becoming a hero, constrained by the harsh realities of the world, Baek Yuha was simply grateful for his thoughtful consideration.
The conflicts that had arisen between them over the past few months now seemed like nothing more than an embarrassing past.
In fact, it was almost a good thing.
Just as the ground hardens after rain, their bond now was stronger than ever.
‘What about Sua?’
‘She hasn’t been around for a while, has she? Didn’t he go to meet her?’
“What? Surely, that can’t be true…’
And at the sudden sound of chattering voices, Baek Yuha subtly furrowed her brow.
Soon enough, however, she dismissed it as if it had never happened, resuming her lighthearted steps.
Truly, there was no rumor more baseless.
Kim Woojin wouldn’t possibly confess to Han Sua.
What? Appearing during class and just taking her away? And Han Sua even came looking for him in the general studies classroom?
That’s just absurd.
Their last encounter in the hallway had been nothing more than a minor incident.
Han Sua was probably feeling unwell that day. And Kim Woojin, who had come looking for Baek Yuha, must have coincidentally spotted Han Sua and, unable to simply pass by, offered her some assistance.
Then, someone who witnessed it must have embellished the story, inflating it into a baseless fabrication; that’s just how rumors spread.
Above all, he was such an oblivious person, never even glancing at her in that way.
“Come to think of it, I wonder if he’s used up all the money I gave him…?”
Baek Yuha, having swiftly dismissed her previous worry, now fell into a new one.
As it happened, she had been feeling a little guilty about that very thing.
It was her natural duty to look after a man’s finances.
Yet, she had been utterly oblivious until Kim Woojin himself had hesitantly brought it up.
“Should I ask him later…? No, that might hurt Woojin’s pride… Or maybe I could just slip it into his uniform pocket discreetly…”
As she pondered, deep in thought, Baek Yuha found herself arriving before the general studies classroom.
Spotting a familiar figure seated in the back, she immediately waved a cheerful hand.
“Woojin!”
Instantly, all attention in the vicinity shifted towards the two of them.
Of course, not all gazes were benevolent. Jealousy, envy, or something akin to it, poured towards her, but it was of no consequence.
In fact, the stronger those emotions, the better.
Part of her reason for coming to meet Kim Woojin in person was precisely to confirm those feelings.
“…Yuha.”
Caught off guard by the sudden attention, Kim Woojin wore an embarrassed expression and gave a slight wave.
As she approached, he spoke awkwardly.
“Don’t you come here a bit too often? I’m starting to memorize all the general studies students’ faces.”
“Oh, come on, it’s only once a day. And it’s good if they remember me, right? It’s a chance for you to become even more famous. Isn’t it nice to have a celebrity as a childhood friend?”
“What? You’re only a C-rank hero, after all…”
“Hehe~”
Kim Woojin shook his head, as if to say she was impossible.
Soon, the two walked side by side, their paces perfectly matched, down the corridor.
Unable to contain herself any longer, Baek Yuha immediately brought up the main topic.
“Woojin, did you happen to hear that field training starts next week?”
“The professor just announced it earlier, didn’t they? Everyone’s already buzzing about it. Honestly, what’s so exciting? It just sounds like a bother…”
“Mmm-hmm, I see.”
Baek Yuha nodded repeatedly, a cheerful grin on her face. She then pulled a folded sheet of paper from her pocket and, as if it were the most natural thing, handed it to Kim Woojin.
“You know we have to submit the team formation application today, right? I’ve already written my name. Now, if you just write your name here…”
“Huh? My name?”
“Huh?”
And then Baek Yuha abruptly stopped in her tracks. Only then did she realize that something was amiss.
Kim Woojin spoke, his eyes wide.
“But I’ve already agreed to partner with someone else?”
And with that, the light in Baek Yuha’s eyes dimmed, losing its luster.
****
Han Sua walked with heavy, dragging steps.
Field training was the pinnacle of the Cradle’s curriculum, and she, too, had eagerly awaited this moment since her enrollment.
Yet, her expression now was far from bright.
There was no particular issue with the field training location. Despite being edged out by Baek Yuha for the top spot, her second-place ranking was still remarkably high.
She, too, could comfortably submit her application to the Agency branch where her desired hero worked.
Rather, the problem lay with the person she would be partnered with.
Han Sua exhaled a deep sigh, her eyes shadowed with gloom.
Last night’s pronouncement had been nothing short of a bolt from the blue.
‘To think I have to share a moment I’ve always yearned for with *that guy*.’
“What scheme is he cooking up this time…?”
What else could a villain, hiding their identity and infiltrating an Agency branch, possibly do but commit mischief?
Of course, she had no room to talk.
She already had her feet thoroughly entangled in the darker underbelly of Hwaryeon. Moreover, wasn’t she the very person who had recently extracted information directly from the Cradle’s internal database?
There was a time when she had thought of changing everything with her own power. Only after maturing did she realize how difficult and futile such an endeavor was.
‘Perhaps the truly unqualified one is me, who, unable to do anything, merely wears a mask and pretends to be a hero.’
“Still… I want to go.”
She murmured, letting out another sigh laden with worry.
“…Could Baek Yuha be involved too?”
She had heard they were childhood friends from a young age.
“No…”
But Han Sua quickly shook her head.
Even to her, Baek Yuha seemed like the epitome of a model hero.
There was no way such a person would be involved with the villainous side.
‘…Which only makes me angrier.’
“What kind of villain discriminates against people…?”
Han Sua gnashed her teeth, muttering.
While receiving special treatment from a madman like him wouldn’t necessarily be a good thing, such blatant favoritism was still infuriating.
Some were cherished as if they were flowers blooming in winter, while others were treated like stray dogs rolling in the street…
“Damn it…”
Nevertheless, she was the esteemed daughter of the top-ranking conglomerate in South Korea.
She was also Psyche, one of the three strongest first-year students, highly regarded as a promising talent in her cohort.
For her to be treated poorly anywhere was simply inconceivable.
Only one person in the world dared to treat her so roughly.
“Haa…”
She sighed once more, then shuffled forward, her steps listless, as if being dragged by an invisible leash.
Han Sua then grimaced.
It was because the two people she least wanted to see were gathered in a single scene.
One was Kim Woojin. A madman hiding his villainous true nature behind an innocent face.
They say he’s now called Marionette. He’s even rumored to be leading a villain organization called Vengeance.
Though his true identity remained unconfirmed, that man was certainly capable of such deeds.
Standing before him was Baek Yuha. The hero, Flame Mist.
Han Sua’s eyebrows twitched again.
It was because Kim Woojin was treating Baek Yuha with such excessive familiarity.
Given that they were rivals for the first and second spots in their year, and with this situation unfolding, her feelings toward Baek Yuha couldn’t possibly be positive.
Instead, only a bitter wretchedness permeated her, contrasting sharply with Baek Yuha’s situation.
“But I’ve already agreed to partner with someone else?”
“Huh…?”
Then, their voices reached her. Han Sua immediately noticed Baek Yuha’s hand trembling like an aspen leaf the moment Kim Woojin’s words fell.
Kim Woojin, however, seemed utterly oblivious.
Suddenly, an idea flashed through Han Sua’s mind.
It was an idea that promised to alleviate some of her bitterness.
At this moment, she had nothing to fear. A subtle smile gracing her face, she rushed over to Kim Woojin’s side in a single bound.
Then, she abruptly linked her arm through his, speaking with feigned familiarity.
“Woojin? You were here?”
“Huh?”
“Let’s go quickly! You said we have to apply by today.”
Han Sua tugged at his arm with her fingers, making a gesture as if to lead Kim Woojin away. Her gaze then, belatedly, fell upon Baek Yuha.
Han Sua smiled faintly and offered a greeting.
“Yuha was here too? Hello?”
