106) Chapter 17. What Should I Do? (1)

“……”

Their stares were sharp.

It felt like they were physically poking holes in my face.

And it wasn’t just one person staring—there were several.

The one sitting closest to me was Soi.

She had pulled a chair right up to the hospital bed near my face and was just staring at me. Honestly, I wished she would at least say something.

Was she even blinking? Didn’t her eyes hurt like that?

Right beside her was Chae‑yi. She was also staring at me, but her expression was different.

Her eyes were narrowed, glaring.

If Soi’s silence was a heavy silence, then Chae‑yi looked like if she opened her mouth even a little, she would unleash hours of nonstop scolding.

Both of them were terrifying in their own ways.

And they weren’t the only ones staring at me like that.

Another was Hyeonji.

She was leaning against the hospital room door with her arms crossed, staring at me. Since I was in a single‑patient room, at least we weren’t bothering anyone else…

She didn’t look as furious as Soi or Chae‑yi, but she definitely wasn’t emotionless either.

It was the expression of someone holding back a lot of things she wanted to say.

“……”

And then, Nam Jinwoo.

I thought Jinwoo and I had gotten close, but not as close as I was with Chae‑yi and Soi, or even Hyeonji.

Chae‑yi and Soi were always glued to me, and Hyeonji lived in the same dorm building. Jinwoo, on the other hand, lived in the boys’ dorm.

Even so, the look Jinwoo gave me was heavy.

No—how should I put it?

She always looked a bit gloomy, sitting quietly in a corner with her mouth shut, and right now she looked exactly like that. Hunched over, fiddling with her fingertips, head slightly lowered, staring at me through the strands of hair hanging over her face.

I’m gloomy too, but honestly, I don’t think I can match that level of gloominess.

Not that I even know what “gloominess level” is supposed to mean.

“W‑why… why did you do that…?”

And surprisingly, the first one to speak was Jinwoo.

“You… you could’ve told the teachers.”

Could I have?

“…The cat was watching…”

“Cat?”

Soi finally opened her mouth.

“Y‑yeah. The cat… um, back when we were in middle school.”

I stopped mid‑sentence.

Was it okay to bring this up now?

“It’s about the villain who controlled birds. I understand.”

Thankfully, Soi nodded.

“So if you had gone to call a teacher, the cat would’ve seen it, and the kids gathered at the top wouldn’t have been safe, right?”

“Y‑yeah. Because… that’s the kind of person she is…”

“So you’re saying it was justified to go up alone without asking anyone for help?”

“……”

“Since you said ‘that kind of person,’ do you think she would’ve let the kids go just because you went up? That witch?”

“……”

I had no answer.

I had felt the situation was too urgent, and honestly, I wasn’t thinking straight at the time.

“…Who knows.”

Chae‑yi spoke.

She squeezed her eyes shut, let out a long breath, and said:

“Maybe the only reason those kids survived was because you went up. That woman would’ve collapsed the mountain the moment she was rejected. Maybe the only reason she waited was because you went.”

But it didn’t feel like praise.

I didn’t think Chae‑yi was trying to insult me either, but I hadn’t gone up there after calculating all that.

“You still shouldn’t have done it.”

“Yeah. I agree.”

At Soi’s words, Chae‑yi nodded.

“Do you not trust the others?”

It was Hyeonji who spoke this time.

“Or the teachers? Do you not believe there are people who would help you if you told them what was happening?”

“……”

I had no answer.

And the fact that it was Hyeonji saying this made it even harder to answer.

Because I was someone who had once received help at the cost of someone else’s future.

Saying I couldn’t trust people like that would be a cruel insult to them.

“…Sorry.”

In the end, I lowered my head and clasped my hands together.

Fidgeting with my fingertips, shrinking into myself.

I knew very well that the kids were angry and saying all this because they were worried about me.

Their concern hurt too much for me to argue back.

And above all, it was my fault.

Silence fell again.

Honestly, Soi, Chae‑yi, Hyeonji, and Jinwoo probably didn’t know what to say either. They were angry, but didn’t know how to express it.

So after a long stretch of silence—

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door, breaking the tension.

All of us turned toward the door at once.

The person outside waited quietly, as if expecting a response.

Knock, knock.

Another careful knock, asking permission.

“C‑come in…”

Only after I spoke did the door slowly open.

I thought it would be Auntie Yujin or Uncle Dohyun, but the person who entered was the principal.

“Are you feeling a little better?”

Principal Heewon asked, still looking a mess.

Her hair wasn’t wild anymore—she had washed and brushed it neatly, looking almost like usual.

Her face and hands were clean too, but the bruises hadn’t faded. Her eyes were still a little bloodshot.

Did using that power have recoil on her body?

Seeing her in a hospital gown like me made guilt wash over me again.

“I’d like to talk for a moment.”

“Y‑yes. That’s fine…”

My voice shrank to a whisper.

At least the kids here were my age, so even if they were scary, I could endure it.

But the principal was an adult, and… how should I put it?

Someone with the authority to scold me.

Soi stood up to give her the chair, and the principal thanked her before sitting down.

“Are you feeling a little better?”

She asked again.

“Ah, y‑yes. I’m okay. Um…”

When I glanced at her, she smiled gently.

“I’m okay too.”

She was probably just trying to reassure me.

“Well then, where should we start?”

She looked around at the kids who hadn’t moved at all since she entered, thought for a moment, then nodded.

“First, the witch wasn’t caught. And one villain also escaped. Instructor Justina said it was the woman who controlled animals.”

“Ah… okay…”

So she escaped.

Well, if they had caught her, they would’ve told me immediately.

“I don’t think this is something we should postpone.”

“Ah, y‑yes, it’s… it’s okay.”

“It’s not okay.”

The principal said.

Her face was smiling brightly.

But…

How should I describe it?

The burning intensity behind that smile…

It felt almost on par with Soi.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve caught her.”

“N‑no!”

She bowed her head slightly, and I quickly shook mine.

Who could I blame?

If not for the principal, I wouldn’t have been able to save the kids.

And no one else could’ve stopped Seo Arin.

“Rua, I know what you were thinking. You saw that note and thought everything was your responsibility. That cat wandering outside was something we should’ve found first.”

“Ah…”

“I’ve heard a little about the pain you’ve gone through. Of course, hearing about it doesn’t mean we can fully understand everything you felt. Experiences are personal.”

“……”

“But even so, we don’t ignore what you feel. Because we’re teachers.”

What was I supposed to say to that?

I didn’t know.

“You might not fully trust us. You’ve been through things before, and trusting adults isn’t easy.”

“N‑no, that’s not…”

Back then, there was someone who tried to help me.

My homeroom teacher had stepped forward for me and nearly died.

It was only natural that I became afraid afterward.

“But the reason we’re here is to teach you and protect you. Like you did before training—if something worries you, you can tell us first.”

The principal took a slow breath.

“Even if it feels like you’re the only one who can act… you’re still a child. Even if it looks like something you must do, it isn’t your job. Adults are the ones who should handle those things.”

“……”

Even then, I still couldn’t say anything.

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Pub: 06 May 2026 10:26 UTC

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