HLSEBT - 81

The fleeting moment stretched out like eternity.

Yoon Taeha, upon waking from sleep, seemed momentarily disoriented.

She soon spotted the shadow looming over her. Her eyelashes fluttered slowly.

Cheon Geonyoung, like an assassin given the order to retreat, leaned his body back ever so slowly. Everything moved as if under a spell that slowed time only for the two of them.

Having assessed the situation, Yoon Taeha finally spoke in a calm tone.

“Surprised?”

“……”

“You must have been really tired. Normally, I take longer to fall asleep when someone else is in the room with me.”

Her gaze demanded an answer to her earlier statement. Bewilderment and reproach flickered across her eyes alternately.

Sitting upright now, Taeha addressed him.

“I’ve never seen you this startled before.”

She showed no signs of tension as she lay comfortably on her side on someone else’s bed.

The autumn rain had long since stopped. Outside the window, there was no longer the fierce wind or the sideways-falling raindrops.

But the whirlwind that had vanished seemed to have transferred itself into the mind of the bed’s owner.

“Did you know I was here?”

“The moment I heard you, yes.”

He clearly had been asleep. Reading his expression, she shrugged it off as nothing unusual.

“You’re good at pretending to sleep.”

“Why didn’t you wake up then?”

“Wake up while being lifted? That would’ve been more awkward. You’d have been even more surprised than now.”

Cheon Geonyoung blinked slowly, staring at the floor. His face suggested he couldn’t deny it. Taeha glanced at him briefly and left it at that.

Without anyone having lain down, she tidied the blanket. By the time she finished, Cheon Geonyoung had already risen from the bed, watching her helplessly.

“Tomorrow’s D-Day. Get some rest.”

Her voice, cool as the autumn breeze, bid him farewell. Before leaving, she waved at him and disappeared onto the balcony in an instant.

The wind blowing through the open door tousled his dark hair.

•

Standing on the rooftop of the building where the dormitory lights were visible, Yoon Taeha only moved from her spot after the light in that room went out.

A soft sigh dispersed into the darkness.

She had shared rooms with guides many times before. It was just that she had never fallen asleep first until now. The incident moments ago had come as quite a shock.

How could she doze off on the couch?

Truthfully, she had woken up the moment the solid arm slipped beneath her neck.

She hadn’t opened her eyes because she knew his face would be inches away. And in midair, there was nowhere to escape.

She hadn’t expected him to watch her so intently after laying her down.

If her mentors had seen this, lightning would have struck her.

Being alone with someone who could either be an ally or an enemy—and falling asleep first?

That called for double the training. She prided herself on having a decent excuse, but...

Had it been panic that caused her teleportation to fail briefly? No one saw, but she returned to her dorm with slightly flushed cheeks.

In truth, she hadn’t slept a wink last night cleaning up the mess her dorm had become.

The sheets soaked in milk. Footprints on the pillow. The book she had opened to read—its middle pages torn clean out, as though gnawed by some beast.

Pets were strictly forbidden in the dorms.

Grumbling, she had exhausted herself tidying up the chaotic room.

Everything on the bed had to be thrown out. The mattress stood bare, its pale whiteness almost embarrassed to face its owner.

Only her glasses and glasses case, which she kept well-hidden when not in use, remained intact.

She summoned her artificial intelligence. Jet appeared on her phone screen with a flash.

“Jet.”

• Good evening, Master.

“Sorry to wake you.”

• Jet can stay awake for 26 hours a day if it’s for you, Master.

Yoon Taeha decided to check the students responsible for trashing her dorm last night.

“Did you finish analyzing the surveillance footage?”

• Of course. Calling it “analysis” feels almost silly.

“Too obvious?”

• They split into two teams.

“The kids are applying tactics they learned in class... Let’s hear more.”

• The first team consists of Choi Anna and her friends, as you suspected.

Jet displayed their movements on her phone screen. Even with masks on, their identities were clear. Their deliberate movements betrayed their efforts to evade surveillance.

Taeha watched the footage with an impassive face.

• They’re responsible for the bed, books, and bird.

“Handle it according to school rules.”

• If this gets recorded in their student files, it could severely impact their future employment prospects.

• These days, companies filter out espers likely to cause trouble due to their Guide affiliations.

“I doubt this will break my heart… Handle it as per the rules.”

• Understood. I’ll process it accordingly.

“What about the second intruder? Weren’t they the ones who made a mess everywhere?”

• Actually, this part is a bit unexpected.

The screen switched to a later timestamp. Taeha stared at the empty footage until she spotted a somewhat unfamiliar back of a head.

“Who is that? I can’t tell from just the back.”

• It’s Lee Kyungtae from Class A.

Her eyes widened in surprise. This was truly unexpected.

“The one who fought with Kwon Min-gi and injured his leg?”

• Correct.

“I’ve never spoken to Lee Kyungtae. I haven’t even crossed paths with him during class.”

• I find that puzzling too. And as you can see, Lee Kyungtae touched nothing.

“Did he steal anything? Wasn’t he looking for something like amplifiers?”

• There were no signs of searching.

• Lee Kyungtae entered through the balcony, checked the bathroom, confirmed no one was there, and left immediately.

“It sounds like he came specifically to look for me.”

• Even Jet doesn’t understand why.

• Why would he enter your dorm when you two have no connection?

Taeha stared silently at Lee Kyungtae on the screen.

What could he possibly want with me? This boy.

“I’ll keep an eye on Lee Kyungtae.”

• Yes. Just to be safe, please be cautious.

She nodded and said, “I need to get some proper sleep first…”

• Your new bedding has been dispatched and is on its way.

“I’ll pick it up at the back gate?”

• Jet is competent.

• Making someone move twice is amateurish behavior, as you taught me.

Vroom. The sound of drones echoed from somewhere.

With a puzzled expression, she stepped out onto the balcony. In the distance, two drones, three times larger than usual, approached side by side.

Upon closer inspection, they resembled the models used to deliver supplies in dungeons.

Buzzing with mechanical whirrs, the drones approached the balcony carrying a massive box.

“The whole dorm’s going to wake up.”

• Shall I release sleeping powder into the students’ dorms now?

“I’ll pass.”

The drones charged forward threateningly, as if about to crash through the wall. She quickly grabbed the box.

The red light on the front of the drones blinked as it scanned her face. Beep. Then, with an air of indifference, they turned and disappeared.

“This is huge.”

The box was so large she had to rotate it vertically to bring it inside. She managed to shove it into her room.

• There’s also a gift I think you’ll like!

“For me?”

She replied absently as she began tearing open the box. First, the bedding she ordered came into view.

Unwrapping it, she placed the freshly scented comforter on her bed.

As she smoothed out the blanket, something rolled out—likely what Jet had mentioned. A crudely wrapped package in brown paper.

“I didn’t order this.”

• Open it.

She swiftly tore open the lightweight parcel.

Inside was a sea of white cushioning material. Amidst it, a black box wrapped in plastic peeked out.

Taeha instantly recognized the nature of the gift.

“A weapon?”

• A surprise gift from the research wing!

She quickly pulled out the black box.

A ring box with a glossy sheen rolled once in her palm. Excitement was evident in her voice.

“But I thought repairs weren’t done yet?”

• They lied about the progress because they wanted to surprise you for the evaluation match.

“I can guess who orchestrated this without even asking.”

• You’ll participate in the evaluation match with a replica for identity concealment, but afterward, you’re free to use the real thing.

A satisfied smile curved Taeha’s lips.

With careful hands, she opened the lid of the box.

No dazzling light burst forth. There was no gemstone captivating enough to ensnare anyone.

What awaited her was a pitch-black ring, as if it would absorb all light in the world.

It sat regally atop a soft olive-green cloth.

Aside from the center loop twisted once like a Möbius strip, there were no decorative elements.

“It seems even more beautiful.”

• You’re biased.

“No, really. Doesn’t this twist look more elegant?”

• Hearing about my voice hitting puberty feels more realistic.

This ring was known as the most expensive in the world—no gemstone could rival it.

Examining it without removing it from the box, she asked curiously, “Wait… Did a drone bring this? These people are more security-conscious than me.”

• It was escorted by twelve top-tier combat drones.

“That changes things.”

• Should I ask them to leave a greeting next time?

“Having those things in school airspace wouldn’t be ideal.”

She held the ring up to the fluorescent light. The area around it seemed subtly darker.

• The other ring is currently undergoing performance checks.

“Take your time. This one’s the main unit anyway.”

• Shall I relay that?

“Along with my thanks. Tell them I’ll buy a gift.”

• Actually, someone requested a specific gift.

“What kind? Let me know so I can pre-order it.”

• A passport photo of you in your school uniform.

“……”

• A passport photo.

“Tell them I’ll think about it. And ask if we can settle this with money instead.”

• Understood.

With trembling hands, Taeha extracted the ring from its box. Her eyes gleamed with the solemnity of a knight who had completed a sacred quest.

The rightful place for the black ring was the index finger of her right hand.

No material in the world could replicate the sensation this ring provided.

Sliding the ring onto her index finger, Yoon Taeha smiled blissfully.

“This is no joke.”

• If you’re about to talk about the angle of the ring again, Jet is going to bed.

“But you just said you could stay awake for 26 hours.”

• Hearts are fickle things.

Even with gentle teasing, she looked pleased.

• Will you use the replica during the first round?

“I’m used to this one. Other weapons are fine too, but using them makes me think of their original owner, which breaks my focus.”

• I hope tomorrow passes without incident.

Jet spoke cheerfully.

Perched on the edge of her new comforter, she agreed.