ALL NOVEL Chapter 188
“Huh? What did you say?”
Kwon Yuri, who ran over quickly, tilted her head while placing her finger on her lips.
“…Nothing.”
“But why are you looking at me like that? Are you curious about something?”
I immediately denied it, but for some reason, my eyes kept drifting to her hair. This has got to be that rabbit from earlier, right…?
“Or is it because I’m just too pretty? Oh dear, this is going to be troublesome…”
That sly smile made me feel a desperate need to clarify the situation.
“What’s that on your head?”
“It’s a white rabbit headband! Cute, right? I wore it during the play earlier, and I liked it so much that I’ve kept it on.”
It was as if Kwon Yuri had been waiting for this moment to reveal the answer.
So I was right. Her voice sounded completely different, and I thought maybe I was mistaken.
“By the way, do you think our chick saw it too? It was on the stage in the center of the plaza.”
“…I saw it. You did well.”
“Hehe, despite my appearances, I have a bit of talent for acting. I’ve only seen one person who can act better than me.”
“One person? Who?”
“Secret.”
“…”
“More importantly, what do you think? It looks good on me, right? You can be honest. It really does look like a rabbit, doesn’t it?”
“Um…”
Every time Kwon Yuri bounced around, the rabbit ears flicked playfully. Honestly, I didn’t want to admit it… but it felt so natural.
“…I think it’s not bad.”
“What? That’s all you have to say?”
Kwon Yuri pouted her cheeks, looking aggrieved, which was funny enough to match her personality perfectly. I really didn’t want to admit that, though.
We walked further into the shabby park’s enclosure.
“What did you do yesterday? I couldn’t find you anywhere.”
“I just rested in the dormitory.”
“What? No way! You’re lying if you said you were just hanging out with the girls, right?”
“Why would I lie about that to a senior.”
“Trying to act innocent?”
“…”
It’s surprising how I’ve become somewhat accustomed to this crazy conversation. While her questioning was sharp, I had to admit it was a little off from the truth. I did meet girls yesterday, but one of them wasn’t precisely what you’d call a girl.
“Oh dear, then you wouldn’t even know what happened yesterday?”
Fortunately, Kwon Yuri didn’t dig too deep and started babbling about a different topic.
“Something happened?”
“Yeah. You know Yeseo, right? Guess what, she brought her fiancé to the opening ceremony.”
“…”
Kwon Yuri’s words made my heart drop momentarily.
“It was complete chaos. Today, whenever we gathered, all we talked about was that. But you know, I already had my suspicions. Just a while ago during our request period, I ran into Yeseo by chance. Somehow the topic of her boyfriend came up, and she looked so flustered… So the moment I saw her, I knew something was up…”
Listening to someone else’s story about my own life felt oddly strange.
I proceeded deeper into the park while Kwon Yuri rambled on. However, the scenery around me felt somewhat off.
The rotten wooden fences and the creepy squeaking of the carousel, along with a swing hanging on one side with a broken chain…
“What kind of place is this?”
“This is Yoram Park. Not the prettiest view, huh? It’s scheduled for repairs starting this year. Apparently, the budget got delayed…”
“You don’t mean to tell me they hold sub-groups here…”
“What? Of course not. You silly chick!”
“…”
I thought the same. There wasn’t a single person to be seen, let alone an ant.
Kwon Yuri led me to a peculiar half-naked female sculpture. The pose it held was lewd, and interestingly, the areas around its chest and backside gleamed as if touched repeatedly.
Feeling embarrassed, I turned my gaze, only to find Kwon Yuri watching me with that signature sly grin.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You pervert. It’s hilarious.”
As she walked toward the figure’s lower half, Kwon Yuri casually grabbed one of its little toes and turned it to the left.
Click. Creak.
Suddenly, it sounded like some mechanical device was activating along with a glow of light, and soon the brick supports under the statue began to vanish into the ground.
What appeared in its place was a tunnel leading underground.
“…Oh my.”
As if candles had been ignited on their own, the flickering fire swayed in the draft. The dark passage seemed endless, as if it could swallow me whole.
“Hehe…”
With an exaggerated gesture, Kwon Yuri stood in front of the rabbit hole and welcomed me dramatically.
“Welcome to the Shadows’ Banquet!”
*
-Thunk!
As I stepped into the passage, the door closed behind me. We slowly walked downward, relying on the dim candlelight.
“Hehe. Are you surprised, my chick?”
Kwon Yuri moved ahead skillfully as if she had visited this place dozens of times.
“I didn’t expect there to be a tunnel beneath the statue.”
“It’s one of the secret passages connected to Yoram’s underground space.”
It sounded as if similar passages existed elsewhere.
“It’s so vast that there are many forgotten sectors. We’ve borrowed some of them. Professors probably wouldn’t even dream of it.”
She added with a last remark.
“Unless they are professors who used to have some fun in their school days.”
“Do the seniors know about these passages?”
“Some do, some don’t. The number of passages known varies among the students.”
Kwon Yuri spoke as if throwing a riddle my way.
“Oh, and this is a passage that only I know. It’s a secret, so you must never tell the others, okay?”
“Why show me a place like this…”
“I can’t help it. I have to escort the chairperson secretly. If I used another passage, too many people would know, and we might run into someone in the middle.”
Escort… somehow, the way she said that made me feel uneasy.
“Is the meeting you’re hosting called the Shadows’ Banquet?”
“Strictly speaking, I’m not hosting it. I’m just temporarily taking charge.”
“Temporarily taking charge…?”
“Yeah. Despite how it sounds, it’s a long-standing gathering that’s been going on throughout Yoram’s history. When you get to the third year next year, you’ll have to pass the leadership of the gathering to one of you.”
Didn’t she say this was an illegal sub-group? But it’s been around for so long… that’s quite a grand statement.
“I’ve been worried about that lately. I’m unsure who to hand over the position to. Or do you want to take it, my chick?”
“I’ll pass.”
“Hmph.”
Just when I thought we’d descended far down the long passage, Kwon Yuri pulled open a hatch leading to the upper area with a wave of her hand.
“You just have to go down this way.”
I slid down after lowering the creaky ladder.
It felt a bit more normal than before. Beyond the opaque glass blocking the left and right sides of the passage, I felt dozens of presences lurking.
As I listened intently, I could hear a playful voice from above.
“Chick, I’m not wearing any panties today! Don’t look above, okay? Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely…”
“I have no intentions. Just hurry and come down.”
“Hmph.”
That huffy snort sounded like someone was throwing a tantrum. Surely, she didn’t send me down first just to make that joke, did she?
“Alright.”
Kwon Yuri stepped on the ladder lightly, causing it to bounce. The hatch closed, vanishing without a trace.
“Okay, we’re almost there! Let’s go!”
Kwon Yuri dusted off her hands and pointed the way with her finger. With each step I took behind her, I sensed more and more activity.
-Hahaha!
-Drink up, drink up!
-This time, everyone! Every single one of you!
The lewd voices of both men and women blended together, sounds of gambling strictly forbidden by the Student Council of Yoram, the clinking of glasses…
“…”
Is this really a place I should be in? Now I understand why it’s labeled an illegal sub-group.
“What do you think? Already excited, right? Huh?”
“That’s unlikely.”
Kwon Yuri tossed a playful question over her shoulder as we walked side by side.
“What do I have to do here today?”
“What do you mean? Just have fun and enjoy yourself.”
She looked at me as if I asked something absurd.
“Do some of this and some of that…”
“…”
“Hehe, you’re welcome to look forward to it. It’s going to be a blast! The Shadows’ Banquet hasn’t lasted for a century for no reason.”
As we continued our conversation, a shabby door began to appear at the end of the passage.
Before I could ponder its purpose, Kwon Yuri boldly approached and swiftly swung the door open.
I caught a glimpse of the scenery inside through the gap.
An area that resembled a lounge.
Seated there were about a dozen male students, each sitting in groups. A few of them who recognized me displayed shocked expressions.
And as soon as Kwon Yuri opened the door…
“Sen, senior…!”
At that moment, a familiar voice begged to echo in my ears.
“Please, let me out…!”
A male student rushed toward Kwon Yuri, looking utterly terrified.
“Uh…?”
I immediately recognized him.
He was my classmate with a strict look behind glasses. Mu-young.
What’s he doing here…?
“Ch-Chain leader…!”
Like I recognized him, he seemed to realize who I was as well. With a pale look, Mu-young turned from Kwon Yuri and charged toward me.
“Ah, no! You got dragged here too? When the door is open, hurry and escape!”
“What…?”
Dragged here? Escape? What in the world is happening?
“Don’t dawdle! Quickly! This is hell…! The stench is everywhere…! Gah!”
“Oh my, you really shouldn’t say things like that.”
However, Mu-young’s explanation was cut short.
Kwon Yuri sighed and swiftly struck the back of his neck.
“Seriously… I went through the trouble of bringing you here, and you don’t even get the senior’s intentions… tsk.”
“…”
There was a hint of disappointment in her voice. Dragging the slumped Mu-young, Kwon Yuri threw him onto a cozy-looking sofa.
“Senior. Where is this place?”
“The others will explain the details. I’ll see you later, okay? I have some preparations to take care of.”
With a wave, Kwon Yuri disappeared through the door on the opposite side. I turned my gaze back to the lounge.
The space was generally luxurious and comfortably decorated. Under the orange lights, sofas, tables, and decorative frames adorned the area.
Except for Mu-young, everyone else sat comfortably, chatting and laughing. A few even whispered excitedly, wearing expressions filled with thrills.
Before long, I could grasp the commonality among everyone present.
They were all male students rumored to be good-looking or come from decent backgrounds among the first-years. Only Mu-young and I felt out of place.
But what was she preparing for? Why gather only male students?
It didn’t seem like the Shadows’ Banquet that Kwon Yuri mentioned. Moreover, the sounds and presences outside felt exponentially greater than this space.
As I pondered the purpose and the dynamics of this room, someone spoke up from behind me with a brusque yet confident voice.
“You’re late. We’ve been waiting for you.”
As I turned around, I saw two familiar male students.
Choi Woojin from Seongsan, and Ryu Seunghun, Sehwa’s little brother.
“I told you I’d come, didn’t I?”
“Yeah… it feels kinda weird to see you here… haha…”
“…Are you two also here for the Shadows’ Banquet?”
While this was a surprising encounter, they didn’t seem to be enjoying the moment much.
“Well, sort of.”
Choi Woojin shrugged expressively, looking uncomfortable.
“What kind of place is this?”
“It’s the waiting room. We’re waiting for the auction.”
“Auction? Do we have to buy something?”
I vaguely remember hearing that when sub-groups meet, they sometimes auction off valuable items for fun.
So, is this space set up for that purpose?
“What are you talking about? You didn’t come here without knowing anything, did you?”
Choi Woojin responded to my question as if I had said something absurd.
“Naturally, we’re the ones being auctioned off.”