The Veritas classroom was filled with murmurs and side conversations as the students waited for the professor to arrive. I, sat relaxed in my chair, my smartwatch open in front of me, though I wasn't really paying attention to it.
Every now and then, I'd steal a discreet glance at the girl sitting next to me.
Nayun was trying to act normal, but there was something about her that seemed... different. Her face was more serene, her eyes had a subtle glow, and even her posture seemed more mature. However, the detail that caught the attention of some of the more observant girls in the class was the way she moved.
Her slightly irregular gait as she entered the room.
It was subtle, almost imperceptible to the inattentive, but for a group of girls in the class, especially those who were always keen on noticing changes in their peers, it didn't go unnoticed.
A soft voice called out to her, and she turned, finding Yoo Yeonha looking at her with a slightly curious expression.
Nayun responded, trying to sound casual as she discreetly crossed her legs.
"You seem different today..."
Those words carried subtle implications. Nayun blinked, feeling the analytical gaze of her friend. Around them, other girls also seemed interested in the conversation.
Yeonha smiled, leaning slightly forward.
"More... radiant. You seem more mature. And..."
Her eyes slid down to Nayun's legs.
"You're limping a little. Did you have a tough training session yesterday?"
The mention made Nayun hold her breath for a second. She remembered the previous night, how I held her, the overwhelming pleasure...
She quickly pushed those thoughts away and forced herself to maintain her composure.
"Ah, that? Yeah! Yeah! I trained really hard yesterday! Haha! You know how it is, I overdid it a bit!"
She tried to sound convincing but noticed a mischievous glint in Yeonha's eyes.
Yeonha didn't seem convinced, and Nayun knew she needed to divert the focus.
"How about you? Any news?"
Yeonha smiled sideways, but before she could respond, a third voice joined the conversation.
"If you overdid it so much, Nayun, why do you look so... satisfied?"
Chae Nayun quickly turned to look at the owner of that voice. It was one of the girls in the class, a known gossip. Her expression was playful, but her eyes were assessing Nayun with suspicion.
Other girls began whispering among themselves, and Nayun felt the heat rise to her face. She glanced at me, who was just watching everything with a small smile on my lips, as if reminding her of what I had said earlier.
'I told you, I could have used my healing magic, and you'd be walking normally.'
But Nayun, stubborn as ever, chose to endure it, claiming she wanted to get used to the sensation.
'You jerk, I know you're making fun of me!'
She wanted to retaliate, to say something that would end the suspicions, but she felt a sharp gaze on her.
Yoo Yeonha, now with a small smile on her lips, seemed to already have an idea of what was going on.
Nayun swallowed hard. Yeonha's gaze was penetrating, as if she was unraveling a secret before Nayun could even admit anything.
Nayun tried to sound indifferent, frowning at her friend.
Yeonha just tilted her head slightly, resting her chin on her hand with an amused smile.
"Nothing. Just observing..."
The way she dragged out the words made Nayun shrink slightly. And the worst part? Other girls in the class seemed to share the same curious expression.
Nayun sighed, trying to ignore the growing tension, but her mind was working fast.
'Okay, think, Nayun. You just need to stay calm. Just because you're limping a little doesn't mean they'll guess...'
"So, Nayun, you trained until you dropped yesterday, huh?"
One of the girls commented casually, resting her face on her hands as she looked at her with interest.
"Yeah! I saw her leaving really late from campus yesterday..."
"But she seemed... different."
This time, Nayun felt a chill run down her spine.
'Crap, did someone see me leaving? I didn't think this would happen. If I had known, I would've been more careful...'
She threw another discreet glance at me, who just flipped the tab on my smartwatch with a disinterested air, as if all of this had nothing to do with me.
'What are you doing?! Help me, you idiot!'
Indignation grew inside her as I ignored her, but before she could say anything, Yeonha leaned in a little more, her sharp gaze never letting Nayun escape.
"Must have been an intense training session, then..."
Nayun forced a smile.
"Yeah. Very intense."
She realized too late the double meaning in her words.
The silence that followed lasted only a second before some of the girls exchanged glances and began to chuckle softly. Yeonha raised an eyebrow, and Nayun felt the blush violently rise to her face.
'I'm going to die...'
As she desperately tried to find a way out of the situation, the classroom door opened, and the professor walked in, putting a temporary end to the interrogation.
Watching all the girls return to their seats, including Yoo Yeonha, Nayun let out a big sigh of relief as she leaned back in her chair.
"You know, this isn't over yet."
"Tsk! Now you decide to speak, huh, you idiot?"
"What? You're the one who messed up here. I told you, the guys might not notice anything, but women are different. You should know that better than I do."
Women had a natural sixth sense for these things. It was as if they were all born with it.
Nayun glared at me, wanting to complain, but it was as I had said. Unlike the girls who had almost immediately noticed something was off when she entered the room, the boys acted normally. In fact, some were even concerned about her, thinking she had overdone her training the previous day...
"Before we start the class, I want to bring something to everyone's attention."
Instructor Kim Soohyuk tapped on his watch, and a holographic board with many names appeared.
"I'm sure many of you have already seen the notice posted on Cube's page, but there are probably some who haven't."
The students' attention quickly turned to the holographic board floating in front of the classroom. The murmurs died down, and even the girls who had been teasing Nayun now focused on the list of names displayed before them.
I looked at the board calmly, already suspecting what it was about. Nayun, still a little angry, cleared her throat discreetly before also focusing her attention on the screen.
"Clubs... Yes, you cadets might think that Cube is just a place for hellish training, where we only learn to kill monsters and Djinns, but I want to make something clear here. Cube encourages cadets to pursue their hobbies for their mental health."
A girl with red hair sitting in the front raised her hand, clearly curious about something.
The instructor saw this and nodded.
"But Instructor... Didn't you say that Cube isn't an amusement park? And that even relationships were forbidden?"
All the other cadets who heard this question directed at the instructor silently agreed in their minds.
"Yes, you're not wrong... But that's only partly true... Look, none of us teachers will stop you from having a boyfriend or girlfriend. What we want is for you not to forget what our job is. What I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't get too comfortable in a relationship or a pleasurable moment and neglect your training and strength-building. That's what Cube means."
Hearing these words, the cadets' eyes sparkled like shooting stars in a dark night.
"But that doesn't mean dating is allowed here at Cube. If you want to date, do it outside. While you're within the teaching domain, the rules must never be broken. If you do, don't be surprised if your points are deducted."