The Academy’s Deceased Ate It All

at them with twinkling eyes, so I sneaked forward with her.

 

“It’s my first time seeing penguins eat… .”

 

Jin Ye-Seul muttered in a small voice as if she was impressed.

The sight of penguins catching flying fish in the air with their beaks and chewing on them was somehow really addictive.

As I stared at them, I spoke as if responding.

 

“They eat really well, don't they?”

 

“Yes… .”

 

We watched the penguin eating fish in such a daze.

As we did so, we noticed that the people around us were noisy, so we looked away together to see what was going on and saw two penguins sticking together.

 

“Ah, there they go again… .”

 

The zookeeper had a look of familiarity on her face.

The two penguins sticking to each other as if they were… .being mischievous with each other, as if they were showing off their affection.

I could hear the high-pitched screams of the couples and students in the vicinity.

 

“They're really close.”

 

Jin Ye-Seul said so and glanced at me.

 

“Even penguins express their affection like that.”

 

Glance.

 

“Even between animals, if you show affection like that, they will accept it.”

 

Glance, glance.

 

“Ah, the one on the left is only receiving the affection from the right… .
Like someone.”

 

Jin Ye-Seul said that and glanced at me openly.

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Meanwhile, the zookeeper who was looking at us, smiled bitterly and came up to us and said in a low voice.

 

“Um, actually… .
They are both males.”

 

“… Yes?”

 

Jin Ye-Seul turned her head and looked at her as if she had misheard.

However, the zookeeper was still smiling as if troubled.

 

“It's true.
Actually, penguins…
.are often homosexual.
Just like those.”

 

“Oh tha… .
Yes, I, I see.”

 

Jin Ye-Seul said that and nodded awkwardly.

Then she pulled me as if she wanted to get out of here quickly, and I suddenly saw that her face was redder than ever.

 

“I'm, I’m hungry.
Let's go eat something, Ji-Hyuk…
!”

 

Jin Ye-Seul, who said that, didn't pull me, but began to drag me away, almost as if she were kidnapping me.

I was dragged helplessly by her, but I couldn't say anything to her constantly muttering.

 

“… will die.
If you do, all three of us will die.”

 

With a red-hot face, she constantly muttered in a voice of disbelief.

 

“If you're taken away like that, I'll really die with a knife in my mouth… .”

 

* * *

 

Jin Ye-Seul liked animals.

 

It wasn't a lie when she told Yoo Ji-Hyuk that she likes crocodiles and penguins.

In a way, it wasn't strange that she, who couldn't be close to her family and other people around her, reflexively came to care for animals.

 

She liked animals.

Give them your trust, and they will give you theirs.

And it was especially the case in that they clearly revealed their thoughts and intentions.

 

But there was an animal that she hated, too.

sheep.

 

Jin Ye-Seul sincerely hated the animal called sheep.

 

The fact that their wildness has been castrated and they have been domesticated, and that they cannot support themselves without humans.

The fact that they are too scared to run away and panic when their natural enemies appear.

The fact that they are so stubborn that they only follow the path they have always taken.

The fact that they don't notice when a threat is approaching and only realize it just before they die.

The fact that even if you put your hand inside their body and grab their aorta, they die without ever being able to resist.

 

All of these things were enough to make Jin Ye-Seul hate the animal sheep.

 

And Yoo Ji-Hyuk resembles a sheep.

It wasn't simply because his zodiac sign was Aries.

Jin Ye-Seul thought that he really, really resembles a sheep.

 

Although he looks more like a cat than a sheep.

Jin Ye-Seul giggled as she took the cotton candy she had paid for.

 

The fact that he is wary of his surroundings, but also infinitely gentle to the people around him.

The fact that he doesn't feel how dangerous it was to have someone like her right next to him.

The fact that he doesn't even notice the danger when there is another one beside him besides her.

The fact that even though he knows everything he will eventually be embracing them.

 

He resembles a sheep.

 

Jin Ye-Seul hated sheep.

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However, Yoo Ji-Hyuk resembles a sheep.

 

Jin Ye-seul likes sheep now.

 

“…… .”

 

She then headed to the table where Yoo Ji-Hyuk was waiting, having bought some simple food, buoyed by the idea of sharing cotton candy.

 

Han Soo-Young wasn't here, so this was the only time she could monopolize him in peace.

So, Jin Ye-Seul hummed without realizing it, and walked with cotton candy in one hand.

 

And then, right in front of her.

Sitting right next to Yoo Ji-Hyuk.

She saw an unfamiliar man talking to him in a friendly manner.

 

“… Ha?”

 

At the moment, a single emotion was engraved in Jin Ye-Seul's eyes as the scene of the penguins she saw earlier instantly came to mind.

 

* * *

 

“Hi, can I sit down?”

 

The man said so and sat right next to me without permission.

He murmured 'It's hot, it's hot,' and flapped his collar.

Every time he did this, his excessively red dyed hair stood out in particular.

 

He was an ordinary-looking man.

He was probably in his early thirties at most.

He had such a neat impression and a likable face, so he might be even younger.

 

“Hm, what was it? Yoo Ji-Hyuk, right?”

 

And I felt an unknown familiarity from his appearance.

He chuckled and held out his hand to me.

 

“Nice to meet you.
Oh, my name is Lee Jae-Joon.”

 

Red hair dyed so excessively that even middle school students wouldn't do it.

A plain and neat impression.

Somewhat pious voice.

 

I knew who he was.

 

“Although I am lacking in body, I am serving as the leader of the Thorns Cross Society.”

 

Lee Jae-Joon.

A member of the World Tree clan and the leader of the Thorns Cross Society.

He is also Lee Ye-Eun's uncle and a man who accepted the branch of the World Tree.

 

And a crazy human who has accepted the factors of a Seven Evil in his body.

 

[You have come into contact with a being who has received the fragments of another Seven Evil!]

 

[You can feel the energy of the Seven Evil 'Svengali' from inside him, just like you… .]

 

[Margo's energy that remained deep within your body and part of your soul is stimulated and begins to move!]

 

[Margo's authority begins to take hold within you!]

 

Numerous notification windows began to appear in front of my eyes.

But I had no choice but to focus on the man in front of me rather than them.

 

“I hope we get along with each other well as people in the same situation.”

 

He held out his hand to me and gave me a soft and likable smile.