SPO 36

Chapter 36

“Wow, Archel, you’re really scary!”
Janet fussed, holding up a mirror.

In the shiny mirror was a woman covered in blood, her long pink hair hanging in tangles.
‘Not bad at all.’
If someone ran into this chaotic, zombie-like appearance in the dark, they would definitely faint.
No need to mention how students from Judea, who had no immunity to horror, would react.

Moreover, Janet and her friends in front of me were even more daring.
“You guys are really something.”

A cute but somehow eerie pumpkin monster,
a giant carnivorous beast filled with air,
a clown with screws in its head and a cruel hammer in hand, laughing,
a ghost painted completely white, making itself even more grotesque.

Janet and her friends were serious about this courage test.

“Am I the only one being boring…?”
I bit my lip, feeling somehow defeated.

Reluctantly, I gathered my flashlight and handed Janet and her friends a map marking the waiting area.
“See you later, Archel!”
Janet turned a lamp on and off repeatedly, the one shaped like eyes and a mouth on top of the giant pumpkin costume, then left.

Alone now, I crouched behind a tree.
Except for the cuckoo calls and rustling leaves, it was quiet.
Even the bright moonlight could not fully illuminate this darkness.

Only after realizing I was alone on the large mountain did I understand the fatal flaw in this courage test.
“I really don’t like scary things…?”

Excited at the thought of startling the students and creating some romantic “something” between Lena and the male candidates, I had completely ignored my own courage.
I despised horror movies and even scary stories.

“Sigh.”
Could I really do this?

…Yet, contrary to my doubts, I was extremely excited.

“Argh!!”
“Kyaaaa!!”
“Mom!!”
“Go away, leave me alone, waaah…! Huuugh….”

The timid Archel had vanished completely. In her place was only the witch, desperate to devour souls.
How delightful it was to hear screams echo across the mountains!

“My soul, give it back!!”
As soon as I turned on the flashlight and charged forward as if to devour their souls, everyone screamed and widened their eyes in terror.
Some hid behind their partners, grabbed sleeves, or held onto backs, creating the ideal scene.
‘Scream more! Be more scared! Cling to them more!’

Each time a girl clung tightly to a boy and ran, satisfaction bloomed in my chest.
With this, Lena could surely reduce not only the physical distance but also the emotional distance with her partner.

“…Hmm.”
Thinking of the current Lena, it might still be a little too much.
I shook my head, wondering how I could make it even more dramatic.

Of course, I was being mild.
The screams reached their peak halfway up the mountain.
It must be proof that Janet and her friends were giving it their all.

“More importantly, who got paired with Lena?”
Partners for the courage test were determined by drawing lots.
Regardless of department, if the same number came up, those two became partners and started in order.

There was no special device installed to connect Lena with the male candidates, but I firmly believed.
‘Lena must be paired with one of the four.’
If not, I wouldn’t forgive <Dumaea>. Do your job properly, <Dumaea>.

Crunch.

As I made this determination, I heard the sound of leaves being trampled from afar.
No conversation could be heard, so I somehow had a feeling it might be Lena.

‘Good, let’s do this properly.’
I took a deep breath behind the tree and ran out quickly.

“My soul, give it…!”
“Kyaaaaaaa!!”

Contrary to my expectation, the girl was not Lena.
The mysterious girl screamed and ran even before I finished my line.
Startled by the ear-piercing scream, I froze for a moment, then quickly regained my composure.

‘Where is she going?’
The girl ran in the exact opposite direction of the set route.

Realizing this, I told the remaining boy to wait for a moment, then chased the girl into the darkness.
“Hey! Wait!!”

How could she run so well in this dark place?
Suddenly entering a forest path, I held my forehead and looked up at the sky.

Luckily, professors were stationed around the mountainside to assist if students got lost.
Also, the mountain we were on was small enough to be called a hill, and paths were blocked so no one could cross to the other side.
Emergency flashlights and maps were placed along the mountain, so I felt reassured, but still, it was night, and that worried me.

“There shouldn’t be any dangerous wild animals, so it should be fine.”
I followed the path where the girl might have gone, relying on the moonlight shining over the mountainside.

Her hair seemed to be some shade of red…
Even after returning from dead ends, I couldn’t find her.
‘Did she take another path?’

As I wondered what to do, I heard leaves trembling wildly.
It wasn’t the wind—it sounded urgent and deliberate, like someone shaking them.
It was pitch dark, but something was clearly in the bushes.

Startled by the unfamiliar sound, I naturally stepped back.
From the sound, there were two people behind the bushes, not just one.

But that wasn’t the problem.
This moist noise shouldn’t be heard during a courage test in the mountain!
The sound was so intimate, so secretive, it made one blush.

‘Isn’t this indecent conduct? And their heads aren’t even dry of blood yet!’
Yes, I wanted the courage test to bring boys and girls closer.
Yes, I wanted to reduce the physical and psychological distance between Lena and the male candidates.
But I did not want students to blatantly take things this far.

Pressing my temples, I quietly spoke.
I didn’t want to ruin the atmosphere as a villain, but I had to stop this awkward flow before it escalated.

“Ahem.”
I carefully coughed.

But the heated atmosphere didn’t calm down.
“Ahem!!”
I stomped on the ground, crushing branches underfoot. Only then did the escalating sounds abruptly stop.

‘Good. They finally noticed someone is here.’
But I had no intention of going back yet.
I kept stomping, breaking leaves and branches beneath my feet, making short bursts of snapping sounds.

Finally, two figures emerged from the bushes.
“You shouldn’t be doing this… here?”

The flashlight illuminated their faces.
Thud.
The flashlight slipped from my hands and rolled across the bushes.

“….”
The girl slowly approached and bent to pick up the flashlight.
Warmth from her body was transferred to my hands, which had grown cold from being outside for so long.

I silently stared at her.
Her ruby-like eyes shone vividly even in the dark, both unfamiliar and familiar.
I was too shocked to speak, and no matter how much I blinked, nothing changed.

And then…
“Student Council President? Are you unwell?”

It was Izrael, licking her lips slowly as she asked about my condition.