Episode 91: Sanctum (3)
A café late at night.
Even though it was nighttime, the café was quietly bustling.
Some students had gone back to their family homes, but many still remained on campus, preparing for finals.
The full scope of the finals was undisclosed.
Perhaps because of that, some students were flipping through theory books with a “let’s just try something” mindset.
Especially since the final grades would be combined with the postponed midterm scores, many were hoping for a dramatic comeback.
However, at the central table in that otherwise quiet café atmosphere…
Two female students sat facing each other, instantly drawing attention.
Black hair and striking blonde.
The contrast between their hair colors, under the light, oddly made each stand out even more.
One of them was Yoon Chae-ha,
Recently having clinched victory in the exchange match finals, she was currently riding high in popularity within the academy.
Sitting across from her was Ha Sion.
Outstanding grades, exceptional talent as a hero.
More than anything, she was known for her good reputation.
Kind and friendly to everyone—unless someone was annoyingly flirtatious, she was always smiling and polite.
But today, Sion’s demeanor was different from usual.
A subtle murmur spread among the students.
- “…Are they not getting along?”
- “I’ve never seen that look on Sion’s face before…”
In the café, soft classical music played in the background, but the air around that particular table felt oddly chilly.
Yoon Chae-ha raised her coffee like she was drinking from a bowl.
It was already her third iced Americano.
Even ice-cold coffee couldn’t cool the fire burning inside her.
Watching her, Sion asked in an indifferent tone:
“Want another one?”
That tone made Chae-ha even more irritated.
“…No, I’m good.”
In truth, Sion had no intention of sitting down at this table.
When she had run into Chae-ha in front of Jung Haein’s dorm room, she had planned to just pretend not to see her and quietly walk away.
A hopeless wish.
It was nothing more than Sion’s own delusion.
Reality was cruel.
She had been dragged here against her will.
Yoon Chae-ha set her coffee cup down.
Brushing her forehead back, she looked straight at Sion and asked:
“Can you explain?”
Her gaze pierced right through Sion.
Sion, in contrast, calmly fiddled with her braided hair, tilting her head slightly, wearing a composed expression.
That made her even more annoying.
“Why were you there… no, did you come out of Haein’s room?”
Chae-ha bit back the rest of her sentence.
That was part of what she really wanted to ask, but not all of it.
Why was her face so red?
Why did such a heated atmosphere drift out from inside?
Why was there sweat on the back of her neck?
What the hell were they doing…?
The words that had risen all the way to her throat wouldn’t go down easily.
But in the end, Chae-ha held them in.
Slowly, deeply, she inhaled and barely closed her lips.
Then—
“Oh~ that?”
Sion shrugged her shoulders and spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“Haein and I are pretty close.”
And then she added:
“We grew up together, lived together. Since we were about ten? So I know everything about Haein. And Haein knows everything about me. Until a few years ago, we even shared a room.”
Of course, that only happened because Sion clung to her, saying she was scared to sleep alone.
Sion took a sip of coffee and continued at a relaxed pace.
“So just going into his room for a bit… it’s nothing at all for us, you know?”
It was like the sound of something flipping inside her.
That subtly distancing tone.
Yoon Chae-ha clenched her teeth.
She knew they were close, but flaunting their bond so openly was hard to tolerate.
Still, Yoon Chae-ha didn’t lose her composure. Without letting her emotions take over, she dug into the other’s weakness.
“So you’re that close?”
Yoon Chae-ha’s voice sank coldly like ice. She leaned slightly toward the table and stared directly at Sion.
“Then why were you so startled when I opened the door?”
When she had swung the door open, Sion had definitely looked surprised.
If she had been coming and going from Jung Haein’s room that often, there would’ve been nothing to be surprised about.
At Yoon Chae-ha’s remark, Sion went quiet for a moment.
That brief silence gave Yoon Chae-ha confidence.
“And… are you two dating?”
Yoon Chae-ha asked quietly.
“No, not yet—”
“What?”
Yoon Chae-ha cut her off.
“You said it yourself—it’s been ten years. If you’ve been together that long and still aren’t dating…”
Yoon Chae-ha continued, enunciating each word clearly while looking straight into Sion’s eyes.
A faint, yet unmistakable smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.
“Doesn’t that mean Jung Haein isn’t even the slightest bit interested in you?”
Yoon Chae-ha could tell.
That the girl in front of her, Ha Sion, harbored the same feelings as she did.
She didn’t know since when, but it was clear that those feelings had been there for a long time.
The fortunate thing was that those emotions hadn’t reached Jung Haein yet.
They hadn’t been conveyed, nor accepted.
That fact gave Yoon Chae-ha a slight sense of relief.
“Oh~ So you’re like family? That kind of thing?”
Feigning sudden realization, she tapped her fist with her palm and pretended to be shocked.
“Gasp, then is Haein like a younger brother?”
At Yoon Chae-ha’s words, Sion’s pupils trembled ever so slightly.
She felt a sudden sense of distance, like everything around her was fading away.
It had been a while.
Since she had received such a blatant and shameless challenge.
A feeling she had almost forgotten.
But now, she felt her blood stir again.
Honestly, at this very moment, it was probably Cheon Yeoul who was monopolizing the innocent Haein and toying with him the most.
She wondered if there was any point to this.
After all, in Sion’s own opinion, she was the weakest among the four of them.
Judging by how Yoon Chae-ha was poking at her like this, it was clear that even if she didn’t personally step forward, the other women would soon put her in her place.
That thought briefly crossed her mind.
Still, that didn’t mean she could let the provocation before her slide.
“Is that so?”
Sion tilted her head, bringing her index finger playfully to her lips.
At that moment—
The sleeve of her white blouse slipped down, revealing her wrist.
Two bracelets adorned it.
One was a black obsidian bracelet. The other was a blue gem that shimmered faintly under the moonlight.
It was a gift from Haein, who had apologized after overpowering her too harshly during their last mock battle.
He had said it had a strength-boosting option useful for archers.
Sion gently shook her wrist and said,
“Haein gave me both of them.”
In truth, one of them wasn’t from Haein.
But there was no need to say that.
There was no way Yoon Chae-ha could confirm it.
Sion’s voice was languid, and her expression calm.
She slightly bowed her head and added,
“But you know, maybe because we’re like family, I do know this—what kind of girls Haein doesn’t like.”
Meeting Yoon Chae-ha’s gaze head-on, she continued,
“Haein doesn’t like strong-willed girls. Even if he says otherwise, he can’t handle them. The kind who are assertive and snappy… without even realizing it, they wear him out.”
She slowly raised the corners of her lips and quietly added,
“Girls like that… yeah, a little like you, maybe? He tends to prefer sweet, obedient types instead….”
Is that true?
No way.
Haein was far too kind to ever judge people like that.
He was the kind of person who, with that gentle smile, would accept anyone into his life.
Though sometimes, she wished he’d be a bit more selective.
“Oh, you don’t have a crush on Haein, do you?”
As Sion kept speaking, Yoon Chae-ha’s hand began to tremble.
Unknowingly, the heat radiating from her palm started melting all the ice in her cup. She gripped the coffee cup tighter, trying to hide it.
Sion glanced at her and let out a soft chuckle.
“And did you say… family? Right. Yeah.”
She met Yoon Chae-ha’s gaze and slowly opened her mouth.
“But… you know wives are… family too, right?”
At Sion’s final words, Yoon Chae-ha momentarily forgot to breathe.
***
Sanctum.
Cheon Yeoul was only pretending to train.
Her true focus was entirely on Jung Haein.
She was thrilled—just knowing that he was aware of her to this extent.
Ever since their eyes met, his gaze kept drifting toward her. Just the fact that he was thinking about her made her happy.
She knew what kind of person he was—how he suppressed his desires and kept his emotions in check.
‘Good thing I wore this.’
Her outfit had been prepared solely for him. Thin and efficient, supposedly designed for divine power absorption, but with an undeniably seductive intent.
And it worked.
But she hadn’t gone any further than that.
He was currently training. He was using his time to grow himself.
For Cheon Yeoul, interrupting that would’ve been close to blasphemy.
She couldn’t approach him more than necessary. For now, the best she could do was enjoy his innocent reactions.
This opening of the Sanctum had been an idea opposed by nearly everyone in the Church. While it made sense for the Hero candidate to be here, even the Saintess faction didn’t seem too happy about it.
This was a space meant only for the sacred. It wasn’t a place that could be opened lightly.
The Sanctum was the Church’s most precious sacred ground. The holy land where history and miracles were said to breathe.
‘Bullshit.’
Holy land? Flowing with history and miracles?
She scoffed inwardly.
To her, it was nothing more than a well-designed, high-efficiency training space thick with divine power.
Nothing more, nothing less.
She had wanted to bring Jung Haein here at all costs. That’s why she pushed forward with her authority as the official Saintess.
The “candidate” hero was erased from the discussion entirely.
And in the end, she succeeded in bringing him here.
Now, Jung Haein was fully immersed in his training. Absorbing divine power frantically, steadily growing stronger.
That was his charm.
No desire, no craving could ever dominate him.
A god is said to be a being who bestows both blessings and punishments upon humans.
In that sense, Jung Haein was a god to Cheon Yeoul.
Her own personal god.
A god who bestowed infinite grace. A being so precious, she wouldn’t regret turning her back on the world for him.
Now, she wanted to become his god.
'This really is a Sanctum…'
Because he was here. Because he breathed here, closed his eyes here, and occasionally looked at her here.
If a place with a god isn’t a Sanctum, then what is?
Cheon Yeoul quietly curled her lips into a soft smile.
To her, all of this was like a ritual—like worship.