Are there only perverts in this school?

I’m feeling down.

“Have you been well, Shin Hyejin?”

Just watching the female students wearing those stiflingly long skirts that reached their ankles was enough to make me feel suffocated.

Even if I turned my head for some air, everywhere I looked, it was the same skirts, and there was no place for me to escape.

“Sister, I’m sorry. Our Yujin can be a bit mischievous…”

And what’s with that greeting? Are there still people in modern society who talk like that? Ugh…

“It’s alright. St. Theresia Academy is a kind and nurturing place that embraces any little lamb.”

But the most depressing thing is that I have to rot in this suffocating place for the next three years.

“Please, someone save me…”

“Yujin. Starting today, you’ll be attending Theresia Academy.”

“What?”

While I was, as always, holed up at home enjoying Legend of Congo, this thunderous news struck me out of nowhere.

I already hated the idea of going to a regular school, and Theresia Academy is that famous girls’ school, isn’t it? Ugh.

“Everything has already been arranged. If you refuse to go, we’re cutting ties.”

I turned around immediately to protest, but I was left speechless when I saw my usually warm and kind grandmother’s eyes blazing with determination and resolve.

“The school is known for its gentle and virtuous students. I’m sure you’ll improve a bit as well, Yujin.”

“Grandma… Couldn’t I just go to a regular school instead?”

Zap—!

I didn’t get an answer, but her sharp glare told me my suggestion was rejected outright.

Does this mean I really have to enroll at Theresia Academy? Well, I’ve been doing whatever I wanted my whole life, so maybe I should grant my grandmother this one request…

I just need to survive for three years, right? Once I graduate, I’ll be an adult, and Grandma won’t be able to meddle as much.

And if it really becomes unbearable, I’ll just sneak out at night and run away. Grandma’s always weak to my tears, so if I tell her I couldn’t endure it and had to escape, she’ll forgive me like always!

“Alright. But if I graduate, you promise not to interfere with me anymore?”

“As long as you graduate, I’ll do anything for you.”

“Deal!”

With the lighthearted mindset of just enduring for three years, I arrived at Theresia Academy, which turned out to be an even stricter place than I had imagined.

Women dressed in nun’s habits that completely covered them from head to toe, like something out of a drama or movie, were bustling around, and all the students wore suffocating uniforms that left no room for exposure.

And on top of that—

They confiscated my phone.

I mean, how is this even allowed?! I heard even the military allows cell phone use after work hours these days, but here I have to part with my phone for three years?

Ah… this place is hell, absolute hell.

I already want to escape.

“Then, Sister, please take good care of her.”

“Take care, Ms. Hyejin.”

My grandmother, who was exchanging farewells with the Sister standing in front of me, got into the car she arrived in and left without even looking back.

I wanted nothing more than to jump into that car and run away with her, but the Sister firmly gripping my wrist made it impossible to move.

Why is this woman so strong?

“Yujin?”

I heard the Sister calling my name, but my thoughts had already flown to the dormitory somewhere on this campus.

I’d unpack quickly, lie down on the bed, fall asleep, and escape at night. There’s no way I can survive without my phone!

Click—.

“Huh?”

I felt a cold sensation on my neck. When I touched it, I found something hard.

I fumbled with my hands to figure out the shape and realized it was a choker. Did the Sister put this on me?

“That choker will sound an alarm the moment you leave the academy grounds, Yujin. So I can find you right away.”

“What, what are you talking about!!”

For a moment, I thought it might be a lie, so I looked up at the Sister, who was much taller than me. But she wore an expressionless smile, and instinctively, I knew she wasn’t lying.

I quickly tried to take the choker off, but no matter where I touched, I couldn’t figure out how to undo it.

Even trying to rip it off only hurt my neck. It felt as if it were fused to me, impossible to remove.

Like a shackle.

“Welcome to St. Theresia Academy, Yujin.”

The Sister embraced me warmly, but it sent a chill down my spine, as though I’d been caught by a predator.

This person is a predator.

“This academy is a paradise for women. Even a wayward lamb like you will surely find happiness here.”

“I’m already unhappy.”

“You have quite a sharp tongue. I’m sure that will improve over time.”

Though the Sister was smiling, her sharp eyes glared at me fiercely, showing that her smile wasn’t genuine.

This scary person is supposed to be a Sister? Unbelievable.

“Now, follow me.”

As if there was no choice, the Sister grabbed my hand firmly and began walking.

The golden hair glinting under her black veil shimmered so brightly it almost hurt to look at.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had a lamb like you, Yujin. All the others who’ve enrolled recently have been so docile… such good children.”

It will be rewarding to teach you.

She said the last part almost offhandedly, but I had sharp hearing and caught it clearly.

Are the Sisters here also the teachers? All the adults I’d seen around were wearing nun’s habits, so it seemed plausible.

“Do you have a favorite dish, Yujin? I can cook anything you’d like.”

“Not really.”

She seemed to be trying her best to speak kindly and win me over, but after being forced to wear something like a tracking device around my neck, there was no way I could feel good about any of this.

“Yujin.”

The Sister, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped, almost mechanically. Caught off guard while thinking of ways to remove the choker, I bumped into her and fell to the ground.

“Now that you’re my lamb, you’ll need to be mindful of your words from now on.”

Somehow, all the other presences around us had vanished, leaving just the two of us in this vast area.

The Sister slowly turned to face me. She was undoubtedly beautiful, but for some reason, all I could feel was fear.

*Crunch, crunch.*

The sound of her footsteps crunching the fallen leaves on the ground felt terrifying. Without realizing it, I started stepping backward, but soon enough, she grabbed my hand.

“Are… are you threatening me right now?”

“Threatening? Oh no, it’s just a bit of ‘education.’”

“Edu— AAAAAH!!”

The moment I felt her arms around me, a sharp pain pierced my neck.

As the Sister buried her face into my neck, I felt a stabbing pain, like needles or sharp teeth biting into my flesh, every time she moved her mouth.

Desperately, I tried to push her away, but with her build and strength, I was no match for her. My attempts amounted to nothing but flailing.

In fact, she grabbed my resisting wrists and held them firmly, leaving me completely helpless in her grasp.

“It hurts… it hurts!”

I kicked with my still-free legs, but even that was quickly restrained. Before I knew it, my entire body was pinned under hers.

The golden hair brushing against my face smelled sweet, her large chest pressed softly against mine, it was all too much, leaving me with no escape.

Before long, the sharp pain transformed into an inexplicable heat spreading through my body.

“Haah… Yujin.”

“You… you’re insane…”

When she lifted her face, I could see a silver thread dripping between her mouth and my neck, falling onto both our bodies.

Though the throbbing in my neck was excruciating, the strange, ominous flame burning in her sharp eyes was even more terrifying, making me instinctively shut my own eyes.

“Paradise can sometimes become hell for devils.”

“Whether Yujin becomes a devil or an angel to lead this paradise… we’ll just have to wait and see.”

After uttering these cryptic words, the Sister gently held my hand and helped me to my feet.

Still too shocked to process what had happened, I stood frozen as she brushed the dust off my body with a gentle touch that somehow only frightened me more.

“Personally, I hope you’ll become a devil, Yujin. That’s just Catherine’s opinion, not the Sister’s.”

Her hands lingered uncomfortably long on my lower back, and though I tried to ignore it, only one word came to mind.

‘Escape.’

I needed to escape, no matter what.

I’d only met this one person so far, but if even the Sister who welcomed me was like this, there was no way the others would be normal.

Grandma would forgive me if she knew what had happened just 30 minutes after I enrolled.

…Could that be why they confiscated my phone, to prevent me from calling for help?

“Such cute thoughts you’re having. Perhaps your education needs further refinement?”

Hoo—.

“Eek!”

The warm breath brushing against my ear made me retreat in panic.

Watching me, the Sister covered her mouth and chuckled softly, for some reason irritating me beyond measure.

Unable to hold back, I snapped.

“You, you’re!”

“Go on.”

“A… pervert!?”

“Huh?”

When I pointed at her accusingly, the Sister furrowed her brow in confusion, but her expression quickly softened into a dumbfounded look.

Even though I knew I should stop, considering the consequences, I couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“You bit me! Hugged me! Touched my butt! And besides, I’m way younger than you!”

Maybe not mentally, but physically, I was definitely much younger.

“You’re definitely a pervert! I can’t learn from someone like that. Let me out of here!”

As I vented all the pent-up frustration inside me, the Sister stopped moving.

With her head lowered, I couldn’t see her expression, but given the consequences of my disrespect, I could only imagine the worst.

…Should I just make a run for it and try to get home?

“Amusing.”

“Huh?”

“You’re going to be a rewarding student to teach.”

I had braced myself to be slapped, but her voice remained calm and gentle for some reason.

Though she closed the distance between us again, this time, I didn’t feel afraid.

“Yujin, just so you know, I’m only one year older than you.”

Of all the shocking things I’d heard since arriving at this school, this was the most unbelievable. Her warm hand gently held my wrist, completely changing the impression I had of her.

“Now, we’ve delayed enough. It’s almost dinnertime at the dormitory, so let’s hurry along.”

As she walked ahead again, there was no longer any fear or dread radiating from her but rather a surprising sense of humanity.

So much so that I couldn’t help but blurt out another thought.

“Um, Sister… You really look old for your age.”

“…We’ll address that once we reach the dormitory.”

I mean, seriously, I thought she was in her early twenties at least. This isn’t my fault.