I Became the Childhood Friend Who Commits Suicide

Chapter 66

The intense tremors from the ongoing battle continued to shake the ground.

Inside the shrine, the students anxiously murmured among themselves, wondering what was happening outside. But the instructors stood firmly by the door, blocking it and maintaining strict order.

“Everyone, stay calm and wait inside!”

“Do not open the door under any circumstances.”

“But what’s going on out there?”

Despite the students’ protests, the instructors remained silent. It seemed they wouldn’t be moving until the situation was resolved or the shrine collapsed entirely.

Amid the unrest, however, there were students who maintained a calm demeanor, showing little reaction to the chaos. One such student was Han Si-hyun, who sat in a corner, composed as if nothing were happening. Her unbandaged eye betrayed no hint of what she might be thinking.

Valentina, watching Si-hyun, turned to Si woo with an anxious gaze. Si woo, like Si-hyun, displayed little emotion, yet there was something unsettling about her. She stared blankly at the door, as if in a trance.

“Si woo, what do you think is happening…?”

“Light.”

“…What?”

Valentina tilted her head, wondering if she had misheard him. But Si woo continued murmuring incomprehensible words.

“It’s because of that light.”

“Si woo…?”

“It’s strange. It feels as if… the light is calling to me.”

His words were baffling, enough to make her worry if the trauma he’d been carrying had finally overwhelmed him.

In this dim shrine, the only light was the faint glow of the candles in the back. Yet Si woo’s gaze was fixed solely on the door.

Thud!

Another tremor shook the shrine.

How fierce was the battle raging outside?

With a hardened expression, Valentina grabbed Si woo’s sleeve.

“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of going out there?”

He couldn’t.

The instructors were so adamant about keeping them inside for a reason, surely.

If he went outside recklessly, his life would be in danger.

She couldn’t let him leave. Valentina still cared deeply for Si woo. Even though he had changed completely since that day, her feelings for him hadn’t wavered.

“I have to go.”

“No! The instructors would never allow it anyway!”

Though they spoke in a secluded corner, their voices were growing loud enough to draw attention. Si woo met her gaze with unwavering eyes.

“Please.”

“…What do you want me to do?”

“Just distract them for a moment. I’ll handle the rest.”

Valentina let out a heavy sigh.

They say the one who loves more is bound to suffer, but in unrequited love, one would give everything and more.

The most frustrating part was that, even though she knew he didn’t feel the same, being needed by him still felt oddly fulfilling.

—

Taking advantage of the distraction, Si woo slipped out of the shrine.

Outside, the sky was now filled with dark clouds, as if a storm was brewing.

It looked like rain was coming.

Whenever he watched the rain, Si woo thought of one person. And seeing the light leaking from the small shrine brought that same memory to his mind.

Why?

He’d told himself there was no connection, yet the radiant light shining through that tiny crack reminded him so much of Hana.

Drip. Drip.

Just as he expected, raindrops began to fall, dotting the earth and creating a delicate melody.

The rain wasn’t heavy; it carried a refreshing energy. But Si woo was too focused to appreciate the change in weather.

He ran with all his might toward the shrine, as if doing so would solve everything—as if he could meet the girl he missed so much each time it rained.

It wasn’t far, so he reached his destination in no time. The door, which had been slightly open just a moment ago, was now tightly shut.

Did the shrine maiden close it?

Without pausing to catch his breath, Si woo approached the shrine.

As if responding to him, the light within began to shine even brighter, piercing through the closed door.

Was this a dream? A hallucination?

It felt surreal, yet he knew this was real. Carefully, he stepped closer and opened the shrine door.

Inside was a small space, and at its center, the source of the light stood in all its glory: a brilliant golden chalice, pristine and untouched.

Mesmerized by its beauty, Si woo stared at the chalice, almost spellbound. Then, without thinking, he reached out.

Tap, tap.

He heard footsteps approaching from behind.

Someone was coming toward the shrine.

Si woo snapped out of his trance, quickly looking around before grabbing the chalice.

Instantly, a blinding white light filled the narrow shrine, rendering him momentarily sightless.

When his vision returned, he noticed something strange.

The chalice was gone. He had held it just a moment ago, but now its presence had vanished completely.

He looked around, but there was no trace of it.

No… the light… Hana…

He was pulled from his thoughts as the footsteps drew closer. If the person approaching was an enemy, he might die here, without resistance.

The footsteps stopped, and he heard the door creak open.

And then—

“Who are you?”

Startled by the familiar voice, Si woo turned.

He hadn’t expected to see a face he recognized. Instead, standing before him was someone wearing a distinctive sheep mask.

It instantly reminded him of another face he could never forget.

It was like an anti-thesis to that person in every way.

A girl, not a man.

A sheep, not a goat.

Curved horns, not straight ones.

A white cape, not black.

All of this only reinforced his suspicion that this girl was somehow connected to Black Goat.

But that wasn’t what mattered most right now.

Her voice was painfully familiar.

Even her hair, although tied back in a ponytail, was the same color. It was hard to tell because of her hairstyle, but it seemed closer to fluffy curls than straight hair.

Her build was slightly taller, but she still looked similar.

Could it be possible?

A person who looked so much like the girl he’d yearned for? And that she wore attire resembling that of an enemy?

Could this be mere coincidence?

No. He couldn’t believe in such a coincidence.

If he had to believe in something, he would rather believe in a miracle.

A miracle that the childhood friend he thought lost had returned.

With a trembling voice, Si woo spoke.

“…H-Hana. Is it you? Yoo Hana.”

“Where is the Grail? Answer me.”

“Hana. It’s me. Si woo… remember?”

Their eyes met. After a brief silence, the girl spoke.

“I am not Yoo Hana. I am White Sheep. That is my name.”

“…What?”

That couldn’t be.

Si woo pushed aside the crushing despair in his heart, refusing to accept reality.

She was Hana. She had to be.

They had been inseparable for eighteen years. How could he be mistaken? He had missed her every day of those six months, never forgetting her for even a moment.

White Sheep regarded him quietly before taking a step closer.

The distance between them closed until they stood face-to-face.

In her golden eyes, he saw his own reflection.

“That attire… you belong to the Academy.”

“…”

“My teacher gave me an order. To kill everyone from the Academy.”

Golden light began to radiate from White Sheep’s body.

The brilliant glow was strikingly similar to that of the chalice Si woo had sought so desperately just moments before.

“Humans and demons are enemies. I bear no personal grudge, but I’ll need you to die here. I’ll make sure it’s painless.”

White Sheep extended her hand.

As the light gathered around her palm, forming into a sphere, Si woo stood there, staring at the girl in the sheep mask.

He desperately tried to glimpse the face behind that mask. It was a futile struggle, yet he couldn’t help himself.

“Then… goodbye.”

But in that instant, White Sheep’s attack failed.

A blade of light appeared at her throat from behind, preventing her from moving.

With one eye covered by a bandage, a girl with a cold gaze spoke firmly.

“Take off that mask.”

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