The Gloomy and Timid Princess Heads to the Academy

---

It was quiet. It felt as if Dongon didn’t recommend this place for no reason; it was so silent that it was hard to believe it was the academy after the exam.

However, if I strained my ears just a bit, I could hear sounds more sinister and gloomy than the wails of the dead coming from all around.

– My hypothesis… was wrong. I thought I got it right this time…

– Mana level measurement results… discrepancy. Huh? Why? They should have been under the same conditions! What the…?

The whispers among the leaves were quieter than the growing despair of the seniors, their hopes and efforts crumbling silently.

…Well, it’s none of my business. All I have to do is stay quiet. There was an announcement from the entrance not to make any noise, after all.

I couldn’t tell whether it was because of those seniors or the plants planted inside.

“Dongon. Doesn’t it feel a bit too quiet here…?”

I was hoping for a moderately deserted place, not this absolute silence.

“Really? I think this is just fine. It’s quiet, there’s a breeze. Isn’t it nice? I like it.”

With a look that seemed to indicate that everything was just blissful, how could I say I didn’t like it? He looked so comfortable that I couldn’t bring myself to suggest we go somewhere else.

“…Well. If you like it…”

Dongon might think it’s quiet, but to my ears, it felt like a garden filled with sorrow. Each word from the seniors dripped with such profound hopelessness.

Although their words weren’t directed at me, they made me uncomfortable, so I nestled a little closer to Dongon.

Dongon, surprised by my sudden closeness, showed a brief look of confusion but soon adjusted and seemed to take it a step further.

“…Is this okay?”

The brat casually placed his hand around my waist.

“Eep…?!”

I was momentarily startled by the sudden warmth against my side. I didn’t dislike it, but it felt… a bit ticklish.

“…Uh. B-but, don’t move too much… it tickles.”

Just the touch of his hand made me feel like I might break into a smile. I had no idea what would happen if I ended up laughing in this solemn place.

…It’s definitely not because I’m happy. My chest may feel a bit fluttery, but it’s probably just my body responding to the ticklish sensation.

“Ah… you’re sensitive, huh. Got it. Then, is it okay here…?”

Dongon’s hand moved to rest on my hip.

…So, that didn’t tickle. If someone asked me whether I was lost in thought, I would definitely say no.

I glanced at Dongon, wondering if he had finally gone insane because he was looking at me with a peculiar, mischievous smile.

This guy. He’s doing this on purpose, isn’t he?

“You…!”

As I tried to protest to Dongon, he merely placed his finger over his lips, silencing me.

“You’ve been teasing me all this time. You can’t handle it since you’ve only been on the receiving end.”

You seriously held onto that? Did he not forgive me like a man…? No, more than that, he reacted instantly every time.

There were plenty of things I wanted to argue, but I could only bite my lip in silence since I was partly at fault.

If I ever get out of here, I won’t let this slide. But Dongon disregarding my resolve, began bringing up what I had said in the past.

“Hey, Hoyeon. Do you remember what you said back then? To ask if I wanted to pet you. Hoyeon. Can I ‘pet’ you now?”

It seemed the reason he chose the botanical garden was to mess with me.

It wasn’t the time to critique such things, but a man can’t just retract what he’s said. No, it’s not like I can run away right now anyway.

But it was something said between friends. After much hesitation, I finally reached a conclusion.

“…You just wait…!”

I will take your punishment accordingly, Princess. Dongon whispered as he slowly began to move his hand.

“…Huh.”

I tried to gather my thoughts while recalling the faces of the suffering seniors, but unfortunately, my body did not cooperate as I wanted.

Dongon’s touch, which wasn’t even ticklish before, started to feel quite stimulating. Not to mention, he was skilled enough that I couldn’t just disregard or look down on it.

Moreover, for some reason, my stomach began to contract. Why did he have to be doing this at this moment?

“Why is that? Princess. Are you unwell?”

Unlike Dongon, who spoke in a voice barely audible to my ears, my breath grew louder with every second.

I briefly considered asking to go somewhere else, but that felt too embarrassing. It felt like I would be conceding somehow.

Even while sorting out my thoughts, my body was steadily heating up. I was still able to keep it under control, and I thought the worst wasn’t going to happen.

“Ugh…?!”

At least, that was until Dongon pressed down hard on the sensitive spot on my tail.

– – – –

Was this too much? I wondered as I caught sight of Hoyeon letting out soft sounds.

It seemed this reached the ears of several seniors nearby, as those who had been staring blankly at the trees like zombies now focused their attention on us.

Their hunched posture and eyes reminiscent of corpses sent a chill down my spine, but Hoyeon didn’t seem to notice at all.

Catnip must have worked. I figured it might take effect on felines, but the results exceeded expectations.

Just by the way her expression, which she had been maintaining, suddenly loosened.

“…D-Dongon… don’t touch there…!”

With a trembling voice, it seemed Hoyeon was begging me not to touch that spot. I couldn’t hear the rest of her plea as I pushed further into that area, causing her to shudder in ecstasy.

Whether she thought of it as pleasure or something else altogether was beyond me.

Did it really need to go this far? I didn’t think there was any need to rush. Wouldn’t that just provoke her resistance?

Additionally, seeing that presence made what I was doing even less wise.

Yet, I knew very well the reason why I insisted on this foolishness. It was out of anxiety.

After all, Anya and Eric, who claimed they had no feelings for each other, were now acting like they were in love. And although no one had said anything yet, Cecilia and Ethan already emitted a romantic atmosphere.

And Camilla, along with her friend and doormat, Exipri. Each was out finding their own pair, making me wonder if Hoyeon would be the same.

Had I not met Anya and Eric during the day, I would have gone somewhere ordinary like a café.

She seemed oblivious to it, but I could tell they had done such things. So I worried that Hoyeon might also end up in a similar situation without me knowing.

Thus, I came to this one thought. If only I could completely bind her to me.

That’s the only reason I was hurriedly acting.

“Ugh… Dongon. I’m begging you… please, just be gentle there… it feels strange…”

Seeing Hoyeon pleading with her tear-streaked voice brought me back to my senses. Even if she liked me, there had to be a limit.

Wasn’t what I was about to do crossing that boundary?

Just thinking about it felt like plunging into icy water. Plus, with all the attention we were drawing, I had to stop.

Damn couples, I should take them out.

I didn’t have the confidence to endure any longer in front of those who were killing us with their glares.

“…Yes, Princess. Let’s leave it at that. And from now on, please tease me appropriately. You’ve been kind of overdoing it lately.”

“I understand… I’ll behave… It’s my fault…”

The looks got a bit more menacing, as if to say they’d dissect us if we carried on with any more affection, so I hastily led the dazed Hoyeon out of the botanical garden.

And I waited for her to regain her composure. What I had just done could be seen as a form of affection, after all, so it would probably take a while.

…Realizing this made me understand how dangerous my actions had been. I was openly dishing out affection in public.

I must have truly lost my mind, Han Dongon. Thank goodness Hoyeon was naïve; had she known what just happened, it would have been no surprise if our relationship had shattered right there.

“…Haah, uugh… Dongon, you…! Apologize…!”

Though Hoyeon couldn’t precisely articulate what had happened, she seemed to realize she had been put in an embarrassing position and thus demanded an apology.

Of course, I should apologize. This was practically an outdoor exhibition.

“I’m really sorry, Hoyeon. I think I got carried away this time. Even if you get mad, I won’t make excuses. I messed up.”

I sincerely apologized for my recent misdeeds.

I considered bowing, but I knew that would only upset the proud Hoyeon, so I refrained.

Whether my sincere apology reached her or not, she seemed to have calmed down somewhat. With a big sigh, she slowly opened her mouth.

“…Haah. So you’re acknowledging your mistake. Then, I’ll let you off the hook if you fulfill one of my requests. If you don’t, you can avoid me for a week. What will it be?”

What else could I do? There was only one option, and that was the former. I was so anxious about growing distant from her that I resorted to such a head-scratching position.

“Okay. What’s the request?”

“…So… about where we were petting earlier… could you, um, pet it with a bit more gentleness…?”