The people who had been huddled tightly under Vishap’s wings gasped and stared at the spectacle before their eyes.
Vishap, with his large wings protecting everyone, flew threateningly toward the monsters, wielding his breath weapon with both fearsome and reassuring presence.
Danya, flying atop Red’s back, looked incredible as always.
“Is, is it really safe here?” someone asked in a trembling voice, clearly frightened by the fact that they were hiding beneath the soldier’s wings.
“There’s no safer place than here right now,” came a confident reply.
Those who had been nervously glancing toward the subway station relaxed somewhat at that assurance, still quietly fearful of Vishap but feeling that staying here was better than attempting to escape toward the station.
“But I never imagined those little dragons could get this big…” one muttered.
“Well, they’re dragons, so I thought they’d grow, but seeing them in person, they’re truly amazing.”
“But that breath weapon won’t freeze the entire subway station, right? There’s my shop over there.”
“In the middle of all this, you’re worried about that? Just be thankful we’re alive.”
Though chatting among themselves, everyone couldn’t take their eyes off Vishap and Red.
Danya, flying on Red’s back, attacking monsters in the sky, and the fierce determination of the Yeon siblings and the Bloodline Guild members taking down monsters—it all looked absolutely magnificent.
Especially Danya’s combat skills were truly a sight to behold.
Whenever Danya leapt up to attack a monster and landed back on Red’s back, quiet breaths of awe were heard from all around.
“Is she really a Class 1? She’s practically flying.”
“Don’t other Class 4 awakened ones fight like that too? Like Eun Badana, Han Ji Bin, and the Milky Way-class awakened.”
“Of course, they’re ranked in the top ten for power… but still, it’s incredible.”
Someone raised a question about Danya handling the monsters at a speed comparable to Yeon Ha-yeon, but others quickly countered that even just being Class 4 meant she was incredibly strong, so it made sense she could fight like that.
“I really should take a picture of her—she’s amazing.”
Yeon Hyung-gwang watched Danya fight so well that he felt no need to step in and help, sounding a bit frustrated.
Originally, he had planned to film the dragons’ true forms with his camera, but things had gone far off plan.
With so many people around and the chaotic situation, no Bloodline Guild member dared raise a camera.
Instead, cameras from various broadcasting stations were filming Danya’s battle scenes.
***
Shortly after the situation calmed down, the true forms of Red and Vishap were widely broadcast in raw live news footage, not carefully edited videos.
“Not bad at all,” someone commented.
“Yeah, it’s pretty good.”
Red and Vishap spoke freshly after seeing the news footage I showed them.
They had spent so much time worrying about how to look cool in battle, only to end up revealing their true forms so carelessly.
“You both did well. Thanks to you, few people got hurt, and the situation was quickly contained.”
I sincerely patted the dragons’ backs and praised them.
Their parents, seeing the footage of Red and Vishap on the news, were completely stunned.
They had always just seen them as cute kids, but learning they were such huge dragons was shocking.
They worried whether it was safe for them to roam freely at home, or if they might suddenly grow and wreck the house.
I reassured them that would never happen.
After days of worrying, their parents finally relaxed and showered the two dragons with praise for fighting so impressively.
It wasn’t just their parents.
Everyone present at the scene expressed gratitude, saying it was thanks to Vishap and the two dragons that they survived or suffered minimal damage.
When Vishap and Red heard this, they started spending each day happily with shy, bashful smiles.
***
There was one more change after that day.
“Danya! Can you sign this for me?”
“Hm? I don’t have an autograph.”
“Then at least write your name!”
More and more students from other classes—and even freshmen and sophomores—started coming to see me at school.
Some gave me snacks as gifts, others asked if I could show off Vishap and Red just once because they looked so cool.
“Wow, your popularity exploded.”
“Don’t get surprised.”
Today, someone I didn’t know called me again, so I went out the back door, only to hear Ban Eun-hye quietly teasing me from inside the classroom.
She laughed at how clueless I was about all this attention.
“It’s the first time I’ve experienced this, so what am I supposed to do?”
It was my first time being approached kindly by students from other classes, so I had to awkwardly respond while they sought me out.
Ban Eun-hye saw this and kept making those teasing remarks.
“You know? There’s a Vishap and Red sticker out now.”
“Ah, yeah. It’s drawn really cute.”
“They sell it at the stationery store at the intersection. Want to check it out?”
Ban Eun-hye tilted her head and whispered.
“Now?”
“Yeah, now.”
We all skipped class and headed straight to the stationery store near the big bookstore at the intersection.
Just walking the streets in uniform during the day would attract attention, but since I was with the Four Heavenly Kings, my neck was stiff from all the stares.
Eun Badana refused to come, wanting to study in the classroom with Yeon Ha-yeon, so only Ban Eun-hye, Ji Gang-han, Han Ji Bin, and I went outside the school gate.
“Since we’re out, let’s grab something delicious and then go back!”
“What do you want to eat?”
“How about instant tteokbokki?”
***
Having decided to take care of lunch as well, we entered the stationery store connected to the large bookstore at the intersection.
While wandering around looking for the stickers featuring Red and Vishap’s cute illustrations, I spotted Do I-hyun’s face—so out of place in this setting.
By his side, Hae Mal-eum and Kang Ye-dam waved cheerfully at me.
“What are you guys doing here?”
As I approached, Do I-hyun quickly hid something in his hand behind his back and answered,
“Just ran out because I was out of mechanical pencil leads.”
“So you came all the way here during class to buy leads?”
He nodded silently.
“Just slacking off, huh?”
They didn’t seem much different from us, so I let them be and went back to searching for the stickers.
Then Han Ji Bin suddenly shouted from near Do I-hyun’s display.
“Hey guys! The stickers are here!”
Our eyes met.
Just then, I glanced at the hand Do I-hyun was hiding behind his back.
“Oh, our manager said she really wanted these stickers. They came out really cute.”
Kang Ye-dam cheerfully waved the Red and Vishap stickers.
“You have a manager too?”
I asked, failing to hide my surprise and furrowing my brows.
With a mischievous smile, Kang Ye-dam replied,
“Of course. She’s the only one without a manager… or rather, just me.”
Then she suddenly changed the subject, nudging Hae Mal-eum.
“Hmm?”
“Only me, just me.”
When I laughed and nodded, Kang Ye-dam glanced at Ban Eun-hye and smiled awkwardly.
We unintentionally ended up leaving the stationery store and walking down the street together.
We hadn’t planned to move as a group, but our timings happened to coincide.
I made sure to stand between Do I-hyun and Ban Eun-hye so they wouldn’t walk too close to each other.
“Oh right, today’s the day we study at Dana Eun-hye’s place, right? Can I come too?”
Everyone was quiet, unsure what to say, when Han Ji Bin suddenly spoke up.
***
Suddenly, Kang Ye-dam dropped the stickers she was holding and, eyes wide, stared at Do I-hyun.
“Do you guys study together at your house too?”
“Yeah, she’s my tutor. Now that I’m a senior, you know.”
Kang Ye-dam’s trembling voice asked, and I answered honestly, but Do I-hyun interrupted.
“Let’s meet up and study together too.”
“Oh, you’re good at studying?”
When Do I-hyun asked if I didn’t study but still had top grades like others, Hae Mal-eum chuckled and lightly bumped his shoulder.
“Hey, you’re bad at studying. So this Danya is your tutor… um!”
“Ask someone else.”
Before Hae Mal-eum could say more, Kang Ye-dam pushed her away strongly, brought a finger to her lips, and clicked her tongue.
“Ah, so you’re bad at studying.”
“…Then do well.”
Despite looking like the main character of some inspirational story, he couldn’t study well. For the first time, Do I-hyun felt familiar.
“Heh, if she’s your tutor, there’s no need to study with you, right?”
“Hey, why you gotta say that? Let’s study together at the library later.”
Before Ban Eun-hye could start arguing with Do I-hyun, I stopped her and made plans with him.
Since Ban Eun-hye would definitely cause a fuss if she came to the library, I decided she must never come.
***
The weekend morning we agreed to study at the library with Do I-hyun.
I packed as many books as I could into my bag early on, put my pencil case in last, and left the house.
“You’re here?”
Do I-hyun, already waiting at the library entrance, greeted me with a bright smile.
“Ah, I don’t think this will work.”
I took a step back, seeing the huge crowd of female students behind Do I-hyun.
I hadn’t thought it through.
Studying with Do I-hyun at the library.
“Hmm, this won’t do.”
I said, looking troubled, and Do I-hyun turned to look behind him, pondering before suggesting,
“Then shall we go to my house?”
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