After her first kiss with Yu-jin, Sia began secretly dating him. Every day, she indulged in the thrill of their private moments, savoring each secret exchange. But after just a few weeks, Sia started having doubts.

*What about the other girls? What are they doing?*

---

[Sia] "Yu-jin, have you done anything with that fox, Alice, or Ninomiya? Like… a kiss?"  
[Yu-jin] "No?"  
[Sia] "…Hmm."

*Why haven’t they done anything?*

The reason Sia suspected Alice and Aika was simple. Since her first year at the academy, she had fragments of memories, hazy yet undeniably clear. She, Alice, and Ninomiya Aika—all were drawn to Yu-jin in a way that went beyond friendship.

*If my theory is correct, they must feel the same way I do.*

Sia had put together a theory based on those memories. The sense of familiarity, warmth, and longing she felt for Yu-jin from the first moment they met—she suspected Alice and Aika shared those inexplicable feelings too.

*I thought they’d be quick to act, so I let things slide.*

After all, if her memories were right, those two were notorious for being bold, particularly Alice, who always seemed impatient to have Yu-jin to herself. Yet, over these three weeks, neither Alice nor Aika had made a move. While Sia went on dates with Yu-jin, kissed him, and stayed up all night talking, they remained silent.

*In those memories…*

[Sia’s Memory] "Hm. Yu-jin, your first kiss… Why are you turning away? Did that fox take it?"  
[Yu-jin] "Well, she did say it was customary in England, around three weeks in…"  
[Sia] "That crazy girl!"

*If this memory is true, there’s no way Alice would be so quiet.*

It made no sense. According to her memory, Alice kissed Yu-jin within three weeks. By now, seven weeks in, she should have kissed him dozens of times. And yet, not even once?

*…Are my memories fake?*

That doubt had held Sia back for weeks. She feared her recollections were mere fantasies, that if she mentioned them, she’d be seen as delusional.

*No more hesitation. I’ll find a chance to test it, directly, with Alice.*

But she wasn’t entirely passive. Like a snake observing its prey, she waited for the right moment.

*…Now’s the time!*  
"So, do you like Yu-jin?"

Sia chose the perfect moment to strike. Exhausted after a ten-hour battle, Alice wasn’t prepared.

"Well, as a member of the Pine Needle Clan…" Alice trailed off.

*Sia smirked.*

*Ah, denial—exactly where I was a few weeks ago.*

Sia’s smile widened as she saw right through Alice’s reply. What, she likes him but doesn’t love him? That she’d date him if he confessed? Those were Sia’s exact thoughts during their theme park date. *Pathetic.*

*I can press her a little more.*

"What about you, Sia? Do you love him?"  
"Yes. As a man."

With merciless precision, Sia declared her feelings for Yu-jin. With her pride discarded, she made her stance clear: *I love him.*

The drained mage tried to evade but faltered.

"W-well, Sia, it’s only been two months since we enrolled, so…"  
"Two months is enough. He’s handsome, talented, and has a good heart."  
"So you fell in love with him in just two months? Doesn’t that make you… easy?"  
"You’re mistaken. I’m only easy for Yu-jin."

Alice’s attempts at mocking her were futile.

Easy? So what if she was? Thanks to it, she’d already shared a romantic first kiss, much like Alice supposedly had in those memories.

*There was no way a still-unkissed girl’s words could hurt her.*

"Sia, I…"  
"So, I’m dating Yu-jin now."  
"No, you can’t!"  
"And who are you to say so? You don’t even like him. I love him."  
"Ugh…"

Alice’s gaze shifted away as if lost.

Sia dating Yu-jin? She couldn’t stand it. While she couldn’t exactly object, the idea made her sick.

*Clenching her fists.*  
"…I should be the one dating Yu-jin."

Finally, Alice’s true feelings slipped out. She believed that she, not Sia, should be with Yu-jin.

"Oh? You *should* be the one? Got a reason?"  
"Of course! Everyone in England supports us, and… dating Yu-jin would… help…"  
"For the good of your country? How noble."  
"That’s not the only reason! I have other reasons that you wouldn’t understand! It’s for Yu-jin’s sake!!"

Alice clung to her excuse. She needed to date him for England, for Yu-jin’s well-being.

And Sia?

*Sigh.*  
*She’s exactly like I was a few weeks ago. If I hadn’t kissed him, I’d probably still be fumbling around, too.*

She felt pity for Alice. Her feelings for Yu-jin were obvious, yet she hid behind flimsy justifications. Watching as an outsider, it was downright frustrating.

"And what about your own feelings?" Sia asked, her tone softening.  
"…What?"  
"Forget all those ‘for Yu-jin’ reasons. Just honestly—what do *you* want?"

The gentler question made Alice blink quickly, her thoughts thrown into turmoil.

*What I want with Yu-jin…?*

*The entrance exam, remember?* Sia pressed on. *Didn’t you feel instantly drawn to him, like you’d known him for years? Didn’t he keep crossing your mind?*

This was the heart of Sia’s test.

"How… how do you know that?" Alice asked, her voice barely a whisper.  
"How could I not? Whenever you’re with him, don’t you feel a strange sense of déjà vu? And don’t your actions get a little weird when he’s around?"  
"Y-yes! Just like you said!"

Alice’s exhaustion and shock from Sia’s confession left her too unguarded to dodge the question. Sia’s grin spread wider.

*That inexplicable fondness from the very first meeting. She felt it too.*

The familiarity she had sensed from the day of the entrance ceremony, that odd attraction to a stranger—Alice had it as well.

There were two possibilities. Either Alice, like her, had hidden memories, or Yu-jin had secretly hypnotized them.

*But that goody-goody wouldn’t do that. So it’s likely the first option. Then why hasn’t she kissed him?*

If Alice really felt the same, why hadn’t she made any moves yet? She’d been bold enough to kiss him within three weeks without any mysterious fondness.

"So, what about a kiss? In England, isn’t that just a friendly greeting? Haven’t you wanted to kiss Yu-jin?"

Sia pushed her question further, curious why Alice hadn’t taken action.

And Alice…

*POOF.*

"K-k-k-k-kiss!? Are you insane? What do you think England is!?" Alice’s cheeks flushed, and she shook her head vigorously, embarrassed.

*The thought of Yu-jin’s flesh mingling with hers, his pink lips exploring her mouth… it’s too much!*

…That intense blush held the answer. The thought of kissing Yu-jin had stayed out of her mind.

In her innocent past, a kiss was a simple peck. But now, a kiss had turned into a prelude to intimacy. In her mind, it was part of foreplay, a precursor to… other things.

Of course, she knew that kisses didn’t always mean that… But no. If she kissed him, she could never see Yu-jin as “just a friend” again. He would become something more.

Her cheeks burned at the thought, a reaction so overly cautious that it appeared almost naive.

*What…? Even people in the Joseon Dynasty wouldn’t be so embarrassed by a kiss.*

Sia couldn’t have guessed how deeply Alice was overthinking it.

*Sigh. This memory really might be fake… but then again, so much of it aligns.*

For a moment, Sia’s previously clear mind twisted with doubt.

Everything fit her theory, except for this one significant detail: Alice’s bashfulness over something as simple as a kiss.

*Whether the memory is real or not, I only have one thing to do.*

*Sigh.*

"Alright. Do what you want, Alice. I’ll do the same," Sia said, standing up and dusting herself off.

Her blue eyes, filled with emotion, turned toward the sky.

*Real or fake, there's no way I’ll let her have Yu-jin’s lips if she can’t even admit her feelings.*

Sia looked back at Alice, half-smiling, half-sympathetic.

For nearly thirty seconds, they held each other’s gaze in silence.

*Take your time, slow fox.*

*Meanwhile… a kiss with Yu-jin… no, maybe even s-s… Well, a Pine Needle Clan member could be that close, right?*

Despite the vast differences in their thoughts—about 1,538 degrees of separation—Sia had no idea.

---

Meanwhile, as Sia and Alice had their awkward conversation…

"Are you serious, Gong?"  
"Yes. There’s

 a monster up ahead."

They were nearing the deepest part of the gate, the lair of the dungeon’s ruler—the boss room.

"A monster… that will kill me."

The one with future sight had just spoken of his own death.