That night, the house was silent, but Seo-yoon's mind was a storm of silver lockets and red eyes. As she finally drifted into a deep sleep, her subconscious pulled her into a vivid, haunting dream. In this world, she wasn't just a student; she was a celestial Angel with shimmering white wings, standing in a garden of eternal light. However, the sky suddenly turned blood-red as a powerful Devil emerged from the shadows. He didn't want to destroy her; he wanted her divine power to become invincible.
The dream felt terrifyingly real as the Devil leaned in—his face a perfect, dark reflection of Ji-hoon. He whispered that he could only take her power if she fell in love with him and gave it to him willingly. If an angel surrendered her heart to a demon, her grace would become his ultimate weapon. Seo-yoon woke up drenched in a cold sweat, her heart hammering against her ribs. The dream's warning was clear: Ji-hoon's "love" might not be a romance at all, but a calculated trap to steal something precious from her.
Seo-yoon sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes and trying to shake off the lingering chill of the dream. "An angel and a devil? Seriously?" she muttered to herself, frustrated that her brain was turning her stressful school life into a literal supernatural drama. She decided to ignore it completely, chalking it up to eating too much spicy ramyun or listening to Eun-jin's K-drama theories for too long. Still, she couldn't help but feel deeply shocked that Ji-hoon—the guy she had just rejected—was the one starring in her nightmares as a power-hungry demon.
The next morning at school, Seo-yoon tried to act normal, but every time she caught a glimpse of Ji-hoon's blonde hair or felt his gaze from across the room, her heart did a nervous little flip. She stayed glued to Leon's side, finding comfort in their growing friendship, but the dream's warning stayed tucked in the back of her mind like a dark secret. Even as she laughed at Kim and Eun-jin's bickering, she felt a strange, heavy energy whenever Ji-hoon walked past, as if the "agreement" from her dream was a real contract she was terrified of signing.
The next day, a heavy downpour trapped everyone inside, turning the school hallways grey and gloomy. Leon immediately noticed that Seo-yoon was quieter than usual, her eyes distant as she jumped at every small sound. He pulled her aside near the lockers, his expression full of genuine concern as he asked if she was feeling okay or if the stress of the new student was getting to her. Seo-yoon tried to fake a smile, but the memory of her dream—the Angel and the Devil—felt like a heavy weight she couldn't shake off.
While Leon went to grab them some drinks, Seo-yoon retreated to the quiet of the school library to clear her head. But as she moved between the tall, dusty shelves, the lights flickered, and a familiar, chilling presence blocked her path. It was Ji-hoon. He didn't say a word at first, just watched her with those piercing red eyes that seemed to glow in the dim light. He leaned against a bookshelf, trapping her in a small corner, and whispered, "You saw it, didn't you? The dream wasn't just a dream, Seo-yoon. It was a memory of the contract you haven't signed yet."
Seo-yoon's heart raced as she realized he knew exactly what she had seen in her sleep.
Terrified by Ji-hoon's chilling words about the "contract," Seo-yoon's instincts took over. The library felt suddenly too small, and the way his red eyes glowed in the dim light made her heart hammer against her ribs. Without thinking, she sucked in a breath and screamed for Leon, her voice echoing through the quiet stacks of books. Within seconds, the sound of heavy footsteps thundered down the aisle, and Leon burst around the corner, his face pale with worry. He didn't hesitate for a second—he shoved himself between Seo-yoon and Ji-hoon, his eyes flashing with a protective fury she had never seen before.
The standoff was electric. Leon's fists were clenched at his sides as he demanded to know what Ji-hoon was doing, while Ji-hoon simply stepped back, a dark, amused smirk playing on his lips. He didn't look scared at all; in fact, he looked like he had expected this exact reaction. "You're fast, Leon," Ji-hoon remarked coolly, "but you can't protect her from the truth forever." As the librarian hurried over to see what the commotion was about, the heavy silence between the three of them felt like a ticking time bomb. Eun-jin and Kim appeared at the entrance, shocked to see the trio in such a heated confrontation, realizing that the "friendship" they were building was about to be tested by a much darker force.