The day after the Welcome Festival was suspiciously quiet.
Too quiet.
Especially considering that yesterday, someone summoned a 30-foot licorice snake and declared magical war like it was casual Friday.
Hana strolled into the classroom with her usual energy: hoodie up, lollipop in mouth, and eyes scanning like a trained assassin... who really didn't want to be awake.
Class 2-A, however, was not in its usual "gossip and coffee" mode.
Everyone was pressed against the windows, whispering.
"Did you hear? Jeon Minjae passed out after arguing with that transfer wizard!"
"No way! He's never passed out. That guy sleeps with one eye open."
"I heard Arin hexed him with a Crush Confession Curse! Now he'll blurt out his feelings to the first person he sees!"
Hana's lollipop snapped in her mouth.
"What."
Sure enough, when Minjae walked in, his shirt was half-buttoned, his eyes dazed, and he looked like he just got tossed out of a fantasy blender.
He locked eyes with Hana and immediately blurted:
"I had a dream you stabbed me with a candy cane and I liked it."
The entire class gasped.
Hana blinked. "What?"
"I—wait—no—I didn't mean—" Minjae clamped a hand over his mouth. "I can't stop saying stupid stuff! Every time I see you, my brain malfunctions!"
Lee Arin strolled in, sipping from a glass of glowing blue tea. "Oops. Must be my fault. New spells aren't stable yet. Sorry-not-sorry."
"Reverse it," Hana growled.
"Or what?" Arin smirked. "You'll throw another mint dagger at me? I still have a scar from the last one."
"Reverse it," Minjae mumbled through gritted teeth. "Please. I just told my math teacher she reminded me of a cute platypus. She gave me detention and a pamphlet on emotional repression."
Arin sighed, flipping his sugar staff. "Fine. But you owe me. I'll take payment in one of three forms: a date, your soul, or your cafeteria lunch card."
Minjae looked at Hana.
Hana rolled her eyes. "Give him your lunch card."
"Done."
A flick of Arin's staff, a burst of pink smoke, and suddenly Minjae snapped out of it—glaring daggers at Arin.
"Next time you curse me," he said, "I'm feeding you to Hana's mafia uncles."
Arin grinned. "Kinky."
Later That Day...
Things were almost calm again—until someone triggered the Emergency Bell.
A deep, echoing voice boomed through the school:
"INTRUDER ALERT. CODE: GINGERBREAD. ALL STUDENTS TO SAFETY ZONES."
Students scrambled.
Hana, however, pulled out her earbuds, casually unwrapped a new strawberry sweet, and muttered, "Took them long enough."
"What does 'Code: Gingerbread' mean?" Minjae asked, grabbing her arm as sirens wailed.
"It means someone broke into the Forbidden Sweet Vault," she replied. "And I have a very bad feeling I know who."
They raced toward the lower levels of the school—past enchanted lockers that hissed spells, sliding staircases, and portraits of angry ex-headmasters who tried to snitch.
At the vault's entrance stood a single figure—Kang Mirae, the school's top student, the Ice Princess of the Student Council, and someone with a major crush on Minjae.
She turned, eyes glowing cold blue.
"I warned you, Hana," she said. "Stay away from him."
Hana blinked. "Girl, now is not the time."
"You brought chaos. Magic. Unstable sugar relics. And him?" She pointed at Minjae. "He used to be calm. Now he's flirty. I BLAME YOU."
She raised a hand. A swirl of ice cream magic—yes, literal ice cream—shot from her fingers.
"Okay, that's new," Minjae said.
Hana dodged the blast, pulling out a stick of gum with red swirls.
"Cherry Chaos flavor," she whispered. "Perfect for frosty freak-outs."
She blew a bubble—and as it popped, a mini candy dragon appeared, roaring and flying straight toward Mirae.
Magic clashed. Sprinkles rained from the sky. The hall turned into a dessert war zone.
Minjae tackled Hana behind a fallen candy vending machine.
"This is getting ridiculous," he said.
Hana popped another lollipop. "Welcome to my world."
Somewhere Far Beneath the School…
In a glowing chamber of sugar crystals and whispering voices, someone watched the battle through a glowing orb.
"She's waking them up," the shadowy figure muttered. "The relics. The bloodline. The Sweet Core."
Another figure appeared beside them—wearing a long coat made of licorice strands.
"Should we stop her?" they asked.
The first figure smiled.
"No. Let her stir the chaos. Let the showdown begin."