Chapter 65. Regular Meeting (2)
Chapter 65. Regular Meeting (2)
The sudden sneer left me feeling dazed.
Why the fuck are these assholes so eager to see me dead?
Seeing the blue brooch on his chest, I realized the short guy was a second-year male cadet.
Anyone would think he was my superior or something.
“New member of the PR department. Take your seat quickly. If you’re late, at least act fast like Elise.”
A man sitting at the far right end spoke up.
Looking at his face, I recognized him as the Vice President. It was the same face I had seen in the photo with Moon Surin last time.
The men sitting on the right mostly sent me hostile glances, while the women on the left seemed to send positive signals.
...Ah, what the fuck is this?
Deep inside, I felt a strong signal telling me not to sit on the right.
★ Heroine Status Window
[Moon Surin]
- [ Affection: 62 ]
- [ Lust: 40 ]
- [ Appetite: 50 ]
- [ Fatigue: 85 ]
Current Status: Extremely displeased because the Vice President’s faction is picking a fight with the already exhausted Lee Hoyeon. About to explode.
Her tired look was actually because we had too much sex last night, but I felt kind of guilty for it.
I got the gist of the situation.
The right side was the Vice President’s faction, and the left side was the President’s faction.
Naturally, I took a seat next to Elise.
I could feel the hostile stares from the right, but I ignored them and looked at Moon Surin.
Her expression didn’t look good, so I smiled and nodded to reassure her.
“Sigh... We will now begin the regular meeting. The first agenda was originally about student management for next week’s midterms, but we will first address the dungeon training terrorist attack that occurred yesterday.”
Seeing my face, Moon Surin thankfully let it slide without saying anything.
Even if an image is ruined, it should be mine, not hers. Especially since ridiculous rumors about her getting mad over a man could spread and mess with her mentality even more.
“Eight dead. Twenty-two injured. Other details are compiled in front of you. The academy will handle the rest, but our job is to calm the students. Does anyone have any opinions on this?”
“Since the person involved is here, why don’t we ask Lee Hoyeon about it, President?”
“...Vice President. Do you even hear yourself right now?”
“I don’t mind. What do you want to know?”
I answered before Moon Surin could speak up.
Vice President Shin Dongmin glared at me with blatant hostility.
He must have realized that Moon Surin and I were getting close.
Otherwise, there was no reason for him to be so openly antagonistic.
Forcing me to attend this meeting was probably part of his plan.
“There are many things to ask. As someone who was directly involved, think of something to say to help the other cadets.”
‘Is this fucker even human?’
His words were an insult not just to me but to all the victims of the attack.
“Yeah. Or maybe you can regale us with a heroic tale about how you took down an ogre. Pffft...”
The short guy who had picked a fight with me earlier chimed in.
“Hey! That’s way out of line! Is that something you should say to a junior who survived a terrorist attack?”
“What’s the big deal? Did Lee Hoyeon suffer any losses? If anything, he just added ‘killed an ogre’ to his career, didn’t he?”
“That’s not the point! Are you guys really part of the student council?”
The secretary sitting beside the President was passionately arguing on my behalf.
I appreciated it, but Moon Surin looked like she was about to explode. I had to step in before she did.
“It’s truly heartwarming to see my seniors care so much for their juniors. I’m deeply touched.”
“...What did you just say?”
“The way you support my success is inspiring, senior. I’d love to return the favor. How should I do that?”
I stared directly at the short senior as I spoke.
“Tsk. You must think you’re something special just because people are hyping you up. But if you’re so amazing, why haven’t you made a mark at the academy yet? Huh?”
The fuck? Midterms haven’t even happened yet. What kind of mark am I supposed to make?
Beating up my peers doesn’t count, and even the headmaster’s personal acknowledgment didn’t work on these morons. So, would acing the exams actually convince them?
...Would beating up a senior make them believe me?
“Senior, if you don’t believe me, why don’t we have a sparring match? Under the condition that the video gets posted on social media.”
“W-what did you say?”
As expected, these types never know how to react when someone they think is weak pushes back hard. Idiots.
“...New PR member, is that how you address your seniors?”
The Vice President finally intervened after watching the short guy flounder.
“Seniors? Do I really have to treat someone who speaks like that as a senior, Vice President?”
“...Such an ill-mannered brat. Just like a damn orphan.”
The Vice President muttered quietly while looking at me.
“...?”
I was momentarily speechless.
Just because I didn’t call him ‘sir,’ he went straight for a personal attack.
“Vice President!”
“President, did I say something wrong? Accepting a parentless orphan into the student council... is a disgrace.”
Crazy bastard.
“Crazy bastard.”
His words were so utterly deranged that I blurted out my thoughts without thinking.
Thankfully, I had no tragic memories of struggling as an orphan, so I wasn’t sad—just pissed off.
But human psychology is funny. Even if you know better, once you hear something like that, you start to develop biases.
Like if someone told you, ‘That guy looks normal, but he’s actually gay!’
Even if you had never thought about it before, you’d start seeing his every move in a different light.
Even if you don’t want to be prejudiced, it’s something that inevitably happens.
That bastard was aiming for that effect.
Even if his reputation took a hit, he wanted to make sure Moon Surin knew I was an orphan.
“Vice President... I’m really disappointed. Judging a person based on something like that.”
But that was a short-sighted move.
No matter how beautiful and kind Moon Surin is, she isn’t some trophy an ordinary man can just win over.
She practically runs both the student council and the academy’s administrative work. It’s something only a highly capable person can do.
There’s no way someone like her would open her heart to a man full of secrets so easily.
She must have already done her background check on me.
“President, everyone says that on the surface. But deep down, they think differently. The student council must be perfect. There’s no need to create a weakness. That’s what’s best for Victoria Academy.”
Wow, how the hell do I handle this?
His confidence is giving me a headache.
Anyone would think he’s some martyr dedicating his life to the student council.
“And, new PR member. What did you just say to me? Did I mishear?”
“...”
“Speaking like that to the Vice President is an insult to the President, who recommended you. Are you aware of that?”
I hesitated on how to respond.
Honestly, this wasn’t my original plan.
My intention was to pretend to cooperate with the Vice President, who orchestrated the stalker incident, and then dramatically reveal the truth, just like when I saved Lucy.
But from our first meeting, he had already been hostile towards me, and Lucy, still traumatized from Felix, lingered in my mind.
My plan was already ruined.
“If you sincerely apologize now, I might give you a chance to take back that mistake.”
But why should I bow my head when I’ve done nothing wrong?
I don’t even want to pretend to cooperate with a lunatic like him.
The only thing that worries me is that if I act too recklessly, it might reflect poorly on Moon Surin, who recommended me.
Still, I have a plan for image management. I’ll have to smooth things over through PR activities.
“If you apologize first for calling me an orphan, then I’ll apologize too.”
“So stubborn. If you don’t like it, are you going to challenge me to a duel too? Well, a duel with the student council’s Vice President—what better way to prove your skills?”
Shin Dongmin smirked unpleasantly.
A duel, huh.
Shin Dongmin isn’t weak. He didn’t become Vice President for nothing.
Plus, the original game’s power balance is ridiculous.
Most ordinary cadets are manageable, but third-year named characters are as strong as A-rank Hunters—maybe even stronger.
Since the protagonist keeps getting stronger, the villains had to scale up too, leading to some balance issues.
Even Moon Surin reaches beyond A-rank Hunter level when she awakens.
I don’t know exactly how strong Shin Dongmin is.
In the original story’s timeline, he was far beyond an ogre’s level, but this is an earlier point in time.
I’m known as a fire-element mage. And Shin Dongmin is clearly a water-element mage.
He’s confident in his skills and has the elemental advantage, which is why he’s so cocky.
“Are you the type to choke when the stage is set for you? Your skills...”
“Thank you for this wonderful opportunity, Vice President.”
He hadn’t expected me to accept. Shin Dongmin frowned.
The other seniors looked shocked as well.
But Moon Surin and Elise remained expressionless.
It made sense for Moon Surin, since she knew I actually took down an ogre, but why wasn’t Elise surprised at all?
“Hah, fine. When do you want to do this? I’m ready anytime.”
Shin Dongmin lowered his voice as he spoke.
“Let’s make it a grand event. The festival is right after midterms, right? We can hold it as a friendly match hosted by the student council.”
During Victoria Academy’s festival, the student council always organizes events to liven up the mood.
I suggested making my duel with the Vice President one of this year’s main events.
“Fine. I accept.”
“B-But, Vice President! There’s no need to lower yourself to fight someone like him!”
“If I win, you will kneel and apologize immediately for insulting me.”
Ignoring the short guy’s protests, the Vice President locked eyes with me.
He clearly wanted to humiliate me in front of a big audience. But would that really work?
“And what if I win?”
“What?”
“If I win, what do I get? I need a reward too.”
“Tch. Fine, I’ll grant whatever you want. But you’ll also have to apologize for defying me.”
I shrugged.
Honestly, I don’t think I’ll lose.
“Vice President.”
Then, a cold voice echoed through the meeting room.
Seated at the head of the table, Moon Surin stared at Shin Dongmin with an expression she hadn’t shown before.
“Leave the meeting room.”
“President, I got a little too worked up. I apologize.”
Shin Dongmin finally realized the situation and bowed his head, but it was already too late.
★ Heroine Status Window
[Moon Surin]
- [ Affection: 62 ]
- [ Lust: 40 ]
- [ Appetite: 50 ]
- [ Fatigue: 90 ]
Current Status: I need to get the Vice President out of my sight immediately. (Extreme stress levels. Caution required.)
I stepped in to keep Moon Surin from exploding… but she ended up blowing up anyway. Then again, anyone who held back after this would be a saint.
“The Vice President is in no state to conduct this meeting properly. Don’t make me repeat myself. Leave immediately.”
Moon Surin’s aura was genuinely terrifying.
There was something instinctively overwhelming about her, like a predator facing prey.
She only got this serious in the original story when she caught the stalker. I could tell just how much stress had built up.
In the first place, Shin Dongmin wasn’t even in a position to challenge Moon Surin—he just got a little riled up because of me.
In terms of talent, skill, family background, influence in the student council, and reputation, he fell short in every aspect compared to Moon Surin.
Knowing that, he resorted to hiring a stalker to harass her in such a pathetic way.
“...Yes. Understood. I’ll go cool my head for a bit. See you next week.”
Shin Dongmin must have realized retreating was the best option. He stood up and left the conference room.
“Now, let’s resume the meeting.”
With Shin Dongmin gone, the meeting continued under Moon Surin’s lead.
*
“So, I’d like to organize another PR event. Given yesterday’s unfortunate incident, we need to shift the atmosphere.”
The meeting reached its final agenda.
Of course, no one else had spoken up—Moon Surin had been leading the entire discussion on her own.
The final topic was about PR department activities.
I had already prepared an idea in case something like this came up.
“How about volunteering through the PR department?”
“Volunteering?”
“Yes. There’s an orphanage I visit every weekend. We could film something there. The kids are familiar with me, so it should make for good footage.”
“Oh...”
Moon Surin looked at me in admiration, as if she hadn’t known this about me.
Elise also turned her head to look at me.
This was all thanks to Baek A-Young, but for some reason, I felt proud.
But if they didn’t know about this despite investigating me, does that mean they only started looking into me after our first meeting at the café?
“That sounds good. Volunteering. Perfect for image management. Plus, we can craft a compelling narrative around Hoyeon’s involvement… Ah, ah… M-my bad. That was a slip.”
“It’s fine. I was thinking the same thing.”
I had planned for this from the beginning.
If something can be used, it should be used.
The public is easily swayed by emotional appeals.
A promising, handsome academy cadet, who also happens to be an orphan, secretly volunteers at an orphanage every weekend?
That’s an absolute hit.
No doubt, this will be a major success.
*
The volunteer event was scheduled for this weekend.
Today was Friday, meaning the event would take place this Sunday.
The reason it was decided so quickly was simple—we needed to shift public attention as soon as possible.
We had to divert people’s focus from the academy terrorist attack to the tragic yet inspiring story of Lee Hoyeon.
It might seem like a cliché, but clichés endure for a reason.
After the meeting ended, I made sure to remember the short guy’s face as he left.
‘See you at next week’s joint class.’
Just before midterms, there’s a joint class where second-years help first-years gain experience.
Since I’ve already clashed with the Vice President, I might as well torment his lackey too.
“Hoyeon.”
As I was savoring my sinister thoughts, Moon Surin called out to me.
*
“Lumi, do you think I could make these cookies?”
“Hmm, it looks pretty hard to make at home…”
“Yeah… I thought so.”
Lucy and Lumi were chatting in a café.
The twins usually spent their leisure time together—eating meals, shopping, and even studying side by side.
They were sitting close together, looking at a smartwatch screen.
The video playing was about homemade cookies—something Lucy had recently taken an interest in.
“Hmm… why? Are you planning to make them for Hoyeon?”
“Uh. Uh? Well, yeah. But… it’s nothing special. Just a little token of appreciation… hehe.”
“...”
From Lumi’s perspective, Lucy definitely seemed to have feelings for Lee Hoyeon.
But Lumi couldn’t trust her own perception completely.
She had always kept her social circle extremely small.
And it made her anxious.
Her closest friend and beloved sister, Lucy—and the secret crush she harbored for Lee Hoyeon.
What if Lucy also liked Lee Hoyeon? What would she do then?
Could she really make a clear choice between the two?
“Wow. Look at these cookies too. Don’t they look delicious? But they seem really hard to make.”
Ugh.
Watching Lucy stress over what cookies to bake for Lee Hoyeon, Lumi’s mind grew more tangled.
“Lumi? What’s wrong? Ahaha, did the cake you ate earlier upset your stomach? I told you to eat less~.”
Lucy smiled brightly at her, exuding reliability.
Lumi’s mind flashed through all their days spent trusting and depending on each other.
After the recent incident, Lucy had been in an incredibly unstable state.
Asking her about Lee Hoyeon right now might be dangerous.
But Lumi had already lied to Lucy once about her connection with Lee Hoyeon. She didn’t want to betray her sister again. And she couldn’t suppress her curiosity any longer.
In the end, Lumi spoke up.
“Lucy. Do you… like Hoyeon?”
*************************************************
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