Chapter 12

### Chapter 12: Scandal (2)

"Hello?"

"Ah, hello."

Moon Soo-rin tied her platinum blonde hair into a ponytail and was dressed in her student council president uniform. I tried to focus on her face without letting my eyes wander to her body.

"Can I sit here?"

"Ah, yes, of course. It's fine."

But why did she suddenly want to sit with me?

Moon Soo-rin, seemingly oblivious to my surprise, naturally placed her clutch bag on the seat next to her and even hung her coat on the chair.

"Do you like that?"

"Me?"

"Claire Rose Latte. The owner said no one orders it except me. He was going to remove it from the menu, but he said he'd keep it just for me. It's nice to know someone else orders it too."

"Ah... yes, I like it. The spicy aftertaste is really addictive."

"Right, right? Why didn't I know about this delicious thing?"

*Slurp*

She ordered two Claire Rose Lattes and sipped them while grumbling, which looked adorable.

I wanted to give her my drink too.

★ Heroine Status

- [Affection: 25]

- [Lust: 15]

- [Hunger: 30]

- [Fatigue: 70]

Her affection has increased by 5 since the last time we met. Why did it go up when I didn't do anything?

"I'm sorry about the restaurant earlier. I wanted to talk to you, but it was too conspicuous."

"No, it's fine. I was the one who was rude last time. I didn't expect you to be the student council president."

"It's okay. We both made mistakes, so let's just move on."

*Slide*. Moon Soo-rin leaned forward and made eye contact with me. I was taken aback by her sudden closeness and instinctively pulled my head back.

"Why, why are you doing that?"

"It's strange. I've only seen you a few times, but every time I see you, I feel as comfortable as if you were an old friend."

"..."

I can only describe it as 'the heroine's mindset is firmly in place.'

If she feels comfortable with me, I'm grateful. It makes it easier to pursue her.

"Ah, you can speak more casually. I'm a first-year, after all."

"Really? Then I'll speak more casually too. You can do the same, Ho-yeon."

"Understood, President."

"More casually? We're only two years apart, you know."

"Still, how can I speak casually to the president..."

*Zap*. She looked at me with a displeased expression.

"Come on, try it. Noo... na."

"Noo... na."

*Haha*... No, *Cough*. Right. You can call me 'noona.' It's even better if you call me 'Soo-rin noona.'"

"Okay, I got it. Soo-rin noona."

*Gasp*...

Every time she hears 'noona,' she twists her body and clamps her mouth shut, like a returning student who hears 'oppa' from a junior.

'Why is this so easy? Moon Soo-rin...'

Moon Soo-rin was knocked down by the single word 'noona.'

I've never made a woman laugh with the word 'noona' before, but I felt a sense of pride.

I looked at Moon Soo-rin, who was smiling with her hand covering her mouth.

*Click*!

At that moment, the sound of a camera shutter was heard from the window.

Looking over, I saw a man in a black coat running away in the distance.

"Hey, that guy."

I stood up to chase him.

"It's fine, sit down. Ho-yeon."

"Why? He's a paparazzi. We can catch him if we chase him right away."

Even if I'm on the magician route, I can't catch a running civilian.

"That person isn't a civilian. Even if we chase him, he'll deny taking the photo. Besides, a single photo of you with a guy won't do anything, so it's fine."

Moon Soo-rin seemed to have already given up.

"Really? An awakened person is a paparazzi? Does this happen often?"

"Yeah, I've lost count. I'm not a celebrity. I didn't expect to have to worry about this."

Moon Soo-rin sighed and sipped her Claire Rose Latte.

'The stalker incident will start soon.'

The main event of the Moon Soo-rin route, 'The Stalker Incident,' is about to begin.

As the protagonist helps solve this incident, he gets closer to Moon Soo-rin.

I already know who the stalker is, but it's too early to get involved. If I do, I'll be treated like a lunatic.

"By the way, I saw the one-on-one sparring video. You're really good."

"Really? How did you see it?"

"It was posted on Every Day. I see, it was posted without your permission."

My video being posted isn't important. What's important is the main event, 'The Stalker Incident.'

I need to get involved in 'The Stalker Incident.' But not at the beginning; I need to intervene when Moon Soo-rin is struggling.

I feel bad for her, but that's how I can make the pursuit easier.

"... It's fine. Noo... na. If you ever need help, let me know. I can help, as you saw, I have some skills."

"Haha. Okay, thanks."

Moon Soo-rin looks at me like she's seeing a brave younger brother. It's a bit embarrassing.

"Then I'll go now. Soo-rin noona."

"Okay. Be careful. Oh, wait!"

Moon Soo-rin rummaged through her clutch bag and handed me something.

"Give me your number before you go."

*

Every Day.

An internet community used by students of Victoria Academy.

It shares useful information like issues related to ability users, guild information, and new dungeons.

Of course, it also has a free board. A post that went up on Wednesday night completely turned Every Day upside down.

The post had no content, just a single photo.

A photo of Moon Soo-rin, covering her mouth with one hand and laughing, and a man smiling across from her.

Anyone could tell it was a photo of a couple on a date.

The post received over 500 likes and rose to the top of the Every Day list.

A single post dropped like a meteor into the calm community and spread at an incredible speed.

Lee Ho-yeon.

He caught the attention of the faculty and Ellis by defeating a Level 7 Scrap Giant during the last exam, but most students didn't know him.

The one-on-one sparring video with Lucy was posted, but few knew it was Lee Ho-yean.

The first-year A-class students were the most surprised.

"Hey, did you see Every Day? It says Lee Ho-yeon is dating the student council president?"

"What? Really?"

A-class was noisier than usual in the morning.

One male student vented his frustration.

"Why would Moon Soo-rin date Lee Ho-yeon?"

"Are you serious? With that face, he could live off his looks for life."

"..."

The sharp truth from a female student made the male student sit back down with a frown.

Since the semester just started, there weren't many events to talk about.

So, it's natural that the scandal between Lee Ho-yeon and student council president Moon Soo-rin caught everyone's attention.

Of course, there's no official confirmation that they're dating, but Lee Ho-yeon's name spread throughout Victoria Academy.

Then,

*Door creak*—

The center of the scandal, Lee Ho-yeon, appeared in the classroom.

*

Friday morning.

Today, there are only theory classes, no sparring. So, I trained hard in magic until last night. I finished reading the theory textbook and read the key papers, so I decided to take a break from theory for a while.

"Yawn, I'm sleepy."

Waking up in the dorm has become routine.

Pulling back the curtains, the unpleasant morning sunlight enveloped my body.

I don't shower in the morning, so I just washed my face and combed my hair.

I put on my student uniform and left the dorm. It feels like I'm back in college, which is still fun. For now.

On the way to school, I noticed a lot of people looking at me. Those guys in the corner whispering, are they looking at me? Is it just my imagination?

"Lee Ho-yeon... something, something."

"... kill him..."

I can hear my name faintly, but it might be because of the one-on-one video Soo-rin mentioned yesterday.

It feels uncomfortable, so I headed to the first-year classroom quickly.

*Door creak*—

As I entered A-class, everyone's eyes turned to me.

But they didn't look away. They kept staring at me.

What's going on? Why are they all looking at me like this?

It was scary with over 30 people staring at me in silence. I was seriously considering leaving and closing the door when Kim Young-han approached.

"Good morning."

"Good morning. Why is the atmosphere like this? What happened?"

"It's because of you. Scandal boy."

What's a 'scandal boy'? I thought, but then I remembered yesterday with Moon Soo-rin.

"Could it be because of the photo with the... president?"

"Yeah. The photo caused a complete uproar in the academy. Are you really dating the president?"

Hmm, what would happen if I said yes?

The best outcome would be dating Moon Soo-rin. But my goal isn't to date her; it's to pursue the heroines.

The worst outcome would be not dating her and losing affection.

It's better to play it safe.

"No, we just met by chance at a cafe. We talked a bit because we like the same drink."

"Just because you like the same drink, you sit together?"

"We knew each other before."

"... Really? That's a relief."

There's still a strange vibe from Kim Young-han, but what can I do?

"See? I told you it wasn't me."

"Yeah, I know. I heard your fan club was going crazy."

"Shut up."

I sat down as the classroom got noisy again.

There was some time before class started, so I took out my smartphone. A new message was waiting.

The sender was Rumi.

Rumi was chatting with Lucy as if she didn't know anything.

Anyone would think we're already dating. I didn't need to reply, so I ended the conversation.

"Good morning, everyone."

Professor Kim Jin-hyuk entered the classroom. Same bowl cut, same black suit.

"Good morning. I have an announcement. Starting next week, freshmen can join club activities. Choose at least one club and submit your choice by next Friday..."

After the boring announcement, everyone got busy preparing for the morning class.

"Next class is Mana Studies."

"Why, I'm looking forward to it. They say it's the most practical class in the academy."

Mana Studies, a theory class but mostly practical.

It's practical and teaches skills for active hunting, so I'm looking forward to it.

"Hmm."

I need to pursue the heroines, but I've been too focused on the academy lately.

I have a date with Rumi this weekend, and I need to be at least a threat in written or practical exams to start pursuing Nam Da-eun and Ellis. Moon Soo-rin is in a different year, and I have a meeting with the last heroine this weekend.

So, the only heroine I can talk to right now is... Lucy.

Looking around the classroom, Lucy was packing her bag for Mana Studies with Rumi.

★ Heroine Status

- [Affection: 27]

- [Lust: 5]

- [Hunger: 40]

- [Fatigue: 20]

★ Heroine Status

- [Affection: 35]

- [Lust: 30]

- [Hunger: 15]

- [Fatigue: 40]

The affection levels are not bad.

Should I try talking to her? Since we're in the same group, I can use that as an excuse.

"Rumi, did you send the photo to the professor?"

"Ah, yes, I did. I sent it right away that day."

"You two seem close."

Lucy spoke with a slightly sharp tone. It's a sharp tone for someone with 27 affection.

Lucy is unnecessarily picky about Rumi's friends. She doesn't realize that Rumi can't make friends because of her. Rumi, with her personality, can't express her frustration, leading to a vicious cycle.

"Hi, Lucy. We're in the same group, so we need to get along."

"Right. Ho-yeon isn't a bad kid. But if you two meet privately, I won't let it slide. Got it?"

"Haha, that won't happen."

"..."

"What's wrong, Rumi? Why are you suddenly quiet? Anyone would think you have a date this weekend."

"No, it's not like that."

"..."

Rumi's eyes were shaking, unable to find a place to look. She must be a bad liar.

"Hey."

"I'll go. I did the homework, so I'll see you next time, Rumi. Bye, Lucy!"

It's best to leave quickly in situations like this. Because I'm the 'bad boy' Lee Ho-yeon.

"Hey, Lee Ho-yeon, come here. What did you do to our innocent Rumi!"

"Lucy, wait, let me explain. We can't use magic here!"