Chapter 23

### Chapter 23: Ellis is the Heroine

———————-

『A sub-quest has been transmitted.』

Ellis is a very picky character.

Try to have a conversation with her for over 30 minutes that matches her tastes!

– Reward: Slight increase in Ellis's affection. 1 random stat point

———————-

I spoke to Ellis, who was staring at her smartwatch.

"That's quite unexpected."

"...What is?"

"You don't seem like the type to do this. The Public Relations Department is so troublesome."

Ellis's daily routine is a repetitive cycle of [going to school, studying, training, and returning home]. I understand that she is an international student and needs to become stronger for her guild back home, but... because she always pushes away approaching students, she doesn't have many close friends.

And yet, she's in the Public Relations Department? It's adding more obstacles to her routine.

"Hmm. Listen carefully. I don't dislike troublesome things; I just hate pointless tasks."

"Ah, I see. I can kind of understand that."

"I don't want to waste my time on things that won't help me at all, like hanging out with useless classmates, spending hours in cafes for a sweet dessert, or shopping for pretty clothes."

"Ah, I see. So, what about the Public Relations Department?"

In simple terms, it seems she doesn't want to lose her self-improvement time. So, why did she join the Public Relations Department?

"Why are you asking when you already know? Obviously, it's because of the connection with Mun Sulin, the president. She's one of the most promising students in Korea. Isn't that the same for you? I heard you're close to the student council president."

Ellis joined the Public Relations Department to connect with Mun Sulin, and she seems to think I joined for the same reason.

"We are close, but not for the sake of connections."

If I must say, I joined the student council to get closer to the president.

"Common excuse."

Ellis turned her head away, seemingly losing interest in my answer.

No, you rude... I have to hold back. I have to endure.

But a pretty girl acting rudely looks charming.

She acts this way because she knows she's beautiful.

I'm not criticizing. After all, her face is a part of her ability.

I learned something good from Ellis.

Seeing her act this way, I feel I can be more assertive in the future.

Anyway, the conversation isn't going well.

To complete the quest, I need to have a conversation that matches her tastes, but she seems to have lost interest.

But it's okay.

No matter what, Ellis, you're my heroine.

"Do you know a bit about cocktails? I'm quite interested in them."

Smirk.

Ellis's ears twitch. She pretends not to be interested, but she's listening.

"There's a new cocktail bar in the academy's commercial district. The gin and tonic there is really good. It uses premium gin and the best tonic water, and apparently, it's the first to use magical ice, making it incredibly refreshing."

"...Where is it?"

Ellis started to show interest in what I was saying.

Actually, I already know all about her tastes, so this quest was bound to succeed.

The Ellis route is already in my memory.

From cocktails to books, movies, and classical music, I know all her hobbies.

"I think gin-based cocktails are the best. Although some old people see it as cheap, nothing can match its unique aroma and refreshing taste."

"Surprisingly, our tastes match."

"I used to drink Pink Lady and Singapore Sling a lot."

"...I used to like those too."

We talked for over 30 minutes.

Unfortunately, Ellis pretended to be uninterested the whole time, but the system window that appeared in front of me doesn't lie.

『Quest completed!』

Ellis must have enjoyed our conversation.

*

I left the Public Relations Department to head back to the dormitory.

As soon as our conversation ended, Ellis said it was time for training and headed to the training room.

"Are you leaving now?"

"Yes, I have something to do, so I'm heading out."

Mun Sulin spoke to me as I left the student council room.

"Still, now that you're in the Public Relations Department, you'll see each other often."

Mun Sulin's face lit up with a smile that felt more than just friendly.

...I'm sure now.

Mun Sulin. This audacious older sister.

She created the Public Relations Department to get me into the student council. To avoid suspicion, she also added a pretty new female student.

That was Ellis.

The butterfly effect is terrifying.

I met Mun Sulin at a cafe earlier than in the original story.

As a result, she started to like me sooner.

Since her trauma hadn't occurred yet, she approached me more actively.

She created the Public Relations Department to get me into the student council, and to make it seem natural, she also added Ellis.

Ah, my head hurts.

‘...It should be fine, right?’

Although it's something that didn't happen in the original story, Ellis doesn't play a significant role in the club part...

It should be fine. Yes, it has to be fine.

It's something that can't be undone. On the bright side, I've formed connections with the heroines, which is a benefit.

"Right. See you next time, sis."

"Okay, Hoyeon. Take care."

Mun Sulin only calls me by my name when we're alone. I also call her "President" when others are around, so it's the same.

I left the student council room, leaving Mun Sulin with a smile.

I need to finish today's tasks.

Once I submit the application for Lucy's club, I'll be done for the day.

But where is Lucy? Since she's probably with Rumi, I'll contact Rumi.

Rumi's number is saved in my smartwatch, so I turned on the hologram and sent a message.

Me: Rumi, are you with Lucy?

Rumi: Yes, why?

Me: I'm trying to apply for the club. Have you finished all the club application forms?

Rumi: Well... there's been a bit of a situation...

Me: What kind of situation?

Rumi: Um, can you come to our club room? It's room 205.

I have a bad feeling that something is about to happen.

I took the elevator to the second floor, turned the corner, and knocked on the door of room 205.

"Come in..."

There, I saw Lucy, whose energy had dropped dramatically.

"Lucy, what's wrong? Is there a problem with the club?"

"Well, actually, yes. There is a problem. We've already chosen the club room and the faculty advisor, but the student affairs department suddenly said there was an error and rejected us. Then, the faculty advisor said they had a situation and couldn't do it... What should we do?"

Seeing her, usually so full of energy, made me want to help her.

Well, I would have helped her anyway.

"Was there anything that could have caused a problem?"

"Yes. We chose the club room, had a faculty advisor, and the club name was just a simple social club. We also met the minimum requirement of three members..."

"Hmm...?"

Then there shouldn't be any problem, right?

Wait, the minimum requirement of three members includes me.

"Of course, the minimum requirement of three members is you, Rumi, and me, right?"

"Yes, did you change your mind? No... If you're not here, the club will fail..."

Lucy grabbed my arm and started to cry, saying she didn't want to lose me.

She wasn't heavy, but her hand touched my chest.

Despite the sensation, my mind was elsewhere.

Actually, I had many questions about the club since this morning.

The fishing club incident, the president of the gun club avoiding me as soon as our eyes met, and the rejection of the social club application with my name on it.

Even I, who am usually innocent, can't help but be suspicious.

And there are some people I suspect.

The Magic Research Club.

They seemed to have a grudge against me, and since the Magic Research Club has the most influence among the clubs, they might have tried to sabotage me.

———————-

『A sub-quest has been transmitted.』

Help Lucy establish the club!

– Reward: Increase in Lucy's affection. 3 random stat points

———————-

As soon as I completed the quest, a new one was transmitted.

There's definitely something going on. Even if no quest appeared, I would have helped her, so it's a free quest.

"Lucy. I told you before. Think about how good it would be if the student council joined the club."

"Huh? You won't abandon us?"

"Don't worry. I'll solve it."

"Wow!"

"Let's go to the student affairs department together."

"Okay, I understand."

The student affairs department is on the 16th floor, right below the 17th floor where the student council is located.

Given the size of the club system, many students visit to support or establish new clubs.

I approached a female student who had just come out of the new club establishment department.

"Excuse me. Did you just establish a club?"

"Yes... Yes. Well, our club is a simple hobby club among friends, but if you really want to join, I'll kick out my friends to make room for you...!"

"No, wait. Calm down."

"Ah, yes..."

I learned from Ellis how to use my good looks, but I'm still not very skilled.

Ellis would have gotten more out of a student who reacted like that.

"Can you tell me how long it took to establish your new club?"

"Well, I just submitted the new club establishment form and got approval right away..."

"Hmm. Thank you."

I returned to Lucy, leaving the female student still looking at me.

There's definitely something going on. If the form was properly filled out, it shouldn't have been rejected. I need to talk to someone directly.

I approached a student working in the department.

Fortunately, it was a guy this time, so there was no dramatic reaction. He looked at me with a slightly annoyed expression, but I understand. Ugly friend.

"Hello. I'm here to establish a new club."

"Yes. Do you have the necessary forms?"

"Here. It's a social club among friends."

"Yes. It will be quick, just a moment... Ah, I'm sorry. The form seems fine, but there's an error. It can't be established right now. Can you come back tomorrow?"

"..."

It's a lame excuse. This is the exact form that Lucy was rejected with.

I submitted this form just in case, and I didn't expect this reaction.

I heard that after the rejection, the faculty advisor said they had a situation and couldn't do it.

So, if I input this form into the system as it is, it will be marked as a false form.

But there's an error? There's a small possibility that it's a real error, but I felt a strong awkwardness from the guy's expression and actions.

"Last time, you rejected it due to an error, and now you're saying there's an error again?"

"Yes, that's how it is."

"Can I input it myself? Something seems off."

"I already told you, you can't. If you keep this up, I'll call the student council executive."

"I'm in the student council. What do you want to do by calling the student council executive? Try it and see what happens."

"Um? No, that's..."

I have a reason for making a fuss.

I'm not 100% sure, but someone is trying to stop me.

Since I revealed my identity as a student council member, the only person who can come to stop me from the club department is one person.

"Junior. Calm down now. Isn't the new junior a bit too much?"

The person I was waiting for appeared. The president of the gun club, who avoided me earlier.

I don't know his name. I don't want to remember it, so I'll just call him the club president.

"Senior. Hello. Our club keeps getting mysterious rejections."

"It seems there's an error in the system. As a senior in the student council, I'll try to resolve it, so come back today."

The club president is putting on a friendly smile, but I can see through it.

Behind that smile, there's a clear mockery.

Let's go back for now. I need to prepare.

Talking more now would only put me at a disadvantage.

There's still time until Friday. I need to resolve it by then.

Ellis was right again.

If I didn't have connections, I would have been stuck in this ridiculous situation.

It's time to use the connections I've built.

And from now on, I'll listen to everything Ellis says. Her actions and words have never been wrong.

*

Ellis finished her training and got into a high-end foreign car waiting for her at the academy's main gate.

"Good job, Miss."

The middle-aged man in the driver's seat spoke to Ellis as if he knew her well.

"Thanks."

"Did you make progress in today's training? I hear Irene back home is very worried."

"Are you bringing up my sister's name to make me angry?"

"Of course not. I would never have such disrespectful thoughts."

The middle-aged man smiled faintly and handed Ellis a water bottle.

"What does she have to worry about, hah. Forget it."

Ellis has a trauma from her sister, Irene, who has been tormenting her since childhood. Even as she grew older, her sister always took away her toys and things she wanted, enjoying her distress.

One of the reasons she came to study at Victoria Academy in Korea was to escape her sister and find freedom.

"This time, you joined the student council? Impressive."

"It's nothing. I was just chosen based on my looks."

"What do you think of that student, Ihoyeon? Since you're in the same Public Relations Department, you'll see each other often."

Gulp, gulp

Ellis, exhausted from the intense training, quenched her thirst and continued.

"He's good-looking. He seems talented, but... something feels off."

"Why? From what I hear, he seems to be exactly your type."

Zing.

Ellis threw the water bottle at the man, who just smiled faintly and caught it.

"Hmm... no particular reason."

"Is he a scoundrel? Scoundrels often try to hide their true nature, but it's hard to hide. I used to be... "

The man kept guessing and telling his own stories, but Ellis's mind was full of other thoughts.

The story of a strong-willed Ellis, which she couldn't bring herself to tell.

Ellis grew up receiving constant praise and envy for her overwhelming talent and beauty.

Moreover, she realized early that the envy and criticism from others stemmed from their own shortcomings, and she didn't get angry because she knew she was superior.

However, there were only two times she felt jealous or annoyed of her peers.

One was a girl named Nam Da-eun she met at Victoria Academy in Korea.

She envied and resented why the overwhelming talent and combat ability were chosen for that girl and not her.

The other was Ihoyeon.

She wasn't jealous. He didn't have the kind of talent that would make her jealous, and it was a completely different field.

But for some reason, she felt annoyed.

Their conversation wasn't bad. It was the first time she met someone who matched her tastes.

From cocktails to books, movies, and even classical music, every conversation was interesting.

But it felt like something was playing above her head.

He seemed to know her well, and his words were mostly accurate, making it hard to refute.

She wanted to get angry, but his face was too much to her taste, making it awkward to get mad.

Clearly annoyed but unable to express it, this strange feeling was unpleasant.

"Back then, my nickname was Bloodstorm. Bloodstorm. Wherever I went, the surroundings were drenched in blood..."

"Stop, just stop. I'm hungry, let's go eat."

"Ah, okay. We'll go to the usual restaurant."

"Yes. And for dessert, let's go to a cocktail bar called 'Emilia'."

"Where is that? I've never heard of it."

"...Just go."

"Okay, okay."

Ellis closed her eyes and crossed her arms, and the man started driving, seemingly giving up.

‘Sigh, what kind of feeling