Chapter 65

〈 Chapter 65 〉65. Regular Meeting (2)

The sudden taunt left me dazed.

I can't understand why these bastards are so eager to see me dead.

When I saw the blue brooch on the chest, I realized the guy with the glasses was a second-year student.

Anyone would think he's my superior.

"Newbie in the Public Relations Department, quickly take your seat. If you're late, you should at least be as quick as Ellis."

A man sitting at the far right end spoke.

When I saw his face, he was the vice president, just as in the photo with Mun Sulin.

Most of the men on the right side sent me negative looks, while the women on the left side sent positive signals.

...What the hell is this mess?

A signal from deep within told me not to sit on the right.

★ Heroine Status Window

– [Affection: 62]

– [Lust: 40]

– [Hunger: 50]

– [Fatigue: 85]

Current Status: The vice president's gang is picking on the already tired Lee Hyeon-yeon, making me extremely uncomfortable. I'm about to snap.

I'm tired because I had sex last night, but I feel a bit guilty.

I have a rough idea of the situation.

It seems the right side is the vice president's gang, and the left side is the president's gang.

I naturally sat next to Ellis.

I can feel the hostile gazes from the right side, but I ignored them and looked at Mun Sulin.

Seeing her expression was bad, I smiled and nodded to show that I was okay.

"Ha... We will now begin the regular meeting. The first agenda was about managing students for the upcoming midterm exams, but we will first address the dungeon training terror that occurred yesterday."

Mun Sulin glanced at my face and thankfully let it pass.

Even if my image is ruined, I can't let Mun Sulin's image be ruined. Especially if rumors start spreading that she got angry over a man, it could further damage her mental state.

"There were 8 fatalities and 22 injuries. The rest of the information is organized in front of you, so please refer to it. The academy will handle other matters, and our job is to calm the students. Does anyone have any opinions on this?"

"Since the person involved is here, how about asking Lee Hyeon-yeon? President?"

"... Vice President. Are you really saying that now?"

"It's fine. What do you want to know?"

I answered before Mun Sulin could speak.

Vice President Shin Dong-min shot me a clearly hostile look.

It seems they've noticed that I'm close to Mun Sulin.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be showing such open hostility.

Inviting me to the meeting seems to be part of their plan.

"Think about what you can say to help other students who were in that situation."

'Is that something a human being should say...?'

His words were insulting to the victims of the terror, including me.

"Right. Or maybe you can tell a heroic story about killing an ogre. Haha..."

The guy with the glasses, who had been picking on me earlier, chimed in.

"Hey! That's too harsh! Is that something you should say to a junior who was a victim of terror?"

"What's the big deal? Did Lee Hyeon-yeon suffer any losses from the terror? He only gained a new achievement for killing an ogre. Isn't that right?"

"That's not the issue! Are you really part of the student council?"

The secretary next to the president stood up for me.

I'm grateful, but Mun Sulin looks like she's about to explode. I need to step in before she does.

"I'm very grateful that seniors are so concerned about juniors."

"... What did you say?"

"Your support for a junior's success is very admirable, senior. I want to repay that. How can I do that?"

I looked directly at the guy with the glasses.

"Damn. Just because you're getting attention from various places, do you think you're someone special? Why can't you stand out in the academy? Huh?"

Shit. We haven't even had the midterms yet. It's useless to bully a peer, and even if the dean mentions it, it won't make a difference. I doubt they'll believe my test scores.

...Maybe if I beat the senior, they'll believe me?

"Senior. If you don't trust me, how about a duel? The video will be posted on social media."

"..., What did you say?"

These guys are weak. When someone thinks they're weak, they can't stand up to a strong challenge. They're just stupid.

"... Newbie in the Public Relations Department. What kind of attitude is that towards a senior?"

Unable to bear the flustered guy with the glasses, the vice president intervened.

"Senior? Should I treat someone who says such things as a senior? Vice President?"

"... You talk like an orphan."

The vice president muttered quietly.

"....?"

I was momentarily speechless.

He's attacking me straight for not using the honorific.

"Vice President!"

"President, am I wrong? Bringing an orphan without parents into the student council... It's a disgrace to the student council."

What a lunatic.

"What a lunatic."

The vice president's words were so absurd that I blurted out my thoughts without realizing it.

Fortunately, I don't have the memory of a hard life as an orphan, so I wasn't sad, but I felt dirty.

However, human psychology is such that even if you don't want to, you can't help but form prejudices.

If someone says, "That person looks normal, but they're actually gay!"

you start to see their actions as awkward.

This guy is targeting that.

Even if his image takes a hit, he wants to let Mun Sulin know that I'm an orphan.

"Vice President... I'm really disappointed. Judging people by such things..."

But that's a short-sighted thought.

No matter how beautiful and kind Mun Sulin is, she's not a trophy for an ordinary man to win.

She's someone who almost single-handedly handles the practical work of the student council and the academy. It's impossible without ability.

Someone with many secrets wouldn't open up to her like this.

My background check is already complete.

"President, everyone says that on the surface, but their true feelings are different. The student council must be perfect. There's no need to create a weakness. That's the way to go for Victoria Academy."

What do I do with this?

His confident stance is giving me a headache.

Anyone would think he's a dedicated student council member.

"And, newbie in the Public Relations Department. What did you just say to me? Did I hear it wrong?"

"..."

"Showing such disrespect to me, the vice president, is tarnishing the face of the president who recommended you. Do you understand that?"

I was unsure how to react.

Honestly, my original plan wasn't like this.

I was going to pretend to cooperate with the vice president, who hired a stalker, and then dramatically appear when I saved Lucie.

But the vice president was already hostile from our first meeting, and Lucie, who still hasn't overcome her trauma from Felix, kept haunting my mind.

The plan was already ruined.

"If you sincerely apologize now, I can give you a chance to make up for your mistake."

Then, do I need to bow my head when I haven't done anything wrong?

I don't even want to pretend to cooperate with such a lunatic.

The only concern is that if I act too recklessly, it might affect Mun Sulin, who recommended me.

But I have a plan for image management. I'll try to smooth things over with Public Relations activities.

"First, apologize for calling me an orphan, and then I'll apologize."

"Too proud. If you don't like it, do you want to challenge me to a duel? After all, a duel with the vice president of the student council is a great opportunity to prove your skills."

Shin Dong-min said with a nasty smile.

A duel.

Shin Dong-min isn't weak. He didn't become the vice president for nothing.

Moreover, the power balance in the original game is quite skewed.

Most ordinary students are fine, but the named third-year students are A-class Hunter level, or even stronger.

As the protagonist gets stronger, the villains have to get stronger too, and the balance is off.

Mun Sulin will also rise to A-class Hunter level or higher when she awakens.

I don't know how strong Shin Dong-min is.

In the original timeline, he's incomparably stronger than an ogre, but this is an earlier point in time.

I'm known as a fire mage, and Shin Dong-min is definitely a water mage.

He's confident in his abilities and has an advantageous attribute, which is why he's so confident.

"Are you the type who can't perform well under pressure? Your skills... "

"Thank you for the opportunity, Vice President."

Shin Dong-min's eyes narrowed, clearly not expecting me to accept.

The other seniors looked shocked.

But Mun Sulin and Ellis remained expressionless.

Mun Sulin knows I really killed the ogre, but why isn't Ellis surprised at all?

"Ha, sure. When is good for you? I'm fine right now."

Shin Dong-min spoke in a low voice.

"Let's do it on a bigger stage. The festival will start soon after the midterms. We can hold a friendly duel organized by the student council during the festival."

At every festival, the student council organizes events to boost the atmosphere.

I'm proposing to hold a duel between me and the vice president as an event for this festival.

"Sure. I accept."

"V, Vice President. There's no need to deal with such a guy!"

"In return, if I win, you must kneel and apologize for insulting me immediately."

The vice president ignored the guy with the glasses and fixed his gaze on me.

He wants to humiliate me in front of a crowd. But will that work?

"What if I win?"

"What?"

"What if I win? I need some compensation too."

"Damn. I'll grant any request. And you'll have to apologize for defying me now."

I shrugged.

Honestly, I don't think I'll lose.

"Vice President."

Then, a cold voice echoed through the meeting room.

Mun Sulin, sitting at the head of the table, looked at Shin Dong-min with an expression she hadn't shown before.

"Leave the meeting room."

"President. I got carried away. I apologize."

Shin Dong-min finally seemed to realize the situation and bowed, but it was too late.

★ Heroine Status Window

– [Affection: 62]

– [Lust: 40]

– [Hunger: 50]

– [Fatigue: 90]

Current Status: I need to get the vice president out of my sight immediately. (Severe stress. Caution required)

I stepped in to prevent Mun Sulin from exploding... but she still blew up. Well, if she held it in, she'd be a saint.

"Right now, the vice president is not in a state to conduct the meeting properly. Don't make me say it again. Leave immediately."

Mun Sulin's aura is truly terrifying.

There's something that instinctively overwhelms you, like facing a predator.

She only shows this serious expression when catching a stalker in the original story, so I can imagine how stressed she is.

It's not just because of me; Shin Dong-min is in no position to challenge Mun Sulin.

He lacks talent, ability, family background, standing in the student council, and popularity compared to Mun Sulin.

That's why he hired a stalker to torment her in a despicable way.

"... Yes, I understand. I need to cool off a bit. I'll see you next week."

Shin Dong-min, realizing it's best to retreat, got up and left the meeting room.

"Alright, let's continue the meeting."

With Shin Dong-min gone, the meeting continued under Mun Sulin's leadership.

*

"So, I'm planning to do another Public Relations activity. We need to lift the mood after the unfortunate incident yesterday."

The meeting reached the final agenda.

Of course, no one spoke, and Mun Sulin continued the meeting alone.

The final agenda is about a Public Relations activity.

I had an idea prepared for this.

"How about going to do some volunteer work?"

"Volunteer work?"

"Yes. There's an orphanage I visit every weekend. We could film there. The children there often play with me, so the photos should turn out well."

"Oh... "

Mun Sulin looked at me in amazement, as if she didn't know this.

Ellis also turned to look at me.

It's all because of Baek Ayoung, but I feel a bit proud.

But if they did a background check and didn't know this, did they investigate me right after we met at the cafe?

"That's good. Volunteer work. It's perfect for image management. Moreover, if we tell the story of Hyeon-yeon doing volunteer work... Ah, ah... I'm sorry. That was a slip of the tongue."

"It's fine. I had the same idea."

I always had this in mind.

If I can use it, I should.

The public is weak for emotional appeals.

A handsome, promising academy student who is actually an orphan and has been volunteering at an orphanage every week?

This is a surefire hit.

*

The volunteer work is set for this weekend.

Today is Friday, and the volunteer work is the day after tomorrow, Sunday.

It was decided quickly because we need to shift the focus as soon as possible.

We need to divert the public's attention from the terror at the academy to Lee Hyeon-yeon's sad story.

It's a cliché, but clichés are repeated for decades for a reason.

After the meeting, I remembered the face of the guy with the glasses as he left his seat.

'See you next week during the joint class.'

Just before the midterms, a joint class is held with second-year students to boost the experience of freshmen.

Since I'm already at odds with the vice president, I need to make the guy with the glasses suffer as much as possible.

"Hyeon-yeon."

While I was having dark thoughts, Mun Sulin spoke to me.

*

"Lumi, can I make these cookies?"

"Hmm, it might be difficult to make them at home...?"

"Right...?"

Luce and Lumi were chatting at a cafe.

The twins usually spent their leisure time together, eating, shopping, and studying together.

They were looking at a smartwatch, watching a video about homemade cookies that Luce had recently become interested in.

"Um... Why? Are you trying to make them for Hyeon-yeon?"

"U, uh? Yes, that's right. Just... as a token of gratitude... Hehe."

"..."

To Lumi, it was clear that Luce had a crush on Lee Hyeon-yeon.

But Lumi couldn't fully trust her own judgment.

She had a very limited social circle.

Moreover, she was anxious.

Luce, her closest friend and beloved family, and Lee Hyeon-yeon, her secret crush.

What if Luce likes Lee Hyeon-yeon?

Can I clearly choose one of them?

"Wow. Look at these cookies. Don't they look delicious? But they also look difficult to make."

Grr.

Watching Luce struggle to decide what cookies to make for Lee Hyeon-yeon, Lumi's mind became increasingly complicated.

"Lumi? What's wrong? Ah, did you get a stomachache from the cake we ate earlier? I told you to eat a little...~"

Luce's bright smile made her seem more trustworthy than anyone else.

The days they had trusted and relied on each other flashed through Lumi's mind.

Due to recent events, Luce was in a very unstable state.

Asking about Lee Hyeon-yeon might be risky.

But Lumi had already lied to Luce about Lee Hyeon-yeon. She didn't want to betray Luce again and couldn't hold back her curiosity any longer.

Finally, Lumi spoke.

"Luce. Do you... like Hyeon-yeon?"