The Angel Forming a Club (12)
One of Central Superhuman Academy's festivals, the Club Wars. Not just from Korea but even from abroad... so many people flocked to the academy to watch this event; it was a festival on a truly massive scale.
The scale is no joke.
Huge buildings were rising in the open field to the north of the academy. These massive structures were all temporary setups built solely for this one Club Wars event—nothing more than provisional buildings destined for demolition once it ended.
And these provisional buildings have this kind of scale...?
After witnessing the outrageous temporary structures of the mega clubs, one glance at the minor clubs preparing nearby for the Club Wars brought nothing but tears.
Some had buildings—at least they were lucky. Others made do with just tents. And a few mega clubs, banking on their prestige, were pulling off utterly absurd power plays.
"Hey, Martial Arts Department senior! This is our territory up to here."
An member of a mega club approached a student from another club who was in the middle of setting up a tent.
"What are you talking about? Can't you see the line drawn here?"
"...We agreed this was our space up to here."
"What?"
"Why don't you go ask at the Club Wars headquarters? Heh heh, they'll explain in detail whose territory this is."
Several Magic Department students snickered beside him.
"You're crossing the line. The headquarters is run by your cronies in the student council anyway."
"Jealous much?"
"You little shit...!"
The Martial Arts student lunged forward in fury, but another student held him back.
"Hey, hold it. The Club Wars runs like this every year."
"No, but come on—they hog all the prime spots for themselves, cut our funding because our grades suck, and... You bastards! Come out here!"
"Oh my, such foul language."
One of the Magic Department students clapped once, and student council members appeared, dragging the Martial Arts student away.
"Please follow the school rules."
"Let go! Let me go! Just let me loose!"
Refri, watching the whole scene, let out a deep sigh.
"Professor, is the Club Wars always like this every year?"
"Yeah. Those mega clubs have the Central Academy board of directors backing them... Even our professors can't easily intervene. The student council is a student self-governing body, and the rules strictly prohibit professor interference."
Hexi spoke as if it were someone else's problem.
"Wait, and you're the one who knows that but still wanted to flip the student council headquarters?"
"Hee hee. If it's what my angel wants, I could do even more."
"No 'hee hee'! And no more casual speech!"
Hexi continued undeterred.
"If things stay like this, the mega clubs will monopolize all the Club Wars revenue again. The minor clubs will either shut down or scrape by without even a clubroom."
A clubroom-less, pathetic existence.
The cathedral where Refri and Soya lived was nominally a clubroom, but...
We're screwed. We're really about to get kicked out.
Suddenly, a surge of righteous indignation welled up in Refri's heart.
"We have to stop it. The mega clubs' tyranny...!"
Clenching his fist, Refri turned back to the scene.
Beside him, a girl was sniffling, "No, why? Why are they being so harsh this time? At this rate, our history-and-tradition-filled Cookie Club will...!"
Damage was piling up across the minor clubs. The tattoo club president stood dazed after their club items were stolen. Students who snapped under the escalating oppression from the mega clubs were getting expelled. And the Cookie Club girls wept over their stolen magical sugar dust.
Yumari, not bad.
Hexi admired Yumari's cunning. She was selectively targeting mega clubs with weaker backing, peeling them away from the student council. That forced the council—and the remaining allied mega clubs—to get even more ruthless to hold their ground. The defecting mega clubs had shattered the balance among themselves, so the rest rode the wave of brutality. If minor clubs filled those gaps, they'd be next on the chopping block. The truce had long been broken, starting with raids on other clubs' warehouses.
The result? A fierce crackdown on the weak.
No matter how the world turned, the truth was to strip the vulnerable first.
Yumari planned this. The defectors can't join Club Wars easily, the minors get crushed and can't participate... And if Refri asks, even professor-led clubs will pull out.
Hexi smirked faintly. Leaving just a handful of mega clubs? That would screw the student council over.
She could guess Yumari's aim.
Of course, professors won't listen to some random student... But weirdly, our Refri is super popular with them. They'll probably agree.
What surprised Hexi was that even iron-willed Park Jinho, brutal Rusa, and madman Klein all adored Refri.
How dare they touch my little angel...
Hexi felt a flicker of anger toward those professors. But it wasn't important now.
Either way, if even professor-backed clubs betray Club Wars... only a few mega clubs will participate. A Club Wars with just those guys? No way, Yumari—did you team up with someone?
Hexi hid her smile and asked, "So, what's the next target?"
"Th-that's..."
Refri hesitated for a moment.
"The items the Emotion Club is exhibiting this time..."
"Items?"
"We're gonna borrow them for a bit."
Heh heh—This time, Hexi didn't hide her laugh.
The Emotion Club: Central Superhuman Academy's top club, a haven for the chosen few who possessed appraisal skills. It was so renowned that TV often featured people bringing artifacts here for appraisal.
"I see. But why are there only rich kids like Jack in the Emotion Club?"
"Boy, appraisal skills are something only the wealthy can level up from the start. Think about how other life skills work."
Hongwol licked her hand naturally as she answered Refri's question.
"Oh."
Life skills leveled up by repeatedly doing 'difficult' tasks related to that livelihood. So, what was the 'difficult' task for appraisal? Appraising expensive items, obviously. And to do it repeatedly? You had to own them.
And who owned such items?
Of course, only rich folks like Jack.
Refri nodded in understanding.
"So... we're raiding the Emotion Club after all?"
"Yeah."
"Kuhk, boy. You've finally seen the good side of thieving!"
Rub rub—Refri swatted away Hongwol's rubbing assault.
"Ah, no. This is the last bad deed!"
"My Dalgoyang cat clan has a saying we love: A needle thief becomes an ox thief. That's why we start our kids with needle-stealing practice!"
That's not what that proverb means, is it?
Refri shook his head.
"Steal an ox with me! Boy!"
"No!"
Rub rub rub—Once Hongwol finally calmed down, she muttered in a steadier voice.
"Boy, wait five minutes, then come out of that room with the pink box. Hug that pink box and head into the Emotion Club Museum."
"Can't I use my stealth skills?"
"No way. The Emotion Club Museum is famous as a tough mark that's hard to crack. Think it'd be famous for nothing?"
"Why?"
"Because of the dragon golems. Whether it's skills powered by holy power, or the might of legendary heroes or angels—or even demons—everything gets caught in front of those dragon golems."
Hongwol's expression turned deadly serious. Getting intense over thieving talk. A true thief cat.
"So, you'll have to crack it with pure physical techniques."
"...Thanks for helping. Wol-ah."
As Refri took Hongwol's hand in thanks, she let out a "Nyaah~" and grinned. Then, blushing at her own nya sound, she quickly shouted,
"Wh-what cat? What was that noise? A-anyway, Refri! Do not open the pink box no matter what! It opens on its own, so absolutely don't peek!"
"Got it."
"Enter after five minutes! Don't come in early!"
With that, she slipped into the next room.
True to his angelic honesty, Refri counted five full minutes before cautiously opening the door Hongwol had entered.
"This box?"
Sure enough, there was a small pink box, just as she'd said. Refri tucked it into his chest and headed for the Emotion Club Museum.
The Emotion Club Museum: The academy's finest, showcasing only the highest-value items and artifacts handpicked by the club. By displaying key artifacts alongside previously unrevealed ones, they effortlessly claimed top spots in Club Wars every year. So many spectators came just for the Emotion Club alone, drawn to the dazzling relics and artworks they unveiled.
But if we raid even the Emotion Club... this Club Wars is totally doomed, right?
Dooming Club Wars. What on earth was Mari aiming for? Even naive Refri could tell it wasn't just about wrecking the event.
What the heck is Mari planning?
Thinking of the Cookie Club girls bullied by the student council and mega clubs today left a bitter taste in Refri's heart.
He paid the entry fee and stepped into the Emotion Club Museum.
Wow, packed as always.
The museum buzzed with crowds, as usual. Even as summer approached, the cool air, vast marble floors, and towering, shadowy ceilings that stretched endlessly upward created a mystical atmosphere.
And the emotionless dragon golems watching them all.
'Dragon golems, the Emotion Club's greatest treasure.'
Infused with dragon mana, they were said to have exceptional senses for detecting things, much like Yumari.
Can we really pull this off here?
Refri felt a sudden wave of anxiety.
'Head deep into the club museum first.'
Just then, a commotion erupted nearby. He glanced over to see members from the recently raided Enchantment Club, Crafting Club, and Barrier Club pleading with Emotion Club executives.
"Come on, just share some items, and we'll forgive what you did."
"What are you talking about? How can we forgive or not something we didn't even do?"
"You gonna keep denying it?"
Voices rose higher.
The swarm of tourists watched the chaos. One Emotion Club student muttered,
"Ah, should I call the dragon golems?"
"Don't. If we drag them out and someone films it... don't make a big scene."
"Then what?"
"Bring them to the inner office first. Then quietly..."
Quietly what? Not Refri's concern.
His only focus was the pink box clutched to his chest.
What's inside this thing? And what's written on it? German? Schrödinger?
Curiosity piqued, Refri gave the box a little shake. A faint woong-! sound came from within.
What the heck is in there?
"No, it'll break."
Refri hugged the box tight again and hurried deeper into the museum.