Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: How to Steal the Protagonist's Woman
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"The magic circle... how did you do it?"
"... ."
I gazed at Luna without saying a word.
Her small face, framed by long silver hair, was beautifully lit by the sunset.
She tilted her head slightly and asked me again.
"The magic circle... how did you do it?"
In response to her question, I mirrored her expression and replied.
"That..."
"?"
"...doesn't seem like something I need to tell you."
"Eut... ."
Luna's brow twitched at my words, and she closed her eyes.
For the first time, a crack appeared in her expression.
The woman who ignored my outstretched hand the moment we met.
A doll-like woman who seemed devoid of emotion.
And a woman with decent talent and passion.
For such a woman to want something from me?
There couldn't be a better fit for NTR.
A boiling urge rose within me to shatter that expression with my own hands and then plaster it over with sexual talents.
Luna was a woman I desperately wanted to break.
Luna, who had closed her eyes and fallen silent, opened them again and spoke to me.
"...I'm sorry if I offended you earlier."
"What do you mean?"
"... ."
I played dumb.
Luna and I locked eyes in a strange battle of wills.
Who won?
"...I won't tell anyone about the magic circle. I'll come find you again tomorrow."
With that, Luna turned and walked away.
Even with her cloak on, her elegant gait couldn't be hidden.
Once her retreating figure vanished from the terrace, I cheered.
"I win!"
Even if I got caught, I could just force-return to the ship.
The problem was if it interfered with the mission...
But things were going smoothly from the start.
I'd thought conversation would be tough, but Luna had come to me herself to talk.
Just like with Viola, I was pretty lucky.
"This is huge. I should use this to get tangled up with her a bit."
-[Craving for Growth]-
From Luna's perspective, my ability must be beyond imagination.
Mages spend an enormous amount of time drawing magic circles.
Sometimes it takes a full hour of careful work.
To manifest one just by thinking about it.
She'd probably be praying I don't get caught by anyone else.
At least until she learns it herself first.
Satisfied, I headed back to the dormitory with a grin.
"Suho."
"Yeah?"
The next day, right after magic circle practice class ended, Louis approached me.
The guy who'd been buried in girls since day one was suddenly coming to me.
"Wanna join a club?"
"A club?"
Like any school, Schutra Magic School had a club system where students gathered in groups.
You could join multiple, and there were plenty unrelated to magic.
But...
'Annoying... why would I bother with that?'
School life wasn't what mattered to me.
It was how to corrupt Luna.
Spending time on clubs was better used resting and planning.
"Sorry, but I'm not in any clubs yet..."
"The magic circle research club is the hottest one right now—super popular."
"Still, I'm..."
"The seniors are really nice and give tons of advice that helps your grades, so come with."
"No..."
"The friends over there are going too."
Louis didn't seem interested in hearing me out at all.
What the hell was this guy?
'This psycho keeps cutting me off...'
He'd been background noise yesterday, but today he was annoying background noise.
Before I could refuse again, students gathered around—mostly girls.
They started recruiting me too.
"You drew magic circles pretty well yesterday. Come with us."
"It's easy to join and leave anyway."
"...No guarantee we'd even get in."
The girls explained the club roughly while pressuring me to join.
They didn't even seem like they particularly wanted me there.
If anything, they looked annoyed...
'Why are they doing this?'
Louis slipped through the girls and went to Luna, who was sitting next to him.
"Luna, let's join together."
"... ."
Louis had dumped the girls on me and was now recruiting Luna too.
The girls started whispering as Louis and Luna talked.
(Of all people, him...)
(Well, they've known each other since they were kids...)
(Ugh, why didn't I have a friend like Louis when I was little? Annoying.)
...Whisper quieter.
They were gossiping secretly about the two, blatantly showing their hostility.
Louis, oblivious to the girls' murmurs, kept talking to Luna.
But now I was the target.
(Why's he dragging this guy along?)
(He's good at magic circles, I guess.)
(He wouldn't go unless this guy came...)
(What's his name anyway?)
(Dunno.)
Whisper quieter...
The two next to them might not hear, but they were saying it loud enough for me.
'These crazy bitches are talking right in front of me.'
The professor had just threatened deductions for peeking at others' circles, so no one turned blatantly.
I concluded it was just because I was good at drawing them.
I glanced at Louis, then shifted my gaze to Luna.
She was sneaking peeks at me.
We stared for a few seconds.
Then an answer came from her lips.
"...Okay. I'll join too."
Once Luna decided to join, I decided to join the magic circle research club too.
Turns out, you couldn't just join a club because you wanted to.
Small clubs often had no special requirements, but big ones were different.
With so many applicants, large clubs had to select somehow.
The criteria could be national connections or entrance exam scores.
Conveniently, there was a club info session for new students.
Me, Luna, Louis, and the girls attended the one in the auditorium.
A blonde woman took the stage and began explaining.
She introduced herself as the Schutra Magic School student council president.
Her neat bob haircut and golden eyes radiated a golden glow.
Her refreshing smile and confident explanation exuded the dignity of a president.
'Whoa, she's pretty.'
According to the president, club applications opened in a week.
New students, who only had magic circle classes anyway, should use the free time to browse clubs leisurely.
The session ended, and we left the auditorium.
Applications weren't until next week anyway—might as well head back.
I tried to slip away carefully to avoid that guy.
Sasasak, stealth!
"Ah, Suho. Let's eat together."
"... ."
My swift stealth was pierced instantly.
Shit...
'Why's this psycho after me... Armonia.'
Defiance of orders?!
Ah... her rank's higher than mine.
Should I be saluting instead?
Armonia explained that dispositions of protagonists managed by Zodiac or Holy Order couldn't be viewed or edited.
I hadn't run into the previous hero, so I didn't know. (We nearly crossed paths by a second.)
So this is checks and balances...
The girls around Louis giggled at his invitation.
"As expected of Louis... he takes such good care of everyone. So kind..."
"And like top of the class, he leads even the bottom... er, lower ranks so well. Impressive."
Bottom or last place...
The girls wouldn't stop praising Louis.
But his response was even better.
"Suho's at the bottom now, but people like that have the joy of climbing up—I envy that."
"True, Louis has nowhere left to go up... you're amazing."
"Right, right."
Something about the vibe...
'This bastard's dissing me, right?'
Whether it was natural or intentional, he seemed like a prick either way.
Behind Louis and the girls, Luna stared at me blankly.
Her gaze stayed fixed on me.
Then Louis turned back as if remembering something, stood next to Luna, and said to me.
"Oh, right... sorry. Luna doesn't eat with strangers... Suho, could you escort the ladies here?"
"...Pardon?"
He spouted nonsense without a brain.
It felt like siccing mobs on me then snatching the treasure chest while I fought them.
'...Getting pissed now.'
Kuku, gotta vent somehow.
Not a joke—I'm seriously holding back 'cause I want Armonia for real.
The other girls looked disappointed at Louis's words but couldn't refuse.
"Aw..."
"If Louis says so..."
They grumbled regretfully while glaring at Luna.
Louis remained completely oblivious to their open glares.
Honestly, this situation might work in my favor.
The girls would naturally peel off if Louis went elsewhere.
Louis tried to lead Luna to the cafeteria.
But Luna just stood there, staring at me.
"Luna, let's go."
"... ."
"Luna?"
"...Come with us."
Luna said it looking at me.
"Huh? You sure? You don't eat with strangers."
"It's fine. We met yesterday."
"W-well, if you say so..."
Louis looked reluctant as he glanced at me. For the first time, his expression twisted when it involved Luna.
Luna looked at me and invited me again.
"Come with us."
A faint smile tugged at her lips.
Hearing her invitation, I flashed a bright smile.
And replied.
"Nah, pass?"