Chapter 167: Clown Union Club 14
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 167: Clown Union Club 14
“Loki, aren't you eating with Lady Freya today?”
Lucas asked as the Special Class students headed toward the cafeteria together. For the past few days, Loki had been having lunch with Johanna constantly.
“I’d love to eat with Senior Johanna, of course. Unfortunately, she said she’s eating with the seniors from the Disciplinary Committee today,” Loki whispered, his voice low enough that only Lucas could hear.
“By the way, Lucas, have you thought of a way to get Gashurin to join our club?”
“I don’t think you should be worrying about me right now. You need to get Clara and Sepia to join within four days, but your application was already rejected. You’re going to run out of time. How about just changing the name to something normal?”
“Absolutely not. Do you know how much effort I put into that name? I’m not changing it just because of some wicked law the Academy made up.”
If the rule says a club name must be clear, is it really a 'wicked law'? Lucas thought, but he kept the comment to himself.
As long as that rule existed, it was impossible to form a club under the name 'Clown Union Club.'
Even that girl couldn't manage to establish a club herself, so surely she won't say anything?
When the Special Class arrived at the cafeteria, Loki spotted a face that was always a welcome sight.
Long, flowing platinum blonde hair.
Vacant, crystalline blue eyes.
A sword strapped to her waist.
To anyone else, her expression was a mask of indifference.
“Noo~na!”
But the moment she heard him call out, that face flushed a deep crimson. Loki ran over to Johanna and greeted her brightly.
“...What happened with the club?” she asked.
She had written the recommendation letter as part of their deal, but honestly, she had hoped Loki’s club would fail so he would stay in the Disciplinary Committee. Even though they had gone on an off-campus patrol together this morning using the loophole Loki discovered, it wasn't enough.
“I gathered the minimum number of members, but it was rejected because the name wasn't 'clear' enough. I had no idea such a rule existed.”
“..............”
“Wait! Noona, did you know about this rule?”
“...Do you want to eat lunch together?”
Even though he knew she was dodging the question, Loki’s reflex was to shout, ‘I’d love to!’ but he hesitated.
Loki was the one who had rounded up the Special Class students to eat together. If he backed out now, there would be hell to pay. When Clara said she wanted to eat alone, he had barely managed to drag her along through a mix of logic and threats. If he ditched them now, Clara would never forgive him.
Furthermore, the Disciplinary Committee members standing behind Johanna were shooting him murderous glares. Their eyes screamed: ‘You eat with Lady Johanna all the time! Give us a turn today!’
Before Loki entered the Academy, Johanna always had lunch with the Disciplinary Committee or her friend, Jenna Suguro. Naturally, many people—like Rophri—tried to eat with her for their own ulterior motives, but the Disciplinary Committee had always acted as a human shield.
However, after Johanna became a second-year, the committee members heard news that felt like the sky was falling.
‘...I’m going to eat with Loki.’
It wasn't a case of someone like Rophri pestering her; Johanna herself wanted to eat with Loki, so the committee had no way to stop it.
‘Lady Johanna must just be curious about that Loki guy. She’ll be back to eating with us tomorrow!’
‘R-right?’
‘Of course!’
But one day passed. Then two. The frequency of Johanna eating with Loki only increased.
It wasn't that Johanna never ate with the Disciplinary Committee anymore, but the ratio had shifted drastically. For every five times she ate with Loki, the committee only got one. Since they didn't eat at the Academy on weekends, the Disciplinary Committee members were essentially only seeing her once a week.
An outsider might ask, ‘Can’t they just all eat together?’
In fact, Johanna had invited them several times. But the committee members were the ones who refused. While they wanted to support Johanna’s romantic endeavors, they couldn't bear the sight of her eating happily with another man.
Thus, they were forced into their once-a-week routine. And today was that day! Yet Johanna had just invited Loki to join them.
Naturally, they glared. Loki understood the sentiment perfectly.
‘I should probably turn her down since I already planned to eat with the Special Class kids.’
But first, a little mischief.
Loki stepped closer to Johanna and placed both hands on her shoulders. The surrounding crowd stirred, and the glares from the Disciplinary Committee grew even fiercer, but Loki silently turned Johanna toward her committee members.
“Hehe.”
The eyes of the Disciplinary Committee, which looked ready to devour a wolf moments ago, instantly turned as gentle as lambs.
He turned her back toward him.
Immediately, their expressions soured again.
— Vrrr.
Once.
“Hehe.”
Twice.
— Vrrr.
One more time.
“Hehe.”
And finally.
— Vrrr.
After playing around like that a few times, Loki told Johanna they should eat together later. Johanna was visibly disappointed, but since she had recently heard from her mother that ‘being too clingy makes people dislike you,’ she headed into the cafeteria with her committee.
Loki followed the rest of the Special Class, trailing behind Sepia, who had stomped ahead in a huff for some reason.
Lucas, lagging slightly behind, muttered to himself.
“By the way, didn't they say the 'Noona' and 'Oppa' titles with Lady Freya were only supposed to last until the end of the break?”
Lucas paused, a small smirk forming.
‘What a shame. It would be so much fun if Yerika saw them calling each other that next year, too.’
“Lucas, what are you doing? Aren't you coming?”
“It’s nothing!”
* * *
"Now then, shall we have a meeting on how to protect the legendary name 'Clown Union Club'? I'm open to any and all suggestions!"
As soon as they sat down with their food, Loki brought it up. Everyone stared at him with the exact same deadpan expression.
So this is why he wanted to eat together.
"Hey now~ don't look at me like that. It's going to be our club, isn't it?"
The Special Class students hadn't forgotten how Loki had played them during the argument with Professor Elicia this morning.
Lucas was the first to speak. “But honestly, 'Clown Union Club' just isn't it. Let's go with a different name.”
The others immediately chimed in.
“How about Adventure Club?”
“I think Exercise Club would be good!”
"Exploration Club isn't bad either."
“I’m not just saying this now, I’ve been saying it all along—that name is weird! Loki! No one in my tribe would ever come up with something like that.”
"Pushovers do tend to give things weird names."
“Eek! I’m the club president! Why are you all trying to change the name as you please?”
Watching Loki’s frantic reaction, they could finally see why he usually spent his time teasing others.
"You asked for good suggestions."
"The 'good suggestions' I meant were about how to save the name, not change it!"
"Saving that name is a lost cause. It would be faster for me to just start a club myself."
"Oh! If it's a club Lucas makes, I'm in!"
"Then I shall give it serious consideration as well."
"See? If you don't change it soon, I'm going to steal all your members. Or, Loki, do you want to join my club instead?"
Loki lowered his head, his shoulders trembling.
What is it? Has he finally snapped?
Just as Lucas was about to say he was only joking, Loki snapped his head up.
“Now that I think about it, you guys are right. We don't have much time, so there's no need to drag this out over a name. After lunch, I'll change it and head back to the Student Council room.”
That actually worked?
We were just joking.
Lucas, Frederick, Ren, and Kuran looked at each other in surprise.
‘Didn't he say earlier that if he changed it, he might pick something even weirder?’
‘The rule says the name has to be clear enough that anyone can tell what the club does. Even if he wanted to pick a weird name, he can't.’
‘What if he’s so frustrated he forgot that?’
In the end, Lucas spoke up cautiously. “What are you going to change it to? You know the rules, right? It has to be clear.”
“Don't you worry,” Loki said, chewing aggressively on a piece of meat. “I’m going to give it the clearest club name in the entire Academy.”
The Special Class students felt relieved, yet they couldn't shake a lingering sense of unease.
* * *
After finishing lunch, Loki visited the Student Council room once again. He held out the revised application to Joden.
“......Are you serious, Benefactor?”
Even Joden, who was always cool and composed, stood with his mouth agape.
“I have never been more serious. And I didn't break any rules, did I?”
"That is certainly true... but are you aware that once a club name is set, it cannot be changed without a special reason?"
"Don't worry. I have no intention of changing it."
"I see."
Joden placed the application into his desk drawer with a sigh. Written in the 'Club Name' section was:
[ A Club created by a Clown where club members Unionize to devise strategies to catch Professor Elicia, make Frederick exercise, and occasionally head out to raid dungeons and find artifacts along the way. ]