The Most Urgent Club Member Recruitment Comes to an End
The most pressing task of recruiting club members was finally complete. With the minimum requirement of four members met for founding a club, all that remained was securing consent forms from the other clubs.
I devised a plan to collect them as efficiently as possible during the upcoming club exploration period.
"Um... is it really possible to get three consent forms today?"
Before heading out for club exploration, Sea-a—one of the group gathered at my seat—spoke up cautiously.
"From what the instructor said, it doesn't sound easy. Is there anything I can do to help?"
It made sense for Sea-a to worry like that. No one at Seoul Hero Academy had ever secured three consent forms in a single day.
But I possessed abilities far beyond those of ordinary students. I was the player of this game, and this body belonged to Eugene Han Calione.
Leveraging those two facts made it entirely feasible to obtain three consent forms in one day.
"Don't worry about it. I've already got a plan in place."
And seeing it through would only deepen their trust in me.
"If the boss says so, let's just watch. He's got this, right?"
Noticing Sea-a's lingering concern, Jinwoo piped up with a bright voice, cranking up the energy and flashing a cheeky grin.
Sharp guy. Thanks to him, Sea-a's expression brightened a little.
"Yeah!"
"Alright, time to show 'em again. Now then..."
I checked my watch. The hour and minute hands pointed to 8:59.
The academy's first period—club exploration—was about to begin.
As the bell rang the moment I stood, I turned to the club members.
"Let's go."
"Hell yeah! Show 'em what you got, boss!"
"I just gotta follow behind, right?"
"Let's see how our club president handles business."
Our classmates started filing out of the room for exploration. Blending into the crowd, I headed straight for my first target club.
"Eugene. Where to first? I don't know the academy layout that well yet..."
Sea-a trailed us like a duckling after its mother and asked softly.
"First up: the Board Game Club. Bronze-grade, in the basement of the club hall."
"Board... games?"
"Yeah. It's a niche hobby, so not very popular. It's not far—we'll be there soon."
"Close is good. Is that it?"
The building was far too massive to call a mere "hall." The others gaped at its department-store-like scale.
"This is the club hall. Most clubs in the academy have sub-rooms here."
"Th-this is where all the club rooms are?"
"Whoa, it's huge. Boss, we'll get one here too, right?"
"...Leagues apart."
Suddenly, Kim Young-je glanced around, sensing something off, and looked at me.
"Isn't it weirdly empty around the hall for club exploration time?"
"They usually set up booths to recruit freshmen. Most are probably at the field or auditorium."
"Then shouldn't we go there too?"
Sea-a raised the question upon hearing that most clubs were elsewhere.
"The Board Game Club doesn't promote during this period. Too much competition. They target freshmen who didn't join anywhere else and invite them in."
"Ooh, boss knows his stuff."
"I did my homework to start the club."
We entered the hall and headed downstairs. The kids' expressions shifted dramatically.
"Way darker than the first floor."
Young-je muttered, scanning around. Unlike the brightly lit first floor, the basement's atmosphere hit differently right away—flickering lights, musty air, trash in the corners like it hadn't been cleaned.
Anyone seeing this would think it was some Harlem back alley.
"Lower-tier clubs use the basement, so they end up with spots like this."
Young-je nodded, convinced.
After another four minutes or so, we reached the door with the Board Game Club nameplate.
"Whoa, creepy entrance."
"Don't say that at the door—they might hear. Quiet down."
Jinwoo spat his snide remark the second we stopped. Young-je frowned and shot back, making Jinwoo grumble as he approached the door.
"Boss, this one? Opening it."
I nodded, and Jinwoo flung the door wide.
The Board Game Club's interior unfolded before us—like a library, with countless display cases lined with board games.
"Ugh, dusty."
Waving his hand as we entered, murmurs rose from behind the cases.
"...tteok, right?"
"...have to?"
"...tradition, isn't it?"
"People... come... here?"
"...so... yeah."
"...really?"
We slowly approached the source and found six members huddled behind a massive case, circled around what looked like a game board.
Sensing us, one looked up.
"Huh? Wha—why are there people..."
He met my eyes, rubbed them, looked again, and toppled backward in shock.
"Ch-chief! P-people! Actual people came!"
The guy who'd fallen pointed frantically. The red-glasses guy—the chief—looked up at us.
"Huh? What the—four of 'em?! Four people?!"
Only then did the other members turn to stare.
"F-for real! Real people showed up!"
"Freshmen? Noobs? Actual noobs?"
"Everyone calm down! They might be here to shut us down!"
The chief stood first, calming the chaos. The murmurs died down.
Once quiet, the Board Game Club chief eyed me cautiously.
"Uh... what year?"
"First-year."
"Eek! R-real freshmen! What do we do?! What now?!"
The chief panicked solo, hopping around and glancing at his members.
"Chief, calm down first!"
"Yeah! Ask why they're here! Might not wanna join—maybe lost?"
"R-right? Gotta be. Okay, I'll ask!"
All that right in front of us...
The chief turned back.
"Uh... here to join our club?"
"Afraid not."
"...Figured. Lost then?"
"No. We're here for the Board Game Club."
His expression turned serious, sensing something off.
"Here for us? Why would freshmen come to our club?"
He'd ruled out recruitment. I cut straight to the point—no beating around the bush.
"I'm here for your Bronze club consent form."
"What?"
The air chilled.
"...You want our consent form?"
"Yes."
"And you're freshmen?"
"I said as much."
"But you want a consent form?"
"Yes."
"Pfft—!"
The chief burst out laughing.
"Pffhaha! Freshmen asking for a consent form? Wait—you're one of those, huh? Running around trying to start your own club?"
He wiped tears, chuckling, and looked at me.
"You know what it means if we give you one?"
"Yes. It's like a guarantor. If the club we form with your consent fails to last half a semester, your club gets disbanded too."
That was why clubs didn't proliferate wildly at the academy—only those recognized got forms.
"And you still want it?"
"Yes."
"What makes you think we'd give it?"
There it was—the line kicking off the "event."
"I don't know you. Why give it to some stranger? Isn't that just brazen? So—"
He slumped down, grinning up at me.
"—let's play a game."
The flustered newbie-shocker vibe vanished. Even for a weak club, he was chief—meaning he had the strength to protect it.
"Simple rules. Your friends versus our members in board games. Best of five—first to three wins. Deal?"
"Hm, board games for the win..."
"Too much? Tough for you guys. Bluntly, we lose nothing by refusing, so this is fair."
He grinned leisurely. His members were already debating games excitedly.
Fun. Shall I play a bit longer?
"If we win, we get the form. What if we lose?"
"You lose?"
His red-glassed lips curled wickedly.
"All of you join our club."
Predictable. This was the Board Game Club's "Dark Board Game"—betting terms to recruit members.
"You could quit later, but you'd have to stay a year. Free to leave as sophomores. Sound good?"
Easy to say, but they'd pull every trick to hook you on board games within a year.
So, flashing a smile, I ended the game.
"—I refuse."