Chapter 59
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Clubs Are Something You Fight for with Your Life on the Line
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"No, for now, I'm planning to try talking it out first."
"Talking? Si-woo, you've got no talent for jokes."
She responded like that, then clapped her hands and continued.
"Ah! You mean writing 'dialogue' but actually blackmailing them?"
No, that's not it.
Why did Lee Dok-sa have to misunderstand me so badly?
'Snatching club rooms from upperclassmen.'
If 'talking' didn't work out, then yeah, I was planning to take them by force, just like she said.
I even had a surefire way to win.
Even so, it didn't seem like they'd coldly turn down a cute first-year underclassman politely asking. I had to at least try talking first.
The club war was just plan B.
"More importantly, who's the member and the faculty advisor?"
"Yes, I'll submit the member list right now."
With that, I handed her the club founding application.
First, you submit the application, then fight for a space to use as the club room—that's how it gets officially approved.
"Si-woo, Baek A-rin... and the last one is Kang Hwa-yeon?"
We'd met the minimum of three members.
I'd already asked Kang Hwa-yeon, using the fact that I'd saved her life as leverage. She hadn't joined any Inferno direct club despite her clan's power, so she accepted my offer.
And Baek A-rin.
I didn't even ask.
What was she gonna do? We were already in the same boat, bound by fate. If I did it, she'd do it too.
"A club with the heirs of Inferno and Snow Mountain? A brand-new club suddenly boasting insane firepower. And with you as president? No need to say more."
"Thank you."
Just as Lee Dok-sa said, this was the first new club founded in years, and it had snagged the heirs of the two major clans who'd drawn attention by not joining any others.
I hadn't asked Erina yet since I had a favor to call in from her, but I planned to bring her in soon.
'I wasn't even thinking about it, but damn, this is a ridiculously stacked lineup.'
At that moment, Lee Dok-sa handed back the papers and spoke.
"But why give this to me, Si-woo? You should submit it to the faculty advisor—they'd handle it."
"Right."
Yeah.
Normally, you'd line up a faculty advisor first, then found the club.
Plus, faculty advisors were usually professors, so she hadn't expected me to ask her.
But I didn't have many people I could ask.
And among them, Instructor Lee Dok-sa was the most approachable.
Lee Dok-sa looked at me and pointed at herself.
"Me, by any chance?"
"Who else would I ask but Instructor Lee Dok-sa?"
Lee Dok-sa shook her head.
"Look at all these papers piled up? Club applications are super complicated, you know?"
"Vita600. You drank it."
"Even so, I'm already pulling an all-nighter on top of overtime..."
"You drank it."
Trying to back out now? No way.
Lee Dok-sa sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I should've known. There's no way a scheming kid like you—Tar's disciple—came without an agenda."
"You knew."
I smiled and replied.
"Even so, I can't believe you'd torment someone in the middle of all this work."
"Torment? I never had any such intention. It's just that a guy with no connections like me, who's always discriminated against, has nowhere to lean on except Instructor Lee Dok-sa's office."
"You've got a silver tongue..."
Lee Dok-sa took the papers back and continued.
"Since it's your request, I can't refuse. Plus, I've already accepted the bribe. But as you can see, I'm one of the busiest people in this academy, so I might not be able to pay as much attention to the club as other professors."
"That's fine."
I smiled in response, and she shook her head.
"You probably chose me exactly because of that."
"No way. If possible, I want to receive even a little more of your guidance, Instructor."
It was true that I'd calculated she'd allow more autonomy than other professors if she became our advisor.
With her insane workload and personality added in, we'd end up with the most independent club this academy had ever seen—maybe the best ever.
Of course, wanting her teachings wasn't a lie at all.
She was one of the few domestic specialists against 'human' opponents.
She'd even been offered an honorary professor position at another academy in that field—no need to elaborate.
I was hoping to pick up even a fragment of her know-how.
'If I die, it's more likely to be by a person's hand than a monster's.'
It felt like forever since things had gone this smoothly my way.
All that was left was finding a suitable club to negotiate with and asking Erina for 'that favor.'
"Then, I'll be going now, Instructor."
"What are you talking about, Si-woo?"
"Pardon?"
Lee Dok-sa said that, then handed me a stack of documents.
"Why are you giving this to me...?"
"We need to finish this work first before we can proceed with the club founding."
"Haha, but a student handling academy documents like this..."
"Don't worry about that, Si-woo. These papers have zero relation to academy secrets or student info. I make part-timers do it all the time."
"....."
.....
I helped her diligently without complaint.
'It was partly my fault from the start, so my conscience was bothering me.'
9 PM.
That was the time on the clock after I'd finished helping with her paperwork.
'Is this even reasonable?'
Did Lee Dok-sa handle this volume every day?
It was enough to make your head spin.
"No wonder she drives a car like that."
Lee Dok-sa, waving at me from afar.
The car she was getting into was a sleek sports car with the roof down.
Even I, who knew nothing about cars, could tell from its unique shape and glossy yellow finish that it was expensive.
-Vroooom!
The car let out a roaring exhaust note and charged straight at me in an instant.
?
Sudden assassination attempt?
I'd thought if I died by a person, but Instructor Lee Dok-sa? With a car, no less.
'So this is how my story ends.'
-Screeeech.
As useless thoughts flitted through my mind, the car pulled a stylish drift and stopped right in front of me.
"How about it? Cool, right, Si-woo?"
"I just felt like I was under a death threat."
"Hop in. I'll give you a ride."
"It's the dorm anyway—I can walk."
"It's still pretty far."
She had a point. This academy was ridiculously huge, so plenty of people drove around.
"Then..."
With that, I got into her car.
'It's stiff.'
The seat was more uncomfortable than I'd expected.
"Alright, let's go."
"Safe driving, please."
She shifted the gear stick with practiced ease and drove off.
'Unexpected hobby.'
Sports car and Lee Dok-sa.
It somehow fit... but also didn't.
"You're pretty skilled. Didn't expect that."
"Thanks."
As she said that, her long, wavy hair fluttered in the wind.
'She's a beauty.'
This novel couldn't be full of only beauties, but somehow, all the standout people around me were gorgeous.
"Never thought I'd ride in Instructor Lee Dok-sa's car. What a rare experience."
"Oh? Rare? You're the first student I've given a ride to, Si-woo."
"Really? I'm honored."
"Why would an instructor ever take a student for a drive? Students decline, and so do I."
"If it were you, Instructor, the students wouldn't decline."
There were so many simps for her in this novel.
"You sure are smooth with flattery, Si-woo."
"It's not flattery."
First time, huh.
She'd invited me so naturally, I'd assumed she did this often.
"I've got a question."
"Oh? You actually asking something, Si-woo? Unexpected."
What was her image of me, anyway?
I pushed that aside and asked what I was really curious about.
"Why are you so nice to me?"
I was curious.
It was true she'd taken an interest in me, and I was a disciple of her master, Professor Kang Geom-seon.
From her perspective, she'd want to look out for me.
Even so, I couldn't shake the feeling she was being kinder than that.
Simple goodwill?
Undefined favors felt off somehow.
I wanted to clear it up.
"You're an A-1 class student. Professor Kang Geom-seon's disciple. My disciple too, in a way. That's why."
"I see."
Chatting with her, we reached the base of the mountain in no time.
'Car travel is definitely faster.'
"Here...? This is the mountain?"
"I live up here."
Lee Dok-sa looked shocked at my words.
"Si-woo, are you homeless?!"
Why did everyone mistake me for a homeless guy?
"No way. The dorm's up there."
"Oh... right."
Lee Dok-sa seemed unconvinced somehow.
"If you don't have a place, you could stay at mine. It's too big and lonely living alone anyway."
"N-No, I'm good."
For some reason, her sultry tone made me stutter.
"Then, I'll be off."