Finals Celebration (6)
Moon Sulin, the student council president of Victoria Academy, hummed a cheerful tune to herself in the empty student council room. All her work for the day was done, and she'd gotten to see Lee Ho-yeon.
'In the end, I couldn't ask about the clothes...'
She'd tried her best, but steering the conversation that way wasn't easy. She'd even brought up internet broadcasts as a topic, but Ho-yeon didn't seem interested. And she couldn't just straight-up ask—it had been pretty tough.
Still, today had been a big win. Moon Sulin touched her shoulder. She could still feel Ho-yeon's warmth there.
"Heh, fuu..."
The spot on her uniform where his hand had touched. Moon Sulin carefully took off her uniform jacket, folded it neatly, and tucked it into her bag.
"Gotta preserve this one too, right? Heh."
She'd store it with the oversized T-shirt he'd given her last time. A preservation spell would keep the scent and warmth intact.
Now in her underwear, Moon Sulin grabbed a spare uniform from the student council room supplies, put it on, sat at her desk, and started organizing information. There were things from her chat with Ho-yeon that didn't add up.
She pulled out a pen and notebook and began jotting down her thoughts.
- Underground dealings with France's Iris Guild.
- Or maybe talking to Ellis? Even if Professor Im Sol mentioned field training, he wouldn't know Iris Guild was involved. Professors don't get participant guild lists.
So naturally, there had to be direct contact between Ho-yeon and Iris Guild.
"The reason... Ellis? Probably."
- Ellis....
Tap. Tap.
Moon Sulin tapped her pen on the desk, then wrote more.
- Sudden move.
"Move... move."
Victoria Academy, the world's top educational institution, had perfect facilities. Dorms were single rooms as standard—better than surrounding housing.
"Hmm, that could be it."
Of course, leaving the dorms wasn't weird. With all the people around, a celebrity like Ho-yeon might hate it. Or maybe the recent attack soured him on dorm life. Multiple reasons, nothing suspicious.
"Hope the application went through okay."
Moon Sulin logged into the system to check dorm management—for Ho-yeon's application.
"Good. He did it right."
She nodded in relief while scanning the logs, then spotted something odd.
"...Huh?
Two Class 1-A students had applied to leave the dorms at the same time. Ho-yeon made sense, but someone else was there too.
"...Nam Da-eun?"
The former top student of the freshmen year. Coincidence? Or connected to Ho-yeon?
An inexplicable anxiety filled Moon Sulin's chest.
'Ho-yeon's probably talking with Ellis right now.'
What about? Iris Guild business? Or something else...?
Moon Sulin clenched her fist tight.
She should've kicked Ellis out for good.
'No, maybe I should've just called him over? Told him privately...'
Too late for regrets now. Moon Sulin logged out, leaned back in her chair.
You couldn't strictly divide people by talent, but if you had to, Moon Sulin was a genius. Her sharp mind was acknowledged by all, her work ethic and communication flawless. A true prodigy, martial and scholarly, with stunning looks and wisdom to boot.
And yet, this brilliant woman was feeling jealous of other girls.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Shaking her foot anxiously, Moon Sulin muttered quietly.
"...The dance. I definitely applied for it."
All she wanted was one thing. Ho-yeon didn't have to dance with her. Just not with another girl right in front of her.
Even oblivious Ho-yeon would notice that much.
Moon Sulin sank into her chair and squeezed her eyes shut.
Baek Ayoung. Ellis. Nam Da-eun. Girls like Lucy and Lumi in skimpy black outfits, dancing with Ho-yeon—it flashed in her mind.
She shook off the thoughts and activated her smartwatch. It held recordings of Ho-yeon's voice and photos she'd collected.
Of course, today's chat was recorded too.
She looped the edited clip of Ho-yeon's voice and calmed her heart.
"Yeah. Yeah..."
Moon Sulin rested right there in the student council room. The finals celebration was approaching.
*
Ding-
I deactivated the Rune Barrier the moment I entered the dorm. I'd just come back from the dorm supervisor's office to submit our exit requests.
"Thanks, Ho-yeon."
Nam Da-eun, who'd hidden in my barrier for the joint application, spoke from behind me.
"No big deal. It was on the way."
"Still. Oh, give me your clothes."
"Sure. But why do you keep taking them?"
At some point, Nam Da-eun started collecting my uniforms.
"Don't like it?"
She draped my uniform over her arm and looked up at me.
"Not that. Just... thanks."
"Okay."
Nam Da-eun gave a faint smile without any laugh and headed to her room. She seemed unusually happy, for some reason.
I washed my hands and went to the living room. Liliana, lounging on the bed, came over.
"Why're you so late? I'm hungry! Let's eat."
"I told you to order something."
"I already did~."
"Good girl."
As we bantered pointlessly like always, I tried calling out to Scarlett, but Liliana wouldn't let go. Not her usual hit-and-run nonsense.
"Liliana?"
I opened her status window while she stared at me blatantly.
"...Hey. Say it out loud."
Now I could see the lust hidden in those eyes.
"You know. Hehe."
Haa. So "hungry" wasn't about food.
"...We did it pretty recently."
Anyone'd think it was months. Just days ago.
"Back when it was just us, you jumped me every day... Sniff. Am I boring you now? Boo-hoo."
No tears, but fake sobbing. I couldn't help laughing at the ridiculousness.
"We're family now."
"...Fine, two can play. Da-hee!"
"Yeah, sis? Why?"
Nam Da-hee, playing with Nam Da-eun, toddled over at Liliana's call.
"Hey! This crazy succubus—"
"Then just do it...!"
Liliana wrapped her arms around my waist, clinging like she'd never let go, even wrapping her legs around mine. Meanwhile, Da-hee got closer and watched our antics.
"Sis, why're you grabbing oppa's leg?"
"Well. Oppa keeps adding girls, so..."
"Hey! Okay, okay!"
"Finally getting it? Let's go, Da-hee."
"Huh? Sis, what? Yeah?"
Having wrung permission from me, Liliana rubbed her face on my leg, grazed my crotch with her hand, then let go. She grabbed Da-hee's hand and headed to the bed.
Threatening me one second, playing nice the next. What a con artist.
"...Tch."
Not that I hated it. I'd have done it if she'd snuck in at bedtime, but in front of Da-hee? Awkward. And those sneaky glances while playing with Da-hee? On purpose, probably. Revenge tonight.
"Welcome back, Master Ho-yeon."
As I plotted grim revenge, a voice whispered right in my ear.
"Shit! What the—!"
I whipped around, startled. Scarlett nodded at me.
"Found another one. Your attention slips when you're thinking dirty thoughts."
"...What're you gonna do with my weaknesses?"
"For your protection. Protection."
"..."
Why are all the women around me nuts? Made me miss Sulin noona again.
"Anyway, Master. Iris Guild has completed all procedures."
"Already? Fast."
Scarlett and I had already discussed field training. I'd shared Professor Im Sol's info right away.
"We had a spot for Lady Ellis already—just added one more. Does your schedule work?"
"I'll make it."
From Sulin noona's reaction today, the extra Iris spot request went through fine. Problem was Rebecca. No word from her on the intel.
"Might as well message her."
Didn't wanna bug her work, but checking progress was okay.
I sent the message, turned off my watch, and pondered. Even if no intel by next week, dragging it out was risky. Iris might catch the centaur themselves. Time wasn't infinite.
"Understood. Good luck."
"Luck?"
Scarlett smirked and bowed slightly. Uneasy, I glanced at the living room.
"Sis... I'm sleepy."
"Okay, come here. Sleep with sis."
Nam Da-eun took Nam Da-hee to their room. Liliana watched me from behind.
"Might be rough. Liliana's been complaining you haven't jumped her lately."
"...Really?"
Now I felt a bit guilty.
Grrr-
Liliana growled—not a cat, but whatever. I headed to the bed.
*
In Victoria Academy's infirmary, Baek Ayoung paced frantically once her work wrapped up.
"This is bad. Real bad..."
She roamed the infirmary, anxious. A message had just arrived.
Friday was the cadets' Finals Celebration, so academy closed. But the medical team? No party—they braced for accidents.
"...But I'm the nurse."
Professors off, her working? Unfair. Same staff.
Hmm. Convinced herself somehow, then spotted a bigger issue.
The Finals Celebration was for cadets. Could staff join?
"...Just go? No, is that desperate? Twenties partying... Wait, I'm twenties too. Should be fine...?"
It'd always been open to all, but first-year Baek Ayoung hadn't imagined it.
Finally, she called student council to confirm and sighed in relief.