Final Exam Celebration (4)

"Aah..."

The moment Lee Ho-yeon laid his hand on Elise's shoulder, she flinched. She still wasn't used to the sensation of someone else touching her body. Having lived her entire life without so much as a casual brush of contact, a handful of massages was nowhere near enough to make her accustomed to it.

"You okay?"

"Sorry. Yeah, I'm fine. Just startled me a little."

"Don't tense up. I'm only checking your mana circuits."

He squeezed gently, smiling as he gripped her shoulder and sent his mana flowing in. The power unfurled from his fingertips, sinking into Elise's body and settling into her mana circuits almost immediately.

"They're definitely narrowing. Looks like we'll need to do something about it."

It was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠about time for another massage.

"Hah... yeah. Haah."

"Let me check a little more."

While Ho-yeon closed his eyes and examined her body, Elise, watching him, found herself sinking into serious thought.

This is weird. No — it doesn't make any sense.

No matter how she turned it over, something was off. By Elise's understanding of the world, Ho-yeon's behavior simply didn't add up. He'd touched her like that — so why was this man so completely unfazed?

The memory of that day rose vividly in her mind. The massage she'd first mistaken for a nightmare. It wasn't that she doubted Ho-yeon. The act of the Mana Massage itself had been thoroughly obscene — but the results had been perfect. It was almost astonishing that a technique that effective hadn't spread far and wide. Then again, a massage that crude and vulgar probably wasn't the kind of thing people advertised.

But that wasn't the problem. The problem was that the person performing that filthy, frivolous massage was Lee Ho-yeon. In other words — a man.

But how can he be this calm? Seriously?

It felt vain to say it herself, but Elise was fairly attractive. No — she was very attractive. She'd been hearing as much for twenty years. And looking in the mirror, she could honestly say her face belonged to the category one would call beautiful.

So why? Even if it was work, he'd touched her body so... obscenely. Just thinking about it made her face burn red. It was hard to hide even when she tried — that was why she poured nearly all her concentration into keeping her expression composed whenever she talked to him. And yet, unlike her, why didn't he show a single sign?

Don't tell me I'm the only one who cares?

Just then, she ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠felt her mana circuits stretch, little by little. It meant Ho-yeon's mana had just passed through. Even while she was lost in these thoughts, he was still focused entirely on the task at hand.

Was it possible that handsome men just weren't interested in women?

Bullshit.

Elise was one of the people who knew Ho-yeon's relationships with women better than almost anyone. She even had a video of him with another woman, after all. No matter how good-looking he was, a man was still a man.

And yet. After touching her like that. He hadn't developed any feelings?

"Ugh..."

It was irritating. Something about it just pissed her off. The fact that she was the only one this hung up on it wounded her pride.

"The circuits have definitely started narrowing. Want me to work on them a little?"

"...Thanks."

The way he looked after her made it seem like he might have some feelings after all. Elise kept turning it over in her mind.

Meanwhile, Ho-yeon smiled as he worked his hands over Elise's shoulders. The way she twitched every time he so much as brushed a mana circuit was entertaining.

I could probably work a little lower, couldn't I?

Her resistance to the massage seemed to have faded a lot compared to the beginning, so he figured he might as well plant a little anticipation.

"Hiiik...!"

Elise, still wrestling with her thoughts about Ho-yeon, tensed all over again at the strange sensation blooming in her lower abdomen.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Not bad. Still, it's a lot better than before."

As my mana swept across the outside of Elise's body, she began to tremble. With my hands on her shoulders, I could feel every shiver.

This is fun.

"Nngh, haah, mmph."

Poke. Poke.

A touch delivered through mana. Even after some time away, it didn't feel awkward at all. This really might be my calling.

I slipped my mana between Elise's thighs. Those plump thighs were squeezed tightly shut, as if refusing to let anything inside — but they couldn't stop mana. Finding a gap, it slipped through and reached her sex.

"Hah, hh—?"

Feeling something strange inside her body, Elise pressed a hand firmly between her skirt. The way her shoulders twitched in my grip was a bonus.

Squelch—

I was riding the flow, teasing her clit a few times and enjoying myself, when Elise spoke up, breathing hard.

"W-wait. Hah. This is weird. There are people here. It feels too..."

"Ah."

At her words, I glanced around. I'd been having so much fun I'd forgotten the student council upperclassmen were right here. And at the same time, I realized Su-rin noona's mana was nearby.

Knock knock knock—

"Y-yes!"

I yanked my hands off Elise and opened the door.

"Noona. You're here?"

"Yeah. Sorry. I had a lot to deal with. What were you two up to?"

"Just talking a bit. Waiting for you to get here."

"Hmmm. I see."

Su-rin noona's expression was ordinary enough, but something about it felt off. It was that prickling instinct I'd developed from spending so much time around women.

Of course. This noona had noticed and was pretending she hadn't. I swallowed and quickly kept talking.

"And I gave her a shoulder rub. She's been looking tired lately."

I glanced at Elise — she was straightening her clothes. No, why are you fixing your clothes right now. Anyone who saw that would think we'd actually done something.

"Mhm. Sit down for now. I'll brief you both quickly."

Fortunately, noona didn't press that far.

"...Yes, President."

Elise sat down across from Su-rin noona, her face still faintly flushed. Since I was here to hear the same briefing, I took the seat beside her.

"First off. Um, Miss Elise?"

"Yes, President."

"We can speak casually, right...? I wanted to brief you and Ho-yeon at the same time."

"That's fine."

They were still using formal speech with each other? This was exactly the kind of thing that was a problem. The heroines were too distant from one another. They needed to get closer if the harem was going to be easy to manage. Like Liliana and Nam Da-eun. Granted, those two had a somewhat special relationship, but... whatever.

"Great. Then I'll start explaining slowly. First..."

Su-rin noona's explanation wasn't difficult to follow. I'd assumed a celebration would last several days, but apparently it was just one. That said, the academy would be closed and everyone would be partying all day, so the scale was still pretty massive. Looking at the schedule she showed us, the student council had an enormous amount to prepare. And the deadline was brutally tight. It was the day after tomorrow — Friday.

I'd wondered if that was even possible, but looking at the schedule, most of the items were labeled "prepare with magic," which made it click. There wasn't a celebratory performance or anything — just students drinking, eating, and having fun — so no rehearsals were needed. Whatever they needed, they'd just conjure it with magic that day. That was why the prep window was so short.

"That's the plan. You both get it?"

"Yes. I understand, President."

"I got the general idea too... but what's this last item, Music and Dance?"

The last item on the schedule. It was slated for around sunset. Answering my question, Su-rin noona smiled — a cute little smile that looked just like a tiny devil's.

"It's exactly what it says."

"...?"

"Exactly what it says. We'll have music playing and set up a stage where people can dance. Anyone who wants to dance, can."

"Uh..."

This felt incredibly ominous. It was a cliché. The kind of cliché that always led to disaster.

"What, you want to dance with me?"

Su-rin noona struck immediately. She'd taken the bait I'd thrown out as if she'd been waiting for it.

"...I'm not a very good dancer."

"It's fine. I'll..."

"President. Is everything written on this document all we need to know?"

That was when Elise cut in. From my perspective, the timing was a blessing.

"Ah, yeah. If you've got it all, you can go."

"...Understood. Ho-yeon. Let's go."

Elise stood and looked at me. Judging by her expression, she didn't want to waste any more time. She probably had a packed schedule. But why was she asking me to come with her?

"Huh? You want me to come with you?"

"I'll show you the way. To the dorm supervisor."

Oh? What had gotten into Elise. She wouldn't even acknowledge me in public. Honestly, I already knew where it was, so I didn't need a guide — but there was no reason to turn her down if she wanted to go together.

"Hey, Ho-yeon."

That was when Su-rin noona spoke up too.

"Yes?"

"Is that urgent? I have something I want to talk about as well."

"Ah, uh..."

If she was asking whether it was urgent — well, it wasn't. The supervisor's office would be open even at night, so I could go after we finished here. The problem was, that would leave Elise hanging after she'd offered first.

"...And me?"

Just as I'd expected, Elise looked at Su-rin noona, a hint of dissatisfaction ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in her voice.

"Ah, Miss Elise, you can go ahead. It's a personal matter."

"President. Ho-yeon's business is fairly urgent. We don't know when he'll be moving, so..."

"Elise? The supervisor's office is right behind the dorms. Do you really need to show him the way?"

"..."

Elise fired back immediately, unwilling to back down, but it was hard to beat a sound argument. The truth was, she was right. I'd walked past the supervisor's building plenty of times myself. Honestly, there wasn't a single person living in the dorms who didn't know that building. Su-rin noona lived in the dorms too, so she'd know better than anyone.

"...Hah."

Elise let out a very small, hollow laugh. Su-rin noona, sitting in front of me, either hadn't heard it or didn't care — she was still smiling brightly. The smile was so breezily unbothered it was almost startling.

"...Lee Ho-yeon."

"Yeah?"

Elise, still standing beside me, spoke without turning. Something about her expression was thoroughly displeased.

"I have something to say too, so contact me when you're done."

"...? Got it."

What was this about all of a sudden. She hadn't offered to show me the way because she had something important to tell me, had she? If so, that could be a bit of a problem.

If it can wait until after, it probably isn't that urgent?

In any case, Elise left with only those words. The way her footsteps looked a little more displeased than usual wasn't my imagination.

She's a bit mad, huh.

Well, getting cut off after making an offer like that would be annoying. Still, I couldn't follow Elise out of here.

"Ho-yeon. I have something to tell you."

Because that would mean ignoring our Su-rin noona, smiling right in front of me.

Elise clenched her teeth as she stepped out of the student council room.

"How unpleasant."

The student council president. That smug look on her face, like she was something special — Elise found it thoroughly repulsive. She never showed her emotions to people she might use as connections later, but for some reason, today she was incredibly irritated.

Honestly, she thought of it as a pointless power play. Mun Su-rin was probably trying to keep her in check because she was close with Ho-yeon — but it only made her feel worse. She and Ho-yeon were nothing more than a business relationship. Being treated as a rival was just unpleasant.

If the goal had been to piss her off, cause problems for the Iris Guild, and ultimately weaken France's national power — then congratulations, mission accomplished.

"Unpleasant unpleasant unpleasant unpleas— hahh..."

Elise took a deep breath, brow furrowed. She'd gotten close to the car waiting at the front gate. Sebas Chan would have been waiting there for a while now.

Elise carefully climbed into the back seat. Sebas Chan greeted her with his usual smile.

"Welcome back, my lady."

"Yeah. Let's go home."

"Straight home, then? I thought you might stop for dinner or visit the cocktail bar."

"Forget it. I'm not in the mood. I just want to rest today... ah."

Come to think of it, she'd told Ho-yeon to wait. Mun Su-rin's behavior had been so transparent that she'd said it without thinking. The jealousy over her being close with Ho-yeon had been written all over her face. The truth was, she didn't have anything to say. She'd only said it to get under Mun Su-rin's skin.

"...Hm."

Elise considered going back even now, then just sent a message from her smartwatch.

"That should do it."

Elise let out a sigh and closed her eyes. Exhaustion had suddenly washed over her.