Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Factual Defamation
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The conference hall echoed with the clicks of camera shutters, cheers, and applause.
Three students stood there in their uniforms, hands clasped behind their backs in tense anticipation, waiting for the host's words to end. It was all so fresh and innocent.
Finally, the host finished speaking, and the chairwoman of Justitia Academy strode out with purposeful steps.
A young-looking woman wearing a wizard's hat. With her stunning red eyes, she smiled, waved to the cameras, and began reading the certificate.
And there I was, watching it all on the monitor. Sprawled out on a fluffy bed, propped up on one arm, munching on snacks.
"Doesn't this seem off to you?"
"What does?"
"First off, who was it that told you not to eat snacks in bed?"
That was me, obviously. But I had no choice back then. I didn't like it. Now we've got two beds, so I've got some peace of mind. Goodbye, petty old me! Welcome to bed paradise!
Raphael furrowed her brow when I didn't answer right away and held up a second finger. Lachesis, sitting next to me, sneaked another snack.
"And second, why aren't we up there? Didn't we solve the incident? We captured Benia, didn't we?"
"Hey now. Captured? It was protection. Protection."
I ignored Raphael's mutter of same difference and focused on the TV. Isia was bashfully hanging her head, while Yang Min-ji waved frantically at the screen.
She was yelling something like, "Dad!! I'm on TV!!" It was embarrassing even for me, and I'm not her dad. How mortified must her actual father be?
"Think about it, though. We were buried underground until Benia dug us out. If we suddenly popped up and said, 'We fought too!! Give us certificates!!' it would look pretty suspicious, right?"
Raphael shut her mouth at my words. She was pouting, probably upset that her efforts pulling out the Demon Sword hadn't been rewarded.
I let out a deep sigh and sat up. A man keeps his promises. If he says he'll do it, he does it. In short, a—
"Let's go."
I cut off my own train of thought and called out to Raphael. When she tilted her head in confusion, I just put Lachesis on my shoulder and got ready to head out.
"Huh? Where are you going?"
"To keep my promise. If you don't remember, we'll go without you."
"...?"
Raphael tilted her head for a good while before suddenly remembering and crying out, "Ah!! Take me with you!!" as she hurried after me.
Weekends end, and weekdays return. Early mornings, classes, training—back to the grind.
Is this hell? Is this reality? Swallowing my tears, I headed to school.
The silver lining? Another bed means better sleep. My back not hurting is a godsend.
"Now we'll start with running, then strength training, one-on-one combat drills, pointless mana training, and magic training on top of that? Is this really a school? Shouldn't we just rename it a boot camp?"
Nya~a~a~a~ng!
"Yawn. You're gonna get all the credit anyway, so why whine? It's karma from the start. Who told you to slack off on training?"
She had no comeback to that. I pouted and walked on in silence, but Raphael and Lachesis ignored me.
A little hurtful.
We walked until the building came into view. That's when something entered my sightline. Thanks to the uphill path, I saw the head first, then the body gradually.
Black, long straight hair. Uniform impeccably neat. A beauty standing there, arms crossed, looking down as if she'd been waiting just for me.
What the hell?
I rubbed my eyes thinking I was seeing things, pinched my cheek to check if it was a dream, but no—it was real, and I was seeing it right.
Rubbing my stinging cheek, I looked up at the arrogant maid staring down at me.
"Good morning."
"No. Not that good a morn—"
"Good morning."
"Yes... good morning..."
For some reason, I responded politely out of fear. Raphael shot me a look like What's wrong with this guy? from the side, but instinct is instinct, right? Nothing I can do about it.
"Why no contact over the weekend? I heard from Yang Min-ji that you were handling the drake on the opposite side, but you didn't even show up for the award ceremony."
What? Is she mad? I broke into a sweat and averted my eyes. I didn't do anything wrong?
Why is she mad? Why should I even be scared of her—? The thoughts raced, but when our eyes met, I looked down involuntarily. Instincts are scary.
"Are you an—"
"Mad? Me? Not at all? I didn't know your number so couldn't call, and I wasn't worried wondering if you were okay? And I didn't feel like someone stole my achievements, making the certificate feel tainted??"
She's saying it all herself. I sidled forward to pass her, but she blocked me.
She stuck her leg out to bar my path.
"So. Tell me."
"? Tell you what?"
As I floated three question marks over my head, Isia's face flushed red. She was embarrassed to say it again.
But seriously, what?
"What else! Your phone number!!"
"Oh."
Come to think of it, I didn't have a phone either. After coming here, things were so hectic that my 25-year concentrated internet addiction had worn off. Isia didn't have one either, which is why I told her to meet at the department store on Friday.
I answered with a bright smile.
"Don't have one!"
"What?!"
I caught a glimpse of Isia's shocked face. Makes sense. In this even more advanced world than my 21st century, not having a phone is like being a caveman. But what can I do? I really don't.
"Me neither!!"
Raphael's sunny grin landed like a straight punch on Isia, who looked like she'd taken a jab. Isia staggered back, shielding her face with her arms like she'd been KO'd.
Her expression screamed R-Really!?, and I didn't miss the opening.
I bolted toward the classroom before she could recover.
After the damn training finally ended that afternoon, I was slumped over my desk, half-listening to the teacher chattering away up front—one ear in, one ear out.
"Lee Seong-hoon. You need to pay proper attention in class."
Shut up. What do you know? Combat gorillas like me have our own struggles.
That's right, nya. Napping during this time is a cat's privilege, nya.
Lucky you. Let's switch. You sit through class here. I can't do it. Have you tried the training? It's training to kill people.
More than that, this relative deprivation is hitting hard. Some of us have classes and training all day, while my pet lounges on my shoulder?
Is this fair? As I pondered that, Shin Ki-ha, who'd been ranting up front, started handing out flyers.
The moment I saw the flyer coming my way, I sighed.
Behold, the grand Club Application Form. Wow. So thrilling. Back in my old world, I did manga club stuff.
Really miss it.
"Lee Seong-hoon must've done something like manga club, right?"
Munch munch.
Raphael said it with her cheeks puffed out like a hamster. Even during class, she doesn't bother sneaking snacks.
She just shoves them in openly. Honestly, is she enjoying this life the most?
First day, she looked half-dead. Now she's a snack-eating machine.
"Rude. True, but rude."
"It's true, so why rude?"
"In Korea, there's this thing called factual defamation. Sometimes the truth hurts the most. Know it?"
Raphael huffed in annoyance, so I felt a vein bulging on my forehead and raised my hand.
"Someone's eating snacks during class."
"What? Who dares!!"
"Eh? Lee Seong-hoon? Wait a sec? Hold on?!"
I ignored Raphael as she babbled something like Hold on!! Just let me finish these!! and got dragged off by Shin Ki-ha, turning my attention to the flyer.
Hmm.
What to do. I've never thought deeply about clubs. In daily life arcs, I never fleshed them out properly—just used them to show characters joining clubs to solidify their personalities.
Never gave it much thought, but was it mandatory to join one per person?
I ran through a few options. Top of mind: Kim Tae-hyun's Volunteer Club. Hard pass, even over my dead body. Me, the antithesis of volunteering, stuck with Kim Tae-hyun? No thanks.
My guts would twist into knots.
Isia's in Magic Research Club, Yang Min-ji in Cooking Club. I know most of the clubs for the key players in this class.
Problem is where to go. I scanned around.
Right away: Kim Tae-hyun sitting quietly alone, the blonde with legs crossed arrogantly, the brown-haired one napping with a cat eyemask, the silver-haired one laughing at the center of the students.
The blue-haired one reading a book amid the noise.
Why so many? I scowled and looked at someone I hadn't checked yet. The girl with long black hair. She met my eyes and hurriedly hid behind her book. Why though?
Hmmmmm.
Tough choice. Picking the right club could open doors, but I don't want to get tangled with Isia or Yang Min-ji types anymore—they're already tangled. I'd prefer clubs with people I'm neutral on or who benefit me—
"Hing... Won't let Lee Seong-hoon off easy..."
"You say that right in front of the guy you won't let off easy?"
I called out to the blonde who'd returned and was muttering. The damn blonde glared at me once, then huffed and turned away.
Whatever.
When pondering leads nowhere, there's one way.
"Hey."
"...What."
"Let's go club hopping."
Experience them firsthand.