Chapter 200: Waving the License (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 200: Waving the License (2)
As I mentioned before, the process of establishing a club at Korea University isn't that difficult.
You just fill out a club application form, pass a review, and select a professor to be your advisor. That’s it.
As long as the club’s stated purpose isn't vague or malicious, you’re good to go.
That’s how hundreds of clubs have come to exist at Korea University.
Adding one more to the mix wouldn't change much, but the problem was what kind of club we would create and, more importantly, why we needed to.
If there wasn't a club we liked, we could just not join one. Why go through the trouble of making our own?
“What kind of club do you want to start?”
“Um… a club where we study together and share know-how to pass the Hunter License Exam?”
“…There are probably dozens of clubs like that already.”
When I hit the nail on the head, she flushed and snapped back.
“That’s just on the surface! On the surface!”
“Then what’s the real purpose?”
“Well… to get a hideout, of course.”
“You mean a clubroom?”
“Yeah.”
A clubroom…
The idea of having our own hideout on campus was actually quite appealing.
I’d often thought it would be nice to have a place to relax during the break after lunch or in the empty periods between classes.
“That does sound tempting.”
“Right? Right? Think how great it would be to have our own hideout, huh…?”
“……”
Why was her voice suddenly so sultry?
“Just think about it… whenever we have free time, in the clubroom… hmm? Hooo~”
Hey!
What’s with her suddenly blowing in my ear?
They say a late-blooming thief knows no bounds, and that proverb fit Shin Yu-jeong perfectly right now.
Once she got a taste of sex, she just couldn't seem to get enough.
Well… not that I’m complaining.
Na-eun, who had been puffing out her cheeks in a show of dissatisfaction, threw a wrench into my and Yu-jeong’s rosy future with a pouting voice.
“But from what I hear, it’s not easy to get a clubroom…?”
Ah.
Right.
As I said, establishing a club is easy.
But the easy part ends there.
Every month, a club has to submit a report on its activities to the university.
The quality of those activities determines whether the club gets a room and funding, and how much.
In short, a new club starts as an empty shell with nothing to its name.
While we were all pondering this, Shin Yu-jeong spoke as if it were no big deal.
“So, all we have to do is fill our activity reports with substantial content and show them our potential. That’s it, right?”
“I guess so, but… the problem is what we’d fill it with, isn’t it?”
At Im Na-eun’s question, Shin Yu-jeong wagged her index finger back and forth with a smug look.
“Heh heh, that’s why I’ve already decided on our club’s first activity.”
What was with this confidence?
Every time she acted like this, she’d pull out something completely absurd.
“What is it?”
“Just a sec.”
Shin Yu-jeong took her smartphone out of her padded jacket pocket and started tapping the screen.
A moment later, she showed me a photo.
“…Application for the 1st Quarter Hunter License Exam?”
No way.
“I told you, the purpose of our club is to study and share know-how for the Hunter License Exam.”
“…So we’re just going to take the Hunter License Exam?”
“What could be a more significant activity for a club made to get Hunter licenses? Besides, if one of us actually passes, or even just gets a good score and fails, they’ll probably give us a clubroom without a second thought.”
Hearing it like that, it did make some sense.
But this wasn't a decision I could make on my own.
I turned to the other team members, who had been listening quietly, to ask for their opinions.
“What does everyone else think? The Hunter License Exam… is anyone interested in taking it?”
Three people immediately raised their hands.
“Uh, um.”
That was unexpected.
I thought they’d all be lukewarm about it.
The Hunter License Exam is held four times a year, once per quarter.
However, you can't take all of them.
A Hunter aspirant can take the exam a maximum of two times per year.
Even then, if you fail with an absurdly low score, you lose your remaining attempt for the year.
They say it’s a measure to prevent people from applying indiscriminately, but that’s probably not the real reason.
It’s more likely because it’s a pain for them if too many people show up for each exam.
“I’m just asking to be sure, but you all know you can only take the exam twice a year, right?”
“Hey, who doesn’t know that?”
You be quiet, you brat.
Was she serious about using up one of our precious attempts just to get a clubroom?
Seeing that no one else said anything, it seemed the other team members were well aware of this.
“…So, everyone agrees to take the Hunter License Exam just to get a clubroom.”
I asked one more time to confirm, and Seo-yeon was the first to nod and answer.
“Yeah, I’m in. I was planning on starting to prepare for the exam soon anyway.”
Next was Im Na-eun.
“I’m good with it too. I think it’d be good to get some firsthand experience, hehe.”
And finally, Elena.
“Umm… honestly, I’m not confident, but this might be a chance to test Elena’s current limits.”
Unlike the other two, she still seemed deep in thought.
Compared to the others, who were relatively well-off in terms of money and time, she was pressed for both.
She needed to become a Hunter as soon as possible to support her family back home, so she wouldn't want to waste a valuable opportunity.
“You don’t have to take the test. The four of us should be enough even without you, Elena.”
“That’s right, Elena. If you feel pressured, it’s better to wait for the next chance…”
As Seo-yeon and I tried to ease her burden, she finally seemed to make up her mind, shaking her head with a determined expression.
“No. Elena will also take the exam. I want to test how much stronger I have become during this past year here.”
With Elena, the last holdout, on board…
“…Then I guess we need to start a club.”
Where did we get the application form again?
As I was wondering, Na-eun shot her hand up and asked.
“What are we going to name our club?”
“Beats me…?”
I’d never even thought about having a club, so I had no idea.
I tilted my head and looked at Shin Yu-jeong.
Since she was the one who brought it up, I figured she must have something in mind. And sure enough…
“Heh heh, as a matter of fact, I do have something in mind.”
“…What is it?”
“Heon-ja-hwi. How about it?”
“…Ja-hwi?”
As in, masturbation?
As everyone started staring at her, aghast, Shin Yu-jeong’s face turned red as she yelled, “No, not ja-wi! Ja-hwi!”
She sure gets worked up when you tease her a little.
She’s so fun to mess with.
“So what does it mean?”
“Heon-teo Ja-gyeokjeung-eul Hwi-nallimyeo! It means ‘Waving the Hunter License!’ As in, let’s all pass and wave our licenses in the air. What do you think?”
“Haha.”
That’s awful. Just awful.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
After all our classes were over, Shin Yu-jeong and I headed straight for the Combat Division’s administration office.
The purpose, of course, was to establish our club.
“We’d like to start a club.”
“Did you fill out an application?”
“Yes, here it is.”
I handed the administrative staff member the application form I had completed during breaks in my liberal arts class.
“The club name is… Heon-ja-hwi?”
“Yes, it’s short for ‘Waving the Hunter License’…”
“Hoho, that’s funny. And the purpose is to study and share know-how for license acquisition…”
In the end, our club name was decided as Heon-ja-hwi.
Not because we liked it, but because there were no other options.
I was also convinced by Yu-jeong’s argument that if the name was too grandiose, other students might get curious and try to join.
“Your application is complete. We’ll have to see after the review, but since the purpose is clear, the approval should come through easily.”
“So we just have to wait now?”
“Yes, but if you want to speed up the process, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to find a professor to be your advisor in advance.”
“Ah, the advisor.”
Right.
We still had to find a professor to be our advisor.
“If you can’t find a suitable professor, the university can automatically match you with one… but honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“Is there a reason?”
“When the school does the matching, the professors are often forced into it, and they usually end up advising several clubs at once…”
The staff member trailed off.
I got the gist of it.
A professor forced to be an advisor, especially one in charge of several clubs, was unlikely to pay any attention to us.
“I understand. We’ll find an advisor on our own…”
I was about to thank the kind staff member when…
“I think I could be that advisor for you…”
A gentle voice from behind suddenly cut me off.
It was a somewhat familiar voice.
Wondering who it was, I turned around, and sure enough, a familiar face was approaching.
“It’s been a while, student Do-jin.”
“…Hello, Professor Baek Hyeon-a.”
Professor Baek Hyeon-a.
She, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, smiled as if she were happy to see me.
“From what I hear, you’re trying to start a club. Is that right?”
“Ah, yes.”
“And you need a professor to be your advisor.”
“That’s… also correct.”
With each answer, the smile on her lips grew wider.
It felt like she’d just found a golden opportunity.
I could feel her strong determination to use this chance to increase her contact with me.
“I believe I could be that advisor for you, with the utmost sincerity…”
“Hmm.”
A shady woman.
But her offer to be our advisor might not be so bad.
Since she was trying so hard to get on my good side, she would likely spare no effort in providing all the support an advisor could.
The problem was that I couldn't figure out why she was trying to get on my good side…
Perhaps this was an opportunity for me, too.
There’s a reason they say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
To find out her objective for approaching me, it might be better to keep her nearby.
Yes.
That would be better than maintaining this awkward distance while feeling uneasy.
My expression changed in an instant. I gave her a bright smile and parted my lips.
“If you would do that for us, I would be nothing but grateful…”
“You don’t have to.”
Uh, um.