Chapter 145
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 145
Chapter Title: The Second Entrance Ceremony
-----------------------------------------------------------------
In the end...
The entrance exam concluded without any incidents or surprises, wrapping up smoothly and successfully.
For some reason, the only things left in my head afterward were memories of Narang and burying my face in Sister Seol's chest.
Humans can't remember everything perfectly, after all.
...The mood had shattered completely afterward, so nothing more progressed.
- Hehe, it'd be great if we could be alone together like this next time too!
Watching Narang's retreating back as she left those meaningful words...
A chant from my past life came to mind, one I'd repeated like a mantra every time for the sports team I rooted for.
This year will be different!
This time it's really different!
Yeah.
The brand-new, twenty-one-year-old rebuilding great Geum Sihyeon will definitely be different...!
With my resolve reaffirmed once more...
I checked off the duties required of the student council president for the day as well.
That being...
Gallery monitoring.
For those in power, gauging public sentiment is essential.
[Author: Anon]
Title: Ripped the exam paper lmfaooooo
(Photo of someone collapsed on the floor sobbing)
I legit ripped it...
The brush was cheap, so when I swiped across, it just riiiiipped...
Fuuuuck... how could this happen to me??? The proctor said they'd give partial credit at least ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ I just wanna die...
Lmao that was you? I was next to you and my mental almost broke too you idiot hang in there
Woooong... Every year some poor soul like this shows up (っ °Д °;)っ But gotta cheer up!!!!!!!
As always this year, the applicants were bombarding the Hundred Flowers Academy Gallery with their whining.
I'd been like that once too.
Reading through the gallery posts swirling with all sorts of emotions, I watched the likeability nicknames—which had multiplied into three—still making their presence felt.
~Everyone did great~~~ q(≧▽≦q)
Exam done zoom zoom easy peasy!
❗❗Why are the newbies so noisy Pika❗❗
Sister Seol was already beyond saving.
But I resolved to drag Dang Narin and Cheon Luri over and drill some gallery etiquette into them.
It was embarrassing just to watch...
"Ah."
I didn't forget to place a hefty bet on the Moyong Taek toto before the betting deadline passed.
Sorry, Taek.
Money is meant to flow where it gathers, after all.
After the night of revelry where the joy of the accepted mingled with the tears of the rejected over drinks...
A few more days passed.
Fortunately, Dang Narin passed with an ambiguous score of 42nd in the prestigious sect track.
Most unfortunately, Geum Siyu also passed with 2nd place in the general track—a score that screamed cheating to anyone looking.
She might have taken 1st if not for that massive truck Baek Ri-yeon.
"It's 2nd place anyway, right? Worse than me? Loser?"
"Ugh...! I won't forgive you! Geum Sihyeon!"
"Yesssmirh Geumshyun—."
A bean is a bean.
What else is there?
Having easily cleared today's daily quest of teasing Geum Siyu, I filled my heart with peace.
"Let's go."
"Hmph. Don't think I'm following just to see Sister Narin and your face!"
I grabbed the scruff of the yapping Geum Siyu and headed into Xi'an city.
Stepping into the Daru Teahouse, familiar faces crowded everywhere.
"Sihyeon! Come on in! Siyu too, hi!"
"H-Hi...!"
Along with the energetic Tang sisters greeting me...
"Hey."
"Geum bastard...!"
There was Luri, the habitual mind-image intruder whose attempts on me had been ramping up lately, and that beggar's face.
That's right.
Gathered here were the key administrative members of the 1st Geum Sihyeon administration.
2nd years: Myo Narang, Unhak.
1st years: Dang Narin, Geum Siyu, and plans to rope in Baek Ri-yeon even if I hadn't contacted her yet.
Luri?
Luri's the mascot.
No one expects advanced stats like administrative ability from Luri in the first place.
"Grrr."
"I haven't said anything yet."
Anyway, even presidents appoint their own people first—it's only natural.
- Me? Student council? Why? No way! Sounds annoying!
- ...Geum bastard. Are you sane? Telling me to join a student council full of women?
Of course, there were reactionaries like Geum Siyu and Unhak, but blood is thicker than water, and friendship thicker than blood.
I had no choice but to stuff in even somewhat competent people to make my life easier.
The only one who legally escaped was that bastard Moyong Taek.
- The losses I've suffered because of you...! Urgh, feels like qi deviation's coming... Anyway, I've taken the presidency of the National Mahjong Club, so I can't join. Get lost.
True to his mahjong obsession, he'd inherited the mahjong club presidency.
Anyway, time to get to work.
"Alright, tomorrow's finally the entrance ceremony. Let's check preparations. First, Luri—have you memorized the script? Can't stutter like last year. You're a senior now."
"Hmph."
"Narang, how's Luri doing?"
"Much better! Hehe."
This year, the entrance ceremony would feature the full NaruLuri Malang show.
I understood the intent not to miss a chance to tease the symbol of Orthodox-Demonic friendship, but...
Unlike last year, having observed Luri's depths closely, she was actually my biggest worry.
Now that I'd shoved her into the student council, I had to prove she could communicate with humans at a basic level at least.
That was my duty...
Shoulders already heavy...
"Narang. Unhak bastard. You've confirmed the 1st-year disciple guidance routes, right?"
"Of course!"
"Geum bastard...!"
I sighed watching Unhak, whose language skills had regressed to Luri levels, only able to say "Geum bastard."
A year later and still not over his gynophobia—the pathetic guy.
Forced into the student council, I hoped he'd improve a bit by 3rd year at least.
"Narin and Siyu aren't officially student council yet, so get a feel for the flow quick—the real work ramps up once classes start."
"Hieeek..."
"Euuu."
The long-awaited entrance ceremony day.
"New disciples this way!"
"Check your number tags and sit in your spots!"
"Line. Up."
In the crush of 200 newbies flooding in at once, we endured hellish crowd control.
.
.
.
The ceremony finally began.
"Thus, foreseeing a crisis looming over the martial world in the near future, Sword Sovereign established this academy—"
It felt like I'd seen it last year too.
The academy head's opening event cutscene reheated almost identically.
Shouldn't skipping after the first view be jianghu etiquette?
Fortunately, unlike last year, this year I had an excuse to escape this nightmare.
"Let's go."
"Yeah."
Confirming Luri clutching my clothes with her plump hands...
I slipped along the passage behind the podium to the waiting area.
She looked expressionless on the outside still.
But peering with the mind's eye, her cheeks were slightly flushed—she was clearly tense.
Way to loosen tension.
First step: Pick up Luri.
"Put down."
Flail flail.
Luri's kicks patted my chest.
Second step: Put Luri down.
"Hmph."
Luri's fist patted my chest.
But through this little skit, her tension visibly eased—calm settling between her puffed cheeks.
"Alright, let's try it once."
Shwick!
A cheating paper boldly unfurled from Luri's hand.
"Hello, fellow martial world disciples."
"Good."
After about a month's journey, the fruits of the Luri child language correction plan bloomed like a flower.
"Joining forces with the Orthodox martial world to overcome this ordeal."
"Hardships."
"Nah-gwan."
"...Next."
Of course.
Accuracy sacrificed somewhat for just fixing the stuttering.
Whatever.
As long as it's fixed~.
Drastically shortened to about a 1-minute speech script, we rehearsed once more to check.
"Good job."
Pet her head as reward.
"Eek."
A sly smile blossomed on Luri's lips.
"Then I'll head back. Do well."
As I turned to leave after the farewell...
"Me too."
"Huh?"
Luri suddenly yanked my clothes hard, pulling me to sit on the floor.
And then.
Thump thump!
She boldly slapped her flat, curve-less chest.
....
No way.
"Pulse."
Who is it.
Another Dang Narin?
Shaking my head desperately at the sheer cliff where even deep breaths would feel like just air...
"Pulse."
"Ack, aack!"
Luri roughly grabbed my hair and forcibly smooshed my cheek against her chest.
Thump, thump.
Matching her petite frame, her cute little heart's steady beats transmitted perfectly through my solar plexus.
Fine...
Do whatever you want...
As I resigned myself...
Suddenly Luri's head snaked down.
This, no way—
"Aaaack!"
Another hole punched in my neck, with that eerie demonic energy seeping in again.
Having this done not once but twice...
Luri pulled away with a satisfied look, glancing into my eyes briefly.
And then.
"Do well. Back soon."
"...!"
The longest self-generated solo sentence in history flowed flawlessly from Luri's mouth.
"Yeah, do well."
Ignoring the sting at my nape, thinking it fortunate if this bizarre ritual gave her psychological stability...
I waved smilingly as she headed to the podium.
"Eek."
Luri flashed a dopey smile briefly.
Fluttering the hem of the robe I'd attachment-modified to her size, embroidered with "Heaven" on the sleeve...
She strode confidently down the hall.
"Now it's my turn, huh..."
After Luri's malang show ends, the student council president's slot comes next.
Of course, I'm perfect.
Script memorized cleanly in my head—just showcase the student council president's perfect aura to the 1st-years.
Until Luri's plump butt vanished from sight, I watched, then turned...
"...Master was right after all..."
"...?"
A gritted mutter came from somewhere.
Turning toward the sound...
"Demonic accomplice, pedophile, disgrace of the Orthodox..."
I locked eyes with Baek Ri-yeon's glaring ones as she spat baseless slanders.
...This is different from Sister Seol's case?