Chapter 70: New Club Member (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 70: New Club Member (2)
Due to the lingering shock, I barely paid attention to my afternoon classes.
How could anyone see a poster like that and actually reach out?
It defied all common sense. If they were actually moved by such absurd taste to apply, they definitely weren't normal.
Even Weapon had this look of utter disbelief on his face.
Weapon had stared blankly at his dark phone screen for a long time. Then, he had straightened his neck and thumped his chest.
He had acted so confident, but seeing him look just as shocked was both ridiculous and pretty hilarious.
"...Anyway."
Could they be a spy sent by the forces targeting me? The suspicion kept rearing its head.
After all, I still didn't know the full story of what that female instructor and Ray Shan were trying to tell me. Otherwise, there was absolutely no way someone would contact us after seeing that poster.
There's no harm in being cautious.
With my thoughts sorted, I checked the time. Ten minutes before the end of the last class. Soon, it would be time to meet this new person.
For the record, even Speed Weapon didn't know who this applicant was. He said he had tilted his head earlier because the call came from an unknown number, which had put him on guard.
Since Weapon, who was friendly with almost every major figure, didn't know them, they probably weren't a key character. Well, there was no point overthinking it; I could just find out for myself when we met.
I looked out the window at the sunset. The sun was slowly slipping beneath the edge of the horizon.
An orange afterglow painted the land.
"Alright, that's all for today's class."
As I was spacing out, the sharp tap of the professor's chalk signaled the end of the lecture.
At the same time, Ryozo and Chloe stood up in unison on either side of me like a pair of wings. They nodded to each other and quickly packed their things.
It seemed they were thinking the same thing as me. I quickly packed my bag as well and headed to the meeting spot.
* * *
Leaving the faculty building, we gathered at the Starbox in the main building.
The coffee prices were a bit steep, but since this was technically an interview, I couldn't very well drag them to the backyard.
I ordered an espresso and took a seat. Chloe sat on one side of me with her usual avocado smoothie, and Ryozo sat on the other with her Sweet Red Bean Jelly Dolce Latte.
At some point, the two of them had naturally divided up the spots to my left and right.
Because of this, all eyes in the cafe fell on me. The female cadets looked at me with contempt, while the male cadets stared with envious jealousy.
"Oh, what? You guys are already here?"
Weapon, arriving late, leaned back in the remaining chair. He pulled out the club-related documents and tapped them against the table to align them.
A strange tension settled over our table. Everyone sipped their drinks in silence, contributing to the quiet. Their faces showed a mix of complex emotions—anticipation, anxiety, and suspicion.
"Excuse me."
At the voice from behind, we all turned around at once.
She had light green hair that fell to her shoulders and thick glasses. The lenses gleamed, obscuring her eyes like a thick fog.
Aside from her somewhat faint impression, her height and overall appearance were incredibly ordinary.
If there was anything unusual, it was her almost translucent, pale skin. She was as white as someone who had never stepped foot in the sun.
"Are you by any chance the members of the Travel Club?"
"Ah, yes, yes. Please, have a seat."
Weapon, who had been staring blankly for a moment, gestured toward an empty chair.
She gave a deep bow and sat down demurely. Ryozo covered her mouth with her hand and whispered in my ear.
"What the... She's way more ordinary than I expected."
I nodded slightly in agreement.
Then, I turned my gaze back to the applicant.
Embarrassingly, despite all my wild theories, the applicant was the definition of average. Perhaps because I was always surrounded by larger-than-life personalities, she felt almost bland.
...But her vibe feels strangely similar to someone.
As I tilted my head to look at her, she pushed up her glasses with her middle finger. The oversized lenses looked almost like a mask covering her face.
"Thank you for applying to our Travel Cl—"
"Could you start with an introduction?"
Ryozo cut Weapon off mid-sentence. He opened his mouth to protest, but grumbled quietly under his breath after catching Saki's sidelong glance.
Ryozo then rested her chin on her interlaced fingers and spoke.
Though a faint smile played on her lips, her face was chillingly devoid of emotion.
After all, hiding your true feelings is the first rule of sizing up a stranger.
"Ah, yes. I'm San Hana, a second-year in the Tiger Class. And, ah, my hometown is Busan."
"Are you Korean?"
"Ah, yes, yes."
When I asked, San Hana nodded, her index finger still resting on her glasses.
...Wait, is "San" actually a Korean surname?
But the thought quickly passed. This wasn't Earth, but another world.
It wasn't strange at all for someone to have an unusual surname here.
After all, my own clan, the Seori Kang clan, doesn't even exist on Earth.
I had assumed she was a foreigner because of her light green hair and pale skin, but she was a fellow Korean.
On top of that, I had spent some time in Busan myself. Feeling a sudden wave of familiarity, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"When I lived in Busan, I used to eat a ton of pork rice soup."
"Oh, really? Pork rice soup is amazing. Mixing the rice into that milky broth with some dadegi and chives... man, that's the best—"
Contrary to her quiet appearance, her culinary tastes seemed incredibly old-school.
The way she rattled off local slang showed she was a true veteran. Even the classic middle-aged throat-clearing sound she made felt completely natural.
She's a certified Busan local.
Ryozo frowned and nudged my ribs with her elbow. Then, she mouthed a single sentence.
Hey, get your head in the game.
At her words, I quickly rebuilt the guard I had unconsciously let down. I had gotten a bit too relaxed just because she was the first Korean I'd met since entering Joaquin Academy.
Ryozo gestured toward the applicant with her chin. Weapon was still pouting with his arms crossed. Chloe, having completely let her guard down due to San Hana's ordinary first impression, was just sipping her smoothie.
...I guess Ryozo is the only one taking this seriously.
Only Ryozo was maintaining a cautious and suspicious attitude toward the newcomer.
As expected of the ultimate frustration-preventer.
Glancing at me, Ryozo quickly put on a polite but cold mask and continued questioning San Hana. Her voice was chillingly sweet.
"May I ask what motivated you to apply to our Travel Club?"
As she finished speaking, Ryozo narrowed her eyes and scanned San Hana. Her gaze moved tenaciously, as if trying not to miss a single movement. San Hana, on the other hand, responded calmly.
"I saw on the poster that the club's main activities are traveling and clearing dungeons. My practical exam scores for this year are barely passing, so I wanted to clear a few dungeons. I saw the announcement just in time and applied."
"We are strictly a travel club; clearing dungeons is just a side activity. Aren't there plenty of upperclassman clubs that focus primarily on dungeon clearing?"
Ryozo's eyelashes half-veiled her pupils. San Hana let out a small sigh and shook her head.
"Now that I'm an upperclassman, no club wants to take in a Tiger Class student like me. Everyone is in a rush because our remaining time at the Academy is short. I suppose it's only natural for someone incompetent like me to be left behind."
"...Well, I didn't mean to put it that harshly. Anyway, I understand."
Ryozo didn't seem entirely satisfied with the answer, but she nodded as if accepting it.
The two of them then talked for quite a while.
Though it was called a conversation, it was practically an interrogation—a battle of words. Despite Ryozo's sharp tone, San Hana answered with apparent sincerity.
"...Alright, I understand your situation, Senior."
"Yes, yes. I really want to join this club. It's not just about clearing dungeons; now that I'm a second-year, I want to make some good memories at the Academy before I graduate."
"Hmm."
A moment later, Ryozo gave me a subtle look, raising her eyebrows. It was a sign that she thought it was fine.
This should be enough.
Having worked in customer service for a long time, I could vaguely tell what kind of person someone was just by their vibe.
On top of that, I had been observing San Hana using the sensory perception of the Blessing of the Sword God.
But I didn't sense anything out of the ordinary. Even though San Hana was maintaining a poker face with half her expression hidden behind her glasses.
And with Saki Ryozo's exceptional insight cross-checking her, I could probably rest easy.
Besides, I could hope that San Hana's ordinariness would help balance out the eccentricities of the other members.
And above all, she was Korean. That alone was a huge plus for me. Having made up my mind, I spoke to San Hana.
"Welcome to the Travel Club, Senior."
"Oh, am I accepted?"
San Hana asked, tilting her head slightly. I nodded in confirmation.
She bowed her head to express her gratitude without much change in her expression.
"Senior, we're a year younger than you, so you can speak casually to us—"
"...Oh, really? Should I?"
Before I could even finish my sentence, San Hana replied as if she had been waiting for the offer. Ryozo, who had been talking to her all this time, widened her eyes. I was also briefly taken aback, but it wasn't a big deal.
Well, she's our senior, so dropping honorifics quickly is more comfortable for everyone anyway.
Since we'd be seeing each other for at least a year, there was no need for unnecessary formalities. Besides, Chloe's polite speech was more than enough.
"You guys can speak casually to me too. We're only a year apart, so I don't really want to be treated like some elder."
I thought about it for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
"Then I'll just call you Senior Hana."
As the conversation wrapped up, everyone began to stand up one by one. The sound of chair legs scraping against the floor echoed.
At that moment, Weapon looked as if he had just remembered something and handed an application form to San Hana.
"Oh, Senior Hana. Just fill this out, submit it to the administration office within this week, and let me know."
The text of the document reflected like a mirror in San Hana's glasses. As her gaze swept down, it suddenly locked onto one spot on the paper.
"...The club advisor is the Academy Principal?"
"Yeah, our president asked her, and she accepted right away."
Weapon shrugged. San Hana looked up from the document and stared intently at me. Although I couldn't see her eyes clearly through the glare of her lenses, I could feel her sharp gaze.
Her lips puckered slightly, then curved into a soft smile. It was the first time I had seen her make such an expression in the hour since we met. She murmured in a barely audible whisper.
"Thanks to you, I think my academy life is going to be very fun."
With a gentle wave of her hand, San Hana left the cafe first.
The other members began packing up their things, while I quietly chewed over San Hana's smile and words.
Going to be fun, huh.
I had no idea what part of it she meant. However, her tone and smile felt faintly reminiscent of someone else.
Damn it, who was it?
The more I tried to trace the voice and face that triggered this sense of déjà vu, the more the fragments of my thoughts crumbled like a sandcastle. As I stood there in silence for a long moment, Ryozo spoke up.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh, it's nothing. Doesn't Senior Hana look like someone? Or is it just me?"
At my question, Ryozo gently rubbed her temple with her index finger before tilting her head.
"I don't know, not really? No one comes to mind. Like I told you before, I never forget a face I've seen once. Though, to be fair, her glasses were so big and thick that I couldn't really get a good look at her face... Maybe it's just because she has a faint impression?"
"I guess so."
I scratched my neck. Then, I shook my head lightly to clear away the floating distractions.
I didn't want to open a floodgate of overthinking right when one problem had just been resolved.
"Whew."