Let’s Pretend We’re Fake Dating! (1)
Adrenaline. Pure panic.
This had gone far beyond just being pulled into someone else’s rhythm. I had been completely devoured by it.
Naturally draw him onto my home turf, secure his affection as an upperclassman, and hand him a gift that’s perfectly suited to a man on our first date. On top of that, casually attach another woman’s family name to the gift… what a refined sense of humor!
He’s not just talented. He’s an expert. An expert in love, no less!
He didn’t just shoot down my heart—he showed me the true blueprint of a perfect date and made even the spectators nod in approval.
And while all that, he still had the audacity to add that this is his very first time doing a date like this with me…!
Stealing someone’s first experience isn’t just romantic. It carries weight in any field. Even if the memory is bittersweet, firsts are usually gilded.
In this case, the exotic date I tried only left behind good memories—no bad ones at all.
“They stole my very first part…!”
In plain terms, I had been had wide open.
Serhan watched Iris’s outburst with pity in his eyes.
“My lady, are we starting again?”
What the hell is a first?
As the rational, intellectual prince of the Magic Kingdom, Serhan found it almost impossible to understand Iris’s high-dimensional thinking.
Serhan clicked his tongue and turned away, leaving Iris to her self-recrimination. He was simply checking the reactions around them.
“That date was top-notch. I should definitely use it later.”
“Truly a pro move in love.”
“Even I, an engineering student, can feel my soul being torn. I admit it, club president. You’re strong.”
From the snippets he heard, the others had already surrendered. The most amusing one was the club vice-president—none other than Yuri.
“Our family’s crest on this sword… wait, this is odd, but why… why is my chest…?”
Why was the target of her pursuit standing right there, yet the recognition was skyrocketing toward some other girl? Even if the literature club atmosphere was a flower garden, this was going too far.
In the end, Iris had finally snapped.
“Yuri-senpai, we can’t let this go on! We have to use our ultimate skill! He’s too strong!”
“Ultimate skill? Since when?”
“Yes! I was going to keep it for a last resort because it felt cowardly, but since he’s come out like this, we have no choice. We’ll have to draw our blades.”
In romance, the opening move is always about momentum. With Beatrice already leading, a decisive counterattack was essential.
That was why Iris was pushing for the ultimate skill. Serhan secretly sighed in his heart.
But does the vice-president even have an ultimate skill?
Even if she did, given her timid personality, it probably wouldn’t be all that threatening.
However, Yuri was precisely the kind of person who could wield something terrifying—a sure-win strategy born from cowardice…!
“The ultimate skill is called ‘Confession Attack’!”
That was exactly the Confession Attack.
The real trump card, the last resort.
Serhan couldn’t hide his shock at the announcement.
How had the middle steps been completely skipped? Even someone as romance-illiterate as Serhan knew the power and danger of a Confession Attack.
Both the one confessing and the one being confessed could plummet into the abyss if mishandled.
Using a technique that should only be deployed as a last resort from the very beginning of the semester? Could she even handle it? And besides, the one who had to weather the aftershock wasn’t Iris—it was Yuri.
“A c-confession?! Oh, Iris, what are you talking about?! We haven’t even done anything yet—why are you bringing up a confession?!”
“That’s exactly why it’s important! Since we haven’t done anything yet, let’s get the confession! We have to strike first before anyone else snatches this opportunity! So, Vice-President!”
Yuri startled, while Iris dropped to one knee and begged. What kind of combination could possibly end well in this insanity?
As one would expect, it did.
“I must trust you completely if we’re to win this love war! So please, follow me!”
“O-okay! I’ll do it!”
It was exactly as Iris claimed.
Serhan thought to himself.
The literature club is insane.
This club was unusually sincere about love.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
The first day of the club fair ended in triumph. Thanks to Oliver and Yoter handling the booth, our club was packed.
“Turns out the mages just came to check us out? They’re disguising their magic as something overly complex so others can’t use it freely.”
“A senile mage’s trick, sure.”
“No way! My own difficult and complicated magic just turned into a simple snap!”
Just to check, students from every department were flocking to our booth. Oliver’s “snap” magic even made engineering majors faint.
The booth itself was fine. The first day’s dates had gone smoothly. Beatrice had been completely swept away, but that still counted as a harvest.
I checked the experience glowing at my waist.
A blade emitting a vein of light. Even someone who knew nothing about swords could tell it was an absolute masterpiece. Despite being hastily crafted in such a short time, it was truly exceptional.
I hadn’t gained just the sword. I had properly shaped public opinion through that date.
Proof? Look at the booth.
“You see, Vice-President! The core of this plan is momentum, momentum! Just two sentences! Two sentences!”
“Th-this is getting ridiculous. No matter how I think about it, the pace is too fast…”
“That’s the problem! Do you want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?!”
Iris was earnestly hammering Yuri with a reinforcement hammer. Anyone watching would think a war had broken out.
As I shook my head at the scene, a soft rustle of grass reached my ears.
“Eh?”
The sound of leaves brushing together. I turned and scanned the surroundings—nothing in sight. Yet I instinctively knew someone was hidden there.
Using Observation Magic, I checked beyond the bushes. It was Laura, frozen in place, staring straight at me.
“Hic…”
Her suppressed sob came out as I locked eyes with her. She was using Stealth Magic, and her pale face was pitiful.
Why are you here?
The person being followed should have been Kassel, not Eugene. A suspicion surfaced.
Could she have figured out my identity?
Eugene and Kassel had some kind of connection. My background was suspicious enough for her to suspect me. If so, it explained why Laura was tailing me.
I had already accounted for this, so I only did what was necessary.
She suspected my identity before the Cheat Key Trio even did.
Was this because she was smart? Or because her intuition was sharp? I scratched my head in frustration. After a moment of scheming, I reached a conclusion.
Actually, this is good.
Using a suspicious Laura would give Iris a perfect foothold for her awakening. It would plant doubt between me and the members, and I needed exactly one traitor.
So I made sure Laura followed me.
I turned my head and left the booth. I contacted Gashir through the crystal ball—intentionally making my voice faint and deliberate, loud enough for Laura to hear.
“Gashir, can we meet for a bit today?”
—Today? Sure, but what is it?
“Something urgent came up. Just a little while. I’ll help with your work.”
—…? Okay, got it. Come check if you can.
Laura’s reaction?
“!!!”
She froze, breath held.
Caught perfectly. This would make everything much smoother. I would only be grateful for the unexpected help from Laura.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
The problem had started because I approached Iris’s booth. Laura had even covered her mouth and nose with one hand, hiding her breath.
That guy just said…
Gashir, right?
Since there was only one person named Gashir that Laura knew, it had to be the high-ranking Ash Wave executive who had infiltrated the underground waterway last time.
He should have been subdued by Eugene, right? Why was he still active?
Ah, right. He said he was going to change his identity.
If he was disguising himself as someone else, then the person I was talking to at the booth was almost certainly Eugene.
If that was true, then Kassel and Eugene were two different people. And Kassel was currently cooperating with someone he believed was Gashir…
What kind of setup was this? Terror?
Reinterpreting that, it meant Eugene was guiding a terror attack.
What was the reason for terror?
Probably to isolate the enemies hiding inside, like Kassel. He had muttered that there were too many people to handle in the underground waterway. No matter how evil, he wouldn’t have been able to fully join the villain faction.
Still! Why would he lure in terrorists when he wants to protect his sister’s safety?
Was he willing to let others get hurt a little? Or was he lost in god-complex arrogance?
Either way, it was inhuman.
What kind of heart would Ruina have when she found out? Would the fragile girl be able to endure it even after learning all this?
In a rage, Laura ground her teeth.
Good. Then I’ll stop her. No matter the method…!
Show Iris the confrontation scene, deepen her distrust, shrink the activity radius, and apply pressure slowly. Wait for the decisive moment and strike.
That was how Laura burned with zeal.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Kassel was speaking with Magni, the only daughter of the Nightless Duke.
“I heard the news. So the younger brother is the secret lover of my fiancée?”
“…Ah, yes. That is correct.”
“Thank you. Thanks to you, we can properly discuss the annulment. Unexpectedly, the effect has been quite strong. Would you like any further support?”
“…Yes? Ah, yes.”
He was facing Magni, the only daughter of the Nightless Duke.
Whatever the reason, it felt like the conversation was flowing naturally.
The pace left him with nothing to say.