LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 65: Meeting (2)
Meeting (2)
My brain felt foggy as the provocation flew in unexpectedly. Why the hell are these bastards so fixated on bothering me?
Glancing at the blue brooch on the chest, I couldn't help but notice the asshole behind it was just a sophomore. To any onlooker, he'd seem like my superior.
"Hey, PR department newbie, make it snappy. If you were late, at least try to catch up to Alice." Someone from the right chimed in, seated at the far end.
I could tell from his face that he was the vice president—the same face I'd seen in that photo with Moon Soorin last time. Generally, the guys on the right were giving me the evil eye, while the girls on the left were leaning towards positivity.
What the hell is this nonsense, anyway? There's a nagging feeling deep in my chest, telling me not to sit on the right.
★ Heroine Status Window
[Moon Soorin]
[Affection: 62]
[Lust: 40]
[Appetite: 50]
[Fatigue: 85]
Current Status: Extremely annoyed that the vice president is trying to provoke a visibly exhausted Lee Hoyeon. About to burst.
I felt a bit guilty; my face actually was worn out from last night's vigorous sex with Liliana. But I had a rough idea of what was going on. The crowd on the right was the vice president's faction, and the one on the left was the president's. Naturally, I took a seat next to Alice. I could sense the glares from the right, but I couldn't care less and shot a reassuring smile at Moon Soorin, as if to say, "It's alright."
"Ah… Let's get this regular meeting started. The first item was supposed to be about managing students for next week's midterm exams, but we'll address yesterday's dungeon practice terror incident first."
Moon Soorin briefly glanced at me but thankfully held her tongue. I couldn't risk messing up her image, even if it meant sacrificing my own. The last thing I needed was to stir up more trouble by insinuating she was upset over some guy.
"We've got eight casualties, 22 injuries. All the data you need is right there. The academy will handle the rest, and our job is to quell the students' panic. Anyone have anything to say about that?"
"Well, we've got the person involved right here. How about asking our junior, Lee Hoyeon, President?"
"Vice President, you're saying this—"
"It's all good. What do you want to know?" I jumped in before Moon Soorin could continue. Vice President Shin Dongmin shot a hostile glare that was hard to miss. He must have realized that Moon Soorin and I were close. Otherwise, he wouldn't have openly displayed such animosity. I had a feeling this was one of the reasons they dragged me into this meeting.
"There could be various angles to consider. As someone who was right in the middle of that mess, think about what you can say to your fellow students to make them feel better."
Is this guy really saying that…? His statement seemed to mock the victims of the terror, including me.
"Yeah, maybe share some heroic tales, like how you took down ogres. Pfft…" The asshole who had taunted me earlier decided to chime in.
"Come on! Isn't that going a bit too far? Is that what you want to say to underclassmen who just survived the incident?!"
"Nah, what's the problem? Did Lee Hoyeon suffer any losses from the incident? If anything, he's boosted his resume by claiming to have killed ogres, right?"
"That's not the point! Are you guys even the student council?"
The secretary by the Student Council President's side unexpectedly jumped into the fray on my behalf. I suppose I should be thankful, but Moon Soorin's expression was ready to explode, and I had to intervene before she did.
"Since our esteemed seniors are showing such a deep concern for us juniors, I must express my gratitude."
"What…?"
"It's truly commendable how you seniors support the success of your juniors. I want to reciprocate that sentiment, but how should I go about it?" I retorted, addressing the asshole senior head-on.
"Yeah, seriously. You act like you're all that, but why haven't we seen any of your brilliance here at the academy, huh?"
No shit. I haven't even taken the midterm exams yet, and they expect me to shine already?
Arguing with my peers was futile, and even if the chairman acknowledged me, it probably wouldn't matter. Perhaps test scores could prove something. Would they believe in me if I took on a senior?
"Well, senior, how about a little sparring if you have doubts? We'll even make it public on social media as a condition."
"W-What did you say?"
These guys were spineless. When someone they underestimated suddenly stood up, they were clueless. Total idiots.
"Hey, PR newbie, what kind of attitude is that towards seniors?" The baffled asshole couldn't find a response, and the useless Vice President chimed in.
"Seniors? Should we really treat someone who talks like that as a senior, Vice President?"
"You're just a parentless urchin…" The Vice President muttered quietly, glaring at me.
"….?"
I was momentarily taken aback, my words escaping me. He had just directly attacked me for not having parents.
"Vice President!"
"President, am I wrong? Putting an orphan in the student council… It's a question of who belongs in the student council."
"This bastard…" I couldn't help but blurt it out; the vice president's statement was so outrageous. Thankfully, I had no recollection of a difficult life as an orphan, so it didn't affect me, but it left a bad taste. Unfortunately, human psychology tended to breed prejudices involuntarily when hearing such stories. He likely intended to convey to Moon Soorin that I was just an orphan.
"Vice President… I'm truly disappointed in you. To judge someone like that."
That was too simplistic a perspective. No matter how attractive and kind Moon Soorin was, she wasn't a prize for an average guy to win. She was the one practically single-handedly handling the student council and academy's practical affairs. That required a level of competence beyond ordinary, and someone like Moon Soorin, harboring many secrets, wouldn't open her heart to just any guy.
But my background check was probably already complete.
"President, everyone may say the same things, but their true feelings are often different. The student council must maintain an image of perfection. There's no need to create flaws. That's the path for Victoria Academy."
Wow, how do I respond to that? With him speaking so confidently, my head was starting to throb too. To anyone observing, I must have appeared as a hero running barefoot for the student council.
"And, PR newbie, what did you just say to me? Did I hear you correctly?"
"…"
"Displaying such disrespect towards me, the Vice President, is a direct affront to the President who recommended you. Do you comprehend that?"
I mulled over how to react. Honestly, this wasn't part of the original plan. Initially, I had intended to feign cooperation with the vice president, who had, by the way, hired the stalker. Then, I would dramatically intervene, much like when I saved Lucy. However, right from our first encounter, the guy had shown hostility towards me. Not to mention, Lucy's trauma due to Felix was still haunting her. The plan was already falling apart.
"If you genuinely apologize now, you can offer a chance to rectify that mistake."
Should I lower my head even though I haven't done anything wrong? No. I didn't want to pretend to cooperate with a lunatic like him in the first place. The only concern was that if I acted too recklessly, it might harm my relationship with Moon Soorin, who recommended me. Nevertheless, I had a strategy in mind for managing my image. I needed to find a way to make amends through my activities in the PR department.
"First, if you apologize for calling me a parentless urchin, I will apologize as well."
"Your pride is excessive. If you dislike me, do you want to challenge me to a duel? After all, a duel with me, the student council vice president is a great opportunity to prove your skills," Shin Dongmin said with an unpleasant smile.
A duel?
Shin Dongmin was not weak. He hadn't become the student council vice president for nothing. Moreover, the original game's power balance was quite peculiar. Most ordinary students were fine, but the named characters in the third year were at the A-rank Hunter level, perhaps even stronger. It seemed like the balance went wrong because the villains needed to become progressively stronger as the protagonist grew stronger. If Moon Soorin awakened, she would likely reach the A-rank Hunter level if not higher.
I didn't know exactly how strong he was. At the original point in the story, he wasn't comparable to an ogre, but we were at an earlier stage. I was known as a fire element mage, and Shin Dongmin was definitely a water element mage. He was confident in his abilities, and he had the elemental advantage, making him quite self-assured.
"Are you the type of person who can't play well because I'm laying out the board? Show me your skills…"
"Thank you for providing such a great opportunity, Vice President."
Perhaps he hadn't imagined that I would accept the duel; his eyes narrowed. Other seniors wore astonished expressions. However, Moon Soorin and Alice remained expressionless.
Moon Soorin might have been fine with it since she knew I had truly defeated the ogres. But why isn't Alice surprised at all?
"I, I suppose so. When would be convenient for you? I'm ready even now," Shin Dongmin said with a low voice.
"Well, if we're doing this, let's make it a big stage. After all, the midterm exams will be over soon, and there's the festival. We can hold the duel as a student council-sponsored friendly match during the festival."
Every year, the Victoria Academy's festival featured events organized by the student council to enhance the atmosphere. This time, I suggested a duel between me and the vice president as one of the events.
"Sure, I accept."
"Vice, Vice President. There's no need to face someone like him!"
"Instead, if I win the duel, you should kneel and apologize immediately for your insult!"
The vice president ignored the chatter beside him and fixed his gaze on me. It seemed like he wanted to embarrass me in front of a crowd. Would that work, though?
"What happens if I win?"
"What?"
"What happens if I win? I should get some reward too."
"Fine. I'll grant any request. But you definitely have to apologize for challenging me like this if I win."
I shrugged. Honestly, I didn't think I would lose.
"Vice President…" Then, a cold voice echoed through the meeting room. Moon Soorin, who was sitting at the head of the table, gazed at Shin Dongmin with an expression she hadn't shown until now.
"Leave the meeting room, now."
"President. I got a bit excited. I apologize." Shin Dongmin seemed to realize the situation a bit late but stood up and left the meeting room.
★ Heroine Status Window
[Moon Soorin]
[Affection: 62]
[Lust: 40]
[Appetite: 50]
[Fatigue: 90]
Current Status: I need to get the vice chairman out of my face right now! (Extremely stressed. Requires attention.)
Trying to prevent Moon Soorin from exploding was futile, and in the end, she exploded. Well, it couldn't be helped.
"Vice president, you're not in a condition to conduct the meeting properly. Leave without another word, immediately."
Moon Soorin's atmosphere was truly intimidating. There was something overwhelming that instinctively crushed you, like a herbivore encountering a predator. Displaying this level of emotion was only seen when the stalker got caught in the original story, so I could guess how stressed she must be.
Shin Dongmin had only gotten momentarily carried away because of me, but he wasn't in a position to challenge Moon Soorin. He lacked talent, skills, family background, standing in the student council, popularity—everything. Knowing that, he hired a stalker to harass Moon Soorin.
"Fine. I understand. I'll cool my head and be back next week." Shin Dongmin also seemed to decide that it was better to retreat in this situation and got up to leave the meeting room.
"Now, let's continue the meeting." With Shin Dongmin gone, the meeting continued under Moon Soorin's leadership.
***
"So, I'd like to propose another PR department activity. Given the recent unpleasant incident, we need to lift the mood."
As the meeting rolled on to its final point, no one spoke up, and Moon Soorin continued to lead it. The last item on the agenda revolved around PR department activities. I had some ideas prepared just in case the topic of PR activities came up.
"What if we dive into some volunteer work?"
"Volunteer work?"
"Yes, indeed. I actually visit a daycare center for orphans every weekend, and we could do some photoshoots there, you know? The kids there love hanging out with me, and I think we can capture some fantastic moments."
"Oh…" Moon Soorin gazed at me with admiration, almost as if she hadn't known about this before. Even Alice turned her head to acknowledge me. Well, it's all thanks to Baek Ahyeong, but it felt pretty satisfying.
But if she only recently found out about this, did she perhaps do some digging on me right after our first encounter at the café?
"That's a brilliant idea. Volunteer work is just perfect for our image management. Plus, we can weave Hoyeon's involvement into our storytelling—oh, sorry, I got carried away there."
"No worries. I was thinking along the same lines."
To be honest, I had this plan in the back of my mind all along. You've got to make the most of what's available. People usually respond well to heartwarming stories. A talented and good-looking academy student who regularly volunteers at an orphanage? That's undoubtedly a compelling narrative.
We swiftly decided to organize the volunteer work for this weekend. Since today was Friday, and the volunteer event was set for Sunday, one might wonder why the rush. Well, it's because we needed to divert public attention as soon as possible after the recent academy incident and focus on Hoyeon's touching story. It might seem cliché, but there's a reason clichés stick around.
After the meeting, I couldn't help but recall the sulky expressions of the vice president and his sidekick.
"See you next week during the joint class."
Just before the midterm exams, there would be a joint class with the second-year students to help the newcomers gain experience. Since I'd already had a run-in with the vice president, I figured I might as well give his lackey a lesson.
"Hoyeon." As I was lost in thought, Moon Soorin approached me with a friendly smile.
***
"Lumi, do you think I can pull off these cookies?"
"Well, it might be a bit challenging to make them at home…"
"Really…?"
Lucy and Lumi were having a chat at a cozy café. The twins practically does everything together in their free time—dining, shopping, and even hitting the books side by side.
They were currently nestled together, both engrossed in the smartwatch. Lately, Lucy had taken an interest in baking homemade cookies, and the video they were watching was all about that.
"Um… Why? Are you thinking of making them for Hoyeon?"
"Uh, yeah? Well, I mean, not really. Just as a gesture of gratitude… Hehe."
"…"
To Lumi's discerning eyes, it was evident that Lucy had a soft spot for Hoyeon. But Lumi wasn't entirely confident in her judgment. Their social circle had been exceptionally small until now, and she felt a bit uneasy.
Here were her closest friend and cherished family member, Lucy, and her cherished secret friend, Hoyeon. What if Lucy did indeed like Hoyeon? How should Lumi handle that? Could she definitively choose between them?
"Wow, these cookies look amazing, don't they? But they also seem quite tricky to make."
"Yeah…" As Lucy contemplated which cookies to bake for Hoyeon, Lumi's thoughts were in a whirl.
"Lumi? Is something bothering you? Oh, could it be that the cake you had earlier upset your stomach? I told you to take it easy~" Lucy beamed at her with a reassuring smile, more trustworthy than anyone else.
Their days of unwavering trust and reliance upon each other slipped through Lumi's grasp. Due to recent events, Lucy was in an incredibly fragile state. Bringing up Hoyeon was a risky move that could backfire. But Lumi had already lied to her about Hoyeon. She didn't want to betray Lucy any further, and her curiosity had become unbearable.
Finally, Lumi couldn't contain herself any longer. "Lucy, do you, perhaps… have feelings for Hoyeon?"
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