I’m Not Doing This With A Friend

"I was just kidding. Why are you so surprised? Don't worry if you feel sleepy after studying a little longer, it's normal."

It was Leen, who had said that and was making an expression that she wanted to die because she didn’t want to study.

The attitude was clearly different from when she first declared that she wouldn't participate in the club.

Lien suddenly made a wistful expression.

At first glance, she had an expression that seemed like carrying the weight of a hard life…

She finally opened the book she had closed, leaving bloody advice,

"Phew, don't people burn these things."

Fior, who was watching Leen from beginning to the end of what she was doing, couldn't help but to laugh while holding his stomach.

She was truly has a character like no other in the world.

* * *

Sitting on the sofa in the club room, I took out a report card that I haven't opened yet.

I couldn't believe they handed out our report cards the day before vacation…

Do they mean to ‘look at our report cards and study during the vacation‘ while feeling sorry for ourselves? What does this even mean?

I opened my report card after a little complaining.

I didn't think much because I got as much grade as I expected.

However, my overall grades came out better than I expected, so I wondered why?

I scanned my report card again, wondering if something was wrong.

"…huh?"

The club score was perfect.

All I did in the club was play with Carson and Fjord or sleep on the sofa.

It must not have been a lie when Carson said that all I needed was to join the club and fill the form and he'll handle the club performance score even if I was just playing around.

But I didn't expect him to fill it up like this.

In fact, as there were many strange clubs in the academy, there were quite a variety of ways to fill the performance score.

Whether to write a report or a short thesis about research or activities.

Regardless if it's on or off campus, winning competitions related to clubs.

There was also a method like to subjugate monsters or gain recognition from professors by showing remarkable achievements.

"Hmm… Our club probably talked about subjugation before, so I think he filled the performance score with that…"

Although Carson said it was okay to play around from the beginning, my conscience was stabbed. Because I really didn't do anything.

If I think about it, this would be similar to a group project.

In this case, I had no right to curse blabber and the other children.

As I was thinking about telling them to take me to the subjugation next semester, I noticed the club name written next to the club's score.

Come to think of it, I didn't even know the name of the club until the semester passed.

Let's see. The name of our club is,

"Blood stained pain club?"

(N:피고동 in raw as club name- where 피- for blood, 고-from 고통 for pain, 동-from 동아리 for circle/group/club.)

A club of blood-stained pain, or was it something like that…?

As I was deducing the full name of the club with skeptical eyes, a club flashed through my mind in an instant.

The club that I was thinking about until a few seconds ago.

The full name of a strange club was Mosquito Torture Club. Moto-club for short.

(N: 모고동 in MTL Mogodong- 모기-for mosquito, 고-from 고문 for torture, 동-from 동아리 for club.)

"Then our clubs full name was short for ‘Fjord Torture Club'…?"

(N: 피고동 was the abbreviated club name in raw, so in this part 피-from 피오르- Fjord name in raw, 고- from 고문 for torture and 동 from club 동아리. So it's like Fi-go-dong in MTL or in Leen's case Fi-To-Club.)

Denying reality, I shook my head hard to find another meaning for the abbreviation of the club name.

However, no matter how many times I think about it, all reasons were shouting that it must be a ‘Fjord Torture Club.'

That's why they always fought like that whenever they made eye contact…!

Come to think of it, I think Carson seemed pleased when I smashed Fjord with various things.

Creak~

Just then, at the sound of the club room door opening, I raised my head up in delight. It was because I intended to ask Carson to tell the truth about the club's name.

However, contrary to my expectations, it was a Fjord who opened the door and entered the room.

He was always the last to come into the club room, but what happened today?

Fjord also has a clear red mark on his cheek, and no matter who sees it anyone could tell,

‘He's been slapped in the face.'

What? Who would slap your cheek?

I looked at his face with astonishment.

"Fjord. What's wrong with your face?"

"Oh, this?"

Fjord caressed his cheeks awkwardly, which were red and swollen.

"It's not a big deal. I was confused for a while, so I called my girlfriend with a wrong name. That's why we broke up."

"What?"

I doubted my ears for a moment.

I was also surprised that he had a secret girlfriend, Fjord, who seems like everyone's lover. But I couldn't understand why they would break up for that reason.

As a person goes through life, isn't it possible to call someone with a wrong name?

"Seven times."

"?"

"I called her name wrong seven times. Including the name I called her today."

"Hey, you…"

It's trash.

I barely swallowed the words that filled my throat, and then I glanced at Fjord with the eyes like seeing a bug on the verge of metamorphosis.

He smiled, raising the corners of his lips as if his swollen cheeks didn't hurt.

"Why would you date her? Just looking at it, I don't think you really liked her."

He seemed fine with breaking up with his girlfriend.

"Well…"

Fjord made a somewhat perplexed expression and avoided my gaze. Then he let out a big sigh and opened his mouth as if he had no choice.

"Yes, you've seen my real personality throughout the club. I'm sure you'll doubt my double attitude later, but it'll be fine to explain it in advance."

Real personality?

He continued to speak quickly, without even letting me question what he said.

"I'm actually not as nice as you think. Everything Carson tells you every day was all acting and pretending."

Surprisingly,

It wasn't a very surprising confession.

It was a fact that I already knew that Fjord was slightly different on the outside and inside.

It was like that when I saw him begging to Carson.

In places other than the club room, he always treated his opponent with a smile on his face.

However, the moment he returned to the club room, his painted smile was completely gone.

It's not that he acted emotionless.

He seemed to relax when he entered the club room. Laughing when he wants to laugh and get angry when he wants. He wanted to be more free.

Especially when dealing with Carson, he seemed to show all his true feelings.

But how could I say I don't know his true face? I could see it clearly like that.

Besides, wasn't it right that you've been nice to everyone but Carson anyway?

In fact, if you look at it, everyone lives a pretentious life.

It was impossible to impose strict standards only on Fjord.

So, I was able to open my mouth without much thought.

"I knew it."

"Huh?"

"I knew that. That you're not just as kind as a pushover."

"What do you mean a pushover?"

Fjord murmured softly in a quaint voice.

"Why does she know my personality so well…?"

"Who's son of a…? Maybe Caon?"

Fjord stared at me in silence. It seemed that the words he was referring to were correct.

"As I said before, it's true that Caon's nature wasn't bad even if he looks a little mean."

I've never seen Carson hanging out with anyone other than Fjord.

Only once, I witnessed him with someone else.

It's about lifting someone to help who has fallen. Doesn't this just give you the answer?

To believe the bad rumors circulating about Carson, I was also a victim who suffered from false rumors.

There must be certain things why Carson treats me more kindly. Because he likes me.

But if Carson has a broken personality as the rumor says, it was on my second day in the club.

How could I explain why he casually handed me a blanket at that time?

"Of course, Fjord, you're also nice."

Fjord also had a mask and acted in front of others, but he wasn't really bad.

This was a fact that I could be sure of.

Perhaps the last word was unexpected, Fjord's face was entangled in agony. He stared at me for a long moment, speechless.

"I'm…"

He barely licked his dry lips.

"I didn't come to the Academy because I wanted to."

Well.

"Do you happen to have a brother before you, Fjord?"

It was true that the Arena Academy was the most prestigious school in the Empire.

However, it was common for ‘heirs‘ of high-ranking aristocratic families to receive education as a successor separately from their families without going to the academy.

For this reason, the academy was mostly attended by commoners or aristocratic children who didn't inherit their families.

Unlike Carson, coming to the Academy as a successor to a Duke was a fairly unusual case.

"I have an older brother. He was an illegitimate child who was given birth by an unknown commoner before my father married my mother."

Seeing the serious expression on his face made me straighten my back and listen.

"My brother came into our family around the age of twelve when it was later revealed that he was my father’s son. It happened when I was just seven years old."

Fjord's two fists clenched. However, he soon relaxed and smiled sadly.

"I liked having a brother when I was young, but I don't think he was happy with me. He was the reason why I had no choice but to go to the academy, and he was the one who drove me here."

"So it was because of him that you entered the academy?"

"It's funny. Even though the position of ‘heir‘ didn't matter to me."

He swept up his hair with a smile. He looked like he was laughing at someone.

"All I wanted was to be with my family. I could eat and live under the same roof with my mother and father…"

"With your brother?"

When the word “brother” came out, Fjord paused for a moment.

"But now it's different. I'm going to find the place that was taken by my brother."

I looked at Fjord's wrathful eyes.

I didn't listen to the details, but I could tell just by looking at his eyes.

Fjord had suffered a lot from his brother's cruelty before he was driven to the academy.

"What does that have to do with you wearing a mask in front of other people?"

"While I'm at the Academy, I'm going to have people on my side. I need strength against him. The best thing I could do here was make connections."

"Um…"

That's it…

"It must be hard to please others."

For a moment, Fjord's eyes widened.

His round eyes seemed to ask how I could come up with such words.

"Why aren't you insulting me? For taking advantage of other people? Leen, you don't like that kind of thing."

What are you talking about? Since when did I have a sense of justice?

"Who cares if it's someone else or something? You're my friend!"

It was then that Fjord's body stiffened as if time had stopped….