Episode 203. Academy

Hearing a familiar, cute voice, I turned around and saw Lucy running towards me, with Lumi following close behind.

“Lee Hoyeon! Let’s go together~.”

“Hello. Hoyeon-ssi.”

Seeing the twins, I couldn’t help but smile.

“It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other at the Academy.”

“Yeah.”

How long has it been since we’ve walked to school together like this?

Walking together, the three of us made the awkward walk to school after so long feel a bit more comfortable.

Lucy and Lumi walked beside me.

“Are you okay? Can you walk?”

“Of course, I’m fine.”

“Can you use all your magic?”

“Yeah. It might have even gotten better.”

As we walked and chatted, I noticed Lucy and Lumi’s awkward arms beside me. They usually walked a bit further from me, but sticking so close and the way they kept raising and lowering their arms, fidgeting, made them look uncomfortable.

I checked my status screen.

★ Heroine Status Screen

[Lumi]

• [ Affection : 99 ] (+ 0.5)

• [ Lust : 85 ]

• [ Appetite : 25 ]

• [ Fatigue : 30 ]

Current State: Should I… link arms? No, I don’t think so….

★ Heroine Status Screen

[Lucy]

• [ Affection : 99 ] (+ 0.1)

• [ Lust : 85 ]

• [ Appetite : 35 ]

• [ Fatigue : 35 ]

Current State: Should I at least hold hands? No. Not yet… Wait, we’ve done everything else, so holding hands should be fine….

‘They’re agonizing over it.’

Although one is thinking about linking arms and the other about holding hands, they clearly want to show off that we’re lovers. After all, we are dating now. Cute.

Honestly, it’s a bit much with so many people around, but I can just say later that friends were happy to see each other.

Seeing the two agonizing, I spoke up.

“Want to link arms?”

“Y-yes?”

“Uh, uh….”

As expected of twins, Lucy and Lumi reacted with the same surprised embarrassment.

“You kept fidgeting with your arms, weren’t you trying to do that?”

“… Lumi. Want to?”

“I, I can’t…. There are so many people here.”

“… Then I won’t do it either.”

Lumi, her cheeks flushed, avoided my eyes and glanced at me sideways, while Lucy sped up, walking ahead of me.

Hmm, they’re the type who freeze up when given the chance, after all. I knew it.

I closed my arms, which I had slightly opened, again.

*

“Let’s think about how to calculate the next step. First, we need to determine the mana sensitivity.”

“Hmm….”

It was a theory class after a long time, but my tasks remained the same. While pretending to take notes, I thought about what I needed to do next. Now that I’m back at the Academy, it’s time to pursue the heroines again.

‘First, Lucy and Lumi are almost done.’ Both their affection levels are at 99. All it takes is one major event… and I have a rough idea what it might be. Since I’m dating the twins together, it’s something that has to happen eventually.

‘Next are Alice and Surin noona. And Professor Im Sol.’ Alice will start the massages soon, so that’s fine. The problem lies with Surin noona and Professor Im Sol.

‘The key to conquering Moon Surin, the stalker incident, has disappeared.’ Originally, Vice President Shin Dongmin was supposed to become Moon Surin’s stalker and save her when she was mentally distressed, but Shin Dongmin exploded before that could happen. There was even a news report recently saying he was missing. If he’s alive, he should have reacted by now.

Professor Im Sol isn’t a heroine, but her score is heroine-level high. I must conquer her. However, it’s become somewhat of a business relationship. We’ve actually gone as far as oral sex, so it feels like crossing the line slightly would lead to immediate progress, but it feels difficult for us to cross that line. Because there’s the thick line of professor and student.

Of course, there’s still a lot left to do with Im Sol. There’s the magic expo, and she said her thesis is almost finished. The problem is Moon Surin….

‘I should at least go see her today.’ Of course, this includes not just Moon Surin but the other heroines too.

Next is my concern about my combat power. Combat power. Since it’s not shown as an exact number, I can’t be sure, but my raw combat power seems to be around that of an S-class hunter. For reference, in the mid-to-late part of the original work, the protagonist’s power level is about S-class hunter level. Anyway, in the end, stronger enemies will appear due to power creep… but for now, I guess I don’t have to worry about being threatened.

Thinking about my combat power brought another problem to mind. ‘Status screen.’

??? : ???

Since some point, my status screen won’t open. Only a strange ‘???’ mark appears. Of course, it’s not as important as the heroine status screens, so it doesn’t matter much, but not being able to check my stats is a bit annoying. Because I couldn’t check my exact mana stats.

“Ah… whatever.” Stats are important? Women are important. What’s the point of staring at ‘???’? Anyway, ever since I fell into this world, it’s been full of things I don’t understand. Minor questions that can’t be resolved are better left behind quickly.

After class ended, I started thinking about what to talk about with Lucy and Lumi.

*

Scratch-scratch-

Alice was taking notes in a class about calculating dungeon mana density. Even though I had previewed the material, the classes at Victoria Academy were overwhelming. At this place, reputed to be the world’s best academy, I need to focus on my studies to maintain my grades. That’s common sense.

‘But why is that guy acting like that….’ Ignoring common sense, twirling his pen with a bored expression, seeing the top student not listening to the lecture, I found it absurd. Lee Hoyeon. He acts like that in every theory class, yet holds the unbelievable record of perfect scores in all subjects.

“….” It could happen.

Actually, the reason Alice studies wasn’t anything special. Alice’s own satisfaction. The expectations sent from the homeland for Alice, the heir of the Iris Guild. And the recognition she wants from her Unnie. But more important than all of this was the cure for her congenital mana disorder. If she didn’t have the congenital mana disorder, her self-esteem wouldn’t have been so low, and she wouldn’t have had such obsessive tendencies. If it were in the past, losing first place would have angered me, but now I’ve let go of my obsession with grades quite a bit. Because I found a cure for the congenital mana disorder. The problem is that it’s that top student.

“Ah, that’s all for today’s class.”

As the elderly professor with graying hair left the lecture hall, Alice also put down her pen. It’s almost lunchtime, so I need to go eat. Thinking of Sebastian waiting outside, as I was about to get up, the voices of the students around me reached Alice’s ears.

• “Lee Hoyeon, seeing him after a while, looks even more handsome.”

• “No matter how often I see him, I still can’t get used to it.”

• “But were they originally that close with the twins?”

• “They were famous for sticking together, the three of them.”

• “Really…? But I wonder if they were this close.”

• “Maybe. They do seem quite close.”

Although I tried to filter it out, the name Lee Hoyeon kept catching my ear. Alice glanced towards Lee Hoyeon’s seat. Lee Hoyeon was talking with the Lucy-Lumi twins.

“Lee Hoyeon. What are you doing after class today?”

“Um, I have to see the Professor too, and I think I need to visit the student council.”

“Aha… that’s a relief. We have things to do too. Right, Lumi?”

“… Yeah. That’s a relief.”

“What the heck. You guys are planning something weird without me, aren’t you.”

Certainly, it seems like the distance has gotten closer. I don’t mean physical distance; how should I put it? The vibe flowing between them has changed. I knew she had a physical relationship with Lumi, but outside, they were just friends; they weren’t this close. Could something have changed in their hearts?

“….”

The face of Lumi seen in the secretly obtained video seemed to be the same face I saw in the classroom. A woman’s face that should be seen in private. Seeing it in the classroom somehow felt like seeing something I shouldn’t.

“I’m going to the restroom for a moment.”

Just then, Lee Hoyeon went outside. Watching his retreating back, Alice subtly got up from her seat. ‘Now’s my chance.’ I need to tell Lee Hoyeon to come to my house. I could contact him via smartwatch, but seeing him chatting with Lucy and Lumi, I wanted to tell him in person.

Alice’s vision caught Lee Hoyeon’s back as he went out of the classroom, and Alice sped up to catch up. Since there was no one around at the moment, Alice spoke to him immediately.

“Lee Hoyeon.”

“Huh?”

Seeing Lee Hoyeon’s face up close after so long felt strange.

“… Come to my house today.”

“Today?”

“Yeah.”

Lee Hoyeon’s slightly flustered reaction finally seemed to reassure Alice. No matter how many women Lee Hoyeon has, he can’t ignore my words. That point was important.

‘A relationship where I take the lead.’ ‘Even if he cheats, having one official wife is enough.’ Since childhood, Alice had internalized such values. It’s what I always heard from my mother, who let my womanizing father have his affairs.

• “After all, I’m the one in his heart, so I should allow him some fresh air.”

Because I was raised by such an unreasonably tolerant mother, I developed this mindset. That’s why Alice didn’t acknowledge her own affection. Because it felt like admitting defeat. The bees flocking to the flower named Lee Hoyeon. Among those numerous bees, I felt like I was becoming just one of them.

“Mmm. Okay. I’ll go today.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

Having said what she needed to say, Alice turned and went back to the lecture hall. The feeling of being in control of the relationship. In the flow she wanted, Alice smiled slightly.

*

“….”

Watching Alice’s retreating back, I tilted my head. Before my eyes, Alice’s status screen was displayed.

★ Heroine Status Screen

[Alice]

• [ Affection : 68 ]

• [ Lust : 50 ]

• [ Appetite : 40 ]

• [ Fatigue : 55 ]

Current State: I need to go home and prepare. First, I’ll send Sebastian away….

She was definitely prickly. Even with affection at 68, it was like that. Although the affection level is similar to when we had our one-on-one duel, her reaction is completely different.

‘It seems like the woman is the problem here.’ If men are flowers and women are bees, then Alice is the queen bee.

“[It’s natural for bees to flock to a capable man. I can permit it all. But don’t forget that I am the queen bee.]” This is what Alice says to the protagonist in the original work. She’s a heroine who is tolerant of harems to that extent, but the important thing is that she must be the queen bee. Worker bees work, soldier bees fight, queen bees lay eggs… This isn’t the concept I’m talking about. What’s important is being the ‘king’ among the bees. If a capable man is the flower, then among the bees that claim that flower, she must be the best. That was Alice’s way of thinking.

‘Should I have perhaps pursued Alice first?’ That would have been easier. Of course, I don’t regret it. Baek Ahyoung, Nam Daeun, Lucy, and Lumi were all precious. Besides, so many uncontrollable events occurred that it couldn’t be helped.

“I’ll have to figure something out this time too.” Still, since I have the opening of massages, I have no choice but to explore that route. All I can rely on is my mana and my fingers.

When I returned to the classroom, Lucy and Lumi were waiting for me. The two were facing each other and chatting.

“Lumi. Tteokbokki for lunch? Seriously…. Oh? You’re here?”

“Hoyeon-ssi. Where would you like to go for lunch?”

“I suggested hamburgers, but Lumi wants tteokbokki. Lee Hoyeon, you decide.”

Under the gaze of their sparkling eyes, I picked up my bag.

“Let’s go grab some gukbap.”

“Eeh?”

“I’ll go wherever Hoyeon-ssi wants.”

“What the heck, Lumi. You can’t do that! You were totally against my hamburgers!”

The familiar atmosphere. As expected, when bantering with the twins, I felt most at ease. We continued bickering as we headed for lunch.