Episode 552. Club Room

On the 2nd floor corner of the club building.

The desk in the Let’s Play Club’s room was guarded by the twins.

“It’s a good thing we made a bed here. Lumi. Right? We can sleep at night.”

“Yeah… It’s a relief.”

It hasn’t been long since the Dungeon Terror incident ended.

Most of the Academy cadets are resting in their dormitories or at their homes.

The twins, who had fought Lucifer, needed rest even more, but the reason they were here was because numerous reporters had swarmed in front of the dormitory.

“Anyway, how long do we have to stay here? Will they all be gone by tomorrow?”

“Probably, it’ll take a few days for the reporters to leave…. They still seem to be lurking around the dormitory.”

“This is ridiculous! So many people fought Lucifer besides us, why are they only coming after us?”

“Maybe everyone else is busy, so that’s why…?”

“That’s no excuse. Ugh. I’m so pissed. This is a violation of privacy.”

The number of people caught up in the Dungeon Terror incident numbered in the thousands, but among them, the heroes who resolved the terror were only about a dozen.

Among the heroes, the only ones whose whereabouts were clearly known were Lucy and Lumi, who lived in the dormitory.

It was only natural that they became the targets of reporters seeking scoops.

“Okay, how about this! With this, the Noble is mine.”

“Ah… W-what about me then…?”

In the end, they barely escaped the dormitory and hid in the club room, killing time with board games.

“Lumi. Since I won this round, give up… Huh?”

Lucy, who was spending time playing board games in the club room, sensed someone’s presence outside the door.

Lucy, putting down her cards for a moment, signaled to Lumi.

“Shh. Lumi. Someone’s here.”

“Eek. Really…?”

Lucy’s senses, which had become sharper lately, reached their peak after the battle with Lucifer.

Besides, the heroines, the twins Lucy and Lumi, had top-tier talent.

Since they had a catalyst, it was natural for their skills to improve.

Their skill level was enough for Professor Im Sol to praise, so there was no room for doubt.

Shh.

Lucy, putting a finger to her lips, grabbed a frying pan from the corner of the club room and pressed herself against the door.

It was a tool Lucy used to practice cooking to improve her femininity.

“L-Lucy. What are you doing?!”

“If they followed us all the way here, they deserve to be punished. I can’t stand it, I’m so angry!”

“Couldn’t it just be a passing cadet…?”

“No way. Unless they’re workaholics like the student council, there’s no reason for them to be at the Academy right now. It must be a reporter who followed us.”

“Ah, even so, if you do that to a reporter…”

“What, is being a reporter some kind of privilege? In our club, I’m the queen. Still, they’re civilians, so I’ll hold back on the magic. Don’t worry.”

“…”

Usually, wouldn’t you get seriously hurt if you got hit with a frying pan?

Lumi tilted her head, but she didn’t stop Lucy.

As Lucy said, the reporter who followed them here must also be at fault.

Creak-

“Hah!”

“Hey guys. This is… Huh?”

The door slowly opened, and Lucy swung the frying pan down.

Ting!

“Kyaaak!”

“…Lucy? What are you doing?”

Lee Hoyeon, as soon as he saw something approaching him, instinctively deployed his shield, Cotton Guard.

The frying pan, swung down with weight, bounced off lightly, causing Lucy to lose her balance and fall down with a thud (kkwadang), and Lee Hoyeon blinked, looking at Lucy.

“Hoyeon-ssi! A-are you okay?”

Lumi, jumping up from her spot, not even minding the overturned card game, approached Lee Hoyeon.

“Calm down. I’m fine since I didn’t get hit. Why did Lucy suddenly do that?”

“It’s just… We’re sorry. Lucy thought it was a reporter chasing us and got angry…”

“Hmm…”

What does a reporter have to do with a frying pan?

Lee Hoyeon, feeling puzzled, offered his hand to Lucy.

“Lucy. Are you okay?”

“Ugh, that wasn’t Lee Hoyeon’s magic… What was that?”

“… That’s because I’m hiding my magic.”

He was already famous, but after the Dungeon Terror, he had become such a celebrity that he couldn’t just walk around.

As soon as he left the student council office, he cast a barrier.

‘But how did Lucy sense me?’

Even though I had a barrier up, she noticed my presence.

Her skills must have improved tremendously.

“Why did you come to the club room hiding your magic?”

“That’s what I want to ask. I stopped by the student council office and thought I’d clean up the club room a bit. Why are you two here?”

Click-

Just in case, Lee Hoyeon, who securely locked the club room door, approached the desk and asked the twins.

“Maybe because we seemed like easy targets, reporters swarmed the dormitory. So we ran away.”

“Ah…”

After the Dungeon Terror, it seemed Lucy and Lumi had also become incredibly famous.

Well, Lucy and Lumi were heroes who saved the Academy, so it was only natural.

Lucy scratched the back of her head and took Lee Hoyeon’s hand.

“We were just playing a game, so it’s good you came. Since you’re here, come in and join us. We already finished cleaning.”

“Yes. There’s also a bed here, so you can sleep if you’re tired.”

“Then I’ll stay for a little while.”

Lee Hoyeon, with both hands held by the twins, sat down at the desk covered in board games.

“This is called Splatoon, and you collect land and gems? It’ll be more fun with three people than two.”

“Lucy kept winning… Now, please win, Hoyeon-ssi!”

“Okay. Then, tell me the rules.”

Although they met unexpectedly, Lee Hoyeon had something to say to Lucy and Lumi.

He needed to talk to these two about the Dungeon Terror incident.

‘I should find an opportunity to bring it up.’

The mood wasn’t right for it now, so for now, he’d just play along with the board game.

*

About three hours later.

“Isn’t this card totally overpowered? I have three Nobles, how could I possibly lose!”

“But Lumi, you won a lot against me with this too…. It’s unfair to call it overpowered only when you lose.”

“…”

Lee Hoyeon, who had intended to find an opportunity to bring up a serious topic, found himself enjoying the board game without realizing it.

Caught up in Lucy and Lumi’s energy, while playing the game, three hours had passed.

‘I really should say something soon. It feels like I need to talk about something.’

The reason Lucy and Lumi had to sleep in the club room was ultimately because Lee Hoyeon created the fake dungeon magic circle.

He was responsible in the end.

“Ahhhh. I lost again. Lee Hoyeon, why are you so good!”

“Sorry. But if you combine Lucy and Lumi’s win rates, you get about 50 percent.”

“When there are three of us playing, you shouldn’t win half the time. That’s bad manners.”

“Lucy. Let’s play another game…. We can win at Joker Draw.”

Seeing Lumi rummaging for the trump cards, Lee Hoyeon realized that if he didn’t stop now, they would be engrossed in games for several more hours.

Lee Hoyeon cleared his throat with a “hem,” and slowly began to speak.

“You both seem well. Since coming out of the dungeon, you haven’t had any injuries, right?”

“Not at all? In fact, Professor Im Sol praised us, so we felt great.”

“That’s right. Oh, she said to bring you, Hoyeon-ssi, to her lab. Please come with us next time.”

“Yeah. I think I heard something like that. Let’s definitely go together.”

“Okay. Take one card each. We’re going to play Joker Draw.”

“Wait a moment. Guys. The card game is fun, but just a moment.”

He grabbed Lucy’s hand as she started dealing the cards.

Why does she love games so much?

“What’s wrong?”

“No, don’t you have anything you’re curious about? Like about the dungeon… or anything else.”

Anyone would think that only Lee Hoyeon just came out of the dungeon.

Lucy and Lumi were definitely in the dungeon together, but they acted as if they had nothing to say to Lee Hoyeon.

‘They must have heard everything inside.’

They must know the same information that Moon Surin knows.

It’s strange that they aren’t asking any questions.

Aren’t they curious about the dungeon or the magic circle?

“Uh…”

“Ummm…”

Lucy and Lumi, holding their trump cards, looked at each other and gave silly smiles.

“It’s just… it’d be nice if you told us, but if not, whatever. That’s about it?”

“Aren’t you curious or have anything you want to ask?”

“Do we really need to be curious? Besides, reporters keep coming and asking questions, so we’re exhausted.”

“… It’s not necessarily like that.”

“I just like playing games like this… and spending time with Lumi and you. Of course, the lewd stuff is good too.”

“Lucy….”

Lee Hoyeon, still holding his cards, tightly clasped Lucy’s joined hands.

He felt indebted to Lucy.

When he couldn’t distinguish between the game and the real world, he had hurt her.

“I don’t want to talk about unpleasant things with you either, Hoyeon-ssi. Lucy and I feel the same way.”

“Yeah. Besides, we’re not even curious about other girls. We’ll win them all eventually anyway.”

“That’s right. Because we’re two!”

“… Ah.”

Seeing the two smiling brightly, his heart skipped a beat.

Telling the truth and apologizing to the heroines was important.

To reflect on the wrongs he committed against them, he should naturally reveal the truth and apologize, but should he really reveal truths that would make them uncomfortable?

Truly, what action would be right for them?

“And, I think you must have your reasons, Hoyeon-ssi. Uh, um… whatever they are.”

“That’s right. Lee Hoyeon wouldn’t do anything wrong, so you don’t need to tell us the details.”

Thinking something about Lee Hoyeon’s quiet demeanor, Lucy and Lumi busily started defending him.

“Lucy. Lumi.”

“Mhmm.”

“Yes….”

Lee Hoyeon hugged the tense-looking Lucy and Lumi, one in each arm, and bowed his head deeply.

“I like you. My feelings for you are genuine.”

“Hehe. I like you too.”

“Me too… Hoyeon-ssi.”

“I’m sorry I haven’t been able to take care of you much lately. I’ll visit more often from now on.”

“It’s okay. We were busy too.”

Holding the twins, who were showing off their cuteness on either side, he continued to feel apologetic, but since the twins said that, he didn’t want to appear pathetic.

“Speaking of the dungeon, I’ve gotten really strong now too. Professor Im Sol even acknowledged it. Lee Hoyeon, if you’re having a hard time, tell us!”

“Compared to Hoyeon-ssi, I’m still lacking a lot….”

Lee Hoyeon smiled and looked up.

“No, you’re not. Lucy and Lumi, too, if you just consider firepower and defense separately, are comparable to me.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Of course.”

Lee Hoyeon slightly raised the corners of his mouth and continued speaking.

It wasn’t entirely untrue.

Lucy’s firepower is ridiculously strong.

It’s less than Lee Hoyeon’s maximum firepower, but it’s not so different that you couldn’t say they’re similar.

Lumi is the same. Her defense was strong enough to block Lucifer’s attacks.

‘Of course, this is based on when I’m in the middle of combat.’

If Lee Hoyeon focuses on either attack or defense, comparison is impossible.

Only when the two combine are they roughly comparable to Lee Hoyeon.

‘… Wait a minute. Isn’t that amazing in itself?’

Lee Hoyeon was currently much stronger than in the original work.

He had intended to praise Lucy and Lumi, but if the two combined were only roughly comparable to him, that itself was something to be praised.

“Come to think of it, it seems even more amazing. When did you get so strong?”

“It’s because you taught us magic, Hoyeon-ssi.”

“Definitely, Lee Hoyeon’s lessons were very helpful.”

“Well done, well done. Come here.”

Preventing the heroines from getting hurt was Lee Hoyeon’s duty, but if they became stronger, they would be even safer.

If they learned magic from Professor Im Sol, they would become even stronger here.

“You were the one praising them, why are you acting like this all of a sudden!”

“Uuuuhm… Hoyeon-ssi.”

Lee Hoyeon rubbed his face against Lucy and Lumi’s soft cheeks, and hugged them even tighter.