episode_0030

For a moment, I doubted my ears.

I had barely finished introducing myself, and yet—I was already accepted?

A bizarre feeling, as though I’d become the protagonist of The Truman Show, crawled over my entire body.

“Yeah, you’re in.”

The demon girl student answered without a hint of hesitation to my dumbfounded response.

Beside her, two beastmen slumped in their seats, sighing deeply and clutching their heads.

“I… haven’t even finished my introduction yet.”

“That’s enough. What matters is that I think highly of you, and the fact that you’re now a member of our club. Right?”

No, but—why do you think highly of me?

As I tilted my head in confusion at the inexplicable situation, one of the beastmen boys, who had been sighing heavily, spoke up instead.

“Fram-sunbaenim is a holographic maniac. She’s your fan. When she saw your name on the application list, she screamed so loud—”

“Ahem. Chiyo. That’s enough unnecessary talk.”

“But it’s true. What’s the big deal?”

Ah. So she’s my fan.

That explains the special treatment.

If your favorite celebrity joined your club, would you not accept them?

“Ahaha, well, that’s an honor. Want an autograph?”

“That won’t do. That would be nothing short of abusing my authority as the club president of Our Journey.”

And yet, you accepted me without even hearing my full introduction?

The absurdity of the situation was almost laughable, but since it wasn’t exactly harming me, I just chuckled it off.

“Now, I’ll ask you some questions. Answer them sincerely, alright?”

“Yes.”

What’s the point of questions when I’m already accepted?

“Favorite color?”

“Uh… green.”

“Favorite food?”

“I like curry.”

“Favorite drink…”

……

…

…

.

Amid the barrage of personal questions, I realized something with sudden clarity.

This person is incredibly self-indulgent.

“Fram-sunbaenim. It’s almost time.”

“Hmm, has it been that long already? Time really flies when you’re having fun.”

Thanks to the upperclassman named Chiyo, I was finally freed from the interrogation.

“Well then, Park Junghyun. Let’s meet again at the club orientation later.”

“Yes, sunbaenim. I’ll take my leave now.”

I gave Chiyo a small wink of gratitude, bowed politely, and stepped out of the interview room.

A sudden thought crossed my mind:

Once you become famous, people will applaud even if you take a dump.

‘Being famous sure is convenient.’

It was a day that reminded me of the usefulness of reputation.

“You look exhausted.”

After finishing my early morning training, I collapsed onto my desk. Ume, who had arrived at some point, spoke to me in a hushed voice.

“Ah, yeah. A little tired.”

“Hmph, were you doing something weird last night?” Xiaolin sidled up and added with a teasing grin.

I forced a wry smile in response.

Weird things at night…?

By the time training ends, I’m so drained I don’t even have the energy for that kind of thing.

“I wish I had the stamina for that.”

“Ah…”

Xiaolin, who would usually fire off more jokes, suddenly grew solemn and muttered,

“I-It’s okay! You’re still young, Junghyun! If you act fast, you can still bounce back!”

What the hell is she talking about now?

“…More nonsense. That’s not it. I’m just so exhausted after training that I can’t even move a finger.”

“Huh? Then why are you tired in the morning?”

“Because I train at dawn.”

“Eek… You train from dawn? You’re way more diligent than you look.”

“What do you mean, ‘than I look’…?”

I wanted to tease her back, but I didn’t have the energy, so I just half-heartedly retorted.

Then—

—Creak!

The classroom door swung open.

Xiaolin, true to her cat beastman reflexes, darted back to her seat, while I groaned and straightened up from my slumped position.

At this hour, the only person who’d enter the classroom would be Eirin.

At least, that’s what I thought.

“Everyone, attention.”

It wasn’t Eirin—but the voice that reached my ears was oddly familiar. I frowned and looked up.

There, standing at the front, were an angel and a demon.

Not metaphorically. Literally.

A male student with striking bat wings adjusted his glasses and spoke crisply.

“Pleasure to meet you. I am Jorbenil, vice president of the Providence Student Council. And this is—”

“President. Panuel.”

In contrast, the male student with pristine white wings responded in a bored, drawling voice, looking utterly disinterested.

“Sunbaenim… I told you to at least pretend to be serious in front of the first-years.”

“Shut it. Most of them are just faces we’ll see once and forget anyway. Just get on with it.”

The demon boy pleaded with the angel, but the angel remained indifferent, his attitude unyielding.

‘Seeing them in person is way more surreal.’

In this world, angels and demons existed.

Long ago, sentient beings bowed their heads and worshipped them as the agents of good and evil.

True to their reputation, the angels and demons of this world wielded power so immense it could be likened to divine authority.

Ah, though not anymore.

Rumor had it they were sealed away somewhere, now dormant.

If angels and demons were sealed, then what were the two before me?

To be precise, they were beings known as Angels and Devils.

Not true angels and demons, but those with faint traces of their blood.

Thus, while inferior in many ways compared to the real deal, they were still far superior to other races—beastmen, elves, dwarves, demons, and the like.

There was a reason these two held the positions of student council president and vice president at Providence.

“…The reason we’re here today is to recruit students who will shine alongside the student council in leading Providence.”

At Jorbenil’s words—laced with a faint sigh—my eyes sharpened.

The student council.

An organization I had to join to clear the Persona Restoration Quest.

Hearing that this very organization was recruiting new members—how could I not perk up?

“There’s a reason so many students knock on the student council’s doors every semester. First, joining the council counts as a form of career experience, making it easier to advance as a Purifier after graduating from Providence. For those of you dreaming of becoming Purifiers, this is an enticing benefit.”

Murmur, murmur.

The surrounding students buzzed with interest.

“However, such benefits naturally don’t come without a price. You’ll be tasked with preparing various events held at Providence, among other responsibilities.”

As Jorbenil diligently continued his explanation, Panuel drowsily narrowed his eyes, slowly scanning the students.

“A prime example would be the student council-led expeditions into the Backworld and Purification Zone support. Thus, to join the student council, you must first possess outstanding capabilities as a Purifier.”

To join the student council, combat prowess wasn’t optional—it was mandatory.

“The interview will test your combat abilities. Last year’s acceptance rate was 50 to 1. In other words, even if every single one of you in this class applied, bad luck could mean none of you make it.”

As Jorbenil said, joining the student council was fiercely competitive.

With my current abilities, it wouldn’t be an easy fight—but for the sake of growth, I had to make it happen.

The one saving grace was that I already knew about the student council interviews.

Since Karen, the game’s protagonist, had taken the interview, I—as the player—knew exactly how it would unfold.

I had to leverage this information gap to secure an advantage.

“However, I see particularly promising futures among you today. If it’s you, I believe you can do it. So, don’t hesitate—apply. Thank you for your time.”

As Jorbenil finished his recruitment pitch and bowed, the students erupted into applause.

Nodding slightly, Jorbenil gestured subtly to Panuel, signaling it was time to leave.

But Panuel didn’t move.

No—he was frozen in place, his gaze locked onto one spot.

He was looking at me.

I had no idea why.

It wasn’t like we’d met before.

“Sunbaenim? Let’s go—”

“Stay right there.”

Cutting Jorbenil off, Panuel strode forward—straight toward me.

Stopping at my desk, he met my eyes and spoke.

“I won’t repeat myself, so listen carefully.”

Then, he uttered a single line:

“You. Wanna join the student council?”

“Huh?”

Wait.

This feels way too familiar.

‘Don’t tell me—’

Are you my fan too?