Side Story 13. The Story After (13)

I’m dying from exhaustion.

I finished the lecture, feeling refreshed for the first time in a while.

I mentioned Nam Dahee and finished the lecture well, so I felt good.

“You worked hard. Hoyeon-ah.”

As I came down from the stage, Moon Surin approached me, smiling.

She patted my shoulder and beamed, as if asking what was so good.

“Noona. You like seeing me struggle? I almost died from nervousness.”

“Yep. I do. You only show me your vulnerable side backstage, you know. Everyone else probably thinks Hoyeon is perfect.”

Moon Surin casually linked arms with me and pulled me towards the sofa below.

I was dragged along and plopped down onto the sofa.

“You sure know how to talk…”

Despite my sarcasm, Moon Surin leaned her face against my shoulder, gazing at me.

With those adorable eyes looking at me like that, I couldn’t say anything else…

Moon Surin chatted with me for a bit before heading back to the stage with a reluctant expression.

She must be planning to wrap things up herself as the student council president.

“Hoo…”

I guess I can rest for a bit after all that hard work.

I let myself sink into the sofa in the quiet waiting room.

*

“D-Dahee-ah. Are you close with Hoyeon sunbae? No way. No way…!”

“Wanna go to a cafe later?! I’ll pay for everything!”

“Hey, hey everyone, calm down. I was going to say hi to Hoyeon oppa… Woo, Waaah!”

After all the schedules were finished, Nam Dahee was swept away by the junior students, disappearing into the crowd.

I thought I’d say hello, but it doesn’t seem necessary.

‘It’s a relief that she seems to be adjusting well. She looks like she’s struggling, but this is probably better.’

Even though she was being dragged away by her friends, she didn’t look unhappy.

Dahee had been confined to the Buyer Guild since she was young. I felt sorry for her, unable to adapt to the academy because she wasn’t used to people, but now I can finally relax a little.

“Hoyeon-ssi!”

“Lee Hoyeon! You were amazing today!”

As I waited backstage for a moment, Lumi and Lucy entered the waiting room.

If I had gone out to find them myself, people would have swarmed me, so I had Lucy and Lumi called backstage.

“It’s quiet outside now, so let’s go.”

Today, I had promised to visit the club room after a long time.

After the battle with the Demon King and the subsequent cleanup, I hadn’t been able to visit the club even once, so I had to keep my promise today.

“The students absolutely loved the lecture! They said the content was great too.”

“The junior high students were incredibly enthusiastic. When Hoyeon-ssi came down… it got so noisy.”

“I’m glad they liked it. I was pretty nervous, you know.”

“Really? You didn’t seem nervous at all. Oh, right. The reporters took tons of pictures too. And they interviewed students. The student council president banned interviews with you, though.”

No wonder the reporters weren’t coming to the waiting room. Surin noona must have blocked them.

Chattering away, I headed towards the club building with Lucy and Lumi.

However, there was a man I’d never seen before standing in front of the club room.

“Ah, you’re here now. Guys. I’ve been waiting.”

He was holding a stack of documents, and the moment I saw him, a sense of unease washed over me.

*

“You must be the president of the Student Club Alliance. Nice to meet you.”

This club room is a place no one visits except Lee Hoyeon and the Lucy-Lumi twins.

I wondered who it was, waiting at the door, but it seems he’s the president of the Student Club Alliance.

For the record, I didn’t get along with the previous president of the Student Club Alliance.

He had blocked me from joining any club. I heard the president of the Student Club Alliance changed when Moon Surin turned the academy upside down, and this is the first time we’ve met.

“Yeah. Since becoming president of the Student Club Alliance, I’ve visited the student council often, but strangely, I’ve never seen you, Hoyeon. Aren’t you part of the student council?”

“…I suppose I have a lot to do. I don’t spend much time in the student council room.”

“Well, it’s Lee Hoyeon, after all. I listened to your lecture earlier, it was great. It will be a great help to Victoria Academy’s development.”

“Thank you. Would you like to come inside? You seem to have come here with something to discuss.”

“Yes. Excuse me for a moment.”

Lee Hoyeon led the president into the club room. It was the usual table where we played board games.

Lucy and Lumi seemed displeased that another person had entered the club room, but some things are unavoidable.

I don’t like men entering this space either. But it’s more awkward to keep a guest standing outside.

“I’m here to deliver these documents. Your club might have to return its club room.”

“Whaaat?! Really?”

“Ah…”

Even Lucy and Lumi, who had been quiet until now, reacted to the news that they might lose the club room.

This even flustered Lee Hoyeon. What club could possibly be more peaceful than ours?

“The year is almost over, and your club hasn’t shown any remarkable achievements, has it? That’s the problem.”

“We’re just a casual club!”

“You’re the only purely casual club left at Victoria Academy… Originally, the atmosphere was such that no one paid much attention, but recently, practical application has become important, so instructions were given to make clubs achieve concrete results.”

“….”

Since Lee Hoyeon had just passionately preached the importance of practical application in his lecture, it was hard to argue against that.

In reality, the Lucy-Lumi twins and my casual club weren’t providing any benefit to Victoria Academy.

“President-nim! Since there are spare rooms anyway, can’t you just give us one?”

“We can’t just give them out to every student who wants one.”

Lucy bowed her head deeply at the neat rebuttal. Lumi held her hand beside her.

They looked dejected at the thought that the club room, filled with so many memories, might disappear.

“…So we just need to achieve one result, right? The field doesn’t matter?”

“That’s right.”

“Hoyeon-ssi… Do you have a plan?”

“We should do what we’re good at. Let’s make it a magic research club.”

I could ask Surin noona to get us a room… but I didn’t want to do that.

I didn’t want to bother her unnecessarily, and it felt strange to receive too many special favors after saying I’d graduate from the academy.

So what other options are there? They want results, so we’ll give them results.

If I share my magic research achievements appropriately, it would be a huge accomplishment for a club.

Honestly, I just hate the hassle; I’m not worried.

“Magic. Magic…? But can we really do it…?”

“I can teach you magic. Professor Im Sol will be our advisor.”

Lumi lacks confidence.

In fact, even if Lucy and Lumi researched on their own, they’d probably outperform most clubs.

“Trying to make a magic-related club? Hmm…”

However, the club alliance president’s reaction wasn’t great.

I looked at him, wondering what was wrong, and the president continued with an awkward expression.

“The magic clubs at Victoria Academy are monopolized by the Magic Research Department, headed by Kim Hyundo… It won’t be easy for other clubs to conduct magic research.”

“Kim Hyundo?”

Kim Hyundo… Kim Hyundo…

I’m sure I’ve heard that name somewhere.

‘Ah, those good-for-nothing punks?’

There were guys who used to visit Im Sol’s lab, offering chocolates and cakes.

Come to think of it, they called themselves the magic research club or something.

I hadn’t seen them since I took care of the vice president who was messing with Moon Surin, so it took me a while to remember.

The president, unaware of Lee Hoyeon’s thoughts, continued speaking.

“There are suspicions of a connection with the previous club president… but it’s still the largest magic club within Victoria Academy. I hear they’re focusing more on magic research than before.”

Lee Hoyeon nodded upon hearing the president’s words.

‘Have they finally come to their senses?’

They were weirdos back then, but now they seem to be genuinely focused on magic research.

Come to think of it, they haven’t visited Im Sol lately.

Or maybe it’s because I’ve become too influential, forcing them to stay quiet.

Honestly, I don’t care much about them anyway.

The fact that I’m only realizing this now is proof that Kim Hyundo isn’t that significant.

“Well, I don’t think it’ll matter much. I know Kim Hyundo sunbae. And I’m Lee Hoyeon, President-nim. Who’s going to stop me if I decide to pursue magic research?”

“…Right, I was worrying needlessly. If you, Hoyeon, decide to start a magic research club, no one can stop you.”

Lee Hoyeon is a figure so remarkable that it’s strange he’s even attending the academy.

The world already recognizes him as the strongest mage; who could Kim Hyundo possibly stop if he wants to do magic research?

Kim Hyundo’s father runs a major guild in Korea, but even so, it’s incomparable to Lee Hoyeon’s influence.

“That’s right! No one can beat us in magic. We’re talents recognized by Professor Im Sol.”

“R-really? But what if our magic research becomes so outstanding that everyone flocks here?”

“…Ah.”

Hearing Lumi’s words, Lucy gaped as if dismayed.

She didn’t want the club to disappear, but she disliked the idea of others joining even more.

“Then maybe we should do something else…? It’s nice having the three of us in the club.”

“Lucy. How about an animation club…?”

“That’s something only you, Lumi, like.”

While Lucy and Lumi were having a serious discussion.

The president looked around the club room and spotted a bed in the corner.

“But this is a casual club, right? There’s a bed in the club room. What’s it for?”

“Uh. Uh… the bed…”

“…”

At the president’s words, Lucy flusteredly waved her hands, and Lumi blushed and bowed her head.

If you’re going to react like that, why not just say you made it for sex?

In the end, Lee Hoyeon answered.

“I have a chronic illness. When Ms. Baek Ahyoung is busy, I rest here. The two of them take care of me.”

“Ah… I see. I think I heard something like that. Sorry for misunderstanding.”

“It’s alright. Anyway, I’ll think more about the club’s achievements and report back to the student council.”

“Okay. I should be going soon too.”

The president of the Student Club Alliance left the club room with a smile.

A sense of satisfaction from having handled a task was evident on his face.

After the president disappeared, Lee Hoyeon let out a wry laugh looking at Lucy and Lumi.

“Guys. You couldn’t have hidden it better even if you tried. And hide the bed in the corner.”

“…Sorry.”

“We’re sorry… Hoyeon-ssi.”

“It’s okay. Fortunately, the club alliance president is kind.”

His attitude of not digging too deep was like that of a civil servant.

That kind of approach is probably best for managing all the clubs.

“We’re supposed to see Professor Im Sol later, right? We can ask her for help then. Thinking about it, it might be better if you guys take the lead rather than me doing it alone. Lucy, you’re the president, after all.”

“Yeah. Do you have to come too, Hoyeon? We agreed to meet in three hours.”

“Three hours left?”

This afternoon’s class was replaced by Lee Hoyeon’s lecture.

However, the lecture was at most an hour long, leaving a significant gap in time.

“Hoyeon-ssi… We have a lot of time left.”

Chak-

Just then, Lumi clung to Lee Hoyeon’s left arm.

“Heh heh. Now that we’ve come this far, there’s no escaping.”

Lucy hugged his right arm.

Their intentions were so obvious, I couldn’t possibly avoid them.

“…Alright, can you calm down?”

Lee Hoyeon sighed and cast a barrier around the club room.