abcnovels
Chapter 96
Chapter 96: 1 vs 1 Showdown (2)
1 vs 1 Showdown (2)
[Match over! The victor is Student Jeong Jinhee from Class B! With this, we conclude the 1st-year 1 vs 1 Duel Round of 16. We will have a 30-minute break for the students’ medical check-ups, so we ask the audience to take a short rest as well!]
“Phew, it’s done.”
“Yeah,” Min Yeji sighed with a casual stretch in her chair.
“I’m thinking of taking a quick breather,” Im Sol said, standing up and smoothing her outfit.
“Where you off to?”
“Just getting some fresh air.”
“You’re going to see Lee Hoyeon, right? You’re his biggest fan, after all.”
“No, I’m not.” Ignoring Min Yeji’s mischievous grin, Im Sol left her seat.
“I’m sure there’s a restroom around here.” Im Sol glanced around, on the hunt for one.
After washing her hands in the restroom and returning to her seat, Im Sol suddenly paused when she noticed a building map. It turned out that just one floor below her current spot was the waiting room for the main event participants. Granted, it was a no-go zone for anyone without the right clearance, but being a professor had its perks.
“Should I go and say hi?”
Even if there isn’t a ton to do when I meet him, it feels like a better use of my time than having a casual chat with Min Yeji. We can dive into magical discussions, dissect the duels, and, of course, be there to cheer him on.
“Yeah, with this much break time, I could at least drop by and catch a glimpse of my student for a moment.” Without second-guessing herself, Im Sol headed towards the waiting room for the main event participants.
***
[Match over! The victor is Student Jeong Jinhee from Class B! With this, we conclude the 1st-year 1 vs 1 Duel Round of 16. We will have a 30-minute break for the students’ medical check-ups, so we ask the audience to take a short rest as well!]
I couldn’t care less about the winner of the last match. They were both extras, so I didn’t bother watching it. I lounged on the sofa, scrolling through EveryDay.
“Lee Hoyeon… let’s see.” It was oddly entertaining to search for my own name on EveryDay.
[You wanna kill Lee Hoyeon…?]
Even when I stumbled upon hateful comments, my mental armor was thick enough to withstand their feeble attempts.
[Lee Hoyeon… Handsome…]
But I couldn’t deny the little ego boost when I came across posts that praised me. Occasionally, there was even some useful information buried within the noise.
[By the way, besides Student Council, what other club is Lee Hoyeon in?]
No comments, but the view count exceeded 100.
Anyway, there wouldn’t be any more members for the Friendship Club at this point. Once I conquer Lucy later, I’ll turn the clubroom into a space for sex with the twins.
“I should pay a visit to the club department and demand complete removal from the club list.”
Since Felix, no new member applications had been accepted, but my name still lingered in the club directory, just in case. A club with just me and the twins would definitely raise some eyebrows. Fortunately, there were plenty of vacant club rooms, so I doubted anyone would fuss if we took one over.
I also decided to do a little search for Moon Soorin. To me, she’s just a friendly and pretty friend, but it seemed her reputation differed with others. Just one photo of her could stir up a storm. This was why paparazzi were becoming more of a nuisance.josei
I also looked up other names that crossed my mind: the sexy succubus, Alice, Nam Daeun, Baek Ahyeong, and so on. None of them seemed to have the kind of overwhelming popularity that Moon Soorin enjoyed. The posts were limited to praising her skills or commenting on her looks. Occasionally, there were remarks like, “She’s not even that pretty, why all the fuss?” and the comment sections were flooded with replies like, “Are you sure you’re not a girl?” Because really, how could someone not find that face attractive?
There were posts like this as well.
—————————
[Meeting the saint is tough now…]
[I used to go to Teacher Baek Ahyoung’s infirmary just to brighten my day, but now they say they’re cracking down on that…]
[Should I really break my arm…?]
[These days, if you pretend and go see her at the infirmary, it’s a first-time warning. Two warnings mean school community service.]
[ㄴ If we meet the Saint twice and do school community service once, isn’t it a win?]
[ㄴ It’s 300 hours of school community service….]
[ㄴ ??? Are they insane?!]
—————————
“Well, Soorin Noona, you handle things really well.”
It’s because there are scoundrels like this that Soorin has to put up with so much. The bad guys.
Knock, knock, knock.
Then, I heard a knocking on my waiting room door.
“Who is it?”
“Medical check.”
“Huh? Isn’t it Ahyeong?”
“Yes…”
Just by her voice, I could tell it was Baek Ahyeong. I got up from the sofa and opened the door for her. She came in, pushing a cart with a strange machine.
“Congratulations on making it to the top 8.”
“Thank you. But a medical check?”
“Yes. All top 8 qualifiers must do it.”
“I see…” I sat on the couch, waiting for her to explain, but she was clearly just looking at me, not doing the medical check.
“Ahyeong, you…”
“Hmm?”
“My room is the last one to visit, right?”
“How, how did you know?”
“I just had a feeling.”
Now I can probably guess what she’s thinking without looking at the status window. Quickly lock the door… or something like that.
★ Heroine Status Window
[Baek Ahyeong]
[Affection: 89] (+0.4)
[Lust: 80]
[Appetite: 30]
[Fatigue: 25]
Current Status: Doesn’t he want to look the door? Is libido also part of the medical check?
She’s thinking more about it than I am.
“Do you have any issues that might affect the duel? Like suddenly feeling uncomfortable somewhere…”
Don’t stare at my crotch, please. That’s sexual harassment, you know.
“Just a moment.” I got up from my seat and locked the door to the waiting room.
“Why, why are you suddenly locking the door?”
“You already know why.”
Baek Ahyeong was faking the twitching of her pupils, but she was unaware that the corners of her mouth were lifted.
“Ahyeong, what if my horniness messes up the duel? Can you handle that too?”
“I, I’ll try.”
“Open your mouth.”
“Ugh, okay… Hmmph!”
I pushed her onto the sofa, planting a deep kiss. While sucking on her tongue, I slid mine into her mouth, and she started kissing back passionately. With one hand, I unbuttoned her shirt, slipping my hand down her cleavage.
“Ugh… like this…?”
“Haah… come here…”
“Aah… Darling…”
After breaking the kiss, I slid my hand under her skirt to prepare for some private action. The heat from her stockings was intense, and to get her skirt off, I raised my hand. That’s when it happened.
Knock, knock, knock.
“…!”
“Hah…!”
We suddenly froze in response to the knocking on the waiting room door.
“Wh-who is it?”
I quickly gestured to Baek Ahyeong and resumed my gaze on her. He understood my intentions and didn’t make a sound as she started buttoning up her shirt.
“It’s me, Professor Im Sol. I just came to see how you’re doing.”
No, Professor, why are you suddenly showing up at the waiting room? You don’t usually meet me first.
“Just a moment! We were in the middle of a medical check!”
“Medical check? I see.”
Thankfully, Im Sol didn’t mind the mention of a medical check. We quickly fixed our appearance, thinking it should suffice. After a nod exchanged with Baek Ahyeong, I swung open the door.
“So, there’s no specific agenda during this break, and I was just curious… Are you pretty busy?” Im Sol started talking as she walked in, but upon seeing Baek Ahyeong’s face, she fell silent.
“Professor, hello. We were in the middle of the medical check for the top 8 qualifiers. This is Baek Ahyeong, the academy’s nurse. Ahyeong, this is Professor Im Sol.” To ease the awkwardness, I spoke up first.
“Hello. I’m Professor Im Sol.”
“Oh, hello. I’m Baek Ahyeong.”
While Professor Im Sol initiated the greeting, the awkward vibe still lingered. Baek Ahyeong’s face was slightly flushed, as if she hadn’t managed to calm her excitement. I felt like a husband caught in the act.
“Ahem. Professor, please have a seat. The medical check will be done shortly.”
“Alright.”
Im Sol took a seat next to me, and only then did Baek Ahyeong start the medical check. Of course, there was nothing wrong with my body. I hadn’t sustained any injuries during the sparring.
“You’re healthy. Everything seems fine.”
“Of course. You have any idea how robust I am?”
“True. What’s left other than health for you?”
While chatting with Baek Ahyeong, as we typically did, I felt Im Sol’s gaze from the side.
“It seems like you’re pretty close to the nurse,” Im Sol mentioned, more out of curiosity than jealousy. Her eyes seemed to ask, “How did you end up having a connection with the saint?”
“Well, we got to know each other through some volunteer work. By the way, did you know you’re the same age as her? I was thinking of introducing you. It’s nice to get along, especially since you both work at the academy.”
“I see…”
“Haha…”
Im Sol nodded approvingly, and Baek Ahyeong, who already knew because I told her, let out an awkward laugh.
Why are they both so awkward?
“Nice to meet you…”
“Yes, nice to meet you.”
Im Sol accepted Baek Ahyeong’s greeting, but I wondered if introducing them was really necessary.
★ Heroine Status Window
[Baek Ahyeong]
[Affection: 89] (+0.4)
[Lust: 80]
[Appetite: 30]
[Fatigue: 25]
Current Status: I was uncomfortable with only men around, but now, I’m glad…
Baek Ahyeong seems to have a positive outlook. What about Im Sol?
★ Heroine Status Window
[Im Sol]
[Affection: 51]
[Lust: 25]
[Appetite: 30]
[Fatigue: 40]
Current Status: If we’re the same age at the academy, I’d like to get along…
Both of them seem to like each other, but what are they doing?
“Now, how about exchanging numbers and catching up later?” I couldn’t let this go on indefinitely, so I intervened.
“And Miss Ahyeong, once you’re done with the medical check, you should get back to work. There are other students waiting.”
Baek Ahyeong looked at me with a pleading look, as if she couldn’t believe I was letting her go like this, but I had no other choice. I couldn’t just kick out Im Sol because I wanted some alone time with the nurse. If I were a delicate maiden, I could use the excuse of not feeling well, but since I’m so robust, pretending to be sick would be a bit much.
“Alright… Professor Im Sol, could you give me your number?”
But it seems they’re managing the number exchange just fine. Well, I don’t know. I introduced them, so they should be fine on their own.
“Okay then, I’ll head out… Professor Im Sol, I’ll be waiting for your call.”
“Yes, I’ll contact you when I have time.”
As I watched the two of them chat, I couldn’t help but remember my past self who used to invite people I’d never see again for a meal. They were both friendly, so they should be fine later.
Baek Ahyeong left the room with a cart carrying medical equipment. Her expression seemed a bit down until the end.
I looked at Im Sol, who remained in the waiting room, and opened my mouth, “Professor, what do you want to talk about now?”
“Shall we discuss magic research?” Im Sol spoke from the couch with her legs crossed.
“Sure, that sounds good…”
She came to the waiting room for the main event participants to discuss magic research? Well, what else could we talk about with this person besides magic?
***
The eerie cawing of crows set the backdrop, while the moss clinging to decaying trees and walls swayed gently in the wind, creating a desolate atmosphere. It had been a considerable time since any human footfalls echoed in the outskirts of Seoul, the central hub for information gathering within the Korean branch of the Pandemic.
In the dimly lit space, a voice, of unidentifiable gender, resonated with determination. “I’ve finally tracked it here. To Korea.”
“So, you’ve come directly to the Korean branch…?” A figure entirely concealed in a robe, their identity concealed, cautiously responded to the person before them.
“Yes. The last surviving member of the Rune Tribe resides in Korea. We must find them, no matter what.”
“We’ve been attempting our own search since receiving the message, but… the clues are far too scarce.”
“The survivor was but a child, perhaps a newborn or an elementary school student. By now, he would have grown into a young adult or be in elementary school. The one thing I’m certain of is that it’s a male. Focus your investigation in that direction.”
“Is there any specific characteristic that could narrow down the search?”
“The Rune Tribe’s distinct feature is red hair, but… they might have dyed it, so don’t rely solely on that. Seek out a young boy or a young adult male with extraordinary talents in the field of barriers. Understood?”
“Yes. Understood.” The man slowly rose from his prostrated position and exited the room.
Alone in the room, the Pandemic executive, fatigued from relentless investigation, finally succumbed to weariness on the bed.
“I must locate the heir… for the sake of our clan.”
Given the Pandemic’s capabilities, they should yield results. After all, they went to great lengths to find the sole survivor of their clan.
“It’s going to be alright. Once we locate the heir, everything will fall into place. We can start anew…” They spoke to themselves in solitude, their gaze fixed on the moon visible through the window.