NOVEL NEXT Chapter 84
“Well, if this level of embarrassment gets me a powerful ally like the Student Council President, it’s a cheap price to pay.”
“Sure, why not.”
“I’ll do it.”
I link my pinky finger with hers.
Kasumi shakes our linked fingers up and down while softly singing in a low voice.
“Promise with a pinky, cut off a finger, ten thousand punches, if you break the promise and lie, you’ll swallow a thousand needles, cut off a finger!”
Is this the original lyrics?
Why does it sound so creepy?
“Promise is over.”
Kasumi removes her finger.
She gives a small smile as if she never cried.
The focus fades from her violet eyes.
In a calm voice, she quietly says,
“Junior, what happens if you break the promise? Swallow a thousand needles?”
“Do as you please.”
Ignoring Kasumi’s words, I stand up.
Now that I have her consent, it’s time to meet Aris.
Where did I learn something like this, anyway?
Having secured Kasumi’s agreement, I headed towards the hotel where our accommodation was located.
On the top floor of the hotel, in the suite room.
In front of the Student Council’s temporary office, where the training team handles their work, I encountered the student council secretary, the bowl-haired spectacled boy, Nagamine Reiji.
“You… are Kim Deok-Sung. What brings you here?”
Standing guard like a sentinel in front of the temporary office, he asks while polishing his glasses.
“I’m here to meet the President. I have an important matter to discuss.”
“What kind of matter?”
At Reiji’s words, Kasumi flinches.
She trembles slightly.
“J-Junior…”
Kasumi calls me and clings to my side.
Oh come on.
“This is something only Kasumi, the President, and I should know.”
“Kim, I’m also an officer of the student council. There’s no way there’s something I shouldn’t know…”
Just as Reiji was about to say something, clang.
The hotel door swings open.
Beyond it, a beautiful girl with long silver hair, Student Council President Saionji Aris, appears.
Even when I saw her in anime, I felt she was beautiful, but seeing her this close makes her even more stunning.
Her cold, graceful voice resonates in my ears.
“Allow Kim Deok-Sung to enter. Nagamine.”
“P-President… A-Understood!”
Click.
Nagamine snaps a stiff salute.
Is this the military?
Anyone would think I’m in the middle of a presidential meeting.
The power of the student council president in this light novel world is something else.
‘Now that I think about it, I’ve never met the president.’
In the memories of the ‘Kim Deok-Sung’ before the reincarnation, there are memories of meeting the president, but since reincarnating, I’ve never met the president in person even once.
There was supposed to be an appointment at the Blue House the day before school started, but after awakening Durandal, I collapsed, and the meeting was forcibly canceled.
‘When I return, do I have to meet the president?’
Thinking about the heights of national pride has me shivering all over.
A chill runs down my spine.
Can I hold out?
“Come in, Kim Deok-Sung.”
Aris opens the door.
A pile of documents sits on the coffee table in the suite room.
Beyond that, the floor-to-ceiling window offers a breathtaking view of Kyoto Tower and the city skyline.
Aris gracefully sits down on the sofa.
She speaks in a cold voice.
“Please leave, Secretary and Vice President.”
“What?! What do you mean by that!”
“Is it okay without Nagamine Reiji here? President?”
The Vice President and Secretary, who were standing behind the sofa, protest in unison.
“I don’t have a hobby of repeating myself. You should know that, right? Please leave.”
“Alright. If the president says so.”
The Vice President reluctantly concedes.
“If you do anything to the president, I won’t let it slide.”
And as they leave, Nagamine Reiji shoots me a warning.
They secretly admire the president, Maeda Shinji, along with the Discipline Committee President.
So I guess they’re acting all prickly with me.
I already knew that tidbit, but it’s kind of silly and a bit annoying.
But then, kids at that age are always like this.
“Don’t worry about it, Nagamine-senpai.”
Still, I feel kind of uneasy.
“This guy…!!”
With such a shallow provocation, he falls for it easily.
How typical of the world of light novels, with its over-the-top reactions.
“Careful now, Nagamine. I told you to leave, didn’t I?”
“Ah, understood, President.”
Nagamine adjusts his glasses, making the lenses shine with his finger.
Even while exiting at Aris’s words, he glances over here.
So childish.
Click.
Mio and Nagamine exit, and the hotel door closes.
“Please sit for now.”
I take a seat on the sofa opposite Aris.
I look at her.
From the way she handled the Vice President and Secretary to the face I see up close now.
My favorite character, Saionji Aris, has come back to life.
Well, she is actually alive, but…
Suddenly, memories flood back.
Of course, I collected every type of Aris figure, as well as fans, cushions, life-sized standees, posters, and dakimakura.
Back then, I liked Aris that much.
“Ugh, Junior…”
Kasumi-senpai whispers softly as she clings next to me.
Yeah.
This is reality.
The Aris I loved was a character from a light novel.
She may be alive and moving in front of me, but she’s different.
Because the Aris in front of me is not an animated character; she’s a human.
As I grasp this reality, my excited feelings settle down frighteningly calm.
“Swallowing a thousand needles…”
Kasumi-senpai mutters quietly.
This is going to drive me nuts.
My head is already throbbing.
Aris’s cold gaze sweeps over me.
“So, what is the secret we’re supposed to discuss among the three of us, Kim Deok-Sung?”
“…It’s a report on reconnaissance. Meijin Academy has fallen into the hands of an unidentified villain organization known as the ‘League.'”
The League.
At the mention of that name, Aris’s eyes flicker.
In this world, only a select few heroes are aware of the existence of the New World League; it’s a tightly kept secret.
Being the Student Council President, Aris might know about the League due to her overwhelming authority, but still…
“What a ridiculous setup.”
Even thinking back on it, it’s absurd.
What can a student council do about such secrets?
“How do you know about the League’s existence…?!”
“The Chairman informed me. If you suspect me, feel free to check.”
Aris’s agitation settles down.
“I’m already aware that you and the Chairman share a special relationship. There’s no need to confirm that. If you heard it from the Chairman, it must be true.”
Aris responds in a blunt voice.
“Well, I knew this was going to come out.”
After all, in the original story, Eri, the President, cherished Aris the most.
I figured Aris would catch onto the fact that I had some kind of deal with the President, so I brought up Seira’s name.
But a “special bond”?
What nonsense has that old hag been spouting to Aris?
Her silver eyes turn towards me.
“Actually… the President talks about you, Kim Deok-Sung, quite often.”
I barely manage to swallow the urge to curse.
I almost made a big mistake in a crucial position.
“The possibility of corruption from the League was something both the President and I considered. The unilateral cancellation of the exchange tournament seemed suspicious. However, there was only circumstantial evidence, no hard proof. If there’s no solid evidence, we shouldn’t act recklessly.”
Aris coolly states.
“The hero who saved the world – a shadowy group that killed four of the Five Crowns. The weight of the League’s name is that heavy.”
Aris’s gaze shifts toward me.
“Kim Deok-Sung, I have a rather favorable opinion of you.”
“Favorable.”
If Aris, known for being as strict with others as she is with herself, says that, it must mean I’m rated highly in her book.
It’s nice, but what did I even do?
“Why is that?”
It’s better to just ask outright.
This is a friendly world.
Most questions are answered honestly in this convenient world.
“You showed kindness to Nishizawa at the disciplinary committee, preventing her expulsion even though she was the perpetrator.”
Me?
Honestly, if it weren’t for the final boss battle, I would’ve expelled her.
“Then during the model gate terror incident, you took on the most dangerous mission that everyone else shied away from, protecting Nishizawa, who was being ostracized.”
I was just trying to catch the Mad Hatter.
“And the President, who is known for her keen eye for people, praises you nonstop… Does that clarify things?”
“Uh, yeah…”
I’m a bit dazed, but it’s not bad.
There’s no need to correct Aris’s misunderstanding.
After all, the Student Council President is the power holder in Shuo Academy.
Receiving a favorable evaluation from her means my standing just got broader.
But what on earth is that old hag saying? I suddenly feel a pang of fear.
“However, my favorable impression does not solve the lack of evidence. Do you have proof of League involvement? If not, there will be consequences.”
Aris’s cold gaze locks onto me.
I’m not too surprised.
That was the attitude I expected from Aris.
In fact, her earlier favorable remark caught me off guard.
“Of course, I do.”
“Present it.”
“Senior Kasumi is the evidence.”
“Uh, hic!”
Hearing my words, Hoshino Kasumi suddenly hiccups.
“Hoshino-san?”
Aris tilts her head in confusion.
“Uh, uh, Junior…”
Kasumi, trembling, grabs my hand tightly.
She clings to my side.
I can feel her large, soft presence against my arm.
Ignoring that, I spit out my rehearsed lines.
“You might know this, but Senior Kasumi is the president of the reading club I’m in. So we’re quite close.”
“Y-yeah. The president and I are… an inseparable bond… yes…”
Kasumi blushes as she adds in her little input.
“Go on, Kim Deok-Sung.”
“…Today, I received a shocking confession from Senior Kasumi. The League forced her friend into hostage situations, pressuring her to act as a spy, and when she came to Kyoto, she was given orders for a betrayal mission.”
“They forced her to spy, and when the senior came to Kyoto, they gave her the order to betray.”
At my words, Aris’s silver eyes trembled.
“What do you mean…?”
“Hearing the confession, I persuaded Hoshino Kasumi, and that’s how I came to find you, President. Here is the evidence.”
I handed over Kasumi’s phone to the shaken Aris.
As she read the text that arrived on the phone, her hands shook.
“This order… is it true? Hoshino?”
Kasumi’s body trembled pitifully.
She tightly grasped my hand and nodded.
“Yes, it’s… it’s true…”
Aris closed her eyes and then opened them.
“Indeed… This is certainly a matter that warrants a confidential discussion. This is solid evidence that the League is involved…”
Aris’s silver eyes turned to Kasumi.
She stood up.
“Eep!”
Kasumi flinched and closed her eyes tight.
Aris placed her hand on top of Kasumi’s purple hair.
“You’ve done well, Hoshino. Thank you for having the courage to blow the whistle.”
“…Am I… not getting expelled…?”
Kasumi’s eyes turned toward Aris.
“I won’t expel you. You acted as a spy for the League not out of your own will but to save a friend’s life. It would be unreasonable of me not to consider such circumstances.”
Aris lightly smiled and patted Kasumi’s head.
“Whew, that was… The best…”
Kasumi exclaimed in surprise like a character from a light novel.
“So, you can rest easy. By the authority of the Student Council, Hoshino Kasumi, I will guarantee your status as a student.”
If this were a harsh web novel world, traitor Kasumi would’ve lost her head immediately, but here, it’s a kind light novel world where forgiveness is in abundance.
I had already anticipated that Kasumi’s ordeal would pass by like this.
Aris withdrew her hand from Kasumi’s head and returned to her seat.
“Just like you said, Junior… Just like you said… Thank you, President!!”
She rushed to hug me.
Squeeze.
My face was buried in her chest.
Why is she like this again?
This is driving me nuts.
“No, Senior. This is so frustrating.”
At my words, Kasumi loosened her embrace.
Embarrassed, she supported her lower chest with both hands and said, “Ah, I’m sorry… I thought… you would like it… I heard guys like to cuddle, but you’re not one of them? I’m pretty confident about my chest size. It’s not as famous as Shinozaki’s, but still, it’s on the bigger side. Around a D cup…”
Cuddle?
Where the heck did she learn that?
And do we really have to talk about breasts in a situation like this?
This is ridiculous.
*Cough cough.*
Aris cleared her throat.
Her expressionless cheeks flushed a bright red.
That’s because of the trope where she’s immune to sexual talk.
“The fact that you requested a three-party confrontation means you won’t disclose this information to anyone else aside from me. Is that right?”
“Yes. The League is a shadow organization, and I can’t even guess how far its reach extends. To prevent information leaks, it’s better to have as few people know as possible.”
Honestly, I’ve thought about involving Ichiro or the chairman, but the problem is how strong the League is.
If word gets to the League that two of them are on the move, then the 13th Division might show up, or worse, Messiah himself could appear.
If that happens, it’s game over.
The original story is already twisted enough as it is.