The Conjurer of the Academy

Chapter 55

“I never thought Geum-bi Unnie would ask this guy for help with the Disciplinary Committee work. It’s shocking.”

While I lay sprawled with a throbbing head, Shin Seo-ha dusted off her hands lightly.

It seemed unbelievable to Shin Seo-ha that Seo Geum-bi would be with me. She gave me a sideways glare.

“I’m glad to see you working so hard, Seo-ha.”

Seo Geum-bi is one of the few people who speaks informally to her. Clutching my aching head, I gradually got up from my spot.

“You’ve managed to get the approval of the regulations, haven’t you?”

“The outfits are quite modest, so there wasn’t much trouble getting them approved.”

Seo Geum-bi nodded.

“What made you decide to participate in the class event?”

“Han Yu-seong’s relentless pestering.”

Shin Seo-ha scratched the back of her neck vigorously. It seemed that receiving Han Yu-seong’s enthusiasm was no easy task.

“Anyway, seeing you enjoy school life like this makes me happy. If I have time on the day of the festival, I’ll definitely drop by.”

“…You don’t have to, Unnie.”

Rarely, Shin Seo-ha’s face turned red. To shake off her embarrassment, she looked at me and ground her teeth, saying, “If you show up, I’ll kill you.”

‘Shin Seo-ha, I won’t let this slide.’

Thinking that only girls would wear maid costumes at the maid café is a misconception. Comparing Han Yu-seong in a maid costume to anything would be…

It’s like putting a small piece of cloth on a massive muscle-bound pig rather than an actual maid costume. In any case, it’s harmful to the heart.

I wouldn’t have much time to drop by anyway. Moreover, I had already lost 30 Order Points. If I didn’t make up for it somewhere, I would inevitably lose more soon.

“At least everything seems fine.”

“Fine? Unnie, you should clobber this pervert.”

“It was an accident, you know.”

“Pfft.”

At that moment, Seo Geum-bi burst into laughter.

“You two really get along well.”

““In what world?””

“Just look at this.”

Seo Geum-bi nodded contentedly. Although I felt like arguing, seeing Seo Geum-bi so delighted wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

“Well then, we’ll get back to our Disciplinary Committee duties.”

“Yes, Unnie. Take care.”

“What about me?”

“You can drop dead.”

Shin Seo-ha raised her middle finger.

Not to be outdone, I raised mine until she completely disappeared into the classroom.

“I’m glad Seo-ha seems to have made a good friend.”

“How in the world do you see that?”

Seo Geum-bi chuckled softly.

I glanced at her from the corner of my eye, watching her quietly.

‘At least for Seo Geum-bi…’

I want her to enjoy the festival.

In the story, Seo Geum-bi undoubtedly had a better background compared to the other heroines.

A wealthy family and perfect school relationships. Seo Geum-bi grew up loved and admired, excelling in both academics and physical abilities. However, even someone like Seo Geum-bi had her flaws.

“If you have any problems, please let the Disciplinary Committee know. We will do our best to ensure everyone can enjoy the festival without worries.”

That, of course, was selfless dedication.

With great power comes great responsibility, as they say. Seo Geum-bi was the one who understood and practiced this the most in the story. If any unforeseen issues arose, Seo Geum-bi would likely be willing to sacrifice her own enjoyment of the festival.

“Senior.”

I whispered softly to Seo Geum-bi.

“I’ll take care of the remaining patrol.”

“What? No, there’s no need for that—”

“It’s more efficient if we split up. I’ll contact you immediately if anything happens.”

“Hmm…”

After a brief hesitation, Seo Geum-bi nodded.

“Alright. But let me know right away if anything comes up.”

I nodded.

Reducing her patrol time even a little would give her more time to enjoy the festival, which was my goal.

“See you later then.”

“Wait—”

I quickly left before she could say more. There was no time to lose.

[Order Score: 970]

Having unexpectedly lost 30 points, but that could be recovered quickly.

‘Let’s see. At this time, two days before the festival…’

I knew the exact locations and times when every disorderly conduct would occur.

* * *

“Damn, what kind of festival is this?”

One of the pathways leading to the back of the school. Beyond the alley hidden by the wall, a group of male students gathered, grumbling.

“Enforcing communal activities isn’t trendy anymore.”

“Right on, right on.”

The boys chuckled among themselves and pulled cigarettes from their uniform pockets.

“Anyone got a lighter?”

“Hold on, I think I have one.”

One of them rummaged through his pants.

“Ah, found it.”

As one of the boys with the lighter leaned in to light another’s cigarette.

“Hold it right there.”

“Huh?”

A voice came from above the wall.

There sat Seol Ha-baek, squatting atop the wall, looking down at them.

“Violation of school rules for being out of uniform and smoking detected.”

With a whoosh, a foxfire ignited in the air.

“W-who are you?”

“Hold on, isn’t that the guy who—”

“Hold on.”

I cut off one of them mid-sentence and continued speaking.

“I’m with the Disciplinary Committee.”

Seo Geum-bi doesn’t have time to waste on guys like you.

“No time to waste, so let’s get this over with quickly.”

* * *

“Yawwnn.”

I couldn’t help but yawn.

During the festival period, everyone seemed to get worked up, and even in the game, there were many causing trouble during this time.

‘I didn’t sleep well. No, I slept plenty, but my body feels exhausted.’

It was no wonder the Disciplinary Committee members were running ragged. After a day of running around non-stop, by the next day—

“You seem very tired.”

Seo Geum-bi, walking beside me, asked cautiously. Realizing my expression had stiffened, I quickly relaxed my face.

“Preparing for the class event is taking longer than I expected.”

I made an excuse, but it wasn’t a lie. Preemptively dealing with disorderly conduct before it happened kept me busy, but I didn’t plan on telling Seo Geum-bi about it.

I wanted her to enjoy this festival.

“You look pretty tired yourself, Senior.”

Seo Geum-bi looked just as fatigued. I returned the comment to her. The lack of color in her face was almost detrimental to her usual beauty.

“There are a lot of approvals needed for the fireworks at the closing ceremony, and it’s taking longer than expected,” she said, scratching her cheek.

Although she appeared quite tired, there was a hint of joy in her expression.

“But tomorrow, the festival begins. I hope you’ll enjoy it too, Junior.”

Seo Geum-bi smiled radiantly.

I hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Is there something you want to do or see at the festival, Senior?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Seo Geum-bi answered my somewhat leading question.

“Of course, the festival finale, the fireworks.”

She stopped walking and smiled mischievously. It was the first time I realized Seo Geum-bi could have such a wide range of expressions.

“This is my little secret, but if you promise not to laugh, I’ll tell you.”

“I promise.”

When I promised, Seo Geum-bi took a deep breath.

“The truth is, I decided to attend Babel after seeing the fireworks at the Babel Festival. The sight I saw when I was young has stayed with me ever since.”

Seo Geum-bi closed her eyes gently as if recalling a precious memory. I stayed silent, not wanting to interrupt that moment.

“The opening ceremony is modest due to event preparations, but during the closing ceremony, nearly all the students gather for the fireworks. It’s a significant event, so our Disciplinary Committee must prepare thoroughly.”

“Isn’t it frustrating that you don’t get to enjoy the festival as much as others, Senior?”

Seo Geum-bi shrugged at my question.

“It would be a lie to say it isn’t, but that’s not because of my duties with the Disciplinary Committee.”

“Then what’s the reason?”

“You know how most of us third-years are rarely around. The timing isn’t ideal. If we were just one year younger, we could prepare for class events and such, but it’s unfortunate in many ways.”

A bitter smile spread across Seo Geum-bi’s face.

‘I never thought of it from that perspective.’

Seo Geum-bi is in the third year.

From the start, it was impossible for her to fully enjoy the festival she had longed for. Many of her close friends had left, and with fewer people around, organizing class events became impractical.

‘So, even more so…’

Even if it’s in an incomplete form, I just want Seo Geum-bi to enjoy this festival to the fullest.

“You’re not planning to handle the patrol route all by yourself again, are you, Senior?”

I asked half-jokingly, and Seo Geum-bi chuckled.

“Of course not. I’ve arranged the routes so that all patrol members can watch the fireworks, as long as there are no major issues.”

She managed to arrange all those patrol routes by herself. No wonder she was overworked. It’s a miracle she hasn’t collapsed yet.

“I’ll try to visit your class tomorrow if I have some time.”

“You don’t have to—”

“A haunted house, right? Are you dressing up as a ghost too, Junior?”

“That’s a secret.”

Seo Geum-bi nudged me with her elbow.

“Come on, I shared a secret, so you have to share one too.”

“Is that how it works?”

Well, I guess it doesn’t really matter.

I felt a bit hesitant to reveal the event’s specifics… No, actually, I was just embarrassed to death, but if it’s Seo Geum-bi, I suppose it’s fine.

“A maiden… ghost.”

“What?”

Seo Geum-bi blinked.

“What did you say?”

Pretending not to hear, Seo Geum-bi’s face was on the verge of bursting into laughter with puffed-up cheeks. I quickly averted my eyes from her persistent gaze.

“A maiden ghost. They said my gloomy face suited it. It’s all because of Senior So-yeol.”

“Pfft.”

Seo Geum-bi finally burst into laughter. She tried to cover her mouth, thinking it was rude, but it was too late to stop the laughter that had already erupted.

“S-sorry… It’s just that it fits you so well, Junior… Pfft…!”

“Don’t hold back, you can laugh as much as you want…”

Is my face really that gloomy? In truth, I wouldn’t need much makeup; just wearing a white gown would do the trick.

‘Damn it, Jin So-yeol.’

Leaving me with the role of a maiden ghost while she had run off. If it were a male ghost, it wouldn’t be as bad. Thanks to her, I’d now have to go through the trouble of dressing up as a girl while others were doing ghost makeup.

‘But still…’

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Seo Geum-bi’s laughing face. Even though I was being teased, it didn’t feel entirely bad.

‘She looks so good when she’s laughing.’

I might not know how to enjoy the festival myself, but I could at least try to make sure others could.

“I’ll do my best.”

I muttered quietly towards Seo Geum-bi. She wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled brightly.

“I’ll come to see it no matter what.”

“…You really don’t have to.”

However, what I meant was not to come to witness my embarrassing moment.