Chapter 154: Grade Announcement (1)
"You too."
Nam Daeun and I were catching our breath on the training ground. With the magical barrier in the sparring area, we didn\'t have to worry about each other\'s safety.
I thought I\'d gain an advantage by ignoring Nam Daeun\'s safety, but that was a big mistake. She attacked with a determination to win, making it quite a challenge. Plus, she had gotten much stronger since last time.
Getting stronger just through training without sparring partners – is that even reasonable?
"Phew… by the way, did you go see your sister yesterday?"
"I did. And I\'ll probably go again the day after tomorrow."
"Oh, really? You visit her quite often."
"It\'s usually once a week, but I went again as a reward for getting first place… No, that\'s not it. The hospital rules have changed."
"Ah, got it."
Nam Daeun realized her slip of the tongue and blushed slightly. Being a gentleman, I pretended not to notice. Still, it\'s a relief. If she visits her only blood relative frequently, I don\'t have to worry too much about Nam Daeun\'s mental state. After all, she\'s a character who could explode at any moment.
"Right. Thanks for helping me during the special exam last time." I pulled out the wallet I had brought with me.
"Oh, what\'s this?"
"As a thank-you for helping during the exam and sparring. Just take it without feeling burdened."
"This is… um…" Suddenly faced with a generous gift, Nam Daeun seemed flustered. If I keep going like this, she might refuse.
Before Nam Daeun could voice any concerns, I took the initiative and said, "We\'re friends, right? We even spar together. Accept it as a token of my appreciation."
"Is that so…?"
"Yeah. Since we\'re at the point of sparring, we must be quite close. Take it as my sincere gesture."
"Okay… I\'ll have to brag to my sister about this." Nam Daeun smiled faintly and pocketed the wallet.
Phew, now I feel a bit more at ease. It would be painful to carry around a wallet with holes in it. Once the exam results are announced tomorrow, her face will probably light up even more. It would be great if she could make some friends too.
I looked at Nam Daeun, tightly holding the wallet in both hands, and inwardly smiled with warmth.
***
"How about waiting in the room with some sexy outfit? Maybe he\'ll attack me all excited?"
"No, that\'s too obvious."
When Lee Hoyeon went for a sparring session with Nam Daeun, Liliana and Scarlett schemed up a plan in the room to securely nab Lee Hoyeon.
"Hmm… right. Obvious won\'t cut it."
"What if you show a different side than usual to Hoyeon?"
Liliana perked up at Scarlett\'s suggestion. "A different side, you say?"
"Yes. Since Miss Liliana is bright and playful, showing a slightly different side might be good. For example, a serious or considerate side."
"Oh… That\'s not a bad idea… It\'s cool to brainstorm with you, Scout."
"T-Thanks… hemm, aahh…"
Schlop, schlop.
Liliana used her tail to give Scarlett\'s vagina a comforting caress. It was her unique way of saying, \'Nice one.\'
"W-Well, I also have a mission from Hoyeon, so I have to go… The rest, Miss Liliana, you can think about it…"
"Sure. When are you coming tomorrow?"
"Um… I\'ll come after lunch."
Liliana retracted her tail from Scarlett, who blushed as she finally got dressed.
"See ya, Scout. Till tomorrow."
"B-Bye…" Scarlett stuck to the ceiling and swished out.
"She was told not to do that… Changing habits isn\'t easy, huh." After shaking her head, Liliana plopped on the sofa, closed her eyes, and pondered, "A different side… something out of the ordinary…?"
It\'s an idea sparked by Scarlett, but pondering alone makes it a tad tricky. Then she remembered the letter Lee Hoyeon handed her.
A letter that could reach Liliana\'s mom in Hell. That time, Lee Hoyeon was inquiring about the Demon King, and she had left the letter on the desk, forgetting about it for a few days.
"Should I ask Mom?"
Even though Mom didn\'t speak highly of Dad, whenever she dressed up and went out, it seemed like she was meeting someone. Even if that\'s not the case, it feels like Mom knows everything. Apart from nagging when I played games, she\'s a perfect mom.
"Yeah, when in doubt, ask Mom." Liliana grabbed a pen and began drafting a letter to inquire her mother about ways to captivate a man.
***
In the female dormitory of Victoria Academy, Lumi found herself lying on the bed, her head buried in the pillow, contemplating, "Ugh… Am I too much of a pervert? But I really want to…"
She tried sending a message to Lee Hoyeon, but after composing and deleting it several times, she ended up just lying in bed. Then, she turned on her smartwatch again and began crafting a message.
[Me: Hoyeon, are you busy next week? If you have time… I\'d like to have our next secret friend activity at a motel.]
"How… How can I send this…? This is ridiculous…"
During the initial encounters with Lee Hoyeon, they visited a motel twice. However, subsequent intimate moments were confined to restrooms and the clubroom. While acceptable, there were times when Lumi longed for the comfort of a bed.
There\'s no way I\'m sending a message like this, no matter what.
Shaking her head in solitude, she felt a tingling sensation in her lower abdomen, as if her uterus signaled a desire for penetration, making her shiver.
"Ugh… I don\'t know…"
With a mindset of \'embarrassment is fleeting,\' Lumi pressed the send button. In reality, it\'s best to casually ask about his well-being, then tactfully bring up the topic. But Lumi lacked the skill for such conversations, not to mention the knowledge of how to go about it.
At that moment, Lucy emerged from the bathroom, grinned at Lumi, and approached, asking, "Lumi, what are you up to?"
"N-Nothing I just sent a text. You startled me, Lucy." Taken aback by Lucy\'s sudden appearance, Lumi swiftly closed her smartwatch.
"Oh… texting someone?"
"Uh… just with an acquaintance."
"I see~" Lucy casually lay down beside Lumi, deep in thought.
Lumi only has Lee Hoyeon to text. Why hide it from me? With few friends, she has only Lee Hoyeon to comfortably exchange messages with. Why conceal that from me? I don\'t hide anything from her.
Once again, Lucy couldn\'t shake the uneasy feeling.
***
After wrapping up the sparring session with Nam Daeun, I strolled out of the training ground. A quick shower in the training room\'s shower area, and I was back in my clothes. I glanced at my smartwatch and noticed a couple of messages.
[Lumi: Hoyeon, are you busy next week? If you have time… I\'d like to have our next secret friend activity at a motel.]
"Huh? Coming out of nowhere?"
It was a bit unexpected to cut to the chase without any preamble, but hey, not a bad idea. I don\'t have much to lose. I shot back a positive response to Lumi and moved on to the next message.
[Professor Im Sol: Got it. I\'ll help you out however I can. You won\'t face any consequences, so don\'t worry. Min Yeji and Ahyeong agreed to help too.]
"Oh… Professor Im Sol. No, she\'s just… impressive."
Capable women are truly something. Her unwavering assurance was quite reassuring. Although Baek Ahyeong was mentioned as helping, there was no direct message from her.
[Me: Ahyeong, I heard from Professor Im Sol that you\'re on board to help. Thanks. Give me a date that works for you, and I\'ll swing by.]
I figured a visit was in order to assess the situation. Initially, I planned to strategize if she initiated contact first, but the thought of her struggling alone and risking mental instability made me reconsider.
And Min Yeji… I guess meeting her once wouldn\'t hurt. But with no intention of joining the guild, there\'s not much to discuss even if we meet. Maybe I should at least hear the conditions?
Lost in contemplation, I arrived at the dorm.
Ding!
Scarlett seemed to be back already, leaving only Liliana on the sofa.
"I\'m back. What\'s up?"
"Just finished streaming and taking it easy."
"I see. Had dinner?"
"No, I\'m waiting for you."
"Oh, I\'m hungry. How about chicken for dinner?"
Since I settled for a sandwich at lunch, it\'s time for Liliana\'s favorite for dinner.
"No, let\'s go with whatever you fancy. It\'s fine with me."
"?"
What\'s up with this succubus? Why the sudden burst of consideration?
"That\'s not your usual self. Chicken it is for dinner."
"I\'m just being me. I\'ve always been like this."
"…?"
Is she hitting puberty or something?
I laid my hand on her forehead, "No fever…"
"It\'s okay. Let\'s just eat. You can pick the menu."
Earlier, she was all about chicken for dinner, but now, with this change in demeanor, I couldn\'t help but be a bit suspicious. And the lack of reaction when I touched her forehead was a tad peculiar.
★ Heroine Status Window
[Liliana]
[Affection: 93] (+1.2)
[Lust: 92]
[Appetite: 45]
[Fatigue: 35]
Current Status: Today, I should embrace a bold attitude. After all, I\'m a succubus who follows the lead!
"…"
What on earth is she up to?
"Alright, let\'s go for sashimi."
"Ugh…"
Sashimi is Liliana\'s least favorite. Maybe due to the lack of fresh food in hell, she just couldn\'t stomach it.
"Why, don\'t you like it?"
"Oh, no… I love sashimi. Order lots of it!"
Even though she said that, she played along.
"Sure thing, let\'s get some sashimi~."
"Uh, ugh…" Her expression immediately turned glum. I silently chuckled and continued to playfully threaten her with ordering sashimi.
I\'m not sure what\'s going on, but when you provide someone with teasing material, they can\'t resist teasing. Of course, once this act is over, she\'ll probably throw a fit. So, to avoid that, I went ahead and ordered chicken with my hands.