Chapter 23

Chapter 23

I Became the Academy Mafia, Chapter 23“Was the Academy’s food always this delicious? I feel like I ate until I was about to burst!”

On the way out after finishing our meal at the cafeteria.

Kim Se-ah smiled brightly while rubbing her stomach in satisfaction.

“You’re going to keep eating this food from now on anyway, so why were you eating like your life depended on it?”

Jin-woo grinned at the sight and teased Se-ah. At that, Se-ah shot Jin-woo a glare.

“You’re the one who only ate cake because you said you had to eat dessert to get your money’s worth!”

“It tastes the best, what do you want me to do!”

The two suddenly began bickering.

Maybe because they had followed me around and gone through all kinds of things today, it seemed they had become close rather quickly, which was a relief.

“President, just like you said, I uploaded the ‘Fund Investment Club’s’ ledger to the school community. They’re already going crazy, saying they’ll sue them or kill them and everything.”

Young-je chuckled as he reported on the things I had asked him to do before the spar.

“I asked some kids from other classes while we were eating, and apparently all the freshmen who were supposed to join today canceled their applications too. The mood over there is... you know without me saying it, right?”

“Of course.”

Even without him saying it, I could roughly imagine.

At this rate, not only would the ‘Fund Investment Club’ have to pay enormous compensation, but it would also be branded from then on as a club with a history of embezzling investors’ money.

And the club members who couldn’t endure those gazes would begin leaving one by one, until eventually the club president alone would undoubtedly be left to shoulder all responsibility.

In other words, the ‘Fund Investment Club’ was practically finished.

“I never thought it would actually be possible to make a Gold Club collapse in a single day. Where the hell did you get the corruption ledger?”

In a way, it was a natural question.

The thing that had played the largest role in this incident was the ‘ledger’ containing evidence of their corruption.

“Connections.”

“Connections?”

“Yeah, it wasn’t difficult.”

Dirty money inevitably made its way into the back alleys to be laundered.

And in that process, passing through our Calione was unavoidable.

“But, Glasses. Why did you suddenly start calling me President?”

“...

I told you, it’s Young-je. Anyway, that’s what you were curious about?”

When I nodded at his question, he answered as though it were nothing special.

“Because I knew it was definitely going to work.”

“Hmm?”

“After hearing your plan, I became convinced the club would definitely be created. At this rate, you’ll soon become the club president anyway, so I decided to call you President in advance.”

“...

Is that so.”

In other words, it meant he trusted me completely. At Young-je’s attitude, the corners of my mouth rose without me realizing it.

“Well, President doesn’t sound bad either.”

I turned and began walking somewhere else, and Young-je’s voice came from behind me.

“President. The classroom is that way.”

“I have somewhere to stop by.”

“Somewhere to stop by? Ah.”

Young-je soon realized that the direction I was walking was toward the club building and nodded.

“You’re pretty busy too, President.”

“I’ll have to get used to it.”

Leaving the three of them gradually farther behind, I arrived at the club building and immediately headed to the ‘International Trade Club’ on the fourth floor where Lee Haru was.

This time, the employees bowed toward me when I arrived at the club room without any obstruction.

“Is the president inside?”

When I asked the bowing employees, one of them answered.

“The president is eating inside. She told us in advance to guide you in immediately if Han Eugene came, so it should be fine for you to enter now.”

Apparently, she had expected me to come during lunch.

Guided by the employee, I entered the president’s office and saw Lee Haru sitting at her desk, eating a sandwich while diligently approving documents.

“You seem quite busy.”

As I closed the door and approached Lee Haru, who had been chewing on her sandwich, she carefully swallowed before speaking.

“Yes, I received information before lunch that a large number of clubs contracted with the ‘Fund Investment Club’ had withdrawn, so I apologize for being unable to greet you properly. I will finish as quickly as possible.”

“There’s no need to rush.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

She briefly bowed her head toward me, then once again began diligently chewing her sandwich while examining the documents.

Her eyes examined the contents of the documents without the slightest wavering, while her pale cheeks, puffed full, moved ceaselessly.

As I blankly watched her work, it wasn’t long before she swallowed the last bite of sandwich she had put in her mouth and stood from her seat.

“Whew. I apologize for making you wait so long.”

“Hmm? You finished faster than I expected.”

“Thanks to your consideration.”

Lee Haru thanked me and politely sat across from me.

As I crossed my legs and sat quietly, Lee Haru unfolded the paper in her hand and began speaking.

“Currently, the documents we submitted against the ‘Fund Investment Club’ are undergoing review by the Student Council. It seems there are also other clubs targeting the already severely weakened ‘Fund Investment Club,’ but since we have already applied for a Club War, there should be no chance of another club taking them from us.”

“So that effectively means their downfall.”

“Exactly. According to plan, the Club War will be declared within today, and at the same time, the ‘Fund Investment Club’ will acknowledge defeat and be absorbed into our side.”

So the situation was practically already over.

“Good work.”

“Praise is too much for me. I merely placed a spoon on the table you had already prepared, Young Master.”

Lee Haru said that with her usual modest attitude and lowered her head deeply.

Then an awkward silence flowed.

“Then... what do you think about the offer I made?”

I cautiously brought up the reason I had come to see Lee Haru now, something that had been a little awkward to mention immediately.

At that, Lee Haru turned her eyes away from the documents and toward me.

“You mean the confession you made earlier today.”

“...

You’re still continuing that joke from earlier?”

“Recently, the other club members told me I should try making jokes from time to time.”

Even so.

For me, every one of these jokes was practically fatal.

Really... I was glad I had [Trait: Hitman]

.

“It might be good for you to make jokes occasionally as well, Young Master. There are research results stating that an emotionless leader has difficulty earning the trust of their companions.”

There are research results like that...?

“Where the hell are they researching something like that?

“The Seoul Hero Academy Psychology Club.”

“...

Then it may be worth taking into consideration.”

If it was research from a club filled with those crazy bastards, then it was probably true.

It seemed worth keeping in mind.

“So, why do you keep changing the subject instead of answering my question?”

At my question, Lee Haru’s body suddenly froze.

Her pupils abruptly began trembling severely. The paper in her hand had already started making a faint rustling sound.

“Th-that is...

because.”

“Hmm?”

Her voice was so quiet that I hadn’t heard properly.

Realizing that I hadn’t heard her, she lowered her head deeply.

Then, a voice slightly louder than before reached me.

“Isn’t it embarrassing... Asking me to answer after telling me to become yours...”

“What?”

At Lee Haru’s completely unexpected reaction, my body flinched.

Then her body began trembling. When she raised her head, her eyes were narrowed and she was covering her mouth with one hand, apparently holding back laughter.

“This is also a joke.”

“...

If you keep this up, you’re really going to scare me to death.”

“I’m glad this joke seems to have worked at least a little.”

Unlike when I first saw her, it felt strange seeing her smile so often.

Had she ever shown this many different expressions in the game? I was sure she had always been the kind of character who received customers with an expressionless face...

“Young Master?”

Who would ever think this was that Lee Haru if they saw her like this?

A smile naturally appeared on my face. At that, Lee Haru suddenly whipped her head away.

“Hmm? What is it?”

“...

So you know how to make jokes too, Young Master.”

“A joke?”

“...

It’s nothing.”

What’s with her all of a sudden.

Did I make some kind of mistake? While I was wondering how I should react.

“Then, I will now give you my answer to what you asked, Young Master.”

Perhaps because we had returned to the main subject.

Lee Haru’s expression became businesslike once again as she stood from her seat and knelt on one knee before me.

“Lee Haru of the Inomiya Group. In the past, and even now, I swear loyalty to Calione.”

However, she continued.

“Now, I wish to offer my loyalty solely to the eldest son and sole successor of Calione standing before me. Young Master Eugene Han Calione. Would you please accept it?”

A formal declaration of Famiglia.

There was no need for words in response to her loyalty. I simply had to quietly extend my hand.

Feeling my hand approach within reach, Lee Haru quietly kissed the ‘Successor’s Ring’ Father had given me.

“Lee Haru, your enemy shall become my enemy. Those who seek to harm you shall be erased by my hand.”

And the price for standing with me was not especially great.

“You merely need to build a new friendship with me. What do you think? Isn’t that far too favorable a condition for the price?”

After I finished speaking, she slowly raised her head and looked at my face.

“You really have gotten a little better at making jokes.”

“Then that’s fortunate.”

“As you said, Young Master, both I and the ‘International Trade Club’ will stand with you.”

When I turned my extended hand over and showed my palm, she naturally took it and rose from her seat.

Then she turned her head and briefly checked the current time.

“It seems we have a little time left. Would you care for some tea?”

“Tea...”

There was still quite a bit of time before general education began.

Just as I was finally about to relax a little and have a simple conversation with Lee Haru, an icon shaped like an envelope appeared in one corner of my vision and began blinking.

“Young Master?”

“One moment.”

When I thought about opening the envelope floating in the corner of my vision, the contents of a message appeared before my eyes.[Instructor Ji Su-hyeon: Club review finished. Come to the faculty room right now.]

How long had it even been since she said she was going to the Student Council, and the result was already out?

I had that question, but Ji Su-hyeon wasn’t the kind of person who would joke about something like this.

“Sorry, but let’s have tea another time. Something urgent came up.”

“Something urgent...?”

For a moment, I thought I saw her eyes tremble.

“Then I suppose we have no choice but to postpone it. Our ‘International Trade Club’ will always await your visit, Young Master.”

As I stood from my seat, Lee Haru bowed toward me. Leaving her behind, I quickly headed toward the Academy’s main building where the faculty room was located.

“What the hell did she do at the Student Council for the review result to come out this quickly?”

Somehow, I began to have an ominous feeling.