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I got into school for nothing - 120

I got into school for nothing (120)

Lesson 25. Growing Apart, Growing Fond - 1

Club activities had concluded.

Ban Yuwon unceremoniously dismissed all the special admissions seniors, led by the persistent Stonemason senior who clung to him, begging for weapons, and those who desperately tried to appear on Tikke's camera any longer.

Since they had to enter the Tower again tomorrow, he wanted to ensure they had ample rest.

And the same went for Ban Yuwon's party.

"Oh, now that I think about it, As Light isn't here."

"He left with the Ice Princess... Aire, earlier."

Mira replied from beside Ban Yuwon, who had just realized As Light's absence and tilted his head in confusion.

What was he thinking?

"Are you jealous?"

"Me? Of whom?"

Ban Yuwon tilted his head at the unexpected question.

He felt Mira's violet eyes quickly scan his face from top to bottom.

"Of As Light. The Ice Princess... aren't you interested?"

"What? Oh, so you're asking if I'm jealous... *pffft*."

Understanding her intention, Ban Yuwon burst out laughing.

He found Mira adorable, blinking unnaturally, pretending not to care, and subtly observing his reaction.

Who exactly was jealous right now?

"Yuwon, don't laugh, just answer."

"No, but you're just too cute, ouch!"

Mira discreetly poked Ban Yuwon in the back.

"Why am I getting hit? Just because you're cute, ouch!"

"Sh-Shut up. Just answer me."

"Ahem."

Just then, a clearing of a throat sounded directly in front of the two, who had been whispering.

Dokgo Yeon stood there, her expression icy, as if she might draw her sword and swing it at any moment.

"Ah, Dokgo Yeon. You worked hard."

"I merely oversaw their sword training once or twice."

In a way, Dokgo Yeon had been even more dismissive of the special admissions students from lower-rank dimensions than those from higher dimensions.

She was a person who originally placed great importance on one's mindset, and the attitude of the special admissions students had been worse than terrible, so there was no need to say more, was there?

Still, Ban Yuwon had taken them in, provided them with talismans, set up training rooms, and gave students with easily understandable unique abilities like Kshana opportunities to develop further. Thanks to this, their atmosphere had gradually brightened, and they had adopted a more proactive attitude.

'And today.'

As it happened, word had spread that Ban Yuwon had been able to awaken his Or thanks to Dokgo Yeon's personal sword instruction. The special admissions students had swarmed Dokgo Yeon.

Dokgo Yeon, with her usual personality, would have ruthlessly brushed them off... but perhaps seeing their changing attitudes had made an impression on her, as she surprisingly sparred with each and every one of them.

Even Woohyeolrin, who had once overpowered Ban Yuwon, was no match for Dokgo Yeon.

In fact, he was the most thoroughly beaten, though Ban Yuwon couldn't for the life of him understand why Dokgo Yeon had beaten Woohyeolrin so mercilessly.

"Ev-Everyone worked hard..."

Woohyeolrin, who usually came to thank Ban Yuwon, saying how grateful he was today, was now so sore and exhausted from Dokgo Yeon's beating that he uttered a single word before slowly fading out of sight.

It was a little heartbreaking to see him turn towards Ban Yuwon and weakly nod his head before leaving.

Why did that person truly...

"More importantly, are we starting now? The promotional video shoot?"

"Yes. Just Yuwon and I are needed, so you all should rest."

"Tomorrow is the day we enter the Tower. Do not torment him for too long."

"Okay."

Even at Dokgo Yeon's chilling voice, Mira didn't seem to shrink back and simply nodded.

"I know what you're worried about, but don't worry. We haven't gone that far yet."

"Gone where? We're just shooting a promotional video."

"Hmm..."

Dokgo Yeon's eyebrows twitched at Mira's intentional use of provocative words that could be easily misunderstood.

Of course, Dokgo Yeon, who disdained romantic relationships, might not be too fond of Mira so openly displaying her desires...

It was then.

"Yuwon."

Rucell, who had approached Dokgo Yeon's side at some point, spoke to him.

Despite likely having heard Mira's words just now, her expression was quite serene.

"I hope it's a good change of pace. But next time, will you play with me?"

"I told you it's not playing. ...But alright, I understand."

"Hehe, thank you. Then, see you tomorrow."

Rucell stretched out both her hands, gently squeezed Ban Yuwon's, and gave them a loving shake a couple of times.

After that, she gave Mira a quick nod and left first.

Mira blinked, her expression contorting into a frown, feeling as though the two had just flaunted their strong bond right in front of her.

"She's tougher than she looks."

"Ah, anyway, let's not be late."

Dokgo Yeon, perhaps feeling a similar sentiment, spoke in a somewhat deflated voice before taking her leave.

Mira pouted her lips unnecessarily and pulled him along.

"Let's go. I'll show you to the Student Council office."

"What about Ketra senior?"

"He's not here. I got rid of him."

"Let's not use such scary words."

He had just been to the Student Council office a short while ago to negotiate with the Student Council President.

It was located in the main building of the academy. Though it appeared small from the outside, it was enchanted with space-expansion magic, providing ample room for the Student Council President's office and for each executive to work.

"Kya-haha! You're here? I thought you wouldn't start filming until next week!"

"What is this? A camera?"

"Oh, oh, oh! The famous camera artifact! ...President, what was I supposed to say next?"

"It's even more delightful to see you like this, Ban Yuwon."

As soon as they entered the Student Council office, the Student Council President, who leaped up from the sofa as if she had been waiting, along with Graham, whom he had seen several times, and other Student Council executives, greeted them warmly.

Ban Yuwon snorted and said,

"It's obvious you all knew and were waiting, so you can stop the act now."

"Why say something so hurtful? I've learned it too. For videos like these, natural acting is important so the viewers don't notice."

The Student Council President cackled, waving her demon tail, which sprouted from behind her hips, in the air.

She still didn't realize, did she? That a "first meeting" act, done after everyone already knew, was what truly worked!

Ban Yuwon put Tikke, the filming担当, forward and declared in a stern voice,

"Anyway, filming has already started, and there are no retakes. We're shooting it once and uploading it as is after editing, so everyone speak carefully."

"Then I'll go first. I will never let go of this opportunity, which I secured by sacrificing the Vice President!"

It was an astral scene where the Student Council President boldly declared she had sacrificed the Vice President.

Furthermore, the atmosphere turned strange when she, after making such a bombshell statement, immediately grabbed Tikke and charged into the President's office.

Only Graham had some idea of what had transpired between Ban Yuwon, Mira, and Ketra, so the other two in the Student Council office were tilting their heads in confusion at her words.

"I was wondering why the Vice President was missing from a Student Council promotional event. Did something happen? Now that I think about it, Mira seems to have been keeping a unique distance from the Vice President lately."

"Huh? Wasn't that a push-and-pull strategy because pushing wasn't working?"

The impressions of the two Student Council executives Ban Yuwon was meeting for the first time were strikingly different.

One was a smart-looking man wearing a monocle, and the other was an energetic-looking woman with attractive bronze skin, as if she had a tan.

Mira introduced them.

"The man is the Treasurer, third year. The woman is the Head of External Affairs, fourth year."

"Alright, I can tell you're very casual with titles. And they perfectly match their images."

"There are a few more below them, but with these two, all the important executives are gathered."

With those words, Mira took half a step back.

It was a signal for them to introduce themselves.

"Uh, um. Nice to meet you, junior Ban Yuwon. I'm Begun, Begun Delawalker. I'd appreciate it if you'd call me by my first name. I've always wanted to meet you... but are you two dating?"

"I'm Rika, call me Sister Rika! But what is this, Mira, did you really switch to this pretty boy?!"

He knew this would happen.

There was no way they could simply exchange greetings in this situation.

And don't call him a pretty boy.

"I'm Ban Yuwon, first year. Please take care of me, seniors."

"You'll see a lot of each other from now on. Treat him like you would me."

Mira slyly added.

It was a sentence that made the two understand instantly, without needing to explain what had happened with Ketra.

"Somewhat... unbelievable. Is fairy love originally like this?"

"Wow, it actually happened? Wow..."

Begun and Rika still wore disbelieving expressions.

But the next moment, after seeing Mira's faint smile, both of their movements clearly became awkward, and they let out forced coughs and chuckles.

"From the moment I first saw you, I thought you two looked great together, absolutely!"

"Me too! Besides, this isn't something outsiders should meddle in!"

Ban Yuwon looked at Mira with a serious expression, but by then, Mira had already put on a prim face and was feigning ignorance.

Graham, the only one observing the situation, wore an exasperated expression.

"I'm done! Next up... Treasurer! I choose you!"

"Understood. This is an excellent opportunity to widely publicize how transparently the Student Council's ledgers are recorded."

Begun, who had pushed up the monocle perched on the tip of his nose, stood up, scooped up Tikke, and fled.

It was one thing for him to run away, scared of Mira... but Ban Yuwon tilted his head, puzzled by how familiar he seemed with starting the filming.

"How on earth did you practice?"

"Yuwon, do you think this is our first attempt at filming?"

"Ah, this friend probably doesn't know. Our countless projects to try and change the academy."

Rika, the Head of External Affairs, shrugged her shoulders and spoke as if boasting of an achievement, but Ban Yuwon saw through the essence.

"Judging by 'countless projects,' it seems they all failed."

"Kya-hahahahaha!"

His cutting remark made the President burst into laughter, then instantly turn serious and say,

"Junior, don't you think we should avoid a mindset that only values results?"

"I don't know of any place that values results more than the academy we currently attend."

Normally, within the academy, ordinary cameras cannot be used due to the strong influence of the Tower.

However, Campanella, a professor in the Artifact Production Department, had tirelessly researched and developed to overcome this...

And eventually succeeded in creating a camera capable of filming and storing videos for a maximum of 5 minutes within the academy!

"Of course, once it runs, it inevitably breaks, so we had to prepare a lot of cameras and film videos in 5-minute segments!"

"What a huge waste of money..."

Anyway, upon learning of this, the Student Council members, with Campanella's assistance, created the Union Academy Student Council channel on UniTube.

They thought starting with the intranet might have been better, but they believed gaining recognition externally would be a better choice for the future than trying to change the already entrenched internal atmosphere.

And it failed.

"Huh?"

"It failed, miserably."

Rika, the Head of External Affairs, sighed and elaborated on the President's overly concise statement.

"We didn't get any attention at all. It was so bad we even considered having Mira strip."

"If you want to strip, Rika, you strip."

Mira replied angrily.

However, Rika made a very sad face upon hearing that, and the President silently patted her shoulder.

He couldn't say anything, but Ban Yuwon fully understood her feelings.

As Mira tilted her head at the strange situation, Rika hastily brought the topic back to its original course.

"Ah, anyway! Even if Union Academy is a place that garners attention from all dimensions, we weren't really showing the Tower properly. We just filmed and uploaded videos showcasing the Student Council's activities. Of course, our members are all handsome and beautiful, but...? Frankly speaking, if you only consider that, UniTube has tons of good-looking people."

"Now that you mention it, that's incredibly obvious."

Ban Yuwon had once thought that Rebellion's rapid channel growth was due to its members being attractive, but that was only because its core content was solid.

On UniTube, where countless dimensional beings paid attention, looks were merely a bonus factor; they couldn't be the decisive blow!

"It was just boring. Unlike Rebellion's videos."

"Ugh. We worked so hard on the script."

Rika weakly agreed with Mira's merciless words.

Ban Yuwon nodded, thinking that the Rebellion channel had only truly started gaining attention once they began exploring the Tower. Just then, the President's words flew in from next to him.

"But Rebellion is different, isn't it? The videos aren't particularly special, so why are they so entertaining? Before I know it, I've watched them all."

"Oh, actually, me too."

"There were many very captivating videos."

"I agree. Head of External Affairs, your turn."

"Okay~."

When the Treasurer returned and handed over Tikke, Rika took it as if she had been waiting, stood up, and enthusiastically began filming.

Ban Yuwon caught on at that point.

"So that's why it's boring, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're all just reciting memorized scripts, aren't you? You were told to promote the Student Council, and you're literally only doing that."

Let it be said again, Ban Yuwon was the darling of modern media society.

Born and raised on Earth, where media was overwhelmingly more developed than in countless other dimensions, and having mastered the Authority of Language, he possessed the talent to produce and edit videos on UniTube that were on par with the best, even among the attention-seekers from all dimensions.

It wasn't just because he climbed the Tower; the Rebellion channel had grown so rapidly precisely because he had the knack for 'dressing up' and 'delivering' even simple videos of people gathering and chatting in an entertaining way.

"You have to dress it up. Make the Student Council look appealing so that prospective students who might enroll in this academy later will trust and want to rely on the Student Council. That's the purpose of filming, isn't it?"

"Ahem, that's right..."

"Junior... you say impressive things."

"Hehe, it's too late to fall for me now."

Mira lightly chuckled, clinging to one of Ban Yuwon's arms.

He knew the President had no such feelings for him, but considering her earlier question and Mira's adorable attempt to act nonchalant while observing her surroundings, he decided to let her be.

"But what can we do, junior? We've already filmed everything."

"I said there would be no retakes, didn't I?"

"You did."

"That was a lie."

"Kya-hahahahahaha!"

In the end, Ban Yuwon refilmed the video from the point they entered the Student Council office.

The first Union Academy Student Council promotional video, a collaboration between Tikke, the master director who perfectly embodied Earth's sensibilities, and Ban Yuwon, the producer who wielded the Babylonia Code, particularly emphasized the strong and mysterious aspects of the executives, led by the Student Council President (Ban Yuwon used his photon magic, which he certainly hadn't learned for this purpose, to create lighting effects, and even somewhat employed Eve's illusions). Explanations about less important Student Council duties were organized in a dialogue format between Ban Yuwon and Mira.

Upon reviewing the result, the Student Council President was extremely satisfied and readily offered to grant Ban Yuwon any wish. As Ban Yuwon had something he wanted to do with her, he reserved his reward, asking for her time later.

* * *

"So, what's the verdict?"

Mira said as they walked down the hallway together after leaving the Student Council office, the filming complete.

Ban Yuwon tilted his head, retorting,

"Verdict on what? I already explained what I want to do with the President."

"Yes, that's amazing in its own way, but... I'm not talking about that."

Mira's cheeks flushed.

"A-About the Ice Princess, I mean."

"You were still thinking about that?!"

"You didn't answer earlier."

Mira replied nonchalantly, but it was clear she was embarrassed just by looking at her twitching ears.

'Is this how the fairy race typically expresses emotions with their ears?' Ban Yuwon wondered as he spoke.

"Aire and I are just friends. There was no occasion for us to fall for each other."

"R-Right, occasion. Occasion... Hmm, hmmm."

For some reason, Mira's mood improved dramatically at that moment.

Ban Yuwon noticed it but pretended not to.

"Besides, you already have an idea of As Light's true identity, don't you? Even if I did like Aire, there's no way I'd be jealous of As Light."

"Love isn't limited to a fixed form, is it?"

"No, you're absolutely right. My apologies."

"Anyway, if it's not the case, then it's fine. I was just a little worried."

"Worried?"

Mira nodded.

"Pink and Dokgo Yeon, and for that matter, Professor Yumina and As Light too. They're all members of Rebellion, and it's like you have this strangely stable relationship with them... it's hard to squeeze into that."

So she decided to accept that form as it was, Mira said.

Ban Yuwon thought it was a wise decision.

Her first impression had been so intense that it was easy to think she had an unruly personality, but she surprisingly adhered to certain boundaries.

"But the Princess... Aire isn't like that. Yet, she acts strangely intimately with you."

"Ah- yes, you don't have to finish. I understand."

Unlike the Rebellion members, she was an individual Mira felt no need to concede to.

"But there's nothing, right?"

Perhaps relieved, she bit back a smile and wrapped both her arms around Ban Yuwon's arm.

"Then, excluding Rebellion, I'm the first."

"Do you remember the contract?"

"Of course. That's why I'm doing this. I gave you everything, so I'm empty now."

"That's why I want to be refilled—."

Mira added in a murmuring voice, smiling seductively.

With what? There was no need to ask such a trite question.

That had been decided the moment the contract was made.

This is why one had to be careful with contracts, Ban Yuwon thought again, feeling the soft sensation of her body against his arm.