Preparation

The long weekend finally came to an end. With the crazy succubus around, the dorm felt a bit cramped, but honestly, she looked pretty enough to spruce up the place.

Is this what it's like to take care of a bonsai? Or is it something else entirely?

I set up the broadcast equipment that arrived this morning, so the stream should go smoothly. Last night, she also tried playing a game too, and got the hang of it within an hour, flaming the jungler in earnest. So yeah, no worries there.

I completely forgot about the orphanage visit. But I think it's okay to miss it for a week or so. Baek Ahyeong also said she would be going to the dungeon as a helper, so I can just say I had something to do too.

"Hey, how's your weekend?"

"Morning. Yeah, it was alright."

Kim Yeonghan came up to me in the classroom. Since I can't hang out with Lucy and Lumi, he's my only buddy left.

"Still not patched things up with Lucy? I told you, she's got that strong sense of pride, so why not be the bigger person and apologize first?"

"…"

I know this guy too well. But I can't tell him that I'm intentionally keeping my likability low to gain momentum. Ugh…

I glanced over at Lucy, who was sitting in a corner.

★ Heroine Status Window

[Lucy]

[Affection: 17]

[Lust: 10]

[Appetite: 40]

[Fatigue: 20]

The affection stat is dropping at a steady pace, but it's still not enough. I need to bring it down all the way to the bottom and then bring it back up at the end.

[What's going on? Am I misunderstanding something? No, that can't be. That guy must just be crazy…]

That is the state I want her to be in. The development where Lucy, who don't trust me, is betrayed by someone she trusts and then is saved by me again. It's cliche, but it won't feel that way to the person on the receiving end. I've already planned it out.

Lucy didn't even look this way, and Lumi was startled when our eyes met while she's organizing books.

★ Heroine Status Window

[Lumi]

[Affection: 65]

[Lust: 68]

[Appetite: 30]

[Fatigue: 25]

After getting that adorable reaction, I checked Lumi's status window with a little smile.

Strange. Last time, her Lust was slightly lower than her Affection, but now it has surpassed it. Something must have happened. I'll have to poke around later.

I winked at the blinking Lumi and turned my attention forward.

"Well, whatever. I'm sure you've got your own thoughts too."

"Thanks."

Kim Yeonghan understood and didn't pry further.

He's a genuinely good guy. Why does he have to be a blond thug? I'm still curious about the intentions of the game devs.

"The class is about to start. Let's just take our seats."

"Okay."

***

After the dull morning theory class, the afternoon specialized magic class for mages started. The professor in charge was Im Sol. Our relationship had changed quite a bit since her first class, so it felt weird to see her in class.

"Ah… Hello."

Professor Im Sol was sitting at the front of the classroom, casually responding to the greetings of the students. This time, the class was held in the classroom, unlike the previous one.

There were complaints that the repeated training sessions with instructors providing feedback were getting tiresome, so they decided to switch things up.

These brats don't realize how important the feedback from the instructors is. Sigh…

Anyway, it's the situation that Professor Im Sol would hate the most. Her personality seemed to detest anything bothersome or interfering with her way of doing things.

"Nice to see you all. I don't need to introduce myself, right? The academy called me here today specifically to teach a theory class. So, today, I'll explain barrier magic to you."

A thin layer of magical barrier started to form on Professor Im Sol's hand, layer upon layer.

"The barrier needs to be fundamentally efficient. It's only considered a useful skill when it uses less mana than the opponent's spell to block it."

Well, if that's not the case, there's no need to use a barrier; I can just respond with offensive magic.

"The magical barrier activated to block a surprise attack feels a bit different. It's a technique that draws a large amount of mana instantly to block, so the mana consumption is very high."

As the layers of magical barrier on Im Sol's hand merged into one, it transformed into a single protective shield.

"For beginners, this form is the easiest… but I've used various other transformation forms as well."

The teaching assistant distributed papers to each student.

The papers contained various magic circles for the barrier, ranging from beginner to advanced levels. It was surprisingly well-prepared, categorized by difficulty for easy understanding.

The explanations for the magic circles and formulas were detailed enough for even beginners to comprehend.

I saw the professor again. She's really putting a lot of effort into preparing for the class I thought. But when I noticed the dark circles under the teaching assistant's eyes as she handed out the prints, I changed my mind.

Yeah, there's no way she would do that.

"Looks like you've all glanced through it. Shall we practice then? Oh, wait. It's the same as the practical class, isn't it? We can't do this twice."

I continued to focus on the magic circles drawn on the printout. The basic barrier that Im Sol had shown.

As I looked at the magic circle on the printout, I thought about how the layers of magical barriers piled up to form a solid barrier.

I imagined the sound of layers stacking together, creating a sturdy barrier. The high mana manipulation from my Mana Sensitivity turned my imagination into reality.

The flowing mana from my hand effortlessly turned into a thin barrier and gradually transformed into a solid barrier.

"Easy."

The vivid blue mana and thick layers of magical barrier showed the sturdiness of the barrier. I moved beyond the intermediate level to examine the advanced magic circle.

Advanced barriers weren't simply about stacking thin layers. The mana needed to be drawn thinly and manifested in a double spiral structure, which was then intricately woven like a fabric.

It looks like more challenging than just stacking layers of magical barriers.

I could probably replicate the structure using Mana Sensitivity, but I had a feeling that even with the double spiral formation, it wouldn't function as a proper barrier.

"Um, there seems to be someone decent here. You, what was your name? Lumi, right? Care to give it a try?"

Professor Im Sol looked at me, briefly avoiding eye contact, and called out Lumi's name. Even after witnessing my barrier, it seemed like she wanted to keep my talents hidden.

"Yes, sure!"

Lumi seemed flustered by the sudden call and nervously bit her tongue, showing a worried expression.

"I took a glance around, and it seems like you're the best at this, so show the others."

"Oh, okay!"

Lumi looked around nervously and then drew the mana of the double spiral from her hand.

What's this? She pretended to be weak, but she managed to produce an advanced barrier.

Lumi managed to complete the barrier somehow, and Professor Im Sol also evaluated it positively.

"Now, I get it."

To use the barrier effectively, the determination imbued in the mana was crucial. Since the barrier was created to block the opponent's attack, imagining it as solid, sturdy, and impenetrable helped draw the mana more efficiently.

"Well done. You can go back to your seat."

Lumi returned to her place with a flustered expression.

"Well done, Lumi~! You're the best, as always."

"Hehe. Thanks, Lucy."

I could hear Lucy and Lumi chatting from behind. I glanced back, and Lucy's face looked bright.

It's about time she comes to me.

***

After the class was over, Lucy and Lumi were hanging out with their classmates, chatting away.

"Phew~ That was tough. Barrier magic just doesn't seem to be my thing. No matter how much I try, I can't seem to get it right."

"Yeah, maybe Lumi's just got a special way with barriers? Isn't she like the top student in our grade when it comes to it?"

Lucy's best friend, Ji-eun, chimed in with a smile.

"Of course! Our Lumi is amazing! Did you see her pull off that double spiral in class?"

"Hey, come on, Lucy!"

Lumi blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed by all the praise from Lucy and Ji-eun.

"Oh, why not? It's true!"

"Hey, everyone! What's up?"

"Oh, Felix, you're done with class too?"

"Yeah, just finished."

Felix had become quite close to Lucy, and they even kept in touch on the weekends.

"Hey there, Felix!"

"Yeah, hi, Ji-eun!"

"Perfect timing! We were planning to go to a café. Wanna join us? Lumi, you're coming too, right?"

"Uh, um, sure. Let's go."

Lumi still felt a bit awkward around Felix, but she went along with the flow, especially since Lucy seemed happy about it.

"Wait a sec. Felix, I heard you got dragged away by Lee Hoyeon. Friday was it? Are you okay?"

Ji-eun, who loved a good rumor, asked Felix while playfully covering her mouth.

"Oh, it's not like that. Don't worry about it."

"Wait, what? Why did Hoyeon take you away?"

The mention of Lee Hoyeon got a sensitive reaction from Lucy.

"Nah, it's not what you think. It's really no big deal, Lucy."

"If so, then why did it happen?"

"Hmm…"

Felix pondered how to explain it to Lucy. They had become quite close, and depending on how he told her now, it might shape her image of Hoyeon.

The decision was brief.

Although they agreed to cooperate, but Felix could always change his mind. In the end, he decided there was no need to praise another guy in front of her.

"Tell me the truth. What happened?"

Felix sighed heavily, as if he really didn't want to talk, and shivered like a frightened puppy.

"To be honest… I was threatened that he'd kill me if I approached you and Lumi."

"What, what did you say?"

"That can't be true! Hoyeon would never do such a thing!"

Lumi protested, but Felix's acting skills were pretty impressive, even among demons.

"But it is true. Right after class, he found me in my class and forcibly took me somewhere secluded. That's where he warned me not to get close to you both… and not to covet what belongs to him."

"That, that guy is crazy!"

"Lucy, calm down. Don't get too worked up! We can't be sure if it's all true!"

"How can you be so calm now?!"

It was a setting that Lucy, the heroine of Sex Academy, couldn't escape from. With her strong pride, she never apologizes first after a fight, and she always looks for the other person's flaws to make herself seem right.

The reason Felix had gotten close to Lucy so quickly was partly due to his magic, but it was also because of Lucy's subconscious defense mechanism to support Felix's denial of Lee Hoyeon and deny him herself.

Of course, after the incident with Felix, it became a turning point for Lucy to grow and mature, but she wasn't quite there yet.

"It's alright. I'm not worried about that. As long as you two are with me, I'm good."

"No, it's not okay. I'm going to find him and give him a warning myself."

"What? No, you don't have to…."

"No. I've gotta do it."

Lucy abandoned the café plan and quickly dashed off with her bag in hand.

"…."

Felix regretted saying anything unnecessary, but Lucy was already running off into the distance.

***

"Hmm…"

After stopping by the dormitory and checking on Liliana, I was on my way to the training ground.

I think I can take the barrier I learned earlier to the next level. If I add my own twist to the advanced barrier magic, I can turn it into a powerful skill.

"Ah~ Subscribe and like. Don't forget to turn on notifications~"

"Hey! Hoyeon!"

Feeling good and reacting to my thoughts, I was walking when I heard someone calling my name.

Finally, she's here. I knew Lucy would come looking for me. I had a hunch she'd show up over the weekend or, at the latest, on Monday. Looks like she just got wind of it.

She didn't happen to overhear me saying, "Subscribe and like~," did she?

"What did you talk about with Felix on Friday?"

Thankfully, things are going as I planned. Now all I need to do is set the stage.

"Why do you care what I do? We didn't talk about anything special."

"It's your last chance. Tell me the truth."

She seems quite upset.

★ Heroine Status Window

[Lucy]

[Affection: 9]

[Lust: 15]

[Appetite: 25]

[Fatigue: 35]

Her affection has dropped to a single digit. She must have heard some nasty remarks from Felix.

I pretended to be annoyed as I spoke, "I told him not to approach you and Lumi. Why?"

"Why? Who the hell gave you the right to do that?"

I can't say he's a demon, can I? It's so frustrating that I can't say it.

"I did it all for your sake…"

"If it was for my sake, you shouldn't have done that to Felix from the beginning!"

Lucy's anger is reaching its peak. If I continue arguing here, it won't lead to anything. I need to be a bit more conciliatory.

"Lucy, do you trust Felix?"

"Of course. Felix is my friend."

I asked cautiously, and Lucy replied with confidence.

"Then, do you have any evidence for whatever rumors you heard?"

"Evidence… I don't have any, but you definitely dragged him out!"

"You believe everything Felix says, but why don't you believe me? Don't you find that strange?"

"That's because Felix… ugh."

The strong pride of Lucy and Felix's insinuations combined to create an abnormal state of mind in Lucy. Even with just a slight touch, she would realize that something was off with her mental state, but I won't let it go that easily.

Lucy has this "setting" where she loses control of her emotions and goes ballistic when she's angry.

A setting that forces her to remain the heroine, no matter what. A setting that makes her resistance to magic plummet when she's really angry.

"Ligard de Enu."

Mana spreading out from under my feet transformed into a spell and entered Lucy's toes.

Hatred Gaze. It's a magic that makes the person loathe the first opposite sex they see.

"Lucy, everything I did was for your sake. Think again…"

I tried talking to the spellbound Lucy and slowly reached out my hand.

"Get lost!"

Whack!

Lucy swatted my hand away and shot me a vicious glare.

"I know it all. That you're targeting both me and Lumi, and that you tried to threaten Felix to kill him! I won't be fooled by men anymore. I won't fall for it!"

"Lucy…"

The magic has taken effect properly. Unless she receives a strong mental shock or I undo it, the spell will continue to work.

"It's a relief to cut off any connection with trash like you. Never show up in front of me again."

Lucy spat out harsh insults and pushed me away before storming off.

"Lucy! Just understand this much. I always thought of you and Lumi as good friends, and that hasn't changed!"

"Fuck off!"

Lucy cursed under her breath fiercely and vanished from sight. Once she was completely gone, I let out a sigh of relief.

"Phew, what kind of magic is this? It's freaking scary."

It should be called the the gaze of resentment instead!

"Well, at least it worked out well."

Felix will betray her. When that happens, I'm sure she'll turn to me first. I even made it seem like I was genuinely sending her goodwill, so now all I have to do is wait for the harvest.