Why Is Everyone in This Dating Sim Trying to Kill Me?!

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Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: The Embattled Director (3)

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I walked down the long corridor, checking the articles that had gone up on my phone.

"Damn… This whole situation turned out much better than I initially thought it would, didn't it?"

The reactions were quite different from the articles that exploded in the original story.

The sudden gate explosions across South Korea.

The unexpected demon invasion during the mid-term evaluation.

Since two major incidents had erupted simultaneously, public opinion and the media should have been in chaos at this time.

With some praising the Ma-je as a hero who made a ruthless decision to prioritize civilian rescue, and a mudslinging battle between them and comments demanding accountability for abandoning students to the demons.

Regardless, since the students' deaths were indeed deaths, an atmosphere was created where the long-standing prestige of Velvet Academy could be severely shaken.

However, currently.

No students had died, and thanks to the video Sophia had recorded, the demons were also incorporated as an element of the mid-term evaluation.

While there were occasional remarks about it being too harsh a test for young students, the majority of comments praised it, saying that it showed the class of Velvet Hunter Academy.

"It must be Shin Se-hee's work, I suppose?"

I had only planned things enough to ensure the Academy wouldn't be shaken, but with Shin Se-hee's involvement, it felt like the Academy's prestige had actually risen even higher.

On top of that, it was just like her to meticulously ensure that my reputation, as the party leader of Utopia, wasn't overlooked.

When I first debated whether or not to include Shin Se-hee in the party, I realized anew that putting her in had truly been a stroke of genius.

As I scrolled through the articles and comments, I arrived at my destination before I knew it.

A tall door that forced me to crane my neck to look up at it.

Perhaps the doorknob was too high for the owner of this room.

Well, she'd just use psychokinesis to open it anyway.

I chuckled to myself and knocked on the door.

Knock, knock, knock—

Then.

Creeeeeak—

The heavy door split open, parting to either side.

"...Jin Yu-ha."

Director Lina sat at her desk, opposite the door. She glared at me, her fingers intertwined, a complex expression on her face.

"Yes."

"Did you plan all of this?"

"What do you mean by that?"

As I tilted my head and asked,

the Director trembled, then abruptly stood up and pointed a finger at me.

"The articles!!! I saw the articles! Isn't this all your doing!!!"

"Oh, that? Heh—You don't have to thank me separately, you know?"

"Wh-who! Who asked you to do such a thing—!!"

The serious atmosphere Lina had initially maintained vanished, and she yelled like a kid whose toy had been snatched away.

"Director Lina."

I cut Lina off and called her name in a serious voice.

"I believe the Academy should not be shaken."

"...What? The Academy shouldn't be shaken?"

"Yes. I'm not unaware of your desire to show only the truth to the students and the public, Director. But Velvet Hunter Academy is humanity's hope."

"..."

"If hope begins to waver, people start to feel uneasy. And our enemies won't just stand by and watch that opening."

"B-but…!"

"I genuinely respect you, Director. That aside, you're also human, and humans can make mistakes."

"...!"

Step, step—

I nodded and slowly walked towards Lina.

Lina stared intently at me.

"However, there are positions where such mistakes aren't permitted."

She bit her lip tightly.

"Are you saying I should lie, and pretend I did something I didn't!?"

"Yes, do it."

"...What?"

I stood right in front of her and shrugged.

"How much have you sacrificed for the world, how much effort have you put in, Director? Who would say anything if you took a little credit for what a mere student accomplished? Especially when that mere student is giving you permission."

But Lina still wore an unconvinced expression.

As expected, I needed to push a little more.

"And the reason you founded this Academy, Director… wasn't it to lessen that burden from the very beginning?"

At that moment, Lina's violet eyes widened considerably.

"I will share that burden with you."

"..."

"So, please bear with it for a little longer, until then."

Hmm.

'Now that I've said it, it sounds a bit over-the-top.'

I had just blurted out the frustration I felt watching Lina slowly break down in the game, and it somehow ended up sounding like a mere first-year student was lecturing the lofty Ma-je.

I felt awkward all over again and scratched my cheek.

The Ma-je stared at me, looking dumbfounded, then let out a hollow laugh.

"Ha. What kind of nonsense is this mere fledgling, who's only been here for a year, spouting now…?"

However, the heavy burden that had initially been weighing on her face seemed to have lightened, as if she had set it down a little.

"I know, right?"

I gave a dry chuckle and affirmed her words.

"..."

Lina returned to her usual grumpy kid expression and stared intently at me.

Then she abruptly blurted out a question.

"What is it you want?"

"...Huh?"

Lina sharply turned her head away and said in a curt voice.

"Y-you must want something! Otherwise, why would you do something like th-this without being asked!! Q-quickly, tell me what you want! And g-get out of my sight right now!!!"

At Lina's words, a smirk tugged at the corner of my lips.

'Tell her what I want? If she's going to keep giving things away like this, I can't hold back...'

* * *

...

In the Director's office, after Jin Yu-ha had left, a heavy silence settled.

Lina, sitting in her large chair, tapped her lips with her finger, deep in thought.

—I will share that burden with you.

Jin Yu-ha's words suddenly resurfaced in her mind.

Ha—

The more she thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.

A mere first-year student had just declared he'd share her burden?

Even if he was a disrespectful brat who looked at her irreverently, he couldn't possibly be unaware of what those words implied…

However, she couldn't deny that his audacity had, honestly, brought no small amount of comfort to her heart.

After all, the reason she founded the Academy.

It perfectly matched what Jin Yu-ha had said.

'How did that kid know that...'

How surprised she had been when those words came out of his mouth.

Her true intention, which she had never once spoken aloud.

In reality, Lina's reason for founding Velvet Hunter Academy was partly the desire to set South Korea right again after the Gate Crisis.

However, her true intention was to cultivate hunters who could replace her and then step down from her current position.

And a first-year male student boldly declaring that he would accomplish that.

'And he's just a quota student...'

Honestly, since founding the Academy,

she had held this position for a long time, but a student like him was a first.

Everyone else merely admired her, and looked at her with respectful eyes.

Or else, with fear, or as if seeing a monster.

—I genuinely respect you, Director. That aside, you're also human, and humans can make mistakes.

How unfamiliar this feeling was, to be seen as a fellow human.

Pfft—

Lina stood up from her seat and walked towards the window.

Through the large window, she could see the back of the black-haired boy's head as he walked away.

'He's still a disrespectful brat.'

—What I want? Hmm, well, first, a new healer named Sophia joined our party. Could you perhaps engrave a sub-spatial tattoo for Sophia too?

—And?

—And again? Hmm, then could you increase the size of all our party members' sub-spatial tattoos? They're fine now, but the size isn't quite satisfactory…

—And?

—Uh, things our Utopia party needs…

—Not Utopia! You! Tell me what *you* personally want!

—Ah? Hmm? M-me? Hmm, just a moment? Let me think… Ah! I got it! Um, then, could you perhaps… l-look into a monthly rental for me? Somewhere cheap and good…

Only after asking what he wanted three times.

And only after directly asking him.

Did the brat finally state something he personally needed.

The first two things weren't actually for Jin Yu-ha himself. They were solely for his party members.

If she hadn't asked him directly, he probably would have just rattled off a whole list of things the party needed.

'I asked him precisely to hear what he wanted for himself… And all he asked for was a monthly rental…?'

When she asked why he needed a monthly rental when there was a dormitory, Jin Yu-ha replied hesitantly, his demeanor quite different from when he stated his previous requests.

—W-well… I cancelled my apartment lease when I came here… So, vacation starts today, and I have nowhere to sleep. I mean… I could stay at a hotel or something, but I thought it'd be good to have a proper place to stay…

She was the Ma-je.

Her influence in the nation was second to none.

Love calls poured in from various countries daily.

In other words, if Jin Yu-ha wished it, she could bestow upon him power, money, or rare artifacts.

For those around him, he maintained a confident attitude and demanded what was needed, but what he wanted for himself was merely for her to find him a monthly rental room…

He truly was an absurd kid.

The black-haired back of his head, now almost out of sight.

A faint smirk tugged at Lina's lips.

She watched his retreating figure intently.

Then she took out a communication magic tool and pressed the switch.

Click—

"Yes, it's been a while since I contacted you. Hmm, well, I was wondering, how many buildings do I currently own? I'd like to transfer the ownership of one of the best ones…"