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

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Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: Affection Meter (3)

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Late at night.

The Headmistress's office at Velvet Hunter Academy.

Lina stared at the woman before her with a bewildered expression.

"...So, Seol-hee. You've gotten stronger?"

In Lina's judgment, Baek Seol-hee was blocked by the wall separating ordinary individuals from Transcendents.

To grow stronger beyond this point, ordinary methods were impossible.

In other words, a 'miracle' was needed.

So, for Baek Seol-hee to suddenly show up claiming she'd gotten stronger, it was naturally bewildering.

Lina's eyes narrowed as she looked at Baek Seol-hee.

As she checked her mana.

She could indeed perceive that the aura surrounding her had grown denser and more concentrated.

'She really did get stronger? And noticeably so?'

*Thump!*

"W-What in the world happened—!! Unless you single-handedly caught some demon—!!!"

Lina shot up from her seat and asked, but Baek Seol-hee pretended not to hear her.

She yawned with a calm expression.

"Haaah..."

Then she covered her mouth with her hand.

That awkward gesture, clearly meant to show off her hand.

*Sparkle!*

A mesmerizing pink gem sparkled on her hand.

'This girl?'

Lina quickly realized this was related to Jin Yu-ha.

Usually, whenever something happened, she'd crash straight in, seemingly disregarding any hierarchy.

But whenever she had something to boast about regarding Jin Yu-ha, she'd pull these absurd stunts.

Baek Seol-hee enjoyed boasting about Jin Yu-ha in such indirect ways.

Even though she wasn't good at it!

Watching Baek Seol-hee's actions, Lina's insides boiled.

However, this time, the reason for her boiling anger was slightly different from usual.

'That was the artifact's ability...?'

With a stiff expression, Lina recalled the events from a few hours ago.

*

"What in the world is this...? Utopia took a lowest-tier request? And they departed the very day they received it...?"

Headmistress Lina, who was constantly buried under hundreds of reports arriving daily.

Among them, matters related to Utopia were treated with the highest priority.

That irregular group that always gave her a headache!

Yet, even as Headmistress Lina, she couldn't treat them carelessly.

In reality, for a party that had only recently formed, Utopia had accumulated no small number of achievements.

And each of those achievements was extraordinary.

Just thinking back to them roughly:

Goblin extermination early in their enrollment.

Eradicating corruption in the Hunter Management Bureau.

Preventing the student catastrophe during the mid-term evaluation.

And most recently, the Blue Crab Wave.

In terms of accomplishments alone, they were comparable to renowned mid-tier parties.

For such a group to still be first-years, having formed only half a year ago...

It was utterly outrageous.

Furthermore, Headmistress Lina herself owed them a significant debt from the mid-term evaluation, didn't she?

Therefore, she had no choice but to grant most of their requests, as long as they didn't violate school regulations!

'So I thought even if they swept up all the missions this time, it would be unavoidable...'

But then, for their first request, a lowest-tier one?

And only one pending request: a monster extermination request in America?

'What in the world are they thinking...?'

The addendum at the end of the report, "Appears to be out of consideration for other new parties and senior parties," wasn't something she particularly believed.

What kind of person was Jin Yu-ha, the core of Utopia?

'If it's anyone else, maybe, but it's Jin Yu-ha. That guy never does anything at a loss.'

From the very first day of enrollment, he'd taken her subspace tattoo.

Not only that, but he consistently took subspace tattoos every time a new party member was added.

Recently, even her personal residence.

Yet, at the same time, Lina acknowledged him.

Because the direction Utopia was heading under his leadership wasn't wrong.

Even if his methods were monopolistic, his direction was always towards noble heroism.

'Hmm, in any case, there must be some intention behind this... What could it be?'

As she continued to ponder, meticulously examining the report.

*Ding-dong—♬*

A sudden ringing sound.

'...What?'

Honestly, she didn't even know how long it had been since she'd heard that notification sound.

Since she had already ascended to the rank of a Transcendent, she had no reason to encounter it, so it had been almost 10 years by her count.

Therefore, Lina actually heightened her guard.

*Vwoom—*

Next, she felt an alien energy trying to penetrate her mana.

Lina's face stiffened as she probed that energy.

'...This is, a demon's aura!!!'

*Fwoosh—!*

How long had it been since she'd been subjected to a demon's attack?

Of course, with a single gesture from Lina, the energy vanished without a trace.

Her vigilance, however, reached its peak.

'A demon's aura trying to infiltrate even *me*. This means the children might be in danger.'

And she had made that judgment just a few hours ago...

Now, the cause was right before her eyes!

Headmistress Lina's eyes narrowed as she looked at Baek Seol-hee's finger.

'An artifact imbued with a demon's aura...'

Fortunately, there was no malevolent intent residing within it.

Yet, it was an absurd item, with a powerful demonic authority entirely embedded within it.

'Well, Jin Yu-ha, that guy. Did he catch another demon somewhere this time?'

Indeed, a demon's 'authority' was in the realm of miracles.

For a Transcendent like herself, it wouldn't be particularly useful,

but for Baek Seol-hee, who was right on that boundary, it would boast peak efficiency.

'That guy, honestly.'

To go on a lowest-tier request and come back having hunted a demon.

Recalling his sly face, her head began to throb again.

While Lina continued her thoughts.

Baek Seol-hee continued her absurd antics in front of Lina.

Suddenly running her ring-adorned hand through her hair.

Blowing on a hangnail at the tip of her finger.

Suddenly looking out the window and touching her lips.

With the added bonus of pointing the ring on her finger towards Lina each time.

She kept doing this with a stoic expression, without saying a word, and it was frankly incredibly irritating.

'...It's truly sickening to watch. I got one too! I got one too!'

Of course, she had refused it because of the suspicious demonic energy! And even if she had accepted it, it wouldn't have been particularly useful to her, already being a Transcendent!

But still!

She too had received one!

However, explaining that to Baek Seol-hee would also look a bit pathetic.

Lina glared at the ring Baek Seol-hee flaunted, and moved one hand hidden beneath her desk.

*Vwoom—*

'Is this... what it looks like?'

Even for Lina, copying a demon's authority was impossible,

but simply replicating the artifact's appearance was child's play.

*Swoop.*

Finishing her work under the desk in the blink of an eye, Lina slowly raised her hand onto the desk.

*Freeze.*

At that moment, Baek Seol-hee's body stiffened as if her time alone had stopped.

However, the tremor in her eyes, staring fiercely at the hand, indicated that her time was indeed still flowing.

After glaring for a long time, Baek Seol-hee pointed at Lina's hand and parted her lips.

"...That."

In response, Lina nonchalantly raised her own hand.

"Ah, this, you mean? Hmm, something like this suddenly appeared on my hand just now."

"How much, how much stronger did you get...?"

Baek Seol-hee asked in a stiff, rigid voice.

'How much stronger did I get...?'

Hmm, roughly estimating Baek Seol-hee's increase, it was about 4%.

Still, she was the superior, so it had to be higher than that, right?

"Ahem, r-roughly... S-Seven percent, I suppose."

Conscientiously, she only raised it by exactly 3% more than Baek Seol-hee.

"...7%?"

Yet, Baek Seol-hee's voice was chillingly low.

Lina sensed that something was wrong, but she couldn't take back words she had already uttered.

"Th-That's right! 7%!"

*Grind—*

For some reason, Baek Seol-hee's face became terrifying as she glared at Lina.

"...S-Seol-hee?"

Headmistress Lina felt something amiss and called out to Baek Seol-hee, but.

*Whoosh!*

Baek Seol-hee leaped out through the window.

"...Why in the world is she like that?"

Lina said that because she didn't know the artifact's power was determined by Jin Yu-ha's favorability, but.

The person who could answer her was no longer there.

* * *

Meanwhile, Utopia, having finished their schedule, returned to Velvet Academy late at night.

As soon as Shin Se-hee heard the news of Utopia's return, she shot out like a bullet.

And then she encountered a new face.

A small girl with long blue hair reaching her waist.

Her expressionless face made it impossible to tell what she was thinking.

"...Ichika-ssi? Hello?"

"Yeah, hi..."

Ichika waved her hand weakly in greeting.

'This woman, the new Specialist...?'

She knew that someone new would eventually fill the empty Specialist position.

But this quickly...?

'There was no mention of this...!'

Shin Se-hee felt strangely wronged and glared at Jin Yu-ha.

Certainly, she had given up her lingering attachment and became an Operator by her own will.

Yet, there was an inexplicable sense of emptiness, as if her position had been stolen.

But she couldn't show it on the outside. She couldn't show it...

Shin Se-hee bit her lip, suppressing the surge of emotions welling up inside her.

"I'm sorry."

"...Huh?"

Amidst that, Jin Yu-ha suddenly offered an apology.

"I didn't expect Ichika to become our party's Specialist either. This is true."

"...You didn't expect it?"

"No, this was completely unplanned. If I had known in advance, I would have told you first. We'd have to discuss it together, after all."

Jin Yu-ha apologized to her earnestly.

*Melt—*

That alone somewhat eased her disappointment and resentment.

As if that wasn't the end of it, Jin Yu-ha scratched his cheek and continued.

"And, well, the Specialist is a bit of a special position, right? Since it's a position that deals with multiple opponents at once, it's very susceptible to compatibility."

"That's true... If the compatibility isn't right, they often just become a burden, honestly."

Shin Se-hee nodded.

"So... now Utopia will also be utilizing the Specialist position."

"Hmm, yes, then I'll have to put together a slightly different formation than before."

"Uh, hmm. That's why I'm saying, there might be some strategies that Ichika can't handle sometimes."

"...Huh?"

"As I said, the Specialist position is about compatibility. So... if it's okay with you, would you mind stepping in as a combat Specialist once in a while then... Shin Se-hee...?"

"...M-Me?"

"Ah, o-of course! I intend to be careful so it doesn't interfere with your work! You can refuse if you're too busy!"

As Jin Yu-ha said all that.

Shin Se-hee's heart completely softened, like melted pudding.

'Perhaps I'm just too easy a woman...'

"Ahem...!"

Shin Se-hee awkwardly cleared her throat.

"Ah, alright. If you request it, I'll occasionally step in as a combat role. O-Of course, only when I'm not too busy!"

She said it indirectly, but Shin Se-hee had no intention of refusing.

Once the situation was resolved.

The next thing that came to mind was the ring that had suddenly appeared.

"By the way... Jin Yu-ha-ssi, I wanted to ask about this..."

That's when it happened.

*Whoosh—!*

"Kyaaah!?"

A person suddenly squeezed in between Shin Se-hee and Jin Yu-ha.

"Disciple, I have something important to say."

"Uh, M-Master?"

"Come with me for a moment."

It was none other than Baek Seol-hee.