In the frozen atmosphere, the door to the Chairman’s Room closes with a thud.
“Nishishishi.”
Haru laughs.
Her side ponytail sways.
Haru’s red eyes narrow mischievously.
“What do you mean, ‘cute’…?”
Seira panics.
Ever since the incident that made her younger, she’s had a secret hobby of playing as “Sera-tang” instead of Seira to relieve her stress, but that’s a secret known only to her.
She definitely doesn’t want to be caught in that state.
It’s one thing if it’s Kim Deok-Sung and his crew, but there’s no way Kurosawa Haru would know about it.
Seira’s brows knit together.
“Where did you hear such a thing? No, wait, how dare you say such rude things to someone much older than you…!”
It’s one thing for other girls, but Seira is the daughter of the man she loved and a friend and comrade.
She absolutely doesn’t want to be looked down upon.
With that thought, Seira raises her voice.
Twitch.
Ritsuko’s body trembles.
In front of the chairman’s authority, an ordinary cadet would feel intimidated.
But not Haru.
“Where did I hear it? Super☆Kawaii☆Super☆Gal☆Little Sister Haru knows everything! So, of course, I know that Sera-tang is Sera-tang. Nishishishi.”
Jingle jangle.
The bracelet on Haru’s wrist clinks as it hits.
“Nishishi. By the way, Sera-tang, don’t you hate being called cute? I was just complimenting you! Compared to me, you’re super cute, right? Nishishishi.”
Haru approaches and pulls Seira into a tight hug.
“Wearing a gothic lolita outfit, you really look like a doll. Nishishi. So cute! Nishishi. I want to hug you and sleep together.”
Haru playfully laughs and strokes Seira’s white hair.
Caught off guard in the embrace of a beautiful girl, Seira flails her limbs.
“Wha-what do you mean you want to hug me and sleep together? That’s outrageous…!”
“Aren’t you my guardian, Sera-tang? Then shouldn’t we sleep together too? Nishishi.”
Haru squints her eyes and hugs Seira even tighter.
“That’s such nonsense… Let go of me, aren’t you supposed to say that! I am your guardian and the chairman of the academy!”
She can’t lose her dignity like this.
Moreover, it’s in front of Ritsuko, her secretary.
She can’t afford to be humiliated by Haru.
But she can’t just use her real strength either, so Seira found herself in a dilemma.
“Whatever, Haru was just giving a compliment about being cute. Why are you being so sensitive? That’s pretty boring, Sera-tang. Nishishi.”
But Seira’s expectations were brutally betrayed.
“Haru! I’m your father’s comrade! Have you already forgotten? Weren’t you a well-behaved child when you were younger?”
“Weren’t you a quiet child when you were younger?!”
Seira yells, tightly closing her eyes.
Ten years ago, memories from the past come to her mind.
She vividly remembers visiting the Kurosawa household a few times as a comrade.
The memories of the young Kurosawa Yuji and his lively little sister, Kurosawa Haru, who followed him around, are still clear in her mind.
‘You weren’t this cocky back then, what on earth happened…’
Seira thinks it’s a relief that Haru is alive and back to everyday life.
But she didn’t expect her to be acting all arrogant like this.
“Oh right. Seira-chan. My dad was friends with you, wasn’t he? Huh~☆”
At Seira’s words, Haru drags them out with a teasing tone and gently lets her go.
Memories from childhood flow back into Haru’s mind.
Now faint, the cherished memories include Seira as well.
A tall, voluptuous glamour girl that looked different from now.
Haru remembers how Seira would blush and seem happy whenever chatting with her dad.
Though not as attached as her actual sister Rin, Seira treated her quite nicely, so there were no bad feelings.
It was also nice to see her after a long time.
But she definitely wanted to tease her.
Seira’s youthful appearance and her childish demeanor were somewhat cute.
Most of all, she wanted to poke fun at the fact that Seira, who once had a crush on her father, now likes Kim Deok-Sung, who is practically her grandchild.
With Seira freed from Haru’s grasp, she takes a breath.
“Phew.”
Swish.
She pulls out a lace fan from her embrace and opens it to cover her expression.
Glancing.
Seira’s gaze shifts to Ritsuko.
Shudder.
Ritsuko’s lips are trembling.
A desperate attempt to suppress her laughter.
Seeing this, a smirk creeps onto Seira’s face.
Zing.
Seira’s sharp red gaze lands on Ritsuko.
Ritsuko flinches and quickly adjusts her facial expression upon meeting Seira’s eyes.
Haru chuckles as she watches the whole exchange.
“Heeheehee.”
Thud.
Haru sits cross-legged on the desk of the Chairman’s Room.
“Seira-chan. You’re mad that Haru treats you like a kid? What a lousy Chairman. Lousy, lousy. Clearly, you belong with the title Seira-chan☆”
“Yikes! Haru!”
Seira’s face turns beet red.
She shouts but quickly covers her mouth.
Seira composes herself.
‘Right, if I get worked up here, I’ll fall into that brat’s pace. I can’t let that little one take control as she intends.’
Seira cools her head down.
She can’t be tossed around by Haru forever.
As an elder, she has to act like one.
“Haru. I am the Chairman of Shuo Hero Academy and a member of the Five Crowns. Surely, you haven’t forgotten that?”
With the fluttering fan trying to conceal her expression, she feigns seriousness.
“Well, I don’t think that kid’s wrong, though,” Ritsuko chimes in from the side.
After all, Seira was the tyrannical boss who piled an immense workload on Ritsuko to the point where she felt she might collapse any day.
It’s only natural that Seira being toyed with by Haru feels somewhat satisfying.
“Ritsuko.”
Shiver.
The tip of the fan trembles.
Snap.
As Seira snaps her fingers, the fan closes on its own.
The fan, imbued with her telekinetic magic, turns white as it flies towards Ritsuko’s head.
“Ow, Grandma! What in the world is this?! Violence is not acceptable!”
“Shut it! Hmph.”
Seira puffs out her cheeks and flicks her fingers, using telekinesis to grab the fan again.
Swish.
The lacy fan unfolds once more.
Haru, witnessing the spectacle, covers her mouth with her hand.
“Hee…”
“How do I look?”
Seira’s eyes shine red as she regains her composure.
“Seira-chan, you look super silly. Trying to act all mature and deadly while hiding your face with a fan is just hilarious. Totally cute.”
“So when you say cute…”
Ugh.
Seira lets out a groan.
“Hehehe.”
Haru’s laughter makes Seira sigh.
She instinctively realizes that continuing this conversation with Haru is pointless.
“Honestly, these kids these days… They’re unbelievably cheeky.”
Tsk tsk.
Seira clicks her tongue.
“But you know, Haru, that silly Seira-chan is incredibly cute, and I’ve heard that guys these days like the cute style just like you.”
Seira’s ears perk up at Haru’s words.
Guys like a cute style, huh?
‘Could it be that even the little ones like it?’
For her, who had lost her glamorous figure due to injury, this was enticing information.
‘I mean, I’m not half bad cute myself…’
A smirk forms on Seira’s lips.
She imagines Kim Deok-Sung’s face.
He praises her cuteness while patting her head.
Thump.
Seira’s heart races.
Her face turns red.
‘If that’s the case, I’m cuter than other girls… No, wait, what am I thinking!’
Seira shakes her head slightly.
She can’t let Haru see her like this.
But it’s true she’s feeling good from the compliment, so she has to act mature about it.
“Hehe. That’s right. A woman should always go for the cute style. You really know your stuff, Haru.”
But Seira’s good mood is short-lived.
“Right. Seira-chan is cute, but especially the part where you can’t act your age is the super cutest. It’s like your charming☆point? So funny. Hehehe.”
Haru’s seamless barrage puts a stiff expression on Seira’s face.
“Ugh?!”
Can’t act her age?
That’s her charming point?
‘What’s wrong with me!’
Seira’s cheeks start to tremble.
“And the habit of hiding your face with the fan when you’re flustered is super hilarious, too. Seira-chan, you’re totally cute. Hehehe.”
“Ugh…”
Just as Seira was about to collapse from Haru’s one-two punch,
“Oh dear. Looks like I’ve hit the jackpot with the lady here. She’s really something.”
From the side, Ritsuko chuckles.
Seira’s eyes glow red.
“…Ritsuko.”
“What’s up?”
“Stop babbling and get me more sweets.”
Zap.
Seira’s gaze sharpens at Ritsuko.
Under the silent pressure, Ritsuko sighs internally and nods.
“Yes, yes, understood.”
“Haru wants some brown sugar bubble tea! Please! Big sis Makopi! Hehehe.”
As soon as Seira finishes her sentence, Haru raises her hand with a grin.
After taking Haru’s direct attack, Ritsuko can finally understand Seira’s feelings.
That little brat is so cheeky.
“I swear, I’m not a delivery girl or anything…”
Ritsuko mutters as she closes the door behind her.
Now there’s just the two of them left in the office.
“Seira-chan, I’m bored. Play with me.”
As Seira detaches herself from the clinging Haru, she thinks to herself.
Kids these days are really quite a handful.
*
After finishing the special training with Aris, I headed to the dormitory.
It would normally be heavy as a waterlogged cotton ball, and my body would creak all over, but thanks to the massage, I felt lighter on my feet.
It was a little embarrassing, but I couldn’t help but think I made the right choice getting that massage.
As for the last glimpse I caught of Aris in her undies… well, that’s just going to be my little secret.
[Hey, partner!]
At that moment, the Black Prince’s voice echoed in my head.
[Did you have a fun time with the lady? Kya ha ha ha ha ha!]
The Black Prince burst forth immediately after breaking his seal, laughing frivolously.
A sigh was already bubbling up.
‘Fun time? I just got a massage.’
[You can’t fool this Black Prince’s eyes. Our partner definitely had some hot physical interaction with Saionji. Hee hee hee. Our partner has finally climbed the adult ladder. Congratulations, partner!]
The excited Black Prince kept babbling in my head.
It was giving me a headache.
Arguing further would just lead to more nonsense.
So I decided to ignore him and headed up the dormitory stairs.
Clunk.
As I opened the dormitory door, the lights turned on automatically.
On the table sat a laptop.
A laptop?
‘Is this Han Seo-Jin’s?’
My eyes were drawn to the laptop screen.
‘Two days until the PV is complete, and two weeks until the final version?’
What the heck is she making?
Just as my curiosity peaked and I was about to touch the laptop…
Bam.
In a flash of gray light, Han Seo-Jin appeared.
“Welcome, Kim Deok-Sung.”
She bowed politely.
“Uh, but what’s that report about?”
“The laptop report? It’s the video media project assigned by the Hero Kim Deok-Sung Foundation.”
Han Seo-Jin spoke in her usual tone.
Making a video for the foundation?
I imagined a flashy thumbnail cluttered with overly patriotic YouTube videos.
Even if I tell her not to do it, she will anyway.
My head was spinning.
“Right, got it. Don’t overdo it, just do it moderately. Moderately.”
I didn’t want to think about it anymore.
I waved my hand and flopped onto my bed.
“Understood, Kim Deok-Sung.”
Han Seo-Jin nodded at my words.
Listening to her response, I shut my eyes.
*
Clack.
After confirming Kim Deok-Sung was asleep, Han Seo-Jin closed the dormitory door as she stepped out.
She pulled out her phone and dialed a number.
[Han Seo-Jin here. Is there something needed?]
The voice on the other end was the President.
Now accustomed to direct communication with VIPs, Han Seo-Jin replied.
“The production permission has been granted.”
[That’s fortunate. We’re well on our way here. All animation production companies, content creators, music producers, and entertainment agencies in the country are voluntarily pitching in to ensure everything will be completed smoothly by the cultural festival. From recording the OST to animation. Everything is proceeding perfectly.]
“Understood, President. Thank you for the support.”
[It’s only natural to assist in that person’s endeavors. Agent Han Seo-Jin, make sure to support the construction of that person’s harem without any hindrance.]
“Everything is for that person’s harem.”
[For that person’s harem.]
After hearing the President’s response, Han Seo-Jin ended the call.
There were only about two weeks left until the cultural festival.
It was time to launch a full-scale effort, utilizing all of South Korea’s cultural resources thus far.
What is she even wearing?
The next day.
“Today, it’s this Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte’s turn to take care of your bag! Please be grateful! Got it?”
With Olivia placing her hand on her chest and grabbing my bag, we began our walk to school.
