friend chapter 14

“None? That’s good. The student council usually handles tasks delegated by the professors. It’s much faster to use magic, after all.” So, there were a lot of lazy professors. This academy was definitely corrupt. I glanced at Professor Ias, who was smiling innocently, feigning ignorance. Did he feel no shame?

“So, in this special interview, you’ll be assessing our magical abilities?” Jade raised her hand to ask, her expression full of confidence. I pictured Jade’s happy face, anticipating our two-night, three-day leadership retreat. I’m sorry, Jade. I’m bailing.

“Precisely. Try to avoid our attacks.”

“…What?” I thought I’d misheard, but I hadn’t. Hannah rose from her seat and drew a magic circle. Cloud sighed and stood up as well. A sense of foreboding washed over me. What was about to happen?

“Don’t worry. You won’t get hurt.”

“Oof!”

“Well, it might hurt a little.”

Struck by Hannah’s magic, one applicant collapsed, their chest covered in mud. It was an earth-attribute attack spell. The mud likely contained a paralytic agent.

“One down.” Hannah grinned, a manic glint in her green eyes. She was a total psycho. What kind of insane interview was this? It seemed less about magical skill and more about the ability to take a hit. What kind of tasks did the student council handle that required this kind of interview? A poker game would have been preferable.

“Two down.” Cloud’s emotionless voice reached me. Glancing back, I saw another fallen student. Cloud seemed remarkably uninterested in me. He hadn’t attacked me once. I kind of wished he would. As a result, Hannah relentlessly targeted me. Her genuine enjoyment filled me with primal fear. Someone, save me. Surely, if I collapsed from her attack, I could escape Edward. I desperately cast defensive spells, deflecting the mud Hannah flung at me. My body and mind were at odds. But what could I do? I was terrified. The students hit by the mud all cried out in pain. I hated pain.

After I’d endured for a while…

“It’s over.” Hannah dusted off her hands. I collapsed, gasping for breath. They only stopped attacking after taking down a third victim. The remaining applicants were myself, Jade, and Edward. Damn it.

“Congratulations on becoming student council officers! From left to right, you’ll be the secretary, general affairs manager, and treasurer.”

Because I happened to be on the far right, I was assigned the role of treasurer. The announcement was abrupt, and the roles seemed arbitrarily assigned. Was this why I endured that interview? I felt a wave of self-deprecation.

“Oh, the scoring is already complete, so don’t worry. You three are the top three in the Magic Department, right? We have a lot of talent this year. Right, Cloud?”

Cloud glanced at me, then looked away, silently nodding. Aside from our grades, our interview scores must have been the highest. The general interview was merely a formality; the special interview held more weight. Still… I couldn’t just accept this. Working as an errand girl between a psycho president and a crazy crown prince? No way.

“Excuse me, but can I withdraw?” I asked, forcing myself to speak. All eyes turned to me.

Hannah smiled sweetly. “You’re so funny.” I wasn’t joking.

“The student council has a one-year term. Once you’re in, you can’t withdraw.” The reply came from Cloud, who had returned to his seat. It was my death sentence.

Damn it. This was a scam.

Lost in despair, Hannah’s gentle voice dismissed us, telling us we could leave. I had no choice but to exit the student council room with Jade and Edward. Jade was delighted, exclaiming, “We’re in the same club, Luna!” In stark contrast, my face was grim.

“I look forward to working with you, Lumina.” Edward, now the student council’s general affairs manager, extended his hand for a handshake. I wanted to tell him to get lost, but the fear of being arrested for insulting royalty forced me to take his hand.

“How did you know I applied here?” I gripped his hand tightly. Edward didn’t even flinch, maintaining his constant smile. Something welled up inside me, and I tried to pull my hand away. Edward smoothly shifted his fingers, intertwining them with mine. Our hands were now clasped together.

Startled by the sudden intimacy, I looked up at Edward. He feigned innocence, as if completely oblivious. Should I kill him?

“Curious, are you?”

“Of course, I am.” My ‘Avoid Edward’ strategy had been flawless. I’d applied at the last minute, and no one besides Jade knew I’d joined the student council.

“You seem to have a lot of questions about me.”