Lord of Perverted Ladies

The moment Professor Haynes finished his announcement, the quiet classroom exploded into chatter.

Students who had been half-asleep only moments ago suddenly became wide awake, leaning across desks to talk with their friends. Some looked excited, others groaned dramatically, while a few third-years barely reacted at all, treating the announcement like just another routine academy event they had already survived several times.

Ryan, however, looked as though he’d just heard the greatest news of his life.

”Oh, this is perfect.”

Ethan looked over from the next desk. ”Why?”

Ryan leaned back in his chair with a grin that practically screamed I’ve already got a plan.

”Because every club sets up booths during the exhibition.”

”...And?”

”They give away free stuff.”

Daniel blinked a few times.

”...That’s your reason?”

Ryan looked genuinely offended.

”What do you mean, ’that’s my reason?’ Last year the cooking club handed out cupcakes.”

He raised another finger.

”The photography club gave away custom keychains.”

Another finger.

”The gardening club gave away flower seeds.”

”And the board game club had free drinks.”

He proudly placed a hand on his chest.

”I walked out with enough free snacks to survive two whole days.”

Marcus slowly looked at him.

”You make the exhibition sound like a food festival.”

Ryan nodded without the slightest bit of shame.

”It basically is.”

”It isn’t,” Noah replied calmly.

Ryan ignored him.

”You’ve clearly never experienced the true spirit of this academy.”

”The true spirit is collecting free food?”

”Exactly.”

Daniel burst out laughing.

”I can’t even argue with that.”

Before Ryan could continue listing every snack he’d ever stolen—collected, according to him—Professor Haynes tapped his ruler against the desk.

The sharp tap... tap... tap... echoed through the classroom.

Almost immediately, the conversations died down.

Professor Haynes adjusted his glasses before speaking again.

”As I was saying, students who are not currently affiliated with a club will submit their applications before the end of the week.”

He slowly looked across the classroom, making sure everyone was paying attention.

”Changing clubs after registration will require approval from both club advisers. Repeated transfers without valid reasons will not be accepted.”

A few students near the back immediately groaned.

Professor Haynes ignored them.

”There is one more matter.”

He placed both hands behind his back.

”Every registered club will be expected to host an activity or demonstration during the exhibition.”

More murmurs spread through the classroom.

”The academy board will evaluate every presentation.”

He paused just long enough for everyone to focus on him again.

”Clubs that fail to participate satisfactorily may lose funding for the following semester.”

That sentence had a completely different effect.

Ryan’s carefree smile disappeared.

Daniel stopped fidgeting.

Even Ethan sat up straighter.

Out of everyone, Noah reacted the most.

It was only a tiny change in expression, but I’d spent enough time around him to notice it.

Ryan noticed too.

”...That’s bad, isn’t it?”

Noah slowly nodded.

”Our club was only approved a few days ago.”

”We haven’t prepared anything.”

Daniel scratched his cheek.

”I thought we were just going to investigate weird rumors.”

”So did I.”

Marcus folded his arms.

”Can’t we present whatever we discover during the investigation?”

Noah shook his head.

”We don’t have enough material.”

”And even if we did, most of it would just be rumors.”

Ryan suddenly raised his hand like he’d just made an important scientific breakthrough.

”We do have one case.”

Everyone looked at him.

”The haunted toy factory.”

I felt my shoulders stiffen.

Noah immediately answered.

”No.”

”Why not?”

”Because we have no evidence.”

Ryan shrugged.

”We were there.”

”We don’t remember anything.”

”...Right.”

”And even if we somehow proved something happened,” Noah continued, ”there’s no way the academy would allow us to present supernatural claims without evidence.”

Ryan sighed dramatically.

”There goes my award-winning presentation.”

Professor Haynes finally began the day’s lecture after that.

The blackboard gradually filled with notes while students copied them into their notebooks. Chalk scraped rhythmically across the board as the professor explained today’s topic with the same calm voice he always used.

Normally I would’ve paid attention.

Today...

I couldn’t.

My eyes drifted toward the classroom window more than once.

Outside, students crossed the courtyard between buildings while club members pinned colorful recruitment posters onto notice boards. Everything looked so ordinary that it almost felt surreal.

Less than twenty-four hours ago, I’d been standing in front of a maid holding a kitchen knife.

Before that, I’d nearly lost my mind inside a haunted factory.

Now I was sitting through another lecture like none of it had happened.

The system’s earlier message quietly resurfaced in my thoughts.

Forty-eight hours.

That was all it had said.

No explanation.

No warning beyond a countdown.

Somehow...

That made it even more unsettling.

By the time the lunch bell rang, the hallways were packed with students moving from one building to another. Conversations echoed from every direction, mixing with laughter, footsteps, and the occasional shout from club members trying to recruit newcomers.

Ryan immediately wandered toward the nearest notice board.

”Guys.”

He pointed excitedly.

”Look at this.”

A bright poster covered in cartoon ghosts had been pinned right in the center.

Paranormal Appreciation Society

”Movie Nights! Haunted House Trips! Ghost Story Competitions!”

Ryan looked impressed.

”...They’ve got ghosts.”

Noah looked personally offended.

”They are not a research club.”

”They’re an entertainment club.”

Ryan shrugged.

”Ghosts are ghosts.”

”No.”

”They host horror movie marathons.”

”...Still sounds fun.”

”It has nothing to do with research.”

Daniel chuckled.

”I think Noah feels like they’re stealing his territory.”

”They are.”

Marcus looked between the two clubs’ posters.

”So...”

”What exactly are we doing for the exhibition?”

The question immediately silenced everyone.

Noah adjusted his glasses.

”...I haven’t decided.”

Ryan stared at him.

”You seriously don’t have anything planned?”

”I expected we’d have more time.”

”We don’t.”

Daniel sighed.

”...That’s not ideal.”

For several moments, the five of us simply stood there thinking.

Then Ryan suddenly snapped his fingers.

”I’ve got it.”

Marcus sighed before Ryan had even started.

”Here we go.”

Ryan ignored him.

”We recreate a crime scene.”

Daniel blinked.

”...Explain.”

Ryan became more animated with every sentence.

”We turn our club room into a fake investigation.”

”There’ll be fake blood.”

”Footprints.”

”Broken furniture.”

”Hidden clues.”

He pointed dramatically at Noah.

”Visitors become detectives.”

”They solve the mystery.”

”The fastest team wins.”

Daniel’s eyes lit up.

”...Actually...”

”I’d play that.”

Ethan nodded.

”So would I.”

Marcus rubbed his chin.

”It would definitely attract attention.”

All eyes shifted toward Noah.

He remained silent for several seconds, clearly thinking everything through.

Finally, he spoke.

”...It fits.”

Ryan grinned.

”I knew it.”

”It encourages observation.”

”It teaches logical reasoning.”

”It also matches the club’s purpose.”

Ryan proudly folded his arms.

”My genius has finally been acknowledged.”

Marcus looked at him without changing expression.

”You once got lost walking home.”

”That happened once.”

”It happened twice.”

”The second time wasn’t my fault.”

”You walked into the wrong apartment building.”

”They all looked the same.”

Daniel laughed so hard he nearly dropped the convenience store drink he’d just bought.

Ethan shook his head.

”I still can’t believe you knocked on someone else’s door.”

”I was confident.”

”You were wrong.”

”Confidence is important.”

”No,” Marcus replied. ”Directions are important.”

Even Noah couldn’t stop the faint smile that appeared on his face.

I found myself laughing quietly.

It had been a while since things had felt this... normal.

No ghosts.

No system missions.

No murderous maids.

Just five friends arguing over Ryan’s terrible sense of direction.

Noah eventually nodded.

”All right.”

”We’ll do it.”

Ryan immediately celebrated like we’d already won an award.

”We’ll need volunteers.”

”We’ll need decorations.”

”We’ll need fake evidence.”

”And somebody has to write the mystery.”

Daniel suddenly looked at me.

”Adrian.”

I blinked.

”What?”

”You’ve barely spoken.”

Ryan immediately pointed at me.

”Exactly.”

”I’ve been saying this for days.”

Ethan nodded.

”He keeps staring into space.”

Marcus frowned.

”Sometimes he even smiles at nothing.”

Daniel added, ”And yesterday I saw him tapping the air like he was pressing invisible buttons.”

For one terrifying second, my heart nearly stopped.

Then common sense returned.

They couldn’t see the system.

From their perspective...

I’d simply been acting distracted ever since the abandoned toy factory.

I forced a small smile.

”I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”

Ryan narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

”You sure you’re okay?”

”I’m fine.”

”You don’t look fine.”

”I’m just tired.”

Ryan studied me for another second before finally sighing.

”...All right.”

”But if something’s bothering you...”

He shrugged.

”You know we’re around.”

The others quietly nodded in agreement.

Something about that simple gesture warmed my chest more than I expected.

Noah tucked the club application forms under his arm.

”We’ll meet tomorrow after classes.”

”Everyone bring ideas.”

”I’ll reserve the club room.”

Nobody objected.

As we continued walking toward the cafeteria, a familiar blue window quietly appeared in the corner of my vision.

______

[Main Story Updated]

Upcoming Event Confirmed

Inter-Club Exhibition

Time Remaining: 47 Hours, 18 Minutes

______

The countdown had already begun.

Whatever the system had been warning me about...

It was connected to the exhibition.

Looking at my friends laughing and arguing beside me, I quietly hoped I was wrong.

Deep down, though, I already knew better.

Nothing in this world ever stayed peaceful for long.