Lord of Perverted Ladies

The afternoon classes dragged on much more slowly than usual.

Maybe it was because everyone was still thinking about the exhibition, or maybe it was simply one of those days where the clock seemed determined to move at half its normal speed. Even Professor Haynes noticed the lack of attention. Twice he stopped in the middle of the lecture to remind the class that final assessments were only a few months away, and twice the room answered with the same half-hearted chorus of acknowledgements before drifting back into quiet conversations the moment he turned toward the blackboard.

I wasn’t much better.

The notes in front of me were neat enough, but I couldn’t remember half of what I’d written. Every now and then my eyes wandered toward the classroom windows where students from other departments crossed the courtyard below. Somewhere in that crowd were dozens of people living perfectly ordinary academy lives. They worried about grades, club activities, and upcoming exams.

I worried about hidden quests, supernatural murders, and a system that enjoyed dropping countdowns without explanations.

”...Adrian.”

I blinked.

Professor Haynes was looking directly at me.

”Would you care to answer the question?”

Several students turned toward my desk.

I quickly looked at the board, trying to figure out what Chapter we were studying. Nothing came to mind.

”...Sorry, Professor.”

A few quiet chuckles spread across the room.

Professor Haynes sighed, though there wasn’t any real annoyance in his expression.

”I asked you to explain the second principle.”

”...I don’t know.”

”I noticed.”

Ryan, sitting two rows behind me, looked like he was fighting for his life not to laugh.

Professor Haynes adjusted his glasses.

”Pay attention, Mr. Cross.”

”Yes, Professor.”

When the lecture resumed, Ryan leaned forward just enough to whisper, ”Congratulations.”

”For what?”

”That’s the first time you’ve been called out all semester.”

”I feel honored.”

”You should.”

Ethan, overhearing the conversation, shook his head.

”You’ve definitely got something on your mind lately.”

”I’ve noticed it too,” Noah added quietly.

I forced a smile.

”Just didn’t sleep well.”

Ryan immediately nodded.

”See? I told you.”

Marcus glanced at me from across the aisle.

”Then go to bed earlier.”

”If only it were that simple,” I muttered under my breath.

The final bell rang a little after three in the afternoon, and the entire classroom seemed to come alive at once. Chairs scraped across the floor as students packed their bags and hurried into the hallway. Some were heading home, while others made straight for their clubs.

Ryan stretched until several joints cracked.

”I swear these chairs get less comfortable every year.”

”They’re exactly the same chairs,” Ethan replied.

”They’ve declared war on my back.”

Daniel laughed.

”You’re twenty, not eighty.”

”My back disagrees.”

Noah checked the time on his watch.

”We should head to the club room.”

”The sooner we start planning, the better.”

None of us argued.

The Mystery Research Club had only existed for a few days, but somehow it already felt like a routine. We crossed the academy grounds together, weaving through groups of students carrying sports equipment, musical instruments, and stacks of books. Every club seemed busy preparing for the exhibition.

The baseball field echoed with the sharp crack of bats hitting balls.

Near the auditorium, the drama club was rehearsing a scene loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear.

The art club had already started painting large display boards outside their studio.

Everywhere I looked, people were working toward the same event.

It made the system’s countdown feel even stranger.

Our club room was exactly as we’d left it.

A medium-sized classroom tucked away on the third floor of an older building, complete with worn wooden desks, tall windows, and bookshelves that were still mostly empty. Noah unlocked the door, switched on the lights, and placed his folder on the teacher’s desk.

Ryan walked in, looked around, and nodded thoughtfully.

”...Needs more mystery.”

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

”What does that even mean?”

”I don’t know yet.”

Marcus pulled a chair over and sat down.

”I’m already worried.”

Daniel dropped his backpack beside the wall.

”So.”

”Where do we start?”

Noah uncapped a marker and turned toward the whiteboard.

”First, we need a concept.”

He wrote INTER-CLUB EXHIBITION across the top before drawing a line beneath it.

”Our objective is simple.”

”Create something interesting.”

”Encourage visitors to participate.”

”And make sure it reflects the purpose of our club.”

Ryan immediately raised his hand.

”The fake crime scene.”

Noah nodded.

”It’s still our strongest idea.”

Marcus leaned back in his chair.

”What’s the story?”

Ryan looked around.

”...We should write one.”

Daniel laughed.

”Brilliant.”

”I know.”

”No, I mean someone actually has to write it.”

Ryan pointed directly at me.

”Adrian.”

Four heads turned in my direction.

I blinked.

”...Why me?”

Ryan looked genuinely confused by the question.

”Because you read the most mystery novels.”

”I read them.”

”You devour them.”

Daniel nodded.

”You also notice details the rest of us miss.”

Marcus folded his arms.

”And you actually think things through.”

I looked toward Noah.

He adjusted his glasses.

”...I agree.”

”Your ideas are usually well organized.”

Great.

No pressure.

Ryan grinned.

”Congratulations.”

”You’re officially our writer.”

”I don’t remember accepting the position.”

”You accepted it spiritually.”

”I don’t think that’s legally binding.”

”It should be.”

The room filled with laughter.

Even Noah smiled faintly before writing another heading on the board.

Scenario

”We’ll build the activity around a fictional murder.”

Ryan immediately pointed toward the word.

”Can we make the victim really annoying?”

Daniel blinked.

”...Why?”

”So everyone feels better solving it.”

Marcus rubbed his forehead.

”I don’t think that’s how mysteries work.”

”It should be.”

Ethan laughed.

”Maybe let’s avoid making the victim deserve it.”

Ryan sighed dramatically.

”Fine.”

”But at least let me name him.”

”I’m vetoing that already,” Noah replied.

”You’re no fun.”

For the next hour, ideas bounced around the room.

Some were surprisingly clever.

Others were completely ridiculous.

Ryan suggested adding a secret tunnel beneath the club room.

Marcus reminded him the room was on the third floor.

Daniel wanted hidden messages written in invisible ink.

Ethan proposed fake fingerprints made from transparent stickers.

Noah carefully wrote down every usable suggestion while quietly ignoring the impossible ones.

Somehow, despite the constant teasing and arguments, the plan slowly began taking shape.

By the time the afternoon sun started dipping toward the horizon, the whiteboard was covered with notes.

We had a victim.

A fictional timeline.

Several suspects.

A list of clues.

Even a rough outline for how visitors would solve the case.

Ryan stood back to admire the board.

”...We’re actually doing this.”

Daniel smiled.

”It might even work.”

Marcus nodded once.

”As long as nobody listens to Ryan’s tunnel idea.”

”I still think it was inspired.”

Noah placed the marker back on the desk.

”We made good progress today.”

”We’ll continue tomorrow.”

Everyone began packing their bags.

As I slipped my notebook into my backpack, a familiar blue window quietly appeared at the edge of my vision.

______

[Main Story Updated]

Current Countdown:

45 Hours, 52 Minutes

Additional Notice:

One participant has already entered the stage.

______

I froze.

One participant has already entered the stage.

What did that even mean?

I looked around the club room.

Ryan was arguing with Ethan over whose turn it was to carry the cardboard boxes.

Marcus was stacking chairs.

Daniel was trying to erase a corner of the whiteboard that Noah had specifically told him not to touch.

Everything looked perfectly normal.

Yet for the first time all day, I couldn’t shake the feeling that somewhere inside the academy...

Someone else’s story had already begun.