Chapter 22

Lunchtime.

After finishing the lunch prepared by Inna and heading outside, there was a minor incident where she tried to follow me, thinking I was going to the restroom. However, when I told her I was going to see the Student Council President, she just smiled and let me go.

The fact that she, who usually keeps tabs on the Student Council President with remarks like “flirting around” or “whatnot,” didn’t stop me from going to see the President was evidence enough that the Queen’s matter was urgent.

However, when I sought to meet the President, I was informed that she had already left. Surprisingly, someone who should have been in the school had gone out for external duties.

For external duties, there’s not much you can do. If the company orders it, you have to follow orders, even if in this case the “company” was the school. Leaving that aside for now…

“Who are you?”

I asked while looking at the woman kindly answering my question. Dressed in neat black attire, she fidgeted with her white tie.

“It seems I haven’t introduced myself properly. My name is Chae Eun-won. Although my role is technically Vice President, I am the secretary to the Student Council President.”

Vice President?

It’s only natural for there to be a Vice President if there’s a Student Council.

Just, I thought there were already too many characters. Including myself, there’s the Idol, Inna, the Student Council President, and now the Vice President?

When you include the two who seem to be on somewhat friendly terms with the Protagonist, that’s already seven people.

While DLC heroines might make this slightly acceptable, if this pattern continues, the Student Council members will most likely be heroines too.

As I tried to grasp the nature of this Romantic Visual Novel through its heroines, a sudden realization struck me.

‘Hold on. Based on what did I figure out who the DLC heroine was?’

My sharp mind effortlessly recalled the woman who approached me earlier as part of the DLC, realizing now she is merely a villain in the main game without her DLC content attached.

So does that mean there’s no DLC? Heroines tied to adult games or fantasy battle themes might still exist somewhere, making the world too vast if DLC is included. But viewed differently, perhaps the regular world and the DLC world together form the complete setting.

The lies left by the Queen have confused me as I still don’t fully understand this world, but my attention snapped to the woman standing before me who awaited my words.

[Chae Eun-won]

[Event Heroine (Mission)]

[Ability: Assistance]

“Hm?”

“Is something wrong?”

Concerned about my sudden question, she approached me, but all I could see was her ‘Assistance’ ability.

Is there really such a useless-seeming ability as ‘Assistance’? Thanks to a year of experience, I’ve interacted with heroines who all possessed highly practical abilities, yet it’s hard to imagine how ‘Assistance’ would be useful.

That aside, she’s an Event Heroine. If my past experiences hold true, a system window will soon appear.

[You have encountered another Event Heroine. This event is a Mission.]

[Approaching heroines directly without understanding their character scenarios might prevent you from progressing until graduation. Use missions as an indirect method to approach heroines. Even if you don’t find your desired heroine’s mission now, unexpected missions could hold the key to reaching their scenarios.]

As I read this, I realized something. While consulting events had been helpful, this particular Heroine’s event wasn’t something I intended to use.

I shouldn’t get involved in others’ scenarios unnecessarily. I was fine with just recognizing the existence of these events, but then a new system window popped up.

[Mission List]

[1 – Every night at school, strange music plays. It seems to be coming from the music room. Can you help investigate? This is a mission to connect with a musical heroine.]

[2 – Despite my efforts, I can’t participate in the running race due to senior pressure. It would be helpful if the Student Council could assist. This is a mission to conquer an athletic heroine.]

[3 – I’m being attacked by delinquents and could use help. If successful, this will open connections with outcast and delinquent heroines.]

While unexpected, these missions sound fun if this were an actual game. Picking options based on preference and taking missions accordingly.

Perhaps specific stats are required to complete these missions successfully, though none are mentioned here.

Because of my past experience in game development, I quickly understood the system elements related to these tasks.

The Protagonist can enhance ‘stats,’ but for me, as a potential Heroine in this world, there seems to be no such stat-related system.

‘This isn’t fair.’

Since problem-solving is left to the Protagonist, it makes sense there’s no stat system for me.

Considering my late start in this world and the possibility of competing for endings with the Protagonist, it might be difficult to counter the Protagonist’s strength.

Shouldn’t special treatment for the Protagonist mean special treatment for me too for the sake of fairness?

[Recommended Mission 4 – My mother seems to be falling for a strange scam. Can you help the Student Council assist her? This mission connects you with heroines outside the school.]

As if reading my thoughts, the system screen updated, adding a new window. This mission suggests going outside the school, beyond its usual confines.

Could this be a mission connecting to the Queen? She did abruptly leave today, but it’s possible she has been forming strength outside the school before today.

The system updates only when a problem is pointed out, quite sharp for a game system but extremely slow given this is my reality. Still, it’s promising that the system listens to some of my complaints.

“Do you feel unwell? Should I escort you to the nurse’s office? The health teacher is very kind and could help you stay in bed with an appropriate excuse.”

Perhaps because I was contemplating the mission and system rewards, or maybe due to staying silent too long in front of her, she offered her concern.

Given her knowledge of the rapport between the Student Council President and me, it’s possible she’s worried for my well-being.

It’s not the right atmosphere to mention missions, though. These options appearing in front of me are not chains binding my actions but simply paths laid before me.

Even if an option seems beneficial, choosing it doesn’t mean it will reflect immediately. The situation for expressing these choices must be created by myself.

“No, it’s not that. I was just thinking about how busy the President must be to skip lunch and work, and it brought tears to my eyes…”

Though I don’t usually cry for someone I barely converse with like the Student Council President, I naturally welled up with tears.

Realizing the hardship I’d face without completing the system’s recommended missions made my tears genuine.

Like an actress destined for greatness, she believed my performance, and the Vice President wiped my tears with a handkerchief from her pocket, gripping my hand tightly. “You’re definitely another one of the President’s fans!”

This was unexpected. Trying to withdraw my hand proved futile, as she was surprisingly strong like most heroines.

Most heroines possess superpowers, which explain their superior physical abilities compared to ordinary people. But why can’t I have the same advantages?

I have superpowers, play a similar role to the heroines, and share many traits with those who have superior physical abilities, yet my strength pales compared to theirs. If someone like the Queen attacks, I’d be helpless.

[Awakening Rate: 0.4%]

Perhaps it’s due to my superpowers not being fully awakened. While lamenting my lack of physical strength, the Vice President’s eyes sparkled like a child’s.

“Indeed, I felt we were comrades.”

Comrades? Is she another player from inside the game? As her next words suggested, she had already figured out I entered from outside.

“Thinking about the hardships the President faces, isn’t it only natural for students enjoying peaceful school lives through her efforts to be moved to tears? You do know her well, don’t you? You understand her hard work. The President begins work at 8, but often starts in the early morning and even checks documents during break time. Her dedication and passion for students are truly impressive. I wonder if I can match her if I become the Student Council President after she graduates…”

She assumed I was merely one of the President’s many admirers.

While the Protagonist, Kim Ha-neul, only speculates about our world, surely this woman wouldn’t know I’m from outside unless she possesses telepathy.

Satisfied with my self-assurance, I interrupted her endless stream of words.

“I want to help the President. Is there anything I can assist with?”

“Hmm…”

Contrary to her previous verbosity, the Vice President clasped her hands and seriously pondered, possibly deliberating over sharing confidential information with a civilian.

Considering students’ privacy isn’t the goal here, rather helping the President indirectly through a mercenary-like role seems reasonable.

“We do have four student-commissioned tasks… but if I should reveal them to you…”

Exactly the same number of tasks I had heard of. However, her response was more cautious than expected, but not particularly alarming.

“For the sake of reducing the President’s heavy workload…”

“Of course! You’re not prying into other students’ lives but want to help the President through this mercenary-type work, right? Then, just this once, we’ll let you take one task to showcase your work. If it’s satisfactory, we can assign more.”

And the rest of the process went smoothly. Despite my lack of specified mission assignment, she offered the system’s recommended fourth mission to me.

A mission involving a mother seemingly caught in a scam. Frankly, I doubt I could resolve such an issue by going there.

“For the President!”

Since failing this time wouldn’t matter much, I returned to my room after accepting the system’s recommendation. The official mission would commence after school.