Alice, the Heroine
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[Subquest received]
[The Start of an Insider: Conversation First]
[Alice is a very picky character]
[Engage in a conversation that aligns with her interests for at least 30 minutes!]
[Reward: Slightly increase Alice's affection. Random stat +1]
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I went up to Alice, her eyes glued to her smartwatch.
"This is a surprise."
"What do you mean?"
"I never took you for the type to do this. The PR department must be a pain."
Alice's daily routine consisted of a never-ending cycle of "school, study, train, repeat." As an international student with the added pressure of becoming stronger for her home guild, I understood her situation. But with her knack for keeping people at arm's length, it's no wonder she didn't have many close friends.
And yet, she joined the PR department? It only added more distraction to her already busy life.
"Let me explain. It's not that I hate tedious tasks; it's just that I despise doing things that serve no purpose."
"Hmm, I kinda see where you're coming from."
"I'd rather not waste my time on things that won't benefit me in any way, like hanging out with classmates who won't contribute anything, spending hours in cafes for sweet desserts, or aimlessly wandering through malls just for pretty clothes."
"I see. So why did you join the PR department then?"
Simply put, it seemed like she didn't want her personal development time to be taken away. So why did she join the PR department?
"You already know the answer, why bother asking? It's obvious. It's all because of Moon Soorin's influence. She's touted as the most promising rising star in Korea. It's all about connections. Isn't that the same for you? I heard you're quite friendly with her."
Alice joined the PR department to build connections with Moon Soorin, and I had similar intentions.
"We're friends, but it's not like I'm here just for networking."
To be honest, I joined the student council to catch the eye of the student council president.
"A common excuse."
After hearing my reply, Alice seemed to lose interest and averted her gaze.
Well, well, this snooty... I need to stay calm. I can handle this.
But there's something oddly appealing about a beautiful girl acting all high and mighty. Maybe it's because she's aware of her good looks and it gives her the confidence to act that way. It's not a criticism; after all, one's face can be seen as their own unique talent.
I learned something valuable from Alice. Watching her behavior, I feel like I can be more assertive in the future.
Anyway, our conversation isn't exactly flowing smoothly.
To wrap up this quest, I need to engage in a conversation that matches Alice's interests. Even though she seems to lose interest in me, but it's okay. Whether she's soaring high or crawling low, Alice will always be my heroine.
"Do you happen to know a thing or two about cocktails? I've got quite an interest in them."
Alice perked up her ears. She was trying to act disinterested, but her ears betrayed her, attentively listening.
"There's this new cocktail bar in the Academy Mall. Their gin and tonic is out of this world. They use top-notch gin and premium tonic water—they even use magical ice, claiming to be the first ones to do so in the world. That's probably why it's incredibly refreshing."
"Where is this place?"
Alice's curiosity was piqued. Truth be told, I already knew her preferences like the back of my hand, so this quest was as good as done.
Alice's route was naturally imprinted in my memory. From cocktails to books, movies, and classical music, I had a comprehensive grasp of her hobbies.
"...I personally think gin-based cocktails are the coolest. Despite the notion that cheap alcohol is subpar, nothing beats that unique aroma and refreshing taste."
"Looks like our tastes align."
"I used to indulge in Pink Lady and Singapore Sling quite frequently."
"Hey, I... I used to enjoy those too."
Our conversation carried on for over 30 minutes. Unfortunately, Alice maintained a façade of disinterest throughout, but I had the system window right in front of me, and it never lies.
[Subquest complete!]
Alice definitely found our conversation delightful.
***
As soon as I finished chatting with Alice, she mentioned it was time for her training and headed towards the training room.
I stepped out of the PR room and started making my way back to the dormitory.
"Leaving so soon?"
"Hey Noona. Yeah, I've got something to take care of."
As I left the student council room, Moon Soorin called out to me.
"Now that you're in the PR department, it's only natural if we run into each other more often, right?"
A wide smile blossomed on Moon Soorin's face. It was a smile that conveyed more than just simple fondness.
It became even more certain.
Moon Soorin, you're one sneaky noona.
She had intentionally created the PR department to bring me into the student council. To make it less obvious, she even added a beautiful new student like Alice to the mix.
The butterfly effect can be quite something.
I met Moon Soorin earlier than the original, at a café. As a result, she developed feelings for me more quickly and approached me more actively since she hadn't experienced her trauma yet.
And now she had gone on to create the PR department, which allowed me to join the student council, and even brought Alice into the council under the pretense of it being necessary.
Ugh, my head hurts just thinking about it. But it's probably not a big deal, right?
It didn't happen in the original storyline, but considering Alice didn't play a major role in the club activities anyway...
I'm sure it'll be fine. Yeah, everything will work out. Besides, there's no going back now. Looking on the bright side, it means I've formed connections with the heroines.
"Yeah, you're right. See you later then, Noona."
"Sure thing, Hoyeon. Take care."
She only quietly called me by my name when we're alone. I also referred to her as the President when others were around, so it's the same.
Leaving Moon Soorin with her radiant smile behind, I exited the student council room.
The rejection due to an error, followed by the advisor mentioning personal matters and being unable to proceed.
So, if I were to enter this information as is into the computer system, it would immediately flag it as false documents.
But if there's no issue with the documents, why the fuck did an error occur? There's a possibility of a genuine error, but I sensed a strong awkwardness in the guy's expression and actions.
"It's rejected it last time, said there was an error, and now you're saying there's another error?"
"Yes, that's how it turned out."
"Okay. If you don't mind, can I try entering it myself? Something seems off."
"No, that's not possible. If you keep this up, I'll report it to the student council executives."
"I am part of the student council. Why are you threatening to call the student council executives? Go ahead, make the call. Let's see what they can do."
"What? Um, well..."
There's a reason why I was making an unreasonable request and acting suspicious.
I'm not 100% sure, but someone is trying to suppress me.
Since I've already revealed my position in the student council, the only person who could try to stop me would be someone from the club department.
"Junior. Can't you just calm down? Isn't this too much for a junior who just joined?"
The person I'd been waiting for finally showed up. It was the general club president who avoided me earlier.
I don't know his name, and I don't want to remember it anyway.
"Senior, hello. Our club keeps getting mysteriously rejected."
"It seems like there's a computer error. As a senior in the student council, I'll work on resolving it. Don't worry. Please come back for today."
The club president had a friendly smile on the surface, but I could see through it. Behind that smile, there was undoubtedly a hidden mockery.
For now, I'll just go back. I have things I need to prepare as well. There's no point in saying more; it would only make things worse for me. There's still time until Friday. If I can resolve it by Friday, it will be fine.
Alice was right again. At times like this, it's the perfect opportunity to make use of the connections I've built up. From now on, I'll listen to everything Alice says. Whether it's actions or words, she's never been wrong.
***
After finishing her training, Alice climbed into a luxurious foreign car that was waiting in front of the academy's main gate for dinner.
"Good work, Miss."
The middle-aged man sitting in the driver's seat spoke to Alice as if they were familiar.
"Yeah, thanks."
"Did you make progress in today's training? I heard Irene back home was quite worried about you."
"Now you're mentioning my sister to get on my nerves, huh?"
"I would never do such a disrespectful thing. I've never had such an unbecoming thought."
The middle-aged man offered a water bottle to Alice with a faint smile.
"What's my sister worried about? Ugh, forget it."
Alice carried a trauma from her childhood, thanks to her sister Irene's past bullying. Even as she grew older, the memories of Irene snatching away her toys and other cherished items still haunted her.
One of the reasons Alice chose to study abroad at Victoria Academy in Korea was to break free from her sister's influence.
"You joined the student council this time, Miss? That's truly impressive."
"It's not a big deal. They just picked me for my looks, that's all."
"What about that student named Hoyeon? If you're both in the PR department, you'll probably run into each other often."
Gulp, gulp.
Tired from intense training, Alice quenched her thirst while speaking.
"He's quite handsome. And it seems like he has some talent... but something feels off."
"Why? Just from listening, he seems like the type you would like."
Thud.
In response to the teasing remark, Alice threw the water bottle, but the man simply smiled and caught it.
"Hmm... There's no particular reason."
"Could he be a delinquent? Even if they pretend not to be, they tend to reveal their true colors. Even though I look like this, I used to be..."
The man speculated here and there, rambling about his own anecdotes, but Alice's mind was preoccupied with other thoughts.
There was a story she couldn't bring herself to reveal, a story that her strong sense of pride prevented her from sharing.
Ever since she was young, Alice had always received praise and envy due to her overwhelming talent and beauty. As she matured, she realized that the jealousy and criticism from others stemmed from their own insecurities, and she didn't let it bother her, knowing her own superiority.
However, there were only two instances when she felt jealousy or annoyance towards someone her age.
One was a girl named Nam Daeun she met at Victoria Academy. Her overwhelming talent and fighting prowess made Alice resentful towards fate, wondering why it wasn't her but that girl who was chosen.
The other one was Hoyeon. It wasn't jealousy. He didn't have talents that would make Alice jealous. They were in completely different fields.
'I can't help but feel annoyed.'
'The conversations with him were pleasant. It felt like meeting someone who perfectly matched my tastes.'
'From cocktails to books, movies, and even classical topics, every conversation was interesting and engaging. But there was something that lingered in my mind, as if he was toying with me.'
'He seems to know me well and talks as if he knows things that are oddly accurate, making it hard for me to refute.'
'I feel annoyed, but it's awkward to get angry when our eyes meet. Yet, there's an unpleasant feeling about this strange sensation that somehow feels good.'
"That reminds me, my nickname back then was Bloodbath. They said that whenever I appeared, the surroundings would be drenched in blood..."
"Enough already! Just stop! Let's go eat dinner, I'm hungry."
"Pfft, fine. I understand. We'll go to the restaurant we always go to."
"Yeah. And for dessert, let's go to Emilia, a cocktail bar."
"Where is that? I've never heard of it before."
"Just go!"
"Alright!"
As Alice closed her eyes and crossed her arms, the man must have given in, as he started driving the car.
'Haah, what kind of feeling is this?'
Alice hadn't realized it yet, but she had already fallen into the trap of being a heroine.
***