[1st Private Screening of Kim Deok-Sung’s Animation PV]
A screen unfolds beneath a banner scribbled messily with crayon.
“Looks like everyone’s here.”
Han Seo-Jin, standing on the podium, gazes at the five beautiful girls with her gray eyes.
“Then, let’s start the PV screening now.”
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!
As soon as Han Seo-Jin finishes speaking, applause erupts from the five heroines.
Click.
The moment Han Seo-Jin presses the remote button, the ceiling-mounted projector whirs to life, displaying the video on the screen.
A truly magnificent PV.
With Han Seo-Jin’s words, the video begins to play.
A dazzling animation, rendered with exquisite artistry, flows on screen.
The heroines are depicted in such high quality that you wouldn’t believe it was created in a short period.
If Kim Deok-Sung were watching, he’d be dumbfounded, questioning why he was watching the original anime here again! The stunning visuals of the PV sparkled in everyone’s eyes.
The adrenaline-pumping sound effects and BGM reverberate through the small auditorium.
[Olivia.]
[I came to save you, as promised.]
The PV concludes with Kim Deok-Sung’s silhouette falling from the Notre Dame Cathedral and Olivia, dressed elegantly, turning to look at him.
“That’s it.”
As Han Seo-Jin’s cold voice rings out, the lights turn on.
The projector shuts off, and the screen rolls up.
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.
The sound of five girls’ applause fills the small auditorium.
“Wow! Han Seo-Jin, you are amazing!”
Eri cheers, giving a thumbs up.
“Definitely made the right choice entrusting it to Han Seo-Jin.”
Kasumi murmurs, clapping softly beside her.
“Han Seo-Jin… I’m starting to idolize her…”
Makoto mumbles shyly.
Just then, Rin calmly chimes in, crossing her arms.
“Everything’s great, but having a lot of Bonaparte’s scenes is a bit of a flaw.”
The previously lively atmosphere deflates in an instant.
Shivers.
Eri glares at Rin, puffing out her cheeks.
“Cow. What are you saying about the hard work Han Seo-Jin put into this?”
“I just stated the facts. Washboard.”
“Sounds like you’re upset because your screen time is low? Eri is satisfied, you know. She got to say ‘Master is kind’ and received the necklace from Master. Hehe.”
Eri blushes shyly, playing with the dog collar and grinning.
“Master is kind…”
Her eyes sparkle.
Rin furrows her brow.
She’s at a loss for words.
Right now, Rin is frustrated but can’t refute Eri’s statement.
In contrast, Olivia struggles to keep her lips from quivering.
Thump, thump.
Thanks to the well-recreated wedding crash scene in the PV, memories of that day come rushing back.
Whoosh.
Olivia’s face flushes red.
Tap.
She places her hand atop her chest.
“Ohohohohoho! What a splendid PV it was!”
Olivia covers her red face with her hand, letting out a lady-like giggle.
“And as the foolish exclusive maid and the noble French princess who has been with him the longest, it’s only natural that I, Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte, have the most screen time! Ohohohohohohoh!”
“As the noble French princess and Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte, who has been by my side as a lady-in-waiting the longest, it’s only natural that I carry the highest significance! Ohohohohohohoho!”
Seeing Olivia’s demeanor, Rin bites her lip.
“Kugh…”
Han Seo-Jin calmly addresses Rin, who is gripping her tie.
“Thank you for your feedback, Shinozaki-san. The upcoming second PV, character-specific PVs, final trailer, and the main feature will ensure an even distribution of screen time. Please don’t worry too much.”
Han Seo-Jin’s calm eyes turn to Rin.
While it’s true that Olivia is still dominating the princess competition, Rin’s percentage, which is competitive within the margin of error in the domestic heroine support survey, cannot be ignored.
Moreover, this animated movie, tentatively titled ‘Hero Kim Deok-Sung,’ has another purpose aside from promoting Kim Deok-Sung.
‘Through this animation, we need to indirectly support the harem members with low approval ratings and generate favorable domestic opinions for Saionji Aris and Yoshizaki Seira, who barely register at all.’
Han Seo-Jin’s eyes grow cold and resolute.
Naturally, the ‘Hero Kim Deok-Sung’ animation is expected to surpass ten million viewers without a doubt.
Through this animation, Han Seo-Jin plans to disrupt the current domestic competition under the strongholds of Olivia and Rin, with Kasumi and Eri forming a double threat and Makoto as a weaker yet significant presence.
“Th-thank you, Han Seo-Jin-san.”
Rin, completely unaware of Han Seo-Jin’s inner motives, nods her head.
“It’s not just Shinozaki-san. I’ll ensure that everyone here has their screen time as evenly balanced as possible while not neglecting the story. All of Korea’s famous screenwriters and novelists are participating in the scriptwriting, so you can rest assured about this.”
Makoto breathes a sigh of relief at Han Seo-Jin’s words.
‘Thank goodness.’
Relief washes over her face.
Hug.
Eri pulls Makoto into a tight embrace.
“Makopi, you were worried! It’s okay, it’s okay.”
Swipe.
Eri’s hand slides down.
“You’re still a scoundrel of a lump! Makopi!”
“Wah?! Eri-chan, don’t do that…”
A nasal whine escapes Makoto’s lips.
“Here we go again…”
Rin places her palm on her forehead as she observes the chaos unfolding.
Watching this typical scene turned battlefield, Olivia crosses her arms.
“Alright! With this, preparations against Kurosawa Haru, that thieving cat, are completely wrapped up! If it weren’t for this idea of Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte, really… Everyone, you should be thanking me! Got it?!”
With a triumphant expression, Olivia sports a lady-like laugh.
Kasumi awkwardly chuckles at the sight.
“Doesn’t it feel like something’s been forgotten…?”
Kasumi mutters quietly as the fact that Kim Deok-Sung was selected as the festival executive committee member pops into her mind.
And also, that the festival committee chair is being held concurrently by the student council president, Saionji Aris.
“Just a misunderstanding, right?”
Trying hard to shake off the ominous feeling, Kasumi smiles at her juniors.
There were about ten days left until the festival.
*
That day.
After showing a bit of a weaker side on the rooftop, thankfully, Aris returned to her usual self.
The only change since that day was that she had become a little more honest when alone with her, occasionally slipping into her dialect.
It was a relief that my concerns regarding Aris turned out to be unnecessary.
In the original work, the preparation process wasn’t properly described, so I hadn’t known, but the executive committee work was quite busy.
And the agenda for today’s executive committee meeting was.
“Today, I will personally seek cooperation from the Japan Hero Association, representing Shuo Academy for the festival preparations.”
Cooperation at the association level for a simple academy festival, huh?
It’s just like a light novel-style academy festival, causing unnecessary drama.
At that moment, in the student council meeting room, I was listening to Aris’s words.
“Kim Deok-Sung.”
Aris called for me.
“Will you accompany us to the association event this time?”
With Aris’s mention, all eyes turned toward me.
“Oh my, is this a total date invitation?!”
“President, how bold!”
“Aren’t you going to go off and do those kinds of things with the Black Beast? Eek!”
The excited whispers of the committee members followed as expected.
“Ugh, President…!”
And the student council secretary, Nagamine Reiji, secretly punches his thigh and bites his lip.
“Go for it, President!”
I see the vice president, Morishita Miho, mouthing a small cheer.
A brief silence fills the air.
Aris flinches slightly.
“…Is that not okay?”
Her voice trembles ever so slightly, something only I could detect.
[Partner, you aren’t actually planning to turn her down, are you?]
The Black Prince’s voice rang in my head.
Of course, I wasn’t considering that.
“That’s fine. Let’s go, Japan Hero Association.”
“Understood, Kim Deok-Sung. Then we shall depart now.”
Aris gets up from her seat.
Thus, I leave the academy with Aris and board the train to the Japan Hero Association.
Japan Hero Association Headquarters.
I stand before a skyscraper flanked by the association’s logo and a fluttering Japanese flag, alongside Aris.
Upon arriving at the main entrance of the building, we are greeted by a casually dressed handsome man with messy hair who looks quite laid back.
I know who he is.
Vice President of the Japan Hero Association.
The right-hand man of Association President Shinozaki Ichiro, and the second-in-command.
“Student Council President Saionji Aris from Shuo Academy, and this here is Mr. Kim Deok-Sung, a candidate hero from Korea. Nice to meet you. I’m Meiou Nakayama Sojiro. The president asked me to show you around. Seriously, why does he keep putting me to work like this? It’s so annoying. This association is like a black company.”
An EX-Rank hero from Japan.
Meiou Nakayama Sojiro.
Nakayama Sojiro scratches his head while grumbling like an office worker.
“Anyway, let me guide you.”
He leads us into a VIP-only elevator, still mumbling.
The elevator zooms upward quickly and arrives at the top floor.
The corridor is extravagantly decorated, to the point where there’s an imposing atmosphere.
There is only one room here.
The Association President’s office.
It’s exactly as I had seen in the anime.
“Ugh, just being here takes my breath away. Damn it.”
Sojiro complains next to me.
Yet, he dutifully shows us to the front of the president’s office before leaving.
“Alright, just go in here. My job is done, so I’m heading out. Gotta clock out early.”
Sojiro quickly excuses himself and leaves.
With that, the door to the president’s office opens automatically with a creak.
The association president’s office, unnecessarily larger than the director’s, is decorated as a traditional Japanese tatami room, just like in the anime.
Outside the glass windows, a beautifully arranged traditional Japanese garden on the rooftop can be seen.
A modern skyscraper’s top floor turned into a traditional Japanese room; it was strange to think that what I’d seen in the anime had become my reality.
What a bizarre production this is.
“Saionji Aris and Kim Deok-Sung. It’s been quite a while.”
Ichiro, dressed in a yukata, welcomes us while sipping on oolong tea.
“Come and sit.”
“Nice to meet you. Understood, President.”
After bowing with Aris, we take a seat opposite him.
“First, let’s have some tea.”
Chugging sounds.
Ichiro pours oolong tea from a ceramic teapot into teacups placed on the desk. Sweet treats are laid out atop it.
Snacks are laid out.
Without thinking, I pick one up and eat it.
The sweetness lingers in my mouth.
Delicious.
Anyway, I have nothing to do here.
Aris will handle all the explanations.
I just need to play the role of a straw man.
“Right, you came to ask for cooperation for the cultural festival?”
“Yes, first I’ll hand you the documents.”
Swish.
Aris pulls a stack of papers from her bag and hands it to Ichiro.
Flap.
Ichiro flips through the documents.
“This year’s cultural festival at Shuo Hero Academy is set to be held on a much larger scale than last year. We’ve signed sponsorship agreements with the Tokyo metropolitan area, local shopping districts, and leading corporations in Japan. Marketing activities including posters, brochures, and a dedicated website will start soon.”
Ichiro nods at Aris’s explanation.
“Got it. So you’re looking for sponsors from the association as well?”
“Yes, Shuo Hero Academy has been linked with the association since the very first cultural festival, and above all, our academy is one of the finest, competing globally. It wouldn’t be a loss for the association to sign sponsorship contracts.”
Aris responds to Ichiro’s question.
“Understood. Well, let’s go ahead with the sponsorship deal. Now, let’s wrap up the formalities here.”
Tap.
Ichiro places his teacup down.
“Mr. Kim Deok-Sung.”
Ichiro’s gloomy green eyes are directed at me.
“What is your relationship with the student council president, Saionji Aris, sitting here?”
The moment I hear Ichiro’s words…
“Pfft!”
Aris sprays the oolong tea she was drinking all over the place.
Swoosh, smack.
At the same time, the Japanese-style rooftop garden’s stone lantern outside the window clinks together.
Okay then.
That cursed stone lantern is here too.
Want to grab some ramen?
[Kim Deok-Sung is in a pinch! How will our partner overcome this adversity? To be continued!]
An anime-style narrator’s voice echoes in my head.
It’s the Black Prince.
Do I really have to hear such narration in this light novel world?
Unbelievable.
“Miss Saionji, why are you flustered?”
Ichiro’s gaze is fixed on Aris, who just spewed her tea.
Aris’s cheeks flush slightly.
“Well, that’s…”
“Such a composed and meticulous person, a perfect being surpassing regular heroes… it’s quite the mismatch from the image of the esteemed student council president representing Shuo.”
Ichiro’s cold voice rings in my ears.
Aris’s hand shakes, gripping the oolong tea.
Her eyes waver.
“Does that mean the person sitting here is not the Saionji Aris I know? Or…”
Ichiro interrupts.
“Does it imply that your relationship with Mr. Kim Deok-Sung is so deep that it stirs the calm Saionji Aris?”
Aris lowers her head.
In a light novel, a scene with a doting father and a flustered heroine is a classic cliché.
So Ichiro’s reaction isn’t wholly unexpected.
But the issue lies in the fact that it’s Aris.
The mere thought of her hiding her true self is a complex; Ichiro’s words denying her as a perfect being only exacerbate her discomfort.
Knowing nearly everything about her, I can quite understand her feelings.
“Which one is it?”
Ichiro’s eyes narrow.
Aris’s shoulders tremble.
It’s a common scene in light novels.
But today, I don’t like it one bit.
Aris’s face, bowed down, is in a panic.
[Partner, are you really just going to leave the lady in distress?]
The Black Prince speaks in my head.
‘Not a chance.’
I reply immediately to the Black Prince.
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