Lunchtime.
At Kangin Academy, lunchtime was a matter of choice. Students could indulge in a buffet featuring dozens of menu options or pay extra for more luxurious dishes.
Given the larger-than-average appetite of mana awakeners, the academy had generously allocated two full hours for lunch. Third and fourth-year students ate from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., while first and second-years had their meal time from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
The academy boasted four dining halls, each spanning three floors entirely dedicated to dining. This setup could comfortably accommodate the academy's massive student population, which exceeded 4,000.
However, even with such expansive facilities, managing 2,000 students per hour across four dining halls meant the staff was always busy. Each hall had two separate food stations, but with hundreds of students lining up for meals, time flew by in a blur.
To add to the challenge, many students opted to order cooked dishes instead of using the buffet, keeping the dining hall bustling at all times.
“Quick, quick!” “Hurry up!”
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the academy chefs—tasked with feeding mana-awakened students at the peak of their appetites—were some of the hardest-working people on campus.
But the newly appointed academy director, Kim Ho-jun, seemed to understand their efforts well. He not only hired additional staff to ease the burden but also increased their salaries by 50%. The chefs, now motivated and well-compensated, were brimming with enthusiasm.
Dishwashing and other cleaning tasks were handled with artifacts, allowing the chefs to focus solely on cooking.
“Ah, this is delicious.”
“Mmm, so good!”
“They weren’t lying when they said Kangin Academy’s meals were top-notch.”
“Ugh, I was so hungry today I thought my stomach was going to stick to my back!”
Voices of satisfaction and joy echoed throughout the dining halls as students relished their meals. Among them, Lee Ha-yeon and Han Se-hee were seated at a table in one of the dining halls. They were joined by Moriya Yuka and Kang Yu-ra, forming a group of four enjoying their meal together.
Rather than ordering from the menu, the four girls had opted for the buffet. Each of them had two plates stacked with food, and none of them were picky eaters, making for an effortless meal. The only exception was Moriya Yuka, who seemed to avoid overly spicy dishes.
“I can’t believe the buffet includes sushi and sashimi—and the quality is amazing.”
Moriya Yuka commented in satisfaction as she savored the sushi and sashimi.
The sushi, featuring tuna, salmon, and flatfish, and the sashimi rivaled that of specialty restaurants rather than typical buffet fare. Meanwhile, the roast beef was kept warm with mana-based heating artifacts, and the endless stream of food ensured that no one went hungry.
With dozens of dishes available, students could explore an array of cuisines from around the world, indulging in a variety of flavors.
‘It’s so good.’
Even the reserved Kang Yu-ra found herself enjoying the meal. Unlike the more outgoing Lee Ha-yeon and Moriya Yuka, Yu-ra rarely joined in their conversations, but she appreciated the opportunity to share lighthearted chats during their meal.
She also felt comfortable talking to Han Se-hee, whose quiet nature was more akin to her own. Se-hee wasn’t as talkative as Yu-ra, but her serene personality, coupled with her status as a saintess, made their exchanges surprisingly pleasant.
‘Both of them were saved by Kim Ho-jun.’
Yu-ra couldn’t help but think about the infamous kidnapping incident involving Lee Ha-yeon and Han Se-hee. When Se-hee was only 15, the SSS-Class villain Gye Un-jik abducted her and Ha-yeon, causing an uproar throughout South Korea.
The incident had occurred in the southern region of Incheon while the two were traveling to Seoul. The audacity of an SSS-class villain targeting the heir of the Angel Guild, one of the top ten guilds in the country, made it a nationwide headline.
Yu-ra, like many others, had followed the news closely. It wasn’t long before word spread that Kim Ho-jun and Seomun Ye-jin had successfully rescued the two girls unharmed.
***
Han Se-hee, Lee Ha-yeon, Moriya Yuka, and Kang Yu-ra.
As the four sat together enjoying their meal, someone was watching them closely. That person was Baek Seo-jin. Seated with Kim Chul-woo, Park Sun-hoo, and Bae Ye-rim, he couldn’t keep his eyes off the group of girls.
‘It’s hard to approach them since they’re sitting together as an all-girl group. Ha-yeon and Se-hee are so overly concerned about what others think of them.’
As their friend, he understood their mindset, but it had been difficult to find an opportunity to tell them not to care so much about the gazes of others. They’d been living and training together at the academy for a while now, and he felt it was something they needed to hear.
Still, sending them a message about it seemed impersonal and disrespectful. Baek Seo-jin believed that such matters should be addressed directly, face-to-face, even between friends.
“Those girls are unreal. Their looks are out of this world.”
“They’re on par with Seomun Ye-jin’s beauty.”
Kim Chul-woo and Park Sun-hoo couldn’t help but alternate glances between Lee Ha-yeon, Han Se-hee, Moriya Yuka, and Kang Yu-ra, openly marveling at their stunning appearances.
Watching his two friends, Han Se-hee and Lee Ha-yeon, Baek Seo-jin couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pride as his companions were left in awe of their beauty. He knew that both girls held him in high regard, though they refrained from saying anything due to their shared respect for Seomun Ye-jin, the girl he loved.
Baek Seo-jin wasn’t oblivious. He was fully aware that Han Se-hee and Lee Ha-yeon harbored feelings for him that went beyond friendship. However, he couldn’t reciprocate those feelings—not yet.
‘I couldn’t even save the woman I love, Seomun Ye-jin. What right do I have to accept their feelings?’
In this world where polygamy was permitted, only those worthy of such an arrangement could claim it. Baek Seo-jin didn’t believe he was worthy—not yet. The girls, understanding his mindset, respected his decision.
In his heart, Baek Seo-jin resolved that he would only accept their feelings after defeating Kim Ho-jun and marrying Seomun Ye-jin.
Even Moriya Yuka and Kang Yu-ra had begun to show subtle signs of interest in him, evident in the fleeting glances they’d sent his way earlier.
And right now, across the table, Bae Ye-rim couldn’t seem to keep her eyes off him either.
Baek Seo-jin wasn’t blind to his looks. Having inherited the striking features of his beautiful parents, he’d attracted admiration from women since childhood. He knew this and carried himself with quiet confidence, fully aware of the attention he naturally garnered.
***
Currently, I was in the president’s office, sharing a light meal with Seomun Ye-jin, while casually observing the situation in the dining hall.
‘Baek Seo-jin, that fool deliberately chose the dining hall where Han Se-hee and Lee Ha-yeon were eating.’
Even if he couldn’t sit with them, his intent was clear—he wanted to sit somewhere he could see them.
However, Baek Seo-jin was now grossly mistaken in thinking that Han Se-hee and Lee Ha-yeon harbored romantic feelings for him. He was oblivious to the fact that the gazes they directed at him were not of affection but barely restrained disgust and hatred. Worse still, he refused to acknowledge this truth, sinking further into his delusions.
Even Moriya Yuka and Kang Yu-ra, though more reserved, felt nothing but contempt and disdain for him.
‘If he hadn’t sealed his memories himself, my revenge wouldn’t have been as satisfying.’
Baek Seo-jin had practically handed me the means to destroy him on a silver platter. His absolute reverence for his parents blinded him to their wrongdoing, and he adamantly refused to acknowledge their faults.
This had only made things easier for me. Moriya Yuka, perceptive by nature, had instinctively detested him from their first meeting. Kang Yu-ra, initially uneasy around him, grew to despise him after hearing the full story from Han Se-hee and Lee Ha-yeon.
Watching the original protagonist of the novel fall from grace and become loathed by all the heroines was undeniably amusing. What made it even more satisfying was that this wasn’t part of my plan—it was entirely his doing.
“Darling, your first class starts after lunch.”
“Yeah. You’re coming with me, right?”
“Of course! But darling...” Seomun Ye-jin leaned in with a mischievous glint in her eye. “What if you hugged me in front of the students and gave me a passionate kiss? Wouldn’t that turn Baek Seo-jin’s stomach inside out?”
Even as she suggested this, it was clear her words were driven more by her own desires than pure strategy. Her sly smile and teasing tone gave her away.
I chuckled. “It probably would.”
“Hehe~ Right?”
As she giggled, her hand slid slyly onto my lap. Even during lunch, Seomun Ye-jin’s smoldering gaze lingered on me, her blue eyes burning with an unmistakable hunger.
She was clearly longing for us to spend time alone, especially with Han Se-hee and Lee Ha-yeon preoccupied with Moriya Yuka and Kang Yu-ra. Her thoughts were written plainly on her face.
Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.
- Do not tamper with time. We’re in the middle of a broadcast.
The voice of Ramisa, who was watching a TV program, cut through my thoughts with her warning.
“I know. I won’t mess with time.”
Even as I reassured her, my hand naturally found its way to Seomun Ye-jin’s soft, pale thigh, gently stroking it as if on instinct.
I couldn’t help it—when it came to my wife’s temptations, resistance was futile.