Festival (2)
“Ugh…”
My head’s pounding and my whole body ached, probably from overdoing it. Liliana’s still nestling in my arms; she was deeply knocked out.
While fondling the soft chest under my hands, I shook off the drowsiness. Her horns and wings, which were there earlier, had vanished.
“It’s fascinating.”
Even poking the spot where the horns were yields nothing. Smooth as ever, no traces.
Awakening… Is that what it is? I also awakened during sex, so could Liliana have awakened while waiting for me and pleasuring herself?
No, that sounds a bit… Even for a succubus, isn’t it too much?
Glancing at my smartwatch, it’s 7:00 PM. I went to bed before 9 in the morning, so I got a solid 10-hour nap. But why is Liliana still in dreamland?
“Ah, hmm…”I playfully pinched her nipple, the one I had a hold of.
“Wake up. You’ll overdose on sleep if you keep at it.”
“Hmm… Ugh…”
As I teased her nipple, she snuggled up closer.
“Liliana, let’s grab some chicken skewers.”
“Chicken skewers…”
At the magic words “chicken skewers,” she finally roused herself.
“Huh…”
Stretching, her ample chest proudly on display, as if challenging me to have a match.
“It’s already night. The festival must’ve started by now.”
“Let’s play…” She yawned and gave me a sleepy-eyed look.
“Sure thing. You wanna freshen up first?”
“Yeah…”
After sending Liliana off to the bathroom, I checked my smartwatch. A flood of messages awaited.
First, I replied to a message from Professor Im Sol around the time the survival test wrapped up.
[Professor Im Sol: Good job on the survival test. Swing by the lab.]
[Me: Thanks. I’ll drop by tomorrow or the day after!]
More messages below.
[Soorin Noona: You really put in the work today. Let’s have a meal during the festival.]
[Lucy: You killed it in the friendly match! Up for hanging out tonight?!]
[Lumi: I couldn’t make it to the arena this morning, sorry… But I saw the video. You were so cool, Hoyeon.]
“Phew…”
I told Lucy we could hang out tomorrow, replied to Lumi saying it’s okay as I expressed my thanks, and assured Soorin Noona we’d catch up soon.
Alright. Sorted. Time to gear up for a night out.
After Liliana finished her shower, I hopped in for a quick one too. Since it’s been a while since I went out, I put some effort into styling my hair. Meanwhile, I checked the public opinion on EveryDay using my smartwatch.
Once again, my name was at the top.
———————-
[BREAKING NEWS!!!!! Lee Hoyeon Reveals Dual Attribute]
He busted out the ice attribute against Shin Dongmin in the friendly match. Watch the video below – not a fake or composite.
[From someone who witnessed it, seriously awesome stuff… Froze the entire sea with a single move. Stands went dead silent.]
[Even with the fatigue from the survival test till yesterday, his appearance was hard to believe. Bloodshot eyes and all.]
[Still, undeniably cool.]
[How’s the atmosphere there? Either way, he kicked ass, haha.]
[I’m pretty sure everyone who was there would agree.]
[Anyway, only celeb photos are uploaded these days, let’s stop with the weird stuff and focus on the rising star Lee Hoyeon!]
[Video]
[Check this out!]
————————–
[Damn, that’s awesome.]
[Hoyeon’s cool, but why are you getting all the recommendations?]
[This video is clearly sneaky footage. Crazy bastard, lol.]
[Yeah, seriously, it’s like secret filming, lol.]
[I survived the last day of the survival test, and there were 80 people in a team trying to take down Hoyeon, lol. But that guy still snagged first place.]
[Really? Does that even make sense for a test?]
[Yeah, the Academy’s a mess. Last year’s Battle Royale had the whole C class teaming up from the start, so pissed-off students from other classes formed a group of 200 to take down C class, lol. So, in that test, C class was all at the bottom, lol.]
[That guy was even chilling with girls during the survival test. Maybe he was just tired from fooling around and got late?]
[Cut the nonsense. Anyone who’s been through the survival test knows. I slept for over 12 hours ’cause I was dead tired after. That guy’s stamina is insane.]
“Hmm, not too shabby.”
No signs of any rumors about fakeness or whatever. As expected, you need to show strength frequently in front of the public to gain trust.
Public opinion’s overwhelmingly positive… Only thing on my mind is Moon Soorin. Most of the recommended posts, except mine, were celebs’ daily life pics, and Moon Soorin’s stuff was everywhere.
She’s handling it…
Not that I’m hoping for a wrecked Moon Soorin, but she’s holding up surprisingly well, and I’m clueless on how to navigate her route.
“Oh, Elf Essence.” It randomly popped into my head. I’ve got to absorb it.
I dug through the subspace pouch I tossed in the living room and pulled out the Elf Essence.
“Where did you pick up that weird thing?”
Liliana, while drying her hair, eyed the Elf Essence with curiosity.
“I got lucky. I’m going to take it now. Do you mind keeping an eye on me?”
“Sure, I’ll do it.”
Chances of anything going south were slim, but just to be safe, I had Liliana watch over me.
I gulped down the Elf Essence.
As it touched my tongue, a wave of sweetness enveloped my mouth—an experience foreign to the human palate. The essence carried the scent of the forest, seeping into the depths of my mind. After fully ingesting it, I checked myself out in the mirror, half expecting a face makeover. Surprisingly, I felt little externally, but my body had another plan.
“Great… a heads-up about the pain would’ve been considerate…! Ah, my body…!”
“You okay? Hey! No dying on me! We’ve got chicken skewers to attend to!”
My veins, mana circuits, organs—all compelled to shift to find their way to the most optimal positions and sizes. Although my face remained unchanged, the internal transformations were undoubtedly significant.
“Ah, dammit… it hurts so much…”
“Come here. I’ll give you a hug.”
Liliana, unaware of its nature, opened her arms and embraced me. In her comforting hold, I observed the gradual changes within me. First and foremost, my mind cleared. Energy surged through my body, and the mana circuits expanded.
“Nice. This is what you call a potion.”
Swish, swish.
I started throwing punches in the air like I was in some impromptu boxing match. It felt pretty darn good.
“I think you’ve finally lost it. Tsk…” Liliana side-eyed me and threw in a tongue click for good measure.
***
The festival was in full swing at the academy. From the first day, the Celestial Festival brought a lively atmosphere.
While Lee Hoyeon caught up on sleep, Lucy and her friends were out and about, shaking off fatigue, and diving into the festivities. Festive street vendors, authorized exclusively for the occasion, lined the streets. Lucy and her friends roamed the festival and relished the vibrant ambiance.
“This is really delicious!”
“It’s amazing… Coming out was the right move!”
Amid laughter, Lucy and her friends savored monster meat skewers from a street vendor. While other freshmen recovered from the survival test, her group pushed through exhaustion to soak in the festival.
“What’s your plan for tomorrow, Lucy?”
“Me? Probably hanging out with Hoyeon and Lumi.”
“Wow, so jealous. I want to hang out with Hoyeon too.”
“Exactly. He’s got that cold but cool city guy vibe, doesn’t he?”
“Really?”
The idea that Lee Hoyeon is a cold city guy puzzled Lucy. He is a friendly and playful companion rather than distant or cold.
“Yeah, he hardly talks to anyone unless they’re a select few. Seems like he keeps a bit of distance.”
“True. I’ve said hi a few times, but he never initiates the greeting.”
“Hmm…”
Now that she thought about it, Lucy hadn’t seen Lee Hoyeon socializing with others.
“I think he might be interested in you and Lumi.”
“Huh? What?” Lucy widened her eyes and removed the skewer from her mouth.
“Yeah, it makes sense! He’s always hanging out with you two.”
“Right! He always greets you first.”
“Ah, so envious!”
Lucy’s friends surrounded her and clapped in excitement.
“Huh…”
Could that be true? It kinda makes sense when I think about it…
Just then, new customers approached the skewer vendors Lucy and her friends had just left. While her friends giggled, the customers entered Lucy’s view.
“Oh, so this is what chicken skewers look like!”
“Wow… they’re delicious…!”
Lee Hoyeon and a girl Lucy had never seen before were standing affectionately while eating skewers. Due to the sunglasses, the girl’s identity was unknown to Lucy, and she wasn’t someone familiar to her.
“Ah, ready for a bite? Open wide~”
“What are you doing? We’re in public, you know.”
“Oh, come on. I bought this, and you’re refusing?”
“Haa… Fine.”
Munch.
“…”
Is she his girlfriend? Feeding him like that… Well, it’s not like we have anything going on, and he can have a girlfriend if he wants.
Even though she knew that in her heart, Lucy couldn’t help but feel a bit frustrated. Not wanting to watch that scene anymore, she dashed to the opposite side.
“Huh? Lucy! Where are you going?”
“Hey, stop teasing her. Lucy, wait! Let’s go together!”
Lucy’s friends, oblivious to the situation, believed she was upset and followed her.
***
“Hey, I told you to behave.” I whacked Liliana’s head as she kept insisting on shoving chicken skewers my way.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
Not content with just one smack, I went for a trilogy.
“Sorry, ouch! I said sorry! It hurts! I’m a woman, you know!”
“Where did this crazy succubus pick up such nonsense?”
And so what? She’s not human to begin with.
Thunk.
I gave her forehead another smack for her nonsense.
“Ouch! I was told that if I said so, I’d be invincible.”
Well, it might be an invincible shield, but not for me.
“I’m all for gender equality; when it comes to a good smack, it doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman. And if you keep saying stuff like that, your stream will go downhill.”
“Oh, really? Those brainwashed viewers told me otherwise!” Liliana got fooled again and vented her frustration.
“Sigh…”
She looked cute pouting while munching on chicken skewers and rubbing her forehead. But it’s hard to carry her around. To others, Liliana and I might seem like ordinary people due to the light cognitive interference. Of course, those who know me well might recognize me, but I haven’t run into anyone familiar yet.
Glancing around, I didn’t spot any familiar faces.
Well, the important heroines are all in the first year except Moon Soorin, so they should be asleep by now after having endured until the end of the exams.
I enjoyed the festival with Liliana without any worries.
“Next up is that! I have to try takoyaki! Boss, give me 50 takoyaki, please!”
“Fifty? How are you going to eat all that?”
Still, it felt good to release the stress accumulated from the survival test.
“Oh, Liliana.”
“Yeah?”
Seeing Liliana eating takoyaki with a toothpick reminded me of something I needed to ask her.
“What was that magic you used yesterday?”
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