Piles of books sat atop my desk, forming precarious towers that threatened to topple at the slightest gust of wind. The Reading Club's activities revolved mostly around reading, and I loved it. The Cube AI's recommended books were changing my perspective on many things, making me feel like I was becoming more integrated into this world. I mean, who wouldn't want to be more involved when the alternative was sitting in a corner, contemplating the existential dread of being a side character?
The Reading Club gave its members freedom on how to spend their time in the library, so I could read whatever topic I fancied. Naturally, I took full advantage of this privilege. While diving into various Martial Arts theories popular back in Outcall, I couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of some of the techniques. Who knew that hitting someone with a flaming fist could be an actual fighting style?
Wouldn't it hurt your fist? I meant… the combination of a Molotov and then punch wasn't exactly martial arts, right?
Amid my eclectic reading repertoire, I also explored topics regarding the Devils that popped up in this world. History was rich with tales of them, especially during the Middle Ages when proselytizing was all the rage. It made me wonder why the mention of Devils seemed to fade after Outcall. Were they all on vacation or something?
Religious texts nowadays seemed to be losing popularity, to the point where believing in God felt more like subscribing to a superstition than embracing an ideal. If this trend continued, I half-expected a book titled "The 12 Signs You Might Be a Superstitious Nut" to hit the shelves soon.
As I perused my reading list, I spotted Rachel casually engrossed in a book. I figured she was studying; she was that kind of girl after all. With nothing to lose, I decided to make my move. I left my desk, weaving through the chaos of books, and silently settled beside her. I couldn't help but sneak a glance at the title of her book, which was a stupendously long one that seemed to have more words than a typical sentence.
"Ahem~" I faked a cough, trying to gain her attention. My eyes then landed on a romance novel cleverly hiding at the bottom of her pile. I recognized it immediately; I was reading a copy of it on my smartwatch. "Nice taste..."
"Eh?" Rachel uttered a soft sound of surprise, her eyes wide. "T-that's not mine..." she weakly defended herself.
Ah, the classic "I'm totally not reading that" response. Rachel was a very knowledgeable heroine in the novel, though most readers overlooked this because she had the least appearance compared to other heroines. I felt a pang of sympathy, especially since I was a big Rachel fan. Come to think of it, she didn't seem to have any hobbies that The Novel's Extra talked about. That was kind of sad. At least Yeonha had her junk food obsession to fall back on.
"Sure, Rachel, sure," I teased, nudging her with my elbow. "But if you ever want to dive into the world of romantic subplots, I'm here for you. Just think of me as your personal guide to the mushy stuff."
Wink… wink… wink…
I should remember that Rachel liked romance novels, huh? It was hard not to admire her taste, even if she tried to deny it.
In my Heroine index, Rachel was right at the top, followed closely by Yoo Yeonha, with Yi Byul and Chae Nayun tying for last place. I had no particular reason for this hierarchy—just a gut feeling. After all, Rachel was my ideal girl, and I couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement whenever I saw her.
With a wide grin plastered on my face, I greeted her amicably. "Hello~ Rachel-ssi! So, introductions first. My name is Hyon Hyung!" I waved my hand like an eager fan meeting a celebrity. "You don't mind me asking some things, do you?" I extended my hand for a handshake, feeling a little like a dork.
"Uhh…" Rachel reciprocated my handshake, looking a bit surprised by my bubbly personality. "Yes, what is it?"
As I shook her hand, I could almost feel myself blushing. Oh my… I might not wash this hand for a long time. Normally, I wasn't this bubbly, but there was just something about her that made me giddy. Rachel leaned back slightly, clearly taken aback by my unsightly enthusiasm. I silently promised myself not to come off as a pervert; I just appreciated her presence a little too much.
"Ahem~!" I fake-coughed, trying to dispel the awkward atmosphere I was causing. "Do you believe in Devils? I mean… what do you know about God?"
It was a strange question, but given the world we lived in, it felt oddly relevant. I watched her face for a reaction, curious about how she would respond. Would she brush it off, or did she have some deep, philosophical insight? Either way, I was all ears.
England, from what I knew back in my past life, had a strong connection to Catholicism. This world mirrored so much of my previous one that it didn't feel wrong to assume—"Does the Catholic Church know about Devils too?"
But wait. Did this world even have churches?
"Excuse me?" Rachel tilted her head, looking genuinely confused by my sudden shift into philosophical musings.
I was just about to elaborate when, out of nowhere, someone yanked me from my seat. "I'm sorry, Rachel-ssi… This bastard is asking weird questions…" Kim Hajin shot Rachel a charming smile before turning his head to me, his expression shifting to one of mild disgust.
Oh, fuck…
Before I could protest or even grab the books I had been eyeing, Hajin dragged me out of the library, my feet scrambling to keep up with his pace. I shot one last glance at Rachel, who was probably wondering what the hell just happened. Great. Just great.
"What was that for?" I asked Hajin, pulling away from his grip as we stepped outside the library.
The last time we were together, he had promised me his cooperation, but now he seemed to be taking matters into his own hands. Had he already finished his research on the Devil's Seed? It had only been a day, after all.
"Did you find the Devil already?" I whispered, leaning closer, curiosity piqued.
"No," he replied succinctly, his tone indicating he wasn't in the mood for small talk. "If it really is a Devil, as you say, then there's no use in involving Rachel in this."
I nodded, understanding his point. Rachel was intelligent and resourceful, but she didn't need to be dragged into this mess—especially if we were dealing with something as dangerous as a Devil. My heart raced at the thought of it. If Hajin was already on this case, it meant he was taking it seriously.
"So, what's our next move?" I asked, trying to keep my excitement in check. "Do we have a plan?"
He shrugged, running a hand through his hair, the frustration evident in his expression. "I'm still figuring things out. I've only pieced together bits and pieces so far."
I studied his face. He looked more worn out than I had seen him before. It made me wonder what he had gone through in the past day. "If you need help, you know I'm here, right?"
He sighed, looking at the ground for a moment. "I know, but I don't want to drag anyone else into this if I can help it. This is my mess to clean up."
I shook my head. "You're not alone in this, Hajin. You're my friend. We're in this together."
He looked up, meeting my gaze. "Yeah, I appreciate that. But let's keep this between us for now."
Rachel, as she was now, would only be a burden. Although I knew I wouldn't stand a chance in a fight against her, I didn't believe she would be of any use in confronting this threat. My escape abilities could at least help me save myself. As for Nayun and Suho, their motivations to get involved were self-explanatory. And Hajin? He was as good as those cheating bastards, having more advantages to compensate for what he lacked in talent.
We walked side by side until we reached the rooftop, where the sun was beginning to set. The sky was painted in shades of scarlet orange, as if the sun were bleeding. We sat on a bench in silence, the atmosphere a mix of tension and camaraderie. I was happy we had Hajin's cooperation, but I couldn't shake the feeling that he should be more involved with our group—Kim Suho, Chae Nayun, and me.
"Hey," I called to him, considering how to phrase my next words. "Nayun is thinking of establishing a club. With you as Rank 2 and Suho as Rank 1, they should have enough clout to get the faculty to give them a green light."
Hajin turned to me, his expression thoughtful. "A club? What would it be about?"
I leaned back, contemplating how to explain it. "Something like a Devil Research Club. We need to gather information, not just about the Devils but also about how to combat them. It's becoming increasingly clear that we can't just rely on ourselves."
He raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "And you think establishing a club will help with that?"
"Absolutely. It'll give us a formal structure to work within the school, make it easier to gather information and recruit others who might be interested. Plus, it'll legitimize our efforts."
Hajin nodded slowly, seeming to warm up to the idea. "That makes sense. But you know it's not going to be easy, right? The faculty won't just hand out approvals for something like that without a good reason."
"Yeah, but that's where we come in. If we can show them the potential dangers—like the Devil's Seed—then maybe they'll take us seriously. And if they don't, we'll just have to make them." I smirked at the thought.
"Sounds ambitious," he replied, a hint of a smile on his lips. "But I like it."
In comparison to the Kim Hajin from the novel I knew, the Hajin beside me was calmer and more mature. He didn't show any of the desperation to return home that I had expected. In fact, his composure was a huge plus sign in my book.
With him as an ally, I felt invincible. He was the protagonist, after all—no pun intended. "We are thinking of calling it the Devil Hunter Club. Just to be clear… we can't really spring the information about the Devils in one go. On the surface, it'll be a club that researches Djinns, but essentially, it'll focus on hunting Devils. The resources Cube allocates for clubs should help us out."
"Tell me what you know of Devils," Hajin replied, his tone serious.
That was abrupt.
I wasn't sure why he was asking me something he likely already knew. Perhaps he was testing my knowledge about the future or my claims of clairvoyance. "Devils are destroyers of worlds," I explained. "They're like aliens invading planets by descending through a denizen of that world. They possess dangerous obsessions that they feed upon to grow. In the future, Baal will descend to this world… We need to prepare for that."
"And you're going with the story that you're a clairvoyant to everyone?"
"Yes," I confirmed.
A short silence followed, filled with the weight of our conversation. I had my suspicions about who the Devil might be, particularly since this world was based on The Novel's Extra. It was only logical to assume that Yoo Yeonha would play a significant role in the upcoming conflicts.
"Do you still think the Academic Club's president, Yun Hyuk, is the Devil?" Hajin asked, rubbing his chin in contemplation. "I'm telling you, he's not. He might be a Djinn, but from my investigations, he's clearly not."
I sighed, knowing he was right. "How about Yeonha? Did you check her already? What are the chances that the Devil's Seed doesn't have a host yet?" I might have been overthinking things, but if the story had any say in our fate, turning Yeonha into the Devil's Seed's host would be catastrophic.
"I checked Yeonha already; she's clean," Hajin said softly. "The chances that the Devil's Seed doesn't have a host yet are slim. As you know, the incubation time for a Devil's Seed is lengthy. If it's going to hatch anytime soon, it must have been germinating for a long time already."
So, our Devil remained a ghost. This was bad news. If we could deploy more manpower to find the Devil, our odds would improve. Unfortunately, Kim Hajin was the only one with the means to search for them using his Book of Truth function of his [Observation and Reading] Gift.
"Is there a way for you to create items that can see through a Devil's disguise using your authority?" I asked, grasping for alternatives.
"I can't…"
Another silence enveloped us, heavy with the reality of our situation.
"So," I said, leaning in for the final push, "what do you say about joining our club?"
"I'm in." Hajin gave me his answer quickly, and relief washed over me.
With his agreement, I felt a surge of hope. The Devil Hunter Club would have a fighting chance, and together, we might just uncover the truth behind the shadows lurking in our world.