Club (2)

Daemon hadn't expected to be rejected outright.

His brows furrowed slightly as he asked, "May I ask the reason?"

The girl tilted her head, studying him with a serious expression. Then, in a firm tone, she answered.

"The reason is simple."

Daemon waited. "Yes?"

"You look like a very serious person."

"…"

Daemon stared at her, completely blank. For a second, his mind refused to register her words.

Was that… really her reason?

Then—

"Pfft…"

A soft chuckle escaped the girl's lips. She raised a hand to cover her mouth, but it couldn't hide the amusement dancing in her crimson eyes. The cold, serious demeanor she had just moments ago vanished, as if it had never existed.

In its place was mischief.

"Sorry, sorry, I was just joking." She waved her hand playfully. "You were way too uptight. You can join the club."

Daemon exhaled, resisting the urge to sigh.

'Yeah… She's definitely the one who wrote that ridiculous club description.'

Looking at her now, he had no doubts. She definitely had a few screws loose.

"My name is Maya Vermillion, second year," the girl introduced herself suddenly.

Daemon blinked at the abruptness but replied, "Daemon Gracefall, first year."

Maya's red eyes gleamed with interest. "Daemon Gracefall, huh? That's quite a cool name."

Daemon exhaled through his nose, giving her a tired look. For some reason, talking to her already felt exhausting. Was she always like this? This was the first time he had met someone so… unpredictable.

Before he could say anything, Maya casually handed him a sheet of paper.

"Here you go. Take this form and fill it out."

Daemon glanced down at the application form, then back at her. Well, at least she got to the point this time.

Daemon took the application form from Maya and glanced over it. The moment his eyes scanned the paper, he froze.

The form was barely filled out—just a few lines on an A4-sized sheet.

NameYearEmailPhone No.

That was it.

"That's it?" Daemon muttered unconsciously, still staring at the near-empty form.

Maya tilted her head, amusement flickering in her red eyes. "What? Something wrong?" Her voice carried that same playful tone.

Daemon hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Isn't this… a little too simple?"

Most clubs had extensive application forms, filled with questions like Why should we accept you? What are your skills? What's your rank? Some forms even stretched across two pages. In comparison, this one looked like it had been put together in under a minute.

Maya shrugged. "I don't see the point in asking a bunch of useless questions. If someone wants to join, they join. Besides, it's not like this club gets many applicants anyway."

Daemon considered her words for a moment, then nodded. Fair enough. Without further comment, he picked up a pen and quickly filled out the form.

After completing the form, Daemon handed it back to Maya. With that done, he turned to leave, satisfied that the process had been surprisingly easy.

But just as he reached the door, a thought crossed his mind.

He stopped and glanced back at Maya. "What exactly do we do in this club?"

The club's page on the academy forum had been frustratingly vague. The only thing listed under activities was Research. That single word wasn't exactly helpful. Daemon didn't want to end up in a club that demanded too much of his time, so he figured he might as well ask.

Maya tilted her head slightly, looking at him with an innocent expression. "Research. That's what we do."

Daemon stared at her, his expression blank. He should have seen that coming. Why did I even bother asking?

Deciding it wasn't worth the effort, he turned around to leave. But just as he reached for the door, Maya's voice rang out behind him.

"Wait."

Daemon stopped in his tracks and turned around. "Yes?"

Maya's smile remained unwavering. "By the way, if you have any questions about the club or anything else, feel free to ask me."

He gave a small nod. "I will." Though, judging by how she had answered his previous questions, he doubted she'd be much help even if he did ask.

"Well, I hope to see you at the orientation," she added cheerfully.

"Yeah," Daemon replied, feeling both relieved and mildly curious about what exactly he had just signed up for. At least their conversation was finally coming to an end—

"Oh, take this."

Maya suddenly held out a pair of chocolates.

Daemon stared at them for a moment, his thoughts flat. 'Does she think I'm a kid or something?'

"No, but thanks for the offer." Daemon declined, not in the mood for chocolates right now.

Maya, however, didn't seem to accept his answer. "Why? Just take it." She stepped closer, persistently holding the chocolates out toward him.

Daemon took a step back. "No. I don't want to."

But Maya wasn't giving up. "But why? Doesn't everyone love chocolates?" She looked genuinely puzzled, as if the very concept of someone refusing chocolate was beyond her understanding.

Daemon's response was simple. "I don't."

Maya blinked in surprise, then fell silent, seemingly deep in thought. After a moment, she gasped dramatically, as if she had made a grand discovery. "I got it! You must have never tried this type of chocolate before. That's why you don't like it! Here, just try it."

Daemon stared at her, expressionless.

'You thought for an entire minute… and this is the conclusion you came up with? Are you an idiot?'

Though the words screamed in his mind, he somehow managed to hold them in with what could only be described as superhuman patience.

"No, I've tried them before. I just don't want to eat them." Daemon replied firmly.

Maya, however, wasn't ready to back down. "Just try it once. Give it a chance! I promise you'll love it!"

Before Daemon could react, she closed the distance between them in an instant, her crimson eyes locked onto his.

Daemon's eyes widened. She's fast—too fast. He hadn't even seen her move.

Regaining his composure, he exhaled and studied her determined expression. It was clear—Maya wasn't going to let him leave until he accepted the chocolates.

After a long moment of hesitation, Daemon sighed, giving in. He reached out, took the chocolates from her hand, and muttered, "Thank you."

"Hehehe…" Maya giggled, finally stepping back, a satisfied smile on her face.

Daemon shoved the chocolates into his pocket and turned toward the door. Before stepping out, he glanced back at her, an uneasy thought lingering in his mind.

Did I just make a mistake?

***********

Tuesday Morning

The first month had passed, and now, practical lessons had begun. The academy wasted no time—they scheduled the announcement of dungeon exploration results early in the morning, before regular classes even started.

All the students gathered in the amphitheater, filling the round, open space with excited chatter. Today, they would finally learn their grades from the dungeon exploration.

Seated in groups, students whispered among themselves.

"Who do you think cleared their dungeon the fastest?" one student asked eagerly.

"Hard to say. There are some really strong hunters in our year," another replied.

While the students were caught up in discussions, Daemon sat at the back, looking drowsy. Waking up early wasn't exactly his favorite thing, and gathering at 7 A.M. just to hear results wasn't helping.

As the buzz of conversation continued, the door at the front suddenly swung open. A woman with sharp yellow hair and a commanding presence stepped inside.

Her attire immediately marked her as an instructor.

Professor Elena.

She took a single step forward, her voice ringing through the amphitheater.

"Attention."

Instantly, the room fell silent. Conversations stopped mid-sentence. A heavy stillness settled over the students as they turned to face her, awaiting what she had to say.

"She looks like she's in a bad mood," Daemon thought, observing Professor Elena's sharp gaze. "Then again, when has she ever been in a good mood?"

Standing at the front of the amphitheater, Elena crossed her arms and scanned the room.

"Before we begin today's class, I will announce the results of your first Practical Assessment," she said, her voice firm. Her sharp eyes narrowed as she looked over the students.

A hush fell over the room as everyone waited in anticipation, expecting praise or at least constructive feedback.

Instead, her next words cut through the silence like a blade.

"It was pathetic."

*********

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