Chapter 69 : IF. Spirit High Board Game Club!

Okay, this chapter is clearly marked as an “IF” story, a non-canon, alternate universe (AU) piece set in a modern high school context. The author’s notes confirm this, indicating it’s unrelated to the main plot and serves as a lighthearted side story. I will translate it accordingly, maintaining the comedic, slice-of-life tone while adhering to all formatting rules.

A Warning of Otaku Vibes

As you might have guessed from the title, I’m not responsible if you suffer internal damage from the strong otaku vibes.

Cled’s Reluctant Role

Cled, the homeroom teacher of Spirit Master High’s Class 3 and the gym teacher, was forced to become the advisor for the Board Game Club due to the policy that all teachers must run one club.
Since he hated increased workload, the actual operation was entirely handled by the club president, Saya.

Then one day, the principal called Cled to his office, saying he had something to discuss.

“..You called for me, Principal Violet?”

“Ah.. I called because I have something to say about your club. I visited once last time to check..”

Cled used the clubroom as a soju storage, so he was only thinking about that.

‘Sht.. Did he find the soju I put in the clubroom fridge..?*’

However, what came out of Violet’s mouth was an unexpected suggestion.

“The students were diligently focusing on their club activities in a room without even an air conditioner. As the principal, I felt sorry seeing that. Cled, how about taking your club members out for some water fun?”

“..Yes?”

“The school will fully support the activity expenses, including travel costs. You can build memories with the students and take a break together.”

“….Principal.”

Cled, who had been listening quietly, asked him.

“Can’t you just add it to my bonus instead?”

“…”

Violet lightly ignored his request.

“However, there were some things in the clubroom refrigerator that shouldn’t have been there…”

With a thud, Cled slammed his head hard on the desk.

“I’ll take responsibility! Together with the students! I’ll go make wonderful memories!”

Violet watched Cled, who was bowing with his head down, with a pleased expression.

“So full of passion, it’s like seeing my younger self.”

Thus began the Board Game Club’s summer vacation, led by Cled.

An Impromptu Trip

Saya, sitting in the passenger seat, asked Cled, who was driving.

“Hot springs? We didn’t even bring a change of clothes?”

“It takes girls half a day just to prepare things like that. And the hot spring coupon expires today.”

He had suddenly barged into the clubroom and told them to get in the car, so she got in with the club members, but then he suddenly said they were going on a 1-night, 2-day hot spring trip. Saya, dumbfounded, pressed him further.

“And what’s with hot springs in the summer? Are you trying to boil us alive..!?”

“Water fun is all the same. My head hurts calculating accommodation and travel expenses. Don’t talk to me..”

‘He looked for the cheapest place, saw he had a coupon, and just booked the hot spring…’

Saya looked at Cled, a truly hopeless adult, with eyes full of respect.

Excitement in the Backseat

“Hot springs!”

Luna, sitting between Yuri and Carne in the back seat, beamed with excitement, her eyes sparkling.

“I really wanted to try an outdoor hot spring!”

Yuri, engrossed in reading next to her, added a comment.

“…What’s so great about getting shamelessly naked outside in the water…”

Carne, sitting at the end, spoke as if targeting Yuri.

“Yuri must not be confident in her figure..?”

“That’s not it..! I’m not that small..”

“Not small..?”

When Carne asked back teasingly, Yuri, blushing bright red, covered her face with her book and fell silent. Luna, watching the situation between them, tried to mediate.

“Don’t worry, Yuri..! Being big is just heavy and inconvenient. Compared to us, you’re light, right?”

“….”

At Luna’s encouragement, Yuri’s expression darkened even more.

Saya, listening to their conversation worriedly from the front, quietly shook her head.

‘..Please arrive quickly…’

Contrary to her expectations, the roads that day were said to be the most congested of the year due to people going on vacation.

A Disappointing Destination

Cled’s car stopped crookedly, and he unbuckled his seatbelt and said.

“Everyone get out. We need to check in at the counter.”

Saya, the only one awake, woke up the club members and dragged the half-asleep girls out.

“…Oh.”

In front of us, a hot spring inn with large tiled roofs piled up like mountains came into view. At first, Saya thought, ‘What’s with hot springs in the summer?‘, but it was starting to look better than expected.

‘This might not be bad..?’

Cled called out to her as she was about to enter the counter with the club members.

“Where are you going? That’s not it.”

“..Huh? We got off here?”

“The parking lot next door charges a fee, so we got off here. Follow me.”

The place he led them to was a dilapidated building that looked like it could collapse at any moment. A small sign on the signboard caught the eye, saying ‘100 Years of Tradition’.

“……”

“Don’t just stand there blankly, move the luggage first. I want to go and rest quickly.”

Luna came next to Saya, who was moving the luggage, looking at the floor as she walked.

“What are you doing?”

“Ah, in manga, things like cockroaches crawl around in places like this. I was wondering if there were any.”

Saya shook her head and told her.

“Even so, it’s a business establishment, would they leave cockroaches alone?”

“Oh!”

But Luna seemed to have found something and pointed her finger.

“Saya, there’s a house centipede (Geurima)!”

“Hieeek…..!”

House centipedes, with twice as many legs as cockroaches, were crawling under the shoe rack, not just one, but in a legion. Saya, unable to bear the sight, protested to Cled.

“How cheap a place did you book…! Bugs are overflowing right from the shoe rack..!”

“It’s all because the water is good. You rascal, making a fuss..”

“…”

Saya didn’t know what connection the shoe rack had with the water quality, but knowing that nothing would change no matter how much she talked, she decided to just move the luggage silently.

A Bare-Bones Room

The room was of a moderate size with tatami flooring throughout, and had a simple structure with one sliding door dividing the area. Cled, who was the first to open the sliding door, spread out a futon in the narrow space and lay down, speaking in a dying voice.

“Play by yourselves and sleep quietly. I’m dying from a hangover.”

After saying that, he closed the sliding door and disappeared.

Luna, looking around the room roughly, said with eyes full of anticipation.

“Then, shall we go into the water now..!”

“Yeah. The sun is starting to set too.”

It took quite a while just to travel by car from the metropolitan area to the mountainous region with the outdoor hot spring.

The Hot Spring Adventure

Saya, who moved with them, took off her clothes, wrapped herself in a towel, and entered the outdoor hot spring. The changing room was full of house centipedes as expected, but surprisingly, the hot spring seemed to be kept clean. Saya, who was about to enter, looked at the scenery of the hot spring and said.

“There’s no partition here..?”

Although the men’s and women’s baths were divided, it didn’t seem like there was a wall separating them. Carne, acting as if she didn’t care at all, threw off her towel and entered coolly, saying to Saya.

“It’s fine. It’s the countryside, only wrinkly old men anyway.”

‘…Well, okay.’

Carne and Luna dived into the hot spring excitedly, and immediately crawled out saying it was hot, and she laughed watching them. Yuri had already found a spot in a corner and was sitting with a comfortable expression.

“Take this..!”

When Luna shot a water gun with her hand towards Yuri, she made a troubled expression.

“Stop it. You’re not kids..”

“You still look like a kid here, Yuri?”

“…!”

When Carne strongly squeezed Yuri’s chest from behind, Yuri, surprised, opened her eyes wide and splashed into the water. Soaked wet, she spoke to the playful girls.

“What are you doing..!”

“You were alone in the corner, so I helped you enjoy it together. Right, Saya?”

“…Why are you asking me?”

“Take this!”

Yuri, who didn’t want to join in their pranks at all, but before long, including me, even Yuri joined in and we played splashing water.

“Oh..!?”

During that, the towel Luna threw flew far away and splashed into the bath on the other side.

“Oh dear, that’s the men’s bath. They said there’s a fine if you lose a towel?”

“…”

Yuri, who was quietly observing the situation, splashed the water and stood up from her seat.

“Let’s go, Luna.”

“…Huh?”

“I dodged some too, so let’s pick it up together.”

They looked determined, as if they were really going to cross over to the men’s bath.

Saya, watching, asked Carne.

“..Is that okay?”

“What does it matter? They’re old men anyway, they probably won’t even care.”

An Unexpected Encounter

An old man, celebrating his seventieth birthday this year, leaned back in the bath, making pleasant sounds.

“Ah, the hot bath in summer is really special..”

Tired of his children fighting over his inheritance, he had planned a solo hot spring trip and came here.

Feeling drowsy in the steam of the hot spring, he reflected on his life.

Two affairs. And three marriages. Although he had spent his entire life indulging in women, now he didn’t even have the energy to control his own body.

‘…Looking back, it was all in vain..’

He resolved to live only watching over his remaining children, and closed his eyes.

It was then.

‘Splash’

“…Hm?”

In the men’s bath, where only the old man should have entered, he heard the sound of someone splashing and trying to enter. Thinking that travelers had arrived, he opened his eyes to greet them.

“….Excuse me..”

What appeared before his eyes were not men, but the naked bodies of two girls.

168

“….!”

The blonde girl, barely covering her ample chest with one arm, looked at the old man and said..

“I’m sorry, the towel went over to this side..”

Another silver-haired girl next to her also spoke, modestly turned slightly away from him.

“Apologize properly. Luna.”

“I’m really sorry..!”

The old man, still not fully understanding the situation that had occurred before his eyes, nodded at the girls shimmering with flesh tones and said.

“It’s, it’s alright. Don’t mind this old man…”

“Then we’ll be going!”

After politely bowing, they hurried out of the men’s bath, leaving the old man sitting there blankly. He shook his head, trying to drive away the impure thoughts that rushed in, but the stimulation was too much for him.

‘….Who said womanizing was a bad thing.’

It is said that after returning to his hometown, he enjoyed life, experiencing an unexpected late passion, before passing away.

Back to the Room

“Did you apologize?”

Saya asked them.

“Yes. Let’s go in now. It doesn’t seem good to stay too long?”

Everyone seemed to agree with Luna’s words, so they left the hot spring and went back to the room.

“What should we play? We came on a trip after all..!”

Luna fidgeted and rummaged through her bag. Most of the Board Game Club’s activities were initiated by her. Luna was the one who suggested creating the Board Game Club in the first place.

“How about a simple game of Old Maid?”

Carne pulled out a deck of playing cards from her pocket and asked us. However, the response was Yuri’s uninterested expression.

“It’s too boring.”

“In that case..”

Carne stood up and poured something out of her bag. What it was, were soju bottles packed to the brim.

“Alcohol..? Are you crazy, Carne?”

When Yuri showed disgust, Carne giggled and opened the soju.

“Kids can sit out. We’ll have fun drinking and playing among ourselves.”

“….”

Yuri, enraged by her words, snatched the soju bottle from Carne’s hand and chugged it down. Saya, unable to stop her in time, freaked out and said.

“Hey, you drank that all at once…!”

“What?”

Yuri slammed the bottle down angrily, pointed at the cards, and said.

“Bring the cards. Let’s play Old Maid.”

“You said it was boring earlier?”

“We can just play with penalties. For example..”

Chaos Unleashed

It was utter chaos. Cards flew everywhere, and countless empty soju bottles lay scattered on the floor. Luna, the only one relatively sober, tried to calm everyone down.

“Guys, let’s stop now..? I think the teacher might wake up too..”

“What..!?”

Yuri, slurring her words, answered Luna irritably.

“Are you trying to bail out alone, Luna..!?”

“No, it’s not like that..”

It felt like Luna was about to cry if this continued a little longer.

“Ah damn it, why do I always get caught..!”

Carne, having lost at Old Maid again, slammed her fist on the ground.

“It shows all over your face, you know? Hurry up and take it off. It’s the penalty.”

“You guys aren’t ganging up on me, right?”

Carne, glaring at us while panting, coolly took off her top.

169

“Ah, whatever! Nothing left to lose once I’m naked…!”

Meanwhile, Saya, who took the cards from Yuri, opened her eyes wide and rebuked her.

“Hey..! You gave me a different card..!”

“So what? Your hand movements are slow. Saya. Take it off.”

“I can’t! It’s different from the card I picked..!?”

“…”

170

When Saya refused to accept the result, a physical fight broke out, and Yuri grabbed her wrist and subdued her.

“…Huh?”

“Take it off. Aren’t you going to?”

Yuri, seemingly having lost her reason due to the alcohol. Pulled down Saya’s pants.

“Then I’ll take them off.”

“Hey..! Wait…”

-Thump.

171

The door slammed open, revealing Cled’s face, glaring at us as if he could kill us.

“……………….Sleep.”

“”Yes.””

The Morning After

We passed out like that until morning, and Yuri, experiencing her first hangover, kept stopping the car to vomit on the way back.

“Did you have a pleasant vacation, Cled?”

Violet, who greeted him, asked with a curious face.

“Ah, well.. yes.”

After that summer, we never went on vacation again. Because everyone refused.

–Spirit Master High Board Game Club!