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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Party Launch Ceremony (2)
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'A hideout... A gift...?'
I gasped, swallowing air at the unexpected scale, and Shin Sehee's expression turned worried.
"Did you... perhaps not like it?"
I stared at her for a moment, then shook my head.
"No, it's not that. I'm just a bit surprised."
It was perfectly understandable why Shin Sehee had suddenly prepared such a gift.
Because I had intervened in her personal story and resolved it.
'Tsk, I intervened in Shin Sehee's personal story, and a house just rolled right in...'
It was clear that if I didn't properly accept her repayment now, things would only get more complicated.
As if she read the conflicted expression on my face, Shin Sehee added,
"I didn't intend to burden you. But considering what Jin Yuha-ssi did for me, this isn't even enough..."
Of course, I didn't dislike it.
It was certainly true, especially when considering the party members who would surely increase in number.
And it was also true that always gathering in my room for activities made the whole picture feel a bit cheap.
In fact, I had even considered using my own money to acquire a separate party hideout later on.
Shin Sehee's assistance like this was something to be welcomed, not refused.
'However...'
I subtly glanced to the side.
Lee Yuri wore an expression as if nothing was amiss.
'...Hmm, I'll think about it later.'
"Alright, I get it. I'll gratefully accept this."
Shin Sehee then beamed, her expression relieved.
"Shall we go then?"
"By the way, are we the only ones here right now?"
"No. Dohee and Gaeul unnie were already here."
'Ah. So Kang Dohee was here in advance too.'
Shin Sehee led us further inside.
A door was set into a large tree trunk, like a space where elves might live.
When she opened the door and we stepped inside,
it was yet another different scene.
It was like a modern conference room, with a long table set against a silver and blue background, and a hologram projector behind it.
Kang Dohee and Im Gaeul had already arrived there.
Im Gaeul and Kang Dohee sat facing each other at the table, drinking tea.
Im Gaeul rested one hand on her cheek, a happy smile gracing her lips.
Kang Dohee, on the other hand, sat across from her, arms crossed, wearing a sullen expression.
"...Senior, are you really not going to tell me the name of the bitch who spread that rumor?"
*Slurp—*
"This tea is really good~♪"
Kang Dohee shot out a question, seemingly interrogating, while Im Gaeul pretended not to hear, sipping her tea.
As we appeared, both Im Gaeul and Kang Dohee turned their heads.
"Junior's here? You came early."
"Ah, yes. Senior, you also arrived quickly."
"Yeah, can't be late on the first day."
And as soon as Kang Dohee's eyes met mine, she quickly turned her head away.
It seemed the lingering resentment from our last spar hadn't fully dissipated.
'Just you wait, Kang Dohee. I'll slowly teach you all the grappling techniques I learned from the instructor, one by one.'
I curled the corners of my lips into a smile.
"Jin Yuha-ssi, please sit here."
Shin Sehee pulled out a chair at the head of the table, the seat of honor at the far end of the long table.
"Yeah, thanks."
I accepted her consideration and sat down.
Shin Sehee seemed to have no intention of sitting, standing behind me with her hands clasped, while Lee Yuri took the seat next to Im Gaeul.
With that, all the party members were gathered.
It was Shin Sehee who spoke first.
"Then, the first party of Velvet Hunter Academy. I shall now begin the launch ceremony."
* * *
I surveyed the people seated around the table.
A small group, one member short of the typical six-person party.
However, the caliber of those gathered was considerable.
Lee Yuri, the 'Gukbap' Tanker, a 3-star who showed 5-star potential.
Kang Dohee, a 5-star Dealer, Velvet Sura: Breathing Rights.
Shin Sehee, a 4-star Special, Operator.
Im Gaeul, a 5-star Supporter, the essential pick for high scores.
And me, a 4-star Dealer.
'If we were thinking about PvP, it might be lacking, but for clearing the main story, this composition is more than enough to take off.'
Even their chemistry wasn't bad.
While Shin Sehee was a bit of an outlier, she wasn't a combat class, so it didn't really matter.
Now, as if the reality of having a new affiliation truly sank in, everyone was looking at me.
Well, I said "begin the launch ceremony" in a grand way, but I didn't actually plan to do anything special.
I looked at them, then opened my mouth.
"First off, there's something we need to decide right away."
"Something to decide right away?"
Lee Yuri asked, furrowing her brow.
"Yeah, first, we need to decide on a party name."
"A party name, huh... You're right, it's better to decide on a name before we start operating in earnest."
As the topic of the party began, Kang Dohee shed her sharp demeanor and spoke in a calm voice.
"Yeah, even if we put a name on it at first, we'll probably just be known as 'Velvet Academy's Party.' But as we become more active, we'll need to distinguish ourselves from other parties."
"Ah, Junior, you're wary of being lumped in with other parties from the academy, aren't you?"
I nodded at Im Gaeul's words.
"Yes, at first, we'll handle requests from the academy, but later, I plan to primarily accept designated requests. It's better to decide on a name now, even just for that time."
"Hmm, if I may add a little something..."
From behind me, Shin Sehee provided supplementary explanation to my words.
What she added were factors to consider when deciding on a party name.
A party name should fundamentally be short and intuitive.
And once a name is decided, it's not recommended to change it again, so it should be chosen carefully the first time.
Indeed, her words were persuasive, perhaps because they came from someone who had experience leading and managing large-scale parties.
As if realizing that deciding on a party name was quite an important matter, the party members' faces stiffened.
I chuckled to lighten the mood.
"Well, there's no need to take it too seriously. What kind of activities we'll do is actually more important than the party name anyway. I'd like everyone to just suggest names comfortably."
*Hmm—*
"Solid Party?"
That suggestion, predictably, was the essence of 'gukbap'.
"...What does that mean?"
When I asked, Lee Yuri spoke as if wondering why I would even ask.
"...It means exactly what it sounds like? Just that I want us to be a solid party. Something like that. A solid and sturdy party! Meaning we'll last a long time!"
Instantly, Im Gaeul's head snapped to the side.
*Pfft!*
Her shoulders trembled, and it seemed she had no intention of hiding her burst of laughter.
'Just what does "solid" mean to you, Gukbap-ah...?'
"Solid is a bit... much."
Kang Dohee chided from beside her.
"What?"
Lee Yuri, whose feelings had been hurt by Im Gaeul's recent snicker, frowned.
"The meaning is fine, but the sound of it is a bit... lacking. Rather—"
Kang Dohee drew out her words, stroking her chin.
"Fire Punch."
*Thud!*
Im Gaeul slammed her head onto the table.
The back of her head trembled, showing she couldn't suppress her laughter even if she tried.
"...Is that just 'fire punch' in English because you thought it'd sound cool...? What, was that your thought process? And I have no idea what 'Fire Punch' is supposed to represent for our party's image."
Shin Sehee looked down at Kang Dohee with utterly unimpressed eyes.
Stung by the heavy dose of truth, Kang Dohee bit her lip.
"Then, Flower-head, why don't you try coming up with something?"
"Hmm, how about 'Of the, By the, For the Yuha'?"
At that, everyone's eyes turned cold, glaring at her.
"A party of Yuha, by Yuha, for Yuha...?"
"Didn't you say we should keep it short and concise in the first place, Flower-head?"
"...Th-that's our party's identity!"
Shin Sehee exclaimed, her face bright red.
This time, surprisingly, Im Gaeul didn't laugh.
"...Certainly, everyone here did join because of Junior, but... Hmm, to express that concisely..."
She tapped her lips thoughtfully with her index finger, deep in thought.
"...Isn't that a reverse harem party?"
At Im Gaeul's words, silence instantly fell.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
All eyes converged on Im Gaeul.
She spoke with a flustered expression.
"I-I think that's strange too! That wasn't my idea, it was Sehee junior's!"
Im Gaeul, with the seasoned skill of a senior, immediately tossed the attention that was heading her way to her junior.
I shook my head, exasperated by their suggestions.
"Haa, I guess it's better if I just decide... You guys really have no talent for naming things, do you?"
At that, the party members' gazes immediately sharpened. It was a look that said, 'Oh really? Let's see how well *you* can do.'
However, I snorted and met their gazes head-on.
I was confident.
After all, hadn't I lived a hardcore gamer's life in my original world, encountering countless awesome party names in Velvet Sura?
'Hmm, there was a name I saw a long time ago that I thought was truly cool. I'll get to use it now.'
Everyone's eyes were fixed on my lips, and I slowly parted them.
"...The Moon Breaker."
At that, they looked at me with trembling eyes.
"...The Moon."
"...Breaker."
"...The Moon Breaker?"
Lee Yuri, Kang Dohee, and Shin Sehee each echoed a part.
For a moment, silence fell.
And then.
"Puh-hah!!!"
Starting with Im Gaeul, who burst into laughter.
Shin Sehee turned her head, her face bright red.
Lee Yuri stifled her laughter, choking back giggles.
Kang Dohee also tried her best to maintain a poker face, but snickers escaped her.
'...No, what's so bad about it?!'
I bit my lip.
Im Gaeul, who had been roaring with laughter, suddenly stiffened her face.
Then she spoke in a serious voice.
"The. Moon. Breaker. The one who breaks the moon."
"Ah-ha-ha!!!"
*Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.*
At that, Lee Yuri couldn't hold back and started thumping the table.
"Hmph, Mutt... Did you really say that with a straight face? *Cough!*"
"Oh, h-how cute... Look at that serious expression... *Hoo-out!!!*"
Kang Dohee struggled to suppress her laughter, her expression becoming even more disdainful.
Shin Sehee flusteredly tried to compose herself, but in the end, she couldn't hold back her laughter.
I wore a sulky expression.
No, wasn't it actually cool?
It was a really good name...
A little time passed, and just as the laughter began to subside,
"Pfft—! Ah-ha-ha!"
Im Gaeul once again couldn't contain her laughter and burst out.
"..."
I gritted my teeth and glared at her.
All of this was because of Im Gaeul.
That woman.
A senior who, with an utterly harmless face, would make cutting remarks,
and whose skill at turning things around on others was top-notch.
Even now, she was the first to start mocking, and didn't her laughter infect the others?
"Then, Senior, why don't you suggest one? Since you just tossed that 'harem party' idea to Shin Sehee."
I said to her in a low voice.
Im Gaeul, her face flushed red from laughter, slowly lifted her head.
"Haa... Hmm, me? I..."
Im Gaeul still hesitated, her voice laced with mirth.
"Utopia?"
Utopia...?
I, who had been ready to immediately shut down anything strange she might say, tilted my head slightly.
'Huh? Isn't this surprisingly good?'
And in the eyes of the others, a light of approval dawned.
"...Utopia. Meaning ideal place. And taking the 'Yu' from Jin Yuha-ssi isn't bad either."
"Hmm, a party heading towards an ideal place... I think this one's pretty good too."
"Utopia Party, Utopia Party... Four syllables, the length is just right."
Utopia Party.
As it seemed our party name was converging on that option,
I subtly opened my mouth.
"...Hmm, still, I'd like 'Moon' to be in it somehow... H-how about MOONtopia...?"
At that, Kang Dohee glared at me with eyes full of contempt.
"Jin Yuha. It seems you have no talent not just for cooking, but for naming things either. Erase that kind of name completely from your mind, and close your mouth while I'm being nice."
"Jin Yuha-ssi, I also don't think that name is quite right for this situation."
"Yeah, I don't think so either."
*Ugh.*
Having been defeated in naming things, following my defeat in cooking, I bit my lip, trembling.
'Jin Yuha will remember this day.'