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Chapter 16: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat

 Chapter.16


Chapter.16


[~Ding-ding-ding~ Good morning~ Ding-ding-ding~ Bye-bye-]


Gyaaah!!!


I let out a silent scream and fumbled to turn off the alarm by my bedside.


Judging by the fact that I had to deal with that part, I must have been quite out of it.


Maybe it was because I tossed and turned last night, kicking my blanket.


I needed... I needed some bean sprouts.


As soon as I quickly cooked and ate the stir-fried bean sprouts, I felt at ease.


Such a stable taste.


Munching noisily, I savored the delicious stir-fried bean sprouts.


*


I arrived at school a little early because I had something to discuss with the class president.


No matter how early I thought I arrived, the class president was always there before me, cleaning the classroom.


She was already there early last Friday too. She’s really diligent.


"Good morning, Scarlet."


"Good morning to you too, President."


I greeted the class president and took out a broom from the cleaning supplies to help him.


We didn’t talk much while cleaning.


It wasn’t because it was awkward.


It was just that kind of atmosphere where it was okay not to say anything.


Rather, it felt like any clumsy conversation would break the current atmosphere.


The president seemed to think the same, as she focused quietly on cleaning without a word.


By the time we finished cleaning, students started to arrive.


As I nodded in response to the greetings from Shieldman and Windowman while tidying up my seat, there was a moment when the noisy classroom quieted down.


It was the silence announcing Sylvia's arrival.


Her silky hair, cascading over her shoulders and back, shone silver like her name, and her brilliant blue eyes sparkled as if stars were embedded in them.


With ears slightly longer and more pointed than humans, she exuded a mysterious fairy-like aura fitting for her High Elf lineage.


She seemed even more beautiful after not seeing her over the weekend...


After that, when Yoon Si-woo entered, it also quieted down momentarily, but who cares?


Sure, he's got a good face, really good, but he's still just a middle school syndrome case.


White hair with black and white heterochromatic eyes, the person who came up with that character design deserves a medal.


I stared at him with the intention of ignoring him if he greeted me, but today, unlike usual, he sat down silently.


His face was slightly flushed as if he had a fever.


Was he being quiet because he wasn't feeling well?


I wish he’d be unwell every day then.


*


Today's class with Eve took place in the gym.


The gym was so spacious that it was larger than most soccer fields, with various students attending different classes here and there.


In front of us, the floor was covered with enough mattresses to fit all the students lying down, and a chair was placed next to Eve's folding chair for the lesson.


Some senior-looking students running nearby looked at us with sympathetic eyes before speeding up and running away when Eve smiled at them.


What the heck is going on?


To gather the chattering students' attention, Eve clapped her hands loudly.


"Today's training is overcoming fear! This time, you'll experience a special unconscious stimulation magic created by me! It shows you what you subconsciously dread or fear the most."


Oh... Oh no... I remembered.


It was a training that appeared in the novel.


There's a magical creature called a 'Boggart' in a novel featuring a wizard with a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.


This mysterious creature hides in dark places and transforms into the thing the person passing by fears the most.


So readers had named this training 'Boggart Training.'


Eve's magic was an enhanced version of that creature, not just showing a single fearsome entity but creating a situation that the person would find most challenging, making it a terrifying magic.


The class was designed on the premise that a hero, even in the worst situations, should be able to overcome subconscious fears with mental strength, but that's easier said than done.


"Today's magic is quite complex, so we'll do it one at a time! Since it's your unconscious being projected, I won't know what hallucinations you're seeing, so don’t worry about your privacy! Now, shall we start with Jessie, who promised to do bug resistance training with me last class? If you hate bugs that much, I'm guessing it'll be full of bugs."


At Eve's mention, the face of one female student turned pale.


She was the girl who had nearly fainted seeing bugs while teamed up with Yoon Si-woo during the last training.


The girl, trembling, walked over and sat in the chair in front of Eve, turning her head towards Eve with a pleading look.


"U-um, Ms. Eve? Can you maybe go easy on me?"


Eve answered with a bright smile.


"Nope, can't do!"


With a snap of Eve's fingers, the girl's body stiffened.


Soon, the girl started trembling violently and screamed in a fit.


"Nooooo!!! Cockroaches!!! They're everywhere!!! No, don't stick to me! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was wrong, please save me #@$%#$%#%$#^&!!!!!!"


A scream like the last cry of someone dragged to hell by a demon.


The other students' faces hardened as they watched the girl foaming at the mouth and fainting.


From a distance, life is a comedy, but up close, it's a tragedy.


As we watched this tragedy unfold, realizing we'd soon face the same, we felt our lives were now doomed.


Only then did we understand the sympathetic looks from the seniors and the purpose of the mattresses on the floor.


As other students carried the fainted girl to the mattress, Eve began pointing out students one by one.


The students, like lambs led to slaughter, walked to Eve’s chair with doomed expressions.


Their outcomes were horrific.


Some fainted from the shock like the earlier girl, others cried and screamed until they collapsed, while some were left dazed and unresponsive from panic.


Amidst the mounting casualties, a student finally overcame the magic with mental strength.


It was the class president.


With a strained expression, biting his lip hard enough to make blood drip from his chin, the president eventually had a resolute look and opened her eyes, fists clenched tightly.


Wiping the blood off his chin with the back of her hand, the president had a relieved look as if he had broken free from whatever had held him.


"The first to pass is Mei! I don’t know what you saw, but overcoming it means you've taken a big step forward as a hero. Well done!"


As Eve smiled brightly and patted the president's back, she bowed to her and walked over to stand beside me.


Turning slightly towards me, she smiled.


"Thank you. It's thanks to you."


His chin was stained completely red with blood, which was scary.


I trembled and nodded awkwardly.


After the president, a few more students were sent to the mattress before it was Sylvia's turn.


She sat upright in front of Eve, closing her eyes.


This scene was slightly described in the original story too.


She would likely see visions of being used as a tool to bring glory to her family for her entire life.


However, having a strong sense of self that wouldn't allow her to show any disgraceful behavior, she would overcome the magic without a single falter... was the description.


But Sylvia, caught in the hallucination, frowned with a displeased expression.


She was far from not faltering.


She scrunched her face, took a few breaths, then opened her eyes with a furious look and stared right at me.


I was a bit taken aback.


I didn't do anything!


Sylvia clicked her tongue and, as if the earlier scene was a mirage, elegantly rose from the chair and walked back to her seat.


Though slightly confused, it was now Yoon Si-woo's turn.


This one I really remembered!


The one thing Yoon Si-woo feared most was the disappearance of Lucy, whom he thought of as family.


However, no matter how top-tier an illusionist Eve was, she couldn't show an illusion that completely cut off the connection between Lucy and Yoon Si-woo, which was bound by a contract.


Even if the sword seemed to vanish, she couldn't interfere with their communication, so it was just a meaningless illusion.


And with the Holy Sword of Radiance, realizing it was an illusion would make it easy for him to break free.


Originally, he should’ve broken free from the illusion without any change in expression.


But Yoon Si-woo now looked more distressed than I had ever seen him.


By this point, I was beginning to think maybe I was just an idiot who remembered the novel incorrectly.


Yoon Si-woo, pale with sweat dripping down, looked like he was trying to hold something back.


After struggling for a while, he seemed to grit his teeth and break free from the magic.


With a confused look, Yoon Si-woo glanced at me, then, his face turning as red as a tomato, hurriedly got up and ran to his seat.


Was this some kind of hidden camera prank?


"Is there some sort of mission that requires you to look at me every time you overcome a hallucination?"


Eve called my name just as I was dumbfounded by the unexpected reactions.


As I sat in the chair, I started to feel nervous.


My heart was pounding and trembling uncontrollably, like standing on a bungee jump platform.


Wondering what I might see, I was tense when I heard a snapping sound right by my ear.


---


It was a ruin.


What was once a city had nothing left but collapsed buildings and the rubble scattered on the ground.


The eerie wind whistled sharply as it passed through the broken windows of the crumbling structures.


The only sound was that of the wind.


A desolate and lonely scene of what used to be a city, devoid of any human presence.


A city built by humans now empty of them, indicating destruction.


As I thought about it, I suddenly felt a sense of incongruity when I realized myself.


What am I doing here if I'm not supposed to be here?


As soon as I thought that, "poof," my figure appeared in the empty ruin.


When I tried to remember what I had been doing, something came to mind.


Ah, yes, I was in the middle of 'Bogart Training.'


It was somewhat fascinating.


Is this the situation I fear the most?


I thought I would see something much more terrifying.


I decided to imagine the most dreadful thing I could think of.


Perhaps, a world filled with anger, hatred, and malice.


A world where every chocolate contains mint, and every pizza has pineapple on it.


I shuddered.


That's total hell.


Just thinking about it made me break out in a cold sweat and my breathing quickened.


Before I knew it, the world filled with mint chocolate and Hawaiian pizza was rushing toward me.


Kyaaah! Gwaaaah!


I lost consciousness.


---


"Scarlet, are you okay?"


When I opened my eyes, the class president was looking down at me with a worried expression.


...It seems I had fainted.


As I sat up from the mattress, the class president helped me to my feet by holding my hand.


"What did you see? You seemed to be having a hard time."


"...It just went dark in front of my eyes."


I lied to the class president when she asked what I had seen.


How could I say I fainted because of mint chocolate and Hawaiian pizza?


The class president gently held my hand.


"...I see. If it gets tough, let me know anytime. I'll help you."


Please get rid of all the mint chocolate and Hawaiian pizza in the world.


I wanted to say that to the class president, but I held back.


As I got up and looked around, Yoon Si-woo was watching me with a complicated expression.


Why are you looking at me like that?


---


After lunch, Sylvia was broadcasting her craving for macarons, so I quickly ran to the store and bought some macarons.


Normally, her face would brighten up a bit when she received macarons, but today she kept a pouty face even while accepting them.


It felt like Sylvia's friend corruption gauge wasn't going up today, so I was feeling down.


---


After school, I returned home, quickly washed up, and changed into pajamas.


When I'm feeling a bit down, bean sprouts are the best.


I stir-fried them a little more than usual, then stuffed my mouth full and chewed.


It's delicious.


I love bean sprouts.


After finishing my meal, I flopped onto the bed and tried to fall asleep quickly.


I didn't sleep well last night, so I'll go to bed early tonight.


With that thought, I lay down and closed my eyes.


As soon as I closed my eyes, the scene I saw in the hallucination came to mind.


A city turned into ruins with no sign of life.


A place filled only with the debris of collapsed buildings.


Among the debris was something sticking out, shaped like a large shield.


Engraved on it in familiar writing were the letters A, E, G.


Every time I recalled those letters, which I deliberately avoided looking at directly,


my breath quickened,


and I banged my head hard enough to make a thud sound against the wall.


My breathing returned to normal.


Damn, that hurt like hell.


With a tearful face, I rubbed my forehead where I had just banged it.


Still, the pain was better.


After taking a deep breath, the nausea I had felt subsided a bit.


Let's sleep quickly.


If I sleep, I won't think of anything.


Even though the scene might come to mind again if I close my eyes, I kept chanting to myself until I was about to fall asleep.


Don't think about it.


Only think positive thoughts.


You've done well so far.


Tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that, if you keep going like this, surely,


you can survive in this world.


I don't want to die.


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Comments

  1. It would make more sense for mc to end up with Sylvia as she is basically keeping mc from going insane, maybe the author will cook. Anyway i want to know the backstory of mc so bad it seems like she is a special existence even in her last life

    Thanks for the chapter !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Please fix the pronouns for the Class President as well, its a ‘she’ right ?

      Delete
    2. Class president pronouns are wrong all through this chapter.

      Delete
    3. you mean she instead of he? right?...If yes, Then its already changed

      Delete
    4. No, the other way around lol.

      Delete
    5. When the class president is doing the fear thing their pronouns are wrong. It says he and it should be she

      Delete
  2. I really want to know why did the illusion show that ruins at first.
    The information we have about the life MC had before is not much.
    Nor there's any informatiom about this one.
    This is either a way to show the MC's soul state, in the sense to hint that whatever happened to MC was tucked in somewhere inside and MC suffered a great deal before starting here.
    Honestly, at first i thought this was an adolescent romance plot with some tweaks but considering this it may be better than that.
    Also, i agree that mint chocolate and pineapple pizza shouldn't exist. Same for sandwiches with pineapple and ham, ew...
    I ate many weird things and like them but that's heresy, i tell you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MC is scared of the world getting destroyed, we know because in the beginning we were told that the novel the world is based on had a bad ending.

      Delete
  3. Ruined City... A, E, G. Aegis Academy? Subconsciously she fears the end of the world - but it seems to be in a more personal way... which makes the backstory suddenly a whole lot more complex

    ReplyDelete
  4. 😢🥲I don't want to die.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Why is Mei's gender flipflopping like crazy during the illusion training? It constantly switches between he and she even though it's established that it's a she.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. this is called tl mistake, and i am really for that thing called tl mistake

      Delete
  6. Sylvia and Yoon Si-woo have just met the mc for few days, with no significant event. That the mc appeared in their most subconscious fear doesn't make sense at all. Hope their will be some reasonable explanations.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Pronouns for Class President are wrong in this chapter, Class President/rep is female, not male.

    ReplyDelete

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