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Chapter 18: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat

 Chapter 18




[Ring-ding-ding~ Good morning~ Ring-ding-ding~ Ba-ba-ba Ba-ba Ba-ba-]


I reached out to turn off the alarm by my bed.


For some reason, the position where I placed my phone before sleeping was different, so it took me a while to turn off the alarm.


I hate that part of the song...


Wait, when did I fall asleep?


It felt like I blacked out after drinking, with no memory of it.


Feeling confused, I slowly opened my eyes.


......A strange ceiling.


I never thought I’d actually think that phrase.


When I first fell into this world, I didn’t have time to think that because the first thing I saw was my body on fire.


As I slowly sat up, I noticed that there was a screen around me.


Given that my last memory was accepting the magical herb from Leonor and smoking it, it’s likely I was still in the school.


Judging by the bed and the screen, it seemed like the infirmary.


I pushed the screen aside to see a woman dozing off while leaning on the back of a chair.


She was wearing a white coat, probably the school nurse.


As I put on the shoes placed by the bed and stood up, she woke up with a start, as if sensing the movement.


“I wasn’t asleep! I wasn’t sleeping! I was just meditating for a moment!”


Okay, but could you wipe the drool off your mouth before you talk?


I stared at the obvious drool mark without saying anything, and she realized it too, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and laughing awkwardly.


“Hehe, you’re awake? I heard the gist of it from the girl who brought you here. A first-timer shouldn’t inhale magical herbs so deeply. Even if they’re beneficial and don’t have major side effects, they’re used for calming the mind, so someone without tolerance will get dazed if they take too much. Be careful next time, okay?”


I could roughly guess the situation.


Leonor must have brought me to the infirmary after I got high on the magical herb.


The fact that I had no memory of it bothered me a bit.


I hoped I didn’t make any mistakes in front of Leonor.


I had a bad history with blacking out...


When I first got my ID and drank with friends, I didn’t know my limits and drank way too much.


The next day, I woke up with no memory of the night before and asked my friends what happened. They all laughed until they were in stitches.


One of them played a video from our group chat, titled “The Adorable and Lovable Fairy Spirit,” a legendary video.


I can’t forget the shock I felt watching that video.


Something that looked like me was clinging to people and whining...


Who would have thought my drinking habits were so horrendous?


If I could redo one moment in my life, the first would be when I commented on the last episode of [Academy’s Holy Sword], and the second would be when that video was taken.


If I could go back, I’d never drink until I blacked out.


Since then, that video became a recurring topic whenever I drank with friends, and it was hard refusing their attempts to get me drunk to see it again.


“Oh, and the student who brought you here left her number on your phone and asked you to text her when you wake up.”


I checked my phone and saw a new contact added to my previously empty list.


Maybe she set the alarm while adding her number?


I thanked the nurse and left the infirmary.


The time showed that the class was almost over.


If I’d been asleep since lunchtime, I must have slept for quite a while...


On the way to the classroom, I pulled out my phone and sent a message to Leonor.


[Thank you for taking me to the infirmary.]


The reply came almost instantly, as if she had been waiting for my message.


[Meet me at the store after school.]


The message included a video.


With a sense of foreboding, I clicked on the video with trembling hands.


-Senpai~ Give me a hug~


-What are you doing? Taking a picture? Hehe, cheese~


-I’m sleepy... I wanna sleep...


In the video, a girl was acting cute towards the person holding the camera.


It would have been an adorable video, enough to make someone smile if it wasn’t for the fact that the girl was me.


......Should I just die?


I hate the idea of dying, but it felt that desperate.


I glanced at the window in the hallway.


The infirmary was on the first floor, and the first-year classrooms were on the second floor.


I probably wouldn’t die if I jumped...


The shame was driving me crazy.


Why did Leonor send me this video?


Thinking it over, only weird thoughts came to mind.


A humiliating video and a blonde, tanned delinquent—it could only mean one thing...


I started to fear what would happen after school.


As I returned to the classroom, all eyes were on me as I entered through the back door during class.


I hoped they didn’t think I was a delinquent skipping class.


I slightly bowed my head to the history teacher to apologize for the interruption and sat down. Sylvia turned towards me and spoke in a low voice.


“......I told the teachers you were resting in the infirmary because you weren’t feeling well.”


That was a relief.


I nodded in thanks to Sylvia, and she turned away again, her ears slightly red.


How did Sylvia know I was in the infirmary?


Did Leonor tell her?


Probably.


After a while, class ended, and it was time for homeroom.


As Eve entered for homeroom, she smirked at me and spoke.


“Evande, did you rest well? Be careful next time, alright?”


She seemed to know why I had gone to the infirmary.


Well, as the homeroom teacher, she must have heard it from the nurse.


‘Isn’t that right? Your student smoked a cigarette for the first time and inhaled too much, so she passed out?’


How embarrassing...


After homeroom, I nodded to the students asking if I was okay and headed to the store.


With each step, my imagination ran wild.


I pictured Leonor smirking and threatening to spread the video unless I did as she said.


Am I going to be tormented from now on?


As I trembled and arrived in front of the store, something cold touched my cheek.


Huh?! I was startled and turned around to see Leonor holding a can of soda.


She handed me the soda that had just touched my cheek. As I took it hesitantly, she pulled out her phone from her pocket and shook it, grinning mischievously.


“This is a thank you for showing me something cute. I like cute things, and thanks to you, I have something fun to watch before I go to bed. How should I share this wonderful video?”


Oh... oh no...


Feeling the embarrassment turn my face red, I knew I was stepping into a trap as I spoke the dreaded line.


“...What do I have to do for you to delete it?”


Ah, I said it.


From here on, I wouldn’t be able to refuse Leonor’s requests. I would be subjected to all sorts of unspeakable things until I gave up and became hers...


Feeling like it was all over, I waited for Leonor’s demands.


She thought for a moment, then her face lit up with an idea.


“Then how about calling me ‘sister’ from now on?”


“Absolutely not. Spread the video as you like.”


I hardened my face and refused flatly.


No matter how cool Leonor was, and even if she made me want to call her “noona” (big sister), I couldn’t bring myself to call her that since I was older. I couldn’t say that even if you put a knife to my throat.


A man has his pride.


I would rather be called something like “Emvande” by everyone!


“Hey, are you mad? I wasn’t planning to spread the video anyway, so calm down... But is calling me sister really that bad?”


Leonor spoke, looking downcast.


I knew from the start that she wasn’t the type to force others into things they hated.


I just went along with the joke, but seeing the usually cool Leonor looking so deflated was kind of cute.


Is this what they call gap moe?


Of course, I still had no intention of calling her sister.


“I don’t call anyone sister unless they’re family.”


“...Did something happen with your sister?”


Unless it was a situation where calling someone “sister” was expected, like having a sister in the family, I had no intention of calling anyone that.


I meant it in that sense, but Leonor seemed to have misunderstood, so I clarified.


“It’s not like that. I don’t have any family.”


Since I don’t have family to suffer, it’s fine!


I said it with a laugh, but Leonor’s face hardened, and she seemed to be holding back something.


Seeing her strange reaction, I tilted my head in confusion as she suddenly grabbed my hand.


“Your name was Scarlet, right? How about joining my club?”


Club activities...


I hadn’t planned on joining any, but her earnest expression made me consider listening.


“What club?”


“It’s the cooking club. We borrow the kitchen in the cafeteria every Friday evening to cook. Not many people show up since it’s only for those who feel like it, but I thought we could cook together and maybe have dinner?”


Hearing about dinner piqued my interest.


It might be nice to eat something other than bean sprouts occasionally.


Just as I was about to be swayed, she continued.


“The annual fee is 100,000 gold, but I’ll pay it for you. So how about joining?”


I might have considered it if it were free, but hearing about the fee made me hesitate.


I only had 23,000 gold left, and 100,000 gold?


I couldn’t easily go into debt for something that could sustain me for four months.


I shook my head and handed back the soda she gave me.


“I don’t like being in debt, so I’ll join officially and pay the fee if I decide later. You can keep the soda too.”


“Alright, I understand if that’s what makes you comfortable. If you ever need help, just contact me. See you next time.”


Leonor took the soda back with a bitter smile and left, saying goodbye with a note of regret in her voice.


Did she really want to do club activities with me that much?


I hadn’t seriously considered joining a club, but thinking I couldn’t because of money was disappointing.


Should I try to earn some money?


I decided to think about it when I got home.


*


As soon as I got home, I searched for ways to make money on my phone.


Excluding long-term jobs and those overlapping with school hours, I looked for something I could do in a day.


One thing stood out among the possibilities.


A demonstration of supernatural abilities.


One of the listed preferences was for Academy students.


It mentioned demonstrating abilities for about two hours, with a daily wage of 120,000 gold.


That was 60,000 gold per hour. It seemed too good to be true.


I wasn’t sure what exactly it entailed, but I couldn’t pass up such an opportunity.


I quickly filled out the profile and sent an email to the contact listed. Soon, I received a confirmation message.


They asked me to come to XX Park by 8 PM tomorrow.


It was the same park I had visited before.


Feeling lucky that it wasn’t far from home, I sat on the bed and felt something rustling in my pocket.


It was the chocolate the class president gave me in the morning.


After being in my pocket all day, it had melted and lost its shape.


I paused for a moment and then smiled wryly.


Sorry, class president. I can’t eat this.


I opened the fridge and put the chocolate in a hidden corner.


After eating dinner and changing clothes, I lay down on the bed.


Tomorrow I might become rich and be able to buy more than just bean sprouts.




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Comments

  1. Its cute how mc’s definition of rich is a bean sprout party lol

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well, i can understand not wanting debts.
    But, why give the soda back or reject the senpai's offer for friendship?
    Is the MC oblivious to the fact that same with the class president, they could be friends?
    Seriously, should really stop with sticking just to Sylvia already.
    Also, really, should start to think on how to use money better.
    Winning more is good but if you don't manage it properly is worthless.
    There's a limit of how much one can make without turnig into a slave and collapsing.
    Also, if the job is suspicious, no matter if a hero, is not intelligent to do, it can get dangerous.
    This MC really needs a reality check, transmigrator or not...

    ReplyDelete
  3. After rereading the use of the alarm song in this chapter was very clever foreboding

    ReplyDelete
  4. Man, the mc must be on lower spectrum of intelligence

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm rereading after dropping this around her, since people said it got better after ch 30.
    But damn, her attitude towards anyone not called Sylvia is actually annoying.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Arrrgh!!! MC acts so dumb and has no redeeming traits (except it's interesting reading about her/his mental illness but I've read better). So the story is barely interesting as long as MC isn't interacting with another person. I already got spoiled about the supposed big reason why she's sticking to Silvia at the expense of her health, wealth and self-respect. But for someone with foreknowledge of what's to come, opting to keep sticking to one of the main characters who inadvertently lead the world to said 'Bad End' without doing/planning anything for future events, sounds like the worst route to survival.
    Idk how the author's going to spin it to make sense but the raving reviews in NU makes me believe they succeeded. So rn I'm clenching my teeth and holding on till chapter 30 as was suggested.

    ReplyDelete

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