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Chapter 179: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat

Chapter 179



I gently stroked Marin's trembling back as she clung to me.


Heroes are supposed to smile even when they're sad, but how can anyone just suppress their sadness forever?


I didn't know the details, but she must have received some bad news about her father.


Having gone through something similar, I knew that empty words of comfort wouldn't help in moments like this.


The best I could do for her was to shield her from the gazes of passersby, making sure no one could see her crying.


After some time passed, I could feel the trembling of Marin, who had been stifling her sobs against my chest, slowly calming down.


Had she managed to collect her emotions to some extent?


When she finally lifted her head from where it had been buried in my chest, she seemed much calmer than before.


Marin rubbed her reddened eyes, still showing traces of sadness, with her sleeve and gave a faint, embarrassed smile.


“...Thanks, Scarlet. I think I’ve calmed down a bit, thanks to you. Sorry you had to see me like this.”


“No need to be embarrassed. There’s nothing wrong with crying when you’re sad. We’re human, after all.”


When I said that, Marin stared at me for a moment before breaking into a small laugh.


“...Yeah, you’re right. You’re a good person, Scarlet.”


After saying that, Marin stretched her body and leaned back slightly, murmuring with her head tilted upwards.


“My dad… he’s in a coma. He’s not dead, but they don’t know if he’ll wake up.”


Her voice was calm as she spoke of her father’s condition, almost like she was talking about someone else’s problem.


But I could sense the faint tremor beneath that composed tone, hinting at the deep sorrow she was hiding.


In that voice, she quietly started to share her story.


“There were times, you know, when I envied other kids. Both my mom and dad were on the front lines, so I was home alone most of the time. I envied families who could spend lots of time together. Once, I even whined to my dad about it, asking him if protecting others was more important than spending time with me. And you know what he said?”


“...”


“He told me that he wasn’t fighting to protect others, but to protect me. That to him, I was the most precious person in the world.”


“...”


“So, even though I envied other kids, I never wished for a different dad. I love my dad. Even though he’s sometimes embarrassingly obsessed with me, I know he truly loves me.”


Listening to her, I murmured softly.


“...He’s a good father.”


Marin nodded slowly in agreement.


“Yeah. He’s the most amazing and proud father in the world.”


As Marin looked up, her eyes caught the light of the sky, mirroring her father’s chilly blue.


Staring at that sky-like blue, she bit her lip and suddenly stood up, turning to me.


“It’s time to get going. We’re heading towards the beast corpse disposal site, right? I was on my way there after a stop at the hospital, so let’s go together.”


“...Are you sure you’re okay?”


Worried that she might be pretending to be fine, I asked, and Marin nodded confidently.


“My dad told me that it’s okay to fall as many times as I need to, as long as I can get back up. If he wakes up, I don’t want him to see me looking pathetic, so I’ve got to do my best to be a daughter he can be proud of.”


Marin smiled brightly as she said that.


The sight of her standing tall after overcoming her sadness was so dazzling that it made me smile too.


As I watched her, I silently prayed for her father.


I hoped he would wake up soon so he could see just how incredible his daughter had become.


*


When Marin and I arrived at the designated location, we could see people busily working everywhere.


Some carried syringes with long barrels, while others struggled to load beast corpses onto large trucks.


One thing they all had in common was that they were dressed in what looked like spacesuits.


Perhaps they were wearing them to protect their bodies from the miasma emanating from the corpses.


Having worn something similar during my military service for disease control, I knew that just wearing those suits felt like being in a sauna.


It looked terribly stifling, especially with the hard labor they were doing.


Just thinking about it made me feel short of breath.


“Ah, Miss Scarlet! Are you feeling better now?”


One of the suited figures approached and spoke to me.


It was hard to recognize the voice because it echoed, but I had no trouble identifying who it was—the figure was noticeably smaller than the others.


“...Jessie, right? I’m perfectly fine now, so you don’t have to worry about me.”


“Really? That’s great! You looked like you were having a hard time walking last time, so I thought you were seriously hurt.”


Jessie removed her helmet and gave me a bright smile, relieved.


But when she noticed Marin standing next to me, Jessie’s expression quickly darkened.


“Oh, Marin… I heard about your father. I’m really sorry.”


“...Yeah.”


“...Hng.”


Kind-hearted Jessie, seeing Marin’s pained smile, immediately burst into tears and hugged her tightly.


Having recently lost her own family due to the witch’s schemes, Jessie seemed to feel a deep connection with Marin.


After briefly sobbing in Marin’s arms, Jessie trembled and murmured.


“...Why do witches keep taking away our precious people? I can’t forgive them… never.”


“...Jessie.”


“But, it’s such a relief.”


Jessie lifted her head as she mumbled.


“I’m so glad Yoon Si-woo defeated the witch who hurt Marin’s dad, right?”


Jessie, who had been sad just moments ago, was now smiling brightly.


“Witches are strong, so I thought it would be too hard to get revenge. So when I heard that Yoon Si-woo took down the evil witch, I was so happy. Bad people deserve to be punished, and he’s the one punishing the bad witches. Doesn’t he seem just like a hero from a story?”


“...A hero?”


“Yes, a hero! So I’m not going to be too hasty anymore. I’m sure the hero will defeat the witch who killed my brother for me!”


For every person like Marin, who rises above their sorrow, there are those who become trapped by their overwhelming grief.


Jessie was one of those people.


Not that there was anything wrong with that.


The pain of losing a loved one is overwhelming, and Jessie, with her kind and gentle nature, was even more sensitive to such pain.


But still, I knew.


I had seen Jessie's eyes, once dulled by sadness and despair, now filled only with a deeply rooted desire for revenge.


That’s why her bright smile felt so out of place to me.


And when I saw Jessie’s sparkling eyes, I felt a chill run down my spine.


The light in her eyes wasn’t her own.


It was a reflection.


A reflection from those who stared at the blinding light of Yoon Si-woo, trying to forget the pain brought by their sorrow.


I had once thought it better for people to forget their sadness rather than lose themselves in it, and I wished for Yoon Si-woo to be their light.


But there was a downside to that.


When I lost my parents and went through a bout of depression, I met people online who had experienced similar sorrows. Many of them sought something to lean on to forget their pain.


Their choices varied, but some stories were about those who found solace in the light of God.


This isn’t inherently a bad thing.


A proper faith can serve as an emotional anchor during tough times and provide the strength to overcome sorrow.


However, when that reliance goes too far, it’s no longer about simply leaning on something—it becomes an obsession, pouring everything into that one thing.


Blinded by the light, those who lose sight of themselves become fanatical.


Those who lose their reason to the light and can no longer distinguish right from wrong become blind believers.


And those who go beyond that, who go mad for the light instead of their grief, become zealots.


For those who follow the light of Yoon Si-woo, he can indeed be their guide.


As long as Yoon Si-woo continues to walk the right path.


For those drawn to the light of Yoon Si-woo, he can be their signpost.


As long as Yoon Si-woo continues to ponder right and wrong.


I believe Yoon Si-woo can be that figure.


Because of the character and values he’s shown so far.


Because I know of his sacrifices and efforts for this world.


However, what makes me uneasy is the fact that Yoon Si-woo is not a god but a human being.


So I wished people could understand.


No matter how remarkable Yoon Si-woo may seem, he too is someone who can occasionally take a wrong turn or make a mistake.


I looked at Jessie as she smiled.


What was truly reflected in her eyes? Was it Yoon Si-woo, the individual?


Or was it the hero she longed for from her stories?


The gaze of the fanatic flickered intensely, almost dizzyingly.


And that flickering could, at times, even taint the light they looked up to.


I hoped and prayed that the name of the reflected light in her eyes would not be blindness, fanaticism, or madness.


----------------------


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Comments

  1. What if Jessie goes yandere and gets jealous of scarlet? That would be amazing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ... I think we have very different definitions of "amazing"

      Delete
    2. Some people wants to watch the world burn. But there is nothing inherently wrong with that. - Scarlet Evande.

      Delete
  2. Love the content! Just subbed to the patreon to show my support. Reading the newest chapters is one of my favorite parts of my day.

    ReplyDelete

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