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Chapter 202: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat

Chapter 202



[-In recognition of these achievements, Hero Yoon Si-woo is hereby appointed as the Second Squad Captain of Astrape, effective immediately.]


The ceremony, which had begun with a performance to captivate the crowd’s attention, ended successfully with Yoon Si-woo officially being appointed as the squad captain.


Waaaah-!!!


Cheers and applause erupted from all around as the appointment ceremony came to a close.


Seeing this reaction, it seemed that the earlier show had certainly been effective.


It had managed to turn even those who had been watching with indifference into fervent fans.


I had been a bit worried that this kind of attention might overwhelm Yoon Si-woo, but it seemed that my worries were unnecessary.


Just look at him—up there on the stage, smiling and waving at the crowd. How could anyone say he looked overwhelmed?


Watching Yoon Si-woo respond to the cheers like a seasoned idol with ten years of experience, I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. Just then, I felt a tugging on my sleeve from beside me.


“Unnie! This!”


I turned to see Rion proudly holding out a bouquet to me, her face beaming with excitement as if to say, “Look at this!”


So this was what she had been fussing over earlier.


“Did you prepare this as a gift?”


“Yeah! We picked these flowers together with the director and the other kids to give to oppa! Pretty, right? These ones, and these ones, are the flowers Rion picked!”


I thought the bouquet looked a bit unusual with its mix of colors, but now I understood it was handmade.


Of course, that didn’t mean it wasn’t as beautiful as a store-bought one.


This bouquet, which those kids—now holding hands tightly to avoid getting separated—had painstakingly put together with their little hands and heartfelt effort, had more value than any store-bought bouquet.


Could there be a bouquet more precious than this in the world?


I’m sure Yoon Si-woo’s face would light up just like mine when he received it.


Smiling warmly, I patted Rion on the head as she proudly showed off the bouquet they had made.


“Yeah, it’s beautiful. Yoon Si-woo will be so happy when you give it to him.”


At my words, Rion tilted her head quizzically as if she didn’t understand.


“Huh? No, it’s not me giving it to him. It’s you, unnie.”


“What? Me?”


“Yeah!”


When I pointed to myself in surprise, Rion nodded vigorously.


Why would they go to all the trouble of making it and then ask me to give it to him?


Confused, I turned to Director Maria beside me for clarification.


“Um, Director? Is it really okay for me to be the one to give this bouquet?”


“Of course. We made it with that intention from the start. After all, Si-woo would be much happier receiving it from you than from us.”


The director replied with a smile.


It was a response I couldn’t quite understand.


I mean, why would he be particularly moved by receiving a bouquet from someone like me, who he could see at home anytime... It seemed like a waste to hand over this bouquet, which they had put so much effort into.


“I don’t think that’s true... He probably won’t think much of it if I give it to him... It would be better for you and the kids to hand it to him directly, don’t you think?”


“... Do you really believe that?”


The director looked at me as if she couldn’t believe what I was saying.


When I responded with a look that clearly said, “Of course,” the director gave me a knowing look and muttered something incomprehensible.


“My goodness, Si-woo... You have a tough road ahead of you...”


Then she suddenly grabbed my hand tightly and spoke in a serious tone.


“Scarlet, look over there. See how crowded it is? I’m worried about the kids getting lost if we try to push through that crowd... Besides, I’m getting on in years, and my back hurts if I walk too much. So, could you please hand the bouquet to Si-woo on our behalf?”


At her words, I looked at the sea of people filling the plaza.


She was right. Trying to push through that crowd with the kids could easily lead to someone getting lost.


There really wasn’t much choice.


Seeing how much the director was asking, it seemed like I should be the one to go. I nodded and said,


“... Okay. I’ll give it to him for you.”


“Thank you, Scarlet.”


“No need to thank me. Si-woo will be so grateful to you when he gets this.”


At my words, the director chuckled softly and murmured,


“Of course, he should be grateful. I put so much thought into this.”


Judging by her words, it seemed she had put a lot of effort into making this bouquet.


*


When I made my way through the crowd with the bouquet, the area around the stage was filled with people busy wrapping up the ceremony.


“What’s going on, Scarlet?”


As I stood nearby, looking for Yoon Si-woo, Sylvia, who had been directing people here and there, spotted me and paused her work to approach me.


“Oh... I came to give this to Yoon Si-woo.”


I showed her the bouquet in my hands, and Sylvia nodded in understanding and pointed to the back of the stage.


“Yoon Si-woo is in the waiting tent back there. You can go give it to him. I’m really sorry, but please keep it brief. He’s scheduled to head to the front lines in about ten minutes to receive the handover from the former captain live on broadcast...”


“Don’t worry. I’ll just deliver this and be on my way.”


I shrugged at Sylvia’s request to keep it short.


I thought to myself that Yoon Si-woo must be busy. I mean, it’s not surprising since he’s the youngest captain in history, and that’s a big deal.


Thinking this, I realized Sylvia was just as busy, as I heard people calling her from all directions. After exchanging a quick farewell, I headed towards the tent where Yoon Si-woo was.


“I never thought I’d be in charge of such a ridiculous production... So, how does it feel to have your former boss working under you, our youngest captain?”


“Haha...”


“Wow, to think you’re a captain now. It feels like just yesterday you joined us as a rookie...”


“Right? I never thought I’d end up like this either...”


As I approached the tent, I heard voices inside. It seemed someone was already there.


I peeked inside through a small opening and saw Martina talking with Yoon Si-woo.


“It feels strange... I honestly thought that even if you became a captain, you’d naturally end up with us.”


“Really? Natalia said you only took me because you lost in drawing straws.”


“Hey! Well, that’s true, but I did like you a lot!”


I thought about announcing my presence, but seeing how much fun they were having, I decided to wait outside until their conversation ended. After all, I just needed to deliver the bouquet.


At that moment, I heard something that piqued my interest.


“Anyway, that’s not the reason... You know, it’s because of your parents...”


“Ah...”


Martina’s mention of Yoon Si-woo’s parents caught my attention.


Now that I thought about it, all I knew about Yoon Si-woo’s parents was that they had passed away when he was young.


It wasn’t something that had been elaborated on in the original story either.


Curious, I listened closely to Martina’s voice.


“... The monster that killed your parents, the Rage Beast, is under our jurisdiction. That’s why I thought you’d want to stay with us, to avenge your parents. If you had, I would’ve given you a hard time, but still...”


What I heard was a shocking revelation.


The “fire chicken bastard” that Martina mentioned must be referring to that beast resembling a phoenix, which I saw during my kidnapping incident.


If that’s the case, then Yoon Si-woo’s parents were killed by that beast.


And that beast was the Rage Beast.


The one responsible for creating that beast was...


“Ah...”


Without thinking, I dropped the bouquet, and it fell to the ground with a soft thud.


Hearing the sound, Yoon Si-woo, who had been seated, turned his gaze towards me.


“... Scarlet?”


Our eyes met.


If only there was even a hint of resentment towards me in his eyes, it would’ve been easier to bear.


But those eyes were filled with worry, as if concerned I might have overheard the conversation just now.


Those eyes, knowing everything and yet still treating me the way he did all this time, were proof.


Proof that he knew it all along and still...


Unable to face him boldly after learning the truth, I couldn’t bear it any longer.


“... I’m sorry.”


I left behind the bouquet I couldn’t deliver and those simple words.


Leaving Yoon Si-woo, who seemed about to shout something in panic, I fled from the scene.


*


By the time I came to my senses, I was already home.


“Haa... Hicc...”


My chest ached, probably from running all the way back without stopping.


...No, it wasn’t from running that it hurt.


What was tearing at my heart like this was guilt.


The guilt that maybe, just maybe, Yoon Si-woo’s parents died because of me.


... I knew how foolish that thought was.


I wasn’t the one who created that beast.


No matter what the Witch of Wrath did in the past, it wasn’t something I did. I knew I didn’t have to feel guilty about that.


“... Hic.”


But even knowing that, I couldn’t stop myself from thinking.


What if the witch inside me was the cause of Yoon Si-woo’s parents’ death? What if, in some way, I was partly responsible for it?


I couldn’t erase that thought because my parents had meant so much to me.


My mother and father were the most precious people in the world to me, people I couldn’t replace with anyone else.


And I’m sure it was the same for Yoon Si-woo.


He lost such precious people to a monster.


If I were in his shoes, could I avoid hating that monster?


Could I avoid hating the witch who created that monster?


Could I avoid hating the witch who was sleeping inside me?


I wasn’t confident I could.


That’s why, even more so, I couldn’t face Yoon Si-woo.


“...”


How long had it been since I got home?


Seeing that no one had come, it seemed Yoon Si-woo hadn’t followed me.


His expression before I left had looked so urgent that I thought he might, but...


Come to think of it, he had another engagement right after.


Maybe that’s why he didn’t come.


I was relieved he didn’t abandon that to come after me.


If he had, I might have been a little disappointed in him.


It would’ve meant he broke his promise to prioritize others over me.


... But that’s just an excuse. In reality, I was simply relieved because I didn’t have the courage to face him.


“... He said something about a live broadcast.”


Curled up on the sofa, I remembered what Sylvia had said and cautiously turned on the TV.


It felt ironic to be scared of seeing his face and yet turning on the TV to look for him.


Maybe I wanted to confirm something.


Whether he truly harbored resentment towards me or not.


“... Ah.”


And then, on the screen, I saw Yoon Si-woo fiercely battling against the monster.


The figure on the screen was a knight clad in brilliant white armor, but I could tell it was Yoon Si-woo.


Even though I had never seen it in real life, I recognized that power from the original story.


I let out a small, hollow laugh.


I knew things like that about him, but I knew nothing about his parents.


I laughed, then almost teared up.


On the screen, Yoon Si-woo was swinging his sword with an overwhelming intensity.


He looked utterly enraged as he fought the monster.


Was he angry at the monster?


Maybe somewhere in his heart, he was also angry at me.


But I... deserved to be treated like that.


I had been acting like his friend without knowing anything about the person who caused his parents’ death.


As I berated myself, I suddenly remembered the bouquet I hadn’t been able to deliver, the one they’d asked me to give him, and cursed myself for being such a useless fool who couldn’t even do that properly.


Everything felt like it was my fault.


I had vowed to be happy not long ago, but I couldn’t help but wonder if someone like me even deserved happiness.


At that moment, my phone buzzed with a vibration.


[Turn on the TV.]


It was a message from Yoon Si-woo.


I blankly stared at the screen and saw that the fight had ended. Yoon Si-woo, having taken off his armor, was visible on the screen.


Yoon Si-woo beyond the screen was putting his phone back into his pocket, as if he had just sent that message, and he was looking at me with a piercing gaze.


As if he had something to say to me.


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


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