Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Become My Comrade!
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There are two kinds of lunatics in the world.
Ones you have to placate, and ones you have to ignore like they don't exist.
For example, the former would be your stereotypical bad-tempered bully. The latter? Cultists and other such nutjobs.
And from my experience, the latter were by far the nastier breed.
Even among lunatics, there's a hierarchy.
Better the type who kick you a few times and move on if you grovel and stroke their ego, than the ones who bulldoze straight ahead at their own stubborn pace, no matter what you say.
"Become my comrade!"
And the girl who'd introduced herself as Betty was unmistakably the latter.
"......I'm hungry."
I narrowed my eyes at the white-haired girl clutching her stomach, hunched over.
Shoulder-length white bob cut. Cute, pretty face. An innocent, playful vibe.
...If not for those tattoos.
Unknown script covering her body and even her face—it completely transformed her impish look into that of a gangster psycho.
...Alright.
But that didn't faze me. I'd dealt with my share of cult weirdos. I already had the perfect countermeasure down pat.
If I responded with something like, "Comrade? What're you talking about?" she'd get all excited, ignore whatever I said, and force her way in.
Ignore her.
Shut that possibility down from the start. I didn't reply and just kept walking toward the dorms.
"Hey? Hey! Where you going?!"
Ignore. Ignore.
Betty plopped down with a thud and yelled.
"W-Wait a sec!!"
...No thanks.
I quickened my pace and left the scene. Betty didn't have the strength to chase; she just sat there on the ground, staring at my back.
#
The next day, I pressed my hand against the transparent glass window and sighed.
School—Acamedy Academy...
It's a prison. Classrooms are cells.
Today, like always, I trembled in my cell, waiting for the punishment called remedial class.
Students from other classes filed in through the door. Familiar faces by now, even if we'd never spoken.
Here's the kicker: Out of the entire school, I was the only one who'd flunked six subjects.
Which meant I was the only one stuck attending all these endless remedial sessions.
Hell wasn't far away. Six subjects' worth of remedial classes were hell.
And hell dragged on forever. I flailed endlessly, waiting for it to end—like swimming in a river of blood and lava.
Finally, after the marathon remedial hell, I stepped out of the academy.
Dusk was settling in. I was the only student leaving the academy grounds.
Why just me? Everyone else had finished their single remedial class and gone home ages ago.
I was the sole superstar who'd achieved the grand slam of failing six subjects.
So I trudged home alone, hugging my aching loneliness to my chest.
"Haah..."
I sighed, yearning for those walks home with Yoon Na-rin, Han U-sol, and the gang.
The dim, empty street. Silent, save for the echo of my footsteps.
Even for a superstar like me, this kind of solitude was tough to bear.
I used to be used to it. But not anymore.
It was scary. Lonely.
I wished someone—anyone—would talk to me.
Break this silence.
[Pray to the gods, Anis faithful.]
No, not you.
Out!!
I mentally roared and chased it off.
Darkness and silence were my natural enemies. They bred negative thoughts, hallucinations, auditory tricks.
[This is the world inside the novel 'Acamedy Academy.']
...Ugh, screw off.
If just one person would talk to me...
Maybe these shadows would back off a bit.
As I picked up the pace with that thought, a sound leaked from the alley. Tiny, but the street was so quiet, I caught it.
—Grrrrumble...
"......?"
I peeked into the alley. And there was...
"S-So... hungry..."
That lunatic from yesterday, Betty, slumped against the wall.
'......'
A voice inside me—the great hero—whispered. Helping the starving is the true path of justice and chivalry.
My instincts barked back. Help her, and she'll latch on with that "be my comrade" nonsense again.
I watched the battle between my inner hero and instincts, arms crossed. The dilemma didn't last long. I sided with the hero.
"...Hey, get up. I'll buy you food."
I stepped into the alley and offered Betty my hand.
I'm a moderate hero and a superstar. Aspiring to be a real hero. Ignoring this scene? That'd disqualify me.
Betty looked up at me blankly, then her face lit up.
...Kinda cute.
#
After academy, Han U-sol heads off for training with his mentor. Same for Yoon Na-rin and Reisi.
After my own hellish remedial marathon, I head home alone, forlorn.
A boring, lonely routine. But lately, one thing had started breaking through that loneliness.
"Anis!"
A short walk from the academy, and Betty's innocent voice rang out.
"Betty."
After buying food for the starving Betty, we'd gotten close fast.
"Become my comrade!"
Betty yelled her daily line, same as always.
I chuckled. At first, I thought she was a total nutjob, but once I dropped the prejudice and talked to her, she was just a pure, slightly dim kid.
"You mean, like, be friends?"
"Um... yeah!"
Betty pondered briefly, then nodded with a bright smile.
"Anis, I'm hungry."
She called my name. First time I'd been shocked she knew it without me telling her—but then I remembered the name tag on my uniform.
"...Chinese today?"
"Yeah!"
Betty and I headed toward the restaurant district.
After boring remedial classes, having a friend to eat with.
That was my new daily joy.
#
We got to the Chinese place and ordered two bowls of jjajangmyeon and one sweet-and-sour pork. Pretty late evening—my stomach was screaming.
"But why's Anis always alone?"
*Cough*! Mid-sip of water, I choked.
"...Superstars are destined to be lonely."
"Oh, got it."
This was the best part about Betty. I'd bullsh*t an excuse, and she'd just accept it.
Han U-sol would've given a wry smile.
Yoon Na-rin would've smirked and teased subtly.
Reisi would've nodded along casually.
Betty? Straight-up "Got it."
Similar to Reisi, but Reisi knew I was BSing and played along. Betty actually believed me.
"So, no friends?"
"...I do. I have some..."
"People who call themselves lonely loners are antisocial weirdos," Betty said.
Her sharp words stabbed my chest.
"...Who said that?"
"Kahatel did."
"...Who's that?"
"......Secret."
I stared at Betty stone-faced. She sweated bullets but kept her mouth shut.
Kahatel... Whoever that was, sounded like a massive jerk.
As we chatted about this and that, our food arrived.
"Ooh. Sweet-and-sour pork."
Betty saw it and immediately dumped sauce all over.
"Ack!!"
"Ow!!"
Smack! I yelled and smacked her on the head.
"Why'd you hit me?!"
Betty whined, all aggrieved. I put on my sternest face.
"Who told you to pour sauce on sweet-and-sour pork?!"
"But Kahatel said it's supposed to come mixed with sauce..."
Damn it. Kahatel again? You sauce-mixing freak.
Calm down. Not Betty's fault. Blame that idiot Kahatel for teaching her wrong.
I tried swallowing my rage, but seeing the soggy, sauce-drenched pork made fury boil over uncontrollably.
My inner hero tried to stop me.
—Easy now. People make mistakes like that sometimes.
Whew. Guess I'll be the bigger man here, great hero. That's the moderate path. Justice and chivalry, right?
—And sweet-and-sour pork is meant to be mixed with—
You too?! Out!
I mentally kicked my inner hero out of the right side of my brain.
Who knew there were so many sauce-mixers in the world. Truly lamentable.
With the hero gone, nothing held me back. Rage surged anew.
"...Betty."
"Yeah?"
Betty stuffed her mouth with soggy pork, eyes wide. Seeing that only fueled the fire.
I had to give her a stern talking-to. Let this slide, and she'd keep committing this atrocity forever.
I swallowed hard and opened my mouth.
Nothing too harsh—just gentle scolding.
"...Does our Betty not have parents?"
"Huh?"
...Wait, wrong words. Rage short-circuited my brain.
"Uh, no... I don't..."
...Oh crap. She really doesn't.
The mood plummeted. Crap, this wasn't what I meant. Guilt crashed in.
Panicking, I flailed at Betty.
"I-It’s fine! I don’t have any either."
###
Han U-sol finished his grueling training with Yeriel and left the academy. It was late.
Yeriel's sessions were brutal. His own past training felt like child's play.
But he could feel himself growing stronger, fast.
'Anis... probably finished remedial and went home already.'
A twinge of regret hit him. Exhausted and hungry, he headed to the restaurant district.
Craving Chinese tonight, he pushed open the door to a nearby spot. Inside the quiet eatery, a girl's gem-like voice rang out.
"...Does our Betty not have parents?"
"Huh?"
...Anis.
Han U-sol froze a bit. Bumping into her by chance was great, but the vibe... was weird. Hard to just butt in and say hi.
'Never seen Anis say something that harsh...'
He stood stunned, watching. Anis looked seriously pissed.
"Uh, no... I don’t..."
But that anger vanished like a lie at the white-haired girl's words. Like a switch, Anis started frantically comforting her.
"I-It’s fine! I don’t have any either."
'......'
The tension eased a little. Han U-sol wanted to greet her, but hesitated—what do you even say? That roast from Anis's mouth was shocking.
After a moment, the counter lady called out.
"Welcome~! Table for one?"
Swish. Anis turned, and their eyes met.
'Uh...'
Han U-sol's mind went blank at the suddenness.
"H-Hey, Anis..."
"Uh, um... I don’t have parents either."
What the hell are you saying?