5. Let's Not Do Things That Deserve Revenge
5. Let's Not Do Things That Deserve Revenge
5. Let's Not Do Things That Deserve Revenge
As I talked with Yu Ha-yeon, the empty seats in the classroom gradually filled.
Had that much time already flown by?
During the short break, I got to have all sorts of conversations with her.
Little incidents from our childhood, unusual experiences—curious and fun memories from when we were small.
With smiling eyes and an excited expression, Yu Ha-yeon casually asked,
"Do you remember that? When we first met."
"Ah, that?"
The first meeting, huh.
Strangely enough, when I tried to recall it, the memory of my first meeting with Yu Ha-yeon was right there in my head.
Was it my body that held the past memories, or my soul?
Chicken or egg.
No matter how much I thought about it, it only gave me a headache.
I couldn't even say for sure which Han Si-jun I really was.
Anyway,
my first meeting with Yu Ha-yeon was a disaster.
"You bullied me at the playground."
"I didn't bully you... I just asked you to play together...!"
"...Tying someone up is your idea of playing...?"
I was five.
I first met Yu Ha-yeon at a kindergarten near my house.
'I'm gonna build a sandcastle~'
According to my memories from back then, I couldn't run around, so I was sitting on the ground building a sandcastle.
Maybe the ice castle in a movie had left an impression; anyway, I only remember that I wanted to build a castle.
The little kid was having a great time all by himself.
Until an intruder showed up.
'What are you doing there alone?'
Were we in the same class?
Anyway, the girl from my memory came up to me.
She asked me, in a clumsy tone,
why I was alone, unlike the other kids.
I think I kindly said, 'I want to be alone, so could you go play over there?'
"Don't talk nonsense. You never said that. You just rudely told me to move because I was in your way."
"...Did I?"
Anyway, we ended up butting heads.
Yu Ha-yeon destroyed my sandcastle, and I said something back.
Eventually it turned into a physical fight, and the weak me ended up tied to the swing set.
It was a mystery how a five-year-old managed to tie me up, but well, she later became S-rank.
Now it sort of makes sense.
"The next day, we ran into each other at the front door."
"Ah, that..."
The morning after that fight, on my way to kindergarten, the person I met at the door was none other than Yu Ha-yeon.
A tragic story—as it turned out, she and I were next-door neighbors.
I think I burst into tears the moment I saw Yu Ha-yeon back then...
It's embarrassing, so let's not mention it.
As we exchanged these silly stories about the past, the teacher appeared at the podium.
She looked familiar.
No way I'd forget.
She'd been the interviewer today, and people with that kind of red glow weren't common.
The homeroom teacher of Class 1-A was Shin Si-hwa, a former A-rank hero.
"Hello, students. I'm sure you all know my name."
Before becoming a teacher, Shin Si-hwa had been famous as a hero.
If you asked a random person on the street, 'Do you know Shin Si-hwa?' and they couldn't answer, there was a high chance they were a spy.
Her fame was such that nearly every student knew her alias.
But as far as I remembered...
"Wow! It's the Battlefield's Great Demon!! Ms. Shin..."
"Would you mind not calling me by that name...?"
She really hated being called by that childish alias, 'Battlefield's Great Demon.'
She'd always say that just because her ability uses fire, it doesn't make her a demon—how thoughtless.
Shin Si-hwa spoke with the biggest smile she could manage, but she couldn't keep the corners of her mouth from twitching.
As I watched her, Shin Si-hwa's gaze shifted in my direction.
...She wasn't looking at me, was she?
That look of expectation was probably aimed at Yu Ha-yeon, not me.
What could she expect from someone with no magic power like me?
After scanning the students from the podium, Shin Si-hwa began to speak.
"Ahem. Well, I'll be the homeroom teacher in charge of you all this year. I'd like to get to know you and exchange greetings, but first, let's pick a temporary class president. Is there anyone who'd like the job?"
Temporary class president.
If I took the role, I might be able to work hard and earn the teachers' favor.
Definitely an advantage.
But I had no intention of being class president.
If things went wrong, I'd become the teacher's slave, and I was already short on time for building strength—how could I handle being vice president on top of that?
I absolutely hate troublesome things.
And besides, there was already someone who was determined to be class president.
"Ms. Shin, I'm Yu Ha-yeon. I'll be class president."
Yu Ha-yeon, sitting next to me, raised her hand and declared her candidacy in a gentle, kind tone.
No matter how many times I saw it, I couldn't get used to it.
When she wasn't talking to me, she always came across as kind and gentle.
So fake, two-faced...
She whipped her head around.
As if she'd sensed my inner thoughts, Yu Ha-yeon turned toward me.
From the way she frowned, she seemed to have caught on.
I didn't say anything?
I shrugged, and Yu Ha-yeon turned back to face Shin Si-hwa.
"You want to be class president, Yu Ha-yeon?"
"Yes, I absolutely, definitely want to!"
She was good at taking the lead in front of others and had never once missed a chance to be class president.
Yu Ha-yeon would probably stay class president for the whole year.
That was my guess then.
"Then, for the vice president to assist the temporary class president..."
When Shin Si-hwa showed signs of selecting a vice president, the students scrambled to avoid her gaze.
Yu Ha-yeon was still standing at her seat...
"Heh heh..."
"You're not..."
With a mischievous face, Yu Ha-yeon grinned at me.
"Hey, you wouldn't. Don't you dare."
The thing I dreaded became reality.
"I recommend Han Si-jun for vice president!"
My head.
As I clutched my head at the shocking burden of becoming vice president, Yu Ha-yeon leaned close and whispered in my ear.
"Hehe, this is revenge."
...There was something I'd forgotten.
Yu Ha-yeon's grudges lasted forever.
The lessons on the first day of school were just so-so.
As everyone knows, on the first day teachers drone on with sleep-inducing talks about how the courses will go and the mindset you need to prepare.
There wasn't even a real lesson—just Q&A, where you asked questions and got answers.
Once all that tedious time was over, I headed back to the dorm after school.
"Haa, vice president, my ass..."
I can barely take care of myself, and they want me to assist the class president?
Assisting would be one thing, but the fact that it was Yu Ha-yeon made it even worse.
I just heaved a sigh and walked back to the dorm.
"Still, it feels nice to be alone for a change."
How long had it been since I'd had any freedom?
After school, Yu Ha-yeon had gone off to hang out with the female students she'd gotten close to during break.
I guess there's no helping her naturally outgoing personality.
It would've been nice if she were that lively with me too, instead of always snapping at me.
A truly, deeply regrettable point.
So, after walking alone, I arrived at the boys' dorm, which was much more spacious than I'd imagined.
My luggage was already in the room in boxes, and even after unpacking everything, there seemed to be plenty of space.
A single bed and a study desk.
A wardrobe and a bookshelf.
Even a window that let light in.
The dormitory of Hero Academy, which boasted sky-high tuition, suited my taste perfectly.
"Sigh, but what's the point? I could get kicked out within a year."
The thought of scoring well in the important subjects was bleak.
My physical ability was no good, and I had zero magic power to boot.
Is this really a human body?
The only thing I could do was yell, 'Help me, Ha-yeondoraemon!'
If I'd known it would turn out like this, I would've set my ability scores to average when creating my character.
What was the big deal about a childhood friend that made me do that?
Regret wouldn't change anything; only the clock would keep ticking.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
Even the clock was working so hard—could I really just sit still like this?
I couldn't let that happen.
I was in a situation where I had to try something, anything.
That determination was enough to get me off the bed.
"...I guess I'll just have to put my faith in that."
Judging by my current stats, catching up to the other students through exercise was impossible.
If I trained steadily, they would train just as steadily.
There was a meaningful gap between a body that already had a solid foundation and my own.
There was only one option I had to choose.
A cheat in V. AGE.
Secure an item that was outright broken.
'It's dangerous, but I have to do it.'
I didn't want to be swept up in the whirlpool of fate and die so easily.
I took off my school uniform and name tag that marked me as a student, and changed into ordinary casual clothes.
The place where I could gain strength in the shortest time.
The Back Alley.
A place that dealt in illegal weapons, drugs, and relics, where the chance of running into villains was extremely high.
However, that place held many items worth the risk.
"Cell phone on silent..."
You know that scene in movies, don't you?
The protagonist is being chased by a killer.
Holding their breath, hiding so they won't be found.
The phone rang just then.
Seriously, why don't those protagonists ever switch their phone to vibrate or silent?
I didn't want to be that kind of frustrating person.
All volume down to minimum.
You have to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
The moment you start suspecting an 'if,' it's already upon you.
'I need to get stronger.'
It was time for things to change.
I knew the future, so I had to acquire power that could handle the danger.
For my own safety, there were times I had to take risks.
And so, I walked toward that deep, dark place.