Chapter 5
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Why Eggplant Side Dish?
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Ability measurement complete.
Back in the classroom, we all focused our attention on Irene Rock standing at the podium.
About 20 seconds passed before she finally spoke.
"Class dismissed."
The cadet with the least sense among us raised his hand.
"...We just got back to the classroom."
"Huh? There's no class today."
"Pardon?"
"You all got tricked. Go grab some lunch."
Irene Rock giggled as she savored the sight of our dumbfounded faces.
'Good. Day one down. All that's left is the sparring event. No need to worry about the team battles yet.'
My head throbbed.
"Ivy!"
"...Yeah?"
Han Ye-seo snapped me out of my thoughts.
'Oh right.'
We'd agreed to eat lunch together.
With Ja-an...
Ha, eating lunch with a character I created myself—what a mad life this is.
"Let's go!"
"Sure."
"You sound so listless! Did you skip breakfast?"
"Yeah."
"For real? How'd that happen?"
"...I woke up at 9:40."
Han Ye-seo burst out laughing.
Ja-an watched our conversation with an unreadable expression from the side.
"Ah, you were waiting? Shall we go?"
"Yeah."
There was this awkward, curt vibe.
Something felt off.
The character Ja-an that I created had meticulously detailed settings.
What? You think maybe the settings I made myself affect the gameplay in this hyper-advanced tech game?
'Of course not.'
Everyone's had that experience, right?
Creating a character in a game and imagining, "This one's a frail beauty!" or whatever.
You've done it, right?
Tell me I'm not alone.
Anyway, according to the official developer notes, the protagonist is very comfortable around women.
Unlike protagonists in other visual novels who are virgins, single forever, or total newbies.
'So... he's not the type to get awkward over eating lunch with just two cute girls.'
Why the awkwardness, then?
No answers came no matter how much I pondered.
"Come on, let's hurry!"
In the meantime, Han Ye-seo grabbed Ja-an with one hand and me with the other, dragging us straight to the cafeteria.
It was surprisingly comfortable, so I let myself get pulled along.
Savoring the stares from the other cadets watching us, I closed my eyes for a moment.
It was over in a flash.
Unlike my pathetic body, Han Ye-seo showed no signs of fatigue.
Just from being dragged like that, my stamina was already hitting rock bottom.
"...Ugh."
"What's your stamina and strength at? You're tired already?"
"......"
"Aha! No answer means I got it! E? D? Something like that?"
No, it's F.
Ja-an chimed in from the side to stop her.
"It's rude to ask about stats when you haven't even known each other a full day."
"Hmph, you're so uptight."
"......"
Ja-an fell silent at Han Ye-seo's words.
He didn't seem offended—just like he had nothing to argue back with.
"First day of school, so there must be some good menu items, right?"
"I heard the academy cafeteria is usually free choice."
"But it changes every few weeks! With enrollment season, there should be tons of tasty stuff!"
Han Ye-seo scanned the menu board with sparkling eyes.
The menu on the wall seemed awfully high up...
'Stamina and strength at F. Guess my eyesight's a bit worse than average too. This is inconvenient.'
And more than that... my hair kept getting in my face.
Maybe cut it with scissors back at the dorm.
Wonder if the dorm even has scissors.
"What're you thinking about?"
Ja-an spoke to me first while I stood there quietly.
Startled, I fumbled for words.
"Uh..."
"You okay?"
"No, just... can't see the menu well."
"Want me to pick you up?"
"...No."
Unnecessarily kind, this guy.
Especially how he doesn't think twice about physical contact with other girls—it's downright villainous!
How does "pick you up" just come out of his mouth like that?
"You okay?"
"Yeah."
"Your hair looks like it's bothering you."
"I was thinking of cutting it anyway."
"You'd still look pretty without cutting it."
This bastard... already hitting on me?
'No, considering his personality, it's probably just an offhand comment with zero ulterior motive. Stay calm.'
The odds of me turning into a girl are practically zero, so even if he flirts, it doesn't matter, right?
In fact, if I keep just the right distance... I can use him as my shield!
The protagonist won't die, after all!
The sturdiest meat shield there is!
"......"
"Ah, sorry! I didn't mean it like that."
"Like what?"
Seeing him flustered made me want to tease a bit.
"Urk..."
"I'm shorter than you. Wanna pick me up too?"
Han Ye-seo joined in the teasing with a grin.
Getting close this easily—maybe I actually have a talent for being sociable?
If I'd known, I should've hung out with others during school instead of holing up playing phone games.
Might've been able to live out a visual novel in real life!
'...Nah, that's going too far.'
Snapping back to reality, I checked the menu again.
Since the game's setting was Korea, most of the menu was Korean food.
I ordered fried rice, seasoned eggplant, and soft tofu stew.
"...?"
I felt two prickly stares from the side.
Ja-an and Han Ye-seo were looking at me oddly.
"What?"
"You... eat that stuff...?"
"...Huh?"
"How can anyone eat eggplant?!"
Han Ye-seo raised her voice.
"No, we're adults. We can't be picky eaters..."
"I'm not picky! But that's not food!"
These lunatics... they don't get the beauty of seasoned eggplant.
The salty, umami-rich flavor soaked in fish sauce, the subtle sweetness of the eggplant blending in, the burst of juices and soft texture with every chew, that chewy, crunchy delight—perfection.
Refusing it because it's mushy? They're missing out on half of life.
"We shouldn't discriminate based on food preferences."
Ja-an made a sensible comment from the side.
Yes! You get it!
"Right? How can they not eat something this delicious? I don't get it."
"I can't agree it's delicious, but..."
"Hey."
A sharp tone slipped out unbidden.
I glanced to check their reactions.
They seemed to brush it off as a joke.
Han Ye-seo cheerfully placed our orders for us.
Our food arrived almost immediately.
Cooking-related ability users.
One of the perks of the academy cafeteria.
We found a suitable table and sat side by side.
As usual, Han Ye-seo spoke first.
"By the way, Ivy, why'd you choose the name Ivy Lane?"
"Huh?"
In this world, ability users just appear out of thin air.
No parents.
So, once they reach a certain age, they define their own name and ability.
Around middle school age.
'That's why all the ability names are overflowing with middle school syndrome. Look at mine...'
Anyway, tough question.
I'm not actually Ivy Lane.
I have no idea why Ivy Lane chose that name.
Ivy means ivy vine, Lane means rain... I can make something up.
"Means I'll cling on and survive no matter what."
"I see. A lot of people born in Seoul—the city we appeared in—name themselves after local languages. I was curious."
"Is that so...?"
Han Ye-seo turned to Ja-an next.
"What about you?"
"Just 'cause my hair and eyes are purple."
"Yeah, got it!"
"You?"
"I can make my body like this."
Han Ye-seo turned her hand into black ink.
It didn't drip to the floor—instead, part of her body sloshed around like slime.
"Ye-seo is one of the hanja calligraphy styles. And it sounds cute for a girl!"
I asked casually.
"But it's 'Han' Ye-seo. Where'd the 'Han' come from?"
"If I ever have kids, I want to pass on my family name. Being born without a surname or parents is just sad."
Silence fell.
To be precise, every cadet at this academy was an orphan.
Even if ability users married and had kids, those kids weren't guaranteed to be ability users.
Bringing up family names from the orphanage—my social awareness sucks.
"......"
"Eh, it's fine! We're all the same, right?"
Surprisingly, people don't feel deprived about things they've never had.
They feel it for things they once had and lost.
In that sense, I... didn't feel deprived.
My parents weren't exactly parent material anyway.
"Yeah. Right."
I answered and hurriedly finished my meal like I was escaping.
As Irene Rock had already mentioned, there was no schedule after lunch.
No classes needed—just head back to the dorm and rest.
But I didn't.
'Gotta prepare for tomorrow's sparring.'
No matter how combat-inept this body was, I had no intention of getting one-sidedly crushed.
Especially not letting B Class or anyone else look down on me as an A Class member? Absolutely not.
I had to prove I belonged in A Class somehow.
In other words, snag some combat-related item today and use it in the sparring!
That was my plan.
Han Ye-seo, Ja-an, and the other cadets all seemed to have gone back to their dorms or homes, so now was my free time.
"Alright."
There weren't many routes to get items early on, but luckily, they were all doable for me.
'First up, the black market...'
Checking the account linked to my student ID, there was a decent amount of money saved up.
Ivy Lane must've lived pretty frugally.
No money worries, then.
And then, a voice from behind.
"Huh?"
"Yeah?"
I turned around.
Ja-an.
Why is this guy here right now?
'No way... he's heading to the black market too?'
Chose the exact same action as me...!
"Why are you here this late...?"
"Resting in the dorm felt kinda awkward."
I answered naturally to his words.
His eyes looked strange.
Not on me—staring behind me.
"Ivy, behind—!"
"Huh?"
Prick.
Something stabbed into the nape of my neck.
A sharp needle.
Cold liquid injected inside.
Vision darkening.
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