Chapter 67: Isn’t Travel in Academy Stories Always Like This? (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 67: Isn’t Travel in Academy Stories Always Like This? (4)
“Ta-da! Here’s a quiz. Who am I~?”
The moment I returned to the lodging after a day of fun, someone caught me from behind and pulled a move I’d only ever seen in manga.
Good grief. Now that I’ve been possessed into a novel, the day has finally come where I experience something like this.
Anyway, I wanted to give two pieces of advice to the culprit who had so excitedly ambushed me. First, this prank involved a level of physical contact that was a bit too close for our current social distance. Second, considering her physique, there was no way she could hide her identity just by covering my eyes.
The sensation of two masses of immense volume pressing against my back made my mind go blank.
Even through the fabric of our clothes, the sheer destructive power was undeniable. It was a sensation more violent and merciless than a terrorist attack by your average villain.
However, the culprit—who had granted me this sudden rom-com experience—seemed to have no intention of letting go until I gave the right answer.
“…Professor Cathy?”
Wait, why is Noona here?
No, seriously.
It’s a relief I got back before the others. What would she have done if the other kids were with me?
Fortunately, I was alone right now. I’d told the others I couldn’t keep up with the physical pace of superhumans and would head back first.
They were all worried and offered to come with me, but it felt wrong to make them fuss over me when we were out here to have fun, you know?
“Yup, correct! You can recognize me just by my voice now, can’t you?”
Well, it wasn’t exactly the voice that gave it away, but… yeah.
She looked so proud that I felt a bit guilty.
“Sister, stop clinging to him. What if the kids see?”
Oh, my actual Elder Sister (not by blood) was here too.
“I only did it because my mana sensing picked up only So-hyun. Besides, what’s wrong with a big sister giving her little brother a hug? Who’s going to say anything?”
Excuse me, Professor, but we aren’t actually related.
And is mana sensing really capable of distinguishing people that precisely?
“Ah, I suppose you’re right. Yes, a sister can certainly hug her brother.”
…And why are you agreeing with her so happily? Have you lost your mind?
After hugging me for a good while, the professor finally released me, looking satisfied.
For a split second, I felt a pang of regret, but I swear, anyone in my position would have felt the same.
“Didn’t the seniors tell you? They were so happy when we said we’d come along as supervisors.”
Ah, so they didn’t just trespass. That’s a relief.
Well, considering Professor Cathy is a celebrity at the Academy and my Elder Sister is basically a real-life celebrity, it makes sense the seniors would be thrilled.
“But why did you come back alone? Are the kids bullying you?”
“No, Elder Sister, it’s nothing like that. I just got a bit tired, so I came in early.”
Tired.
The moment I uttered that word, I realized I’d made a poor choice of vocabulary.
Sure enough, the professor and my sister were looking at me with worried faces. They were a formidable overprotective duo.
“Are you feeling very weak? Do we need to go to the hospital?”
“It’s the weekend, so we might have to go to the emergency room…”
“No, why are you jumping to such extremes? I’m not sick, just tired. And the others will be back soon. Lilac was excited about grilling enough meat for the seniors too.”
“Are you sure? You’re not hiding the fact that you’re in pain, are you?”
Professor Cathy said this as she placed a hand on my forehead.
“No fever.”
Then, my sister fidgeted as if she were uncomfortable before letting out a sigh.
“As long as you’re not sick, it’s fine.”
…What is this? This suffocatingly awkward atmosphere of affection? Honestly, it’s a bit uncomfortable.
“Anyway, so So-hyun, you’re resting until dinner?”
“Huh? I guess so?”
If I did nothing during dinner, I’d be eating nothing but awkwardness, so I planned to help out then. But until then, I intended to rest.
“Then want to play with us?”
“…Pardon?”
Before I could even ask what she meant, I was kidnapped by Professor Cathy and her enchanting smile.
* * *
Fortunately, the place Professor Cathy dragged me to wasn’t a dark, cramped room or a secret warehouse.
Did that sound disappointing? You’re imagining things.
The seniors were there making preparations, and they made me a proposal.
“So, you want me to be a spy?”
“Well, that’s a bit of a harsh way to put it, but yeah.”
The seniors answered me with smiles.
“Actually, we thought at least one of the freshmen should know the situation. To prevent any potential accidents.”
“We were going to tell you anyway since your health is fragile, but we thought you might feel left out if we kept you in the dark. What do you think? Does it feel too much like betraying your friends?”
“No. Sure, I’ll do it. Sounds fun.”
The proposal was simple. They wanted me to participate in a hidden camera prank they’d prepared for the freshmen.
I could have refused, but it felt wrong to be the only one left out of an event like this.
It was an event that didn’t exist in the original work, but I didn’t think a simple prank would cause any major incidents.
…Actually, if a major incident did happen, it would be a problem, so I had even more reason to participate.
“Great, Junior. Then I’ll explain your role. When the kids arrive, look really worried and tremble, then tell Lilac that we’re fighting. Can you do that?”
Smiling mischievously, he pointed to an empty cooler.
“We’re going to claim the meat we brought is gone. I’ll start a fight by accusing someone of embezzling the funds. Then, while we’re arguing and the kids are worrying, the professor and the inspector will show up with the meat and reveal it was all a joke.”
Wow, that is seriously old-school.
“Sounds good.”
But classics are classics for a reason; it seemed like it would be fun. Lilac was good at mediating minor squabbles, but he probably wouldn’t be able to be so firm with the seniors.
It seemed like a good way to give the kids a decent memory.
“In exchange, could you promise me a few things?”
After getting a few assurances from the seniors to prevent any potential mishaps, I schooled my expression and headed to the entrance of the lodging.
* * *
“There’s more to see than I thought.”
“Yeah, I heard not many clubs give you free time from the first day.”
“True. The seniors all seem nice, too.”
Lilac was in a good mood.
He was a simple man; he’d shared delicious food and gone sightseeing with his friends, so there was no reason to be unhappy. Above all, he’d walked off some of his appetite, and now it was time to grill meat as promised. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say he felt great.
That is, until the very moment they arrived back at the lodging.
The moment he spotted his friend standing at the entrance, pale as a ghost, his good mood soured instantly.
“So-hyun! What’s wrong? Are you sick?!”
Han-hee dashed forward even faster than he did.
“No. I’m not sick. But the situation inside is… not good right now.”
Fortunately, he didn’t seem to be in pain, but for the always-composed So-hyun to be this flustered was clearly not a good sign.
Not just Lilac, but all the other friends had the same thought, their expressions hardening.
“They say the meat is gone.”
However, the words that came out of his mouth were unexpectedly deflating.
“Oh, So-hyun. It’s just meat. We can all chip in and buy more.”
They could just buy more meat; why was he so worried?
But So-hyun shook his head as if that wasn’t the point and continued.
“But the seniors started fighting over what to do since the kids were expecting it. Actually, someone accused another of embezzlement right from the start, and it’s a total mess in there now.”
Indeed, this wasn’t something to be taken lightly.
The missing meat could be replaced, but if the people started fighting, the atmosphere of the entire trip would be ruined. Furthermore, if the seniors were fighting, it wasn’t easy for freshmen to intervene.
Above all…
‘Just how bad is the fight for him to be this scared?’
This was So-hyun, who was always dignified even in front of villains. A boy so cold-headed that Lilac sometimes thought he didn’t even view reality as reality. Just how violent was this fight for him to be trembling like this?
“I’ll go check it out first. Han-hee, Ga-eul, stay here and look after So-hyun.”
Steeling himself, Lilac entered the room, only to find a frigid atmosphere.
“Hey, so you’re saying it was okay for you to talk to me like that?”
“Hey, if you’d managed the meat properly, would this have happened? What gives you the right to raise your voice?”
‘Wait.’
But the moment Lilac saw the seniors fighting—or rather, pretending to fight—he realized.
What? It’s a hidden camera prank?
There were three reasons.
First, the seniors’ acting wasn’t as perfect as So-hyun’s. They flinched slightly, and some seniors glanced his way occasionally; it was obvious they were holding back laughter.
Second, the intensity of the fight was too weak. To be blunt, if it were the So-hyun he knew, he would have grumbled about how annoying this fight was and tried to settle it, or he wouldn’t have cared at all, knowing it would blow over soon.
Third and finally, the cooler where the meat had supposedly disappeared from was too suspicious. If it had been filled with meat and ice, there should have been ice crystals or condensation from the temperature difference on the surface or inside. Unless someone had intentionally wiped it down, it was too clean.
In other words, there had never been any meat in there to begin with.
Combining these facts, there was only one answer.
This entire situation was a prank, and the seniors had asked So-hyun, who was resting, to help them trick the rest of the group.
Lilac suppressed the urge to burst out laughing and put on a serious face. He was, fundamentally, a man who knew how to read the room.
Above all, his friend was working so hard at this; he had to at least pretend to be fooled.
‘Honestly, he acts all reluctant but does whatever anyone asks of him.’
“Seniors. We’re back.”
“Oh? You’re here. The mood’s a bit bad right now, so come over here for a second.”
“Did something happen?”
Acting naturally, Lilac decided to stand on the side of the deceivers by pretending to be deceived.
* * *
“Are you feeling okay?”
Hmm, this is bad. Maybe I really do have a talent for acting?
Judging by how Ga-eul and Ha-ni were sticking by my side asking if I was okay, it seemed my acting had worked a bit too well.
Lilac walked out with a dark expression.
“Are the seniors fighting badly?”
“Yeah. It’s less about the meat itself and more that they’ve hurt each other’s feelings with the insults.”
“Should we go buy meat now?”
Ha-ni made the suggestion, but Lilac shook his head.
“No, it’ll probably just quiet down soon if we don’t get involved. Let’s just wait until they calm down.”
[…!!!]
[….!…!!]
“Huh…!?”
Just then, the sound of a loud argument erupted from inside the building, followed by the sound of something breaking.
Ha-ni and Ga-eul, startled, rushed inside to stop them. Only then did Lilac approach me with a smirk.
“…How did you know? Was my acting that obvious?”
“No, it wasn’t you. The other seniors were just bad at acting. I guess they haven’t done this much.”
“Honestly, you’re way too quick on the uptake in the most useless situations.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“Does it sound like one?”
“Since you’ve already figured it out, I’m curious—is there actually any meat?”
“Yeah. My sister and Professor Cathy are here, and they’re going to bring it out as part of the event.”
“Aha, that’s a relief. I was looking forward to the barbecue. Then let’s head in. the girls must be startled.”
“We should.”
It was the moment I tried to stand up and walk.
— Due to special factors, the Main Quest has started prematurely.
Along with the familiar notification, the ground shook violently, causing me to lose my balance.
“Whoa?”
“…What is this…? So-hyun…!”
I thought that if it were him, he might nonchalantly ask if this was also part of the prank, but Lilac’s reaction was unexpectedly swift.
He reached out to me without a moment’s hesitation, but since we weren’t touching when the vibration started, it was already impossible for us to reach each other.
“What on earth is happening…!”
Yeah, I agree. It started a bit sooner than I expected. If I’d known, I would have told them to skip the prank and just eat the meat.
“Hey, Lilac.”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t panic, and watch your surroundings. If someone needs help, don’t hesitate to save them. Keep your vision wide and put what you learned at the Academy into practice, okay?”
“So-hyun, what are you talking about? What’s happening right now? Do you know something?”
“I suppose so.”
Red mana surged through the surrounding area, and space itself began to distort.
“It looks like we’ve been caught in a Dungeonization.”
It started a bit earlier than expected, but it wasn’t a major problem. It was better than it happening in the middle of the night like in the original work. We could just enjoy the barbecue after this is over.
“Dungeonization…!? So-hyun, take my hand…!”
Ah, but it seemed my Lilac was taking this quite seriously.
Even from my perspective, it would be worrying if a physically weak kid got separated during a sudden accident.
But, you see, I’m fine.
“Too late, buddy.”
“So-hyun…!”
“You can do it, right? I believe in you.”
Lilac’s figure vanished before my eyes as the boundary between the Otherworld and reality collapsed.
Dungeonization.
A dungeon containing the legends of the Otherworld had consumed a space in reality.
When my vision returned…
“Aha.”
I was left alone in the middle of the dungeon.
“This is actually better.”
For me, who had been wondering how to move separately from the kids, this was the best possible outcome.