Transmigrated as the Academy's Trash
When I came to, the first thing I felt was how heavy my body was. Blinking in confusion, I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar place that didn't match my last memory.
Where...?
I lifted my head and scanned my surroundings. Right away, three people sitting in the center caught my eye. They glared down at me with clear displeasure.
"It's over."
A voice came from beside me. I turned my head and saw a man wearing glasses.
Huh?
My face reflected in his lenses—but it wasn't my face. It was a stranger's.
"No way..."
In that instant, a hypothesis flashed through my mind. A language from an entirely different system, yet I understood it perfectly. Architecture with a sensibility unlike modern times. And waking up in a completely different body at this precise timing.
It all pointed to one thing.
I'd... gotten possessed.
"Fuck..."
"We shall proceed with the trial!"
My mind was blank. Who would've thought this would happen to me?
"Ha..."
The absurdity of it all left me with nothing but a sigh. Meanwhile, just as the old man had shouted, the trial continued.
A student in uniform took the witness stand and recounted the crap I'd done(?). Each time, the hundreds of spectators behind me radiated killing intent. Whenever a witness accidentally met my eyes, they'd tremble in terror. Some even burst into tears or fainted...
...Fuck.
I felt wronged. I'd only checked their faces, after all. But what was even more infuriating was that, despite being innocent, everyone had such innocent faces that I actually felt sorry for them.
In the end, they fixed my eyes with magic and bound my body. Luckily, they left my mouth free—but if I spouted nonsense, they looked ready to seal it shut.
An hour passed like that. In the meantime, I learned one thing: the original owner of this body was a notoriously shitty bastard.
For starters, all twenty witnesses were victims. And they weren't the only ones. Among the spectators behind me, there were more who'd suffered at my hands. Roughly two hundred, by my quick count?
In short, a filthy rotten scumbag.
With that level of villainy, he'd probably be called a wastrel playboy.
From that, I could guess he was the spoiled scion of some powerful noble house.
No way he could've tormented this many people without getting caught otherwise.
Of course, he had gotten caught, hence the trial.
Anyway, the wastrel's crimes were three-fold: inciting students to cause chaos; using his family's prestige for personal gain; and unbecoming conduct as a student.
I'd woken up after the last two, so I didn't know the details. But I had a plan. The timing was perfect—I'd gathered plenty on the first crime. Mix in some world-building knowledge and improvise a defense; that should get me off lightly.
But now, with only the defense left... it was all meaningless.
Why?
So what's this bastard's name...?
One hour into possession, and I still didn't know this body's name.
That guy, you demon, trash, scum— that's how the victims called me. The three up front, who looked like judges and professors, did the same. They treated it like a name too vile to utter.
I need a clue to even guess...
But fuck, I didn't even know the name of the creative work this world was based on. How the hell was I supposed to escape this?
I could've used other names, sure. But I didn't know the professors', and none of the witnesses were named characters.
"Haa..."
Defense was off the table. The trial ended.
The verdict came down.
"Despite clear evidence, no remorse is shown! Your academy privileges are hereby demoted to the lowest level, and as penance for your crimes, you are sentenced to 2,000 hours of community service!"
Jeers and boos erupted the moment he finished. They were mad it wasn't expulsion.
Thwack—
Trash hit me in the head. One started it, and soon other students joined in. No one stopped them.
The area filled with garbage. The crowd hurled insults as they left the courtroom, leaving me alone.
"Haa..."
In this shitty situation, I had no clue where to start. They hadn't even told me the name to the end, so I couldn't identify anyone.
As I spaced out blankly, a woman approached.
Striking black hair and eyes. Porcelain skin in stark contrast. A beautifully sculpted face that harmonized perfectly with those features.
She stopped in front of me. Disgust flickered in her smiling eyes.
"I told you yesterday. Admit all your sins and accept them."
Her lovely voice pierced me, thick with loathing.
But I had no idea who she was. First time meeting her, I was sure.
Yet oddly, my body felt a wave of disgust and unease.
And then—
"It's all because of you..."
Suddenly, the body rebelled against my will, and my mouth opened on its own. Control slipped away in an instant, moving of its own accord.
"If it weren't for you, my plan would've been perfect! It would've succeeded if you hadn't interfered...!"
I spat out the furious outburst.
She looked at me with pitiful eyes.
"Don't blame me for your own incompetence. That's why you're called a failure."
"Uwaaaah—!"
The body lunged at her. She casually flicked her arm and subdued me.
"This is all the result of your own actions. Now it's your turn to suffer."
Our eyes met. A strange sensation burrowed into me.
"You haven't changed even now."
"Don't look at me with those eyes, Ariel Tianis...!"
I gnashed my teeth in rage and thrashed toward her. She tightened her grip, immobilizing the body completely.
But that wasn't the point.
Wait. Ariel Tianis?
Her name triggered it all. The info I'd gathered clicked together.
Now I knew: what novel this was, and my own name.
Guards approached and grabbed me amid the commotion.
"Survive without dying, Kyle Arden."
She tossed the curt farewell and left. I was dragged away in the opposite direction.
"Ariel... Tianis..."
The fourth princess of the Tiran Empire. The novel's main heroine alongside the protagonist.
The body kept flailing, but I murmured her name with a smile.
Alright then...
I'd been possessed into the novel.
One week before it even started.
And into Kyle Arden, the infamous wastrel.
This is my chance!
My fist clenched.
And for good reason—Kyle Arden was an ex...
Thwack!
But regrettably, pain exploded at the back of my head, cutting my thoughts short.