Chapter 5
Chapter 5
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: I Hate Attention (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ignore him.
My head was filled with that single thought. No matter what Zenon said to me or how he reacted, I just had to ignore him and do my own thing. I didn't want to give any unnecessary responses. If he interpreted that as an opening... just imagining it was horrifying.
I deliberately blended into the crowds. Luckily, being a bit on the shorter side helped—I was completely hidden behind the guys. ...I'd originally been fairly tall. Going from around 183 cm down to about 160 cm made it impossible to adjust to eye level.
I used to have a clear view just standing there, but now I couldn't even see ahead on tiptoes. This was a drawback in its own way.
Of course, it was helping me out right now.
Blending into the crowd like that, I managed to reach the line for Class A without running into Zenon. If we had crossed paths, I'd thought about flipping him off and slipping away. But a girl who curses the moment she sees his face? No way he'd like that.
I regretted not just cursing him out the second I saw him earlier, but in reality, when we locked eyes, I couldn't spit out anything harsh. My lips clamped shut as if to block it, and thoughts of don't hurt him made my face twist up.
...Come to think of it, the villains dish it out just fine. Why can't I? The moment that thought crossed my mind, curses drifted over from up ahead.
"You fucking idiot."
"......"
"What's got you so happy? Why the hell are you grinning like that?"
"What do you care..."
"Oh, I care plenty. If your face was its usual rotten mess, I'd ignore it, but looking all pleased? Can't just let that slide."
A woman glaring viciously at Zenon, and Zenon staring back with a blank expression. The people around them kept their distance, gawking blankly because of her murderous aura. Wait, other people curse freely—why can't I...?
"Why the hell did you even enroll here? Don't know your place?"
"...Why do you care?"
"Playing dumb? Forgot which filthy bloodline dirtied you up because of your whore mom?"
...Hah, hearing that, I knew shit was about to hit the fan. A protagonist's mother is their reverse scale—touch it, and all hell breaks loose.
And right on cue,
Boom—!
Zenon swung his sword. The explosive roar instead of a slashing sound made it obvious—it was the protagonist's move. His ability made anything it touched explode.
But something felt off about this whole situation. The protagonist causing a scene on the first day of enrollment? Even if my memories of the early parts were fuzzy, this wasn't in the story. Where the hell did things diverge...?
The school turned into chaos in an instant. Zenon's skill with his ability wasn't something mid-tier heroes could ignore. And the woman fighting him—his strikes weren't light. Yet she blocked them effortlessly, even smirking a little.
"Does badmouthing your mom piss you off that much? Can't let anger get the best of you, though. There's such a thing as knowing your place..."
"Shut... up!"
Explosions ripped through the air toward her. Just detonating with his hands was powerful enough, but channeling it through his sword amplified it further. Rumble— The auditorium's barrier groaned and shook, unable to withstand the blasts anymore.
And she wasn't slacking either. Her ability wasn't obvious, but tanking explosions barehanded suggested some kind of enhancement power.
Should I just ignore this?
Even the teachers couldn't approach the fight easily—it was too dangerous to get caught in the crossfire. But they couldn't let it go on. Starting a brawl on the first day of orientation? Even in an academy with loose ability-use rules, there'd be consequences.
-I have to stop it.
Why me? a whisper echoed in my chest. If the protagonist got expelled like this, wouldn't that be great for me? No need to become the heroine or worry about any messy ties. Then I realized my hand was reaching out, like I was about to intervene.
"Ha."
A laugh burst out—not from joy, but sheer absurdity. I still hadn't shaken off my old habits. I glanced over there—fragments flying, wounds opening, blood flowing. That must hurt. Yeah, it hurts.
-It hurts.
An old memory flashed up, twisting my face as I slowly stepped forward.
Step—
The tiny sound of my footsteps was drowned out completely by the explosions.
Step—
One girl pushing through the crowd barely registered amid the spectators. It wasn't until I was almost right in front of the fighters that someone finally pointed at me and yelled.
"...Who's that?!"
Gazes turned my way—confused looks like who's she?, urgent gestures urging me to get out of the danger zone. And,
Boom—!
The two idiots still hadn't noticed me, locked in their brawl. I wondered why I was even here, but the answer was simple. Deep down, I knew I was the only one who could stop it.
Why did it have to be me? I knew that too. I hated seeing anyone get hurt. I hated unknown futures creeping in. So, I'd stop it. Hoping to steer things back to the future I knew.
Crackle—
Honestly, when I first thought of my ability, I doubted if I could handle it. It was a brand-new sensation. Who practices superpowers assuming they'll get one?
But that doubt faded fast. Was this talent too? The moment I awakened and grasped it, I'd already adapted to Aisha's ability.
Boom—!
Explosions erupted, debris scattered. I had to suppress this second-by-second battlefield unfolding right in front of me.
How?
I didn't deliberate long. My ability was perfect for suppression. Ice manipulation—simple, but in the world of abilities, simplicity was extraordinary. It could manifest anything I imagined.
Crack—
Ice crystals spread from my fingertips. From tiny icicles to a frost covering the ground. The explosions shaking the air died down, flying debris froze—and slowly, it engulfed the two fighters.
Their gazes snapped to me amid the pouring chill. What? Why fight on orientation day?
Disgruntled looks hit me for a moment, but I ignored them and expanded the ice.
Crack— Zenon's sword shattered the ice where it touched, and the woman started breaking it too. Each shatter sent a headache spiking through me.
Probably because my mental energy fueled the ability. Still, I wasn't letting them keep smashing it.
"Haa..."
My body temperature dropped, cold breath escaping. As it fell, my ability amplified, cooling accelerating. Even the explosive ice-shattering and her tough body—both succumbed to the frost.
Creak—
Perfectly frozen, the two of them. For a second, it felt like our eyes met through the ice on Zenon. Nah, just my imagination. Looking at the scene, I thought my ability wasn't half bad. Well, a main heroine needed this much at least.
Not that I planned on playing that role.
From where I'd stood to their battleground—everything trapped in a massive ice block. It was quite the spectacle. A twinge of pride hit me for pulling it off, and actually using the ability made the possession feel real.
But that wasn't all.
The stares aimed at the girl who'd made that huge ice mass—more intense than when I'd first stepped in to stop the fight—were... overwhelming. Curiosity, jealousy, envy, admiration, all that sticky mess blended together—
So I bolted from the spot.