Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Sex Offender
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Shaaaa...
The sound of water pouring from the sink echoed through the restroom.
...Hmm, is this right?
I quietly asked Writer-nim while watching Amelia meticulously wash her hands.
"Um, Writer-nim."
[Yes?]
"Do girls normally go to the bathroom together with their friends like this?"
I'd seen women occasionally head to the bathroom in groups.
And I vaguely remembered hearing online that women really do go to the bathroom in packs.
...But is that actually true?
I'd have to live as a woman for a long time to know.
No clue at all.
[I don't know either.]
"You're a woman, and you don't know that?"
[...I didn't have friends.]
Oof.
The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy.
I'd accidentally brought up something I shouldn't have.
Shouldn't have asked.
Thankfully, the awkward mood didn't last long.
Amelia finished up and came over to me.
"Sorry, did I keep you waiting?"
"No, perfect timing."
"...?"
I didn't elaborate to Amelia, who looked puzzled.
She wouldn't get it anyway.
"Alright, let's head back. Teacher's probably waiting."
"Y-Yeah, let's go."
I'd had a ton of fun after so long; now I was starving.
Time for something delicious.
The Academy's food is always so good.
What're they serving today? I was getting excited.
"...Something feels off."
"Huh? What?"
"No, it's just... was my uniform this messed up?"
Her clothes were subtly disheveled.
I was sure she'd straightened them out neatly.
They were wrinkled now, like someone had handled them.
"W-Well, maybe someone mistook your locker? It happens a lot, you know."
"...You think?"
"Yeah. They just have names, no locks or anything. Probably some careless person touched it."
Hmm.
Amelia had a point.
It creeped me out a little, but whatever.
Maybe someone grabbed the wrong one and put it back.
Just as I was about to let it go...
I spotted a strand of hair on the leotard.
Shorter than mine, jet black.
"...There's a short strand of hair here."
"Th-That's gotta be yours... it's black."
"But my hair isn't this short..."
"Don't you know? ...Ow!"
"?!"
I freaked out as Amelia yanked out her own hair.
She'd pulled way more than intended—five or six strands clutched in her hand, eyes watering.
"S-See? Shorter than mine, right?"
"...Yeah, it is."
That's why she'd yanked it out—to show me.
Sure enough, as she said, her hair was much longer than mine, but the strand matched my length.
"Sorry. I think I overreacted."
"Y-Yeah... let's just go."
Still felt off, though.
...Ah, got an idea.
I'll ask Writer-nim later.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "H-How'd it go?"
After class, Amelia rushed up to me anxiously.
...Nothing to say.
"Sorry."
"Yeah. I figured it'd fail. Knew it might."
"...Huh?"
You knew it'd fail?
And still dragged me into it?
I glared at her with that in mind, but she brushed it off calmly.
"She could have telepathy powers, after all."
"Then why the infiltration...?"
"If it's not long-range comms, we could've nabbed her right then. Failed anyway."
"You threw me into danger without being sure?"
No matter how I thought about it, that was wrong.
Couldn't there have been a milder approach?
I knew her thinking was extreme, but this crossed the line.
If we'd been caught, expulsion wouldn't have covered it.
Just as I opened my mouth to chew her out, Amelia cut in.
"But we didn't get caught, did we?"
"It's not about getting caught or—!"
"When you were hiding in that locker, give me some credit for luring Arte out."
"...You noticed."
"Of course? You never came back. Obvious you were still in the changing room somewhere. Lockers were the only hiding spot."
Urk...
I had counterarguments aplenty, but none came out.
Not logic—no, it was a sensation I shouldn't recall.
Lockers brought back the leotard's feel and scent.
No, stop thinking about it.
I forced down my flushed face.
"Here, take this."
"...What's this?"
"Open it and see."
As I cooled my burning cheeks, Amelia handed me a black bag.
I opened it curiously.
...Stuff straight out of a movie.
The bag was stuffed full of cash.
"?!"
"I'm not just gonna toss you in and walk away. Hazard pay—enough? Don't worry, all real."
You think I'd sell out for pocket change?
My life nearly ended over this.
I wanted to snap that, but Siu's mouth stayed shut.
Too much money to refuse.
"Get some good gear with it. Never know what danger's coming."
"...Got it."
"And... sorry."
Amelia flushed a bit, avoiding my puzzled gaze as words tumbled out.
"I'll be more careful next time. Realized it's more dangerous than I thought."
Wish you'd realized that sooner.
A sigh escaped Siu's lips.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "...Yesterday, someone broke into the school."
The next morning, Teacher Claire's words rang through the classroom.
...Intruder?
"Motive unknown. But judging by the rummaged girls' underwear, probably a superhuman sex offender. ...Haa, unbelievable. Using powers for that."
Siu's mind went blank.
Sex offender who rifled through girls' underwear?
Siu's gaze shifted to Arte Isis.
She beamed happily, grinning ear to ear.
Did she notice? She turned, waved at me with a smile.
N-No way. Nah, couldn't be...?
"Everyone, be careful—girls especially, mind your posture. Report any suspicious persons. Got it?"
"Yes!"
"Jeez, what are the cops even doing...?"
This time, I looked at Amelia.
Cops, huh.
Maybe she knew something...!
But Siu's hopes crashed.
She looked just as confused, clueless about it all.
Despair washed over Siu's face.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ [As expected of our Reader-nim. Turning even trivial stuff into material...! So admirable!]
"I'm more impressed you forgot the setup, Writer-nim."
[Ugh...]
Yeah.
I'd spun a new scenario based on yesterday's incident.
Figured Writer-nim would love it, so I laid it all out—and that's the response I got.
"'Secret Room? What's that?' Haa..."
[Ugh... S-Sorry! Anyone can forget stuff!]
"There's forgetting, and then there's this."
We'd definitely planned it as the Academy's main storyline.
Events had piled up since, but forgetting already? Just a sigh.
...No, fine.
I'll cut Writer-nim some slack.
From the shocking Yoo Siu escape to the USB fiasco.
Plenty of blows to her mental state.
Forgetting's normal... yeah...
"Oh, right—how'd the spy arc go over?"
[Hmm, decently. Some said the protagonist's feats felt flat.]
"Phew, that's a relief..."
Writer-nim was writing the novel based on this world.
But she couldn't micromanage every detail, so variables got patched with imagination.
Last incident wasn't one or two problems.
She missed Laira's 1v1 fight.
Protagonist vs. Minotaur got wiped by USB damage.
What about Yoo Siu and Laira's coming-out? Seen that?
Crazy. Write a protagonist ditching a girl? Readers would bail first.
So Writer-nim improvised most of it, knowing only Laira died.
Which was fake intel—she's alive.
In that mess, she somehow salvaged it. Success, apparently.
...Writer-nim's a better writer than I thought?
The notion flickered, then died.
Her usual antics said otherwise.
[Missed it last time, but this time I'll watch properly...! Main story kicks off!]
"...The main story you forgot?"
[H-Hey! Don't say it!]
Service scene wrapped; pondering the next main plot when this fit perfectly.
Inspired by a classmate accidentally touching clothes.
"How will Yoo Siu handle the Übermensch infiltration... Hehe, gotta watch closely this time."
[Villain dispatched by Übermensch to find the Secret Room... Heroine and protagonist unite against the villain! Kyaa, this'll hit big!]
Simple idea from the disheveled clothes.
To find the Secret Room, someone has to search the school.
...So maybe the villain group sent an infiltrator?
That's how the new villain was born.
How will Yoo Siu overcome this threat?
Dungeon went unexpectedly.
Wonder what he'll do now.
I was getting excited too.