This Is What They Call an Academy (39)
I had no need to waste five whole hours clearing the exploration mission. I wrapped up the monster studies mission in a flash, reported to Hong Su-ah that I had already filled my quota, and then buried myself straight in the dorm.
Ban Taewung kept calling and texting—Where are you? Let's take a mission together—but I ignored every single one and just slept like a corpse. I wasn't even his girlfriend. Why the hell did he keep summoning me? I couldn't understand it.
Didn't protagonists usually prioritize hanging out with the heroines right beside them?
When a friend went out of his way to make time, a simple thank-you should have been enough. Instead the dense bastard showed up right in front of the dorm. Thanks to him I got a razor-sharp glare from Heroine Number One standing behind him.
I was the one being wronged here. Ban Taewung was the crazy one—why was she aiming that look at me? The world had clearly gone mad, and the madness was rubbing off on the protagonist.
Only after I told him I had already filled the mission quota and that mana exhaustion was making my head spin did he finally back off. But that expression of his was not the face of a man who had given up.
High chance he would pester me again tomorrow to hang out.
Tomorrow was Saturday. Normally I would have had to drag myself to morning classes, but this week only, filling the quota meant I could legally play. That was why I had been able to throw away the entire Friday without a care. A rare holiday where I did not have to think about a single thing. Digging up the games I had been putting off did not sound half bad. As for Ban Taewung, I could just text Heroine Number One and tell her to keep him occupied.
Those happy thoughts had been last night.
"Ta-da~ I'm here."
"...Shit."
And the madwoman who had just shattered that happiness was sitting on top of me. Feeling strangely smothered, I tried to shove the blanket aside—only for my hand to grab something that was definitely not a blanket.
That woke me up instantly.
"How is it? Personally I thought a lap pillow wasn't bad either, but the dorm beds here are a little small. Shall I switch it out for a king-size?"
"Cut the crap and get off."
"Oh, don't say that. What's your impression? Of me, I mean."
The woman deliberately curved her eyes in open seduction, slowly brushing back her platinum hair and hugging her own body as if to put it on display. Her ample chest swayed and made its presence known.
"...I'm going insane."
What she was wearing was an oversized dress shirt that clearly did not fit.
Sunlight turned the inside of the shirt into a silhouette. The hem that reached her thighs fluttered with every movement, teasing at what lay beneath, while the loose buttons left a gap that revealed pale skin. Loose enough to emphasize every curve that went in and every curve that came out—the classic "boyfriend shirt" look that automatically stirred dirty thoughts in anyone who saw it.
The problem was that this woman was not my girlfriend, and she had snuck into my room while I was asleep only to sit there proudly wearing my school shirt.
Pretty girls get a free pass, right? I used to think so too. But the moment I was actually in this situation, the threat to my life outweighed any lust. I never wanted to feel this particular emotion again.
"Hmm~ So this is your type? You pervert."
Even if it had only been for an instant, there was no way a Transcendent like her had missed my gaze dipping lower. She half-covered her mouth and giggled with a sly smile. I did not even have the energy left to get angry.
It was obvious she had no intention of moving first. So what choice did I have? I would just have to get away myself because this was disgusting. I tried to slip off the bed quickly—only to find my body glued to the mattress as if it had been soldered in place.
"...Let go."
"No. If I let go you'll just run away."
Apparently my struggling was entertaining, because she stopped emphasizing her chest and pressed her body flush against mine instead. The moment her head neared my neck, a sweet citrus scent flooded my nose.
"Want to go on a date with me today?"
The whisper right against my ear sent a full-body shiver down my spine. Half words, half breath, playful and teasing—I wanted to strangle that throat and throw her off me right then and there, but my body refused to move.
In this state all I could do was grind my teeth or spit curses. Summoning a familiar to attack would be useless and leave me with nothing but demerits.
"...Just let me rest. Please."
"Don't be like that. Staying here and getting tangled up with that child favored by the stars would be far less profitable than playing with me."
And then, she added, lightly resting a hand on my chest and drawing idle circles with her fingertip.
"Aren't you curious? Who's the one spreading weird rumors to smear the Doctor."
My brow furrowed at that. Asking how she knew would have been the most pointless question in the world. If she felt like it, there was no secret she could not dig up.
The real question was why she was telling me this now.
Given enough time Ban Taewung would handle it himself, and if he failed I could just clean it up. The shadow crows of the Hive were already gathering information.
Right now the Hive was dismissed, so I could not check real-time feedback with the Record skill, but I could resummon it whenever I wanted.
"Ah, that look just now—the one that says 'how laughable.' It's so cute I want to bite it. Hehe."
The moment she finished speaking she sank her teeth into the side of my neck. The sharp sting crossed into pure instinctive danger. This must be exactly how a sheep felt with a wolf's jaws around its throat.
I thrashed to get free, but she only pressed down harder. The helplessness of being threatened by a predator and being able to do nothing was humiliating beyond words.
"Mmm, haah."
"S-shit, seriously, cut it out...!"
She ignored me completely, eyes sparkling as she enjoyed my reaction. That only pissed me off more.
As if my opinion had never mattered, she bit the same spot again. When I kept refusing she seemed to take offense and bit down harder and harder.
Crunch.
"Ugh..."
And finally she drew blood.
Skin tore; a sharp pain raced down my spine. Then she began gently licking the wound as if soothing it, all while sucking the blood with soft little sounds and glancing up at me through half-lidded eyes.
Crazy bitch. She wasn't even a vampire, yet she was craving blood. She was just mimicking sensual acts out of pure curiosity.
And that alone was enough for the world to treat her actions as the real thing. The proof was the effect it was having on my body against my will.
This was exactly why I could never like this world. Purely in terms of ordinary physical specs I did not lose to her in anything. Yet here I was, pinned under her and being toyed with like a convenient plaything.
I tried to raise my mana, only for it to slam into an invisible wall. Her mana was rejecting any movement of mine. But the tiny bit that had moved was enough.
I called the most loyal of my servants. My first summon.
"Ha—Eve."
Fwaaah!!
"Kyaaaak!!!"
A crow wreathed in faint blue light burst from my shadow. Its wings beat once, and a massive flock of shadow crows poured out beneath it.
Even as the room filled with enough crows to choke the air, she only smiled softly and made no move to defend herself.
"Oh come on, don't get so prickly."
Clap.
Her hands met. That alone was enough for the Hive to drop to the floor and for the entire flock of crows to vanish as if they had never existed.
I could not turn my head, but through the link I felt the Hive lying paralyzed and twitching on the floor.
"It's just a little deep affection, you know? You know I love you, right? Think of it as a sulk directed at my indifferent husband."
She met my eyes and spoke in a gentle, coaxing voice. For an instant her golden pupils had been slit like a reptile's; they snapped back to human shape just as quickly.
"...I told you from the start."
The distance closed until our noses nearly touched. I moved.
I yanked the front of her shirt and flipped our positions. Where she had been pinning me down, now I was the one looming over her.
"Huh?"
She blinked up at me in surprise. I ground my teeth and growled low.
"Don't fuck with me."
Bang! Screeech!
"Hiiik...!"
I drove a mana-charged fist into the mattress right beside her head. The bedsprings screamed in protest and she flinched so hard her neck almost disappeared into her shoulders.
The actual target, of course, looked completely unharmed—staring at me with an expression that could not decide whether this was a dream or reality.
"Tch."
Forcing my body to move left every joint aching.
Did she think I had summoned the Hive for no reason?
I had multiplied the numbers to maximize the effect of the skill Subjugator. Knowing her, she could erase a hundred of them without breaking a sweat.
Lucky for me she was the type who never left personal belongings lying around; otherwise this room would have been a complete disaster. I got off the bed and scooped the collapsed Hive into my arms. The paralysis still had not worn off; the crow trembled but managed to settle into place.
"...I'm jealous. Won't you hold me like that too?"
"Shut up, you sexual predator."
"Tch. It's not like it wears out if I play with it a little. What's wrong with that, you eunuch, you stubborn mule, Jang Sinwoo."
She grumbled, then pulled the blanket I had been using over her head like a replacement for me. The sight made my already throbbing temples pulse harder. I had a lot I wanted to say, but this came first.
"Don't say my name like it's a curse word."
"The last one was a compliment, though?"
"Bullshit."
My reaction seemed to delight her. She clutched her stomach and giggled until tears formed at the corners of her eyes, then simply lay down on the bed still wrapped in the blanket, only her head peeking out. She gave me a sly, fox-like smile.
"So? Shall we just sleep together like this, or will you go on a date with me?"
"I refuse both."
"Do you really think those are options?"
"...Damn it."
The moment she had appeared in front of me I had already half given up.
If she was going to do whatever she wanted anyway, why even ask? I sighed, shot the still-smiling woman a look of pure exhaustion, and headed for the bathroom.
"Hmm? Hmm? If you don't give me a clear answer I'll just keep harassing you. Can I barge in while you're washing? Charge in naked, take pictures, and make it a done deal?"
If I stayed silent she really would do it. God, it had been ages since I last felt this kind of ridiculous blackmail.
Reaping what you sow. Cause and effect.
The old scholars had been right about everything. What the hell happened in the past that made them invent sayings like that, ancestors?
"...Just shut up and get ready to leave."
"Ehehe... I did it!!"
The way she celebrated, already knowing exactly what I would choose, was infuriating. Damn it. Just wait. Someday I would break that arrogant nose of hers. Watching her preen with that triumphant look, I ground my teeth and looked forward to the day of reckoning.
"This is..."
"First things first—let's change clothes!"
Half-dragged along, I found myself at a department store packed with people.
Whether it was because I was still in my academy uniform or because of this woman's looks, every passerby kept glancing our way.
"Hey, what about the perception interference?"
"I already cast it. The moment they see us they'll think 'wow, that person is gorgeous,' but a few seconds later they won't even remember the face. Photos won't take either, so it's fine."
While I fretted, she hummed a little tune as if she had done this a hundred times before. I had to force down the sigh that wanted to escape.
"This one, and this one, and this one, and this too."
She grabbed clothes at random and shoved them at me. Even to someone like me who had zero interest in fashion, they looked expensive.
Brands I had vaguely heard of, every single one sporting a logo that somehow involved a dragon. In other words, companies she owned.
"I'll have your old clothes delivered to the dorm by courier, so just leave the ones you change into and wait for me on the terrace over there."
With that she scampered off somewhere—probably to look at clothes for herself. Since I had already agreed to hang out, backing out now would just waste time. I changed into the clothes she had handed me one by one.
"Not bad."
A white T-shirt that was neither too thin nor too thick for the still-chilly spring weather, topped with a beige wool cardigan, and black pants that contrasted nicely underneath. I had expected stiff, suit-like fabric, but it was surprisingly soft and easy to move in.
Having awakened young and ridden the cheat that was mana, the base model staring back from the mirror was solid. The deep dark circles and messy hair ruined most of it, though.
"...Huh. Did it get a little redder?"
I never paid attention to mirrors beyond morning face-washing, so I had not noticed. In this bright light I could see a faint crimson aura lingering at the tips of my hair and in my irises. Probably the influence of The Burner.
I had kept it unequipped for quite a while, but the fire-attribute affinity that had built up in the meantime had settled into my mana. Body hair and pupils were the parts of the body most heavily affected by mana, so the change showed there first.
The hair only had a slight reddish tint that would not stand out unless light hit it directly, but the irises had deepened into something close to rich blood-red.
"Hmm."
My hair had gotten pretty long too. Still fine to leave alone for now, but any longer and it would start getting in the way. Using shadow, I swept about half of my overgrown bangs back and fixed them in place.
Black hair meant the shadow hold would not show.
With the curtain of bangs cut in half, my field of vision opened up. The bad temper written all over my face was now fully visible, which would probably cut down on people picking fights.
Since I was already outside, I might as well soak up some sunlight and stockpile vitamin D. After a quick check that I had not forgotten anything, I stepped out, left my things with a clerk, and sat at the terrace she had designated.
Apparently word had already been passed along; the moment I arrived one of her attendants appeared, set a teacup in front of me, and began pouring black tea.
If I had to rank drinks, alcohol came first, then carbonated stuff. After that coffee, then green tea. Black tea was something I would drink if it was already there, but I never went out of my way to choose it.
The reason she had specifically served black tea was simple. It was what I had drunk with Heroine Number One.
Sure enough, it was the exact same brand. That was the creepy part.
Not simple jealousy, but a thoroughly calculated possessiveness. Once she decided something would be fun, personal privacy got casually steamrolled.
I took a polite sip of the tea, then left it alone and slumped in the chair like I was melting into it, propping my chin on my fist.
Nice.
Peaceful. If only this peace could last forever. A futile wish, but just lounging in the sunlight like this was healing enough. The drowsy warmth made me feel like I could fall asleep the second I closed my eyes.
The reason I did not was partly the noise around me, and partly because I already knew any sleep would not last long.
That aside—weekend or not, was there seriously this many people? Just watching the crowd moving below was enough to make me seasick. I spent a while people-watching until I sensed someone approaching.
Finally.
"Why are you so la...te, ah?"
I had been about to frown and complain, but the sweet scent I should have smelled was missing. Puzzled, I turned my head—and instead of platinum hair I found a woman with chestnut-brown hair and orange eyes looking at me.
"Hubae-nim?"
Kang So-seon.
She asked as if confirming it was really me, her expression strangely stiff.
"...Honestly, the moment I take my eyes off you, when did you go and hook another woman like this?"
"Ah..."
Correction. Kang So-seon was not looking at me. She was staring at the woman who had somehow already arrived and was now draped around my neck from behind.
In an instant an invisible clash of auras seemed to crackle between the two of them. Neither had even raised their mana, yet sparks felt like they were flying. Was that just my imagination?
...What the hell was this atmosphere.