Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Butterfly Effect for the Author (7)
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...The back of my head prickled.
Ever since the temporary classes began, Yeomyeong had felt eyes constantly trailing him.
Unlike the jealousy or anticipation from the students, these were far more secretive and insidious... watchful gazes.
'I never thought I'd feel the same stares from Manju reporters here at the Academy.'
Of course, Yeomyeong paid them no mind and didn't tense up.
He went about his school life as usual, acting as if he noticed nothing at all.
It wasn't like they could kill him on the spot... and more importantly, he sensed no hostility from the eyes pursuing him.
But when classes ended and he stepped out of the main building, Yeomyeong couldn't help furrowing his brow.
The single gaze he'd sensed during class had somehow doubled by now.
'Two? No, at least three. Maybe more.'
Who the hell was watching him, and why?
As Yeomyeong pondered, Seti, walking beside him behind the main building, spoke up.
"...We've got tails."
She frowned, scratching at the itch on the back of her head.
"Not one, but two. Even if they're cleaning up the incident, is this okay in the Academy?"
"...Not two, four."
Yeomyeong corrected the count, and Seti tilted her head.
"Huh? Four?"
"Two following directly behind, and two watching from a distance."
"...I only feel two."
"That's because they're not aimed at you. You'd notice right away if you were in my shoes. They're so blatant it's impossible to miss."
"...That obvious?"
While Seti blinked in surprise, Yeomyeong stopped and sat on the nearest bench.
The gazes pouring toward him shifted briefly to Seti, and she felt a chill crawl up her spine for that short moment.
"...I was supposed to meet up with the sisters, but I can't talk like this."
Seti sighed and sat next to Yeomyeong.
She'd planned to lift the seal with the golden imperial seal today... but with all these watchful eyes.
"Don't worry too much about the seal. Worst case, I can sneak into the girls' dorm at night."
Yeomyeong said it casually, as if it were no big deal, but Seti widened her eyes.
"Don't even think about coming to the girls' dorm, not even in your dreams. If you get caught, expulsion won't be the end of it."
"...Is it really that bad? Or has someone already tried?"
"Of course not! How many students could scale the walls past the dorm monitors...?"
There was one. Right in front of her.
Seti narrowed her eyes and emphasized once more.
"...Anyway, absolutely do not come to the girls' dorm. No matter what!"
"Got it, got it."
Yeomyeong chuckled and nodded. Only then did Seti change the subject.
"We'll talk about the seal later... For now, what do we do about the ones on our tail?"
No sooner had she spoken than Yeomyeong turned his head.
The first thing he spotted was the cleaning lady far off, picking up trash.
Dressed in spotless white cleaning clothes with a triangular headscarf, she emptied the bin without so much as a glance at Yeomyeong or Seti.
She looked like any ordinary janitor, but she couldn't fool Yeomyeong, a former cleaner himself.
"That cleaning lady over there."
"...Aunt Aiba?"
Seti noticed her late and frowned as well.
"She timed it to drag things out while following us. An Academy watcher?"
"...I doubt it."
Seti seemed to know something. She fell silent for a moment, then looked away from Aiba and said,
"Yeomyeong, have you heard of the Secret Society?"
"...Secret Society? First time."
"It's an intelligence guild run mainly by humans beyond the dimensional gates. She's one of theirs."
That was all the explanation. Yeomyeong sensed Seti was holding back, but he didn't press.
He turned his gaze to spot another watcher.
A classmate hiding between trees, pretending to check his phone while snapping photos this way.
Seti followed his gaze and raised an eyebrow at the sight.
"...And what's that? Yeomyeong, do you know him?"
"My roommate."
"Roommate...? Why would your roommate stalk you?"
Seti looked at him expectantly for an explanation, but Yeomyeong had none.
"...Beats me."
They'd barely exchanged a few words, despite being roommates.
Plus, after the terrorist attack, he'd been in the VIP room instead of the dorm. They were barely acquaintances.
"What's his name?"
Seti turned away from the guy and asked.
"Baonic. Baonic Lerak."
"...Lerak? Oh, that traitor's family?"
Traitor's family? It seemed a harsh label, but Yeomyeong didn't argue.
"Yeah, he said he's from that family himself."
"Well, that explains it."
Seti tapped her lips and continued.
"He's Jeon Yunseong's one and only friend. You might not know his face, but you've heard the rumors."
"...One and only?"
Yeomyeong furrowed his brow slightly.
He'd gotten the sense Jeon Yunseong was standoffish in the dorm and classes... but outright ostracized? In this prestigious Academy?
Seeing his puzzled look, Seti added briefly,
"...Talented people get hated easily, wherever they go."
"Don't swans among ducks usually get admiration instead of hate?"
Yeomyeong replied, unable to understand, and Seti shrugged.
"If it's a tactless swan under U.S. protection, sure."
"..."
"...Plus being the blood of a traitor."
Her tone was light, but a deep-seated hostility seeped through.
It was a familiar enmity. Any Korean hated the traitor Jeon Dong-seop and his son Jeon Yunseong.
But... Seti despised the Korean government, didn't she? Her hatred for Jeon Yunseong must stem from something else, beyond ordinary Korean resentment.
Likely tied to her origins.
It wasn't a topic to bring up here, so Yeomyeong shifted gears.
"I don't get it... Does being Jeon Yunseong's friend give him a reason to watch me?"
"You almost fought him in class earlier."
"..."
"It was probably deliberate, but the fight fizzled out, and Jeon Yunseong just ended up embarrassed... Maybe he's holding a grudge over that?"
It wasn't like Seti at all. No logic, not even basic consideration.
"...That's a huge leap."
"Why? Traitor blood licking each other's wounds isn't weird."
"..."
Yeomyeong stared down at Seti's face for a moment, then pressed his finger to her forehead.
'...She's surprisingly emotional.'
Caught off guard, Seti blinked her blue eyes in confusion.
Silence hung between them. Before it stretched too long, Yeomyeong stood and said,
"Since it's come to this, let's just ask him directly."
"...Huh? Ask what?"
"Let's ask him straight up. Why he's watching me."
Before Seti could respond, Yeomyeong strode toward Baonic Lerak.
Only then did Seti realize she'd answered too emotionally.
'...I shouldn't be like this.'
She let out a small sigh and hurried after him.
***
Baonic startled when Yeomyeong suddenly approached.
'What the? How?'
Had he been caught spying? Obviously.
Superhumans at a certain level didn't miss footsteps, let alone glances.
Realizing his mistake too late, Baonic hastily pocketed his phone and straightened his clothes.
Too late to run. Better to act bold...
"Hey. Baonic."
Before he could finish thinking, Yeomyeong was in front of him.
"Uh... um... H-hi."
Unlike his resolve moments ago, words failed him.
For some reason, facing Yeomyeong felt like standing before a torture expert—his tongue went stiff.
"Uh..."
"I'll just ask straight: Why were you filming me?"
"I... uh..."
No words came. Especially when he spotted Seti approaching from the side—his jaw locked tight.
"It's..."
Baonic desperately racked his brain for an excuse, mumbling. Yeomyeong waited briefly, then prodded.
"Be honest. As long as it's not something weird, I'll let it slide."
Yeomyeong's tone was soft, but the implication was ironclad. No lies allowed.
"S-sorry... Truth is, I was gonna take your photo and sell it..."
"Sell photos?"
"You're, like, famous, right? Reporters... said they'd pay for shots of you..."
"...Hmm."
"S-sorry, I just needed cash quick..."
It was a decent excuse on short notice.
Yeomyeong narrowed his eyes, as if testing truth from lie, and Baonic swallowed hard.
Truth be told, his reason for tailing Yeomyeong wasn't so petty as selling photos.
Hidden Pieces.
The collective term for the opportunities hidden around the Academy—like the magic sword slumbering deep in the 2nd-year main warehouse or the fairy's tear buried under the 3rd-year shelter.
He'd planned to catch Yeomyeong claiming one.
Not to confront him head-on or steal it, just film it and report.
Unlike in novels or games, Hidden Pieces here were officially school property.
Snapping proof of theft could get him expelled, right? That's why he'd shadowed him...
Well, the result was this mess. Baonic squeezed his eyes shut in regret.
'Damn...'
Chasing him in a huff after confirming some 2nd-year Hidden Pieces were stolen during the terror attack had been a mistake.
'What if he sees through the lie?'
As the author trembled unwittingly and Yeomyeong gazed down silently,
—Oh my!
Aunt Aiba, cleaning far off, suddenly floated into the air.
As if an invisible force lifted her—no mana detected.
No magic, no martial arts. A supernatural phenomenon.
—Wh-what!?
Aiba flailed in panic, then her body flew straight into a trash bin.
Crash!
Passing students stared in shock at Aiba and the bin.
But Yeomyeong, accustomed to such invisible forces, knew who was responsible and sighed.
"Wh-what the hell?"
Baonic, clueless, gaped and asked. Yeomyeong started to explain, then heard footsteps approaching and said to him,
"Baonic."
"Y-yeah?"
"You should apologize."
Why—? The word nearly escaped as—
Pow!
Something invisible smashed into Baonic's face.
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