Chapter 16
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Lesson 4. Rebellion - 4
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The Lower Dimension Special Admission quartet basically attended lectures jointly with other classes, and that afternoon's class was with Class 7.
It was a class packed with an unusually high number of male students, giving the whole room a rowdy vibe. To them, the Lower Dimension Special Admission kids were prime targets.
Their first mark was Lucelle.
"Whew."
"Hot damn."
The instructor was the most veteran associate professor at Union Academy, a grizzled old prof who'd been there over eighty years. Fittingly enough, the subject he taught was none other than "History of the Union."
It was one of the rare classes here that was 100% note-taking, and unbelievably, this old-timer planned to blast through the material from day one. In a voice that could put anyone to sleep just by hearing it, he methodically read from the textbook starting at line one, his sole focus unleashing waves of drowsiness on the students.
Which was why...
"With tits that big, won't they just explode?"
"What the hell's a bug like you doing climbing the tower? You've gotta have something more your speed. Like, say, right here on me..."
"If it's that, I'll hire her."
"You psycho, I called dibs."
...no one even noticed the students openly leering at Lucelle and spewing their crude filth.
They weren't even bothering to lower their voices—it echoed all over the lecture hall—but the prof didn't give them so much as a warning. It made Ban Yu-won wonder if the old man was deaf.
"Ugh... ughh..."
Ban Yu-won worried Lucelle might break down crying.
But Lucelle... maybe because of her naturally frail build and delicate looks, she'd probably heard crap like this plenty before? She held it together with a practiced composure, biting back tears without shedding one.
It was so damn admirable that Ban Yu-won was the one grinding his teeth instead.
I shouldn't just sit here—she needs to go over and deck those bastards!
Thwack!
Just as Ban Yu-won was swinging imaginary punches in his mind, a loud bang erupted right nearby.
As Light, sitting next to him, had slammed his desk and shot to his feet, face red with fury.
"Professor!"
"Uh, uh-huh? What's the matter? So, as I was saying..."
"As Light from Class 11!"
The Lower Dimension Special Admission group was officially dubbed Class 11.
That said, some of their Special Admission seniors didn't even have assigned classes... If Yumina hadn't stepped up as their handler, they might've ended up the same way.
"Class 11? Ah, yes, of course. Do you have a question?"
The old professor surely knew what Class 11 meant, spotting the quartet sitting apart from everyone else.
Yet his expression didn't shift—he just smiled kindly. Good to see he had no prejudice against Lower Dimension students.
"The other students are being so noisy, it's hard to focus on the lecture. Could you please do something about it?"
"Hm, what a fine, upstanding student. Everyone hear that? Keep quiet during class and focus only on my voice. And As Light gets three bonus points."
The professor nodded along like he was moved to tears, then announced it loud enough for the whole room to hear, even tossing in extra credit for Light.
According to what Ban Yu-won had dug up over lunch, those bonus points were one criterion for selecting the top ten outstanding freshmen per grade each semester.
On the flip side, rack up too many minus points, and you'd be grounded—no outside privileges!
To Ban Yu-won, who'd already gotten the principal's permission to go out whenever, it was worthless.
"Whoa, check out this nerd."
"Pretty boy's got a nice face, but bet he passed the practical with looks alone, huh?"
"No way, idiot—how do you even pass practicals on looks?"
"Who knows? Maybe the exam was with a succubus..."
"That's... kinda convincing!"
And naturally, the professor's declaration meant squat to them.
It did, however, temporarily shift their target from Lucelle to Light—which didn't last long.
"......"
Ban Yu-won watched Lucelle blush and hang her head, while Light seethed glaring at her tormentors. Any outsider would think he's the boy heroically protecting his secret crush.
With both of them being total knockouts—a beauty and a bishie to boot—they even looked the part.
But Light's just pissed at the insults, pure and simple. Kid's one of a kind.
Ban Yu-won patted Light, who looked ready to jump up again any second.
"Ban, you trying to stop me?"
"I don't like pointless fights."
"You...!"
Light shot him a hurt glare, like he'd never expected this from him. But Ban Yu-won wasn't about to bend over backward for someone he'd just met.
Besides, he wasn't one for charging in headfirst anyway.
True to his talents, he preferred dismantling foes with words if possible—or at least non-violent schemes if not.
Like this.
"Check this out. It'll cool you down."
"?"
What Ban Yu-won handed Light was a crystal smaller than his palm... the "Mirror" from earlier that morning.
The screen showed the academy's intranet—a live broadcast, no less.
Light instinctively glanced at it and froze.
It was broadcasting their lecture hall right then. And not just anywhere—it zoomed in tight on those guys trash-talking Lucelle and Light.
Sneaky real-time editing at its finest.
"What the—how is this...?"
"Best way to deal with backstabbing cowards yapping from the cheap seats."
Ban Yu-won showed Light the comments flooding in real-time on the live feed.
Mostly upperclassmen, who had no clue these were Lower Dimension Special Admissions. They zeroed in on the crude harassment alone.
"They're getting absolutely roasted."
Dokgo Yeon peeked over from behind, smirking as she watched.
Ban Yu-won addressed Light, who was speechless, staring at the screen.
"Noticed this morning—students here check the intranet constantly. Figured it was worth a shot."
"Sure, if they knew it was Lower Dimension kids getting flak, they might not pile on so hard. But the stream's laser-focused on those guys and their voices."
"Puts viewers right in the bully's shoes," Dokgo Yeon noted.
"Plus, it's all one-sided trash talk. Even if they find out it's Lower Dimension students, hardly anyone on a site like this would publicly side with them."
Hardly anyone—not no one.
But here's where the group had another edge: the creeps' taunts were mostly sexual.
Lower or Upper Dimension didn't matter—girls would rage at that.
Hell, some professors might be watching too. As long as it didn't get yanked, it'd spread across the whole school.
"So what happens to those punks then? No need for you to bother with 'em—they'll crash and burn on their own."
"But how the hell did you...?"
"Shh."
Just then, the feed cut out—its job done.
Light's jaw dropped at the sight of Eve coiled on Ban Yu-won's shoulder.
A tiny camera dangled from her mouth.
"You're out of practice, huh? Didn't even notice her right next to you?"
Dokgo Yeon smirked, having tracked Eve's every move, but Light had no comeback.
Still, he didn't seem too bummed.
"Knew I wasn't wrong about you, Ban... Glad you're our class president."
"What, flattery now? Doesn't get you anywhere."
"Ah... th-thank... you..."
Lucelle, slowest on the uptake, blinked her big puppy eyes and bowed her head shyly.
Ban Yu-won just grinned.
"I'm still powerless myself. Just had a few plans ready."
"Won't we get in trouble? Streaming during class without permission..."
"Check the title."
Ban Yu-won pointed to the post title on the now-ended broadcast.
Lecture Recording_Union History_01
Even internet noob Light got the ploy.
"Pretend you were recording for later review, but messed up and it went live by accident!"
"Bingo. Freshman-exclusive excuse. Kinda flimsy—someone might dock points—but whatever."
Yumina could handle any fallout anyway.
Once Ban Yu-won wrapped up, Light stared in awe, fury forgotten.
Dokgo Yeon sparkled with her cross-shaped pupils, reading into it again—but he was used to her reactions by now.
And Lucelle, who'd been awkwardly shy around people, finally met his eyes straight-on to say thanks. That was the real win from this little incident.
"Hey! The stream!"
A beat later, one of the back-talkers—bored of needling the unresponsive group—spotted the anonymously uploaded clip on the intranet (admins could trace it, but regular students couldn't).
His face drained of color as he alerted his buddies.
"What? Huh? What the hell! Who filmed us?!"
"Huh?"
Their hundreds of incoming roast comments finally sank in. They leaped up yelling, glaring around wildly.
But what good did that do?
The stream was over, and only Dokgo Yeon had clocked Eve.
"Students, your classroom conduct is abysmal. That noise earlier—you lot? Names and classes. I'll be speaking to your advisor professors!"
Instead of hunting the filmer, their outburst provoked the old prof.
"Pardon? No, Professor, it's about the video..."
"Video? You were browsing the intranet during my lecture?!"
"No, someone filmed us without—"
"You idiots!"
"Ah!"
Talking themselves right into confessing!
Ban Yu-won inwardly snorted. Expected it from the backbiting, but Upper Dimensions don't mean better character.
General admission picks pure talent—no guarantee on personality, no matter how elite they are.
As if reading his mind, Light chimed in.
"Upper Dimensions are just worlds that evolved faster, with richer resources and mana. But acting all high and mighty just 'cause you were born there..."
"Sure, you level up quicker than in mana-poor worlds. But easy power's weightless. Pups who don't realize it's luck go nuts—till they faceplant."
Dokgo Yeon surprisingly backed him up—or more like voicing her usual thoughts.
They locked eyes after, then snorted and turned away.
Meanwhile, the professor—who'd finally checked the intranet and learned of the slander—erupted like never before.
"You're banned from my class from now on! Consider this an F for the whole year—mandatory course! I'll be grilling your advisors hard on this, so brace yourselves! Out—all of you, now!"
"But Professor, they're just bugs—Lower Dimension—"
"OUT!"
The moment he roared, the sealed windows flew open wide.
High up as the room was, a fierce gust blasted in, snapping everyone alert.
But the real wake-up came next: the trash-talkers got hurled out the windows one by one!
"Aaaaaaaaagh!"
Ban Yu-won shivered at their fading screams.
They won't die... but they're eating dirt for a while.
"Oof."
"Don't sleep on associate professors..."
"Lucelle, Light—that enough for you?"
Lucelle and Light just nodded meekly.
After that day, classroom etiquette in History of the Union improved dramatically.
Well, no one wanted to get yeeted out the window.