55) Chapter 10. Hey, You—Come Out. (1)

I understand very well that, trauma from my past life or not, Soi and Chae‑yi are only trying to help me.

And honestly, the reason they had no choice but to act that way… was because of me.

Because I couldn’t say anything in front of people like that. Because I couldn’t stand up for myself, Soi and Chae‑yi stepped forward to fight in my place.

“Um… guys.”

I stopped the two girls walking ahead of me.

Maybe because they were still fuming, they even forgot to link arms with me like usual. Only when I grabbed their sleeves myself did they finally stop.

“Oh—yeah, Rua.”

“…Rua.”

Soi and Chae‑yi turned back to me with slightly awkward expressions.

It was probably the first time I’d ever seen them look like that. They’d gotten annoyed or irritated before, sure, but they’d never openly cursed and lashed out like that.

“Um…”

Should I apologize? Or thank them?

Or maybe both.

If not for the two of them, I probably wouldn’t have had the courage to come to the Academy at all.

In the past, I thought of Seo Rua as nothing but trash. In a way, that wasn’t entirely wrong. A tragic past can’t be helped, but dragging others into that misery is something you should never do.

But at the very least, Seo Rua didn’t just shrink away alone. She tried, in her own way, to face the world around her.

So when I think about it that way… maybe I’m even worse than the original Seo Rua.

“Oh, here you were.”

Just as I was hesitating, someone suddenly cut into our conversation.

Startled, I turned toward the voice. A blonde beauty was looking at the three of us.

Well… how should I put it.

She wasn’t wearing a school uniform, but a nun’s habit.

It’s strange for a school run by a nation to be a mission school. It makes it feel like the country only recognizes one religion. Of course, that wasn’t the case. It was more accurate to say that several major religious groups in the country each had a presence on campus.

They claimed it was to guarantee students’ religious freedom, so they built a cathedral, a church, and a temple on Academy grounds.

…Naturally, readers never took that explanation at face value.

They just thought, “Ah, the author really wanted to include a heroine in a nun outfit.”

Because the cathedral in the story was nothing like a real one.

And the nun’s habit this woman was wearing… was also very different from any I knew.

“Can you come with me for a moment? The principal wants to see you.”

“Oh—yes.”

As I moved toward her, Soi followed me as if it were obvious.

“No, the principal only called for Seo Rua.”

“But it’s fine if we walk her to the door, isn’t it?”

Soi asked.

“Well… the conversation might take a while.”

“That’s fine.”

Chae‑yi answered.

The blonde nun simply shrugged.

*

“Why? Is it strange to see someone walking around the Academy in a nun’s habit?”

“Uh…”

No, it’s stranger that the skirt is so short.

But saying that felt like it would be incredibly rude, so I just followed quietly.

“It’s a funny story, actually.”

Maybe she noticed I was curious but too shy to ask, because she laughed and explained.

“When they were choosing land for the school, it turned out there was a temple on the mountain. You know how temple grounds are huge. But the mountain is also a national park, so the temple couldn’t just do whatever it wanted. At first, they tried offering compensation to relocate it.”

“Oh… I see.”

“But of course, a temple that’s been there for centuries wouldn’t want to move. So they compromised. The Academy could use the land, but the temple had to stay. That’s why the temple buildings are still inside the school grounds.”

She smirked.

“But once that happened, the other religious groups didn’t stay quiet. They demanded a cathedral, a church… and the parents were the real problem. Some said, ‘My child has believed in so‑and‑so since they were in the womb.’ So in the end, the grounds ended up with a church, a cathedral, a temple, and… something else too, I think. I don’t know all of them. I’ve never visited the others.”

So that was the in‑world explanation. Well, if you’re going to put religious buildings inside a state‑run school, you’d need at least that much justification.

Though honestly, they could’ve just made the school founded by a religious group. Maybe that didn’t fit the setting.

“Here.”

We arrived at the principal’s office.

“Just open the door and go in. Or should I open it for you?”

“N‑no, it’s fine.”

I stammered at her playful tone.

She was the first person I’d met at the Academy who treated me without a shred of prejudice.

Well, judging by her appearance, she was probably one of the heroines…

“You two wait here.”

She stopped Soi and Chae‑yi from following me inside.

Before entering, I glanced back at them and nodded.

But maybe because I looked so tense, neither of them seemed reassured.

…Still, I couldn’t refuse to go in.

Besides, wasn’t the Academy principal supposed to be friends with Auntie Yujin?

I swallowed nervously and stepped inside.

“Ah—hello…”

The principal looked up from her papers.

Principal Seol Hee‑won.

That was the name written on the triangular nameplate on her desk.

She did appear in the original story as a supporting character.

But I don’t think her name was ever mentioned. Or maybe I just forgot.

As the Academy principal, she was someone who—despite her best efforts—couldn’t completely prevent the various incidents that inevitably happened.

Realizing that made me tense up even more.

Maybe… this was an opportunity?

Since Soi and Chae‑yi weren’t here.

“Hello.”

Seol Hee‑won smiled warmly and set down her papers, then stood up.

Hmm.

Even from afar, I’d thought this, but… if she weren’t so much older than the protagonist, she could’ve been a heroine.

…Actually, in some ways, she still kind of fits.

“So this is our first time meeting, right? Did you have fun at my house?”

“Ah—yes, thank you.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just a house I never sold and ended up keeping.”

It was near the beach but strangely isolated from any facilities. There was a village within walking distance, though.

“Alright.”

She gestured for me to sit, then sat across from me.

After thinking for a moment—

“I heard something… unpleasant happened today.”

“Ah—n‑no, I’m f‑fine.”

“…”

She clearly didn’t believe that.

“I’m sorry. It’s your first day, and something like that happened. I’ll make sure to warn the staff again.”

“Ah… yes.”

I didn’t know how to respond to the principal bowing her head to me.

“Hmm…”

She thought again, then spoke as if making up her mind.

“You’re sharing a room with Soi and Chae‑yi, right?”

“Ah—yes, thank you…”

“Hehe. No need to thank me. The dorm assignments are random, remember?”

Well, if she put it that way, I had nothing to say.

“I didn’t expect Hyeonji to be in the same room, though. If I’d known, I would’ve arranged the last spot more carefully—ah, sorry. I mean, it’s random. Random.”

“Ah—haha…”

“But.”

She closed her eyes briefly, inhaled, then continued.

“There’s something I want to tell you. I think you should know.”

“Um…”

“You’ve heard of the Superhuman Association, right? No—of course you have. What I mean is… have you ever met anyone who works there?”

“Ah—yes.”

“How were they?”

“Um… they seemed like a normal person doing their job.”

“Really? That’s good. But there are others who aren’t like that. The person you met probably wasn’t someone high‑ranking. Right?”

“Ah—yes, that’s true.”

“Mm. There are some very frightening people in the Association. People who constantly scheme to climb higher. They hate hardworking people and only like those who flatter them.”

Well, every organization has people like that.

And in stories like this, any “Association” is bound to have that cliché.

I didn’t remember every detail of the original, but I did remember that the Academy principal wasn’t actually that powerful. Her authority was limited, her responsibilities heavy, and she had to look after all the students.

The Association was the one that truly ran the Academy. Despite being called an “association,” it functioned like a government agency. Naturally, they were the ones responsible for training superhuman students.

“And among those high‑ranking people… quite a few have children enrolled here.”

“Oh.”

“Of course, your mother is a wonderful person. She never chases power and only works for the people. A true hero. Almost no one dislikes her. But because of that, some people see her popularity as a threat… bad people.”

I blinked.

“Am I… Auntie Yujin’s weakness?”

“Every son and daughter is their parents’ weakness. Do you know why? Because they love them. Not because they’re fragile, but because they’re loved so deeply. That can never be the child’s fault. Wanting to protect someone is natural.”

She gently corrected me.

“So what I want to say is this: you don’t need to shrink back. If someone judges you just because of rumors, that’s wrong. Because you’re Yujin’s daughter.”

She smiled softly.

“If anything happens, don’t hesitate to come to my office. Tattle all you want. I’ll go scold them right away. I’ll scold the ones from today too.”

“B‑but… you’re the principal.”

“And that’s exactly why I should. It’s not just for you. If a student is going astray, it’s my job to correct them.”

Didn’t she just say some of the troublemakers were children of high‑ranking officials?

Was that really okay?

“Oh, and—if, really just if—your roommate ever makes you uncomfortable, tell me. Sometimes roommates bully or harass each other. In those cases, separating them is the rule. So please tell me right away.”

“Ah—yes, but Hyeonji hasn’t bullied me at all…”

“Really?”

She looked relieved.

“Alright. That’s all I wanted to say. Do you have anything you want to tell me?”

“Ah—um, well…”

I hesitated.

Should I say it?

Would she suspect something strange?

No—she definitely would. Especially since the witch’s daughter was the one saying it.

Of course, there had been no contact. Soi and Chae‑yi were always with me, and I’d barely left the house until last year.

But maybe that made it even more suspicious.

“It’s okay.”

She waited patiently, ready to listen.

“If you want to say something, go ahead.”

I fidgeted with my skirt, then finally—

“N‑no… it’s nothing.”

…I couldn’t say it.

Between saying it and not saying it, somehow saying it felt scarier.

What if everything I said was wrong? What if my presence here had already changed the future? What if I ended up sounding like a liar?

My reputation was already bad enough. I didn’t want to add “liar” to it.

*

When I came out, Soi, Chae‑yi, and the nun were still waiting.

“Her face looks even darker, Principal.”

“…”

The nun immediately noticed my disappointment.

Seol Hee‑won didn’t respond.

“If you ever have something to say, make sure you come to me, okay?”

She held my hand and said that before I left.

“Why? Is someone bullying you?”

On the way back to class.

For some reason, the nun followed us instead of returning to her post.

“Ah, um…”

“Yes. They’re bullying her.”

Soi answered.

“Already? It’s the first day.”

The nun tilted her head, unsure whether she knew about me or not.

“Sounds like there’s a real brat around. Just beat them up.”

“…What?”

“Just beat them up once and they won’t bother you again. Kids who pick fights on the first day are usually all bark and no bite. They bother others because they’re weak and want to feel better about themselves.”

“Uh…”

“So just fight them—wait, do kids still say ‘fight it out’? Anyway, if you smack them once, they’ll flatten right out. And the Academy even provides referees.”

Well, that was how academy‑battle stories worked.

Though in the original, Seo Rua barely fought anyone. Maybe once, when the protagonist gave someone a lesson.

“And don’t worry about hurting someone. The referee will stop it before that. The referee is a monk.”

…What does that have to do with anything?

“Oh, we’re here.”

Before I knew it, we were back in the classroom hallway.

“Then I’ll go. See you in class later.”

“Ah—yes…”

The three of us stared blankly as the nun wandered off after saying whatever she wanted.

Ah, right. She was that kind of character.

She was an instructor.

An instructor who was also a heroine. Well, it was an academy harem story, but still—it felt odd.

…Suddenly, I felt jealous of the male lead, Nam Jinwoo.

He’d end up dating a whole bunch of girls.

Meanwhile, I struggled just to get along with one person.

Edit

Pub: 05 Apr 2026 06:47 UTC

Views: 27