33) Chapter 7. No, It’s Not Even That Different? (2)
After returning to school… I had become—well, a celebrity.
In the worst way.
I had no idea, but rumors were spreading that I was one of the key figures in the massive terror incident.
I had suspected it a little.
But wouldn’t that be way too self‑centered? I don’t have any impressive abilities. There’s no way I’d be at the center of something that big.
Logically, that woman must’ve just been out of her mind.
“—Isn’t that why she was trying to take her?”
I heard someone say that.
“Her ability, her bloodline. She’s perfect for becoming a criminal.”
“And no evidence left behind?”
“Yeah. No evidence.”
“……”
I froze mid‑step as I entered the classroom.
I knew I shouldn’t stop. That would make it obvious I was listening.
But those short lines sounded too plausible.
Was that woman a criminal before? A villain?
She was so confident, yet wary of “Meteor”—Auntie Yujin.
Did that mean they’d met before?
In the world I lived in, “villains”—supervillains—had fans. Actually, famous supervillains were often more popular than mediocre superheroes.
They had motives, philosophies, striking appearances, and they completed the heroes’ narratives.
But that popularity only exists because they aren’t real.
In reality, no one idolizes a serial killer and gets treated like a normal person.
So even if villains are known, very few become nationally famous. Even in my old world, there were well‑known serial killers, but only horror or mystery enthusiasts could list their names.
It wouldn’t be strange if she hadn’t been famous before.
Now she was.
“……”
The kids stared at me as I stood there.
“What?”
“H‑huh?”
“Why are you staring?”
“N‑no reason…”
Yeah. Why were they staring?
Why did I stop walking?
Of course I knew them. It was hard memorizing names at first, but by now I remembered everyone in my class.
And she wasn’t just someone whose name I knew. She was one of the kids who always greeted me warmly.
Not just because I was close to Soi—she probably thought she was close to me too.
Before the incident, she would’ve smiled and greeted me if our eyes met.
“Did you eavesdrop?”
She asked accusingly.
“No…”
I didn’t know how to answer.
What was I supposed to say?
I did stop because I heard something that sounded like it was about me. And I did hear everything.
“Well…”
Should I say no? Say it was a coincidence, that I wasn’t trying to spy, that I just happened to be there?
But then what?
That woman had talked about things from before. About when I was in the orphanage.
Was she trying to find me?
If she mentioned that “incident,” then I would be the one who hurt Soi’s father.
To the point he nearly died.
In the original story… that’s exactly what happened.
I opened my mouth to say something, but the more I hesitated, the quieter the room became. Eyes that had been looking elsewhere slowly turned toward me.
The school building had been repaired.
Too perfectly. Only the damaged parts looked brand new, in a building that had aged for decades.
The security guards who greeted us every morning—some of their faces had changed. I never heard exactly what happened.
Our homeroom teacher still hadn’t returned.
During morning and afternoon homeroom, a teacher from another class filled in.
All we heard was that they were recovering.
“…No, it’s nothing.”
The eyes on me held accusation, fear, and curiosity.
Because of Soi, no one dared to bully me outright. But the kids no longer spoke to me first.
If they had to talk to me, they looked scared, or sharp, or desperate to end the conversation quickly.
Even the teachers avoided calling on me during class.
My shoulders slumped.
As I walked slowly, I made eye contact with the two girls I had once tried—and failed—to befriend.
They had looked at me with curiosity before, but now they flinched and looked away.
“Witch.”
Someone whispered.
Followed by quiet giggles.
Thankfully, I’d braced myself this time, so I didn’t stop walking.
I’d seen the word “witch” in the news.
Villains don’t get official titles like heroes do. Giving them titles would make them idols. The Association insists villains are just criminals.
So “witch” was a nickname given by the media and the public.
To that woman—Seo Arin.
But in this school…
That word was aimed at me.
I quietly walked to the very back and sat in my seat.
I quietly opened my textbook.
And waited for Soi to return from the bathroom.
As quietly as possible.
*
Thankfully, Soi and Chae‑yi weren’t treated the same way.
They were closer to being victims.
“What happened?”
As soon as she sat down, Soi turned toward me and peered into my face.
“Nothing happened.”
I shook my head, but she didn’t look convinced.
Still, she didn’t press.
I wanted Soi to have a normal school life.
She already stuck to me during breaks and lunch because she worried about me.
But there were moments we had to separate.
Like when going to the bathroom. Even if we went together, if she waited outside, the stares from passing kids were worse.
“…Hmm.”
She didn’t believe me, but she had no proof.
The kids didn’t hit me or scribble on my desk.
After all, Auntie Yujin was acting as my mother.
And Soi would explode in anger. Insulting a kid who threw herself in front of a villain to save others wasn’t exactly smart.
Soi reached out and grabbed my hand. When I tried to pull away, she yanked me toward her so hard my upper body flopped onto the desk, then tucked my arm under her armpit.
Fidget fidget.
If I didn’t pull away, she would start playing with my hand. Pressing my palm with her thumbs, fiddling with my fingers, then interlocking them with hers.
Once she interlocked them, she wouldn’t let go for a long time. Sometimes until the end of break or lunch.
“Soi, you’re really kind.”
“Huh? Why?”
She looked up, still absorbed in playing with my hand.
Normally she would’ve responded casually, but she sensed the thorn in that comment and sounded sharper.
“N‑no, I mean…”
Kind enough to play with Seo Rua.
That’s probably what the other kid meant.
“Just… you know.”
“Hm.”
Soi pouted, then nodded.
“Maybe. Could be.”
She straightened her shoulders proudly.
Her confidence made the words feel true.
Well, they were true.
Ability or not, Soi ran in to save me.
“Heheh.”
Soi propped her elbow on my desk and rested her cheek on my hand.
Still interlocked with mine.
Her soft cheek pressed against the back of my hand.
Come to think of it, Soi often touched my face, but I rarely touched hers. I’d imagined it, but never actually felt it like this.
“But why? Why bring that up?”
“Huh? Oh, no reason. You helped us back then.”
“And Chae‑yi helped too—”
A glance.
Soi’s eyes flicked toward me.
“And Rua helped. I stepped in later. So why am I the only kind one?”
“O‑oh, no…”
Our homeroom teacher had been popular. Always caring, always friendly.
And now, because they tried to protect me, they couldn’t even come to school.
“Y‑yeah. Rua is kind too.”
“Right?”
Satisfied, Soi rubbed her cheek against my hand again.
I didn’t know how to take any of it, so I just lowered my head, feeling tangled inside.
A/N:
I’ll upload one more chapter before midnight!