Heroine 4

Time flows.

The season when winter lingered passes.

The cold snap of early spring fades, and full spring settles in April.

The season of lovers arrives with warm sunlight shining down.

Lovers walk everywhere new buds are sprouting.

But April is also a cruel month for some.

It forces them to endure an incredibly painful time.

Inevitably, necessarily, for adolescent children.

“…About two weeks left until midterms.”

Exams.

The shackles that bind students.

That can’t be removed until one becomes an adult.

The terrible moment that can’t be avoided in novels set in high schools has arrived.

“What a pain…”

Heroes don’t study.

A famous line from the drama of a (former) great nation.

But why does the world force Han Seo-yeon to study?

Think about it.

Han Seo-yeon is an overpowered protagonist.

Where in the world is there an overpowered character who diligently studies during exam periods?

“Senior.”

It’s such nice weather.

Not going out for a walk on a day like this would be a sin against the weather.

“Want to go out somewhere with me?”

There were several candidate locations.

The hunting ground from before would be good.

Ordinary places for couples like the zoo, aquarium, or cinema would be fine too.

And to finish off, enjoying a cozy meal out would be even better.

“No.”

Michaela was firm.

A clear rejection came without even turning her head.

Her gaze was focused on the textbooks piled on the desk.

“Are you studying?”

“Of course. Isn’t that a student’s duty?”

It was understandable.

At a glance, Michaela was a diligent student.

Of course, studying is important for Han Seo-yeon too.

[The Falling Star Swordsman of the Academy] was reality for her.

If she ends the original plot, she has to live in that reality.

Although they say happiness isn’t determined by grades, better grades would still help in the future.

However, Han Seo-yeon had no intention of spending her school life in a gray, study and grade-filled haze.

This is her hard-earned second life.

She wanted to experience romance.

She wanted to spend an enjoyable youth with the person she loves.

“A student’s duty isn’t studying, senior! You should enjoy life more.”

All parents usually say this.

The first priority is health, studying comes second.

So shouldn’t we play to our heart’s content without stress to maintain our health?

Or maybe not.

Whether in her past life or current one, she never really had parents, so honestly, she didn’t know much about such sayings.

“Let’s-go-out.”

“No.”

“Let’s-go-out-please.”

“Even if you say it like that, still no.”

Michaela just kept refusing without even a sidelong glance.

It was a cold response.

“Do you want to go out that badly?”

“Yes!”

“Then, why don’t you ask your other friends?”

“Other friends…”

Han Seo-yeon trailed off.

Other friends.

She did have some.

Of course, people she talks to and eats with are friends.

Han Seoyeon.

Rejected.

What’s fun about going out with a sibling?

Baek Da-eun.

Rejected.

Although they’re friends, there are no romantic feelings.

“…Besides, the others are probably studying for the exam too.”

Han Seoyeon is a diligent model student.

Baek Da-eun was a swan working hard unseen.

Only Han Seo-yeon was a free-spirited unemployed person.

Above all.

“And I want to play with you, senior, not with them.”

What’s needed is a rosy youth.

A naughty younger sister who bothers her older sister when bored, or a rollbun-haired villainess young lady, simply don’t fit the word ‘youth’.

“Well. You never know.”

Michaela said.

“You might have more fun with your friends than with me.”

“…”

It was a somewhat strange thing to say.

She expected rejection, but not this kind of additional comment.

“No way…!”

No way.

With a hopeful heart, Han Seo-yeon trembled.

“Could it be… you’re jealous…?”

Jealousy.

Could Michaela’s unusual response be jealousy?

It’s a common cliché.

When the clingy, annoying kid suddenly stops clinging, you start to miss it.

Isn’t it called push and pull in professional insider terms?

Han Seo-yeon had been unilaterally trying to conquer Michaela until now.

But there had been no notable progress as lovers.

In the midst of this, an incident occurred.

An incident that would strengthen her bonds with other women.

Thus, their time alone was invaded, and with more people to care about, attention became scarce.

They haven’t even had lunch just the two of them recently.

In other words, could Michaela’s attitude be something like ‘You said you liked me, but you’re playing around with those hussies?’

‘…No. That might be going too far.’

Han Seo-yeon shook her head.

Reality and novel clichés aren’t the same.

At least this world was reality for Han Seo-yeon.

Clichés are clichés, reality is reality.

Over-immersion was forbidden.

“…”

The gaze was cold.

A chilly gaze fixed on Han Seo-yeon.

An awkward atmosphere flowed.

“I-it’s a joke! Sen…”

“─What would you do if it were true.”

“…ior?”

“If I were jealous.”

It was such an unexpected thing to say.

Something she’d only imagined.

Words she could only hear in her imagination.

“What would you do?”

“─.”

For a moment, she forgot what to say next.

What would she do?

If senior was jealous, she says?

“What would you do?”

“That’s…”

Of course, she should say it.

That the person she loves rationally is only one in the world.

So don’t worry.

There’s no way she’d look at other women.

“Um…”

But such thoughts also come naturally.

What if this makes senior become a bit more possessive?

If senior could love her even a little more, if not as much as Han Seo-yeon herself.

This too was a foolish thought.

Wouldn’t that make senior sad?

One doesn’t want to see the tears of the person they love.

It was truly a difficult question with no easy answer.

No matter how much she pondered and pondered again, no clear answer came.

“─It’s a joke. Don’t take it so seriously.”

The difficult question ended anticlimactically.

There was an error in the premise.

“That’s mean…”

Tears welled up.

“That’s awful…! Playing with a loving girl’s heart…!”

For a moment, she had a happy dream.

A dream still far from realization.

“Have you come to dislike me?”

“N-not particularly, n-no…”

That couldn’t be.

Isn’t the one who falls in love first the loser in love?

So it was foolish to blame.

There were no negative thoughts.

Rather, hadn’t there been some progress in their relationship, to be able to exchange such silly jokes?

“Ah, whatever! I’ll study too!”

Han Seo-yeon sat down next to Michaela and opened her textbook.

She postponed her fantasies for a while.

Right now, she wanted to enjoy studying with her senior.

“I’m going to ask you tons of things I don’t know! Got it?”

Studying together with the person you like is also a common cliché in fiction.

Not just in fiction, but a situation that could happen in reality too.

…Actually, it’s a bit embarrassing to say herself, but Han Seo-yeon was a genius.

Admission to the Academy isn’t achieved solely through strong abilities.

For someone from the slums to proudly enter the Academy, excellent written exam scores are a given.

This was true for the original Han Seoyeon as well.

Being her twin, and even a reincarnator on top of that.

That’s right.

Han Seo-yeon is a genius.

She had already memorized the contents of the textbooks that had been torn to shreds long ago.

If she took the exam now, she’d score in the upper-middle range among third-years.

By the way, she received new textbooks.

Additionally, the guys who messed with the textbooks and those who hit Baek Da-eun from behind were the same people.

Anyway, what’s the conclusion?

Senior was mean.

She trampled on a delicate girl’s heart.

She’ll exact an equal price for that.

“That might be a bit difficult.”

“Why?”

“You’ll see when you look.”

It was a puzzling statement.

That statement became understandable when she saw Michaela’s grade report from her first year.

“…What is this.”

Rain fell.

It was red rain.

“…Senior, no matter how much you don’t want to study with me, this kind of lie is a bit,”

“That’s the reality.”

The letter D.

The lowest level in terms of ability.

That was Michaela’s grade.

“This is really a grade that barely avoided failing…”

“If it weren’t for Professor Seo Han-byeol’s supplementary classes, I might have packed my bags long ago.”

Past life: Demon Lord vanquisher.

Current life: Young head of a European household.

She rarely had time to sit at a desk.

It was a truly cowardly excuse, if cowardly.

“Do you understand a bit now why I can’t get along with you?”

“…Y-yeah.”

It was a disastrous report card.

Even if one’s behavior is that of a model student, grades aren’t necessarily the same.

Humans are dual-natured beings, after all.

In an era where students’ grades are protected as personal information.

As an S-class Awakener, her practical skills must be excellent.

No one would think that a student who came to study abroad from a foreign country would have low written exam scores.

“Senior.”

Han Seo-yeon made a resolution.

“Shall I help you study?”

A golden opportunity to be the top instead of the bottom.

This time will be different from before.

“It’s fine. I’ve even received materials from Professor Seo Han-byeol. I don’t need any more help.”

“Really?”

“…I can’t give you a definite answer. Exam results can’t be predetermined.”

Michaela hesitated.

Her grades were too terrible to readily refuse.

“Didn’t you want to go out and play? I don’t want to take time away from you for my personal and selfish reasons.”

“What’s wrong with that? We’re friends, you and I.”

She couldn’t readily accept because it felt like she was only receiving unilaterally.

It felt like she was taking advantage of a girl’s unrequited love.

“I just want to study with you, senior?”

“Aren’t I just receiving one-sidedly?”

“If you want, think of it as interest on the clothes you bought me before.”

Han Seo-yeon approached without hesitation.

Kindly, cheerfully.

“…I see.”

No matter how you look at it, she was too good for Michaela.

“Then let’s start by going over last year’s exam papers. First question in history! Where is the capital of the 8th Republic of Korea?”

“Pyongyang.”

“…Oh.”

Not long after, Han Seo-yeon’s expression changed to one of shock.

“It’s okay, senior. Not knowing something isn’t shameful!”

“That’s not comforting.”

Han Seo-yeon decided to prepare step by step.

For Michaela’s exam preparation.

And for the next event that would happen during this exam.

The complete victory strategy.

[The Falling Star Swordsman of the Academy] Midterm Exam arc.

It wouldn’t be long before terrorists attack the main Academy building this time.

There is a room with a gloomy atmosphere.

It was a place that could easily be called a barracks for defeated soldiers.

“Director.”

A man with a bear-like build, but also pig-like features.

“What business do you have, Captain Maeng Jeong-hwan?”

“I’ve come with an urgent request.”

Both were far from being nationally recognized military personnel.

They were terrorists wearing military uniforms and using military titles.

“Please! Allow me to avenge my comrade, Lieutenant Choi Min-hyuk!”

For a mere terrorist to beg to avenge another terrorist, it was truly an absurd sight.