Chapter 9: A Villain’s Lucky Break and a Hero’s Public Rejection

Expulsion or forced transfer?

“Is this my lucky break?”

I sat in my chair, knees together like a proper young lady, while hiding my glee.

The girl who dared to wall-slam me might disappear on her own, without me having to lift a finger.

The most dangerous NPC of this cliché-filled world might be gone soon.

‘Would’ve been fun to screw her over myself later, but hey—this is even better.’

I kept my mouth shut and ears open, eyes sparkling as I eavesdropped.

“But didn’t she say some weird stuff in the teacher’s office?”

“Something about ghosts or whatever.”

“Hey, what if the incinerator really is haunted? She always did seem a little off.”

“No way, seriously?”

Once the girls who had been chatting at the mirror left the restroom and I was sure I was alone, I called out quietly:

“Sahin.”

Suddenly, the shadow on top of the toilet partition shimmered—then something black surged upward.

A dark elf with long, glossy hair tied back appeared in full form.

With a sculpted, otherworldly face and pointed ears, he was a striking figure, like a work of dark art.

[What became of them, my liege?]

“It’s handled. Turns out you’ve got talent for this sort of thing.”

[Thank you, Master.]

Sahin dipped his head with a charming smile.

As he moved, black mist shimmered around him, leaving faint traces in the air before vanishing.

“I might have to call on you often for things like this. You better perform well every time. Got that?”

[You needn’t worry.]

That confident voice—it was so Sahin.

Watching him now made me itch to recover the rest of my spirits.

[When will I see the others again?]

Almost like he’d read my thoughts, Sahin asked about the other spirits I’d once commanded in my original world.

“Hard to say. Skills and spirits unlock randomly. I have no idea when I’ll get everyone back.”

I scanned my status window again, filled mostly with grayed-out locks.

***

[Status Window]

Name: Lee Dana

Rank: B+ (Temporarily downgraded due to locked skills; original rank S)

Class: Necromancer

Hierarchy: Rank 0 (based on original rating)

Titles: Possessed One from Another Dimension, Hooded Hero, Villain Who Could Destroy Earth

Skills: Shackles of Darkness, Shadowform, [Locked], [Locked]…

Spirits Owned: Sahin, [Locked], [Locked]…

***

That ridiculous “Villain Who Could Destroy Earth” title—it must’ve changed based on the nicknames I got around here.

So far, I had one unlocked skill from the time I possessed this body, and one more—Shadowform—that I earned during my hellish summer break.

The rest?

Completely locked.

I have a job that’s literally about raising undead monsters, and I can’t even use necromancy yet.

Only one spirit—Sahin—is available, and the rest are sealed.

“There’s no saving this.”

Sighing at my hopeless status window, I waved it away and turned to dismiss Sahin—just as I was about to leave the restroom.

Someone opened the bathroom door without making a sound.

[Quick, go back in—now!]

Flapping both hands in a panic, I sent Sahin retreating into the shadows.

Then, cautiously, I focused on the presence just outside the door—there was a faint but sharp trace of magical energy.

Yeah.

And then, just a few seconds later—

Shhhhhh—

I heard the sound of someone washing their hands at the sink.

‘Yeon Hayeon?’

Who walks into a bathroom quietly?

I thought someone was trying to sneak in like a spy.

Trying to act natural, I flushed and walked out like I’d just finished my business.

I headed toward the sink, pretending nothing was out of the ordinary.

In the mirror, the two of us looked… painfully awkward.

Yeon Hayeon was the kind of person who only showed her quirky and cheerful personality around close friends.

Since she hadn’t opened up yet, she remained a bit stiff with most of our classmates.

Including me.

I kept my expression neutral, acting like I didn’t notice her, and was about to walk out without a word—when—

“Hey.”

Yeon Hayeon, who probably didn’t even remember most of the class’s names, called out to someone.

I froze and glanced around.

Was she… talking to me?

I couldn’t believe it.

Yeon Hayeon had never had a reason to talk to me before.

For a brief moment, I genuinely doubted reality.

Just for a moment.

“Huh? Hayeon, what’s up?”

I turned back with a quick, friendly smile.

‘Did she somehow sense my magic just now?’

No way.

I’d controlled it well enough to stay under the radar.

But maybe—just maybe—she felt that tiny bit of mana when I summoned Sahin and came in to investigate?

I stared at her warily, tension creeping in.

Hayeon tapped her head lightly with her finger and said, “There’s a piece of broken brick stuck in your hair.”

“…Really? Must’ve gotten there earlier. Thanks for telling me!”

Relieved, I thanked her and gave my hair a few light flicks to shake it off.

Then I hurried out of the bathroom.

I could feel her gaze lingering on my back for a few seconds—but just as suddenly, it vanished.

***

After School, Finally

At last, the moment I’d been waiting for all day—dismissal.

“What a brutally exhausting day.”

For some reason, everything today felt three times harder than usual.

As my friends excitedly made plans to hang out in town, I slipped away and made a beeline for the school gates.

“Jibin, I love you!”

“Bada, wave to us—just once!”

Ugh.

I just wanted a quiet trip home…

Behind me, the Four Heavenly Kings were arriving.

The quiet street suddenly exploded with students, like we were at some celebrity’s fan meet.

‘I should probably thank them…’

I did want to thank Janghan and Bada for stepping in earlier to stop the Shin Sena.

But looking at this mess?

Yeah, definitely not the right time.

But it seemed like nothing in this alternate world ever went smoothly.

Through the crowd of students near the school gates, I noticed something strange.

‘Can’t I just have a peaceful walk home for once…?’

Why is everyone suddenly acting like this?!

As I silently screamed inside, I quickly stepped to the side to avoid being in the way.

And just as I did, the crowd parted like the Red Sea, and someone began walking through the middle.

It was a cute, small girl… though she wasn’t alone.

She was carrying someone.

It was a boy with the kind of bad-boy, heroic visual you’d expect from a male lead in one of those alternate world stories.

Behind him were three other boys, each with looks that were just as good-looking as the one carrying the girl.

Wait, why three?

Why not four?

With the one at the front, that would make a total of four people, and for some reason, that number unsettled me.

I quickly scanned the area around them, looking for anyone with a face more impressive than theirs.

But nope—no one else stood out quite like those guys.

‘Ah, no…’

An ominous future unfolded in my mind.

With both hands on my head, I anxiously waited to see what would come out of their mouths next.

Then it came.

“You, be mine!”

“Pfft-”

Laughter rang out from somewhere, and then, only from one place, a loud laugh echoed.

“You, be mine! Mine!”

With that, Han Jibin, ever the troublemaker, swung himself around on the boy’s arm, repeating the now infamous line with exaggerated flair.

“Gotta go meet my girlfriend.”

Yeon Hayeon casually tossed the line over her shoulder as she passed them, landing the perfect punch.

“What’s your deal?”

The boy, Ban Eunhyeol, blushed with a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

He snapped irritably, but the girl, still on the boy’s back, just shrugged it off and said:

“Don’t know me? The Princess of Gonju, Han Gureum.”

“Huh? A princess?”

“Wait, hold on! That’s Han Gureum, the princess from Gonju, right? The one all the powerful figures are supporting?”

“Wow, what kind of life does it take to get treated like royalty by people like that?”

Was that for real?

“So… are you here to confess or what?”

“Aww, are you mad? Sorry. He’s always carrying me around.”

Finally, the girl slid off the boy’s back and leaned against him, almost instinctively.

Wait, did they just casually confess to each other like that?

At this point, it kind of felt like they were already dating.

Ban Eunhyeol, clearly irritated by something else, lowered his head, took a deep breath, and with a voice as cold as ice, said:

“Not interested. Go away.”

As he tried to walk past them, the “princess” hurried to block his way.

“Wait, wait! You’re telling me you’re not interested?!”

The tension was palpable as Ban Eunhyeol growled under his breath, ready for something to snap.

One of the three good-looking boys stepped forward, clearly full of bravado.

He made a menacing step, as though to confront someone.

One step.

But no further movement came.

No one stopped him, but he just stood there, fuming silently, clearly upset.

Seeing this absurd situation unfold, Eunbada took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead.

It was clear he couldn’t bear to watch this any longer with his glasses on.

Jiganhan, with a blank expression, observed the situation a little longer.

Then, as if he lost interest, he pulled out his phone from his pocket.

Han Jibin, on the other hand, took out a bag of mixed popcorn from her bag and began munching away.

It was, without a doubt, a perfect spectacle to watch.

“Yeah. Not interested. So move aside.”

The suppressed voice, with its barely-contained fury, caused the boy carrying the princess to flinch.

But the princess wasn’t deterred by the cold response.

“Can’t you see? Why are you not interested? Am I not pretty?”

Turning her head sharply, the princess asked the four boys behind her, who all flushed and awkwardly turned their gazes away.

Fueled by their reactions, the princess confidently marched toward Ban Eunhyeol, but instead of walking up to him, she jumped into the arms of the boy carrying her.

“Shouldn’t you at least be in the number one spot to date me?”

At her question, the four boys supporting her all looked displeased, either turning away or reluctantly nodding their heads.

As the tension thickened in the air, I prepared to step away quietly towards the back gate, but just then, someone called out.

“Hey! You’re the one who got caught in the dungeon with us last time, right?!”

There weren’t many people in this world who would greet me as “noona” (older sister), but this one was from my old world as well.

‘Well, there weren’t any in my original world either.’

As they crossed the field and waved enthusiastically at me, I recognized them.

It was the annoying couple who’d been caught up in the dungeon with Ban Eunhyeol.

“Ah…”

“We made it out because of you and Eunhyeol, noona! We really owe you one!”

“Yeah! If it weren’t for you guys, we’d probably be dead by now.”

Who’s dating here?

I was about to correct them when I suddenly felt an intense presence from behind.

“Dating with Eunhyeol?”

It was the princess again.

With eyes practically shooting fire, she stepped away from the boy who had been holding her and began walking directly toward me.

‘Oh, damn it.’

Ban Eunhyeol’s expression as he looked at me was absolutely priceless.

‘If he hates it so much, why doesn’t he just deny it already?!’

In situations like this, there was no way my words would be taken seriously, but I still held onto a slim hope and tried to deny it.

Of course, it was immediately ignored.

“So, you’re the one who got caught in a sudden gate with Eunhyeol?”

The princess’s voice was filled with coldness.

“A, no…”

I started to backpedal quickly, looking for a way out.

At that moment, I noticed a group of kids skiving off in a corner near the school gate.

“I don’t like Ban Eunhyeol…!”

With those words, I dashed toward the gap, hoping to escape.

‘This is it! My life is definitely over!’

As I ran, dodging the group of four boys following me, I couldn’t help but scream inside.