Chapter 9: School Life is Sick! (4)

“Ahhhhhhh!”

“Goodness…! Calm down!”

“What?”

What stood before me was not the grotesque, horrifying monster of an illusion, but… Leona? The renowned top student, Leona?

What?

Is this part of the illusion too?

There’s a famous saying about raising someone’s hopes only to dash them. You deliberately give them something good, make them feel good, and then suddenly give them something horrible to plunge their mood into despair.

It’s a typical tactic used when you want to torment someone maliciously.

If this is a continuation of the illusion, then Instructor Kavar is a certified, true-blue scoundrel. A psychopath who’s earned the ire of heaven and earth.

But it feels so real?

“…”

This vivid beauty.

Leona, who I was seeing right before my eyes, was incredibly beautiful. Her silver hair was a work of art. Her beauty was such that the word “beautiful” spontaneously came to mind. Her sharp gaze only added to her attractiveness. She would fit right in if she were described as a princess somewhere.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

She furrowed her brow and spoke, snapping me out of my daze. But where am I? At least, I know this is reality.

“W-Where is this?”

“The infirmary.”

“What? The infirmary?”

“Kim Geun-chul? You fainted.”

Fainted?

“I fainted?”

“You fainted quite dramatically.”

“What do you mean…”

“You suddenly let out a scream like thunder had struck, then dropped to the ground begging for your life. It was so absurd that I watched as you kept doing that and then you fainted again.”

“…”

“Goodness, it’s unbelievable. Why are men so cowardly? It’s really funny. It wasn’t even that scary.”

Her voice was melodic, but there was a bite to it. It was clear Leona was making fun of me.

I feel like I’m being scolded… No. No matter what, I won’t let my pride be trampled by a girl who is not just my peer, but is younger than me in actual age.

“Um, Miss Leona.”

“What?”

“You might be seeing a different illusion than me, but what I saw was truly transcendentally terrifying and disgusting and the worst…”

“You mean the monster with a long neck and a hole in its gut? No eyes. Coming closer. Splitting its own belly and showing its guts.”

Uh.

That’s correct.

“I was startled too, but I don’t think it’s something to scream over. It was disgusting, yes, but if you’re a hero cadet, shouldn’t you be able to laugh it off?”

“But that’s not the point.”

“And before it started, you were the one provoking everyone saying it’s lame if you get scared knowing it’s just an illusion…”

No! Don’t dig up my embarrassing past!

Back then, I truly thought if it was an illusion, it would be a piece of cake! Fine! Kim Geun-chul, the man, concedes! Even if you know it’s an illusion, scary things are still scary! I’ve learned a valuable lesson! I will live my life with this lesson in my heart, so please don’t dissect it any further!

“Anyway, like yesterday-“

If things continue like this, I’ll keep getting roasted!

“Okay, okay! Ah, maybe it’s because I’m such a scaredy-cat!”

Frankly, I’m so embarrassed and surprised that I can’t even argue.

My image switch was a colossal failure.

Gosh, I plummeted from a jerk to a freaking coward!

“Frankly, the only thought I had was that I had to survive because I was so scared. No. But, upon reflection, isn’t it you, Leona, who is more peculiar?”

From my perspective, I’m the normal one and she seems abnormal… No. She’s definitely abnormal. Leona not only remained unfazed upon seeing that phantom beast, but she even engaged it in combat.

“What are you talking about?”

“How can you stay calm after seeing that? It’s unbelievable.”

Since she’s from a distinguished family, she must have received combat training. It’s no wonder she’s calm; we’re on completely different levels. I’m just an ordinary person.

“Don’t you watch horror movies, Kim Geun-chul?”

“They’re too scary for me. If I watch even one, I’ll spend the entire night under the covers, shaking. If I’m outside, I can’t even return home, seriously. It’s terrifying when it gets dark.”

Whether it’s stairs or elevators, they all become terrifying. If I watch a horror movie, I feel eerie for about a week whenever I shower at home.

The aftereffects tend to last quite a while.

“Pfft!”

“Are you laughing?”

“No, no. You’re just saying some absurd things… “

I should steer the conversation elsewhere.

“Anyway. But why are you here?”

“I thought it was about time you woke up.”

So, why are you here?

When I asked with my eyes, Leona resumed talking.

“Starting from today, I’m the class president.”

“What? Class president?”

“So, it’s my responsibility to look after those who are falling behind. Keep that in mind.”

Wait a minute.

“Class president? Was it decided by strength? When was this decided?”

“Look at the time.”

“Hmm?”

I immediately pulled out my phone and checked the time.

“Oh.”

This time…

“It’s already 5 o’clock.”

Classes definitely started at 8:30.

“We’ve already finished all our classes and even received feedback. Then, Instructor Lee Sora came in next period, we elected the class president by voting, and had a quick theory lesson.

Then, we had lunch and even finished the afternoon classes.”

Don’t these jerks know democracy? What’s the point of electing a class president without me? I wanted to exercise my precious vote.

But since I skipped the day’s duties, I don’t mind.

Thank you, Instructor Kawar.

“Meanwhile, you, Kim Geun-chul, were passed out. The classes are over, so I thought it was about time you woke up.”

So it turns out she visited me to take care of me as the class president. Have I ever seen someone so considerate? She must be as kind-hearted as she is beautiful.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Now, here is a letter that Instructor Kawar wrote. Actually, this is the main reason why I came.”

“A letter?”

Leona immediately handed me the letter.

Let’s see what it says.

“To Kim Geun-chul.”

“From Instructor Kavar.”

-Kim Geun-chul, you must have been quite surprised! Who would have thought you’d faint? But don’t worry too much! There’s always at least one student who faints every three years! There’s no need to be embarrassed or feel burdened since anyone can faint!

If it’s one in three years, that’s a damn exceptional case…! A wave of embarrassment washes over me as I was reading. Feeling my face heat up, I continue reading the letter.

-Now onto the assessment.

-Firstly, zero points!

-The monsters can launch more deadly and serious illusions while attacking! To counter attacks that simultaneously obstruct your sight and cause chaos, you need to detect the illusions quicker than anyone else!

-Kim Geun-chul, you need to build up your courage, right? If you panic, you will never be able to cope! If this was a real situation, you would have been useless and ended up dead, you know?

-So don’t blame it on the intense illusion! It’s a part of the standard curriculum! Consider this a taste of the monsters’ illusion attacks, and let’s look forward to how Kim Geun-chul develops from here!

Looking at it, well.

“Hmm.”

The assessment was accurate and to the point. If a monster were to attack me like that… I would be utterly helpless and likely to die.

I definitely need to build up my courage.

But this isn’t hinting at some special training, right?

-P.S. No student has ever received a kiss!

That’s unnecessary.

-P.S.2 Depending on your future grades, you may need after-school supplementary classes!

No way…!

“Whew!”

Alright, I get it. From now on, this kind of class is going to be a daily routine. To keep up with such classes, building courage alone won’t be enough.

I’ll need to build up my strength too.

In other words, I need training.

“Oh, and.”

“Huh?”

As I’m thinking and reading the letter, Leona stands up from her seat and speaks.

“Now that I’m the class leader, I’ll make sure to take all the students with me as much as I can. Please do your best from now on, Kim Geun-chul.”

“I mean, I’ll try my best… But you’re planning on dragging me along?”

“Don’t you think you’re lagging behind a bit?”

Leona, who has stood up, looks down at me with a confident and haughty expression as she speaks.

“Well, yeah.”

“Then of course, as a class leader, I need to pull you along. Isn’t that what leadership is?”

Truly a Western mindset.

But I should be thankful for someone willing to help.

“Alright. Thanks. If I have any questions, I’ll come and ask. I don’t plan on doing this forever, though. But hey, I feel like you’re misunderstanding me. I’m not some weird kid. I was just a little nervous.”

“Hmm.”

Leona chuckles a little, seemingly pleased with what I said.

“Introducing myself again feels a bit embarrassing, but my name is Leona Canus. My father is a member of the Dominators. Goodbye.”

Leona, turning her back, exited the infirmary.

“Why’s she so kind?”

When she was about to confront the Warp Spider, I pegged her as a raving battle-hungry lunatic. But she turned out to be a girl with a surprisingly gentle heart.

That’s rather touching.

“Ugh.”

I, too, rose from my seat.

Regardless, I blacked out on what should’ve been a proper first day of classes. If I can’t catch up because of this, it’ll be troublesome. But I’m at ease knowing there’s someone who’s promised to help. I’ve at least acquainted myself with Lee Si-hu. And Leona, as the class president, promised to help me.

“But, school’s already over.”

Now, do I just return to the dormitory?

—Growl.

“Ah, I’m bloody hungry.”

With all the screaming and starvation, it’s no wonder my stomach is churning. Great. I should explore the school a bit, especially to locate the cafeteria.

Do I even have money?

If not, I might be in hot water with the cafeteria lady.

So there I was, prowling around the school grounds like a wild dog in search of the cafeteria.

—Ting.

A familiar notification tone rang out, and a blue window popped up before my eyes.

“What, what?!”

Open Store?!

Is this possibly a store where I can use the coins I’ve accumulated?! Damn, that’s a major jackpot, you b*stards! Yes! Finally, I’ve got something like this!

If I can use the store, then hallucinations or whatever be damned!

This is exactly what I was hoping for!

“It’s like a bear stumbling upon honey!!!!!!!!”

—Aaaaargh!!!!!!

—