The Academy's Terminally Ill Side Character

"I will tend your fields, cook your meals, defend your pantry from the ungrateful and the picky. Say the word, and the bounty of the land will be yours!" Ban declared, slamming the cucumber into the ground like a knight's sword.

The cucumber snapped in half.

The moment was… less dramatic after that.

"…You're insane," Rin muttered, glancing toward the professors, who were now slowly approaching to contain Ban.

But Ban wasn't finished. He stood, pointing dramatically at Rin. "You may reject me now, but fate will bring us together again! When that day comes, you'll understand—the bond between man and vegetable is eternal!"

Two professors were about to grab Ban by the arms. But he vanished before they could even touch him.

He stood in front of the the gate of the arena ground, that leads to main entrance of the Velcrest Academy and shouted over his shoulders.

"Eat your greens, Rin Evans! Eat your greens or the soil will weep!"

After that, he glanced over the professors, including Lena and Ray, who stood their awkwardly looking at him.

"Ah, the damages to the facilities will be deposited soon under the name of True Green Earth Produce!"

And then he was gone, leaving behind a battlefield covered in carrot craters, lettuce confetti, and okra slime.

Leona just stared at Rin, still trying to process what she'd just witnessed. "…You attract weird people, don't you?"

Rin sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Don't remind me."

But deep down, he had the distinct and unsettling feeling that Ban Frok wasn't gone for good.

He'd be back.

With more vegetables.

.... After all, Rin was planning to recruit him as his ally.

But the most important news for now is that...There were no casualties, but it was an incident that caused the barely recovered reputation of Velcrest Academy to plummet once again.

And just like that Vegitables Vigilante was gone...and one hour passed.

And ranking matches were postponed by a day due to sudden interference of Ban Frok.

----

One hour later, the arena grounds still looked like the aftermath of a bizarre agricultural apocalypse.

Cadets were sweeping up carrot fragments, scrubbing cucumber juice from the tiles, and pulling rogue radishes out of the spectator seats.

A few unlucky souls had been assigned to peel the okra slime off the holy sword's handle, an ordeal that made them question their career choices entirely.

Rin sat on the bleachers, elbows resting on his knees, watching the cleanup with the same blank expression one might wear while witnessing a slow-motion train crash.

Leona plopped down beside him, holding a paper cup of water. "You're awfully calm for someone who just got publicly chosen as the… chosen one of vegetables."

"I'm still processing," Rin replied flatly.

"Oh? Processing what? That you've apparently never wasted food in a month, and that's some kind of… mystical farmer qualification?"

He shot her a sidelong glance. "…I eat what's on my plate. Is that a crime?"

Leona smirked. "Apparently it's a superpower."

Across the field, the professors were having an animated discussion, with Lena rubbing her temples like she'd just aged ten years.

Ray stood beside her, arms crossed, his gaze scanning the arena as if Ban might pop out of the ground again at any second like some kind of vegetable-based wack-a-mole.

"Looks like they're already trying to figure out damage control," Leona said, nodding toward them.

Rin didn't respond. His mind was elsewhere—specifically, on Ban's last words.

Eat your greens, Rin Evans! Eat your greens or the soil will weep!

He wasn't sure what was worse—that Ban had somehow bypassed security system, or that Rin had a feeling the man would somehow actually make good on his threats of "fate" and "eternal vegetable bonds."

A sudden voice broke his thoughts. "Rin."

He looked up to see Lena standing before him, clipboard in hand, her usual professional calm replaced by the dead-eyed exhaustion of someone who'd been handed one too many absurdities in a single week.

"The ranking match between you and professors will take place tomorrow," she said. "We expect you to be prepared, without… outside interference."

Rin opened his mouth, but Lena cut him off. "And if you so much as see Ban Frok before then, you will inform staff immediately. Understood?"

"…Yes, ma'am."

Lena turned to leave, but paused, glancing over her shoulder. "Oh, and Rin—if he does approach you again… ask him to at least throw potatoes next time. They're easier to clean up."

With that, she walked off.

Leona snorted. "She's not wrong."

Rin leaned back, staring at the academy's clock tower. Tomorrow was going to be the real fight. But for some reason… the image of a grinning Ban Frok, holding a cucumber like a sword, kept floating back into his mind.

Somehow, he suspected the vegetable vigilante's "return" wasn't a matter of if.

It was a matter of when.

And next time… he might actually let him join.

No, Rin will because he needs subordinates in his villain arc.

"Really, what a strange day indeed."

Rin couldn't help but mutter under his breath as he got up from the bleachers.

Leona arched a brow. "Talking to yourself already? That's step one toward turning into him, you know."

"I'll take my chances," Rin replied, brushing off his uniform. "Besides… tomorrow's the ranking match. I don't have time to worry about rogue salad enthusiasts."

Leona gave him a flat look. "You say that now, but you're definitely the type to attract them like moths to a lantern. Or… lettuce to a rabbit."

"Wow. Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Anytime."

They started toward the dorms, weaving past the cadets still cleaning up the vegetable massacre.

One unfortunate first-year was dragging a head of cabbage out of a ventilation duct, muttering curses under his breath. Another was scraping tomato seeds off the arena wall with all the enthusiasm of someone chiseling barnacles.

As they walked, Rin's thoughts kept drifting—not to the fight tomorrow, but to Ban's parting grin. That kind of madness didn't just vanish into thin air. It had a way of creeping back in when you least expected it.

When they reached the dormitory gates, a faint rustling came from a nearby bush.

Rin froze.

Leona noticed. "What is it?"

"…Nothing," Rin said quickly, but his eyes stayed on the bush.

The rustling stopped.

And then… a single carrot rolled out onto the path.

No one was there. No footsteps, no presence—just the carrot.

Leona crouched down and picked it up, frowning. "…Do I even want to know?"

Rin didn't answer. He just stared at the vegetable in her hand, a small, uneasy smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Oh no," Leona muttered. "You're smiling. That's never good."

"I'm just thinking," Rin said, turning toward the dorm.

Leona groaned. "and what are you thinking?"

Rin didn't respond to her, just continue to walk.

He has lot's in his mind.

Tomorrow's match was important. But beyond that, he had a new goal.

Ban Frok wasn't going to be just a passing nuisance. He was going to be recruited.

And then… Velcrest Academy wouldn't just have to deal with a villain in the making.

They'd have to deal with a villain and his vegetable army.