NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3
It’s dangerous.
It’s dangerous, dangerous, dangerous. I just talked to a normal girl for the first time. Was there anything weird? Did I have bad breath? What if I looked like an awkward loser?
“…Hah.”
Taking a deep breath, my thoughts started coming back, albeit slightly bleached. By the way, I must have had a normal conversation just now, right?
I had only spoken to girls of higher or lower standing than myself, never to someone my own age. Anyway, it was surprising and refreshing that a sudden call to apologize was even a thing. I thought I’d have to rattle off some message from Lady So-and-So or something.
Perhaps it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Seeing someone come to apologize so politely made me feel that my image wasn’t completely shattered.
I started to think that maybe I could have a smooth, unnoticeable academy life like my high school days.
By the way, was her name Iris? She was a cute girl. More than anything, I was really envious of her purple hair. Every morning, as I groomed myself, the few white hairs mixed in with my black hair stood out too much for my liking.
I felt bad for my parents, but if my hair was purely black like Dad’s, I wouldn’t stand out so much. Although with my tail and animal ears, I would still draw attention, but people generally want to hide themselves a little more.
At least I do. When my mother brought home colorful clothes in my past life, I wore them once or twice before returning to just black t-shirts.
By the way, did I panic earlier and rush off to an unfamiliar place? When I checked the time, there was still over 30 minutes left until lunchtime. Although it was buffet-style, I felt a little regret about wanting to eat more, but I couldn’t remember any food with a taste so intense it hit my nose.
Next time, I promised to take more time to fill my plate with menus suited to my taste. Looking around, I realized it was oddly bustling.
…Where’s the cafeteria? It’s suffocating here.
Even if I wanted to ask someone nearby, approaching them felt like a dead end. As soon as I showed myself, people seemed to part like the Red Sea, and I didn’t have the guts to grab someone avoiding me and ask.
I’m in a pickle. I had thought of asking the teacher for an academy guide after class, but just then, I spotted someone. She had a similar but distinctly different white hair and sapphire-clear blue eyes. And above all, the two characters that stuck out on the official profile—Anastasia.
A radiant outsider among the academy students known for their hidden agendas and emotional facades. The Northern Grand Duchess Anastasia. She had six years of real combat experience fighting the Northern barbarians since she was thirteen before coming to the academy… although I didn’t really know about that.
Her initially awkward demeanor seemed to match the character who was subtly ignored, making her more relatable than the protagonist. Perhaps because she preferred monsters over people and weapons over fans, it was amusing to see her awkwardly throw straightforward comments.
I wondered if she hadn’t heard about me or if she was just indifferent. Either way, that attitude eased my mind. She’d probably share what I needed without any burden.
Still, since someone I recognized had appeared, my tail couldn’t help but perk up.
“…Who are you?”
It wasn’t what I imagined, but her very own awkward voice brought a smile to my face.
“I’m Baekhoyeon. Nice to meet you.”
“…Ah, yes. I’m Anastasia.”
“…”
“…”
Silence. I held the intent to ask her something, but I hadn’t come up with any words to say. What should I say to ease the awkwardness?
“…Do you know where the cafeteria is?”
“…The cafeteria?”
I nodded. Though she still appeared cautious, I could sense a willingness to answer. By the way, she was really pretty. I had only seen it described as pretty in text, but in reality, all I could manage was a compliment about her beauty.
But ultimately, even she falls victim to the charming protagonist. I don’t know what time it is, but having read the side story from Volume 19 once, I know I’m aware of the details, even if they don’t come to mind. It’s been enough years now that I’ve forgotten the information of the novel, which has become a world of its own.
Thinking about it made me feel salty. Some people are gone, but that guy can still toy around? I shook off the bad mood while looking at her face.
Just a bit, I took a bit of pleasure in possibly meddling with the unfolding plot.
“Just turn left from the dorm over there and you’ll see the student council building. It’s on the first floor.”
“Thanks.”
As much as I wanted to chat a bit more, since she had no reason to know me, I felt it’d be rude to hold her back further. After lightly bowing my head in greeting, I headed straight for the cafeteria where the bread awaited.
By the way, it seemed like she was heading that way too. After I asked, her direction changed for some reason. No way she wouldn’t want to go in the same direction. That would hurt. I tried to shake off the ominous thought as I arrived at the student council building.
True to its name as the Amauros Academy building, it was both grand and beautiful. If we were scoring solely for splendor, it’d be a perfect 150 out of 100. The sheer size could probably be compared to a small palace.
I briefly wondered if it needed to be this big, but I accepted it. It’s a place where the children of noble families who value grandeur go, so isn’t this about right?
Thinking back, my mother and father were rather humble. Even as they held the emperor’s position, they avoided unnecessary luxuries to the point that my father despised them, and given my mother’s distance from the mundane world, I wasn’t accustomed to such opulence either.
Staring like a country bumpkin at such a splendid view, I still didn’t have trouble finding the cafeteria. I had literally hung a sign saying “Cafeteria,” so it was easy to spot.
A loaf of bread shouldn’t cost a gold coin. Hiding my nervousness, I entered the store. Luckily, it wasn’t that expensive. Of course, the moment I walked in, the surrounding air froze, so I couldn’t just leisurely pick things out.
For some reason, being here made me feel like I was disturbing the peace of people trying to relax. Knowing how valuable some personal time can be, I felt even more guilty for being there.
Scanning the display shelves, I didn’t find anything particularly special. The appearance was different from what I knew, but the scent was just like the breads I remembered. I grabbed a few along with some milk, and the total didn’t even add up to one gold coin.
Rich people don’t gouge you on prices, huh. Having resolved that minor question, I stepped outside the shop, only to feel something strange in the air. I’d never felt this in my past life, but a few times in this one.
Something was following me.
Thinking momentarily about who it was, I soon lost the gaze, but that lingering sensation wouldn’t go away. Was it the lingering grasp of the murky noble society? But even saying that, I didn’t feel any real malice.
Maybe because of the beast blood, I felt things I couldn’t have in my past life while living as Baekhoyeon. The movements of insects, the intentions hidden in distant gazes, the emotions intertwined in breaths, etc.
Of course, it wasn’t solely a good thing. When I had nothing to do, I expanded my senses and found joy even in peaceful nature, but my personality combined with heightened sensitivity had created a negative synergy that would lead to panic whenever I was in a crowded place.
But that was that. Since the gaze directed at me had disappeared at some point and didn’t contain any hostility, I shoved it aside.
I figured there was no need to figure out who it was, and since the kids who had eaten were gradually heading to the cafeteria, I hastily moved on.
I was starting to feel suffocated again.
—
Camilla and her gang had practically stolen Exipri from me, and I was scolded about holding onto Exipri’s hand, but I managed to escape while fitting in with their mood.
At first, I was merely meant to demonstrate how rude nobles could be, so I wasn’t very popular, but still, she played a significant role in overcoming the crisis in the first part, so I had no reason to be dismissive.
Now, let’s see, I had made acquaintance with Exipri and Camilla, so next up was Anastasia. She was a heroine popular enough to maintain a solid fan base in the latter half.
She’s a fighting heroine and a cool dere type. However, does she really think holding hands leads to babies? How could such a character be alive and breathing right before my eyes? I couldn’t resist.
Her heroine event took place at the cafeteria. The protagonist helped her out when she forgot her wallet and couldn’t pay, marking their first encounter. Since they were in adjacent classes, they often met, and around Chapter 100, they probably had a love scene.
The contrast during those early days was astounding. The author must have had formal training. Of course, the plot got derailed, but didn’t someone say that ruining a story in the final chapter is a mark of a masterpiece? Because of that, I wrote over 5,700 forbidden words, but I’m grateful to be here instead.
Given the time I spent being hounded by Camilla’s group, I knew I didn’t have time to eat, so I was heading directly to the cafeteria while imagining what her voice would really sound like.
As I moved, I felt an unusual atmosphere brewing, so I thought back if such a moment had ever occurred in the original story, but nothing came to mind.
Now that it was reality instead of fiction, I half-wondered what happened, but when I approached, I found Baekhoyeon and Anastasia facing each other.
…Why?