Chapter 11: I Became the Last Place in the Academy

About 40 percent remained.

The village I had to check.

If I had watched the manga, I could have found the place that most closely matched the scenery, but since that wasn't the case, it seemed to have taken quite a while.

Still, I was fortunate that Yun Hamin helped me.

Thanks to him, I was able to pick up the pace to some extent.

If Yun Hamin hadn't helped me, the village search would have been a bit flawed, and I wouldn't have been able to complete this much.

I was glad that I had passed the halfway point and looked forward to the next, but regardless, today was not a good day for me.

I was happy that Yun Hamin helped me on Monday and Tuesday, but today was Wednesday.

It was the day of the weekly exam.

I looked in the mirror. On Wednesdays, I felt terrible, and I couldn't help but have a dark expression.

Ivory-colored hair that gave off a gentle impression.

Purple eyes stared back at me in the mirror.

"...Fighting. Just one rank higher is enough..."

I muttered to myself like that.

Realizing that I was the only one who could change myself, the only one who could change my surroundings, I straightened my blazer and went outside.

Korean, Math, History.

The written exams seemed pretty decent.

Just because I'm Korean doesn't mean I'll get everything right in Korean, so I missed a few, and I also made a mistake in math, but it was still within the expected range.

I was a little worried about history, but thanks to studying hard this time, I was able to answer to some extent.

I was able to easily write down things I remembered from the novel, so I wondered if I could look forward to my grades this time.

The problem was the practical exam.

I had to destroy a scarecrow with magic, but the scarecrow seemed to be laughing at me.

As if to say, could someone like you destroy me? Could you even make a scratch on me?

With many people watching from behind, I was the only one left again today.

"......"

The way to use Abilities is actually simple.

It's just a matter of drawing in mana and releasing it as is. In other words, the mana that passes through an Ability user is converted into that Ability user's Ability.

For Kanna, it wasn't easy.

Whether it was because she could only release a small amount of mana at a time, or because she couldn't accept it properly, she couldn't properly manifest her Abilities.

I gritted my teeth.

The electricity that stretched out from my hand, crackling, was so resentful.

"Ugh, ick...!"

Everyone else was making cracks in the scarecrows, even half or completely destroying them, but why couldn't I do anything?

Why couldn't this electricity even reach the scarecrow?

"Ugh, ah!"

With everyone watching, I thought I heard someone snickering.

Was that why? I became more desperate. I felt a surge of defiance.

Crackle, crackle.

I felt the current flowing through my hand become a little stronger.

Maybe, just maybe, it would reach.

But what came before that was a blurry vision.

The scarecrow suddenly appeared to be splitting into two, three.

Unless the scarecrow had the Ability to make clones, I must be seeing things, but why?

Why...?

This power hasn't even reached that far yet, so why.

My body staggered. I felt a tickling sensation on my philtrum, and when I tried to roughly scratch it with my left hand, a wet liquid soaked my hand.

"...Nosebleed?"

As I muttered, I heard my homeroom teacher's voice.

"Kanna! Your mana is depleted!! Stop using your Abilities!"

At the same time, my vision dropped downwards.

I collapsed powerlessly, and only then was I able to meet the gazes of those watching from behind.

I realized once again that the gazes directed at me were always of this kind.

The meritocratic academy was harsh and brutal, unlike the schools I knew.

What were they thinking as they watched me, who couldn't even touch the scarecrow with my Abilities and collapsed with depleted mana?

That one is already hopeless. She probably won't even be a proper hero.

In that case, is there any point in getting close to her?

Thinking that, they would distance themselves from me as before.

They would laugh at me for not being able to inflict even a single wound on the scarecrow, even though I had poured out all my mana.

They might even talk about me behind my back.

I was defiant because I didn't want that, but it only made me more miserable.

I narrowed my brow. And closed my eyes.

***

"...Ugh."

I groaned and raised my body.

My mind was still foggy, but thankfully, I didn't feel as faint as before.

"You're awake."

And Orca was sitting in a chair next to the bed.

Her face, with a slightly cold expression, showed no pity or compassion towards me.

Even that soft smile that cheered me on was gone.

Beautifully flowing golden hair, sharp blue eyes turned to me.

I flinched and answered, intimidated.

"...Yes."

More than that, I wondered why Orca was here and looked around.

And the answer came surprisingly easily.

"I asked the school nurse to leave at my request. Everyone is taking exams, so no one else will come here, so she said it was okay and left."

"Ah, I see... But why?"

I asked nervously, wondering if there was something we needed to talk about alone, and Orca glared at me.

She looked like she was about to kill someone.

"I won't beat around the bush. I want you to stay away from Yun Hamin."

Orca said that.

There was no need to ask why.

"The practical exam ended while Kanna was lying here with depleted mana. The physical fitness test and the rescue test also ended. But do you know what? Yun Hamin didn't write much on the written exam."

"...Ah."

"I know that Yun Hamin has been paying attention to Kanna lately, but anything more than this will not bring good results to either Kanna or Yun Hamin."

I understood immediately when I heard those words.

Orca Ramiris was angry.

"Thank you. Thanks to you, I'm the top student this week. But I didn't want it to be like this. Kanna, it's good that you're working hard, but I hope you don't try to ruin someone with it."

I felt my lips trembling.

I thought I had enough courage to be hated.

But seeing her trying to push me away while thinking of Yun Hamin, I couldn't muster that courage at all.

It was impossible for me to say, "What does it matter to you?"

How could I push away someone who was giving me tough love while thinking of someone else?

I just lowered my head and answered quietly.

"...I'm sorry."

Orca wanted to beat Yun Hamin at his best.

But it was none other than me who ruined that and dragged Yun Hamin down to second place.

That not only upset Orca, but it was also a problem that could provoke resentment from some of the teachers who wanted him to be the top student, or from other classmates who looked up to him as an idol.

Orca knew that I was the cause and was saying this to me, but if other teachers or students knew, I was afraid they would say, "Why is the last place student blocking the top student's position?"

Could my situation get any worse?

"...I'll be careful."

"Please."

Orca said that and then moved away.

This is the society of heroes.

Because it's about saving people, about protecting this city, there should be no compromise in skill.

In the midst of all that, I had dragged down the figure of the top student, who seemed to be the only one.

I couldn't find that confident figure who said she would walk her own path even if she was hated.

I didn't want to be hated any more than this, I didn't want to be thrown into an even worse situation, so I shut my mouth.

It was just a problem caused by mana depletion, so there was nothing wrong with my body except for the traces of rolling on the floor.

I dusted myself off, quietly got out of bed, and left the infirmary.

The hallway was a little quiet.

It seemed that everyone had gone home early because it was exam day.

Should I grab my bag and go home?

As I was thinking that and heading to the classroom, I saw Yun Hamin and Orca remaining in the classroom.

"Yun Hamin, you heard that from the teacher, and yet...!"

"Ha, but."

"It's not 'but.' What you did before...! Ah."

Damn it, perfect timing.

"It's okay. I was just going to get my bag. Talk to each other."

I said that, grabbed my bag from my seat, and headed straight for the door.

And Yun Hamin was there, blocking me.

"Kanna, today..."

"I'll go alone."

I said that, smiled bitterly, and immediately turned around.

Whenever I saw Yun Hamin, I felt a strange feeling.

I must have felt that way when I was reading the novel, which is why I kept reading it.

He was so bright and dazzling that everyone called him a hero, a truly amazing person.

Many people already fought with the title of hero, but he was an unfading existence, as if they were all fake and only one person was real.

I was just an extra who would pass by in the story, but he didn't care about his grades and helped me just because I asked for help, and it was so dazzling.

I felt my heart warm for a moment.

I wanted to lean on him.

But I knew I would lose too much if I did, so I had to take a step back.

I was alone again.

"Ah, Kanna."

The homeroom teacher must have had something to do in the classroom, because she ran into me on the way back and spoke to me.

No, seeing Yun Hamin and Orca still there, did he have something to do with them?

They had taken turns being the top student and the runner-up in the two exams so far, so it was possible.

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

"Ah, yes. I'm fine."

"Be careful next time. If you draw in too much mana, your body won't be able to handle it."

"I understand. Thank you."

"Then go home safely."

The teacher said that and went back into the classroom where I had just come out, as if she was going back to his business.

I could hear her talking to Yun Hamin and Orca, but it had nothing to do with me.

Too much had already gone wrong.

Due to Kanna Aurora, that is, my intervention, many things had gone wrong from the beginning, and the story was flowing in a strange direction.

Yun Hamin missed the top spot and cooperated with me, and Orca advised me to distance myself from him.

Orca must have been very upset, but the reason she didn't say anything more was probably because she was kind.

When I thought of her thinking of Yun Hamin, I felt that not just anyone could be a heroine.

When I saw Yun Hamin, who had believed in me without any evidence so far, I thought that not just anyone could be the main character.

Of course.

“They look good together.”

I felt like I was reading a novel again.

That exciting feeling of facing a story directly.

It wasn't the time to laugh, but if I didn't laugh even like this, I felt like I would forget how to laugh, so I tried to smile a little.

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