Ch. 38 - This isn't right, no?

Jung Ha-Yeon's reaction was so cute that I couldn't help but tease her a little. Seeing Jung Ha-Yeon in real life after only knowing her from the manga was a surreal experience.I guess it wasn't all bad that I came to the academy.

"By the way, Ms. Ha-Yeon, if you ever meet someone you think you like, you can let me know."

"...What?"

"I'm tight-lipped, so I'll keep your secret."

I stopped teasing and revealed that I was just joking. I was relieved when I had already figured out that Jung Ha-Yeon liked Shin Chul-Min.

She got so nervous when I said Shin Chul-Min's first letter, 'Shin.' She was so cute that I thought I was going crazy.

I hoped that someday Jung Ha-Yeon would be able to ask me for relationship advice. If I could progress their relationship with my own hands, I wouldn't wish for anything else.

"......Um, Ms. Hye-Rim."

"Yes."

"Please don't do that kind of prank to anyone else."

"What?"

When I stopped joking around and pulled away from her, Jung Ha-Yeon said, her voice still trembling.

"If you act like that to anyone else, you might turn into a complete fox."

"......What?"

What the hell does that mean? I had no idea.

It had been three days since we arrived at the academy. The four of us had been traveling around, trying to find the monster, but we hadn't had much luck.

I knew a little bit about which students the monster transformed into from the original plot. But when I visited those students, the monster was not in disguise.

"The episode is actually about the main characters living in the academy, not the monster."

So, since the monster was not shown much, my knowledge of it is not much.

It's quite stressful because I've been playing a character for three days in a row without getting anything. The corners of my mouth are sore from smiling all day to portray a cheerful personality.

"I need to heal."

Lying on my dorm bed, I craved some beer.

Being cooped up in the academy dorms, I had no access to alcohol or coffee. The Academy is too wholesome a place for me, an excellent socialite who lives on alcohol and caffeine.

I even sneakily asked the young female teacher who showed us around at the beginning if it was okay to drink in the dorms.

Her reply was:

"Uh...... I understand your sentiment, but of course, alcohol is not allowed in the dorms."

She asked me to be patient.

No, you said you'd help me with anything, but why can't I drink? I'm just disguised as a student, but I'm an adult, and you know it.

"My blood alcohol content is insufficient."

I can't anymore. I'm just going to drink.

I just need to go outside the academy for a minute and get some booze. I'll sneak out again and throw the empty bottles away afterward.

Even though I'm an adult, isn't it against the rules to drink alcohol in the Academy, you ask?

As long as I don't get caught, I'm good. There are plenty of kids who smoke in the school anyway, so even if I get caught by another teacher, I can say that the chairman gave me permission.

So what I'm trying to say is that I can do whatever I want!

While I'm at it, let's ask Baek Shin-Hwa and Jung Ha-Yeon if they want to drink.

Jung Ha-Yeon doesn't like to drink, but Baek Shin-Hwa loves to. She's probably craving a drink right now, just like me.

Someone told me that the sin is lessened by sharing.

The problem with that is that the people who said it are criminals, but let's not nitpick.

I went right into the next room and asked the two girls.

"Guys, I'm about to go get some drinks; do you guys want some?"

"What? You're getting us drinks?"

"Now?"

Naturally, they looked at me incredulously, wondering what the hell I was talking about.

But I didn't miss Baek Shin-Hwa's eyebrows twitching at the word alcohol.

"I know it's not a good idea to drink inside the academy, but we're here to work, and we've been working hard, so I think we deserve a little reward."

"Well, I suppose we could certainly use a little stress relief."

"Exactly. That's right, a cold beer is what a socialite needs."

Gulp. Baek Shin-Hwa's throat cleared. I already snagged one of them to my side.

"Look, I get that you two want to drink, but we can't go out at this hour, can we?"

Looking at Baek Shin-Hwa and me, Jung Ha-Yeon raised an obvious question. Students in the dormitories are not allowed to leave the academy after dinner.

"We're in a special position, aren't we? We can use the excuse that we need to get something for work and go out and get it."

"Um...... is that okay?"

"If you're really iffy about it, I can just sneak out and get it."

I'm confident I won't get caught. It would be quicker to just go straight over the academy wall and run to the local convenience store.

Hmm, I like the sound of that. Let's just run out and come back quickly. That would be convenient.

"......Yes, well, whatever. It looks like you two have already made up your minds, so who am I to stop you?"

Jung Ha-Yeon sighed, telling me to do as I pleased. She adds that we should be careful not to get too drunk.

"Of course not; I'll just have a can of beer."

With everyone's agreement, there's no stopping me now.

It's time to reward my tired body with alcohol.

It had been a few days since I had taken refuge in this academy.

Once human, I had somehow fallen into the realm of demons and emerged as a monster. The transition remained a mystery; I simply awoke one day to find myself transformed.

"Damn it. If only I hadn't exhausted myself trying to force open the gate, I wouldn't be forced to skulk around like this."

I will continue to hide in this academy until I regain my strength. And once I have regained some of my strength, I'll pursue my plan—no, my dream.

"I just need to bide my time. I have plenty of suitable offerings here, and it will only be a matter of time before my dream is realized."

As I was lost in my thoughts, my ears perked up at the sound of approaching footsteps.

Where I am now is at the back of the Academy building. No one would intentionally come to such a remote place.

I turned toward the source of the noise, wondering if someone was coming here.

"Huh?"

A female student was in the midst of scaling the wall.

With her black hair and charming appearance, she seemed to be a quiet girl. So why was she attempting to scale the wall at this hour?

"Huh?"

The girl turns around to face me, as if she's noticed my gaze.

"......"

"......"

Our eyes locked in a moment of awkward tension, silently conveying the same question:

'What are you doing here?'

This is bad. I preferred to remain unseen, and I pondered what excuse I could make if she were to engage me in conversation.

Just as I was thinking about it, she climbed down from the wall and approached me.

"Excuse me, what are you doing here at this hour?"

As she drew nearer, a wide smile adorned her face, leaving me torn.

Should I knock her out?

The logical choice would be to subdue her, assume another guise, and depart, just as I had done when first concealing myself within this academy.

I prepared myself to spring into action.

"......!"

But, inexplicably, my limbs refused to obey. As I prepared to pounce, my body remained frozen, trembling as if in the presence of a predator.

'I'm trembling? Against a girl like her?'

Since becoming a monster, I have acquired a sixth sense of danger, a trait that has enabled me to evade numerous powerful beasts in the realm of demons.

Yet now, in her presence, that same sense of foreboding enveloped me, warning against aggression.

I knew intuitively that attacking her would be unwise—I might even meet my demise.

With a change of strategy, I decided to chase her away.

"I was just trying to light a cigarette. Why don't you mind your own business?"

I said, intentionally sounding sarcastic. Sᴇaʀᴄh the ɴøvᴇl_Firᴇ.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

The student I'm transforming into is a male student who looks like a gangster. The position I need to take now is 'a bully she doesn't want to get involved with.'

No student would willingly engage with such a figure.

She, in contrast, appeared to be a model student. If I behaved like this, she would likely go away without further interaction.

"Hmph, so there are people like you in this Awakened Academy too, huh?"

To my surprise, she seemed intrigued rather than deterred.

...What? This isn't right, no?

That wasn't good enough. I need to be even worse, like a total asshole. That way, she won't even think about talking to me.

"So what? I'm going to have a drink later, so either join me or get lost."

I'm pretending to be a bad guy, smoking and drinking inside the academy. This should make her want to leave.

"Oh! Really? You have alcohol?"

......Why are her eyes sparkling even more?

Something's wrong. I must have been targeted by a really strange girl.