Chapter 44

In many romantic visual novels, heroines whose story arcs revolve around misunderstandings are quite common.

There are heroines who outwardly appear fierce and gruff but melt at the sight of something cute, which could be considered the epitome of clichés.

At first, she was mistaken for a delinquent, but it turned out she was actually a very kind friend…

Such clichés are abundant in romantic visual novels, and I assumed the student council vice-president I met this time would also fit into this category.

“Here, catch it!”

“Eh?!”

However, the woman who hurled a live cat at its owner didn’t belong to that kind of heroine archetype at all.

In fact, she wasn’t much of a heroine at all.

After all, a heroine should possess a charm that makes the male protagonist want to pursue her.

Arguably, the girl who was startled by the thrown cat and managed to catch it seemed much more heroine-like.

Though that was according to my own criteria for what “cuteness” means.

“Then let the vice president know everything went smoothly? Otherwise…”

“Yes! As soon as I arrive at school, I’ll head straight to where the vice president is!”

When the client glimpsed the bat attached to the vice president’s motorcycle, they responded like a freshly disciplined recruit.

Is this place hell? The only silver lining to my current female form was that I was no longer in a world riddled with terrifying delinquents. Yet, I never expected to meet anime-like delinquents even in this romantic visual novel universe. Though given how the student council handles requests, they didn’t appear to be genuinely malicious individuals.

[Request Completed. Rewards can only be claimed after reporting to the vice president.]

Even without resolving the matter, the female client offered me a ride on the bus.

I watched as the woman, having completed her request, lightly mounted her motorcycle.

The request was simple: find the lost cat.

Frankly, in a situation where one wouldn’t know where to start searching for a cat in the city, she seemed to know exactly where it was without hesitation.

How was that even possible?

“Is something wrong? Curious?”

The rumble of the engine accompanied by the delinquent’s voice echoed through the air.

Frankly speaking, I was curious.

She seemed to have used some kind of supernatural power to locate the cat. If this tracking ability wasn’t exclusive to cats, it might allow me to find the queen I’m searching for instantly.

“But why should I tell you?”

The moment she finished speaking, the motorcycle revved and took off. Given my physically weak body, there was no choice but to cling to her waist to stay on.

Yes, asking about supernatural abilities was off-limits. Whether she used her power to locate the cat or someone else assisted her, it was none of my business to pry.

After all, finding a cat in the city without breaking a sweat was realistically impossible. In other words, my question about who or what supernatural ability was used to find the cat was essentially redundant from the beginning.

“There’s no reason to tell you now. Maybe we can talk about it later, once we’re better acquainted, punk.”

It’s a cardinal rule in romantic visual novels: don’t inquire about supernatural abilities from someone you’ve just met. Despite this, her tone didn’t seem particularly irritated. With her, my reluctant journey into the unknown began.

And somehow, the vice-president, without any explanation, ended up dropping me off at home before departing.

The Student Council.

One of the key figures in this world and my first encounter with them ended rather undramatically.

*

It’s quite unusual to have a new student transfer in after May, especially after the student council election. Without special circumstances, there’s rarely a compelling reason to leave old friends behind and transfer schools. And these special circumstances often make the new student stand out.

The story is usually driven by various scenarios: the protagonist’s spy transferring in, or someone escaping an unwanted marriage, to name a few. But the bottom line is that the arrival of a new student typically marks the onset of the real story.

If the school queen, left unchecked, might lead the protagonist to a bad ending due to time constraints, the arrival of a new transfer student often introduces or highlights a significant character. The presence of the main heroine, who is the student council president, suggests the newcomer is likely to be the true heroine.

Was this why Kim Ha-neul, disregarding the chatter among the nearby girls, was staring straight ahead in deep thought?

Unlike her usual friendly smile shown to everyone, her slightly rigid yet serious demeanor revealed just how much she was looking forward to this event.

‘So it’s confirmed, as expected.’

I was vaguely aware, through the system, that Kim Ha-neul’s objective was to pursue the true heroine, though I found the information from Kim Ha-neul’s neutral facial expression far more credible than the often unreliable system updates.

“Is something wrong today?”

“Hmm, I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”

Seemingly aware that Kim Ha-neul wasn’t fully focused on their conversation, the girl sitting beside him stayed while others returned to their seats. Not long after, the homeroom teacher walked in.

“Everyone, uh… wow, it’s unusually quiet today. Have you all heard about the incoming transfer student?”

[Information Expert Kim Da-seul]

[Role: Event Heroine (News)]

[Skill: Listening]

The teacher’s gaze briefly passed over the girl sitting beside Kim Ha-neul—that was the information source, Kim Da-seul.

Following the homeroom teacher’s consultation event and the vice president’s task event, the event tied to her is “news.” While this ability to gather information appeared advantageous, the trap was that Kim Da-seul seemed to be on friendly terms with Kim Ha-neul.

Lacking the social skills to easily befriend strangers, my sudden approach to Kim Da-seul would’ve definitely puzzled everyone.

“Starting from next time, please don’t spread what we discuss in the staff room so casually. Hmm… It seems you’re all anticipating, so I’ll call her in now. Come in.”

Shortening the usual morning announcements, the teacher immediately called in the transfer student. The first thing that entered the room was hair that looked almost ruby red. The next detail was a golden silk outfit that clearly signaled its price tag, even though I lacked specific knowledge of women’s fashion. It resembled something akin to a cheongsam from the anime I’ve seen, though I wouldn’t dare confirm.

While contemplating the transfer student’s outfit, the final detail I noticed was her striking irises. A rainbow-like hue, they seemed both purple and red depending on the light.

My eyes instinctively tried to pull up her details, but…

“Hmm! Nice to meet you. I’m Rao Ha. I’m the successor of the illustrious Rao family from the neighboring major nation, renowned for producing powerful supernatural ability users! Nice to meet you too!”

[The current subject holds a higher rank. Information is unavailable.]

This displayed message meant nothing appeared.

“What’s wrong?”

[Close Friend Inna]

When the words appeared above Inna’s head as usual, it confirmed the system hadn’t malfunctioned like the last time.

While her role roughly indicated she was either a main or sub heroine, the previous woman I’d encountered must have been someone with such a role that my system even crashed upon viewing her details. Also, what did titles like “close friend” or “information expert” even mean?

Caught off-guard by this unannounced update from the system, I momentarily lost what to say, but the woman in front of me confidently introduced herself to the class as if my loss of words were inconsequential.

“Feel free to ask me questions. I’ll answer everyone to the best of my ability. This is a special privilege only you all get, so feel free to enjoy it!”

Her unique way of speaking, as if fresh from abroad, drew everyone’s attention, and I subtly glanced at Kim Ha-neul’s face.

His drooping eyes indicated disappointment. Given his likely pursuit of Inna, potentially after being manipulated by the school queen or my previous self, it was clear Kim Ha-neul prioritized discovering the true heroine over maintaining social etiquette. Therefore, Rao Ha’s entrance, which lacked the typical demeanor of a true heroine, was bound to let him down.

“So, what do you like? Hobbies too.”

“Great question! I love powerful supernatural abilities a lot. People who think their own supernatural abilities are great, woohoo! You’ll get top treatment from me!”

When asked about her preferences, this woman shamelessly used the opportunity to promote her family, making her seem like a strange character.

Despite her pale complexion and distinctively Western appearance, she claimed to be from China…

But her name was invisible to me.

Rather than alarming, this absence actually gave me hope.

Even if Kim Ha-neul might think otherwise, in my mind, this woman was indeed the true heroine.

If even the main heroine can be seen, then if she’s invisible to me, could she be anything but the true heroine?

“Uh… We shouldn’t keep talking like this, right?”

“Hmm! Let’s continue the conversation while sitting down. Where should I sit?”

“It’s fine as long as you sit where there’s an empty seat…”

Of course, this didn’t mean the new student wasn’t strange.

Casually ignoring the homeroom teacher’s slightly timid suggestion, she walked confidently to her chosen seat.

Fortunately, there were no obstructing delinquents around; otherwise, she might’ve had trouble reaching her target.

Yes, right next to Inna.

“I’d like to sit here! Would you be kind enough to give up your seat for me?”

Ignoring the teacher’s suggestion to simply sit in an empty seat, the transfer student made her choice.

Under normal circumstances, one might either evade the eccentric behavior like a mad dog or engage in an argument about taking someone’s seat, but Inna instead looked toward me.

“Do you know her?”

Even after claiming memory loss, this line felt like a subtle probe to gauge my knowledge.

Each word was a trap. It was typical of Inna, wasn’t it?

With her subtle maneuvers, she drew the entire class’s attention. I calmly provided the facts.

“I don’t know her at all.”

“Then I’d love to get to know you!”

Even after hearing my immediate rebuttal, Inna seemed satisfied, making a little “Hmm…” sound before looking toward the new student.

“Why pick a fight on your first day? Why not sit in an empty seat? Taking a seat that’s not yours isn’t polite, unless of course the rightful owner has left. But I don’t plan to leave anytime soon.”

…Somehow, it felt like this “taken seat” was a metaphor.

Inna pointed to an empty seat behind Kim Ha-neul, unfazed by whether I observed or not.

“―So, just go there, please.”

“…Hmm, I wanted this seat, but if you insist, there’s no helping it. I’ll move.”

After receiving what felt like a final warning from Inna, the transfer student glanced at me, flicked her hair across her waist, and then moved to the seat behind Kim Ha-neul as Inna had suggested.

As things settled down a bit, the teacher clapped her hands once,

“Morning announcements are finished for today…”

And then hastily fled. It was clear she’d been hurt emotionally. Yet, her hurried departure oddly seemed quite adorable.

Given the relatively small age gap between the students and the teacher, finding the teacher more appealing than the heroine was, perhaps, quite natural.