Chapter 113

The duty of a student stems from studying. Although students might not think this way, schools clearly do—as evidenced by how teachers continued to teach diligently even after the school trip had ended.

It also may have seemed like an attempt to make everyone forget the incidents that took place during the school trip, or perhaps it was because the final exams of the first semester were approaching before summer vacation.

Regardless of the reasons, inside the school ignited with the fervor for studying, I found myself resting my head on my desk. Of course, this wasn’t due to the aftereffects of having played around during the school trip. People only exert themselves in studying after a period of relaxation if they’ve actually had such a period to begin with, but I hadn’t really had a chance to indulge much during the trip.

Nor was it due to the aftereffects of some grueling battles during the school trip. Sure, I had one strange dream, but it didn’t reoccur afterward, so it wasn’t something to worry about.

Simply put, even I, who was supposed to depart from this world without regrets after reaching the true ending, now had a reason to study just like the other students.

[Finish the first semester final exams in 1st place (1/297). Erica has never missed 1st place, working alongside the student council president and Kim Ha-neul. End the final exams in 1st or joint 1st place to reinforce in people’s minds that Erica’s character remains unchanged.]

[Your current setup as a heroine is somewhat ambiguous. In the case of failure, your setup will be finalized as an extra heroine.]

I thought summer vacation was the only thing left to look forward to, but here I was getting a quest because of the final exams. Then again, many schools do hold their final exams around early July, so it wasn’t unusual.

It was only me who mistakenly thought a previous trial exam was the final exam due to my lack of interest in the school’s schedule.

Everyone seemed to say that only summer vacation remained, but realistically, schools wouldn’t disrupt the focus on studying by scheduling a large event like a school trip right before summer vacation.

So, they were either confident in getting good grades or uninterested in the exams altogether, or maybe I just misheard them.

This time, though, I couldn’t rely on shortcuts like I did in Busan, where I gained abilities without visiting every revolutionary site.

This quest wasn’t about achieving first place to gain something, as the reward would merely be the title itself. Therefore, I had to clear it without question.

The difference between a main heroine and a sub heroine often lies in their prominence. The less prominent they are, the less likely they are to get entangled in dangerous situations. If avoiding danger was the goal, an extra heroine might be the safest choice—but that would mean missing out on the true ending.

If the protagonist could naturally find and view the true heroine and thus the true ending, things would be easier, but I had doubts about whether that alone would guarantee my departure from this world. So, I had to actively involve myself to an extent.

With as many endings prepared as there are sub heroines, the chances of the protagonist reaching the true ending would be very low. Therefore, it was better to ensure I maintained at least a sub heroine’s role.

In short, I needed to study, but my mind wasn’t cooperating as it should, so I was briefly feeling disheartened.

This body has been rated as smart, as have I, yet I wondered why my scores had been so lackluster during the mock exams. Looking to the side, I observed a boy who was attentively listening to the lecture, seemingly in the same predicament as me.

Considering he, like me, was relatively new, his ability to claim first place despite having been away from diligent studying for some time was quite impressive.

In this story, where abilities and battles tend to dominate the narrative, the high academic achievements were something earned through effort, not granted simply because he’s the protagonist.

As I watched the boy focus entirely on the lesson without any distractions, unlike myself, I sighed faintly, wondering who I could ask for help.

The student council president might be the best choice for tutoring, but she’s extremely busy, and encounters are rare.

Yuna Inna isn’t particularly busy and ranks near the top academically, but she hasn’t yet reached the level of scores I aim to achieve.

Even while pondering who might help, the only viable candidate was always one person.

Noticing my gaze, the boy started giving me a curious look, and I nonchalantly ignored it, continuing to observe what seemed to be the protagonist of this world.

*

“Had your eyes on me earlier—did you need something?”

“What’s up?”

I hadn’t answered Kim Ha-neul’s inquiry, but the woman sitting next to me naturally looped her arm around mine in response.

When I subtly tried to shake her off, Yuna Inna’s grip held firm. It appeared the power of a supernatural ability user remains unmatched, even without actively using their powers.

“I do have something to ask, but I’d like to speak with you alone. Can you step out for a moment?”

The situation—a student council president engaged with Kim Ha-neul in front of the class asking to meet privately—caused Inna’s eyes to narrow slightly, but I had more pressing concerns at the moment.

Surely, it wasn’t mere observation in my line of sight. More importantly, Kim Ha-neul wasn’t likely to randomly summon the person he was currently pursuing right in front of Inna, who might reciprocate his feelings.

There was probably some other reason behind this meeting.

When I tried to stand, Inna’s grip on my arm held me in place with an iron-like grasp.

Perhaps Inna had already negotiated with Kim Ha-neul, so allowing this meeting now and questioning her afterward would suffice. Yet, her persistence seemed to stem from jealousy.

Inna’s seemingly kind face didn’t display overt romantic feelings, nor the typical signs of jealousy, making her appear more like a friend subtly throwing a tantrum for wanting to stay together.

Her powerful ability to charm, used only physically here, was a kind of signal. And of course, I understood.

Simply using part of my ability, “protection,” I could escape her hold. So, this was a check and a protest.

A check to see if I had regained knowledge on the partial use of protection, and a protest questioning if I really wanted to break free using my abilities.

She was cunning and suspiciously possessive, testing whether I had regained my strength in some situations that wouldn’t naturally set off my ability’s automatic activation.

Neither the student council president nor the student council vice-president would reveal that I’ve regained partial control of my abilities.

“Should I come back after school?”

Somehow understanding my silence, Kim Ha-neul readily backed off after waiting for a while. His face, filled with a friendly expression, showed no trace of discontent for having been made to stand there.

Most protagonists of romantic visual novels are like this—close to pure-hearted beings. If I acknowledged, he’d quietly wait, so I lightly declined.

“I have prior commitments today, let’s catch up later.”

“Alright, not a problem.”

With a simple nod, the boy returned to his seat, and Inna poked my side with her finger.

“What.”

“So, what’s the commitment?”

Preparing for the first-semester finals was important, but I also needed to visit and thank those who helped during the Busan incident.

Even those who didn’t directly help should be thanked to build a good relationship; they might help in the future.

I should at least inform the person who regularly prepares my meals about my plans after school.

“Family matters, something on my sister’s side.”

“Sister?”

I wasn’t shy about calling my actual sister “sister” in front of her, but in front of others, I preferred not to.

Instead, I opted for “older sister,” which was a polite term that still conveyed the idea of meeting someone older from my family, which was acceptable.

“Then let me come along. I haven’t met your sister in a while, but meeting her alone would be awkward.”

“Come along? Don’t you have an appointment?”

Unconsciously glancing at the two in front, they nonchalantly shrugged without showing any dissatisfaction.

“Inna changes her plans because of someone or other all the time.”

“Then remember, the next-next appointment is with us!”

The two’s words implicitly permitted Inna to disrupt her plans. It seemed to follow the saying “Where the needle goes, the thread follows”—an evident agreement reflected in both words and actions.

Inna has many friends, but it’s clear these two were truly close to her, making such allowances possible.

…Even though I didn’t explicitly allow Inna to come along, the atmosphere suggested otherwise.

Even as Kim Ha-neul returned to his seat, the woman holding onto my arm showed no sign of letting go, patiently waiting for my approval—”Alright, let’s go.”

Sub heroine, Yuna Inna.

To find out the kind of relationship Kim Ha-neul, currently aiming for my sister, might share with her, introducing them directly was the fastest method.

Additionally, I could check if this body’s older sister had expectations about my academic performance.