Chapter 122

What does the term “heroine” setting refer to? The more severe the setting, the more it implies something difficult for the heroine to resolve alone.

Though it feels odd to call myself the heroine, the system did confirm this as definitive information, so relying on this fact, I could roughly predict the situations I would face.

‘Of course, capturing the queen wasn’t the end of a simple event, was it?’

The bullying directed at me, especially Erica, was likely initiated by the self-proclaimed queens of the school. However, bullying doesn’t simply end when the ringleaders decide to stop.

During the school trip, the appearance of girls trying to h*rass me was one such instance. Though I barely remember their names, their goal to tarnish me was evident, almost ritualistic.

Thus, I had already anticipated that bullying might arise again at some point.

However, I believed that with final exams approaching, they would leave me alone, focusing instead on their own grades. Could I have been mistaken?

Perhaps my tormentors were implementing a calculated strategy to target me during the crucial final exams. Erica glanced at her desk, upon which lay stacks of bodies, red and reeking.

“What is that smell…?”

“There it goes again, it seems.”

Noticing something glittering among the corpses, I refrained from reaching out. For those who have experienced bullying, it’s common knowledge that clearing the bodies often results in getting cut by a hidden blade. I was no amateur at these kinds of scenarios.

Rather than immediately trying to clear the bodies, I first assessed the woman standing next to me. Was this her doing?

Though her startled expression was evident, I couldn’t determine if it was genuine or feigned.

Had she orchestrated this and now masked it with a surprised look? Or was she, in fact, also unprepared for the situation?

Aware of the system window’s unpredictable nature, it seemed strange to base my suspicions of Yuna solely on the profile window provided by the system.

Having failed to uncover any useful information from Inna, I urgently sought an idol to conveniently dispel the mess as before, but no idol was in sight.

Was the idol not coming due to the final exams or were they merely late? Either way, I realized that leaving this as it was could severely hinder my performance on the finals.

The moment the homeroom teacher notices, they would undoubtedly question me, and given my need to perform well on the finals as dictated by the system, handling this bullying would merely serve as an obstruction.

“So, what are you going to do?”

Inna’s question seemed to sound like a probing test to gauge my reaction. Was this because of my ingrained victim mentality? Or because I no longer had the assurance of passive support from people I trusted?

I couldn’t tell. Precisely because I’d endured similar situations before, my ordinarily astute mind couldn’t function properly under the present circumstances.

Nevertheless, one certainty emerged, allowing my mouth to act independently of my tangled thoughts.

“How should I handle this? Whether we identify who did this or not, it’s something that needs to be addressed later.”

Grades.

To the naive who take words at face value, maintaining grades might be the system’s advice based on my setup. However, being the overly suspicious type, I had numerous alternate possibilities to consider.

For instance, of the three who scored perfect scores, two were the main heroine and the protagonist. Is this purely coincidental?

—Achieving a perfect score and holding first place. Could it be an entrance criterion for the main scenarios that both the main heroine and protagonist must fulfill?

If the system suggests maintaining top grades to preserve my heroine ranking, does this imply that it’s a condition for entering the main scenario?

In this case, the system’s sudden emphasis makes sense when previously it had remained silent on the matter.

If I secure top rank to preserve my heroine standing, it aligns with the system’s desire to influence my decisions. After all, my character was naturally predisposed to approach the main storyline.

With information Seo-ra provided about the government’s hidden interests in schools, it’s possible that maintaining good grades might be necessary to uncover further secrets.

In any case, as this world’s system allows such bullying to persist while I aim for high grades, my priority leans towards completing the final exams safely rather than investigating this incident further.

“Then, I’ll do my best to clear this. You should leave the classroom temporarily—”

“Need help? This is far easier and quicker if I handle it without the homeroom teacher finding out.”

Interrupting Yuna mid-sentence, the person offering assistance to me, instead of the idol I had hoped for, was someone possessing far greater prowess. Someone I never expected to take the initiative until asked.

Her pink hair sways carelessly every time she tilts her head but her eyes remain focused on my lips.

“What do you want?”

A statement that, in essence, agreed to her help. Though accepting her aid might decrease favorability and she would surely demand a different price eventually, I prioritized the finals.

“Hmmm, my nature isn’t particularly pleasant, so it’s a bit much to expect help without a return. Just one thing—I want you to remember.”

She leaned in closely, her breathing audible near my ear.

“If you ever again look at me as if everything in this world is meaningless, as though you can’t recall my face and thus don’t bother approaching, be forewarned—I cannot promise what I might do.”

“… Why didn’t you say this from the beginning if you had such grievances?”

“Considering we live under the same roof, it felt somewhat inhumane to say. It’s only fair to ask after there’s been some reciprocation, don’t you think? I actually have a conscience.”

“I’m sorry, but that’s a promise I can’t make.”

I can’t pledge to avoid a gaze I can’t control when I genuinely can’t see people’s faces.

Moreover, when I sometimes do glimpse these faceless extras, it makes the world seem like a game, making it hard to view people as humans—a fact I cannot readily divulge.

“Still, it’s already over, so you’ll have to keep this promise. Unless you really want to know just how far I can go and how much I can torment you.”

“Can this really be called a promise?”

“I’m not sure either, as there are so few people who make promises with me. Yet, don’t worry. This is a service for future contracts, and I won’t ask for anything this time.”

With that, the woman distanced herself. The first thing I confirmed was that she had fulfilled her promise: my desk had transformed back into a clean wooden one.

If I ensure the homeroom teacher recognizes my uninterest in this occurrence, it will prevent disruption during the finals.

Though the situation seemed resolved, I couldn’t suppress the unease stirring within. The fact that I’d just been compelled to an inevitably broken promise unsettled me.

Even if it was due to necessity for a good finals performance, knowing the capabilities of Kang Yu-ri left me somewhat regretful.

And at that moment, a system window appeared, vividly bright.

[Former school queen Kang Yu-ri is now officially designated as the antagonist heroine. Favorability has reached a certain threshold.]

[Kang Yu-ri—You know how much she loathes being disrespected. Preferring to degrade others before being disrespected herself, she targets those who she perceives as disrespectful.]

[Once, you casually offered refuge to someone with nowhere to go. Though extending help, you consistently remained distant. This contradictory behavior left her uncertain, until now. After this event, she has decided on a clear path.]

[She will comply with any request you make, but be warned—this is a deal. She will fulfill your request only if you promise to perform equally disgraceful and humiliating actions or utterances.]

[To you, she may not be human, and your self-reassurance might equate to talking to your reflection in the mirror. Still, remember—should you fail to treat her as human, the price she demands will only increase. Constantly seeking your aid may lead her to eventually demand more than you initially requested—or worse, move without your prompting.]

[Should you consider striking first before Kang Yu-ri makes too many demands, do so with caution. Failure will come at a cost that you will have to bear.]

An antagonist heroine, confirmed.

Why does such a role exist? On the first morning of the final exams, not only did I successfully turn one incident into a [lie], but I also inadvertently entered into a sordid contract with the Queen of Lies.

I could not yet predict how this deal would come back to haunt me, amplifying its unsettling nature.