Chapter 47

“This will do.”

In the second grade, there are three types of geniuses when it comes to academics.

There’s the genius who can instantly understand problem-solving and answers and kindly explain them to others, the genius who knows how they arrived at the correct answers but lacks the skill to explain it to others, and the genius who, despite having no time to study, inexplicably always scores 100 points recently—all three exist.

Their methods differ, but the result of achieving perfect scores is the same.

Being good at studying and being wise in various aspects are different things, but the first type of genius, influenced by supernatural abilities, quickly masters things other than studying, making them a polymath. The third type of genius could also be considered an expert in swiftly developing relationships with women.

In the neatly organized room without any garbage, a girl was sitting, a notebook opened, writing something. Her act of writing was picturesque. However, the writing resembled ancient hieroglyphs, requiring a long time to decipher rather than immediate understanding. Though these hieroglyphs had a somewhat antique charm, from the perspective of someone trying to study, they couldn’t simply admire it as a piece of art.

That wasn’t all. When she started explaining problem-solving, she would simply state, “This will do,” and that was the end of it. It was the tutor’s job to explain ‘this’ properly, yet she didn’t.

Erica, the genius, wasn’t unaware that tutoring required explaining what she had learned to others. The problem was her lack of knowledge about the middle school curriculum in this world, such as what topics were covered at the end compared to the first year, leaving her explanations insufficient.

Nevertheless, hiring a tutor from just one grade above at a high fee honestly revealed that her teaching skills were subpar.

But Kana didn’t really hire Erica to learn academics. With a body capable of becoming a police officer or a soldier and earning plenty of money, Kana didn’t need to put much emphasis on education.

“Still beautiful as ever,” Kana thought.

The reason Kana applied for tutoring with Erica was akin to paying to enter an art gallery or attending a live concert for the love of music. The money wasn’t for the education itself but rather to appreciate Erica privately.

One might think Kana could have chosen an ordinary student tutor to replace Erica. But, for Kana, this was necessary to naturally get closer to Erica and earn her time. After their last meeting, Erica’s reaction had subtly changed; it seemed she had become annoyed by Kana’s presence.

Kana had approached her after noticing Erica seemed dissatisfied with her grown-up body, reverting closer to her initial form. Yet, she hadn’t received the same level of favorability as before.

It was unclear what changes had occurred in Erica’s feelings, but all the memories and attachments Kana had built seemed to have reset. Kana had thought that with Erica breaking up with the school’s famous figure, it could create an opportunity for her. Instead, Erica had grown weary of all human relationships and lost all the affection she once held for Kana, taking any chance with her as well.

Kana clearly understood that the last meeting left Erica unwilling to even pretend to acknowledge her. So, Kana wanted to create more opportunities to spend time with her, and the private tutoring once again gave her a chance.

“Call me if you have such an opportunity again.”

But just as she could feel the faint warmth of Erica’s hand, Erica lightly pulled away. They had only been studying math for about a week—an insufficient time to build a solid academic foundation or meaningful emotional connection.

“Even without a formal request, I’ll help if you’re free and don’t charge.”

Though it was technically a request, the duration couldn’t be overly extended from the start. Typically, a week was the limit unless something unusual happened.

As Kana watched the girl place her book in her bag and rise to leave, she silently thought: she could create thousands more such opportunities for Erica. She could easily pay any amount of money; in fact, paying for the tutoring was technically illegal as the money was for Erica’s presence, not the lessons.

The money wasn’t for tutoring; it was simply to compensate her for being around.

“You don’t need to follow me like before.”

Erica, who had always been the same since childhood, quietly left the room, her silhouette disappearing outside the window.

Kana watched her go through the third-floor window, not stopping her, knowing it was pointless to ask her to stay or make any similar actions—they had tried that already.

So, what meaningful action could prevent Erica from leaving? Knowing the answer, Kana left the room she called her private tutoring space and slowly descended the stairs to the basement.

Passing by the ornate chandeliers and priceless paintings on the walls, she entered the room she had named the “Doll Room.” There, surrounded by hundreds of dolls in long black robes with curly hair, stood multiple Kanas, exact replicas by appearance but lifeless.

This was the doll room Kana had designated herself. Of course, the hundreds of figures weren’t real people but intricate dolls, crafted with exceptional detail to pass for humans at first glance.

They each varied slightly—variations in height, eye size, some even slightly torn—yet shared Kana’s features. Moving through this sea of herself, Kana entered the innermost room.

Here, amidst scattered garbage illuminated faintly by a monitor’s light, lay another girl, blending seamlessly with the refuse.

While others might hesitate to step into such a room cluttered with trash or take time to clean it, Kana stepped in barefoot, unfazed as soda cans and glass fragments lay underfoot. Her feet, however, remained unharmed because Kana herself was akin to the dolls, not human.

Unlike the other dolls, her body bore real human bl**d beneath her skin—crafted with greater care, she had capabilities beyond mere enhancement. Her form could even temporarily transcend physical limitation.

Given enough time and unhindered growth, she believed she could confront Kim Ha-neul, the school’s queen who was blessed by the world, and bring forth her worst ending.

While Kim Ha-neul possessed the power to distort reality, negating falsehoods, Kana’s strength was in the ability to endlessly reproduce her dolls and specialized creations.

One doll alone might be weak, but with countless dolls accumulating, she believed their reach could inevitably extend even to the world-loved woman or a girl shielded by an absolute defense.

“It’s time to wake up, ‘me.’ The tutoring is done; it’s time to work.”

Though there were similar rooms scattered across her domain, Kana came down to awaken the true self here for one reason: only this original body could create the dolls.

A doll creator.

The moment Kana stepped in, she froze, and the lying ‘dollmaker’ slowly rose.

During tutoring, Kana used a specially crafted doll, one that could consume and bleed, to blend with Erica’s keen observation. But now, it was time for the real Kana, the creator, to rise and craft.

The awakened ‘Kana’ began gathering garbage and silently crafting a new doll, one after another.

With each doll, she slightly altered personalities and bodies, hoping to create one that Erica would favor, embedding her consciousness into each creation.

Her purpose, as an immensely powerful creator of dolls destined to transform the world into one of dolls, was singular.

“Love me.”

Her relentless effort to say this again and reclaim the girl’s affection progressed unnoticed.

Contrasting sharply with Kim Ha-neul, whose existence the world seemed to revolve around, if one knew Kana’s burdens, no one might consider her the protagonist. Yet, she remained one of the world’s true main characters.

For her, there was no more system, no symbol of the protagonist’s privilege. But she didn’t need it because her hands already bore the ability to transform living beings into dolls.

The seed planted by the former Erica had sprouted, growing into a black sh**t.

This sh**t would not face the past Erica but her current self.

Would the current Erica, who doesn’t properly wield her protective abilities unlike her predecessor, withstand the ambition of the dollmaker cultivating power in the mansion’s basement?

With no one knowing the answer, the basementgirl continued her work, shaping new dolls from the gathered “garbage.”