The World After the Bad Ending - Chapter 47

Defeating Team Iris and taking first place in the team competition.

This caused a massive stir at Zeryon Academy.

No one had imagined that Iris, hailed as the strongest, could lose.

Of course, many believed the biggest factor was Sharin’s presence.

However, what was mentioned most frequently was the lightning strike that took down the final opponent, Thunderbird.

A bolt of lightning that struck the arena out of nowhere.

Some questioned if it made sense for Thunderbird to be defeated by a natural phenomenon.

But those with sharp eyes had a hunch.

Right before the lightning fell, I had raised my hand toward the sky.

Because of that, I gained a new nickname after that day.

Lightning Punk.

What an incredible naming sense.

“Lightning Sweet Potato!”

And there was another person whose nickname had changed.

The moment I entered the classroom, I saw Seron waving her hand enthusiastically at me.

Her face was blooming with a radiant smile.

Honestly, I’d never seen her smile so brightly before.

“Why are you smiling so creepily?”

“Heheheh!”

Even when I snapped at her as usual, Seron didn’t stop smiling.

“Of course I’m smiling! My allowance doubled!”

It went up that much, huh?

No wonder she’s grinning like that.

“Then treat me today.”

“Hehe, sure! The cutest Seron in the world will treat you!”

Though she added a strange modifier, I didn’t object since she was offering to treat me.

You’ve got to take care of someone willing to pay.

“By the way, Lightning Sweet Potato, my dad said he wants to have a word with you.”

Just as I was thinking about what to ask for, Seron dropped an unexpected bomb.

“Your father? With me? Why?”

“Dunno. Maybe he wants to give you some allowance for performing so well as teammates in the competition.”

Seron shrugged, looking clueless.

I recalled her father, who had come to watch the team competition.

He’d been waving a pamphlet and cheering hard for Seron.

Anyone could tell he was a total daughter-con.

For some reason, I had a bad feeling.

Surely, he didn’t get some absurd misunderstanding, right?

“Seron, the next time you meet your dad, tell him I’m not even remotely a guy.”

“Huh? So, Lightning Sweet Potato, are you a girl then? Should I start calling you Princess Sweet Potato?”

This idiot clearly didn’t understand the situation at all.

“You.”

As I debated how to properly deliver a flick to her forehead that would sting, I heard a voice behind me.

I hadn’t expected the other party to approach me first.

I turned, wearing an expression of surprise.

“Isabel.”

Isabel had called out to me from across the classroom.

Naturally, everyone’s attention shifted in our direction.

Since Isabel and I always clashed when we talked, the other students seemed tense, wondering if we’d fight again.

However, Isabel simply looked at me without much emotion showing on her face.

“This time, I lost.”

Isabel’s eyes shone more intensely than ever before.

“…Next time, I won’t lose.”

Isabel’s team finished with a time of 38 minutes and 23 seconds.

They ranked third among the second-year teams.

Considering there were teams that didn’t even make it to the tenth apostle, it was undeniably a significant achievement.

But Isabel wasn’t the least bit satisfied.

Her rival—me—had outpaced her.

I could feel the bright determination in Isabel’s gaze.

‘Bit by bit.’

Isabel, too, is undoubtedly moving forward step by step.

Someday, when she overcomes the shadow of Lucas and smiles as brightly as she once did, I will no longer be needed by her.

And I look forward to that day the most.

“W-Wait, are you smiling?”

At that moment, hearing Isabel’s words, I realized too late that I was smiling.

When I touched my lips, sure enough, the corners of my mouth were lifted.

It seemed I had unintentionally smiled while thinking about Isabel’s future.

Isabel stared at me with a somewhat dazed expression.

“Yes, I smiled.”

I raised the corners of my mouth even higher.

“I was mocking you. You’ll never beat me.”

That’s why, for now, I must remain her rival.

Isabel stared at me for a moment before letting out a sigh.

“You’re as mean as ever.”

Then, she turned away.

“So typical of you.”

With that, Isabel walked off.

For some reason, she didn’t seem as upset as before.

‘Has she grown used to my taunts?’

I might need to get more creative with my provocations in the future.

Thinking that, I returned to my usual seat.

Although we could sit anywhere we wanted, the combat class students made it a point not to sit in the spots where Seron and I usually sat.

It felt as if those seats had unofficially become reserved for us.

After sitting down, I noticed something sticking out of the drawer in my desk.

Curious, I tilted my head and pulled it out.

It was a letter.

Had someone put it there by mistake?

“What’s that? A letter?”

Seron, who had followed me over, looked at the letter in surprise.

“I don’t know.”

Since this was always my seat, it didn’t seem likely that someone had mistakenly left a letter here.

When I turned the letter over, I saw a name written on the back.

Seeing it, my expression turned a bit strange.

And for good reason—the name written there was Hanon Airei.

It was addressed to me.

“W-Wait, what? What is this? Is it… a love letter?”

Seron looked at me with a shocked expression.

I was equally baffled.

Someone sending me, of all people—a guy nicknamed Lightning Kid—a love letter?

‘Then again, the original Hanon doesn’t look too bad.’

I guess being the bloodline of a duke counts for something.

Perhaps someone was captivated by my performance during the team competition.

“…Why, seriously?”

And then Seron got a flick to the forehead.

Holding her stinging forehead, Seron urged me to show her the letter.

I wasn’t thrilled about sharing what might be a heartfelt letter with her, but I was curious enough to read it myself.

When I opened the envelope, there was a single piece of paper inside.

It was an invitation to meet at Sky Park during lunch.

Since Sky Park was on the rooftop and rarely crowded during lunch, it was clear the sender wanted a private conversation.

“What are you going to do?”

Seron asked cautiously.

“I’ll go.”

I’d received a letter, after all.

Whoever sent it, if they were in the combat class, they would’ve seen me pick it up.

Not going would feel rude in its own way.

“Ah, I guess this means I can’t hang out with Lightning Sweet Potato anymore,”

Seron muttered to herself with a dejected look.

What’s she talking about now?

“Why’s that?”

“Well, isn’t it obvious? If you get a girlfriend, she’s definitely going to be jealous seeing me hanging around you all the time. I have no interest in getting caught up in some love triangle drama.”

I tilted my head, confused.

“Why would my girlfriend be jealous of you?”

“Are you dumb? Of course she’d be jealous seeing you hang out with another girl…”

Seron’s eyebrows furrowed mid-sentence.

Oh no, did she figure it out?

“Forget it, I’m not treating you today.”

“Fine, fine. Of course she’d be jealous. Totally.”

Our dear sponsor was officially sulking.

“Don’t worry about it. Even if it’s a confession, I don’t plan on dating anyone.”

“You’re not even going to appreciate someone confessing to you? Why not?”

“It’s just not the right time for me.”

I didn’t have the luxury for that.

Romance aside, even progressing through the scenarios was already exhausting.

“Hmph, well, if that makes things easier for me, I’m fine with it.”

When did she get so comfortable being around me?

I’m starting to worry a little about Seron losing her social skills.

* * *

After the morning classes ended, I handed Seron some cards and told her to go eat lunch.

She protested, but since she didn’t have anyone else to eat with, she eventually left while grumbling under her breath.

I watched her bicker with someone as they left, then headed for Sky Park.

To be honest, I was a bit curious about who had left me that letter.

‘Is it someone I know?’

Thinking that, I climbed the stairs until the door to Sky Park came into view.

It was quiet on the other side, fitting for lunchtime.

Creak—

The door opened with the sound of its hinges turning.

Peeking inside, I spotted someone standing in the distance.

For some reason, their back felt strangely familiar.

The person waiting there was someone I least expected.

“You’re here.”

Short, chestnut-colored hair.

Rings dangling on his fingers.

Sharp, intimidating eyes.

The second-ranked student in the second-year magic studies class.

Dorara Korajin.

In short, a guy.

As I quietly looked at him, I just as quietly turned around and closed the door behind me.

“Hey, wait! Where are you going?!”

Startled, Dorara ran over and grabbed the door.

Trying to wrestle with me?

I might have to show him the results of the training I’ve undergone with Aisha.

When I pushed the door shut with force, Dorara was pulled along with it.

He scowled and shouted irritably,

“Why are you running away?!”

“Sorry, but I’m not interested in men. I understand your preferences, but please don’t include me in them.”

“What the hell are you talking about, you idiot?!”

Then, as if realizing what I meant, his eyes widened in outrage.

“Hey! I like women too! Why would I ever like someone like you?!”

“Then why did you leave such a cryptic letter?”

“For crying out loud! I just wanted to talk to you!”

“Why me?”

Dorara and I had no prior connection whatsoever.

When I gave him a suspicious look, he sighed angrily.

“That’s what I was going to explain if you’d just listened.”

Fair enough.

I flung the door open, and Dorara, unable to resist the force, stumbled to the floor.

He looked irritated, clearly embarrassed to have lost a contest of strength to someone outside his field, but he dusted himself off and stood up, his pride somewhat intact.

“What do you want?”

My mood had already soured.

I should’ve just skipped this.

Now I just wanted to eat lunch and be done with it.

Dorara exhaled and asked me,

“What’s your relationship with Sharin?”

“What do you mean, what’s my relationship?”

“You’ve been in the same team for the competition, and I’ve seen you hanging out with her in the evenings.”

I thought we’d been discreet enough not to draw even Isabel’s attention.

How did he know?

“We’re friends.”

I answered, then tilted my head.

“Are we friends?”

“…Why do you sound unsure about your own answer?”

My relationship with Sharin was too ambiguous to call it friendship.

To be fair, we were in a transactional arrangement, with Isabel being the condition.

Considering how unpredictable Sharin could be, it was far more likely that she was helping me out of curiosity than genuine camaraderie.

I honestly couldn’t say for certain.

“Pfft. So, not even friends, huh? Figures. As if someone like her could ever have friends.”

Dorara’s words were sharp, and he didn’t bother hiding his disdain for Sharin.

“Fine. Then I have no business here.”

“What’s your reason for calling me out? At least explain that much.”

Now, I was genuinely curious.

When I asked him what his real reason was for calling me out, Dorara glanced at me.

Then, a slow smirk spread across his lips.

There was a peculiar malice in his smile.

“I just wanted to let you know something.”

“About what?”

“About how filthy her bloodline is.”

Of course.

Dorara said exactly what I expected.

“Did you know? Her mother used to work in a brothel. She died of syphilis, or so they say.”

Once he started talking, he couldn’t seem to stop.

“And yet she hides all that and lives her life soaking up praise from everyone. Just looking at that disease-ridden woman disgusts me. Stick around her long enough, and you’ll catch syphilis too…”

And that’s when Dorara went flying.

To be precise, it was because my fist connected squarely with his jaw.

“Gahk!”

Thud!

He hit the ground with a harsh crash, tumbling across the floor.

Whether in the game or in reality, this guy was consistently a walking inferiority complex.

Unable to beat Sharin in magic, he resorted to spreading rumors to prop up his fragile ego.

‘So that’s why Sharin’s rumors spread in the game.’

It was this guy going around spouting them.

“You—are you insane?! What do you think you’re doing?!”

Dorara shouted, trembling with rage, his jaw visibly dislocated.

As I watched his pitiful state, I flexed my fist.

“Oh, nothing much.”

Crack—

My knuckles popped as I loosened my hand.

“I just figured, if someone like you thought it was worth your time to drag me into this nonsense, maybe my infamy isn’t as intimidating as I thought.”

At Zeryon Academy, my reputation—or more accurately, my infamy—was widespread.

So much so that I even earned the nickname ‘Lightning Punk’.

Plenty of people had tried to mess with me because of it.

As long as they didn’t cross the line, I let them be.

But once they crossed it, I always made sure to settle things decisively.

Over time, that earned me some recognition, and now I was even a formal member of the student council.

Because of that, it had been a while since anyone had dared to pick a fight with me.

“Well, guess it’s time to beat down the second-ranking magic student and let my reputation grow a little more.”

Let’s see what fighting a mage feels like.