SWNOVELXO Chapter 104
Ellis just couldn’t fit in with Class A.
About half of it was her fault, and the other half was definitely mine.
If it were her fault, she was the one who made excuses three times after losing pathetically and still tried to challenge me.
It seemed like someone must have whispered something to her, because she called me cowardly for using tricks and demanded another round.
So, I squashed her down, press on, and kept pressing.
Once I completely stomped on her self-esteem, she finally quieted down. By the time she settled, no one wanted to be friends with her anyway.
Frankly, it was only natural.
When she put on the charming, polite act begging to be accepted, it was just as likely as me letting her in, especially with her showing her fangs and growling.
If she had won at least, she’d have had her strength acknowledged, but since she didn’t, Ellis spent her time as a total loser.
Most importantly, the kids’ community was not lenient enough to just let someone in at the end of the semester; they wouldn’t just accept anyone.
It wasn’t that they were snubbing her; it was more like they were so tightly knit that even if they wanted to let her in, they couldn’t figure out how.
Seeing it this way, Heros Academy was brutal in its own right.
A strong friendship built up over a semester of laughter and tears—though not for everyone—was disregarded in favor of grades, changing names with a straight line through them and switching classes.
Some might cheer for the fairness of it all, but to me, it didn’t look fair at all.
It was just thoughtless.
It handled kids as if they were items to be sorted without considering the human elements that any sane person couldn’t ignore.
The fact that they didn’t care whether the kids who switched classes would adapt showed just how well this worldview summed up its nature.
Even at Heros Academy, which supposedly showcases the highest educational standards, it treated humans without recognizing them as individuals.
Where’s the humor in that?
Ah, of course, not everyone had it that rough.
A couple of people managed to blend in with their friendly attitude and social skills.
The class rep who came from Class B was one such example. But let’s be real; if you think about it, she just skimmed the surface.
…I’ve gone off topic. Enough with the habitual complaints.
So, what was my fault exactly? It was tied to the incident during the Sports Festival.
When I was just having fun messing with the younger kids, I ended up knocking out Ellis’s best friend by accident.
That’s why she was so hell-bent on picking fights with me.
Sure, I had my grievances too, but I didn’t lack remorse either.
At least now, I understood how precious a close bond was.
So, I was looking for the right moment to apologize…
Except I couldn’t find one. The kids wouldn’t let me be.
“Blanca! Are you going to join the summer camp program during the break?”
“Even if I say no, you’ll drag me anyway. What are you asking? Of course, I’m going. Besides, I can’t just sit at home while you guys are out and about!”
“Blanca, you seem different. You used to give off a homebody vibe.”
Is that so? I pondered Seolhwa’s comment but, feeling lazy, just gave a half-hearted reply.
“You saw my place; there’s no air conditioning, so it’s sweltering in the summer. How can I spend the entire summer break there?”
“Well, that’s true…”
Ageha seemed to recall seeing my house, making a bittersweet face before quickly smiling, trying to steer the mood.
“By the way… Busan. I’m oddly excited since it’s the same place as the practical exam. I wonder how the completely ruined place looks now…”
“Have you never been to Busan, Ageha?”
“No. Honestly, if it weren’t for Heros Academy, I’d still be living in my family home in Japan. The only place I’ve been on the Korean Peninsula is Heros City.”
Hearing this, Yeonhwa looked surprised and said she didn’t expect that. Seolhwa also chimed in that she hadn’t been there either, trying to keep things light-hearted.
“But you sound like you have been to Busan?”
I asked Yeonhwa, and she immediately shared how she spent some joyful time in Busan with Jinhyeon and their families when she was in elementary school, from start to finish.
For fear that lunchtime would vanish, I cut her off, and smoothly turned to Lapiz.
Honestly, I didn’t think she’d ever go on a trip. Unless she got dragged along on a family trip.
Besides, her parents were super busy, so who knows if they’d even take a family trip.
“I have been there… with my grandparents… to a different… world…”
“A different world? Is that a region name or literally what it sounds like…?”
It was so random and absurd that I couldn’t help but be startled. Lapiz, catching my reaction, looked flustered but answered in a completely literal manner.
“Um… Lapiz? If we talk about a different world, that means a different dimension, like beyond a gate… Even if Lapiz’s grandparents are returnees, is that even… possible?”
“G-Grandma said it’s… no problem…”
That vague “no problem” probably meant that there were tons of issues but they cleared them up with sheer power and authority.
Lapiz was just taking it at face value.
“Hearing about your grandma, Lapiz, makes it sound like she’s living in a completely different world…”
“Uh, well… it’s somewhat right, I guess… ehehe…”
Maybe she thought Yeonhwa was complimenting her, because Lapiz smiled and looked pleased. Which wasn’t even a compliment, but who cares if she’s happy?
“Hmm… more importantly, it’s almost time for our appointment; I wonder where Jinhyeon is…”
As we were chatting, Yeonhwa decided to search for Jinhyeon, and I figured it was finally my chance.
“If you’re really that curious, why not go find him? Who knows, he might be lost somewhere.”
“Even if Jinhyeon can be a bit clueless, I don’t think he’ll get lost… um, I’ll still go look for him. Let’s meet at the stadium in a bit!”
As Yeonhwa left, Seolhwa mentioned she should go find Minho as well and broke off from the group.
As she walked away, she muttered ominously, “She better not be hitting on another girl,” and somehow it felt like Seolhwa’s progress was a bit faster than in the original story.
“Well, I’ll go check things out too.”
“Even you, Blanca? Do you perhaps have a guy you’re interested in?”
“Blanca… has a… boyfriend?”
Lapiz looked like she was about to lose her mind, and I waved off her nonsense, saying I just wanted to grab a snack.
“Just a snack… thank goodness, but did you not like what I bought you…?”
This time, Ageha looked hurt. I quickly reassured her that wasn’t the case and explained I was just trying to take care of my throat and wanted to grab some milk.
“Oh, I see. Phew. Then have a good trip. Lunchtime won’t last much longer, so let’s meet at the stadium!”
“Sounds good. Lapiz, you can wait at the stadium too, right?”
Lapiz pouted a bit but said she sometimes wanted to be alone, so I didn’t press it any further.
…Finally, at long last. Some time to myself. I didn’t mind hanging out with the kids, but there were moments when I found it frustrating not to have alone time like this.
Of course, I enjoyed being with everyone, even if I had to deal with all that other stuff.
Heading to a classroom where someone would be sitting alone, I tried to think of how to start the conversation.
Since I had almost never genuinely apologized to anyone, just thinking about how to convey my feelings made me feel lost.
Wasn’t it me who should be getting an apology first? But in the “but you started it” kind of way, I could only see that I had been the one who messed up first.
Actually, did I even need to apologize? In the original story, I just lived as a weak outcast until falling for Minho, so maybe it didn’t matter?
After all, a loser or a strong loser, it’s basically the same thing.
With these thoughts bouncing around, I made my way to the classroom.
As I opened the door, there was Ellis, sitting there alone and staring at her phone.
“…Um, are you here to make fun of me…?”
She clearly hadn’t expected me to show up, and her usual tone slipped out for a second before she immediately switched to a made-up tone as soon as she recognized me.
“Not at all.”
“Then what is it…?”
Good question.
What was I even here for? Back at the start of the semester, at least I had the motivation of image-making, but now, whether I apologized or not, nothing would change.
She watched me in silence, and finally snapped, raising her voice a notch.
“Just say sorry already.”
“What?”
“I came to say I’m sorry.”
“Is that… all?”
“I’m not good with words. I’ve never apologized before. So this is all I can do.”
…Wow, this was way more awkward than I had pictured.
“…Do you expect me to forgive you or something?”
“I don’t know.”
Did I want forgiveness? Or was I just looking for peace of mind? I couldn’t tell.
But I just wanted to say I’m sorry.