SWNOVELXO Chapter 105
It had been a week since I apologized to Alice, and finally, the long-awaited vacation day arrived.
During that time, I also met with Meilin and got involved in club activities—though Meilin warned me not to dive too deep, fearing that Heros Company might snatch me up. I ended up just doing the bare minimum. We all pondered what to do during our retreat in Busan.
There wasn’t anything special, but I can definitely say it was a joyful time.
If only the ceremony had at least skipped the classes, it could have been a beautiful memory.
It’s beyond me why they’d summon us to school on vacation day just to sit through classes until the fourth period. Everyone at Heros Academy was already resigned to the absurdity of it all, just like we had to endure classes before experiential learning.
That doesn’t mean we weren’t complaining about it. Right around me, there were serious questions popping up regarding Heros Academy’s educational policies.
“I think they could at least have given us a break today…”
“Academy loves its classes, but you’re right. This is a bit much, Minho.”
“But what can we do? I never imagined they’d call us in for this on vacation day.”
Seolhwa and Minho were seamlessly banding together, launching surprise criticisms at the academy.
“I mean, we aren’t doing much at home anyway, so it doesn’t even matter if we come out or not.”
“That’s one thing, but the problem is that today is the academy’s vacation ceremony! Jinhyeon, this is absolutely unacceptable!”
Jinhyeon had a slightly different perspective, but Yeonhwa was there to shut him down with logic that fit his viewpoint.
When will that guy ever catch on? Well, will he even ever catch on?
“Oh, I was supposed to go watch a movie with my mom… I was so excited to finally have free time, and now I have to hang out with Dad and Grandpa instead…”
Even the usually gentle Lapiz was whining, so you could say nobody—whether from the academy or the students—was winning in this situation.
Yet, they’re forcing this class upon us because, what, Heros Company doesn’t see us as humans?
“Really? That’s great then. But is going out to see a movie that rare for you? You don’t seem that busy.”
When I asked Lapiz about her parents being home when I visited, she revealed the hidden details.
“Well, when I said I’d bring friends over, my mom canceled her plans to come home…”
Aha. It wasn’t that she had free time; it was that she made time to be home for a special occasion.
Thinking about how Lapiz must see bringing a friend over as a big deal made me feel a bit sorry for her. She seemed to struggle so much to fit in with others.
“W-what’s wrong…?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just wondering how you would’ve lived without me.”
Lapiz was taken aback by my unexpectedly deep and heavy response, exclaiming, “Wait, what?!” Though, something told me she might have thought about this too because she replied, “I mean, maybe if Blanca wasn’t around, I wouldn’t have lived as I do now…?”
While looking back at the original storyline, that’s debatable, but up until midterms, she would have probably spent time alone since she hadn’t really connected much with Minho.
“Well… I don’t know if it’s okay to say this, but thanks for being my friend, Blanca.”
…I’m not really your true friend, Lapiz. Please don’t see me that way. Just… please.
“Uh, um, Blanca? Is there a problem?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. More importantly, why say something so awkward! I’ve always wanted to be your friend regardless!”
“Uh… Thanks?”
Lapiz didn’t fully comprehend my response and wound up rolling her eyes while searching for the right words, eventually settling for a vague expression of gratitude to end the conversation.
For my part, I cut it short, fearing that talking any longer would turn strange.
I could easily tell that Lapiz was sincere about her last statement. She genuinely regarded me as her friend.
This was precisely what I had hoped for all along: to capture the main actors and carve my place into their hearts deeply.
So, seeing her truly smile and call me a friend should have brought me joy.
But, why didn’t it feel joyful? Why did it feel frustrating, torturous, and painful? Wasn’t this what I wanted?
Like a clogged drain, my thoughts couldn’t flow freely, swirling and repeating questions in my mind.
Why, why, why?
Even though I knew the answer, I pretended not to and tried to present a clear explanation for the pain that felt like swallowing a needle.
“Blanca, are you sleeping? The class has already ended. We should head home or somewhere else.”
As I zoned out, I didn’t even realize class had ended, and vacation had begun. It was just me and Jinhyeon left in the classroom.
“Where’s Yeonhwa? Why are you the only one left?”
As I wondered where the usual pair of Yeonhwa had gone, I also checked if I was caught in some bad prank or a dream.
I’m sober. Seriously, where did Yeonhwa go?
“Yeonhwa said she went to the café in the Student Council Building. She asked if I wanted to join her for coffee, but I was worried you’d just sit quietly when the teacher allowed us to go, so I sent her ahead.”
So, it’s not just any girl, but someone I’d call family in essence, and she was inviting me for coffee, yet I waited around using a lame excuse to say I’d join later?
Am I crazy? I was so stunned that reality slapped me back to attention. I should be rushing to Yeonhwa, begging for forgiveness, and here Jinhyeon’s acting calm and casually chatting with me, what was that even about?
“So, I was saying, Blanca. Would you like to join me? I have something to say too, if you’re okay with it…”
It was as if he had no clue about any wrongdoing, and Jinhyeon had the gall to suggest we go to the café together.
How do I even start fixing this? Grabbing my head in frustration, I pointed out the most basic thing.
“Jinhyeon, did you really think when Yeonhwa asked you for coffee, she meant it just that way, as in coffee?”
“Wasn’t it just that?”
He genuinely didn’t know, did he? Before I could yell about how this was possible, I remembered he lacked awareness even in games, so I sighed.
“…Jinhyeon, when a girl specifically invites a guy to share coffee or a meal, it’s usually not just for that. It means she has feelings for you. Romantic feelings.”
This wasn’t about helping Jinhyeon; it was about informing poor, clueless Yeonhwa who had possibly been hurt by Jinhyeon’s ignorance.
Jinhyeon appeared genuinely shocked by my revelation, spreading his arms wide, “Really?”
“Taking another girl to such an invitation is the same as giving a big fat stop sign right on her face.”
“I didn’t mean to do that…”
Of course, he meant well; I knew he wouldn’t have done this on purpose. If he had known, he wouldn’t have even thought to suggest it.
But that made things even worse. The worst kind of evil comes from ignorance.
“Of course not. If you knew, you wouldn’t have done that, because it isn’t just. But Jinhyeon, you’re too ignorant to talk about justice.”
Since it was just the two of us now, I fired off the words I’d always wanted to say to him.
It was something I’d always wanted to say. Ignorance is a sin. Being ignorant while discussing good and justice is the closest thing to evil you can get.
As I dished out my cold remarks, all Jinhyeon could do was sit there quietly.
…Aah, I can’t believe I got this worked up over this. What a fool I am.
Time ticked away, and with nothing else to do, I packed my things and stood up.
“Jinhyeon, go apologize to Yeonhwa right now. And moving forward, show a bit more interest in the signals she sends.”
I stood to leave and offered a curt goodbye when Jinhyeon called out to me, insisting he had something to say.
“Well, it’s not like Yeonhwa would like you…”
“No, that’s not it. It’s about justice. Like you said… I have been too ignorant. I always thought I could separate the world clearly into right and wrong.”
What is he getting at?
“But… during the time I spent with you, everything I saw… it isn’t that clear. Heros Company, you, the world, the academy… everything just felt blurred and murky. So now, I’m lost. I can no longer tell if there’s even such a thing as justice in this world.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
I asked him, utterly baffled as to why he was unloading this on me.
“Because you’re the biggest reason for it. And even aside from that, I just… wanted to tell you.”
What on earth was he trying to say now? Did he really think I’d helped him see things differently?
“Don’t get the wrong idea; this isn’t about you at all.”
It even irked me that he might have thought my earlier advice was out of goodwill, and I quickly corrected him before leaving the classroom.
There’s a limit to being clueless. If someone is this oblivious, how do they even manage to live?
And just like that, the first day of vacation dawned with an unpleasant twist.