The World After the Bad Ending - Chapter 39



38 – Chapter 38: It’s a Mess

Lunchtime, the empty magic classroom.

Hanon Airei.

Sharin Sazarith.

Isabel Luna.

The three of us stood frozen, staring at each other.

The problem is, among the three, Hanon is me.

Outside the window, the cheerful voices of children could be heard.

The sound of children returning after lunch.

In the silence that passed between us.

It was Isabel who broke the silence.

“…Why are you two together?”

Isabel’s best friend, Sharin.

Isabel’s rival, me.

Even when everyone else went for lunch.

We deliberately met alone, eating bread and talking intimately.

This scene was enough to create a complex emotional state for Isabel.

Even I, who think it’s not right to connect everything in life to romance, could easily understand how this situation would look.

“I was invited.”

It was not me, but Sharin who answered Isabel’s question.

The stiff expression she had after hearing my earlier remark was gone.

Instead, she pointed at me, having returned to her usual self.

“For this team competition, she asked me to join her team.”

Isabel’s eyes widened at Sharin’s words.

It was a reaction that showed she never expected me to make such a proposal to Sharin.

“…Were you two close enough to propose forming a team?”

Most of the time Sharin and I met was in the evening.

That was when Isabel was intensely training.

So, she didn’t know what Sharin was doing in the evenings.

Therefore, she didn’t know that Sharin had been meeting me to teach me magical engravings.

“Yes, Hanon likes me a lot.”

What kind of nonsense is this?

I looked at Sharin in astonishment and then turned my head.

Then Isabel also looked at me with her mouth wide open.

It was clearly a face full of misunderstanding.

Hearing that her rival liked her best friend.

It was enough to make her react like that.

“Are you serious?”

Is she really believing this?

“Nonsense.”

When I directly denied it, Isabel pursed her lips and looked back at Sharin.

Sharin just gave a languid smile.

She didn’t say much.

‘This girl.’

Through this conversation, Sharin indirectly revealed our relationship.

Our relationship is close enough to share such jokes.

Usually, Sharin doesn’t get close to others.

True to her capricious nature.

Just when you think you’ve gotten close, she suddenly changes again.

That was Sharin.

So, the only person who could be called her true friend was Isabel.

But now, Sharin.

In front of Isabel, she has someone close enough to joke with.

This must have been a big shock to Isabel.

Especially since that person is her rival, me.

For Isabel, it must have been a series of shocks.

“Uh, ah, uh.”

Perhaps that’s why Isabel broke down.

When I glared at Sharin, she glared back at me.

Her eyes were smiling, but her gaze was cold.

Ah, she’s angry.

For Sharin, her father is someone who stirs her emotions.

But I had no choice either.

To proceed smoothly with the next act, we had to achieve results in the team competition.

And to achieve results, we needed Sharin.

‘I’m desperate too.’

It would be hard to expect Sharin to understand.

“I, I also came to propose a team to Lin.”

At that moment, Isabel fixed herself and returned to the main topic.

Isabel also came along with me after hearing the news about the group match from Beganon earlier.

The reason for the time difference between us was that I had no one to hold onto related to the team.

Isabel, on the other hand, must have been late because she was talking to many people around her.

The problem is.

It seems likely that Sharin will lean towards her best friend, Isabel.

“I’m sorry, but I made the proposal first.”

“But it’s up to Rin to decide whose request to accept.”

Knowing this, Isabel had no intention of backing down.

Moreover, I sensed a strange sense of rivalry from Isabel.

It felt like she was determined not to let Sharin be taken away by a rival.

This is troublesome.

If Isabel comes at me sincerely, there’s no way to win.

I glanced at Sharin.

Sharin alternately looked at me and Isabel with a thoughtful expression.

“Alright.”

Then, having made her decision, she raised her hand towards me.

“I’ll go with Hanon this time.”

“Rin?”

Isabel looked extremely shocked.

But Sharin didn’t seem to have any intention of changing her decision.

Isabel staggered and then turned away.

“Rin is a fool.”

Isabel, treating Sharin like a fool, walked away drenched in sadness.

I never thought she would choose me.

This choice was unexpected for me as well.

“I didn’t expect you to choose me.”

“You kept the promise you made with me.”

The promise with Sharin.

That was, in return for Sharin granting my request, I would become the reason for Isabel to live.

“I know you were the first to chase after Bell a week ago.”

Did you know?

Sharin also came to the castle wall to find Isabel.

It seems she saw me then.

“That’s a reward. And about my father.”

Sharin’s hair fluttered slightly.

“I’m a little angry. I don’t know how much Hanon knows, but he spoke without permission.”

Seeing that, I quietly bowed my head.

“I’m sorry.”

I apologized with my head down.

* * *

It was decided that Sharin, the most reliable force in the rear guard, would join us.

The remaining positions were one spot in the rear guard and a healer.

The rear guard was filled more easily than expected.

“Wangnon, how about putting me in the team?”

The next day, after finishing the morning class, Card appeared and made the proposal first.

“Why are you asking to join the team?”

“Sharin joined, right? There’s no better team than this.”

Sharin’s power is extraordinary.

It was natural for others to flock to our team upon hearing this.

But it seems Card already knew.

Anyway, he’s got sharp ears.

‘He has to be in a position where he can’t afford to have dull ears.’

Knowing Card’s circumstances, it was natural for him to have sharp ears.

“My magic isn’t suitable for firepower. It’s better to be in a team with someone who has strong firepower.”

Card is a utility mage.

I know this well since I used him during the Flame Butterfly play.

With Sharin and Card joining, the team’s balance would become very stable.

“Hmm.”

As I hesitated, Card’s eyes sparkled.

Seeing a big guy sparkle was annoying, so I frowned.

“By the way, what about your original team?”

Card also had a team he used to work with frequently.

When I asked about that team, Card rubbed his nose sheepishly.

“I ended up leaving because a girl from the same team confessed to me.”

I looked at him with tired eyes.

But Card had a face that said he was wronged.

“I couldn’t help it. I want to live freely without dating anyone!

But I felt bad about staying in the team and ruining the atmosphere.”

“Princess Sweet Potato, doesn’t it sound like trash is talking?”

As Card acted like a tragic hero, Seron, who had approached unnoticed, gave him a contemptuous look.

Then Card winked at Seron.

“I’ll think about it if you confess, Seron.”

“Shut up before I rip your mouth apart.”

Seron hissed like a cat, her hair standing on end.

Her expression showed she didn’t even want to associate with him.

Card, on the other hand, laughed as if he found it amusing and looked back at me.

“Of course, I’d reject it because I want to stay friends with Wangnon.”

“Do you want to die? Why would I confess to you in the first place?”

Seron tried to hit Card but glanced at me.

“And surely not, right? Princess Sweet Potato, you can’t like me, okay?”

Oh, damn.

“Sorry, but I like tall, handsome men. But Princess Sweet Potato is far from manly. Impossible.”

“Yeah, don’t worry. From today, I won’t even see you as a person.”

As I rolled up my sleeves, Seron pretended to run away with a scream.

Seeing how they joked around so casually, it seemed like I’d been hanging out with them for a long time.

From noble mtl dot com

“So, what were you talking about?”

Since today’s morning class was training, Seron, who had been receiving separate lessons from Professor Beganon, arrived late.

So she didn’t know what Card and I were talking about.

“I’m going to join Wangnon’s team.”

“Ugh, no.”

Seron was already disgusted.

Seeing that, I tilted my head.

“Why do you dislike it?”

“What do you mean why? If something like that comes in, the team atmosphere will get weird.”

“So why are you worried about that?”

I asked with genuine curiosity.

Then Seron blinked and tilted his head, following my lead.

“That’s because.”

Seron started to speak, but his eyes slowly began to widen.

“Hey, hey, you’re not Princess Sweet Potato, right?”

“Yeah, I’m not Princess Sweet Potato.”

“Come on, why are you like this? You can’t find a vanguard without me anyway.”

“Our team’s rear guard is already decided to be Sharin.”

Seron’s mouth gaped open.

Second year, top of the magic department.

As soon as the name of the one called the genius of the century came out, Seron’s reaction changed instantly.

“Sha, Sharin Sazarith? Why, why her?”

“Because I’m good at many things.”

The iron-willed Aisha with the great sword, the spirit lord contractor Poara, and even the saint Sarmiel.

I am the one who has already brought three people.

This time, Seron couldn’t doubt it either.

“With Sharin coming in, there will be plenty of people wanting to be the vanguard.”

The rumor hasn’t spread yet, but it will soon.

A lot of people wanting to be the vanguard will flock in.

Realizing this, Seron’s lips quivered.

“Uh, uh, then what about me?”

“That’s why I’ve been asking. Why are you worried about our team?”

I smiled gently.

Following that, Seron’s forehead slowly began to turn red.

He was just beginning to realize his situation.

Seron reached out and firmly grabbed my collar.

“Pr-Princess Sweet Potato, don’t do this.”

“Seron, wouldn’t it be better to find a team before it’s too late?”

“Oh, I really messed up! I-I have good grades these days. My skills are decent, why are you doing this?”

“Yes, with those skills, you’ll be accepted anywhere.”

Seron started to sob.

Seron sniffled and grabbed my collar with both hands.

“Sweet Potato, no, Hanon, please. I have nowhere else to go. Please? Please?”

“Seron, when you’re asking for a favor, you should be polite.”

“Ugh, please. Please let me join the team.”

“Your head is too stiff. And what’s with that voice?”

“Please! Please let me join the team!”

Seron bowed her head deeply and trembled.

Watching her, I raised my hand and patted her head.

“Yes, that’s how you should ask for a favor. Good girl.”

The kids looked at us with strange eyes.

But it didn’t matter.

Since we were already labeled as the troublesome trio, it wasn’t the first time we were seen as odd.

“uuu, aaah!”

At that moment, Seron lifted her head abruptly.

Then, with a tear-stained face, she looked at me and shook my collar wildly.

Did I torment her too much?

The kid was broken.

But she didn’t want to leave the team, so she just glared at me without saying anything.

“Seron, if you perform well and get first place in this group competition, your parents will give you a lot of allowance, right?”

Seron’s shoulders twitched.

Seron, who usually received a generous allowance from her parents.

For her, allowance was a lifeline.

“If Sharin is with us, at least we’ll definitely be in the top ranks.”

Seron carefully straightened and smoothed my collar.

And then, with tear-filled eyes, they sparkled brightly.

Seron, who had already been greatly praised by his parents for the gray forest incident, was there.

Rumor had it that his allowance had been increased.

So, if he performed well this time too, there was a high possibility that his allowance would go up.

“I, I’ll do my best.”

“Yes, let’s aim for first place.”

Seron had become kind.

Card whistled as he watched it.

“You’re getting better at training.”

Training, my foot.

It’s smooth communication.