The World After the Bad Ending - Chapter 48



47 – Rumors are Punished Like a Knife

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

This caused a huge ripple in the Jerion Academy.

No one expected that Iris, known as the strongest, would lose.

Of course, there were many opinions that it was largely thanks to Sharin.

However, what was mentioned the most was the lightning strike that struck down the last apostle, Urese.

The lightning that suddenly fell in the arena.

Some argued that it made no sense to defeat Urese with a natural phenomenon.

Those with good eyes were all vaguely aware.

Just before the lightning struck.

That I was reaching out my hand towards the sky.

Thanks to that, I got a new nickname after that day.

Lightning Kid

What a brilliant naming sense.

“Lightning Sweet Potato!”

And there was another one whose nickname had changed.

As soon as I entered the classroom, I saw Seron raising his hand and waving it enthusiastically at me.

A bright smile bloomed on Seron’s face.

It’s the first time I’ve seen him smile like that in his life.

“Why are you smiling so annoyingly?”

“Heeheehee.”

Even when I snapped at him as usual, Seron didn’t erase his smile.

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

It increased that much.

It’s worth smiling like that.

“Then treat me today.”

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

Although there was a strange modifier attached.

I didn’t deny it since he said he’d treat me.

You have to take care of the one who pays.

“By the way, Lightning Sweet Potato, my dad said he wants to talk to you.”

While I was thinking about what to ask for today, Seron said something unexpected.

“Your father? To me? Why?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he wants to give you some allowance since we worked together in the team event.”

Seron shrugged as if he really didn’t know.

I remembered Seron’s father who came to watch the team event.

He was cheering hard for Seron, even holding a pamphlet.

Anyone could see he was a doting father.

For some reason, I had an uneasy feeling.

From noble mtl dot com

Surely, it wasn’t a ridiculous misunderstanding.

“Seron, next time you meet my father, tell him I don’t even look like a man.”

“Huh? Then is Lightning Sweet Potato a girl? Should I call you Princess Sweet Potato again?”

This fool seems to have no idea about the situation.

“You.”

I was pondering how to give Seron a good flick on the forehead to make it hurt.

A voice came from behind me.

I never expected the other side to speak first.

I looked surprised.

“Isabel.”

Isabel called out to me first from the classroom.

Naturally, the children’s eyes began to focus on us.

Whenever Isabel and I talked, we always clashed.

They were tense, wondering if we would fight again.

But Isabel looked at me without showing much emotion.

“This time, I lost.”

Isabel’s eyes were shining fiercely, unlike before.

“…Next time, I won’t lose.”

Isabel’s team’s record was 38 minutes and 23 seconds.

The team’s overall rank was 3rd in the second year.

Considering that some teams didn’t even reach the tenth apostle.

It was a significant achievement.

But Isabel was not satisfied at all.

I, her rival, was ahead of her.

I could feel the bright enthusiasm in Isabel’s eyes.

‘Little by little.’

Isabel was definitely making progress.

Someday, when she steps out of the shadow of Lucas and smiles brightly like she used to.

I will no longer be needed by her.

And I am eagerly awaiting that day.

“Hey, are you laughing?”

At that moment, I realized that I was laughing after hearing Isabel’s words.

When I touched my lips, the corners of my mouth were indeed raised.

I must have laughed unintentionally when I thought of Isabel’s future.

Isabel looked at me with a somewhat blank expression.

“Yes, I laughed.”

I raised the corners of my mouth even more.

“I laughed at you. You will never beat me.”

So, I must remain her rival for now.

Isabel looked at me for a moment and sighed.

“You’re mean.”

Then she turned around.

“That’s just like you.”

Isabel walked away.

Somehow, she didn’t seem as upset as before.

‘Is she getting used to my provocations?’

I might need to study provocations more in the future.

With that thought, I returned to my usual seat.

Although seats are usually free to choose.

The kids in the martial arts class didn’t bother to sit where Seron and I always sat.

It felt like we had assigned seats.

As I sat down, I noticed something sticking out of the drawer.

I tilted my head, not knowing what it was, and pulled it out.

There was a letter.

Did someone put it there by mistake?

“What is this? A letter?”

Seron, who had followed me, looked at the letter curiously.

“I don’t know either.”

Since this was always my seat.

There was no way someone else mistakenly put the letter in.

When I turned the letter over, there was a single character written on the back.

Seeing this, my face took on a peculiar expression.

It was because the name ‘Hanon Airei’ was written there.

This was sent to me.

“What, what, really? Could it be a love letter?”

Seron looked at me with a bewildered face.

I was also flabbergasted.

I never thought I would receive something like a love letter, being called a lightning brat.

‘Well, Hanon’s original form isn’t bad.’

It’s not for nothing that he’s of ducal blood.

Maybe someone fell for me after seeing my performance in the group match.

“…Really, why?”

And then Seron flicked my forehead.

Seron, clutching his stinging forehead, urged me to look at the letter.

I wasn’t thrilled about seeing a letter that someone might have written with care with this guy.

But I was curious, so I couldn’t not look.

When I opened the letter, there was a single sheet of paper inside.

It was a letter asking me to come to Sky Park during lunch.

Since Sky Park is on the rooftop, it’s usually deserted during lunch.

It was clear that whoever wrote it wanted to talk alone.

“What are you going to do about this?”

Seron asked slyly.

“I have to go.”

I received the letter.

Whoever it was, if they were in the martial arts class, they would have seen me reading the letter.

If I didn’t go, it would be rude.

“Sigh, I guess I won’t be able to hang out with the lightning sweet potato anymore.”

Then Seron muttered to himself with a disappointed face.

What does that even mean?

“Well, isn’t it obvious? If I get a girlfriend, she’ll definitely get jealous seeing me sticking around you. I don’t want any love triangles.”

He tilted his head.

What does that mean?

“Why would my girlfriend be jealous of you, Seron?”

“Are you stupid? Of course, a girlfriend would get jealous seeing a friend of the opposite s*x hanging around…”

Seron’s eyebrows furrowed sharply.

Oh no, did he catch on to what I meant?

“Not today.”

“Of course, she’d be jealous. Absolutely.”

The sponsor was upset.

“And you don’t need to worry about that. Even if someone confesses, I have no intention of dating.”

“You don’t even appreciate someone confessing to you? Why?”

“It’s not the right time to date anyone.”

Sorry, but I don’t have the luxury for that.

I can barely manage progressing the scenario, let alone dating.

“Hmm, well, that makes it easier for me.”

Since when did being by my side become so comfortable for him?

I’m a bit worried that Seron is losing his social skills more and more.

＊ ＊ ＊

After the morning classes.

I sent Seron off with a card to get some food.

Seron was reluctant, but he had no one else to eat with.

In the end, I saw them off, bickering as usual, and headed to the sky garden.

To be honest, I was a bit curious about who might have left such a letter.

‘Could it be someone I know?’

With that thought, I climbed the stairs and saw the door to the sky garden.

As expected for lunchtime, it was very quiet beyond the door.

Creak-

The door opened with the sound of overlapping hinges.

As I peeked inside, I saw a person standing in the distance.

For some reason, the back view looks familiar.

The person I least expected was there.

“You came.”

Short, chestnut brown hair.

Rings dangling from the hand.

Eyes that look fierce.

Second-year magic studies runner-up.

Dorara Korajin.

So.

A man.

I quietly looked at him and then quietly turned around.

Then I closed the door again.

“Wait, where are you going!”

A startled Dorara ran over and grabbed the door.

Trying to wrestle with me.

I guess I should show the results of the training I received from Aisha.

As I forcibly closed the door, Dorara was dragged along.

Then Dorara shouted in frustration.

“Why are you running away!”

“Sorry, but I’m not interested in men at all. I understand your preference, but don’t include me in it.”

“Crazy, what nonsense are you talking about!”

Then he widened his eyes as if he understood what I said.

“Hey! I like women too! Who would like someone like you!”

“Then why did you put such a meaningful letter in there.”

“Damn it, I just wanted to talk!”

“Why with me?”

Dorara, who has no connection with me at all.

When I looked at him with suspicious eyes, Dorara huffed.

“Isn’t that what I’ve been waiting to tell you.”

I understood.

As I flung the door open, Dorara was pushed by the force and tumbled to the floor.

Being a graduate of magical studies, he seemed a bit annoyed, perhaps because his pride was hurt by being overpowered by me.

Still, he acknowledged it and dusted himself off as he stood up.

“What do you want?”

My mood soured.

I shouldn’t have come.

I just want to go have lunch quickly.

Dorara exhaled and asked me,

“What is your relationship with Sharin?”

“What do you mean by relationship?”

“Your team for the group match, and you keep being with Sharin in the evenings.”

I had been moving secretly enough not to be caught by Isabel.

How did he know?

“We’re friends.”

I answered, tilting my head.

“Are we friends?”

“…Why do you seem unsure?”

My relationship with Sharin was ambiguous to be called friendship.

It was a relationship based on a deal, with Isabel as the condition.

Sharin was so capricious.

She might just be helping me out of curiosity.

So, honestly, I couldn’t be sure.

“Huh, so you’re not even friends. Well, it’s not like she would have something like friends.”

Then sharp words flowed from Dorara.

He was expressing his displeasure about Sharin.

“Fine. Then there’s nothing to talk about.”

“What was your purpose in calling me? Just tell me.”

Now I’m curious.

When I asked what his purpose was, Dorara glanced at me.

Then, his lips slowly curled into a smile.

There was a strange malice in the smile.

“I just wanted to let you know something.”

“What?”

“How lowborn that woman is.”

As expected.

The words I anticipated from Dorara came out.

“Do you know? That woman’s mother worked in a brothel. I heard she died of syphilis.”

Once Dorara started talking, she couldn’t stop.

“Despite that, she hides this fact and lives receiving all kinds of admiration.

I can’t stand seeing a woman who spreads syphilis around.

If you hang out with her, you’ll catch syphilis too…”

And then Dorara flew through the air.

To be precise, I planted my fist in her jaw.

“Ugh!”

Thud!

Dorara rolled roughly on the ground.

In both the game and reality.

Truly, she is consistently a bundle of inferiority.

Since there’s no way to beat Sharin in magic.

She was spreading rumors to boost her self-esteem.

‘I wondered why rumors about Sharin spread in the game.’

It was her spreading them.

“Y-you crazy, what are you doing!”

Dorara shouted, trembling with her dislocated jaw.

Looking at her sturdy build, I clenched my fist again.

“Just.”

Crack-

My hand loosened.

“Seeing that I’m being called for such useless stories, I guess my notoriety isn’t much.”

My notoriety is quite widespread at Jerion Academy.

No wonder they even call me “Lightning b*stard.”

With a nickname like that.

There have been those who tried to pick a fight with me.

I didn’t bother them as long as they didn’t cross the line.

But if they did, I always gave it my all.

After that, I made a name for myself, and now I’m an official member of the student council.

So recently, there haven’t been many who dare to pick a fight with me.

“This time, I’ll defeat the second in command of the Magic Department and spread my notoriety.”

Let’s experience a wizard battle.