I Became the Terminally Ill Character in My Friend’s Academy Novel – Chapter 13

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: JayM
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“Hello everyone. I’m Cathy, and I’ll be your homeroom teacher for the next year. I’m also an active A-rank hero, officially ranked 2803rd.”

As my secret friend stood at the podium, and began her self-introduction with a solemn expression, the surroundings buzzed.

That was understandable since the 2803rd rank wasn’t a domestic ranking, but a global one, making it incredibly high.

You might ask what kind of sport or game was this that even heroes had rankings? But there were logical reasons for it.

First, it was to encourage the growth of heroes through healthy competition. Second, it was to garner public support by promoting high-ranking heroes in the media, using them as a kind of celebrity.

To put it more positively, it was also a service to make heroes feel more approachable to the public and assure affected citizens by showing them the heroes’ impressive figures.

That was what my friend wrote in the settings book, anyway.

Ah, we made eye contact.

I thought about waving, but I stopped myself.

A secret friend was meaningful because it was a secret.

“Well, even though I’m your homeroom teacher, I won’t be seeing the cadets who aren’t taking martial arts classes very often. But I’d like to get closer to the students of my class, so feel free to visit me personally when you have the time!”

Oh, cheers erupted just like in a manga or novel.

The only ones who remained calm were me, Lilac, and Cheon Yoo-hak.

Ah, no.

Those guys were pretending to be cool, but the corners of their mouths were twitching. As expected of young males.

Well, that was a natural reaction when a pretty noona suddenly said it was okay to visit her personally.

I understood.

Actually, their reaction seemed a bit excessive, but it was normal for characters in a novel to be a bit over the top!

Professor Cathy continued to explain things while mixing in jokes, and wrapped up homeroom after that.

“Ah, and lastly.”

Hmm? I thought she was done. Was there more?

“You might not feel a strong sense of belonging here, but being in the same class is still a connection. So if there are any classmates who are weak or struggling, please help them. This is also an important aspect of being a hero.”

…Uh? Were you looking at me just now? Were you talking about me?

“Then, since it’s the first day, you’ll all have regular classes. You can go to the classes you’ve signed up for. Everyone, study hard.”

Fortunately, she didn’t single me out, but everyone just chuckled, thinking it was a funny joke.

Yes, everyone was superhuman here, so who would be weak? Sorry, guys.

There was one person in your class who was weaker than you thought.

It was me.

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Academy classes were relatively relaxed.

Most students only took the necessary classes, and you could graduate as long as you studied enough to pass the basic subjects.

Most students thought it was more important to stand out in events and exams than in classes.

Of course, that didn’t mean they slacked off in class. It just meant that no one except for attention-seekers like Cheon Yoo-hak tried to stand out in subjects that weren’t their major.

“Ugh…!”

But those who stood out always received attention.

Even if you didn’t want to stand out, a special person couldn’t hide their brilliance.

What was I talking about…?

“Uwaaagh…!”

My classmates were looking at me with strange expressions while watching me do battle with the 25kg dumbbells.

Kang So-hyun, this idiot who clearly had a talent suited for the support department, was, for some reason, a crazy bastard who wanted to major in close combat, specializing in swordsmanship, minoring in hand-to-hand combat, and taking basic physical training for his first class.

Did they do course registration before the entrance ceremony?

What was this crazy bastard planning to do with his physical strength if I hadn’t possessed him?

Was he suicidal?

“Hehehe.”

“What’s his deal? Is he an attention-seeker?”

“Stop messing around and be serious.”

“Leave him alone. He’s probably aiming for a career in entertainment after graduation.”

Even my classmates started making fun of me.

Damn it, I was more serious than anyone here, you bastards!

“Everyone, focus on your own training instead of watching others!”

Surprisingly, the instructor in charge of basic physical training was someone I knew.

The man who introduced himself as Kim Min-soo was the professor who had stopped me from leaving my row on the day of the entrance ceremony.

Yes, I remember him.

Min-soo, you were a bad person. You laughed at me when I was in mortal danger, telling me to hold it in if I needed to use the restroom, and made me a laughingstock.

I was struggling now, but I’d get my petty revenge later.

Anyway, the way he looked at me was quite strange. Whether it was because he had heard something from the Chairman or he was bothered by what had happened that day, it wasn’t a pleasant feeling to be looked at like this.

After a long deliberation, he approached me and said,

“Your form is bad.”

“What?”

“Cadet Kang So-hyun, you must have learned how to exercise by yourself, and not from an instructor. Continuing with that form will strain your back.”

There were forms for lifting dumbbells…?

After he corrected my form, it definitely felt less strenuous.

Oh, I thought this basic physical training class was useless, but it was unexpectedly helpful.

Kim Min-soo still seemed to have something to say to me, but perhaps because he was conscious of the other students, he just corrected my form and left.

“Phew.”

But these bastards were still laughing at me while working out.

Looking closely, not everyone was laughing, but the people around a certain girl were intentionally mocking me.

Yes.

Among the students taking the basic physical training class, there was our butt, no, the prospective president of the Cheon Yoo-hak fan club.

I roughly understood the situation, but I didn’t know why it turned out this way.

Seriously, why was she picking on me?

Wasn’t Lilac the one she usually bothered at the beginning of the semester?

She smirked and looked away when our eyes met.

She wanted to humiliate me, but I’m sorry, little girl.

I was a man accustomed to such looks of contempt and disdain.

How much effort could these kids put into bullying me anyway?

I wanted to continue exercising and shout “one million and thirty” energetically, but I decided to refrain from attracting too much attention.

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Basic physical training was a very simple class.

You just trained individually without magic, the professor corrected your form, and there were theoretical lessons to prevent students from overexerting themselves during training.

Apparently, except for the written exam, everything else was evaluated through practical assessments.

On the other hand, the second class was a bit special, and surprisingly, Lilac was in this class.

Basic Magic Control.

Not all superhumans who entered the academy could skillfully control magic.

Talent was innate, but the time of its realization and awakening varied greatly.

And if your talent wasn’t related to magic and your rank was low, it was usually difficult to recognize and control magic on your own.

So, for most newly admitted students, except for those with exceptional talent, those who received gifted education, or both, magic was practically an unknown subject.

Ah, of course, Lilac could already control magic.

He was a genius, after all.

But why was he taking this class?

A building with a weak foundation could easily crumble, and the same was true for a person’s skills.

That was what Lilac’s father, who worked in construction, often told him.

He followed that teaching and was taking six basic classes in his first semester even though he was already incredibly skilled.

Well, he would do well in any class he took. Anyway, I was quite interested in this class.

“Haha, hello everyone!”

A very energetic female professor entered.

A petite blonde with a pointy hat, like a little witch.

Everyone buzzed at her childlike appearance, but it was common knowledge that strong heroes’ aging slowed down, although hers was a bit extreme, so the buzzing didn’t last long.

I thought I had gotten used to seeing characters from the novel in person, but it still felt strangely novel every time I saw a new character.

Professor Park Ah-ram, a magic professor loved by students for her small stature and cute appearance, and the charming point of the academy.

Nice to meet you.

If the story followed the original, she was one of the academy traitors I had to kill.

To be precise, she wasn’t a traitor yet, but she was a seed of betrayal who would turn against the academy after being tempted by a traitor who offered her what she desired.

“Oh, are all of you laughing because I’m short? Do you want an F?”

Everyone chuckled, thinking it was a joke.

Except for Lilac, who didn’t laugh because he knew you shouldn’t judge people by their appearance, and me, who knew she was serious.

She nodded, seemingly annoyed.

“Hmm, I didn’t know there were so many students aiming for an F. You all want to retake this class? Do you want to see me next year?”

Her hair floated as magic surged around her, creating an eerie atmosphere.

Sparks crackled, and the laughter stopped.

“Judging by your lack of discipline, this must be your first class, or your first class was easy. I was in a good mood because our freshmen were so cute, but now I’m pissed.”

It was a kind of threat.

Of course, she was genuinely annoyed, but she wouldn’t seriously harm the students since she wasn’t a villain yet.

“Phew.”

As expected, when the students became intimidated, she relaxed her expression and waved her hands.

“Hahaha! I’m just kidding. I won’t give you Fs or punish you for this as long as you don’t disrespect me again. But I’m glad there are at least two decent students in this class.”

She pointed at me and Lilac with the staff she had taken out from somewhere.

“Especially you, you’re not bad.”

“Huh?”

And surprisingly, it wasn’t Lilac who caught her attention, but me.

“That student isn’t bad either, but you weren’t just respectful, you were also observant, going beyond respect. That’s good. Whether your goal is to become a hero, a mercenary, or an adventurer, the ability to observe and understand your target is an important skill to have.”

I received an unexpected compliment.

I hadn’t intended to be observant, but that was how she saw it.

“Of course, it’s also very important when handling magic! Now then, let’s get to the main topic. What do you think is magic?”

“A mysterious power.”

Some idiot answered.

“Haha, you, write your name and student ID on the board before you leave. I’ll give you an F. Anyone else who can give a more specific answer than that foolish one?”

When no one answered, her expression started to distort.

“No one?”

Then a savior raised his hand.

It was Lilac.

I could have answered since I knew the setting, but the protagonist was supposed to answer here.

“It’s a general term for the supernatural powers that appeared after the dimensional collision about 100 years ago. The way people perceive and use it differs slightly, so the names they use to call it also vary, but over 50 years ago, all supernatural powers were unified under the term ‘magic.’”

That was right.

The setting of this novel’s world was that various supernatural phenomena began to occur after a dimensional collision with another world. The various terms used to describe these powers, like magic, mana, chakra, and psychic powers, were now unified under the term “magic.”

Apparently, it was because most of them were similar in nature and there wasn’t much difference between them when they were measured.

“Yes, that’s right, Cadet Lilac. You’re almost completely accurate. There used to be many different names for them, but after a method to measure the amount of power an individual possesses was developed, they were all unified under the term ‘magic.’”

She started drawing in the air with her magic-infused staff.

A cat, which looked like it was drawn by an elementary school student, appeared in the air.

“But it’s not perfect. Can anyone add to that?”

She wanted someone to stand out in the first class.

“Then, shall we have Cadet Kang So-hyun answer?”

“What…?”

Damn it, being noticed earlier was a mistake.

I briefly considered whether I should answer.

“But, there are differences in the training methods and the ways of controlling energy that would suit each individual, and the study that universally organizes these is called ‘Magic Studies’…?”

“Oh! You lack confidence, but you’re accurate! As expected, I knew you could answer it. I have a good eye for people. If you couldn’t answer, you would have been stuck as my lab rat for the semester, which is a bit of a shame!”

Damn it.

Good thing I answered.

She seemed quite satisfied with my answer, so she continued the class.

Today was just a theoretical lesson. The actual practice would start next time. She looked back and forth between me and Lilac and nodded for some reason.

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After two classes, something usually followed.

It was lunchtime.

Reilan Academy’s student cafeteria was a buffet, a common rule in academy stories.

In the novel’s description, Lilac shouted, “This is the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten!” so it was probably really good.

I was about to get up and head to the cafeteria, but someone stopped me.

“Hey, do you have a minute?”

“No, I’m hungry.”

“Ah, then let’s go together.”

“…Huh?”

The person who spoke to me was none other than Lilac, the true protagonist of this novel.

“Hello.”

“Uh, yeah, hi…?”

Cheon Yoo-hak did this too, what was their deal?

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T/N – And it looks like I was right, Ms. Butt seems like she’ll get annoying real quick. In other news, there’s a good bit of world building in this chapter. I prefer this style of sprinkling lore in rather than the walls of text other novels usually do.

If you find any mistakes, feel free to point them out in the comments.