Fated to Die in an Academy Novel – Chapter 142

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: JayM
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Kim Ga-eul was fully prepared today.

She had paid attention to her outfit and makeup, of course, and she had also chosen a battlefield where she could neutralize her opponent’s strengths and maximize her own.

She couldn’t win in a place that required a lot of movement, so she excluded parks and amusement parks. And since she couldn’t win with her cooking, she chose a place with a restaurant where they could naturally buy food.

Lastly, it was a place with a mysterious atmosphere that would naturally bring them closer together as a couple rather than just friends.

The aquarium was, in her own assessment, the perfect choice.

Although there were some unexpected incidents, like being attacked by two adult women before the date even began, it wasn’t a major problem, and it shouldn’t have interfered with her showdown with her rival.

Yes, it was a bit sad that all this was a strategy to win against a boy, but even so, she wanted to feel superior.

She was thirsty for victory due to her repeated defeats and being pushed aside.

Her strategy seemed to be working. So-hyun had prioritized her opinion over Han-hee’s, and she thought she had the upper hand.

That was what she thought…

But the moment she saw the somewhat unconventional sight of two boys interlocking their fingers, she had a gut feeling that something was starting to go wrong.

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Actually, Kang Ha-ni hadn’t thought much of it when she came to play today.

Ga-eul invited her, so she thought it would be nice to hang out sometimes, and since So-hyun was there too, it would be fun for the three of them to play together.

That was all she thought.

But after they met, Ga-eul’s behavior was strangely getting on her nerves.

To put it more bluntly, it was annoying.

Was she trying to use her to subtly close the distance with So-hyun?

Before, she would have helped the timid Ga-eul because she found her cute, but now, she was aware of her feelings for him, and she didn’t like that the other girl was trying to win with such a passive-aggressive method, especially since Ga-eul thought she was a boy.

So, she reached the conclusion that she needed to teach her timid friend a lesson.

Just because she was cross-dressing didn’t mean she had to lose in terms of charm.

Honestly, even if he thought she was a boy, she didn’t think she would lose.

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How should I describe this?

They acted like they were about to fight, but surprisingly, we were able to enjoy the aquarium normally.

We saw the sea otters near the entrance, then the colorful starfish and jellyfish, and by the time we started seeing more fish, I was enjoying myself quite a bit.

Especially the sight of the sharks and rays swimming across the ceiling of the first floor, like fish flying in the sky, was quite to my liking.

The little kids would love this. I wanted to bring them here if I had the chance.

The only unpleasant thing was that the air conditioning was a bit weak, perhaps because it was before July, so it felt a bit hot, but it wasn’t unbearable.

But just as I thought that, something cold touched my cheek.

“You scared me.”

Ha-ni was holding a cold towel to my cheek with a playful expression.

It was still cold even after wiping my sweat, so there must have been something inside.

“I heard it was hot today, so I froze some water and drinks. We’re not outside, but it’s expensive to buy water at the aquarium, and it just messes up our route, right?”

“Oh, you’re so prepared. Thanks.”

“It’s nothing.”

Wrapping it in a towel made the ice melt slowly, and I also got a cold towel, so it was killing two birds with one stone.

No, since my bag wouldn’t get wet from the water droplets thanks to the towel, it was more like killing three birds with one stone.

“Ugh.”

But Ga-eul seemed to groan in frustration at the other’s resourcefulness and glared at Ha-ni.

Ha-ni also offered Ga-eul a frozen water bottle and a towel with a relaxed expression.

“Why? Are you hot too, Ga-eul? I brought yours too, so just say the word.”

“…Thank you.”

Then, Ha-ni very naturally put the towel she used to wipe my sweat into her waist bag.

Well, it wouldn’t smell bad, but it was a bit embarrassing.

As I was staring blankly at the fish, this time, Ha-ni grabbed my arm and gently pulled me towards her.

“So-hyun, come over here. You almost bumped into those people~”

“…Oh, yeah.”

For a moment, her unique, cool scent tickled my nose because of our sudden close proximity.

Hey, you’re being a bit too touchy-feely today. Are you trying to make Ga-eul jealous?

“Ugh…!”

I turned to where the sound came from and saw Ga-eul with a look of despair. She had been trying to link arms with me too.

The distance seemed to be exactly the amount Ha-ni pulled me away, so she couldn’t link arms with me…

Similar incidents continued, and by the time we arrived at the restaurant for lunch, Ga-eul was already worn out.

“I hate you all… Go away.”

Hmm, what was the final straw that broke Ga-eul’s spirit?

Was it when the fish ignored the food Ga-eul sprinkled and focused on the food Ha-ni gave?

Or was it when the fish behind the glass were acting cute towards Ha-ni and then swam away when it was Ga-eul’s turn?

Or was it when the person taking our picture coughed, making the picture with me blurry?

There were too many reasons, so I didn’t know which it was.

Surprisingly, Ha-ni, feeling a bit sorry after blocking her from linking arms with me, tried to help, but Ga-eul, due to a series of unfortunate events, was the only one who couldn’t enjoy the aquarium. I honestly felt sorry for her too.

“Ga-eul~ I’ll let you sit next to So-hyun, so cheer up~”

“…Hmph, do you think I’ll feel better just because of that?”

“Yes.”

“…That’s true.”

“I’m right here, yet you’re talking as if I’m not. Is that right?”

It was a bit embarrassing that they were talking as if sitting next to me was some kind of reward.

People were staring.

“But a minor question: is it right to eat seafood after looking at fish and calling them cute and pretty?”

“…Hey, why would you say that?”

Just after we ordered, Ha-ni brought up a rather sensitive topic, and Ga-eul and I flinched.

“…I didn’t even think about it.”

“Right? The kids would cry if they knew.”

Well, it was a bit unsettling, but not to the point where I couldn’t eat. But Ga-eul seemed to be unable to eat as she stared blankly at her fish and chips.

“Want to trade for my fried rice?”

It was seafood fried rice, so it still had seafood in it, but proportionally, it was less than the fish and chips.

“Thank you…”

You don’t have to thank me so much for this.

Ha-ni looked a bit sullen as she watched us.

Hey, this was your fault, so I feel a bit wronged when you look at me like that.

“Delicious. Hehe.”

Ga-eul seemed to have less resistance to the fried rice and was eating it happily. To her, as long as it’s delicious, that’s all that matters.

“Hey, So-hyun.”

Ha-ni, who had been looking at me with a sullen expression, suddenly smiled playfully, as if she had thought of something.

“Yeah?”

“Want to trade a bite?”

Ha-ni had ordered a regular pork cutlet, and I had fish and chips, so it was a reasonable suggestion to try different flavors.

Ga-eul, as if finally realizing, looked at her fried rice, but she didn’t seem to have the courage to share a spoon and silently ate her food.

Yeah.

“Here, open your mouth. Aah~”

That is, until Ha-ni said that with a very playful face.

“Hey, what’s with the ‘aah~’? I’ll just eat it myself.”

“Oh, you’re not closing your eyes? You’re refusing this? My arm is getting tired.”

Ga-eul was looking at us with a very hurt expression. How could I accept this?

“Oh, you’re refusing a pork cutlet from a friend? I’m really hurt. After I gave you water, a drink, and a cold towel~?”

Then why were you trying to give me a pork cutlet too?

Was the reason you gave Ga-eul the seat next to me so you could do this from the front?

Seeing her playful smile, I thought that might actually be true.

“Close your eyes! Hurry up and say ‘aah~’!”

…Fine, I’ll do it.

If it made her happy, I could do this much. I would make it up to Ga-eul later.

“Ah.”

“Here it comes.”

I knew by the texture on my tongue.

This was definitely not a pork cutlet…

It was mushy and slightly sour.

Ah, a cherry tomato. Come to think of it, it was in the salad. Ugh.

“…You…”

“Haha! Ah, really. So cute~! You fell for it!”

I should have known when she was so excited to feed me.

“Ah, really. You’re doing a great job as my cherry tomato handler.”

“I never agreed to that.”

Ga-eul hurriedly searched her fried rice, but of course, she had no salad, so there was nothing she could feed me with chopsticks, let alone a cherry tomato.

“Hey.”

Ha-ni, who had been laughing her head off, called me again.

“What, what…!?”

And the moment I opened my mouth to speak, something crispy entered my mouth.

Pork cutlet.

“This is a reward for eating the tomato.”

…Look at her smiling eyes. She wasn’t a cross-dresser, she was a vixen.

“Hmph…”

Ah, right. Damn it, Ga-eul. I’m so sorry. But honestly, I don’t think this was my fault.

It wasn’t my fault that Ha-ni was too strong…

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Fortunately, a new dolphin show was starting just as we were finishing our tour, so we were able to get relatively good seats.

A sulking Ga-eul held onto my sleeve, and Ha-ni, who looked incredibly amused, waited for the dolphin show to begin.

The show started, and a pretty unnie and a handsome hyung appeared one by one and started hosting the show with microphones.

Ga-eul, who wanted to sit in the front row, seemed to finally understand why I insisted on sitting one block behind.

The dolphins that were jumping and splashing water or playing with balls were cute, but they made a mess of the front row.

Honestly, it wasn’t that interesting.

The dolphin show itself was so-so, but seeing the two girls sitting next to me watching with bright, fascinated expressions was cute and reassuring.

Watching them was very enjoyable.

-Are you trying to atone for something?

Shut up. It’s not like that.

The warm feeling in my heart suddenly turned cold, as if doused with ice water.

It happened before I regained my memories, but it was happening more frequently now.

But that was okay.

“Hey, So-hyun! Look! It looks like it’s acting cute! So cute!”

“Hey, that one! It’s splashing water on the people in the front row on purpose!”

“Guys.”

“Huh?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Did you have fun today?”

“So suddenly? We haven’t even gone to the gift shop yet.”

“Yeah? Why?”

“It’s nothing. I was just wondering if you were having fun.”

“Of course. Teasing Ga-eul was fun, and the aquarium had more to see than I thought. It’s my first time at an aquarium, after all.”

“Huh…!? You were teasing me all day!?”

“Yeah.”

“…You’re so mean. Ah, I had fun too. We ate delicious food and bickered. Why? Did you not have fun?”

My cold heart regained its warmth and started beating properly again.

“No.”

How could I not?

“I had fun today too.”

Just having you by my side was a miracle. How could I not have fun?

“…Wow.”

“Hey, you really shouldn’t smile like that in public. You usually smile like a prankster, so why only at times like this…”

“Ahaha!”

“…Yeah, you should just laugh like that, So-hyun.”

“Pfft… Ah, you were cool all day, but you’re a bit of a loser at the end. Our So-hyun!”

The academy would start again after the weekend.

It also meant that it was time to reap what I had sown.

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“I can’t believe it…”

“Can we consider this a successful skill assessment?”

The secretly trained superhuman soldiers of the Yoo-sung Group…

…were all kneeling, defeated by a single woman.

“I was told that as the master’s escort, I should be able to defeat them easily.”

…I wanted to ask what her relationship with my child was, but I closed my mouth, thinking I would get the same answer as before.

The memory of that day still shocked me.

“Don’t worry. I will do my best to earn the trust of both Father and Master.”

The red-haired maid, Rose, smiled and bowed with a sharp, disciplined movement.

“I have learned everything you asked me to. It seems my preparations are now complete.”

‘It should be okay to go see him now, right?

I hope he likes the new jokes I learned.’

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T/N – Damn, Ga-eul chose the battlefield and the fight rules, but she still got murdered by Ha-ni. Poor Ga-eul, but really, there’s no beating the best girl! She really should have just asked out So-hyun alone.

Also, a new challenger is entering the ring! It’s been so long since Rose last appeared, I almost forgot she existed. But I approve of her coming in as the MC’s super maid!

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